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.
KLM has stopped providing a timeline for fully restoring its Dubai and Tel Aviv services, continuing to operate only a reduced schedule that favors morning flights while cancelling most afternoon and evening rotations. The airline resumed full operations to Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh and Dammam and has been issuing daily updates since late January. KLM’s approach contrasts with rivals such as Air France, which have maintained regular service to the same destinations. The carrier also faces EU EC 261 obligations to rebook or refund affected passengers.
University of Manchester researchers have unveiled a modeling framework that integrates collision risk directly into Earth‑observation satellite mission design. The tool links image‑resolution requirements, satellite size and constellation density with debris probability, revealing that 0.5 m resolution satellites face the highest...
Global GSA Group has become Alaska Airlines' General Sales & Service Agent for cargo on a new Rome‑Seattle route launching in late April. Daily Boeing 787‑9 flights will connect Italy to Alaska's Seattle hub, opening access to over 100 U.S.,...
Network Airline Management (NAM) executed its largest Valentine’s peak, moving 3,100 tonnes of fresh cut flowers from Nairobi to Liège over two weeks. The carrier operated 31 dedicated Boeing 747F flights, including 16 scheduled services and a record 15 extra...
Saxon Air has grown its UK helicopter fleet to twelve aircraft, adding three more by April 2026. The expansion includes models such as the Leonardo AW109S, AW109 Trekker, AW109SP, AW119Kx and Airbus H125, with the latest being an AW109SP. Head...
LMT Group and Sateliot have launched a 12‑month partnership with ESA to create a universal dual‑mode 5G IoT module that can switch between terrestrial cellular networks and Sateliot’s LEO satellite constellation. The module follows 3GPP Release 17 NB‑IoT NTN standards and...
Thanks Dr. Stephanie Hare and @BBCNews for having me on the show. While data centres in space are experimental at this stage, there’s big payoffs if it works: faster, cheaper, and more sustainable compute than terrestrial alternatives. It sounds sci-fi, but...
Swedish defense giant Saab and Ukraine’s Joint Stock Company Ukrainian Defense Industry (JSC UDI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Munich Security Conference 2026 to cooperate on aviation and airborne surveillance. The agreement, while not detailing specific projects, is positioned...
A fisherman off a remote Maldivian island recovered fragments that appear to be the fairing from India’s LVM3 (Bahubali) rocket, which launched AST SpaceMobile’s sixth Bluebird satellite in December. Similar debris was reported on a Sri Lankan island in late...
The U.S. Air Force announced that its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program has incorporated an open‑architecture framework to support mission‑autonomous capabilities. The new architecture allows software modules to be added, updated, or replaced without redesigning the airframe, accelerating the deployment...
Bahrain’s Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications unveiled a National Aviation Strategy for 2026‑2027, aligning civil‑aviation development with the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030. The plan seeks to expand the kingdom’s air‑connectivity from 66 to 100 destinations by 2030 and to deepen the...
German launch provider Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) is nearing the inaugural flight of its 30‑metre RFA ONE rocket from SaxaVord Spaceport in Scotland. After an August 2024 first‑stage hot‑fire failure, the company has rebuilt the stage, upgraded the upper‑stage Helix...
Nuclear power is poised to transform U.S. deep‑space and lunar missions, with NASA targeting a nuclear propulsion test by 2028 and a surface fission reactor on the Moon by 2030. While reactor designs and fuel supplies are mature, the real...
The article outlines a new mission concept to intercept 3I/ATLAS, the third interstellar object ever recorded. It highlights the scientific payoff of a close‑up study and the steep engineering hurdles such a rendezvous entails. Central to the discussion is the...
Shield AI has been chosen to supply mission‑autonomy software for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) programme, entering the Technology Maturity and Risk Reduction (TMRR) phase after a competitive evaluation. Its Hivemind AI pilot has been integrated into...
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has voiced concern over a nine‑month suspension of dedicated freighter flights at Mumbai International Airport, slated from August 2026 to May 2027 for apron reconstruction. Mumbai handled 6.93 lakh metric tonnes of cargo between April...
Sunshine Coast Airport has inaugurated a new outbound baggage facility, a cornerstone of its AU$170 million terminal transformation. The upgrade introduces Rapiscan CT screening and higher‑efficiency processing to accommodate rising passenger numbers and tighten security compliance. Construction now moves to the...
![Operation Windlord Cargo Load [Image 6 of 7]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://d1ldvf68ux039x.cloudfront.net/thumbs/photos/2602/9523289/250w_q95.jpg)
U.S. Air Force airmen from the 452nd Logistics Readiness Squadron Aerial Port Flight loaded a next‑generation nuclear reactor onto a C‑17 Globemaster III for Operation Windlord on 15 Feb 2026. The load was coordinated with the 15th Airlift Squadron and the 62nd Airlift Wing,...
![Operation Windlord Cargo Load [Image 1 of 7]](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://d1ldvf68ux039x.cloudfront.net/thumbs/photos/2602/9523288/250w_q95.jpg)
U.S. Air Force airmen from the 452nd Logistics Readiness Squadron loaded a next‑generation nuclear reactor onto a C‑17 Globemaster III for Operation Windlord on Feb. 15, 2026. The aircraft, coordinated with the 15th Airlift Squadron and the 62nd Airlift Wing, flew the reactor from...
India’s space programme is driven less by pure technology ambition than by a deep strategic culture that prizes autonomy and global status. The country has invested heavily in dual‑use assets such as NavIC, GSAT, and indigenous launchers, culminating in the...
NASA’s SPHEREx infrared survey observed interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS in December 2025, detecting organic molecules such as methanol, cyanide and methane. The mission also recorded a pronounced increase in the comet’s brightness two months after perihelion, attributed to sublimation of carbon‑rich...
The U.S. Air Force launched the Initial Defense Satellite Communications System (IDSCS) as a low‑cost, quickly fielded alternative after the ambitious Advent program was cancelled. Program 369 employed small 45‑kg Philco satellites, initially designed for medium‑altitude orbits and later placed in...
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 demonstrated that first‑stage reuse can dramatically cut launch costs, reshaping the industry’s economics. Blue Origin has announced a hiring push for a “Reusable Upper Stage Development” manager, signaling its intent to explore second‑stage reuse. Analysts compare approaches: Rocket...
The Space Review argues that the United States should repeal the Wolf Amendment and open a cooperative space relationship with China. It contends that China’s space ambitions are driven primarily by prestige and a desire for status recognition rather than...
*Webb’s Cosmos* is a 2025 hardcover that gathers more than 300 James Webb Space Telescope images into a beautifully designed volume. Edited by Marcin Sawicki and Firefly Books, the book blends striking photography with concise, first‑person narrative about JWST’s launch, operations,...
Zenk Space performed a first‑stage static‑fire test of its Zhihang‑1 rocket on Feb. 11 from a mobile sea platform off Shandong, confirming engine ignition and thrust stability. The 50‑metre, three‑stage vehicle uses four CASC‑developed YF‑102 kerolox engines and can deliver 4,000 kg...
On Valentine’s Day, SpaceX lifted off a Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, deploying 24 Starlink broadband satellites into low‑Earth orbit. The launch marked the fourth Falcon 9 mission from the California site this month, with three additional flights slated for...
Eutelsat has renewed several capacity agreements with Egypt‑based Viewsat, extending a long‑standing partnership focused on the 7/8° West video hotspot. The deals support Egyptian broadcasters and reinforce Eutelsat’s strategy in the MENA region. The 7/8° West position reaches roughly 66 million...
Velocity FBO Network, backed by private‑equity firm Tallvine Partners, announced the acquisition of BTR Jet Center at Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport. The deal adds a well‑established South‑central FBO with Jet A and 100LL fueling, lounges, crew cars and concierge services to...
Leonardo has secured a contract to deliver four C-27J maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense, marking the first C-27J variant equipped with integrated maritime weapon systems. The order follows Saudi’s earlier acquisition of two C-27Js for...
Qatar Airways announced a 14% cut to its spring 2026 London schedule, reducing total outbound flights from 951 to 818 between April and June. Weekly departures for the week of May 1 drop to 59, with Heathrow losing 11 slots and...
Azad Engineering reported a robust quarter, expanding margins and scaling top‑tier OEM relationships in high‑precision aerospace and turbine supply chains. The company’s order book now stands at roughly ₹6,500 crore, equivalent to 14.2 times FY25 revenue, providing strong visibility through FY28. With...
Intuos, an Italian startup focused on non‑commercial aviation efficiency, closed a €720,000 investment round led by Argo, Techstars, Ventive and other investors. The funding will accelerate development of its two‑part platform that digitises flight operations and adds real‑time IoT telemetry...
Oklahoma’s Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics and West Woodward Airport completed a $12 million upgrade, adding a new terminal, corporate‑box hangar, expanded apron, taxi lane, and utility infrastructure. The project was funded through the ODAA’s five‑year Airport Construction Program and the...
The U.S. Air Force approved a $145 million contract to develop an air‑to‑air Dual‑Mode APKWS, targeting Group 3 unmanned‑aerial‑system swarms. The effort will produce 300 prototype rounds—100 for integration testing and 200 for operational evaluation—featuring a nose‑mounted LWIR seeker that can inherit...
The Scottish Greens have demanded that the Scottish Government evict US military forces from Glasgow Prestwick Airport, citing over 550 landings since April 2025 as evidence of routine use. They plan to raise the issue in a parliamentary debate, arguing...
Flight Pro International (FPI) has opened a new office inside Farnborough Airport’s terminal, marking its latest expansion in the United Kingdom. The move follows the addition of Jo Sutherden and Kelly Long to the UK team in January 2026, building...
Saudia Cargo reported moving 573,000 tonnes of freight across roughly 4,000 flights in 2025, with exports totaling 15,000 tonnes and on‑time performance above 90%. The carrier secured a lease for two Airbus A330‑300F freighters for delivery in 2026 and launched...
The UK Ministry of Defence will temporarily assign three qualified flying instructors from the Indian Air Force to RAF Valley to teach fast‑jet training on the Hawk T2 and Texan T1. The move addresses a severe shortage of UK instructors while leveraging...
flydubai will launch double daily flights to Bangkok from 15 Sept 2026, increasing its Thailand operations to 28 weekly services. The new route will operate from Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport to Don Mueang International Airport. Bangkok becomes flydubai’s second...
bbaviation7 had an exclusive interview with Nakul Gupta, Vice President Sales and General Manager for Asia Pacific at GE Aerospace, where he shares what’s driving the rapid growth of aviation across the region from his perspective. We talk about how his...
Lufthansa has begun scrapping one of its retired A380s, registration D‑AIMI, after mothballing six quad‑jets during the pandemic. The aircraft, which logged over 25,000 flight hours, was sent to Tarbes and later sold to a U.S. firm before its fuselage...
Passengers rejoice. Lufthansa has started selling all but three of the Allegris business class seats on board its new Boeing 787-9 twinjets, after clearing some key certification hurdles with the US Federal Aviation Administration. https://t.co/Taxf2bSwqN #PaxEx
Airbus announced a major A400M upgrade at the World Defense Show 2026, targeting a payload increase from 37 tonnes to 40 tonnes through software and trim‑flight‑control enhancements. The company highlighted that 137 aircraft have already been delivered to ten customers, with 41...
Nitride Global, United Semiconductors LLC, and Axiom Space have won a NASA SBIR grant to develop a physical vapor deposition reactor that can grow high‑purity aluminum nitride (AlN) crystals in micro‑gravity. The Phase I prototype achieved temperatures of 2,800‑3,200 °C while consuming...
NATS has taken over air traffic control and engineering services at Birmingham Airport under a new 10‑year contract awarded after a competitive tender. The handover follows a 12‑month readiness programme and the transfer of more than 50 controllers and engineers...
Brisbane Airport is marking the Year of the Horse with a record‑high Lunar New Year flight schedule, boosting inbound capacity to key Asian hubs by 17.4%. Major carriers are expanding seats dramatically—China Southern by 66.9%, Cathay Pacific and EVA Air...
Recent commentary reignites calls to privatize the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s air traffic control system, citing Canada’s NAV CANADA as a benchmark of efficiency and cost savings. The article argues that while Canada’s model reduced delays and operating expenses, the United...
The McDonnell Douglas MD‑11 can stay aloft for roughly 12‑13 hours with a typical payload, covering up to 6,725 nautical miles. In ferry configuration, its range extends beyond 15 hours and 8,000 nm. Operational endurance varies with payload‑fuel trade‑offs, especially on...
AALTO HAPS, an Airbus subsidiary, announced that northern Australia will host its second Zephyr launch and landing site, dubbed AALTOPORT, following the successful 67‑day stratospheric flight in 2025. The company is calling Australian payload developers to join bilateral talks at...
