Today's Aerospace Pulse
Blue Origin’s New Glenn suffers catastrophic engine failure during static fire
A BE‑4 methane/LOX engine on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket failed four seconds after ignition, causing a catastrophic explosion that destroyed the first‑stage booster and damaged Launch Complex 36A. No personnel were injured. An FAA‑led investigation, supported by the U.S. Space Force, is under way.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Disciplined Growth Acquisition Corp raises $150M in IPO
Artemis 2 Countdown Underway
NASA kicked off the two‑day Artemis 2 countdown on March 30, targeting an April 1 launch from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B within a two‑hour window. Mission managers reported no major issues with the Space Launch System rocket, Orion crew capsule, or ground systems, and the pad work stayed ahead of schedule. An 80 % chance of acceptable weather and newly installed liquid‑hydrogen seals address previous leak concerns. Fueling of the SLS is slated to begin roughly ten hours before liftoff.
Embry-Riddle Provides UAS Training Programs for Drone Professionals
Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University has launched comprehensive UAS certificate programs covering ground school, multirotor, fixed‑wing, and advanced air mobility training. The curriculum aligns with FAA requirements and prepares pilots for the General Knowledge Test and real‑world commercial missions such as inspection,...
IndiGo Expands Network in Gujarat, Connecting More than 30 Destinations
IndiGo is expanding its Gujarat network, resuming flights from six cities on April 23 and linking them to over 30 Indian destinations and Dubai. The airline now operates more than 700 weekly departures from Gujarat and added 50 weekly flights to...
ITA Airways Volare Now Gone – Becomes Part Of Miles&More & Star Alliance From April 1, 2026
ITA Airways has terminated its Volare frequent‑flyer program as of March 30, 2026, giving members a short window to redeem remaining points. Starting April 1, 2026 the carrier will become a full member of Lufthansa Group’s Miles&More program and join the Star Alliance network....
FROM £1,000: Etihad Business Class Flight Deals Still Available Across Asia, Maldives, Australia
Etihad is extending its ultra‑low‑priced business‑class fares across Asia, the Maldives and Australia, with return tickets as low as £1,073 ($1,360) from Europe and €1,217 ($1,340) from Dublin. The deals, valid through June, require a stopover in Abu Dhabi and...
Legged Robot Enables Rapid Moon, Mars Resource Surveys
A semi-autonomous legged robot equipped with compact scientific instruments can rapidly survey planetary surfaces, accelerating resource prospecting and the search for biosignatures on the Moon and Mars. spaceexploration
What Is Terrain Relative Navigation, and Why Is It Important?
NASA’s Terrain Relative Navigation (TRN) lets spacecraft compare live images with onboard maps to pinpoint safe landing zones. First proven on the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover, TRN reduced landing uncertainty from miles to roughly 50 meters. The system’s compact camera‑computer design has...
AirBorneo to Wet‑Lease Three Boeing 737‑800s
NSTExclusive: Sarawak’s new airline AirBorneo is believed to be wet leasing three Boeing B737-800 jets from ACMI operator, Ascend Airways Malaysia. Read more ⬇️ Disclaimer: Pix is an ATR given that AirBorneo hasn’t gotten the narrowbody jets with its livery as...
SM Line Ships Get Satellite Systems From SpaceX Subsidiary Starlink Korea
South Korean liner operator SM Line has equipped all 13 vessels in its fleet with satellite communications from Starlink Korea, the local arm of SpaceX. The service leverages more than 8,000 low‑earth‑orbit satellites positioned around 550 km, delivering faster and more...
Korean Air Enters Emergency Mode Over Iran‑War Oil Spike
Korean Air to shift to emergency mode in April amid rising oil prices from Iran war https://t.co/sLGC9oTA8f
JAXA Aborts RV‑X Maiden Flight Test Again After Fuel‑line Separation Failure
Japan's space agency JAXA called off the RV‑X reusable rocket's maiden flight on March 30, citing a malfunction in the fuel‑line separation device. The abort marks the fifth delay of the program, pushing back Japan's timeline for reusable launch technology...
Lessons From Iran: Could Pakistan Emulate Iran’s Ballistic Missile Strategy?
Iran’s recent conflict with the United States and Israel has highlighted its reliance on a ballistic‑missile‑centric defence, firing over 5,000 munitions in the first 96 hours before launch rates dropped about 90% due to coalition strikes and rationing. The campaign...
Indian Airport Concessions Set to Restart; Bangalore Airport to Join the Fray as a Bidder?
India is preparing the third tranche of airport concessions, targeting smaller regional hubs that will be bundled with larger, more attractive airports to create compelling packages for bidders. The government hopes lessons from the 2006 and 2020‑21 rounds will streamline...
Starlink Outpaces Cable Firms in Airborne Uplink Speed
@Starlink is serving more uplink to a plane at 500 mph than Kabletown can deliver to your house with a wire. Yikes. $CMCSA $CHTR https://t.co/09s4MJ9QlX
Exodus Propulsion and the Exodus Force Aka Electrostatic Pressure Force
NASA electrostatics lead Dr. Charles Buhler reports a reproducible thrust that appears without propellant, generated solely by electricity in vacuum chambers. Over 2,000 experiments produced a persistent 5‑10 mN force that continues even after power is removed, and the team has...
Orbital AI's Starcloud Raises $170M, Hits $1.1B Unicorn Valuation for Space‑Based Data Centers
Orbital AI’s Starcloud announced a $170 million financing round that lifts its valuation to $1.1 billion, making it Y Combinator’s quickest path to unicorn status. The funding fuels the launch of its next-generation satellite data center, Starcloud‑2, and underscores growing venture interest...
Türkiye Negotiating LEO Satellite Operations With SpaceX And Amazon
Turkey’s Deputy Transport and Infrastructure Minister met with SpaceX and Amazon at the SATShow expo in Washington on March 26, 2026 to discuss operating low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) satellites over Turkish territory. The talks centered on meeting Turkey’s regulatory and security requirements...
Indonesia Orders 12 PC-24s for Air Force Training, Transport
Indonesia’s air force has placed an order for twelve brand‑new Pilatus PC‑24 jets, intended for pilot training, air transport, and liaison duties. The contract, signed through PT E‑System Solutions Indonesia, also bundles ground‑support equipment, spare parts, training and technical assistance. The...
Second Starlink Satellite Suffers Anomaly, Generating Debris
SpaceX confirmed that Starlink‑34343 suffered an on‑orbit anomaly on March 29, generating tens of debris fragments at a 560‑kilometer altitude. Radar firm LeoLabs detected the debris and expects most fragments to deorbit within weeks because of the low orbit. SpaceX...
Air Freight Disruption Drives Surge in India-US Cargo Rates
Air freight rates from India to the United States have jumped 200‑350% since the third Gulf war began on February 28, driven primarily by severe capacity shortages. Gulf hubs such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi have lost roughly 79% of cargo capacity,...
NSS Position Paper: Lunar Bases Should Be the Focus of Artemis
The National Space Society released a position paper urging NASA’s Artemis program to shift focus from brief lunar landings to establishing permanent, commercially operated lunar bases. The paper recommends NASA act as an anchor tenant while private firms own and...
Heat Shield Safety Concerns Raise Stakes for NASA's Artemis II Moon Mission
NASA’s Artemis II will carry four astronauts on a 10‑day lunar flyby, but the mission’s safety hinges on Orion’s heat shield after uneven ablation was observed on Artemis I. The shield, built from 180 Avcoat blocks, lost material in chunks during the...
How Cathay Pacific Is Rebuilding Its Global Network, According to Its Top Pilot
Cathay Pacific is rapidly rebuilding its global network after the pandemic, adding or restoring more than 20 routes in 2025 and expanding to over 100 destinations. The airline is rolling out a new business‑class suite across its fleet and plans...
Rocket Lab Wins German Approval for Mynaric Deal
Rocket Lab received approval from Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy to acquire laser‑communications firm Mynaric for roughly $150 million, clearing the final regulatory hurdle. The approval, announced on March 30, enables the deal to close in April and marks...
WAVE Achieves First Cloud-to-Gateway Satcom Virtualization with AI Signal Analysis
Members of the IEEE‑backed WAVE Consortium—AWS, Gilat Defense, and SES Space & Defense—demonstrated the first standardized cloud‑to‑gateway satellite communications virtualization using FPGA acceleration. A 10 Mbps video stream was transmitted through a DVBS‑2X modem, digitized at an SES gateway, and processed...
Ukraine Using Private Air Defense Teams To Protect Industry Against Russian Drones
Ukraine has launched an experimental program that lets private companies operate their own short‑range air‑defense systems, including interceptor drones and automated gun turrets, under the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ command. The first private unit has already downed Shahed and Zala drones...
Divergent Technologies' 3D‑Printed Missiles Promise Faster, Cheaper Defense Production
Divergent Technologies CEO Lukas Czinger announced a 3D‑printed missile family that can be designed, printed and assembled in weeks, dramatically cutting production time and cost. The move could overhaul how the U.S. defense industrial base manufactures munitions and affect global...
Spain Bars US Military Aircraft From Its Airspace Amid Iran Conflict
Spain's defence minister Margarita Robles announced the closure of Spanish airspace to U.S. aircraft involved in strikes on Iran, reaffirming Madrid's refusal to allow the use of the Morón and Rota bases. The move deepens a diplomatic rift with Washington...
Live in the Booth: AST SpaceMobile President Scott Wisniewski Talks Spectrum Strategy and Defense Potential
AST SpaceMobile President and Chief Strategy Officer Scott Wisniewski highlighted the recent launch of the BlueBird 6 satellite, a new agreement with European carrier Orange, and the company’s evolving spectrum strategy. He announced that AST secured its first Space Development Agency...
SpaceBridge Launches UniHub as Streamlined VSAT Platform
SpaceBridge unveiled UniHub, a compact all‑in‑one VSAT hub that consolidates SDR multichannel modulation, burst demodulation for up to 800 carriers, network communication center functions, QoS, and advanced waveforms like TDMA and dSCPC. The platform promises reduced footprint, lower SWaP, and...
Varda Flies Navigation Payload, Heat Shield Tests on Sixth Reentry Mission
Varda Space Industries launched its sixth re‑entry capsule, W‑6, aboard SpaceX’s Transporter‑16 rideshare from Vandenberg on March 30. The mission carries U.S. defense‑funded experiments, notably Rhea Space Activity’s autonomous navigation system that uses onboard cameras and the AutoNav algorithm to determine...
NORAD Escorts Aircraft After Palm Beach TFR Violation
On March 29, 2026, NORAD deployed F-16 fighters to intercept a general aviation aircraft that entered a temporary flight restriction (TFR) over Palm Beach, Florida, near President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. The aircraft was safely escorted out after pilots received...
British Airways Partners with Audible to Enhance IFE with Brand-New Audiobook and Podcast Offerings
British Airways has teamed up with Audible to embed more than 250 hours of free audiobooks and podcasts into its long‑haul inflight entertainment system. The curated library spotlights British talent, featuring titles such as the full‑cast Harry Potter edition and...
TAP Air Portugal Selects New JFK Terminal 6 for Future Operations
TAP Air Portugal announced it will relocate its JFK operations to the new Terminal 6, slated for a phase‑one opening in 2026. The boutique terminal, part of the Port Authority’s $19 billion JFK transformation, will feature ten gates—nine for wide‑body aircraft—and a...
A-10 Warthogs Are Doing Bizarrely Long Strafing Runs In Iraq
During Operation Epic Fury, U.S. Air Force A-10 Warthogs have been captured on video executing unusually long strafing runs in Iraq, with bursts lasting six to nine seconds—far beyond the typical two‑to‑three‑second bursts. Veteran pilots confirm these extended firings are...
Delta A330 Engine Failure Returns Safely, Cause Unclear
The scariest video you will watch today A Delta Air Line Airbus to Atlanta, coming from Brazil, experienced left engine failure shortly after takeoff. Fire and debris were visible to panicking passengers. The exact cause of the engine failure on Delta...
Heading to Florida for NASA's Artemis 2 Moon Launch? Here's What to Know Before You Go
NASA plans to launch the crewed Artemis 2 mission from Kennedy Space Center between April 1 and April 6, 2026. Cell‑phone data shows the previous Artemis 1 launch attracted 150,000‑200,000 visitors, and tourism officials expect a comparable crowd. Overnight guests typically spend about $350...
Vietnam Airlines Announces Summer Schedule for London Flights
Vietnam Airlines unveiled its summer timetable, adding three weekly non‑stop flights from London Heathrow to Hanoi and two weekly non‑stop services to Ho Chi Minh City. All routes will be operated by Boeing 787‑9 Dreamliners departing from Terminal 4. The schedule provides the...
New Acquisition Czars Say They’re Not Trying to Blow Up the System
The Pentagon has created Direct Reporting Program Managers (DRPMs) to accelerate high‑risk weapons programs, placing four‑star generals like Gen. Michael Guetlein and Gen. Dale White directly under Deputy Secretary Stephen Feinberg. Their portfolios include Golden Dome missile defense, the F‑47...
Modern Airbus Jets: Safest Fleet, Avoid Older A330
It's always a great time to tell everyone modern Airbus planes are now the safest in the world None of the modern models have had any fatal accidents including: - Airbus A319 Neo - Airbus A320 Neo - Airbus A321 Neo - Airbus A330 Neo -...
Cockpit CO2 Levels Impact Pilot Emergency Maneuver Success
Our study found that a pilots likelihood of successfully managing advanced maneuvers, like an engine fire at takeoff, was influenced by CO2 levels in the cockpit.
Lijian‑2 Yields Single Cataloged Object in Low Orbit
1 object cataloged so far from the Lijian-2 launch, in a 217 x 604 km x 85.0 deg orbit
Army Teams with Amazon to Sell Battlefield Drones Online
"The U.S. Army and Amazon are creating an online storefront to buy drones as the technology transforms the battlefield." I support the idea, will be interesting to see how it is implemented. https://t.co/N25xQG4lu8
NASA Confirms April 1 Launch Still On Track
NASA post-MMT news conference underway. Amit says everything is still go for launch on April 1. https://t.co/oitmRWMkDe
NASA Confirms Artemis II Launch Ready for Wednesday
Monday briefing: NASA remains “go” for launch of Artemis II at 6:24 pm ET on Wednesday. 🚀
Virgin Galactic Nears First SpaceShip Completion, Flights $750K
Virgin Galactic says assembly of first SpaceShip nearly complete, ground testing begins in April, limited number of Spaceflight Expeditions available at $750,000 each. https://t.co/cGpV1aLh5Z
Middle East Jet Fuel Gap Nears Critical Threshold
Our coverage from last week on this approaching milestone for global aviation: The Middle East jet fuel air gap is about to reach the tap https://t.co/2s6NEPkGYA (via @theaircurrent)
Diagram Mislabels PrSM: Shows Liquid Engine, Not Solid
This exploded diagram appears to shows a liquid propellant rocket engine (two tanks, plus an engine); PrSM is a solid rocket motor. What gives? https://t.co/GvxUeeiaqs
Israeli F‑16s Carry Cluster Bombs to Counter Iran Missiles
Israeli F-16s Appear To Be Carrying Cluster Munitions The cluster munitions likely have a very particular purpose aimed at neutering Iran's ability to launch long-range ballistic missiles. Follow up to our recent story: https://t.co/ejprb4Sgq4
Krikalev Vows Orel Descent Module Replica for Drop Tests
Since the beginning of the year, Roskosmos officials had made a couple of "proof of life" statements regarding the decade-late PTK Orel spacecraft. The latest being Sergei Krikalev's promise to complete a high-fidelity copy of the Descent Module, VA, for...