Today's Aerospace Pulse
Icelandair to retire B757‑200 fleet by late 2026
Icelandair announced it will retire its Boeing 757‑200 aircraft in late 2026 as part of fleet modernization. In the same coverage cluster, Flexjet’s Irish subsidiary received regulatory approval to operate in the United States.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Eaton merges mobility business with Dana in $10B deal
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 a decade and the first to pair F‑35s with F‑22s, came amid the U.S. Operation Epic Fury against Iran and the Arctic Edge 26 exercise. Russian aircraft remained outside sovereign airspace and were not classified as a threat.
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.
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
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...
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...
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...
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.
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'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,...
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...
UK Announces £500 Million Package for Industrial Growth and National Security
The United Kingdom unveiled a £500 million space funding package aimed at accelerating economic growth and national security. The money targets seven sub‑sectors, with priority given to satellite communications, assured access, in‑orbit servicing, assembly, manufacturing and space domain awareness. The package...
Podcast: Iris² and the European Space Programme
Dominic Hayes, spectrum manager for the European Commission, discussed the Iris² satellite programme on a PolicyTracker podcast, highlighting its role within the broader European Space Programme. Iris² aims to provide a European‑controlled direct‑to‑device (D2D) communications network, offering an alternative to...
UNION and Firehawk Tackle America’s Artillery Crisis with New Partnership
UNION Technologies and Firehawk Aerospace have partnered to merge UNION’s software‑defined manufacturing platform with Firehawk’s high‑throughput energetics and propulsion capabilities, focusing on the 155 mm artillery supply chain. The joint effort seeks to close the integration gap between forged metal parts...
Government Throws Weight Behind Space-Manufactured Drugs
The UK government announced a new package of measures to accelerate space‑based pharmaceutical manufacturing, offering regulatory clarity and a sandbox for companies developing drugs in microgravity. The initiative, led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, brings together the...
The Promise Of A World of Low Launch Prices Is Still Far Off
The article argues that despite hype around reusable rockets, truly low‑cost launch prices remain elusive. It examines why SpaceX’s sub‑$5 kg target is still out of reach for most customers, citing technical bottlenecks, limited launch cadence, and regulatory hurdles. The piece...
Skyports Supports Tokyo Demonstration eVTOL Flights with Vertiport Automation System
Skyports Infrastructure supplied its Vertiport Automation System (VAS) to support SkyDrive’s eVTOL flight demonstrations in Tokyo from Feb 24‑28, 2026. The five‑day event showcased the remotely piloted SD‑05 aircraft over Tokyo Bay and featured a temporary vertiport terminal equipped with...
EIB to Provide Advisory Support for VÆRIDION Aircraft Development
The European Investment Bank will provide advisory services to German start‑up VÆRIDION under the EU Innovation Fund Project Development Assistance programme. The support is aimed at moving VÆRIDION’s Microliner – a nine‑seat, fully electric regional aircraft – from prototype to...
Chinese Astronauts Hone Extreme Cave Survival Skills
China’s Astronaut Center completed its first cave‑survival training, involving 28 astronauts and trainees in a month‑long program in Chongqing’s Wulong district. Participants endured 8 °C temperatures, 99 % humidity, darkness and confined spaces while conducting mapping, scientific tasks and emergency drills. The...
Lunar Dust Study Links Space Weathering to Changes in Moon Ultraviolet Brightness
Southwest Research Institute and UT San Antonio re‑examined Apollo 11, 16 and 17 lunar soils with modern transmission electron microscopy to quantify how space weathering alters far‑ultraviolet (FUV) reflectance. The study linked the presence of nanophase‑iron particles in grain rims...
Lunar Dust Model Maps How Charged Grains Stick to Spacecraft
Researchers from the Beijing Institute of Technology, the China Academy of Space Technology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have introduced a theoretical model that couples electrostatic forces with contact‑mechanics to predict whether low‑velocity charged lunar dust grains stick to...
Northrop Grumman Boosters Set For First Crewed Lunar Voyage Of Artemis Era
Northrop Grumman's new five‑segment solid rocket boosters will power NASA's Artemis II launch, the first crewed mission of the Space Launch System, slated for early February 2026. Each 177‑foot booster delivers 3.6 million pounds of thrust, together providing 7.2 million of the SLS’s...
Lunar Spacecraft Exhaust Could Obscure Clues to Origins of Life
Over half of methane exhaust from lunar landers can migrate across the Moon, reaching the opposite pole within two lunar days and becoming trapped in permanently shadowed regions. Simulations of ESA’s Argonaut mission show 42 % of exhaust settles at the...
Danish Mani Mission to Chart Lunar Terrain in 3D
Denmark’s University of Copenhagen will lead the ESA‑backed Mani mission, slated for a 2029 launch, to map the Moon’s north and south polar regions in three dimensions. The satellite will capture high‑resolution images from multiple angles, using shadow analysis to...
Where Is the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the World’s Largest Space Launch Facility?
The Baikonur Cosmodrome, the world’s largest space launch facility, sits in southern Kazakhstan about 200 km west of the city of Baikonur. Operated by Russia’s Roscosmos under a 1994 lease, it has supported more than 400 orbital launches since its first...
SpaceX's $1.75T IPO Dream Defies $20B Revenue Reality
SpaceX provably has revenues of less than $20bn and loses money after the merger with xAI, but is targeting a $1.75 TRILLION IPO. So FTAV explored how Musk might try to pull off what could be the biggest bagholder operation...