Know What's Happening in Aerospace
Know What's Happening in Aerospace
NASA faces steep FY2027 budget cuts, overall funding slashed to $11B
The White House’s FY2027 budget request proposes a 23% reduction to NASA’s total budget, bringing it down to roughly $11 billion. The Science Mission Directorate would see a 47% cut, dropping from $7.25 billion to about $3.9 billion.
SpaceX completed the initial activation campaign for the Super Heavy V3 booster, loading cryogenic propellant and conducting a ten‑engine static fire on Starbase Pad 2. All ten Raptor 3 engines ignited, confirming the new engine design’s start‑up reliability. The test was cut short by a ground‑side issue, prompting a brief shutdown. SpaceX now plans a 33‑engine static fire to validate full‑thrust performance.
SpaceX is gearing up for an April test flight of Starship V3, the next‑generation launch system featuring a taller Super Heavy booster and upgraded Raptor 3 engines. The new vehicle boosts low‑Earth‑orbit payload capacity to roughly 200 tons, a dramatic jump from...
New Zealand’s Defence Science and Technology agency and the Royal Navy teamed with Dawn Aerospace to conduct the DARTE radar‑tracking experiment, using the Aurora suborbital spaceplane off the Canterbury coast. The trial demonstrated that the frigate HMNZS Te Kaha’s surveillance radar can...
Northwest UAV (NWUAV) is reshaping UAS propulsion by delivering heavy‑fuel engines that run on JP‑8, JP‑5, and Jet‑A, eliminating the need for gasoline in tactical drones. The company’s all‑American, AS9100D‑certified supply chain guarantees secure, kill‑switch‑free components, aligning with NATO’s Single‑Fuel...
The article explains that splashdown is a complex fluid‑impact problem where capsule shape, parachute timing, sea state, and crew posture determine survivability. It traces splashdown from Mercury through Apollo to modern Orion and SpaceX Dragon missions, highlighting why water remains...
For the Pentagon, there is benefit to demonstrating its missile capabilities in combat: The strikes on Iranian vessels from across the Gulf were conducted with the same types of missiles the U.S. is planning to use in case of war...
ESI Motion announced it will attend Satellite 2026 in Washington, D.C., and AUSA Global Force 2026 in Huntsville, Alabama, to showcase its high‑performance motion controllers, actuators, and space‑rated battery systems. The company will engage commercial and government space leaders on satellite attitude...
Virgin Australia will receive seven new aircraft in the second half of FY2026, meeting its full‑year delivery target after a period of delays. Its regional arm, VARA, is slated for four Embraer E190‑E2 deliveries, enabling retirement of older planes. The...
Anduril announced that its new Arsenal-1 manufacturing plant in Columbus, Ohio, will start producing the YFQ-44A Fury drone wingman within days, ahead of the originally slated July 2026 start. The 5‑million‑square‑foot facility, adjacent to a dual 12,000‑foot runway airport, enables...
Vertical Aerospace has put an automated battery pilot production line into service at its 15,000‑sq‑ft Vertical Energy Centre in the UK. The line will build the final packs for seven Valo eVTOL certification aircraft and supports a planned capacity tripling...
Firefly Aerospace reported Q4 2025 revenue of $30.8 million, roughly double the prior quarter, and a backlog of $1.3 billion fueled by new NASA CLPS awards and a $177 million Blue Ghost Mission 4 contract. The company completed an $855 million acquisition of SciTech, adding...
Globalstar reported record full‑year 2025 revenue of $273 million, up 9% year‑over‑year, and achieved a 50% adjusted EBITDA margin at $136.1 million. Net loss narrowed dramatically to $7.6 million from $63.2 million a year earlier, while cash and cash equivalents rose to $447.5 million. The...
U.S. Space Command will host the first of a quarterly "commercial wargames" series on March 23, inviting 25 industry firms to a classified tabletop exercise in Colorado Springs. The inaugural session will tackle the threat of weapons of mass destruction...
Impressive win here for Rocket Lab: delivering the right capability at the right time. https://t.co/8vUinNNlgG
A research partnership between Hong Kong’s Space Robotics and Energy Centre and Southeast University is accelerating autonomous space‑robotics, AI‑enabled navigation, and deep‑space energy management. The collaboration, supported by HKUST labs, targets rugged robotic platforms, precision manipulation, and modular power systems...
The Canadian Space Agency’s 2026‑27 Departmental Plan announces a $913.9 million budget but mandates internal savings, leading to the outright termination of the Lunar Rover Mission approved in 2022. The cut begins with a $6.66 million reduction in 2026‑27 and will grow...
United Launch Alliance (ULA) plans to launch its first modified Vulcan rocket this summer, after accelerating pre‑planned upgrades to the engine nozzle and solid rocket boosters. The enhancements aim to improve performance margins and address issues highlighted by a February...
The Pentagon has approved a $4.5 billion deal to lift B‑21 production capacity by 25 percent and is now weighing a second manufacturing line to accelerate deliveries. Strategic Command chief Adm. Richard Correll urged Congress to expand the fleet to 145 aircraft,...
Russian warplanes are entering the U.S. and Canadian Air Defense Identification Zones at a rate above historical norms, according to NORAD commander Gen. Gregory Guillot. In 2025 NORAD intercepted 16 long‑range Russian aircraft, with four more already this year, including...
The U.S. Air Force is issuing a Request for Information to acquire small, one‑way attack drones for its Special Operations Command. The desired system must fly 10‑20 km, carry a 1.5‑3 kg fragmentation warhead, and be operable by one or two soldiers...
Ligado filed a new FCC petition to modify its satellite license and host the SkyTerra Next L‑band payload on AST SpaceMobile’s low‑Earth‑orbit constellation. The company argues the deployment will operate within existing L‑band coordination agreements and will not interfere with...
Indianapolis International Airport announced that ultra‑low‑cost carrier Avelo Airlines will begin service on June 18, adding twice‑weekly nonstop flights to Concord, North Carolina, and New Haven, Connecticut. The routes make Avelo the airport’s 12th passenger airline and its fourth ULCC,...
During World War II and the early post‑war period, aircraft designers turned to steel when aluminium was scarce or when extra protection was essential. Notable examples include the German Henschel Hs 129 and Soviet Ilyushin Il‑2, both featuring steel “armoured tubs” that...
Seattle–Tacoma International Airport has chosen Veovo, together with OneAlpha, to implement a modern slot coordination platform. The solution provides a daily, airport‑wide view of runway, apron and terminal capacity, allowing more accurate scheduling and real‑time alerts when limits are reached....
Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater, has joined the board of Ukrainian drone‑software firm Swarmer and is championing its sale to the U.S. military. Swarmer raised $15 million in a Nasdaq offering, saw its shares jump roughly 500 % and claims its platform...
Industry data released March 18, 2026 shows ISR is shifting from resolution‑focused satellites to latency‑first architectures. Commercial firms such as BlackSky and Planet Labs reported record revenues while emphasizing rapid data delivery, with BlackSky posting $107 million in 2025 revenue and a $345 million...
Ukraine is forming a special working group to prepare the safe reopening of its commercial airspace after more than four years of total closure following the 2022 Russian invasion. The group will involve the civil aviation authority, ICAO, IATA and...
Greenpoint Technologies, a Safran company, has delivered a VVIP Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) 787‑9 interior completion to an undisclosed client, reinforcing its leadership on the 787 platform. The project showcases Greenpoint’s vertically integrated execution model that combines design, engineering, manufacturing,...
NASA's Perseverance rover has identified tiny corundum crystals—ruby or sapphire‑like gems—inside a Martian pebble named Hampden River. The rover’s SuperCam instrument used dual‑laser spectroscopy and luminescence imaging to match the spectral signature of the grains to laboratory ruby standards. This...
Defense Unicorns and the US Air Force Sustainment Center demonstrated rapid software installation on the F‑22 Raptor using the Unicorn Delivery Service (UDS), marking the first minute‑scale deployment directly onto the aircraft. The UDS enables approved software to be loaded...
Bell Textron has finished the first Structural and Power Improvements for Next‑Gen Effects (SPINE) upgrades on an AH‑1Z and a UH‑1Y helicopter. The upgraded aircraft left the Amarillo Assembly Center and are now undergoing flight testing at Naval Air Station...
Volatus Aerospace announced it has been approved for up to $320,000 in non‑dilutive funding from the National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC‑IRAP). The money will fund development of the Condor XL heavy‑lift uncrewed aerial system, focusing...
Britain escalated defence support for Gulf states amid Iran's indiscriminate attacks, convening senior officials and representatives from 13 UK defence firms with regional ambassadors. The UK government confirmed plans to acquire additional Lightweight Multirole Missiles from Thales to equip British...
NASA’s Perseverance rover used its ground‑penetrating radar to probe deeper than before in Jezero Crater. The instrument identified buried river‑carved slopes and a delta more than 35 meters below the surface. Analysis of the radar echoes indicates these features formed around...
Artemis II SLS/Orion rollback to the launch pad is now set for tomorrow, Thursday, March 19, at 8:00 *pm.* It'll stream on NASA's YouTube channel.
iCOMAT has opened a 41,000‑square‑foot Factory III in Dayton, Ohio, bringing its patented Rapid Tow Shearing (RTS) technology and end‑to‑end composites capabilities to the U.S. defense and aerospace market. At the same time, Austrian aerospace supplier FACC is investing £120 million in...
Coexpair and Lockheed Martin have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop, demonstrate, and test composite parts for the F‑35 using Coexpair’s SQRTM 4.0 technology. The partnership will follow a phased approach, with Lockheed providing process‑qualification support while Coexpair builds and...
Boeing’s B‑17 Flying Fortress remains the all‑time best‑selling combat aircraft with 12,731 units built, a record set during World War II’s massive production surge. Lockheed Martin, while never eclipsing the B‑17’s single‑model total, boasts several high‑volume platforms—including the C‑130 Hercules (2,700+), F‑16...
Wisk Aero, a Boeing subsidiary, has unveiled its second sixth‑generation autonomous eVTOL prototype, registered as N607WA. The full‑scale aircraft is slated for its inaugural flight within weeks, marking a critical milestone toward certification. Wisk maintains its roadmap to launch a...
Honeywell, Boeing and the University of Reading have launched Project MIST, a joint effort funded by the UK Aerospace Technology Institute to develop an aircraft‑mounted humidity sensor. The prototype aims to close data gaps in high‑altitude moisture measurements, improving contrail...
German carrier Lufthansa Cargo has embedded optional add‑on services directly into its online booking flow, allowing shippers to select and price extras with a few clicks. The initial rollout offers Sustainable Choice, Personal Supervision and smartULD, with toDoor delivery and...
House SS&T will hold a hrg on Mar 25 at 10:00 am ET on The Future of LEO: From the ISS to Cmrcl Platforms. NASA's Joel Montalbano (Acting AA for Space Ops Mission Directorate), Dave Cavossa (CSF), Charlie Precourt (mbr,...
The House Science Committee's space subcommittee will hold a hearing next Wednesday on "The Future of Low Earth Orbit: From the ISS to Commercial Platforms". https://t.co/OyC3IQLGDd
The FAA announced on March 17 that Boeing received clearance to start Phase 4A of the Type Inspection Authorization for its 777‑9, the first segment of the five‑phase certification program. Phase 4A will involve extensive air‑ and ground‑based system tests, mirroring the workload...
SATShow Week 2026 unveiled nine fresh leaders spanning investment, manufacturing, policy and operations, underscoring the event’s expanding GovMilSpace focus. Ellen Chang highlighted the need for terrestrial infrastructure financing, while Apex’s Ian Cinnamon disclosed a $400 million fundraising round to scale bus...
Palantir Technologies has partnered with Ondas and World View Enterprises to build an AI‑driven, multi‑domain intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) system that spans stratospheric balloons, autonomous drones and ground assets. The collaboration leverages Palantir’s Artificial Intelligence Platform, World View’s high‑altitude...
SpaceX’s Starlink has applied to Ofcom for two new Ka‑band Earth stations—one in London’s Mulberry Wharf and another in Harlow, Essex—targeting early 2026 deployment. The company says its current gateway network is nearing capacity, forcing it to limit service to...
A roundtable of leaders from Viasat, SpinLaunch, Voyager Technologies, ArkEdge Space and Planet highlighted three dominant themes for SATShow Week 2026: the rise of multi‑orbit and hybrid satellite networks, the growing importance of dual‑use space systems for defense and commercial...
Turkish Airlines inaugurated a new service linking Istanbul Airport to London Stansted, marking its third London gateway. The launch was celebrated with a ceremony attended by airline and airport executives. The carrier now operates from Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Edinburgh and...
Bell Textron announced the successful completion of the Critical Design Review for DARPA’s SPRINT X‑plane program on March 9, clearing the path to build the X‑76 demonstrator. The milestone follows Bell’s Phase 2 down‑selection and integrates Swift Engineering’s composite‑fuselage expertise. The X‑76...
