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
Jeremy Hansen on Dealing with Artemis 2 Emergencies
Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen outlined Artemis 2’s emergency protocols, emphasizing two pre‑launch abort options: a rapid egress from the launch pad or an abort‑seat‑style capsule ejection within five minutes of liftoff. He detailed post‑abort survival steps, including suit donning, hatch operation, and use of survival kits trained in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. Hansen also covered contingency plans for debris punctures and onboard fires, stressing rigorous rehearsal of each scenario. The briefing underscores NASA’s layered safety architecture for its first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit.
Space Was ‘First Mover’ In Iran Conflict, Top General Says
U.S. Space Command, alongside USCYBERCOM, launched non‑kinetic operations that disabled Iran’s satellite‑based communications and sensor networks during the opening hours of Operation Epic Fury, which began on Feb. 28. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine said these coordinated space‑and‑cyber actions prevented...
Purdue Polytechnic Selected for FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Collegiate Training Initiative
Purdue Polytechnic’s Unmanned Aerial Systems program has been chosen for the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems‑Collegiate Training Initiative (UAS‑CTI). The selection validates the school’s safety‑focused curriculum and aligns its coursework with upcoming federal regulations. Students will receive hands‑on flight, maintenance, and...
Kelli Kedis Ogborn Joining Commercial Space Federation as Strategic Advisor for Global Markets and Industry Engagement
The Commercial Space Federation announced that Kelli Kedis Ogborn will serve as Strategic Advisor for Global Markets and Industry Engagement. Ogborn will spearhead efforts to broaden CSF’s international presence, forge strategic partnerships, and launch initiatives that accelerate commercial space growth....
UK–Middle East Flights Face Widespread Disruption as Regional Airspace Closures Continue
Cirium’s latest data shows extensive disruption to UK‑Middle East flights as regional airspace closures persist. On 2 March, 74 UK departures to the Middle East were scheduled, but cancellation rates vary dramatically, with the United Arab Emirates, Israel and Bahrain seeing...
Rocket Lab Launches Hypersonic Test Mission for US DIU
Rocket Lab successfully launched its seventh HASTE vehicle, delivering the DART AE scramjet‑powered aircraft for the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit on 27 February. The mission, dubbed “That’s Not A Knife,” marks the second DIU hypersonic test in three months and...
Data Centres in Space: Less Crazy than You Think
Tech giants are exploring space‑based data centres to power AI workloads. Elon Musk predicts feasibility within two to three years, while OpenAI’s Sam Altman dismisses the idea as premature. Google plans a test launch next year, and former Google CEO...
Isaacman's Revamp Targets 2028 Lunar Landing, Not Delay
The non-space press missed the key elements of Isaacman’s revamp of Artemis. They perceived it as some sort of delay, which is wrong. Technically it was Sean Duffy who moved the lunar landing to 2028 last year. But in reality,...
Patriot Missiles Have Previously Downed Friendly Aircraft.
People who are saying a Patriot battery shooting down a friendly aircraft is nearly impossible have no clue what they are talking about or any idea of the history of them doing just that. Not saying that is what happened...
U.S., Czech Firms Team up on TALOS Interceptor Drones
AdlerAerospace and Czech partner TRL Drones have unveiled the TALOS‑J and TALOS‑E fixed‑wing interceptor drones, built from Ukraine battlefield lessons. The drones deliver missile‑class performance at drone‑class cost, using human‑supervised autonomy to engage fast, low‑cost UAV threats. Interception probability is...
L3Harris Appoints New CFO as Firm Prepares to Spin Off Missile Business
L3Harris announced that Kenneth Sharp, former Peraton finance chief, will assume the role of chief financial officer on March 16, succeeding Ken Bedingfield. Bedingfield will concentrate on the company’s Missile Solutions segment as it prepares for a late‑2026 spin‑off and...
NASA's MAVEN Detects First Evidence of Lightning-Like Activity on Mars
NASA's MAVEN spacecraft captured the first direct evidence of lightning‑like activity on Mars by identifying a single, 0.4‑second whistler wave spanning up to 110 Hz in its ionospheric data. The signal, found among more than 108,000 measurements, required a rare combination...
Crossroads, Interrupted
A sudden conflict with Iran has forced the closure of Persian Gulf air traffic, curtailing more than 90% of flights for Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad. The three Gulf carriers—often called the ME3—operate the world’s busiest transit hub, moving 182 million...
Senate Bill Would Mandate APRT At Contract Towers
Senators Tim Sheehy and Jeff Merkley introduced bipartisan legislation requiring the FAA to equip more than 90 federal contract towers with Airborne Position Reference Tools (APRT). The Air Traffic Situational Awareness Enhancement Act mandates installation within a year and provides...
FACC Achieves Highest-Ever Annual Revenue, Significant EBIT Increase in 2025 Review
FACC reported record 2025 revenue of €984.4 million, an 11.3% increase over the prior year, while EBIT surged 49.4% to €42.3 million, lifting the margin to 4.3%. The gains stem from the CORE efficiency program and the newly operational Croatia plant, which...
NASA, JAXA to Cover HTV-X1 Spacecraft Departure From Space Station
NASA and Japan’s JAXA will broadcast the departure of the uncrewed HTV‑X1 cargo spacecraft from the International Space Station on March 6, 2026. The vehicle delivered roughly 12,000 lb of scientific experiments, supplies and hardware after launching on an H3 rocket from...
DXB Sees only 8‑12 Recovery Flights, Emirates Restarting
Handful of departures from DXB.... roughly 8–12 flights airborne or boarding right now, mostly recovery runs to Moscow, India and Europe while Emirates slowly restarts. https://dubaiairports.ae/flight-status?type=departures&from=2026-03-02
Amadeus Emerges as Suitor for Idemia PS, Deal Would Create Airport Biometrics Behemoth
Amadeus IT SA is in advanced talks to acquire Idemia Public Security for an estimated €2‑3 billion, a move that would combine the airline‑tech group’s travel‑focused biometric suite with Idemia’s law‑enforcement and border‑control capabilities. Idemia PS brings core biometric algorithm IP...
US Navy SPY-6 Approaches FRP with Raytheon Already Having “a Hot Production Line”
Raytheon says its SPY‑6 radar family is already operating on a hot production line and is poised to shift into full‑rate production once the U.S. Navy grants final approval. Low‑rate initial production is nearing completion after extensive testing across the...
Qatar Shoots Down Two Iranian Su-24 Fencer Attack Jets
On March 2, 2026 Qatar’s Ministry of Defense announced that its air and naval forces shot down two Iranian Su‑24 Fencer attack jets while intercepting seven ballistic missiles and five drones aimed at the peninsula. The engagement was executed without...
NASA Adds Mission to Artemis Lunar Program, Updates Architecture
NASA announced an accelerated Artemis schedule, adding a 2027 Artemis III mission and committing to at least one lunar surface landing each year. The agency will standardize the SLS‑Orion vehicle to a Block 1 configuration and test docking with commercial landers from...
Stargazing Into the Future of SSA
SpaceX unveiled Stargaze, a space situational awareness service that taps the star‑tracker cameras on its roughly 10,000 Starlink satellites to monitor LEO objects. The company claims the constellation can generate up to 30 million observations per day, delivering hundreds of detections...
Indian Rocket Startup Agnikul Completes Static Fire Test of Three-Engine Cluster
Indian private launch firm Agnikul released a 40‑second static‑fire video of its three‑engine cluster for the Agnibaan orbital rocket. The engines, fully 3D‑printed and driven by electric‑motor pumps, were calibrated to synchronize six pumps, six motors and six control algorithms....
Gulfstream G700 Receives India Certification
Gulfstream Aerospace secured certification from India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation for its G700 jet, clearing the way for deliveries within the country. The approval follows earlier certifications of the G600 and G500 models earlier in 2025, underscoring growing market...
Rocket Lab Completes In-Space Commissioning of Two Escapade Mars Orbiters
Rocket Lab has finished in‑space commissioning of the twin ESCAPADE Mars orbiters, now operating at Earth‑Sun Lagrange Point 2. The company will hand operational control to the University of California Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory, which will conduct science activities before the...
New Space-Based Photovoltaics Industry Growth Driven by Commercial Aerospace, AI Power
Space‑based photovoltaics are poised for rapid expansion as commercial aerospace launches and AI‑driven data centers create new demand. Triple‑junction GaAs cells dominate today, but their reliance on scarce gallium, germanium and indium drives costs sky‑high. Industry leaders, especially in China,...
Geopolitical Scrutiny: The Strategic Implications of APT Satellite’s Chinese State Ownership
APT Satellite Holdings Limited is directly linked to China Satellite Communications Corp., a state‑owned subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. This ownership places the commercial operator at the heart of the sovereign‑commercial nexus, raising concerns that Chinese...
Sweden Leads NATO Air Policing Over Iceland
Here in Iceland, where 4 the first time, Sweden has taken command of a NATO Air Policing deployment. 6 x Gripens, 100 personnel plus counter drone and fighter controllers to protect airspace. "Need to make sure we are ready to...
ASTS Delays Satellite Timeline, Offers No Clarity
What a debacle. They can't even promise to complete the "40 satellites equivalent of microns" until "first half of 2026" compared to "early 2026" previously. With no clarity on when any completed satellites will be ready to ship. Also dropped...
SpaceX Lunar Manufacturing Proposal Triggers Surge in APT Satellite Shares
On March 2, 2026, APT Satellite Holdings shares jumped more than 7% after reports that SpaceX is planning a permanent lunar manufacturing facility. The proposed moon‑based plant would use a multi‑kilometer electromagnetic catapult to launch satellites, potentially reducing launch costs...
Swedish Air Force's C‑130H Phases Out for C‑390
Old school Herc action with SwAF C-130H. (Tp84). Set to be replaced in service by the Embraer C-390. #avgeek https://t.co/ZVCy9NCE7H
JAXA's HTV‑X1 Leaves ISS Friday, Begins Months‑Long Science
JAXA's HTV-X1 cargo ship will depart ISS on Friday, Mar 6, 12:00 pm ET. Watch starting 11:45 am ET. (Canadarm2 will unberth it the day before. No live coverage of that, only of the release on Friday.) It'll remain in...
Only 67% Full: Icelandair's 10 Emptiest US Routes Revealed
Icelandair carried 1.6 million round‑trip passengers between Europe and the United States in the 12 months to September 2025, a 7 % increase that outpaced overall market growth. Across its 15 US‑focused routes the airline posted an average load factor of 81.2 %, but...
EchoStar 10‑K Reveals Limited Non‑European Satellite Assets
Lots of useful detail in EchoStar 10-K on foreign assets transferred (see pp415-418). Outside Europe there's just SIRION-1 Australian filing plus licenses in Brazil, Chile & Mexico (but Brazil is specific to Lyra, Chile is non-exclusive, Mexico is GEO) https://t.co/mHJqFgkMzd
Swedish AF Chief Discusses NATO Air Policing in Iceland
Great to chat to Swedish AF chief Maj Gen Jonas 'Shaft' Wikman about Sweden's NATO Air Policing Mission in Iceland here at Keflavik AB. #avgeek https://t.co/KUhgWv1XcN
SolidSail Mast Factory Starts Production of CFRP Masts for Wind Propulsion
SolidSail Mast Factory (SMAF) in Lanester, France, launched full‑scale production of carbon‑fiber‑reinforced polymer (CFRP) masts on 12 February 2026. The plant, a joint venture between Chantiers de l’Atlantique and five regional composite specialists, will fabricate masts up to 70 metres long, supporting sails...
Iceland Showcases NATO Air Policing History on Wall
Cool display wall of previous NATO Air Policing missions and visitors here in Iceland. #avgeek https://t.co/qzXPxJ75NE
Middle East Handles 13% of Global Flight Capacity
Iraq, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, UAE & Jordan make up a staggering 13.2% of scheduled flying capacity globally and the sheer volume flowing through the ME underscores its centrality to human transportation. https://t.co/yvNyuskXyH
Three USAF F-15E Strike Eagles Shot Down By Friendly Fire (Updated)
Three U.S. Air Force F‑15E Strike Eagles were lost over Kuwait in an apparent friendly‑fire incident during Operation Epic Fury. All six crew members ejected safely and were rescued. CENTCOM confirmed the jets were shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,...
Lufthansa Unveils Airbus A380 in Striking 100th Anniversary Livery
Lufthansa has added an Airbus A380 to its centennial fleet, unveiling a bold blue livery featuring a 47‑meter crane motif and the dates 1926 | 2026. The aircraft was repainted over 34 days by 35 specialists at Shannon Airport, covering more than...
Teledyne FLIR Defense Signs Memorandum of Understanding with STORM Adapt Group at EnforceTac 2026
Teledyne FLIR Defense and Norway’s STORM Adapt Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding at EnforceTac 2026 to integrate FLIR’s SkyCarrier quadcopter and Black Recon micro‑UAS with STORM’s Rapid Adapt and Deploy System (RADS). The MoU creates a vehicle‑mounted, modular platform that...
March 2, 2004: Rosetta Launches
On March 2, 2004 the European Space Agency launched the Rosetta‑Philae mission from French Guiana to rendezvous with comet 67P/Churyumov‑Gerasimenko. The spacecraft spent a decade traveling, using three Earth and one Mars gravity‑assist flybys to reach its target. In August 2014 Rosetta entered orbit,...
Exclusive: Starpath Unveils New Ultra-Thin Space Solar Panels
Starpath Space introduced Starlight Air, an ultra‑thin space solar panel that weighs just 73 g per square meter and sells for about $15 per watt. The panel uses a nanometer‑scale crystalline photovoltaic layer printed on a fabric substrate, delivering the same...
CCC Awarded Contract to Supply RAST Systems to US NAWC
The Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) secured a four‑year contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to supply Recover Assist Securing and Traversing (RAST) systems to the Naval Air Warfare Centre. Curtiss‑Wright’s Mississauga plant will manufacture the equipment and provide field...
UK Civil Aviation Authority Outlines Electronic Conspicuity Plans for Uncrewed and Crewed Aircraft
The UK Civil Aviation Authority released a Technical Concept of Operations detailing electronic conspicuity (EC) requirements for integrating BVLOS unmanned aircraft into shared airspace. Uncrewed systems must broadcast a 978 MHz ADS‑B signal and carry ADS‑B IN receivers, while crewed aircraft face...
Starlink Hints at Extended Viasat/EchoStar 2GHz Licenses
Starlink is effectively confirming (or at least treating as a fait accompli) what I've been told previously, that the incumbent Viasat and EchoStar 2GHz licenses will be extended for a period of time beyond 2027
Austria Commissions Its First Military Sat
Austria has commissioned BEACONSAT, its first military‑operated satellite, slated for launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in February 2027. The one‑year mission will monitor GNSS signals to detect jamming and spoofing, addressing growing navigation interference threats. The project is financed by a...
World Space Week 2025 Set Record With 50,000 Events in 102 Countries
World Space Week 2025 set a participation record with nearly 50,000 activities in 102 countries. The surge reflects a shift from a niche sector to a global priority, as educators, governments and industry rally to prepare the next generation for...
U.S. Space Force Pushes to Put Airborne Target Tracking Sensors in Orbit
The U.S. Space Force is advancing the Airborne Moving Target Indicator (AMTI) program to place space‑based sensors that can track aircraft, drones and missiles in orbit. Early prototype demonstrations have delivered detailed on‑orbit data, and the service is leveraging technology...
First Confirmed US One‑way Drone Strike on Iran Sharpens Pentagon UAV Expansion
The United States confirmed its first combat use of low‑cost, one‑way attack drones against Iranian targets during Operation Epic Fury. footage released by CENTCOM shows the drones deployed by Task Force Scorpion Strike alongside precision munitions. The Pentagon is accelerating a program...