Know What's Happening in Aerospace
Know What's Happening in Aerospace
China tests 7.5‑tonne hydrogen‑turboprop cargo plane
China’s Aero Engine Corporation flew a 7.5‑tonne unmanned cargo aircraft powered by a 1‑megawatt hydrogen turboprop for 16 minutes, covering 36 km at 220 km/h and 300 m altitude. The test demonstrates the engine’s reliability and the country’s claim of a fully domestic hydrogen‑engine supply chain.
Galaxy 1 Communications has teamed with Viasat to extend the Velaris satellite service for uncrewed aerial vehicles and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) platforms. The partnership leverages Galaxy 1’s Distribution Partner‑as‑a‑Service (DPaaS) model, providing a managed layer that simplifies provisioning, billing, compliance and API integration. This enables rapid, scalable BVLOS connectivity and smooth transition from pilot projects to regulated commercial operations. The joint offering also adds real‑time monitoring, cybersecurity and lifecycle management through Galaxy 1’s IBIS and Remote Terminal Manager platforms.
South Korean launch provider INNOSPACE has signed a Letter of Intent with Maritime Launch Services to explore hosting its HANBIT hybrid‑rocket system at Spaceport Nova Scotia. The partnership aims to bypass Naro Space Center’s slot scarcity and trajectory restrictions, giving...
The United Kingdom has dispatched the Type‑45 destroyer HMS Dragon and two Wildcat helicopters armed with Martlet missiles to the Eastern Mediterranean. The warship’s Sea Viper system can launch eight missiles in under ten seconds and guide sixteen simultaneously, bolstering air‑defence...
Overhead‑bin space has become the newest status symbol in air travel, turning boarding into a high‑stakes competition. A recent JetBlue incident at Fort Lauderdale escalated when a passenger claimed a bomb in his bag after being denied bin space, prompting...
Stockholm Arlanda has become Europe’s first airport to deploy the Established on RNP (EoR) arrival concept, a GPS‑based procedure that enables curved approach paths. Developed by Swedavia with air navigation provider LFV, EoR allows tighter aircraft separation and higher runway...
These 5 spaceships should land on the Moon this year; several near the South Pole, with rovers/hoppers to explore that little-known, always sunny, water-rich region. In order: @blueorigin's MK1 @intuitivemachines' IM-3 astrobotictechnology's Griffin-1 China's Chang'e 7 @fireflyaerospace's Blue Ghost Laying the groundwork for surveying, tech...
.@thalesgroup: @Thales_Alenia_S rev rose 7.6% in 2025, on pace for 7%+ EBIT margin in 2027; merger w/ @AirbusSpace & @LDO_Space on track; @industriAll_EU unions pose conditions for accepting the deal. @esa @defis_eu.https://t.co/GarzC7tTBf https://t.co/8oHhgoms52
Australia’s University of Melbourne‑led SpIRIT nanosatellite has concluded its on‑orbit phase after more than 25 months, traveling roughly 690 million kilometres – the distance to Jupiter – and completing about 16,000 Earth orbits. The 11.5‑kg spacecraft outperformed its two‑year design life,...
KC-135 model in the Oval. So there's a VC-25B, B-2, F-35, F-22 and KC-135? https://t.co/rMEE6kvj9A
It looks like four years of disuse have taken its toll on the Soyuz launch pad in French Guiana. Now, it has new tenant.
Japan’s space agency JAXA is set to conduct two vertical take‑off and landing (VTVL) test flights of its 24‑foot RV‑X demonstrator later this month. The first hop, scheduled for March 6, will take place at the Noshiro Rocket Testing Center on...
Private equity is pouring capital into space and defense, reviving investor enthusiasm, but firms still depend on steady government funding to realize long‑term value. AE Industrial Partners, which backs Redwire, Firefly Aerospace and York Space Systems, highlighted that government contracts...
Hermeus successfully completed the first flight of its Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 supersonic demonstrator on March 2 at Spaceport America, New Mexico. The remotely piloted aircraft is powered by a Pratt & Whitney F100‑229 engine, marking a step up from the earlier Mk 1 flight at...
Silicon Sensing and Kongsberg Discovery have unveiled a tactical‑grade north‑seeking MEMS gyroscope, the SGH03, delivering navigation‑grade performance in a compact, solid‑state package. The device operates without GNSS or magnetometer assistance, making it resilient in GPS‑denied or magnetically hostile environments. Developed...
Roscosmos announced that repairs to the Soyuz‑2 launchpad at Baikonur’s Site 31 are complete, enabling a Progress MS‑33 cargo flight to the International Space Station on March 22, 2026. The refurbishment involved 150 workers from four contractors, who painted 2,350 m², replaced attachment devices, overhauled...
ICEYE launched a dedicated deforestation monitoring solution on March 3, 2026, using its synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation. The SAR‑based service delivers near‑real‑time, cloud‑penetrating imagery for the Amazon, Congo and other tropical basins, filling the gap left by optical satellites....
Jackson County Airport‑Reynolds Field in southern Michigan is establishing a tuition‑free Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) training school for high‑school students, targeting an initial cohort of 30 juniors and seniors. The program, slated to begin in September 2027, is funded by...
Worth remembering in all this debate about interceptor missiles vs drones/cruise missiles and stocks/reserves running out, that doctrinally the standard engagement RoE is always fire TWO missiles at every target. Then watch and fire 2 more to ensure a kill...
As of August 2025, the US Army's PEO Missiles and Space had 202 FMS cases in the Middle East, totaling about $43.7b. Slide from SMD Symposium: (no, I have no idea why the former flag of Afghanistan is on there)...
The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully completed three successive flight trials of its Very Short‑Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) from Chandipur’s Integrated Test Range on 27 February. The missiles intercepted high‑speed aerial targets across varied speeds, ranges and...
Navantia UK announced it will recruit 35 apprentices for its Scottish yards in Methil and Arnish, covering Level 2 and Level 3 programmes in electrical engineering, fabrication, welding and CAD design. The hiring supports the company's broader pledge to train 500 apprentices...
London‑based Blue Skies Space launched Mauve, the world’s first privately funded space telescope, on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in November. On Feb 9 the satellite recorded its inaugural five‑second observation of the bright UV‑rich star η Ursa Majoris, demonstrating its capability to capture visible...
PwC’s latest Lunar Market Assessment projects the Moon’s annual revenue will reach $127.3 billion by 2050, roughly the size of Poland’s GDP. The report highlights that energy infrastructure, not transportation, is the chief obstacle to scaling surface operations. NASA’s Artemis program...
Apropos of nothing, Facebook reminds me two years ago today I flew backseat in an F-15E. Didn't think the ejection training would have relevance to current events two years later. https://t.co/kVxJj2kS3j
Rolls‑Royce and Pratt & Whitney dominate different segments of the commercial jet‑engine market. Rolls‑Royce’s Trent family relies on a three‑spool design optimized for long‑haul efficiency, while Pratt & Whitney’s geared turbofan uses a two‑spool architecture with a reduction gearbox to...
U.S. Central Command confirmed that its forces struck Iran’s domestically built drone carrier Shahid Bagheri during the initial phase of Operation Epic Fury, while dismissing the Revolutionary Guard Corps’ claim that a U.S. aircraft carrier was hit. The IRGC alleged four...
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members have asked Italy for SAMP/T air‑defence batteries as regional tensions flare following Iranian‑linked missile and drone attacks. The French‑Italian system, equipped with Aster‑30 missiles and the Arabel radar, is the only European platform capable of...
At a Feb. 20 briefing, NASA officials promised to release images of the seals that had caused problems in the first Artemis 2 WDR. A week and a half later... 🤷♂️
A 48‑year‑old Cessna 172 ditched in the Hudson River near Newburgh after an in‑flight loss of power, forcing an emergency water landing on icy water. The aircraft, departing Islip at 6:55 p.m. for Stewart Airport, came down at 7:55 p.m.; both the...
On March 3 1959 the United States launched Pioneer 4, the first American spacecraft to escape Earth’s gravity and enter heliocentric orbit. Intended to fly by the Moon and capture images, a prolonged second‑stage burn diverted it 60,000 km beyond the lunar surface, preventing...
Passenger Terminal Expo Asia (PTE Asia) will debut on 23–24 September 2026 at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, backed by a Host Airport partnership with Changi Airport Group. The event introduces a high‑profile Advisory Board featuring CEOs and senior leaders from...
JetBlue Airways will launch daily seasonal flights between Boston Logan and Milan Malpensa on May 11, 2026, using Airbus A321neo aircraft and offering roughly 2,000 two‑way seats each week. The route makes JetBlue the second carrier serving Boston‑Milan, joining Delta,...
How much might SAF add to airline passenger ticket flights? We crunch the numbers #avgeek #RAeSCommercialAviationSummit #RAeSCivilAviationWeek https://t.co/xzQcwe0vS3 https://t.co/855NGDNbgM
London City Airport has opened a public consultation on its Airspace Change Proposal, seeking comments on a new 4.49‑degree landing approach for select new‑generation aircraft such as the Airbus A320neo. The consultation runs from 2 March to 17 May 2026 and does not...
Malaysia’s cabinet has officially cancelled its plan to buy used F/A‑18 Hornets from Kuwait, citing uncertain delivery dates and unresolved long‑term logistical support. Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari said a technical assessment by a Royal Malaysian Air Force delegation in...
Saudia announced ten new nonstop ultra‑long‑haul routes for 2026, some stretching up to 17 hours, using the fuel‑efficient Airbus A321XLR. The carrier, the Middle East’s largest operator by flight count, will add services like Jeddah‑Los Angeles, Riyadh‑Santiago and Dubai‑Johannesburg, expanding beyond...
Obvious Q - no spare Sky Sabre batteries that could be deployed to defend RAF Akrotiri? #Cyprus #IranIsraelWar
Infinite Orbits announced back‑to‑back acquisitions of LMO’s Luxembourg operations and UK‑based Lúnasa Space within a week, leveraging the €40 million financing it raised in November 2025. The deals add advanced space‑situational‑awareness software and autonomous rendezvous capabilities to its Endurance and Orbit...
Plot twist. Herc gone tech and too windy to check it without dragging it back into a hangar.... plan B? https://t.co/kyNjejlmpc
France has dispatched Rafale fighter jets to patrol the airspace over its bases in the United Arab Emirates after a drone struck a French hangar. Foreign Minister Jean‑Noël Barrot said the jets are operating from Al‑Dhafra to secure French naval...
Defeating 1 or 2 drones isn't hard for skilled air defenders. The US military is the best in the world at it. @molkathcam & I examined past operations in the Red Sea and Iraq/Syria operations for our @CNASdc...
The New Zealand Defence Force has signed a contract with Syos Aerospace to acquire a tri‑service uncrewed kit, covering ground, surface and aerial platforms. The package includes SG400 uncrewed ground vehicles, SM300 uncrewed surface vessels, SA2 reconnaissance UAVs and SA7 UAVs...
The GSMA released a position paper urging governments to modernise regulatory frameworks for direct‑to‑user Low‑Earth‑Orbit (LEO) satellite services. It highlights that existing rules are fragmented and often unsuitable for new satellite‑only offerings, creating uncertainty for operators and investors. The paper...
Satellite communications constellations are crowding the microwave bands used for weather monitoring, raising concerns about radio‑frequency interference (RFI). NOAA scientists warn that emissions from broadband satellites could corrupt data from instruments like the Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder (ATMS) on JPSS...
The U.S. Army issued a sources‑sought notice for follow‑on Technical Assistance and Field Service Representative (FSR) support for the PAC‑3 missile‑defense system covering fiscal years 2027‑2029. The effort will provide integration, maintenance, and on‑call technical support for both PAC‑3 Cost...
The Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency launched the NOBLE (Nimble Options for Buying Layered Effects) acquisition framework, a five‑year vehicle running through March 27 2030. By consolidating multiple contracting authorities, NOBLE streamlines research, prototyping, and rapid fielding of missile‑defense technologies. The program targets...
American Airlines’ AAdvantage program is offering a limited‑time promotion that awards 500 bonus Loyalty Points per flown segment, up to a maximum of 5,000 points, for travel booked and completed by April 30. The bonus excludes basic‑economy fares, applies only to...
Germany’s Bundeswehr will seek parliamentary approval in late 2026 for a framework contract with KNDS to acquire up to 500 MARS 3 multiple‑launch rocket systems, reserving roughly half for its own forces while offering the remainder to NATO allies. The deal...
Aurrigo International, a Coventry‑based developer of autonomy software and autonomous vehicles, has been granted a ground handling licence at East Midlands Airport (EMA). The licence, issued under the Airports (Ground Handling) Regulations 1997 and CAA compliance frameworks, allows Aurrigo to provide...
Very cool demo here of a QRA turnaround- 10-12mins to rearm a Swedish AF Gripen C on Iceland Air Policing duty. #avgeek https://t.co/QnWx6mIx0d
