Know What's Happening in Aerospace
Know What's Happening in Aerospace
Artemis II crew prepares for historic lunar flyby
NASA’s four‑person Artemis II crew has passed the mission’s halfway point and is set for a five‑hour lunar flyby on April 6, skimming 4,000‑6,500 miles above the Moon’s far side to capture high‑resolution images of the Orientale basin and test Orion’s life‑support and navigation systems. The Space Launch System placed Orion into Earth orbit with 99.92% trajectory accuracy, and the crew will target a splashdown around April 10‑11.
Also developing:
The SAUBER 4.0 project, a collaboration led by CTC Stade and Airbus, has demonstrated a fully digitalized, high‑rate resin transfer molding (RTM) production line for large composite structures. By embedding high‑tech sensors and using induction heating, the team achieved real‑time process monitoring, faster cycle times, and significant energy savings. The technology also incorporates dry‑fiber and tailored fiber placement with 2K epoxy systems, eliminating cold‑storage requirements and enabling complex wing‑tip demonstrators. Recognized with a 2026 JEC Innovation Award, the solution is now available for Airbus’s Stade facility and future single‑aisle aircraft programs.
U.S. Senate Commerce Committee added a draft provision to the NASA Authorization Act of 2026 that would extend the International Space Station’s operational life to 2032, two years beyond the current plan. The measure also bars NASA from deorbiting the...
Logic Robotics unveiled a logistics operating system designed to automate the movement of palletized cargo from terrestrial factories to spaceports and beyond. The platform, called LINK, integrates an AI‑driven digital twin that models facilities, vehicles, and missions in real time,...
RTX’s Pratt & Whitney Military Engines unit secured a $256.26 million modification to contract N0001920D0013, adding advanced long‑lead materials for F‑135 propulsion system spares supporting the F‑35 Joint Strike Fighter program. The award covers depot lay‑in material, the global spares pool, and...
Germany will acquire 47 Northrop Grumman Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM) systems for its newly ordered CH‑47F Block II Chinook fleet, marking the first delivery of the technology to the country. The procurement supports NATO‑driven combat‑readiness upgrades and dovetails with a $876.42 million contract...
Brazilian startup Moya announced it will begin operating its heavy‑lift cargo eVTOL service in 2027. The company highlights the rapid expansion of the global logistics market, which is expected to reach $5.951 trillion by 2030 with a 7.2% annual growth rate....
A hybrid observatory that pairs a space‑based starshade with large ground‑based telescopes such as the ELT can achieve the extreme contrast needed to directly image Earth‑like exoplanets. The study, led by Nobel laureates John C. Mather and Michel Mayor, demonstrates...
To all of those saying Boom has pivoted from supersonic jets to power turbines: please stop, this is an important misunderstanding. A pivot is when you switch from X to Y. Boom has added Y along the path to X. We're shipping...
The 2026 State of Flight Training Survey from Redbird Flight shows the median cost to earn a private pilot certificate has risen above $16,000, with students typically completing training in about 24 weeks. The report also details median costs of...
LOT Polish Airlines has begun installing Viasat’s Amara inflight Wi‑Fi on its long‑haul fleet, starting with Boeing 787 Dreamliner SP‑LSA. Two additional Dreamliners will be equipped by the end of April, offering paid chat ($7) and streaming ($29) bundles while...
Elon Musk announced on X that Starlink weapon systems are shut down when identified, and the next day SpaceX limited the maximum in‑motion speed for its Roam and Priority plans to 100 mph. The company simultaneously launched higher‑priced Aviation 300 and Aviation 450...
The Commercial Space Federation (CSF) announced that LeoLabs, the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research (ASGSR), and SurgeStreams have joined as new members. Their inclusion expands CSF’s reach into orbital intelligence, gravitational biology research, and commercial‑space digital infrastructure. Each...
Jazeera Airways has restarted Umrah charter flights to Saudi Arabia, routing them directly from Jeddah and Madinah to Russia after Kuwait’s airspace closed on Feb. 28 due to the Iran‑related war. The carrier is using three A320‑family aircraft that were...
DARPA has launched the Carbon Crunch program to speed up manufacturing of carbon‑carbon aeroshell heat shields for hypersonic weapons. The initiative targets the slow, costly, and hard‑to‑scale production process of existing C‑C composites, not new materials. By encouraging radical process...
Embraer announced it will boost aircraft deliveries this year after posting record fiscal‑2025 revenue and seeing its order backlog swell by 20%. The Brazilian manufacturer expects higher output from both its commercial jet and executive‑aircraft divisions, leveraging strong demand for...
The McNAIR Center at the University of South Carolina has installed a Roctool induction‑heated platen press, integrating a 400‑ton hydraulic press with 150‑kW induction platens. The system can heat to 427 °C, enabling rapid cure of thermoset and thermoplastic composites and...
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope observed asteroid 2024 YR4 in February 2026, confirming it will miss the Moon by about 13,200 miles on Dec. 22, 2032. Earlier analyses in 2025 gave the rock a 4.3% chance of lunar impact, but the new data...
.jpg.medium.800x800.jpg)
The FAA ordered airlines to trim scheduled flights at Chicago O’Hare this summer, capping daily operations at roughly 2,800 to avoid a repeat of Newark‑style gridlock. The move reflects a broader capacity squeeze in the National Airspace System, where runway,...
The UAS4STEM competition is recruiting global judges to evaluate student‑built drones, with training due by March 15. Amazon Prime Air will launch its quieter, rain‑capable MK30 drones in Baton Rouge, offering sub‑5‑lb deliveries within an hour across a 7.5‑mile radius. The U.S. Department...
Carolyn Porco, born March 6, 1953, rose from a doctoral candidate in earth and space sciences to become a leading planetary imaging scientist. She joined the Voyager team in the early 1980s and co‑planned the iconic 1990 “Pale Blue Dot” photograph with...
The article warns that power availability will become the decisive bottleneck in the emerging orbital economy of megaconstellations and space‑based data centers. SpaceX has already mitigated this by deploying massive solar arrays, achieving 28 kW peak power and demonstrating the advantage...
Brazilian carrier GOL Linhas Aéreas announced it will acquire up to five Airbus A330‑900neo aircraft, slated for delivery in 2026‑27, to launch its first long‑haul international services. The wide‑body jets, seating nearly 300 passengers and capable of 15‑hour flights, will...
Specialist regional aircraft lessor TrueNoord has delivered three brand‑new Airbus A220‑300 jets to Breeze Airways under a long‑term sale‑and‑leaseback agreement, marking TrueNoord’s first Airbus transaction and its largest aircraft type to date. The deliveries, completed in February 2026, support Breeze’s...
Emirates is already at ~60% capacity and expects full 140-destination network “within days”. 106 daily return flights to 83 cities, 30,000 passengers out Thursday alone, heavy boost on UK (11 daily/5 airports), India (22 daily/9 gateways), US (7 destinations). From shutdown...
Researchers at the University of Melbourne, in partnership with GE Aerospace, leveraged the Frontier exascale supercomputer to run unprecedented 10‑20 billion‑cell simulations of high‑pressure turbine blades with microscale surface roughness. The study showed that traditional roughness models, based on simple geometries,...
Dominican carrier Arajet received its 14th Boeing 737 MAX 8, christened “Salto de Jimenoa,” continuing a rapid fleet expansion. Each aircraft is named after a protected natural site to promote the Dominican Republic’s biodiversity and sustainable tourism. CEO Víctor Pacheco...
TAP Air Portugal has named Aeroprime Group as its exclusive cargo General Sales & Service Agent for the entire Indian market, effective March 2026. The deal gives Aeroprime responsibility for sales, marketing, customer engagement and operational coordination across India. TAP’s...
An RAF Eurofighter Typhoon was photographed at BAE Systems Warton carrying two seven‑round LAU‑131 rocket pods, marking the first visual confirmation of the aircraft equipped with APKWS‑II guided rockets. The Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II, originally a laser‑guided upgrade...
Rocket Lab launched an Electron rocket from New Zealand on March 5, delivering a single satellite for an undisclosed customer, most likely BlackSky’s Gen‑3 Earth‑observation spacecraft. The mission, announced only five hours before liftoff, placed the payload into a 470‑km mid‑inclination orbit....
U.S. defense officials warn that the nation’s interceptor missile stockpile, estimated at roughly 1,200 units, is finite and could be depleted if Operation Epic Fury’s timeline expands. Production lines are unable to scale quickly enough to replace losses incurred in a high‑intensity...
A penetration tester uncovered more than 20 critical vulnerabilities in International Data Casting Corporation's SFX2100 satellite receiver, a device deployed by the U.S. Department of Defense, the European Space Agency and other critical infrastructure operators. The flaws include hard‑coded credentials,...
The European Space Agency announced on 6 March that it has lost contact with the Coronagraph spacecraft of its PROBA‑3 formation‑flying mission. An anomaly on 14‑15 February caused a loss of attitude, forcing the satellite into survival mode as its solar arrays...
Advent Capital disclosed that its $1.52 billion offer for Senior, a UK aerospace components supplier, was turned down by the target's board. The rejection comes amid a competitive auction that includes Arcline Investment Management. Senior’s decision highlights valuation gaps between private‑equity...
Swan Aviation announced it has taken delivery of the first Gulfstream G700 to operate in Turkey. The G700 is Gulfstream’s flagship ultra‑long‑range business jet, capable of flying up to 7,500 nautical miles with up to 19 passengers. The acquisition marks...
India’s security agencies have moved to partner with deep‑tech spacetech startups to create “bodyguard” satellites that can shield high‑value space assets. Bloomberg reports that Galaxeye, Agnikul and Dhruva Space are in advanced talks, with a test flight slated for June...
RVmagnetics and Airbus are co‑developing an ultra‑thin sensing mat that replaces conventional thermocouples in out‑of‑autoclave (OOA) composite aircraft repairs. The mat uses RVmagnetics’ patented MicroWire technology, delivering real‑time, multi‑point temperature data up to 200 °C with a single connection. Tested through...
Schiphol Airport will commence a major renewal of taxiways A and B from March to June 2026. The project replaces roughly 65,000 m² of asphalt, upgrades drainage, installs new lighting, signage and 32 km of electrical cabling, and is split into two...
The Contractor Flying Approved Organisations Scheme (Basic Uncrewed Air Systems) (CFAOS (BU)) establishes a formal mechanism for approving defence‑contractor organisations that operate UK military‑registered uncrewed air systems in the Open Category and Specific S1 sub‑category. Approval follows Regulatory Article 1031 and requires organisations...
Air Charter Scotland has boosted capacity on the Wick‑Aberdeen Public Service Obligation route by introducing an 18‑seat Jetstream J32, adding ten seats per day from Monday to Friday and Sunday. The turboprop, wet‑leased from Dutch carrier AIS Airlines, replaces the...
Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), BlackRock’s infrastructure arm, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire TCR, the world’s largest independent lessor of airport ground support equipment, from 3i Infrastructure. The deal includes a co‑investment by TCR’s management team, underscoring confidence in...
We just launched GPUs into orbit. Not satellites. GPUs. For the first time, NVIDIA H100 chips are being sent into space to train AI models under constant sunlight. Not as an experiment. As infrastructure. On Earth, AI is already pushing against hard physical limits: →...
‚Ukraine is in talks with the US and several Gulf states about replicating Kyiv’s acoustic detection network to counter Iranian attack drones, according to people familiar with the matter.‘ https://t.co/ddTJ6sojt5
.@MDA_space: Factory for software-defined sats is now open; 1st @Telesat Lightspeed sats expected by year-end; @EchoStar liability for termination of D2D constellation has been paid in full; pursuiing multiple commercial/government constellations.https://t.co/GlbOBv9RT1 https://t.co/kfSe5lSe1k
With AI and a full blown crisis in 'combat mass' and munitions stocks - are we at the point of horse versus tank or wooden ship versus metal battleship in air warfare? #drones #AI #avgeek https://t.co/6BD5jEJqW4 https://t.co/4o9i2XD90j
I joined @BloombergTV to talk about two key issues that will shape the next phase of the war: the depth of Iran’s missile and drone inventory, and whether the US can establish more than localized air superiority over Iran. https://t.co/F6HeeJ3FM8
Without a requirement to dock in Gateway’s orbit things get more interesting for lunar landers. Say goodbye to NRHO and hello to EPO/CoLA? https://t.co/C8SSQ6A8bA
In this week's Rocket Report: • Artemis shakeup • SpaceX price hike • Russia repairs Soyuz launch pad • Japan's Space One now 0-for-3 • PLD raises $209 million https://t.co/WKoo20b4gS
Terrible case of mis-ID, but given Qatari AF had splashed a couple of Su-24s- wonder if the uppermost threat was Iranian Fencers, Fulcrums or even Tomcats rather than drones, in pilots' mind?
With #Ukraine and #Iran burning through stocks of missiles and drones at a staggering pace - can low-cost autonomous munitions bring back 'combat mass'? #avgeek https://t.co/6BD5jEJqW4 https://t.co/TCHXSbGlBW
Strange that the US did not consult Ukraine, whose army knows how to counter attacks from thousands of cheap drones, before starting a war in the Middle East From @shustry and Nancy Youssef https://t.co/coBQlEyvzU
