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
Dominican Republic Finds Itself In The Middle Of The US-China Space Race
Launch on Demand, a Florida‑based firm, is preparing a $600 million rocket launch complex in Pedernales, Dominican Republic. The site’s equatorial location promises more efficient heavy‑lift launches for U.S. satellites, while also serving as a geopolitical counterweight to China’s expanding space infrastructure across Latin America. Funding comes from an undisclosed private‑equity source, with no direct U.S. government investment. The project follows three years of negotiations and is positioned as a catalyst for the Dominican Republic’s entry into the global space economy.
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 -...
Suspicious: Claims That Air Côte D’Ivoire Airbus A330neo Was Vandalized In Paris
Air Côte d’Ivoire, the Ivorian flag carrier, recently took delivery of two Airbus A330‑900neo jets and operates them on its flagship Abidjan‑Paris route. A French‑language report claimed one of these aircraft was vandalized overnight at Paris Charles‑de‑Gaulle, allegedly to pressure...
BBC Launches Daily Artemis II Podcast with Experts
Really excited to kick off the BBC’s space podcast ‘13 Minutes Presents: Artemis ll’ with myself, Maggie Aderin and @KristinFisher . This is a daily podcast bringing you all the news on the Artemis ll mission as it happens. First...
Eagle County Regional Airport Selected as Host of TakeOff North America 2027
Eagle County Regional Airport (EGE) has been chosen to host TakeOff North America 2027, the premier forum for domestic aviation route development. The selection follows a record‑breaking year, with winter capacity exceeding 330,000 seats—a 13% increase year‑on‑year—and over 30 daily...
Kenya Airways Targets Fleet Recovery as 2025 Losses Expose Capacity Strain
Kenya Airways posted a 2025 operating loss of KSh5.6 bn (≈$43 million) and a net loss of KSh17.1 bn (≈$132 million), reversing its 2024 profit. Revenue fell 14% to KSh161 bn (≈$1.24 billion) as seat capacity dropped 18%, cutting passenger traffic to 4.6 million. The downturn was...
Another Rocket Startup in India Hopes to Launch From Its Own Spaceport
Bharath Space Vehicle (BSV), an Indian rocket startup founded by former ISRO engineers, is developing the liquid‑fueled Agasthya‑1 small‑sat launch vehicle. The company has submitted a proposal for a private spaceport near Kodinar in Gujarat, a coastal site offering open...
Moon Menu: Here's What the Artemis 2 Astronauts Will Eat During Their Historic Mission (Video)
NASA's Artemis 2 crew will launch no earlier than April 1, bringing a pre‑selected menu of 189 food and beverage items for the deep‑space flight. The meals, stored for weeks without refrigeration, are rehydrated with Orion’s water dispenser and heated in a...
Cebu Pacific Eyes P368 Million From Sale of 2 ATR Aircraft
Philippine low‑cost carrier Cebu Pacific plans to sell two ATR‑72‑500 turboprops for at least PHP368 million (about $6.7 million), classifying them as assets held for sale. The aircraft, deemed inefficient for major hubs like Manila’s NAIA, will be disposed of before the...
Atlas A350F Order Supports Expansion as 777-8F Remains an Option
Atlas Air placed a landmark order for 20 Airbus A350 freighters, with options for 20 more, marking its largest freighter purchase ever and the first time a cargo carrier will operate large wide‑body aircraft from two OEMs. The A350F deliveries...
China’s Kinetica-2 Rocket Debuts Successfully, Sending Prototype Cargo Spacecraft to Orbit
Chinese commercial launch firm CAS Space successfully lifted its new Kinetica‑2 rocket into orbit on March 30, delivering a prototype cargo spacecraft and two other payloads. The 53‑meter vehicle can carry up to 12 tonnes to low‑Earth orbit and features a modular...
AAC Clyde Space Expands Orbital Presence with Transporter-16 Launch
On March 30, 2026 SpaceX’s Transporter‑16 rideshare launched 119 payloads, including seven satellites from Swedish‑based AAC Clyde Space. The flight introduced the first two VIREON‑1 and VIREON‑2 Earth‑observation cubesats, delivering 1.5‑meter multispectral imagery for agriculture and forestry. AAC also flew...
Traffic Resumes After Potomac TRACON Evacuation
The FAA lifted ground stops at Washington’s major airports after a strong odor forced the evacuation of the Potomac Consolidated TRACON in Warrenton, Virginia. The shutdown impacted Ronald Reagan Washington National, Washington Dulles, Baltimore/Washington International, Charlottesville‑Albemarle and Richmond International, lasting...
Three Giant Rockets Launch Soon, Expanding Moon Access
If schedule holds, these 3 giant rockets will launch in the next 3 weeks. From left to right: New Glenn - satellite launch now, planned for the Moon Starship - test flight 12 now, planned for the Moon Artemis - to the Moon...
Indra Showcases Sovereign Space and Defense Technologies at FIDAE 2026
Indra will showcase its sovereign space and defense technologies at FIDAE 2026 in Santiago, Chile, from April 7‑12. The company will deploy its Crow counter‑drone system to protect the air base and attendees, and highlight the Vorax low‑Earth‑orbit satellite for independent...
WISeSat.Space Expands IoT Constellation with 21st Satellite Launch via SpaceX
On March 30, 2026, WISeSat.Space, the satellite arm of WISeKey International, placed its 21st picosatellite into low‑Earth orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare. The satellite extends the company’s secure IoT constellation, which embeds WISeKey’s proprietary Root‑of‑Trust cryptography to protect data...
Cathay Pacific Restarts Seattle Service
Cathay Pacific announced it will restart nonstop service between Hong Kong and Seattle on March 30, 2026, after suspending the route during the pandemic. The airline will operate five weekly flights using Airbus A350 aircraft, offering business‑class reverse‑herringbone seats, premium‑economy, and free Wi‑Fi. The...
ESA Seeks Commercial Provider to Transport Payload to the Moon
The European Space Agency (ESA) has issued a call for a commercial provider to deliver its follow‑on NILS2 instrument to the Moon, building on the original NILS payload that gathered 346 minutes of data aboard China’s Chang’e 6 lander. NILS2 is...
Airbus’ Uncrewed Bird of Prey Interceptor Autonomously Engages Kamikaze Drone with Frankenburg Missile
Airbus demonstrated its Bird of Prey uncrewed interceptor in northern Germany, where the drone autonomously located and engaged a simulated kamikaze threat using a Mark I air‑to‑air missile from Frankenburg Technologies. The prototype, derived from a Do‑DT25 platform, carried four lightweight...
Satellite 2026 – NTN and Flat Panel Arrays
Satellite 2026, the industry’s largest gathering in Washington, D.C., highlighted non‑terrestrial networks (NTN) and flat‑panel arrays as the year’s hot topics. Major announcements included Airbus Defence and Space teaming with Greenerwave to deliver low‑power, multi‑orbit flat‑panel antennas, and Kymeta unveiling the...
Press Release: Tigerair Taiwan Taps Bluebox Wireless IFE for A320 Fleet
Tigerair Taiwan has partnered with Bluebox Aviation Systems to equip its 17 Airbus A320 fleet with a wireless inflight entertainment (IFE) solution. The Bluebox Wow portable system will deliver the Blueview digital platform directly to passengers’ personal devices, offering a...
From Mach 0 to 6: This Engine May Power China’s Future Fighter Jets and Missiles
China’s research team has completed a prototype of a contra‑rotary ramjet engine that can operate continuously from a standstill to over Mach 6, potentially replacing the dual turbine‑ramjet setups used in current hypersonic aircraft. The design uses two compressor rotors rotating...
York Space Systems Secures PExT Mission Extension Through 2027 Following BARD Success
York Space Systems announced that NASA and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory have extended the Polylingual Experimental Terminal (PExT) mission through 2027 after the BARD mission met all primary objectives. The PExT payload, hosted on a York S-CLASS bus, demonstrated...
India’s DAC Clears $25.1bn Military Procurement Proposals
India’s Defence Acquisition Council cleared procurement proposals worth roughly Rs 2,380 billion (about US$25.1 billion) on 27 March 2026, spanning the Army, Air Force and Coast Guard. The package includes the S‑400 long‑range surface‑to‑air missile system, new medium transport aircraft, UAV strike platforms and upgraded...
Voyager Awarded Contract with Icarus Robotics
Voyager Technologies announced a mission‑management contract with Icarus Robotics to fly the free‑flying Joyride robot on the International Space Station. The agreement covers payload integration, safety certification, launch coordination, on‑orbit operations planning and real‑time execution support. Voyager leverages its heritage...
Sonex Announces Immediate Closure
Sonex LLC, a kit‑aircraft manufacturer founded by John Monnett, announced an immediate shutdown after owner Mark Schaible cited a severe sales decline and a bank’s refusal to extend credit. The closure ends production of popular models such as the Sonex,...
Details of the NASA Moonbase Plans Include a Fifteen Ton Lunar Rover
NASA’s revised lunar architecture repurposes elements of the cancelled Lunar Gateway for the early phases of a permanent moonbase. The agency plans to launch two crewed lunar missions each year, supported by a 15‑ton rover being co‑developed with Japan that...
My Freighter Launches New Asia-Europe Routes
Uzbekistan‑based cargo carrier My Freighter has launched weekly Asia‑Europe services linking Hanoi, Bangkok and Almaty to Frankfurt via its Tashkent hub, with a direct Tashkent‑Frankfurt leg starting 29 March. The routes are operated with Boeing 767‑300 freighters, seven of which are passenger‑to‑freighter...
Artemis II: Space Weather Forecasting, Monitoring the Sun’s Hazardous Conniptions
NASA’s Artemis II mission will carry astronauts beyond Earth’s magnetic shield on a ten‑day lunar flyby, the first human deep‑space flight since Apollo. A powerful solar flare captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory on October 3, 2024 underscores the threat of space‑weather events....
Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau Retires (To Take French Classes?)
Air Canada announced that CEO Michael Rousseau will retire by the end of the third quarter of 2026, concluding a twenty‑year tenure that saw the carrier navigate the 2007‑2008 financial crisis, the COVID‑19 pandemic, and the Aeroplan acquisition. The board...
An Electrically Powered Gyroplane for Urban Air Traffic
German researchers from DLR and RWTH Aachen are developing an electrically powered gyroplane under the S2TOL project, featuring two propulsion motors and a pre‑rotation motor. Two variants—open propellers and ducted Jetpeller fans—have demonstrated sufficient static thrust for a 450 kg two‑seater,...
Musk: “AI in Space Will Be Cheaper Than on Earth”… Umm…
Elon Musk recently suggested that running AI inference in orbit could eventually be cheaper than on Earth, proposing a 1‑gigawatt solar‑powered data center launched by Starship and built around a new semiconductor architecture. The claim hinges on the idea that...
North Korea Tests Engine for Long-Range Missile, Details Unclear
North Korea carried out an engine test for a long-range missile, but the sources provide no details on the test's parameters, location, or intended deployment. Analysts note the lack of information hampers assessment of the missile's capabilities and regional impact.
2026.03.18 | Closing the Loop: An Excremental History of the Space Age
The episode explores NASA’s massive infrastructure overhaul at Kennedy Space Center to support the Artemis moon missions and the future Mars journey, featuring 2014 insights from Mike Bolger on launch pad upgrades and from Chris Crumbly on the evolving Space...
Boeing 777-9: Phase 4A Makes 2027 Look Real
Boeing’s 777‑9 program, delayed six years and burdened with roughly $15 billion in charges, finally cleared a critical Phase 4A milestone on March 17, making a 2027 entry into service appear realistic. More than two dozen unfinished airframes sit at Paine Field, underscoring...
Starcloud Raises $170M Series A at $1.1B Valuation
Starcloud, a Redmond‑based orbital data‑center startup, closed a $170 million Series A round that values the company at $1.1 billion. The financing, led by Benchmark and EQT Ventures with participation from institutional and angel investors, follows the successful November launch of Starcloud‑1, which...
From Advantage to Arena: Space Power 1991-2026
On February 28, 2026, the United States launched Operation Epic Fury with space and cyber forces disabling Iran’s sensors and communications before any aircraft entered Iranian airspace, marking the first conflict where space opened the campaign. The operation highlighted four...
Artemis 2, Project Hail Mary, and the Risks and Benefits of Human Spaceflight
Artemis II is set to launch in early April, sending four astronauts on a lunar flyby that will test systems for a planned 2028 Moon base. The mission coincides with the release of the sci‑fi film *Project Hail Mary*, highlighting public fascination...
Engine Fire Forces Delta A330 Emergency Landing, All Safe
Delta Air Lines Flight DL104 from São Paulo/Guarulhos to Atlanta last night.... shortly after takeoff, the left engine caught fire with loud explosions and visible flames. Passengers described the tension during the climb, but the crew acted fast, declared an emergency,...
Cathay Pacific Limits Power Banks: Two Carry‑On, No In‑Flight Use
With immediate effect, the following applies to all Cathay Pacific flights: • Each customer may carry a maximum of two power banks, which must be packed in carry‑on baggage only. • Use of and recharging power banks onboard is not permitted at...
Excuses Mask Feasibility of Large Aircraft Shelters
When folks tell you "nothing to be done, can't build shelters for big wing aircraft", remember that this is excuse-making... https://t.co/A3SGRdyQJn
A‑10 Warthogs Deploy, Hinting Imminent Iran Ground Assault
Dozens Of A-10 Warthogs Appear Poised To Join Epic Fury The deployment of additional Warthogs comes amid increasing signs a ground operation on Iranian soil could come soon. Updating live: https://t.co/OnO9CUyPbs
Merlin Labs Targets Unlimited Aircraft Sizes with AI Pilot
Merlin Labs is eyeing civil applications for its AI-powered Merlin Pilot autonomous flight control system and says there's “no hard ceiling” for the size of aircraft its tech could eventually be installed on. We sit down with CTO Tim Burns...
SpaceX Transporter 16 Launch Carries Over 100 Payloads
LAUNCH of SpaceX Transporter 16 rideshare mission at 1102 UTC Mar 30. Over 100 payloads aboard. GCAT will be updated later today I hope.
SpaceX Launches 119 Satellites, Featuring Starship‑ready Payloads
🚀 SpaceX just launched 119 satellites in one go. Here are some labeled payloads on Transporter-16. K2 Space's 2-ton Gravitas satellite on top is a flat pack which could also be deployed by Starship. Starcloud’s new 3-ton ODC sat is also...
Airliners Designed to Fly Through Engine Fires
Commercial planes are designed for engines to be able to go on fire and keep flying They cut off the fuel, hydraulics and electrics immediately, pump it with fire retardant and that existinguishes the fire in most cases And then you declare...
Space42 AI Secures 2,800‑Sat Constellation Deal
.@space42ai: Builder of 2,800-sat #Equatys D2D constellation selected, contract imminent; service by 2029; will add average 5% to users' mobile phone bill; 'massive scaleup' in @iceye_global radar capacity planned. @Viasat.https://t.co/JMPykYBVMH https://t.co/pe20Y6y8LT
ESA Director Discusses Key Shifts in Artemis Program
Interesting interview with ESA DG Josef Aschbacher by Space News' Emma Gatti about the Artemis changes. https://t.co/NxnFdhnSos
Delta Flight Returns Minutes After Takeoff Amid Engine Fire
Delta Air Lines Returned Minutes After Takeoff With An Engine On Fire — Passengers Filmed Flames From The Cabin - View from the Wing https://t.co/yAmKTzIcv4
Jet Fuel Surge Threatens Airline Profits, Spurs Fare Hikes
🇺🇸 ✈️ United: Jet fuel prices have more than doubled in three weeks, if continues, annual fuel bill would exceed $11 billion (more than double its best-ever annual profit) New York–London fares up 177% (week-on-week) 📈 🇺🇸✈️ Delta: $400 million hit due...