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
Terran Orbital Appoints Kwon Park as Senior Director of Manufacturing Operations
Terran Orbital, a Lockheed Martin company, announced Kwon Park as senior director of manufacturing operations. Park brings more than 20 years of aerospace and defense manufacturing experience, including leadership of a $300 million aerospace site. He will oversee manufacturing execution, production scalability, and operational performance across Terran Orbital’s satellite factories. The hire is aimed at accelerating higher‑rate small‑satellite production and improving cross‑functional alignment.
Branson Talks Virgin Galactic Return to Flight and Government Backing at Space-Comm Europe
Virgin Galactic announced that its next‑generation Delta Class suborbital vehicle will begin commercial flights by the end of 2026, targeting a rapid 48‑hour turnaround between missions. The move follows Blue Origin’s decision to suspend New Shepard flights, positioning Virgin as...
Antalya Selected to Host Routes Europe 2027
Antalya was announced at ITB Berlin on March 4 2026 as the host city for Routes Europe 2027, the 20th edition of the continent‑wide aviation summit. The event will be staged at Fraport TAV Antalya Airport, which completed a €865 million expansion in April 2025, boosting...
NORAD Intercepts 2 Russian Maritime Patrol Aircraft Near Alaska, Canada
NORAD detected and tracked two Russian Tu‑142 maritime patrol aircraft operating within the Alaskan and Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones on Wednesday. The command scrambled a mixed force of U.S. F‑35 Lightning II and F‑22 Raptors, KC‑135 tankers, an E‑3 AWACS,...
Skyryse Plans ‘Universal’ Autoland for Helicopters, Airplanes
Aviation automation firm Skyryse announced a universal emergency autoland capability for both helicopters and airplanes, integrated into its SkyOS flight operating system. The feature leverages SkyOS’s fly‑by‑wire architecture and onboard sensors to autonomously manage approach, descent, and touchdown after a...
Drone Dominance: Pentagon to Order 30,000 One-Way Drones in ‘Next Few Days’
The Pentagon will place orders for 30,000 one‑way attack drones within days after concluding the "Gauntlet" competition that tested platforms from 25 vendors at Fort Benning. Operators with only two hours of training evaluated the drones in simulated combat, and...
Iran’s Underground Missile Bases Exposed, Become Strategic Liabilities
"Iran’s Underground ‘Missile Cities’ Have Become One of Its Biggest Vulnerabilities" @WSJ The underground has advantages and disadvantages. #undergroundwarfare https://t.co/TgMup6jVwm Almost all of the dozens of missile bases are underground but have aboveground buildings, roads and entrances that make it possible to...
The Simple Flying Podcast Episode 282: Iran Aviation Crisis, United Airlines Boeing 787 Emergency At LAX
Episode 282 of the Simple Flying Podcast, hosted by Tom Boon and Channing Reid, reviews the week’s top aviation stories. The discussion covers the escalating Iran aviation crisis, United Airlines’ emergency Boeing 787‑9 ground stop at LAX, and Airbus’s A380 test‑bed...
NGA Awards BlackSky Seven-Figure Order on Luno A Contract
BlackSky has secured a seven‑figure renewal from the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency under the Luno A Facility Monitoring Delivery Order. The contract extension reflects strong customer satisfaction with BlackSky’s high‑cadence, AI‑enabled change detection analytics. The company now monitors more than...
Two Satellites in SES’s O3b mPOWER MEO Constellation Come Online
SES announced that the ninth and tenth O3b mPOWER satellites have entered service, raising the constellation to ten operational units out of the planned thirteen. The satellites were launched by SpaceX on July 22 from Cape Canaveral and use redesigned...
Space Development Agency Faces Challenges Scaling Its Growing Constellation
The Space Development Agency’s first operational tranche of 42 satellites launched in late 2024, but on‑orbit checkout and functional testing have lagged due to supply‑chain bottlenecks, a 45‑day government shutdown, and a technical snag with a Lockheed Martin spacecraft. The...
NATO Scrambles a Dozen Aircraft as Russian Warplanes Approach Alaska
On March 4, NORAD scrambled a dozen aircraft—including F‑35A, F‑22, and Canadian CF‑18 fighters, plus tankers and an AWACS—to intercept two Russian Tu‑142 maritime reconnaissance planes that entered the Alaskan and Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones. The response, the largest in...
EarthDaily and ABB Reveal First High Precision Images From Orbit
EarthDaily released the first public images from its EDC‑01 satellite, confirming that the ABB‑built imaging system meets daily global‑monitoring standards. The satellite digitizes 20 billion pixels per second and carries 16 multispectral assemblies covering 22 spectral bands. EarthDaily will launch six...
The Drone Attrition Trap
The article warns that the United States is falling into a "drone attrition trap," where cheap Iranian‑made Shahed‑136 drones, priced around $20,000, force the U.S. and allies to expend multi‑million‑dollar Patriot and SM‑6 interceptors. Ukraine’s four‑year experience shows that a...
Air Force Seeks Additional Vendors for Radar-Killing Missile
The U.S. Air Force issued a sources‑sought notice to find additional vendors capable of delivering a radar‑killing missile comparable to the Stand‑in Attack Weapon (SiAW) currently under contract with Northrop Grumman. The request calls for missiles with extended range, advanced...
Sierra Space and Vast Detail Their Series C Investment Rounds
Sierra Space closed a $550 million Series C round, lifting its valuation to roughly $8 billion and marking a strategic pivot toward national‑security satellite programs. The funding will support new product development and expanded production capacity, including contracts worth up to $1.19 billion with...
Raytheon Wins UAE Patriot Contract Amid Iran-Linked Missile Attacks
Raytheon has been awarded a firm‑fixed‑price contract worth $183.68 million to supply new hardware and services for the Patriot missile system in the United Arab Emirates, bringing the total value of the programme to $281.15 million. The award, made under Foreign Military...
American Airlines Set to Return to Venezuela With Miami Flights
American Airlines received DOT approval to restart flights from Miami to Caracas and Maracaibo, using its regional subsidiary Envoy Air under the American Eagle brand. The decision follows the rescission of a 2019 ban that halted U.S. carrier service to...
NASA Wallops Supports First Rocket Lab HASTE Launch of 2026
NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility provided tracking, telemetry and range‑safety services for Rocket Lab’s HASTE suborbital launch on Feb. 27, 2026. The mission, dubbed Cassowary Vex, carried a hypersonic test platform for the Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit. This was the first...
Ukrainian Drone Destroys Russian Ka-27 Helicopter in Black Sea
Ukrainian naval and special forces used maritime surface drones and aerial UAVs to strike the Russian‑occupied Syvash drilling platform in the Black Sea on March 5, destroying command equipment and a Kamov Ka‑27 helicopter attempting to land. The platform had been...
Qatar Airways, Gulf Air Begin Limited Rescue Ops From Abroad
Qatar Airways and Gulf Air have launched very limited rescue flights from Oman and Saudi Arabia after the February 28 closure of Qatari and Bahraini airspace. Gulf Air reactivated three A321‑200s to fly from Dammam and Riyadh to Cairo, Larnaca,...
HEO And SATLANTIS Sign MoU To Better Provide Sovereign Space Domain Awareness
On 3 March 2026 HEO Space and Spain’s SATLANTIS signed a memorandum of understanding to deliver sovereign space domain awareness (SDA) capabilities to government and defence clients. The deal merges HEO’s non‑Earth imaging software, analytics and operational expertise with SATLANTIS’s high‑performance optical...
X-59 Low-Boom Aircraft Enters New Phase of Supersonic Flight Testing
NASA’s Lockheed Martin‑built X‑59 Quiet Supersonic Transport has entered the envelope‑expansion phase of its flight test program. The aircraft will now conduct a series of supersonic runs to map its performance envelope and verify the low‑boom signature. NASA aims to demonstrate...
Sober Awe at Vandenberg’s Minuteman III Launch
Covering a Minuteman III launch out at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Really amazing and sobering experience seeing this missile fly.
Globalstar Posts Record 2025 Revenue, Targets Two SpaceX Launches
.@Globalstar: Record 2025 rev, hoping for 2 @SpaceX launches this yr, only certain of one. @Apple @MDA_space @RocketLab @ITU.https://t.co/SDDwWZZM9C https://t.co/Cr479jj1du
Russ Meyer, Former Cessna Chairman And Citation Program Leader, Flies West
Russell W. “Russ” Meyer Jr., former chairman and CEO of Cessna Aircraft Company, died on March 4 at age 93. He steered Cessna from 1975 to 2003, overseeing the rise of the Citation business‑jet family into a market cornerstone. Meyer’s...
Interceptors Primarily Target Missiles, Not OWA Drones
It’s an important point to raise. Most of the interceptors folks are concerned with are likely used on ballistic missiles not OWA drones.
Congress Urges NASA to Pick Private Station Developers by 2032
The ISS is now likely to fly through 2032, and Congress wants NASA to get moving on selecting two developers for private space stations. https://t.co/tsD0ZCfxnB
Asteroid 2024 YR4 Will Not Impact the Moon
Asteroid 2024 YR4, a 60‑metre near‑Earth object, once carried a 4 % chance of striking the Moon in December 2032. New observations with JWST’s NIRCam in February 2026 precisely measured its orbit, eliminating the lunar‑impact risk. The asteroid will safely miss the Moon by...
Pentagon Seeks $12 B to Revive F‑35 Readiness
We break on F-35 readiness rates: The Pentagon needs an additional $12 billion through 2031 to boost declining readiness rates of the F-35 fighter, program officials have told congressional auditors. https://t.co/pSWFdAbhzt
Ukraine's F‑16s Face Sidewinder Shortage Amid Middle East Demand
Ukrainian F-16s Had Only A Handful Of Sidewinder Missiles Available: Report The conflict in the Middle East is now also driving up the demand for and increasing scarcity of various kinds air-defense effectors. https://t.co/620olFVNxb
Royal Navy Seeks Rapid Counter-Drone Capability for Ships
The Royal Navy has launched Project TALON, a pre‑procurement effort to acquire a rapid, ship‑installable counter‑drone system. The Ministry of Defence seeks mature kinetic and non‑kinetic solutions that can detect, track and defeat NATO Class 2 UAVs with minimal integration, targeting...
US Denies F‑15E Loss as Iran Escalates Drone Strikes
U.S. Denies F-15E Strike Eagle Went Down In Iran There are new risks as the U.S. expands its air campaign deeper into Iran, and meanwhile Iran has begun to strike Azerbaijan with drones. A little late this AM, we continue live updating:...
B‑52s Deploy JASSM Cruise Missiles in Iran Standoff
This came up in one of my threads yesterday as to B-52s and B-1s likely executing standoff strikes using cruise missiles fired from outside Iran, not direct attacks. This video confirms it, AGM-158 JASSMs on the wings. They were not...
US's Fly Live Charter Begins Executive Jet Operations
Fly Live Charter has launched executive jet operations by adding a 1980-built Cessna Citation II (N173AA) to its Part 135‑certified fleet. The seven‑seat jet is based at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport and joins two Piper PA‑31s, expanding the carrier’s offering of longer‑range,...
Matt Anderson Poised for Smooth NASA Deputy Confirmation
NASA may soon get a deputy administrator. Matt Anderson is before a Senate committee today. Barring surprises his confirmation in the coming weeks should be non-controversial.
ASL Airlines Sign Support Agreement with AJW Group
AJW Group has entered a support agreement with ASL Aviation Holdings to provide airframe‑only technical and engineering services for two A330ceo aircraft operated by ASL Airlines Ireland. The services will be delivered on a time‑and‑materials basis over an initial four‑year...
FCC Seeks Industry Input on Global Space Policy Discrimination
Not just @defis_eu Space Act: @FCC wants industry input on discriminatory policies at @esa, Brazil, Canada, South Korea, Gulf Cooperation Council. @spacegovuk @BrendanCarrFCC #MWC26. https://t.co/WNE0RDXEPN https://t.co/l6A5Fqkgw1
Historic PBY Catalina Joins Modern P‑8A Poseidon at Whidbey
PBY Catalina and a P-8A Poseidon assigned to the “Fighting Marlins” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 40 sit on the apron aboard Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., Aug. 22, 2025. On DVIDS today. #avgeek https://t.co/dy2utMvSdY https://t.co/WLf4sHZzs0
JetBlue Expands to Its 11th Destination in Florida With Flights to Destin-Fort Walton Beach Today
JetBlue launched nonstop service to Destin‑Fort Walton Beach Airport (VPS) on March 5, offering five weekly seasonal flights from both New York JFK and Boston Logan. The route marks the carrier’s 11th Florida destination and adds to more than 30...
CHAMP Expands Cargospot Weight & Balance for Boeing 777-300ERSF
CHAMP Cargosystems has upgraded its Cargospot Weight & Balance platform to support the Boeing 777-300ERSF, the first live implementation of this freighter conversion worldwide. The enhancement streamlines load planning for complex passenger‑to‑freighter (P2F) aircraft, integrating AI‑driven autoload optimization, load‑sheet generation,...
FCC to Allocate Spectrum for Emerging Space Activities
The FCC is outlining plans to provide spectrum for novel space activities, or what it calls "weird space stuff." https://t.co/blttdrzzp3
U.S. Air Force Seeks VTOL Drone for Operations in Qatar
The U.S. Air Force’s Task Force 99 is seeking a vertical‑take‑off‑and‑landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft system to replace its runway‑dependent Group 2 drone for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions in Qatar. Existing platforms need a 200‑meter runway, limiting launch locations and increasing risk....
U.S. Navy Seeks LAIRCM Upgrade for P-8A Poseidon
The U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command has issued a request for industry information to develop a software upgrade for the Large Aircraft Infra‑Red Counter‑Measures (LAIRCM) system on its P‑8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The upgrade will embed new code...
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The Battery Decision in the New Age of Commercial UAV Operations
The commercial UAV sector is approaching a post‑Part 108 era where fleet‑based operations will dominate, shifting focus from single‑aircraft flight time to rapid aircraft turnaround. Operators must choose between battery‑swapping docks that deliver minute‑level exchanges and fast‑charging stations that minimize inventory...
Aerospace Reinsurance Renewals More Benign than Expected Despite Claims Pressure: WTW
Willis Towers Watson (WTW) reports that aerospace reinsurance renewals for 2026 were more benign than market expectations despite a heavy claims year in 2025. While primary treaty‑layer pricing shows signs of upward pressure, overall capacity remains ample, limiting steep premium...
Scientists Successfully Harvest Chickpeas From 'Moon Dirt'
Scientists at the University of Texas and Texas A&M have successfully grown and harvested the Myles chickpea variety using a simulated lunar regolith mix. By blending up to 75% moon‑dirt with vermicompost and inoculating seeds with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, the team...
Unlocking AI in Space: The Case for Greater Industry and Space Agency Collaboration
Artificial intelligence is poised to reshape space exploration, offering real‑time data analysis, autonomous navigation, and predictive health monitoring for spacecraft. To realize these gains, AI hardware must survive radiation, extreme temperatures, and power constraints while delivering sufficient compute throughput. The...
Orizon Aerostructures Deploys Flexxbotics to Power Data-Driven Autonomy at Scale in Aerospace Manufacturing
Orizon Aerostructures has deployed Flexxbotics’ autonomous manufacturing platform to create a data‑driven, closed‑loop control environment across its aerospace production lines. The integration links CNC machines, FANUC robots, and enterprise PLM systems, feeding multimodal sensor streams into industrial AI for real‑time...
US Shifts to Abundant PGMs, Yet JDAM Shortages Warn
The US air campaign is shifting from using scarce high-end weapons to precision guided munitions. PGM inventory is high, but there are still risks: the US ran dangerously low on JDAMs during ISIS strikes and had to pull from other...