Today's Aerospace Pulse
Blue Origin’s New Glenn suffers catastrophic engine failure during static fire
A BE‑4 methane/LOX engine on Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket failed four seconds after ignition, causing a catastrophic explosion that destroyed the first‑stage booster and damaged Launch Complex 36A. No personnel were injured. An FAA‑led investigation, supported by the U.S. Space Force, is under way.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Disciplined Growth Acquisition Corp raises $150M in IPO
IPhone Video Shows 'Earthset' From Space
NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman posted an iPhone video from the Artemis II mission showing Earth set behind the Moon at 8× zoom. The clip is uncut, uncropped and matches the view of the human eye, according to Wiseman. The New York Times notes it is the first recorded "Earthset" video from space. The footage underscores how consumer‑grade devices are now part of NASA’s onboard documentation toolkit.
Economics of Orbital Data Centers Report: Part 1
Payload’s new report examines the economics of placing data centers in orbit as terrestrial infrastructure strains under rising power demand and cooling costs. It highlights that global data‑center electricity consumption could reach 500 TWh by 2030, while launch prices have dropped...
Government Pours $30m Into Counter-Drone Technology in Wake of Iran War
The Australian government has allocated about $30 million AUD (≈$20 million USD) to two domestic firms—Sypaq and AIM Defence—to fast‑track counter‑drone solutions. Sypaq will develop the Corvo Strike armed drone that can hunt larger UAVs, while AIM Defence will advance the Fractl high‑power...
SpaceX Falcon 9 Almost Only Rocket for AST Space Mobile, Amazon LEO and Space Force
Blue Origin’s New Glenn and ULA’s Vulcan rockets have been grounded for up to four months after an upper‑stage failure and solid‑rocket booster issues, respectively. The shutdown forces Amazon’s LEO constellation, AST Space Mobile, and the U.S. Space Force to rely almost exclusively...
Chinese Launch Daqi-2 On Long March-4C Rocket
On April 17, 2026, China launched the Daqi-2 greenhouse‑gas detection satellite aboard a Long March-4C rocket from Jiuquan. Developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, the payload carries five advanced instruments, including lidar and hyperspectral sensors, and is the...
Hong Kong Flight Capacity Set to Rise 10% on China, South Korea Demand
Hong Kong’s airline capacity is projected to rise about 10% in Q2, led by strong demand on routes to China and South Korea. Seats on those corridors are expected to increase 17‑30% year‑on‑year, while Southeast Asian leisure markets such as...
Robinson Unveils Collaborative Autonomous R66 TURBINETRUCK Cargo Helicopter
Robinson Helicopter Company and Sikorsky have teamed to launch the R66 TURBINETRUCK, an autonomous cargo helicopter built on Robinson's R66 airframe and powered by Sikorsky's MATRIX autonomy suite. The aircraft eliminates a cockpit, offering a high‑volume fuselage with a nose‑mounted...
Inside SatEnlight's Spiral Staircase of Lasers: Interview with Startup Space Winner Matteo Vismara
In this episode, Jeffrey Hill interviews Matteo Vismara, CEO and co‑founder of Italy‑based SatNlight, the winner of the Sat Show’s 10th annual Startup Space Entrepreneur Pitch Contest. Vismara explains how his team’s optical‑communication terminal uses stacked vortex beams—visualized as a...
How Rare Earth Materials Support Military Radar Systems
Modern military radars have shifted air‑defense from visual spotting to all‑weather, long‑range detection, tracking and targeting. Their performance hinges on rare‑earth elements that power high‑energy permanent magnets, specialty optics, phosphors and heat‑resistant alloys used in motors, generators, and calibration equipment....
Qantas, Virgin Launch Domestic Ticket Deals to Fill Cash Coffers in Iran Crisis
Qantas and Virgin Australia have launched aggressive domestic fare promotions to offset soaring fuel costs tied to the Iran conflict. Qantas is offering one‑way economy tickets from $99 through March 2027, while Virgin is selling half‑a‑million NSW economy seats starting at...
China’s Drone-Laid Mines Aim to Trap US in a Taiwan War
China’s People’s Liberation Army is fielding the AJX002 extra‑large unmanned underwater vehicle, a stealthy XLUUV capable of carrying up to 20 naval mines over a 1,000‑nautical‑mile radius. The drones are designed for offensive minelaying along the First Island Chain, aiming...
Bucher Group Becomes Airbus SFE Galley and Stowage Supplier
Bucher Group has been chosen by Airbus to supply safety‑focused galley and stowage equipment for the A320 family. The Swiss firm will begin delivering its newly developed G1B galley platform later in 2026 after three years of engineering. The G1B...
Govt Has Spent $6.27 B on OCX Program
As of January, the government had spent approximately $6.27 billion on the OCX program. https://t.co/h7T9EfpB94
F-15EX vs Rafale for India: IAF’s 5th-Gen Need Meets 4th Gen Pitch as U.S Keeps F-35s “Off The Table”: OPED
During a week‑long U.S. visit in early April, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh flew a familiarisation sortie in a Boeing F‑15EX Eagle II. The trip, framed as a routine exchange, coincided with U.S. efforts to market the F‑15EX...
Indra Group USA Launches $50 Million Manufacturing Center in Kansas for Next‑Gen FAA Radar
Indra Group USA opened a $50 million, 118,000‑square‑foot Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Olathe, Kansas, adding more than 200 high‑skill jobs. The facility will fulfill a multi‑million‑dollar FAA contract to build next‑generation air‑traffic surveillance radars and other defense communications equipment.
U.S. Space Force Launches Cislunar Acquisition Task Force to Support Lunar Outpost
At the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy unveiled a new Cislunar Coordination Office within the Space Force acquisition side. Led by Jamie Stearns, the task force will map government stakeholders, forge industry partnerships and develop road‑maps...
U.S. Army Deploys Ukraine‑Tested Merops Drones to Counter Iranian Shahed Threat
The U.S. Army has started fielding the Merops low‑cost interceptor drone, first used by Ukraine, to counter Iran‑made Shahed UAVs. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said 13,000 units were bought in eight days at about $15,000 each, a price that could...
PlanetiQ Wins $15 Million U.S. Air Force Contract to Build Next‑Gen GNSS Weather Constellation
PlanetiQ was awarded a four‑year, $15 million Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) contract by the U.S. Air Force to create a next‑generation GNSS‑based weather constellation. The deal expands the company’s existing GNSS‑RO platform with polarimetric occultation and reflectometry, aiming to improve military...
SpaceX Marks 600th Rocket Landing on Falcon 9 During Starlink Launch
SpaceX achieved its 600th successful orbital-class booster landing when a Falcon 9 first stage touched down on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" during a Starlink launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The mission deployed 25 new satellites,...
NASA Awards SpaceX $176 Million Mars Rover Launch Contract Amid White House Budget Fight
NASA awarded SpaceX a $175.7 million contract on April 16, 2026 to launch the European Space Agency’s Rosalind Franklin rover to Mars on a Falcon Heavy. The deal marks SpaceX’s first deep‑space payload, but the White House’s FY2027 budget proposal omits funding for...
Progress MS-32 Undocks, Set for South Pacific Reentry
The Progress MS-32 cargo ship undocked from the aft port on Zvezda at 2208 UTC Apr 20. The deorbit burn was due to occur at 0114 UTC Apr 21 with reentry expected over the S Pacific at 0205 UTC.
April 20, 2025: Visiting Asteroid Donaldjohanson
NASA’s Lucy spacecraft performed a secondary flyby of main‑belt asteroid 52246 Donaldjohanson on 20 April 2025, capturing a continuous time‑lapse from roughly 1,600 to 1,100 km. The high‑resolution L’LORRII images revealed a peanut‑shaped contact binary about 8 km long and 3.5 km wide, larger than...
Demand Trends Under US Airline Scrutiny Amid Uncertainty in the Middle East - the Delta Perspective
Delta Air Lines disclosed its first‑quarter 2026 demand snapshot, noting that passenger volumes remain robust despite the ongoing Middle East conflict. U.S. carriers have largely avoided drastic capacity cuts, opting instead to monitor volatility while preserving growth potential. To counter...
Annual NASA Budget Cut Process Starts Up Again
Congress is reopening the annual NASA budget review as the House Science, Space and Technology Committee schedules a hearing on the FY2027 request on April 22. The hearing will feature NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and follows recent announcements that the...
Telecom News: MDA Space, OneWeb, Eutelsat, LG Innotek, Verizon
MDA Space secured a repeat Airbus contract to deliver more than 1,300 Ka‑band and Ku‑band antennas for OneWeb’s expanding low‑Earth‑orbit broadband constellation, now operated by Eutelsat. LG Innotek landed a $68 million deal to supply Wi‑Fi 7 automotive modules, promising three‑fold speed...
NASA IG Raises More Questions About Readiness for Human Lunar Landings
A NASA Office of Inspector General report warns that next‑generation spacesuits for Artemis and the International Space Station are unlikely to be flight‑ready until 2031, far past the agency’s 2028 lunar landing target. The review highlights Axiom Space as the...
Bristow Group COO to Retire, Prompting Leadership Transition in Government Services
Bristow Group Inc. announced that Alan Corbett, Chief Operating Officer for Government Services, will retire at the end of 2026. The company has launched a worldwide executive search to replace him, underscoring the importance of his role in securing long‑term...
SpaceX Launches Final GPS III Satellite for the U.S. Space Force
SpaceX successfully launched the final GPS III‑8 satellite, designated SV10 and named “Hedy Lamar,” for the U.S. Space Force on April 21, 2026. The Falcon 9 booster B1095, on its seventh flight, delivered the payload to medium‑Earth orbit and landed on the drone ship “Just...
Viasat Sets April 27 Launch for ViaSat-3 F3 Satellite, Completing Global Constellation
Viasat announced that its ViaSat-3 F3 high‑throughput communications satellite will launch on April 27, 2026, using SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy from Kennedy Space Center. The launch completes the three‑satellite ViaSat-3 constellation, extending broadband capacity across the Asia‑Pacific region and positioning Viasat...
United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
United Airlines reported Q1 2026 revenue of $15.4 billion, a 4.8% year‑over‑year increase driven by a 6.5% rise in capacity. Premium cabin revenue surged 12% while main‑cabin revenue grew only 1% despite higher seat supply. Quarterly EPS hit $3.10 and full‑year...
RTX Corp (RTX) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
RTX Corp reported a solid first‑quarter performance, delivering 8% organic sales growth to $20.3 billion and an 18% rise in segment operating profit to $2.5 billion, driven by strong commercial aftermarket and defense mix. Adjusted earnings per share climbed 10% to $1.47,...
The New Glenn 3 Anomaly in Historical Perspective
Blue Origin’s New Glenn 3 (NG‑3) mission saw its first-stage booster land successfully, marking a milestone in reusability, but the upper stage failed to deliver the payload to orbit, leaving the satellite stranded. The anomaly has sparked social‑media speculation about...
Air Service Liberalisation and Carbon Dioxide Emissions
A new CEPII working paper finds that air service agreements (ASAs) significantly increase international passenger traffic—by 12.7% between 2012 and 2019—while reshaping routes toward more direct flights. These changes cut average flight distance by 1.4% and reduce the number of...
Fewer Flights, Higher Fares This Summer
Jet fuel prices have doubled since the Iran‑Israel conflict and the seven‑week closure of the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Canadian airlines to add $18‑$44 (USD) fuel surcharges, raise the first‑bag fee to about $33 USD, and suspend several summer routes....
US Air Force Says Key Iran Warplane, the A-10 Warthog, Will Live on to 2030
The U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced that the A‑10 "Warthog" attack aircraft will remain in service until 2030, pushing back the previously slated 2026 retirement. The decision preserves a proven close‑air‑support platform that has been used against Iranian...
USSF Objective Force 2040 And USAF Satellite Purchases: What It Means For Europe
At Space Symposium 2026 the U.S. Space Force released its Objective Force 2040 roadmap, while the Air Force announced a shift to multi‑year satellite procurement contracts. The new acquisition model aims to cut costs and give manufacturers longer‑term certainty. Objective...
Iran War Highlights the Value of Unmanned Aircraft
The U.S. Air Force deployed MQ‑9 Reaper drones early in Operation Epic Fury over Iran, using their 24‑hour endurance to locate and strike mobile missile and drone launchers. Despite being vulnerable to sophisticated air defenses, several Reapers were lost, yet...
AMC Head Looks to Pair B-21 With ‘Capable, Modern Tanker’
Lt. Gen. Rebecca Sonkiss, acting head of Air Mobility Command, announced an Analysis of Alternatives study to determine the Air Force’s next‑generation aerial refueling system (NGAS) slated for fielding in the mid‑2030s. The study weighs expanding KC‑46 Pegasus purchases, adding...
RECARO and Air India Launch Economy and Premium Economy Retrofit Program on 787-8 Fleet
Air India and RECARO Aircraft Seating have begun a retrofit program for the carrier’s 26 Boeing 787‑8 jets, installing roughly 6,000 new seats. The upgrade introduces RECARO’s PL3530 model in Premium Economy and the CL3710 in Economy, both tailored to...
Meink: Space Force Programs Ready to Execute Once FY27 Budget Lands
At Space Symposium 2026, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink announced that a slate of Space Force programs, including the AMTI rapid‑development effort, are fully funded‑ready and will move forward once FY27 budget authority is received. The department is standardizing acquisition...
Gen. Stephen Whiting: First USSPACECOM Operational Staff Arrive at Redstone This Week
Gen. Stephen Whiting announced that eight intelligence analysts are beginning operational duties at Redstone Arsenal, marking the first true USSPACECOM staff presence at its future permanent home. The command aims to have 200 personnel on site by year‑end and a...
Major US Airline Says Bankruptcy Not On The Cards
JetBlue Airways told employees that bankruptcy is not under consideration, aiming to quell mounting speculation about its financial health. The carrier highlighted a $500 million aircraft‑backed financing commitment and an optional $250 million tranche, underscoring its liquidity cushion. Despite a $3 billion debt...
JetBlue CEO’s Staff Note: No Bankruptcy Now — But ‘Decks Are Stacked Against Smaller Carriers Like Us’
JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty told staff the airline is not weighing Chapter 11, despite market chatter that soaring fuel costs could force a bankruptcy filing. She said the carrier has enough liquidity and has secured new financing to weather the price...
‘Earthset’ Is Captured on Video for First Time
Astronaut Reid Wiseman captured the first video of Earth setting behind the Moon during NASA’s Artemis II mission, using an iPhone. The 53‑second clip, posted online, quickly went viral, garnering 11 million views by Monday morning. The footage offers a rare perspective...
Low‑Thrust BE‑3U May Extend
Question for those more expert on rocket engines than me: if the BE-3U fires at low thrust, does the stage try to fire longer to compensate? How plausible that it fired the normal amount and had prop left over for...
Northrop Grumman Unveils Tailless F/A-XX Naval Fighter Concept
F/A-XX Next Generation Naval Fighter Concept Video Emerges From Northrop Grumman We see a lot more of Northrop Grumman's F/A-XX tailless naval fighter concept in the new video, including some interesting features. https://t.co/sHnO9dq4xC
Air Force Scraps RTX GPS Control Network Amid Delays
Just in: Air Force cancels RTX’s ground-control network for the US’s next generation of GPS satellites after years of delays and cost overruns https://t.co/fCp7EVCZtz
Progress MS-32 Departs ISS, Begins Destructive Re‑entry
Progress MS-32 departed the ISS for a destructive plunge into the Earth's atmosphere. FULL HISTORY OF THE MISSION: https://t.co/enMBZ6EjHi
Missing Upper‑Stage Deorbit Details Highlight Risk Transparency Gap
Hmm. No mention of the upper stage deorbit. No risk assessment. I get it. It’s corporate text, because damage mitigation, but still. Would have been nice.
Reusability, Not Fuel, Drives Falcon 9 Cost Savings
The fuel for a Falcon 9 launch costs only a few hundred thousand dollars, a tiny fraction of a roughly $70 million mission. The expensive part used to be throwing away the rocket. Reusability is what changed the economics and drove...