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.
China’s Smart Dragon 3 solid‑propellant carrier rocket lifted off from a sea‑based launch ship off Guangdong, delivering seven satellites—including a Pakistani remote‑sensing platform—into sun‑synchronous orbit. The 31‑metre vehicle, capable of carrying up to 1.5 tonnes per flight, completed its ninth mission, marking the ninth consecutive sea launch for the variant. This launch represents China’s 12th space mission of 2026 and underscores its expanding maritime launch infrastructure. The successful deployment highlights the rocket’s rapid turnaround and multi‑payload flexibility.
@emirates has announced a series of aircraft deployments and cabin upgrades across its network as it expands the rollout of Premium Economy and enhances product consistency for customers. Under its ongoing retrofit programme, the airline is set to complete the upgrade...
Air Astana will resume direct services from Almaty to Baku from 15 March 2026, while increasing overall frequencies to the capital of Azerbaijan. The Almaty–Baku–Almaty route will initially operate twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays. Frequency will rise to three weekly...
China’s Mohe Satellite Data Receiving Station, the nation’s highest‑latitude ground facility, began operations on Dec 12, 2025. Leveraging its polar location, the station expands China’s remote‑sensing footprint by roughly 4 million km² and supports 25 land‑observation satellites. It processes over 24 satellite tracks...
@emirates February 2026 booking data shows Lunar New Year is no longer just about balik kampung. It is increasingly a launchpad for long-haul holidays. According to booking data released by Emirates for February 2026, travel to and from Malaysia during the...
Jonathan's Space Report No. 853 published at https://t.co/6gKV8Gl53V I have temporarily lost the capability to send this out as an email newsletter, so for the time being you'll have to access this on the website.
In early 2026 a handful of carriers stand out for offering the most spacious economy cabins, measured by seat pitch and width. ANA and Japan Airlines lead with up to 34 inches of pitch, while Emirates standardises 32 inches across its A350...
The @USArmy started a nuclear aviation program in 1946 and in the 1950s test flights were conducted with active nuclear reactors on board. https://t.co/Sxm4F60zEL
The Chinese spaceplane maneuvered from a 349 x 592 km orbit to a circular 588 x 597 km orbit at about 0050 UTC Feb 12. (Shown: perigee, average, apogee heights) https://t.co/X9FhHPTxwJ
Lufthansa Group celebrates 65 years of Hong Kong‑Frankfurt service, reaffirming its commitment to Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (GBA). The carrier currently runs two daily Lufthansa flights to Frankfurt and a Swiss International Air Lines service to Zurich,...
Exoplanet atmospheric characterization has been dominated by the James Webb Space Telescope, but its high demand limits observation time. Researchers have introduced EXCITE, a balloon‑borne infrared telescope designed specifically for exoplanet climate studies. By flying on a high‑altitude gondola, EXCITE...
Chinese researchers demonstrated that observing Earth from the lunar surface yields a unified measurement of the planet’s radiation budget, overcoming the spatial‑temporal trade‑offs of low‑Earth‑orbit and geostationary satellites. Their analysis showed that more than 90% of Earth’s outgoing radiation pattern...
Eurowings and SunExpress have expanded their codeshare agreement from five to fourteen routes, adding thirteen new connections and dropping four under‑performing services. The new routes focus on linking German cities with Western European leisure destinations, shifting away from the original...
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced he intends to attend the upcoming Soyuz MS‑29 crewed launch from Baikonur this summer, marking the first time a NASA chief will be present at a Russian launch since 2018. He also plans to meet with...
British Airways’ Avios award bookings often carry fuel surcharges that can top $1,000 per way, eroding the appeal of “free” tickets. The airline’s own flights remain expensive, but many partners—Aer Lingus, Iberia, American, Alaska, Qantas, and JAL—offer the same Avios currency...
Great weekend at @MunSecConf. The world is in transition, and it’s clear Space is incredibly relevant. I met with leaders incl @NATO_SACT and @DavidMcGuinty, and was inspired by remarks from @ZelenskyyUa, @vonderleyen, @Keir_Starmer and others on the critical need for...
SAS pilots diverted a Stockholm‑Malaga Airbus A320 after passengers spotted a mouse aboard, turning the aircraft back after roughly two hours in flight. This marks the second rodent‑related diversion on a SAS Malaga route within eighteen months, following a similar incident...
Dutch Defence Secretary Gijs Tuinman told Dutch radio that the F‑35’s software could potentially be “jailbroken,” hinting at a future where the Netherlands might operate the jet without U.S. approval. He stopped short of confirming any concrete plan, noting the...
Researchers from the University of Oxford and deflection startup OuSoCo used the HiRadMat particle accelerator to expose a Campo del Cielo iron meteorite sample to intense radiation, mimicking a nuclear blast. The sample first softened, then flexed and ultimately restrengthened,...
A new pre‑print from the Ariel‑JWST Synergy Working Group details how the James Webb Space Telescope and ESA’s upcoming Ariel mission can coordinate to study exoplanet atmospheres. The paper proposes joint target selection, simultaneous infrared spectroscopy, and shared data‑fusion pipelines...
The episode examines Frontier Airlines’ turnaround under new CEO Jimmy Dempsey, focusing on his four‑point strategy: rightsizing the fleet, tightening cost discipline, cutting cancellations and boosting on‑time performance, and deepening customer loyalty. Analysts debate the merits of increasing frequency on...
The article presents a Roscosmos‑focused trivia quiz that highlights the agency’s Soviet heritage and its contemporary role in spaceflight. It notes that the modern Russian space agency was established in 1992 and that the Vostochny Cosmodrome was built to lessen...
Britain’s new net‑zero roadmap, championed by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, proposes orbiting solar power stations to supply the UK with continuous, large‑scale electricity. The government‑commissioned study outlines ultra‑light satellites that convert sunlight to microwave beams, received by ground rectennas. Early...
The World Economic Forum and the Center for Space Futures released a report warning that orbital congestion has surged as commercial launches multiply, raising collision risk to 29% in certain altitude bands by 2032. The study, produced with the Saudi...
President Trump’s push to expand U.S. presence in Greenland highlights the island’s emerging role as a strategic gateway for space operations. High‑latitude launch sites in Greenland enable efficient polar and sun‑synchronous orbits, making the territory attractive to private launch firms...
The International Space Station will retire by 2030, prompting a surge of private firms racing to build replacement outposts in low‑Earth orbit. Vast Space plans to launch its single‑module Haven‑1 in early 2027, while Axiom Space is incrementally adding modules...
Moon dust, the fine fraction of lunar regolith, is uniquely sharp, abrasive, chemically reactive, and electrostatically charged, making it a multi‑domain hazard for human health and hardware. Apollo missions documented irritation to eyes, lungs, and skin, as well as accelerated...
The article surveys the most popular nonfiction titles that focus on space stations, highlighting memoirs, human‑factors science, and technical “how‑it‑works” books. It explains how these works prioritize lived experience, routine operations, and system explanations over pure engineering detail. The piece...
The U.S. Air Force is scrutinizing the T‑7A Red Hawk trainer program’s cost structure as it nears the Milestone C decision that will trigger full‑rate production. The $9.2 billion fixed‑price contract has generated over $2 billion in Boeing‑reported losses due to engineering and...
KLM cancelled more than 150 flights on February 15, 2026 after heavy snowfall reduced landing capacity at Amsterdam Schiphol, with short‑haul services bearing the brunt while most long‑haul flights remained on schedule but with fewer passengers. The airline announced rebooking...
NASA launched two sub‑orbital sounding rockets from Alaska’s Poker Flat Research Range to investigate the electrical dynamics of auroras. The BADASS mission reached 224 miles altitude to study rare black auroras, while the GNEISS mission deployed twin rockets to 198...
The episode explores SpaceX’s ambitious filing to launch up to one million satellites as an orbital data center, positioning the company toward a Kardashev Type II vision and highlighting regulatory waivers and the link to Elon Musk’s AI venture. It then...
China’s Zhejiang Lab has deployed a 12‑satellite AI‑driven constellation, the first phase of its Three‑Body Computing Constellation. The satellites host two 8‑billion‑parameter AI models for remote sensing and astronomical analysis, and have demonstrated inter‑satellite networking and on‑orbit data processing. In...
The United States has entered another government shutdown, directly affecting the Transportation Security Administration and parts of the Federal Aviation Administration. Thousands of TSA officers are working without pay, creating staffing shortages and longer security lines at major hubs such...
The U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of Energy airlifted Valar Atomics' compact WardZero nuclear reactor to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, for testing. The effort fulfills Executive Order 14301, which mandates domestic nuclear innovation and sets a July 4 2026 deadline...
TANTK Beriev, Russia’s premier airborne early‑warning aircraft manufacturer, posted a 2025 net loss of roughly $65 million after revenue collapsed to $49 million, a 3.8‑fold year‑over‑year decline. Production costs fell more slowly, squeezing gross profit to just $3 million. The firm’s debt rose to...
Ukraine’s domestically‑developed FP‑5 Flamingo cruise missile production line was hit by a Russian missile strike, temporarily halting output. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the damaged facility has been relocated and production has already resumed. The Flamingo, touted for a 3,000‑kilometre range, has...
Richard “Butch” Sheffield, a B‑58 Hustler navigator, recounts a night Mach‑2 training run over Dallas that ended in a nose‑high stall when the altitude‑hold was left on. The stall caused a loss of power, autopilot lock‑out, and a rapid descent,...
SpaceX is evaluating a modified Dragon capsule, dubbed “Dragon Block R,” as a dedicated lifeboat for NASA’s Artemis program. The concept adds a propulsive “Super Trunk” service module, a fifth crew seat, and an Umbilical Interface Adapter kit to accommodate Orion...
The $1.5 billion NASA‑ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite, launched in July 2025, now delivers 100 m resolution soil‑moisture products across India on a 12‑day repeat cycle. Using dual‑frequency S‑ and L‑band radar, the mission provides near‑real‑time moisture maps for irrigated, rain‑fed...
Space adaptation syndrome (SAS) afflicts roughly 60‑70 % of astronauts during the first days of a low‑Earth‑orbit mission. The condition stems from a sensory conflict between visual cues and a vestibular system that no longer senses gravity, producing nausea, disorientation and...
Thought about this for more than a day now and still don’t know if it’s a good plan. What does each transfer stage cost? It seems like this is a plan to be “first”, but not much more. Will it be feasible...
This Is A Nuclear Reactor Packed Into A C-17 Globemaster III Micro nuclear reactors are being seen as a way to get critical bases off the grid, but they could also have a major impact on civilian energy production. Story: https://t.co/KrommLR43d
NASA is confronting a recurring hydrogen fuel leak on the Space Launch System ahead of Artemis II’s second countdown rehearsal. Technicians replaced seals on the Tail Service Mast Umbilicals, but a confidence test revealed reduced flow, prompting a filter swap before...
Roskosmos resumes processing of the Progress MS-33 cargo ship in Baikonur in anticipation of the return to flight from the restored Site 31 after the service platform collapse last year: https://t.co/mN4Hi2mIUG https://t.co/dpnK9COwOB
NASA Admin Isaacman replying to Eric Berger @SciGuySpace about the "confidence test" they did on SLS on Thursday (Feb 12) and why NASA didn't share info until last night (Friday, at 7:51 pm ET) about it or the problem they...
It turns out NASA used the three-year interim between Artemis I and Artemis II to get comfortable with a more significant hydrogen leak, instead of fixing the leaks themselves. https://t.co/XX1eeIJnR0
This is pretty remarkable. Eutelsat is one of the big three legacy GEO operators, now pivoting to LEO.
As reported by Bill Harwood (@cbs_spacenews) and others, on Thurs NASA flowed LH2 thru the new seals on SLS. Now there's a blog post explaining that ground support equipment problem reduced the flow. Working on it this weekend. https://t.co/PbuyJHZMNV
The NASA SLS costs 23X the entire XB-1 program. Every time it launches. What could private innovators create had this capital not been confiscated by gov’t and pissed away? Each time SLS launches 23 XB-1s go up in smoke. We don’t...
