Defense

China’s People’s Liberation Army has performed a ballistic-missile defense test, hitting a missile in its mid-course phase.

Space remains popular. But everything moves faster in a vacuum, including cash burn.

Trials will measure ability to handle applications such as a long-range artillery shell and a Mach 4 air-launched missile.

SpaceX kicked off a trio of launches planned for June 17-19 by sending another bank of Starlink satellites into orbit aboard a Falcon 9 booster making its13th flight, a new company record.

Three months after emerging from so-called stealth mode, Impulse Space Propulsion, an in-orbit transfer services company founded by SpaceX co-founder Tom Mueller, has added $10 million to its initial fundraising. Lux Capital, a venture capital firm focused on emerging science and technology ventures that is familiar to aerospace startups, is investing in Impulse, bringing the latter’s total raised to date to $30 million.

Velo3D has unveiled the Sapphire XC 1MZ, a 3D printer that can make aerospace parts up to 1 m in height.

SpaceX is to loft the first of three new synthetic aperture radar satellites into orbit for the German Defense Ministry on June 18.

The International Space Station (ISS) executed a June 16 debris avoidance maneuver prompted by the predicted close approach of a fragment from last year’s Russian anti-satellite (ASAT) test.

NASA has reassigned astronaut Sunita Williams to the upcoming Crew Flight Test (CFT) of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner, replacing Michael Fincke.

Slovakia has revealed the donation of helicopters to Ukraine as part of a new round of arms transfers.

The highly anticipated event took place on June 17 at Jiangnan Shipyard near Shanghai.

The flight, which marked the first time Roc had flown at altitudes required for effective launch trajectories of Stratolaunch’s Talon-A hypersonic test vehicle, lasted just over three hours.

U.S. Air Force pilots could return to the electronic attack mission under a unique plan proposed by the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has recommended adding $45 billion to President Biden’s request of $813 billion for national defense in its 2023 defense policy bill to speed implementation of the National Defense Strategy and account for rising inflation.

Romania’s government has approved a draft law that paves the way for the expansion of the country’s fleet of F-16 combat aircraft.

Sceye’s high-altitude platform stations (HAPS) airship recently reached the stratosphere and demonstrated the ability “to stay over an area of operation and maintain a constant float altitude.”

Jordan has signed an agreement with the U.S. government to buy eight GE Aviation F110-powered Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70s, the company said June 16.

Boeing has been fielding increasing interest abroad in its KC-46A tanker, although several nations are inquiring about the aircraft’s ability to carry cargo, not fuel.

A collaboration between Astrobotic and WiBotic has successfully advanced a wireless charging system capable of providing power throughout a simulated 14-day lunar night with its thermal and other environmental extremes.

The Netherlands has selected Embraer’s C-390 airlifter as the replacement for its long-serving Lockheed C-130 Hercules fleet.

NATO has launched a three-year Concept Stage for the Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) program.

Launch startup Firefly Aerospace is rotating through another CEO as its recently installed private equity sponsors assert more control over the embattled new-space upstart.

President Joe Biden has announced that the U.S. will provide Ukraine with another $1 billion in military assistance to fight its war with Russia.

Germany has retired its last Airbus A310 multirole tanker transport, leaving Canada as the final military operator of the widebody transport.

Top NASA and European Space Agency (ESA) leaders emerged from a June 15 meeting prepared to extend and strengthen a long-standing partnership in space.