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
Cargo Dragon Successfully Returns to Earth
NASA’s Cargo Dragon capsule splashed down in the Pacific on Feb. 26, 2026 after a six‑month stint on the International Space Station. During its stay the vehicle fired its thrusters six times, raising the station’s orbit and proving a commercial alternative to Russian Progress reboosts. The mission also returned several thousand pounds of scientific hardware and experiments. Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus has demonstrated similar boost capability, expanding the pool of reboost providers.
B‑2 Night Strikes Will Redefine Air Campaign
B-2s will likely show up tonight, making direct attacks on key targets in a way no other platform can. Yes this could include MOPs, but also lots of JDAMs against less fortified targets. They can achieve massive effects in a...
US Confirms First Combat Use of LUCAS One-Way Attack Drone in Iran Strikes
U.S. Central Command confirmed that the LUCAS one‑way attack drone was employed for the first time in combat during Saturday’s airstrikes on Iran under Operation Epic Fury. The low‑cost autonomous kamikaze, reverse‑engineered from the Iranian Shahed‑136, struck IRGC command and...
UK Flights to Middle East Suspended as US Launches Attacks on Iran
UK airlines have halted flights to key Middle‑East hubs—including Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi—following the United States’ launch of air strikes against Iran. Iran responded with missile attacks on eight Gulf states, heightening regional tension. The suspension affects roughly 18,000...
Rocket Lab Completes Another HASTE Suborbital Mission
Rocket Lab completed its seventh HASTE suborbital mission, repurposing the first stage of an Electron rocket to launch an Australian Hypersonix test vehicle from Wallops Island. The flight marks the company’s second Department of Defense hypersonic test in three months...
NASA on ‘Aggressive’ Schedule to Complete SLS Repairs for April Launch
NASA is racing to finish repairs on the Space Launch System’s upper stage within roughly three weeks to meet the Artemis 2 early‑April launch window. The work follows a rollback to the Vehicle Assembly Building after a helium‑flow interruption in the...
SES Ready for Demo Flight of MEO-Sphere Satellite
SES announced a strategic partnership with K2 Space to launch three demo MEO‑Sphere satellites, beginning with a Spring 2026 flight on SpaceX Transporter 16. The Mega‑class buses cost about $15 million each and can be built in three months, promising faster, cheaper...
Aerospace Drives Robust 4Q Sales and 2026 Outlook at Astronics
Astronics Corp reported record Q4 2025 aerospace sales, with revenue rising 15.1% to $240.1 million and the aerospace segment up 16.5% to $219.6 million. The company projects 2026 revenue of $950‑$990 million, roughly a 13% increase over 2025, and expects double‑digit growth. Strong...
SpaceX Sets A New Reuse Record With The Falcon 9 Rocket
SpaceX on 21 February 2026 set a new reuse milestone as a Falcon 9 first‑stage booster completed its 33rd successful flight, surpassing its own previous record. The dual launch from California and Florida deployed 53 new Starlink satellites, expanding the broadband constellation. Reusing...
WestJet Drops Raleigh-Durham, Cuts 16 US Routes Amid Travel Decline
WestJet will discontinue 16 U.S. routes, cutting about 13 % of its transborder seat capacity for 2026. The airline cites a sustained decline in leisure travel demand, with Canadian departures to the United States down 12.5 % year‑over‑year in 2025. Political friction,...
Is It Legal to Own, Buy, or Sell Apollo Mission Moon Rocks and Lunar Samples?
Apollo moon rocks remain U.S. government property, making their purchase or sale illegal under federal law. A 2002 theft of 8 kg of lunar material resulted in an eight‑year prison term, underscoring the seriousness of the offense. NASA’s Lunar Sample Laboratory...
Feb. 28, 1997: GRB 970228 Bursts on the Scene
On February 28 1997 the BeppoSAX satellite recorded gamma‑ray burst GRB 970228, an 80‑second flash that was quickly localized. The precise coordinates enabled observatories worldwide to launch coordinated, multi‑wavelength follow‑up campaigns. A month later the Hubble Space Telescope imaged the fading afterglow and...
El Al Israel Airlines Breaks Shabbat Tradition To Evacuate Airplanes Out of Tel Aviv As Iranian Missile Strikes Continue
El Al Israel Airlines broke its Shabbat grounding policy on Saturday to launch an emergency evacuation of its fleet from Ben Gurion Airport amid ongoing Iranian missile strikes across the region. Twelve aircraft, including Boeing 787 Dreamliners and a 737...
Kuwait Defends Ali Al Salem Air Base From Missile Strike
Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence announced that its air‑defence forces successfully intercepted multiple ballistic missiles aimed at Ali Al Salem Air Base, with debris falling nearby but no casualties reported. The engagement demonstrates Kuwait’s active missile‑defence posture and its layered systems...
Competing with Dick Bong to Be WWII’s Top Ace This Pilot Met a Fateful End
Maj. Thomas B. McGuire Jr. became the United States’ second‑ranking WWII fighter ace, tallying 38 aerial victories before his fatal crash on 7 January 1945 while attempting to rescue a fellow pilot. His rivalry with fellow ace Maj. Richard I. Bong, who...
Iran Targets U.S. Naval Base Radar with Shahed Drone
Iran deployed a Shahed‑type one‑way attack drone that struck a radar installation at the U.S. Naval Support Activity Bahrain, a key logistics hub for the Fifth Fleet. Video evidence shows the low‑altitude UAV impacting the radar, though U.S. officials have...
UAE Warns Iran over Missile Attacks on Gulf States
The United Arab Emirates condemned recent Iranian missile launches after debris from an intercepted projectile killed a Pakistani civilian. The UAE warned Tehran that continued strikes could bring “grave consequences” and called for restraint and diplomatic de‑escalation. Iranian officials say...
Check Flight Status Amid Middle East Airspace Restrictions
Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) has adviced passengers travelling to, from, or transiting to through parts of the Middle East to check their flight status directly with their respective airlines before going to the airport. The airport operator said airspace...
Malaysia Airlines Cancels Middle East Flights, Reroutes Europe Routes
Malaysia Airlines has announced that its flights to and from Doha, Jeddah and Madinah have been cancelled from 28 Feb - 1 March due to the closure of airspace in parts of the Middle East. Flights from KL to London &...
Cranky on the Web: United Only Likes You If You Have the Credit Card, Spirit in Vegas
Spirit Airlines is reportedly considering the termination of several West Coast flights to Las Vegas, a move that could include shutting its Las Vegas crew base. The airline’s shifting priorities suggest a focus away from short‑haul leisure routes. Meanwhile, United Airlines announced...
Iran’s Missile Reach Limited by Rebuilt Stockpiles
Iran’s initial response was fast: SRBMs hit US bases in the Gulf. Strikes on far bases like Jordan require MRBMs — as do strikes on Israel. Further retaliation and scale of damage hinge on stockpile depth: what was rebuilt after...
Delta’s Latest A321neo Order Grows Its Backlog to 290 Aircraft
Delta Air Lines announced on Feb. 27 that it is exercising 34 previously held options for Airbus A321neo jets equipped with Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan engines. The exercise brings Delta’s total A321neo backlog to 290 aircraft, comprising 155 firm...
F‑15C Launches with AIM‑7s, Likely Counter‑drone Sortie
Video shows F-15C Bazs taking off on a sortie for today's operation. It is armed with AIM-7 Sparrows, not uncommon for IAFs F-15A-Ds. Still, a bit odd for the general mission. It also does not have external tanks. Possibly on...
Starlink High-Speed Wi-Fi Is Coming to British Airways Planes in March, But Rollout Schedule Remains Unclear
British Airways will launch its first aircraft equipped with high‑speed Starlink Wi‑Fi in March, though the broader rollout timetable remains vague. CEO Sean Doyle highlighted "excellent progress" despite the system not yet being installed on any plane. The IAG‑wide contract...
US-Israeli Strikes on Iran Trigger Ballistic Missile Retaliation
The United States and Israel launched a large‑scale military operation targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities, as announced by President Donald Trump. Within hours Iran fired Fateh‑110 short‑range ballistic missiles toward Israeli territory, prompting full‑scale air‑defence alerts across the region....
Here's Why The McDonnell Douglas MD-11 Doesn’t Have An S-Duct Engine Design
The McDonnell Douglas MD‑11 uses a straight‑through duct for its tail‑fin engine instead of the curved S‑duct common on other trijets. This design preserves intake pressure, eliminates the heavy, complex duct structure, and allows a smaller horizontal stabilizer, boosting thrust and...
High‑Altitude Takeoff Fatality Highlights Bolivia’s Risky Air Transport
Bolivia’s C-130 Hercules crashed right after takeoff from El Alto Airport today... carrying new banknotes, rolled onto a highway, caught fire. At least 15 dead, 30 injured. Locals tried to grab the scattered cash, police had to use tear gas......
Iranian Strikes Target Air Defenses Ahead of Night Flights
Strikes are occurring at sites throughout Iran. While these are likely targeting some time sensitive targets, many of these strikes would be used to prepare for aircraft operations over Iran. In other words, degrading and destroying what's left of Iran's...
Why Did British Aerospace Build The BAe-146 With 4 Engines?
The British Aerospace 146, launched in the early 1980s, was a four‑engine regional jet designed for short, noise‑restricted European airports. Its quad‑engine layout provided the thrust and redundancy needed for steep climbs and hot‑and‑high operations, while keeping the aircraft’s weight...
Israel Secures Air Supremacy, Gains Insight on Russian‑Chinese Defenses
Israel achieved air supremacy over Iran in about the first 10-24 hours of the 12 day war. Not a single aircraft or pilot lost. Thanks to Israel, not only was there a great amount of air defenses destroyed, but there...
US Turns Iran‑Made Shahed Drones Against Tehran
Return to sender style. Iran provided Russia w/ thousands of these types of drones to attack mainly Ukrainian civilian sites in the last 4 years (Russia now produces them and continues attacking civilian sites). Irony, U.S. sends the type back...
ISS Demonstration: A Tow Truck for Space.
In this episode of T‑Minus, host Maria Varmazas interviews Troy Morris, CEO and co‑founder of KMI, about the company’s successful in‑space demonstration of its articulated “tow‑truck” arms aboard the ISS. The demo involved over 200 days of testing, capturing unprepared...
CENTCOM Confirms LUCAS Drone Used in Iran Attack
CENTCOM confirms use of LUCAS drone in Iran attack. You can learn about these weapons in a story from back in December by me and @FranticGoat
Starlink's $1B Ukraine Deal Sparks Renewed Debate
Seems like we had this debate before re Starlink and Ukraine...so how does it play into the DoW's ~$1B per year contract with Starlink? https://t.co/vRYy6SwnTe
Can The F-35’s Software Really Be Jailbroken?
Allied concerns over U.S. dominance of F‑35 software have resurfaced after the Dutch defense minister suggested the jet could be “jailbroken” like a smartphone. While experts dismiss a built‑in kill switch, the United States still controls critical firmware updates through...
Iran's S‑300s Lack Radars, Rendering Them Ineffective
A few weeks ago @sam_lair noticed that Iran was deploying S-300s with no radars. A SAM with no radar is useless unless you can network data — and we know Iran doesn’t do that either.
Qatar Airways Halts Cargo Amid Iran Strikes, Freight Costs Surge
Qatar Airlines is pausing cargo operations as the Iran strikes play out. Prices and transit times on Asia to Europe air freight spiking.
Commercial Space Logistics Market Analysis 2026
The 2026 commercial space logistics market now comprises three segments—ISS cargo resupply, lunar payload delivery, and orbital transfer services—each with distinct business models and risk profiles. As the International Space Station approaches deorbit around 2030, providers are scrambling for post‑ISS...
Gulf Nations Shut Airspace Amid Regional Tensions
UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait airspaces remain CLOSED. (In addition to several other airspace closures elsewhere in region).
TAP Air Portugal to Launch Lisbon to Orlando Service This October
TAP Air Portugal will start nonstop service between Lisbon (LIS) and Orlando (MCO) on October 29, operating three times a week. The new flight uses the airline’s Airbus A330‑900 and adds Orlando as the ninth U.S. destination in TAP’s long‑haul...
US Air Refueling Boosts Israel's Fighter Effectiveness Against Iran
Israel’s Fighter Force Stands To Be Far More Effective With Full USAF Tanker Support In A War With Iran https://t.co/wX9ErK4zHX
Disappointed by Lack of Unique Views in Mission
Bummer. No unique views that we would have loved to see in this mission around stage sep. I thought they would cut away but had hoped we would see a little more.
Attempted Taxiway Takeoff: SK2590 Preliminary Report
Belgian investigators released a preliminary report on SAS flight SK2590, which mistakenly began its takeoff roll on a taxiway at Brussels Airport on 5 February 2026. The crew realized the error at 127 knots, applied reverse thrust and brakes, and stopped...
Rocket Lab HASTE Suborbital Launch with Australian Scramjet
Suborbital LAUNCH of Rocket Lab HASTE with the Australian DART-AE Scramjet at about 0000:00 UTC Feb 28 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia
Air India Express Flight IX938 Nose Gear Failure in Phuket
Air India Express flight IX938, a six‑year‑old Boeing 737 MAX 8, experienced a nose landing‑gear failure during touchdown at Phuket International Airport on March 11, 2026. The aircraft, carrying 131 passengers, two infants and seven crew, came to a stop on the runway, prompting...
Low Moon Illumination;
85.5% moon tonight. Far from ideal. Prime window opens back half of March. Just another indicator not a showstopper. https://t.co/7gx76w2wrn
Hyundai eVTOL Subsidiary Supernal Lays Off Most of Its Staff in Major Retrenchment
Hyundai Motor Group’s eVTOL arm Supernal announced a major workforce reduction, laying off 296 employees—roughly the bulk of its staff. The cuts underscore the subsidiary’s struggle to deliver a market‑ready electric vertical take‑off and landing aircraft despite five years of...
USAF Officially Designates Leidos SCM as AGM-190A
The U.S. Air Force officially designated Leidos’ Small Cruise Missile, known as Black Arrow, as AGM‑190A, confirming its transition to an operational weapon system. Test flights demonstrated a 200‑pound missile capable of over 400 nautical miles standoff range when launched...
Castlelake Completes First Aircraft ABS Repayment Since Pandemic
Castlelake’s aviation leasing arm has fully repaid a $595 million aircraft‑backed security, marking the first complete repayment of an operating‑lease aircraft ABS since the COVID‑19 pandemic. The Castlelake Aircraft Securitization Trust 2021‑1, comprising 26 passenger jets, one freighter and 11 lessees across...
Cruz Bill Sneaks Anti‑SpaceX Clause Into NASA Funding
I guess we know who successfully placed the anti-SpaceX provision in the Cruz reauthorization legislation for NASA. https://t.co/O05CGCT5vM