Know What's Happening in Aerospace
Know What's Happening in Aerospace
Axiom Space secures $350M to accelerate commercial space station buildout
Axiom Space, founded in 2016, is constructing the world’s first commercial space station and has completed four ISS crewed missions. In February 2026 the company secured $350M in equity and debt financing to speed hardware development and its AxEMU lunar‑suit program.
The American Space Law Foundation will host its inaugural moot court in Washington, D.C., on March 20‑21, where law students will argue a realistic commercial space law dispute. The hypothetical case involves Interra LLC, a fictional megaconstellation operator, challenging an FCC decision to deny a license for Phase II autonomous satellites after a collision generated 8,000 debris pieces. The competition aims to give students practical experience and to break down silos between law, engineering, and policy. Organizers view the event as a rehearsal for the emerging legal challenges of “Space Race 2.0,” where commercial actors intersect with government regulation.
IndiGo’s CEO Pieter Elbers has stepped down with immediate effect the airline said without giving a reason for his departure. The carrier said in a statement today that managing director Rahul Bhatia will oversee the airline’s operations on an interim basis...
Colombian carrier Avianca announced the acquisition of two Airbus A330‑900neo aircraft, slated to enter service in the second half of 2026. The new wide‑body jets will be based in Colombia and add to the airline’s existing fleet of more than...
U.S. Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit deployed Quantum Systems' Vector eVTOL unmanned aerial system at Camp Santiago, Puerto Rico, to support U.S. Southern Command missions against illicit trafficking. The Vector delivers real‑time, high‑resolution imagery and on‑board AI processing,...
Pika Aero and DGM France were honoured with the IATA Competency‑Based Training and Assessment (CBTA) Center Best Innovation Award for their AI‑driven dangerous‑goods training solutions. Pika Aero’s platform uses immersive AI to adjust operational scenarios in real time as learners...
The escalating Iran‑Israel conflict is prompting Gulf states to reconsider US‑linked defense and commercial aviation contracts, putting major aircraft orders under review. Boeing’s flagship 777X program now faces heightened risk as regional airlines delay fleet expansion, while Airbus could capture...
Golden Dome for America is moving from a broad conceptual study to an execution phase where early research and development decisions will determine its affordability and schedule. The analysis warns that postponing prototype validation, test‑bed integration, and production‑readiness criteria can...
A new market analysis released on March 10, 2026 identifies Southeast Asia as the next growth engine for Earth Observation and Synthetic Aperture Radar constellations, driven by rising territorial disputes and illegal maritime activity. Traditional AIS‑based maritime domain awareness is being undermined...
Ukrainian defence‑tech firm Aerobavovna has fielded specialised aerostat platforms that act as persistent surveillance, communications relays and electronic‑monitoring nodes for battlefield drones. The systems, designed for rapid deployment and long‑duration flight, are already supporting Ukrainian forces and are being positioned...
SSC Space announced that its new Optical Ground Station (OGS) in Santiago, Chile, is now operational and integrated into the NODES network. The Safran‑built facility delivers up to 10 Gbit/s data rates, a tenfold increase over typical RF links, and operates...
A new Nature Astronomy paper identifies the equatorial Rimae Bode region as a prime candidate for China’s first crewed lunar landing, targeting a 2030 timeline. The study highlights the area’s flat terrain, near‑constant sunlight, and direct line‑of‑sight to Earth, reducing...
UForce, a UK‑based defence tech firm with Ukrainian origins, closed a $50 million financing round led by Lakestar and Shield Capital, pushing its valuation above $1 billion. The company develops autonomous air, sea and land systems, including marine drones, heavy‑bomber UAVs, unmanned...
The aviation sector is betting on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to cut emissions, but crop‑based SAF may negate carbon gains due to indirect land‑use change and water use. Waste‑oil SAF offers high reductions but lacks scalability, while corn, soy and...
*Stand clear of the closing doors please* SpaceX’s launch schedule is looking more like a commuter railway than a rocket company. They've already completed 5 launches in March, with 7 more targeted this month. ...
A great question. Isaacman has talked about maximizing science and other exploration goals wherever possible. This will be an interesting test case. Unfortunately ~18 months between now and a potential launch date does not leave much time for scientific payloads.
Indian airlines posted a loss of INR 53 billion ($576 million) in FY 2024‑25, nearly five times the loss recorded a year earlier. The loss came despite a 7.7% rise in domestic passenger traffic, as soaring fuel prices, exchange‑rate swings and high operating...
Canadian PM Carney pitches @Telesat Lightspeed participation to Australia; Norway/Nordics and UK are next. Can he make the sale on his rally-the-middle-powers tour? @defis_eu @NATO #MitsubishiElectric @LMSpace @AirbusSpace. https://t.co/vBaxNc6f3k https://t.co/iEkZbKTFfa
SWISS is introducing a new long haul passenger standard, in a project known as SWISS Senses. The airline will soon start reconfiguring its A330s, with all new cabins. https://t.co/YHphVdCRxA
The Czech Republic is sending a detachment of Bell UH‑1Y Venom helicopters to Poland to protect its airspace against unmanned aerial systems. The Venoms replace Mil Mi‑171ŠM helicopters that have been on standby since September after a wave of Russian...
What inspired new FRAeS Susanne Svensdotter into a career in aerospace? 'new member spotlight' Q&A #avgeek https://t.co/68Q3iga6QE https://t.co/dHeOIZEjUN
Interesting report from CSIS on the expansion of Russia’s UAV factory that manufactures Geran drones (Shahed) over time. Noting some of the site protection mechanisms as well.
Lux Aeterna, a Denver startup founded by former SpaceX engineer Brian Taylor, announced a $10 million seed round led by Konvoy, bringing its total capital to $14 million. The funding will support development of Delphi‑1, a 200 kg reusable satellite with a 30 kg...
Colorado startup Lux Aeterna announced a $10 million seed round to accelerate its fully reusable satellite program. The funding, led by Konvoy, brings total capital to $14 million and will support the 2027 test flight of its Delphi prototype on a SpaceX...
Lux Aeterna, a Colorado‑based startup founded by former Starlink engineer Brian Taylor, closed a $10 million seed round led by Konvoy Ventures to develop its reusable satellite platform Delphi. The 200‑kg demo satellite, built with COTS parts and a NASA‑partnered heat...
SpaceX has filed an FCC application for a mega‑constellation of up to one million low‑Earth‑orbit satellites that would host space‑based AI data centers. The system would operate in the 18.8‑19.3 GHz (space‑to‑Earth) and 28.6‑29.1 GHz (Earth‑to‑space) bands, relying on narrow‑beam optical links....
NASA classified Boeing's 2024 Starliner crewed test flight as a Type A mishap, pinpointing decision‑making and leadership failures rather than hardware flaws. The investigation revealed a pattern of closing anomalies without full root‑cause analysis, exposing a gap between the program’s commercial...
Re Thursday's Artemis II update bfg, which is after the Flight Readiness Review (FRR), I asked if that meant there won't be another Wet Dress Rehearsal. They said that's correct, no more WDRs are planned, but after the FRR will...
Honda unveiled its hybrid‑electric eVTOL at the Dubai Airshow, revealing more than 400 flight tests and a full‑scale demonstrator about 50 feet long. The aircraft combines eight lift propellers with two rear pusher units and a 250‑300 kW turbogenerator, targeting a 250‑mile...
NASA announced that its newest Astronaut Candidate Class is 60% female, marking the first time women outnumber men in a NASA cohort. The announcement coincided with International Women’s Day and underscores a broader shift toward gender parity in the space...
SpaceX announced that its upgraded Starship V3 is slated for a test flight in early April, roughly four weeks away. The version features taller Super Heavy and upper stages powered by the new Raptor 3 engine, delivering higher thrust and efficiency....
Southwest’s shift to assigned seating in January 2026 spotlights a broader U.S. airline dilemma of keeping families together. Parents now must pay extra for adjacent seats or gamble on random allocation, and even purchased seats can be reassigned after last‑minute...
War in the Middle East has forced the abrupt closure of Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, the three Gulf hubs that have underpinned global air travel for decades. Lufthansa Group quickly responded by adding long‑haul services from Frankfurt and Munich, including...
Chinese launch startup Landspace announced a successful long‑duration hot‑fire test of its BF methane‑liquid oxygen engine, which generates roughly 220 metric tons of thrust. The full‑flow staged combustion (FFSC) cycle engine is intended as the core propulsion unit for the company’s...
The European Space Agency (ESA) has issued a call for proposals from European small‑ and medium‑sized enterprises to develop a fully reusable spaceplane‑based launch system. The agency seeks at least two distinct concepts and encourages the integration of novel propulsion...
The UK Ministry of Defence forecasts that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will cost roughly $1.62 per litre in 2025, rising to $1.81 by 2040, more than double the price of conventional Jet A‑1 fuel, which is projected at $0.56 per...
The Philippine Marine Corps activated the 273rd Marine Company at Camp Cape Bojeador, extending its BrahMos supersonic anti‑ship missile coastal‑defense regiment into Northern Luzon. The unit joins a three‑battery structure, each battery fielding two launchers, radar and command vehicles, and...
This Thursday (12 March) at RAeS HQ - 'Strategic Air Command An 80th Anniversary Retrospective' given by Robert Hopkins #avgeek #history #aviation https://t.co/jmALGABT21 https://t.co/QH7KMZ5kbs
Rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, highlighted by Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, have driven crude oil prices above $85 a barrel and jet fuel to over $3.60 per gallon. The spike sharply inflates airline fuel costs,...
Oman’s Modern College of Business and Science (MCBS) and LYNEports have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to foster education, research, and innovation in advanced air mobility (AAM). The agreement establishes joint programmes such as the Future Flight Academy and Smart...
North American fixed‑base operators in Vancouver and Monterrey are mobilizing months‑ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to handle an unprecedented surge in business‑aviation traffic. Million Air Vancouver has joined a collaborative work‑group with the Vancouver Airport Authority, deploying a...
Locatory.com’s February 2026 marketplace data reveals the top 50 most‑searched and hardest‑to‑find aircraft parts worldwide, underscoring persistent demand for legacy CFM56 engine components, APU and power‑generation hardware, and avionics LRUs. The report also highlights a surprising shortage of basic structural...
Iranian carrier Karun Airlines reported the destruction of its Fokker 50 turboprops, while Pars Air also lost aircraft in the same incident. The loss removes key short‑haul capacity from both operators, further shrinking an already limited fleet. Details on the...
This Wednesday (11 March) at RAeS HQ! A timely Weapons System conference - The Need For A Revolution In Managing Risk, Cost And Time - how do we get missiles, drone and munitions to the front line - faster? #defence...
Rolls‑Royce and Poland’s defence conglomerate PGZ have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop joint propulsion projects for the Polish armed forces. The agreement covers servicing, overhauling and eventual production of MTU‑based engines for land vehicles and naval vessels. It...
LUMINAIR announced the induction of its first Dassault Falcon 7X, a 2009‑built trijet registered D‑ALIN, which entered service on 8 March with a Hamburg‑Paris‑Larnaca routing. Configured for up to 14 passengers, the aircraft joins a fleet that already includes four Falcon 900LX, two...
American Airlines Extends Doha and Tel Aviv Suspensions — As Iran’s Attacks Keep Middle East Skies Largely Closed - View from the Wing https://t.co/QZGSE7F4zo
Iran has unveiled an upgraded Shahed‑101 loitering munition featuring a front‑mounted electric motor and nose‑propeller, diverging from the family’s traditional gasoline piston engines. The redesign retains the fixed‑wing airframe and 800 km strike range while adding a rear‑mounted rocket booster for...
Free #aviation lecture, RAeS Prestwick Branch, 10 March - McIntyre Lecture: @Airbus – my exciting journey - Tom Williams CBE FRAeS #avgeek https://t.co/OzLtWuyfmr https://t.co/uOfOFIBdtZ
Airlines across the Persian Gulf are cautiously expanding capacity even as Iran continues to launch missiles and drones that regional airspace must intercept. Emirates, the world’s largest international carrier, has lifted its schedule to serve roughly 100 destinations in more...
Free #aviation lecture, RAeS Sheffield Branch, 10 March, 'Avro Heritage - The story so far' #avgeek https://t.co/EyF9HvVDbZ https://t.co/3n4Mg38bVW
