Human Landing System, Spacesuits Latest Challenge To 2024 Moon Goal

By Irene Klotz Aug 27, 2021
NASA stops work on lunar lander a second time after losing bidder files federal lawsuit.
Program Management

Why Airbus Is Offering Lower-Weight A330neo Versions

By Jens Flottau Aug 24, 2021
EASA has certified versions of the A330-800 and -900 that are significantly lower weight than the in-service A330neo fleet that can lead to a significant reduction in operating costs for airlines, making the aircraft more attractive to operators that don’t need the long-range capabilities.
Aircraft & Propulsion

TSA Eyes Big Leaps In Slowly Evolving Passenger Screening Techniques

By Sean Broderick Aug 24, 2021
New risks have emerged 20 years after 9/11, while COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized value of touchless, crowd-reducing protocols.
Program Management

Burgeoning Satellite Industry Paving Way To $1 Trillion Space Economy

By Irene Klotz Aug 24, 2021
New satellite constellations seeding the $1 trillion space economy
Program Management

Pentagon Shops For AI Computing System For MQ-9 Smart Sensor

By Steve Trimble Aug 17, 2021
A U.S. Defense Department agency is shopping for a computing system powerful and efficient enough to process and interpret hundreds of terraflops of imagery data from systems on board manned and unmanned aircraft.
Program Management

Northrop Grumman To Support New NATO Global Hawk Fleet

By Tony Osborne Aug 11, 2021
Northrop Grumman will support NATO’s new fleet of Alliance Ground Surveillance Global Hawks for the next five years.
Program Management

Purdue Plans Hypersonic Test Center Backed By Rolls-Royce

By Guy Norris Aug 10, 2021
Plans for the center will be welcomed by the U.S. high-speed systems development community, which for years has highlighted the shortage of adequate centralized hypersonic test facilities.
Aircraft & Propulsion

FAA Close To First Certification Rules For Electric Engines

By Graham Warwick Aug 10, 2021
The FAA is closing in on its first special condition for type certification of an electric propulsion system, and acknowledges that amending requirements developed over decades for piston and turbine engines is proving challenging.
Emerging Technologies

Copa Airlines To Install Honeywell Fuel Tank Safety Component

By Sean Broderick Aug 09, 2021
Copa Airlines will retrofit its Boeing 737s with Honeywell’s air separation module (ASM), becoming the first announced customer for the fuel tank safety system component. 
Aircraft & Propulsion

The Weekly Debrief: What’s Going On Inside The Skunk Works’ New Factory?

By Steve Trimble Aug 09, 2021
The existence of the new production facility also points to a likely return by the Skunk Works to a series manufacturing role after spending most of the last four decades focused on being a rapid prototyping arm and future concepts developer.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Boeing Starliner Launch Date Under Assessment

By Irene Klotz Aug 04, 2021
Launch of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner on a long-awaited reflight demonstration to the International Space Station remained on hold while engineers assessed options to address an issue with valves in the spacecraft’s propulsion system.
Commercial Space

NASA To Assess Using Lunar Regolith To Build Moon Structures

By Mark Carreau Aug 03, 2021
After 3-D printing dozens of tools since its arrival aboard the International Space Station in 2016, the Made in Space Manufacturing Device will have a new assignment once Northrop Grumman’s 16th NASA-contracted resupply mission reaches the ISS with a new Redwire Regolith Print extruder and other hardware.
Space

Airbus Moves Forward With A350 Freighter As Boeing Considers Response

By Jens Flottau Aug 03, 2021
Airbus has been largely absent from the new-built freighter market, leaving Boeing with a virtual monopoly for the 767F, 777F and 747-8F.
Aircraft & Propulsion

House Panel Backs Airborne Electronic Warfare Upgrades

By Steve Trimble Jul 28, 2021
A tacair subcommittee member has proposed that the Air Force study the “feasibility and advisability” of integrating a Raytheon ALQ-249 mid-band radar jammer on its tactical fighter fleet. 
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

What Role Will Automotive Industry Play In Advanced Air Mobility?

By Graham Warwick Jul 27, 2021
Automakers are eyeing the market, directly by developing eVTOL vehicles or indirectly by providing investment, expertise and suppliers.
Urban & Unmanned Aviation

Lockheed Reports $225 Million Charge On Classified Program

By Steve Trimble Jul 26, 2021
The charge arose during a government-led review of the classified program in May, Lockheed’s chief financial officer told analysts during a teleconference.
Budget, Policy & Operations

The Weekly Debrief: U.S. Army Aviation Restructures For Large-Scale Combat Operations

By Steve Trimble Jul 26, 2021
FORT RUCKER, Alabama—Two decades of counter-insurgency (COIN) operations have reshaped the U.S. Army’s aviation branch organizationally and…
Aircraft & Propulsion

Bezos Adds Big Fee Cut To Lunar Lander Proposal

By Irene Klotz Jul 26, 2021
Fresh off Blue Origin’s first human spaceflight, founder Jeff Bezos is offering to cut his company’s fee for a human lunar landing demonstration mission dramatically and add—at company expense—an orbital flight test.
Space

How To Tackle The Space Sector’s Cyber Challenge

By Angus Batey Jul 26, 2021
A nonprofit organization is uniting industry and academia to protect on-orbit assets.
Space

Boeing Slows 787 Output, Focuses On Delivery Resumption

By Sean Broderick Jul 23, 2021
The airframer and FAA are still discussing methodology for 787 post-production inspections.
Safety, Ops & Regulation

Blue Origin Launches Passenger Suborbital Spaceflight

By Irene Klotz Jul 20, 2021
The 10-min. suborbital spaceflight on July 20 marks the first time a crewed spacecraft made a debut flight without test pilots, test engineers or professional astronauts aboard.
Commercial Space

Rocket Lab Modifies Ignition System After May Failure

By Guy Norris Jul 19, 2021
Rocket Lab has modified the design and manufacture of the igniter for the Rutherford engine after a fault in this system was identified as the root cause of the company’s Electron launch vehicle failure on May 15.
Space

UK Funds Common Flight Control System Research

By Tony Osborne Jul 19, 2021
South African fan-in-wing business jet is first subject of Callen-Lenz flight control system project.
Program Management

USAF MQ-9s Ready For Autoland, Takeoff Upgrade

By Steve Trimble Jul 16, 2021
An automatic-takeoff-and-landing capability is scheduled to be released to the operational fleet of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. MQ-9 Reapers owned by the U.S. Air Force next year. 
Aircraft & Propulsion

Regional Airliner Sector Embracing Hydrogen Fuel-cell Propulsion

By Graham Warwick Jul 16, 2021
Universal Hydrogen signs deals with first customers for hydrogen-electric propulsion retrofit.
Sustainability