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:
Southwest Airlines announced it will integrate SpaceX’s Starlink Ku‑band LEO satellite inflight connectivity across its Boeing 737 fleet. The first retrofitted aircraft are slated for revenue service this summer, with a target of 300 aircraft completed by the end of 2026. Southwest confirmed the move does not affect its existing Viasat Ka‑band contracts on newer jets. The decision reflects a broader industry shift toward low‑latency, high‑capacity LEO solutions for passenger Wi‑Fi.
ULA's comment on the "observation" (now "significant performance anomaly") seen on one of the Vulcan SRBs on this morning's launch: https://t.co/VePOoE0Ne4
First Ariane 64 heavy-lift rocket lifts off from Europe's Guiana Space Center with 32 Amazon Leo sats. Now wait about 1h29 mins for the start of deployment, which will take 25 minutes at 465 km. @Arianespace @Amazonleo https://t.co/NbkDvLrFjn
The 2026 Earth Observation market is rapidly shifting from costly, large satellites to high‑revisit CubeSat constellations that deliver real‑time, actionable insights. 3U and 6U nanosatellites now provide sub‑daily coverage for weather, agriculture and maritime logistics, enabled by falling launch costs...
Experts said Boom wouldn’t be able to build our own engine and we were cooked. First engine assembly starts next month. So we’ll find out pretty soon… https://t.co/HUAcBJ5BFs
The FAA’s UAS test site program now includes nine locations across the United States, two of which opened in 2026, to validate critical drone technologies such as detect‑and‑avoid, BVLOS, and UTM. Test sites serve a dual purpose: they provide manufacturers...
India purchasing 114 Rafale jets. The biggest defense deal in India's history if it full goes through.
China unveiled the Wing‑Loong X maritime combat drone at the Singapore Airshow, marking its first regional display. The UAV, designed for surveillance and strike missions, builds on the proven Wing Loong family and targets buyers unable to afford Western systems....
Southwest not bothered by antenna drag or passenger take-up numbers as per Ryanair's dismissal of Starlink? #avgeek
Lockheed Martin and Fujitsu signed a contract on Feb. 12 to supply the Power Supply Line Replaceable Unit for the SPY‑7 radar’s Subarray Suite on Japan’s Aegis System Equipped Vessels (ASEV). The PS LRU provides regulated power to the radar modules,...
The 157th Air Refueling Wing of the New Hampshire National Guard conducted a four‑day nuclear operational readiness exercise from Feb. 5‑8. The drill simulated strategic deterrence missions, testing the wing’s ability to generate and sustain aerial refueling for nuclear‑focused operations. Central to...
Taiwan announced on February 6 that the National Chung‑shan Institute of Science and Technology and Kratos successfully completed a systems integration test of the Mighty Hornet IV drone, a Taiwan‑specific variant of the US‑made Firejet. The test proved the platform can carry a...
🚨 Vulcan Problems: Today’s ULA Vulcan launch from SLC 41 seems to have had some sort of solid booster problem. Possibly a nozzle burning through. The only official word from ULA is that they’ve made an “observation”. The sparks are clearly visible in...
Chicago released a two‑minute animation unveiling the $1.3 billion Concourse D, part of the ORDNext terminal redevelopment. The new concourse, designed by SOM, Ross Barney, Juan Gabriel Moreno Architects and Arup, will feature 19 flexible gates, skylit multi‑level spaces, lounges, retail and landscaped views of...
The United States is positioning cislunar space as the next geopolitical arena, leveraging NASA’s Artemis program and the Artemis Accords to set soft‑power norms. Cislunar real estate near the lunar south pole is scarce, and early standards for communications, navigation,...
Air Canada has placed an order for eight Airbus A350‑1000 aircraft, with purchase rights for another eight, targeting deliveries between the second half of 2030 and 2032. The new jets will replace the airline’s aging 777‑300ER fleet, offering comparable three‑class...
On August 21, 1967, VA‑196’s A‑6 Intruder squadron suffered its worst day of the Vietnam War when four aircraft attacked the Duc Noi railway yard under heavy clouds and intense SAM/AAA fire. Two planes were hit by surface‑to‑air missiles and three...
Heathrow has appointed ABM to run its assistance service for passengers with access needs across Terminals 2‑5, deploying a team of more than 1,600 staff. The contract leverages ABM’s proprietary, Disability Rights UK‑accredited training programmes and a technology‑enhanced service model. ABM will...
Alpha Unmanned Systems and Parallel Flight Technologies have teamed up to convert Parallel Flight’s Firefly Group 3 UAV to heavy‑fuel operation. The effort leverages Parallel Flight’s Parallel Hybrid Electric Multirotor (PHEM) architecture, aiming for long‑endurance, heavy‑lift missions in naval and expeditionary...
Air Canada announced a firm order for eight Airbus A350‑1000 wide‑body jets, citing the aircraft’s 9,000‑nautical‑mile range and 25% lower fuel burn as key efficiency drivers. The purchase enables new nonstop routes to Southeast Asia, India and Australia. It arrives...
Proton rocket lifts off from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, with the Elektro-L5 weather satellite. DETAILS, UPDATES: https://t.co/XRGzszk0qi https://t.co/3ZESECT8GH
Spain has become the fourth nation to join the European Aero Excellence International initiative, a collaborative program aimed at boosting aerospace supply‑chain resilience. The scheme, originally launched by France’s GIFAS in 2023 and expanded with Germany’s BDLI and the UK’s...
Brazil’s aviation regulator ANAC granted Design Authorization for DJI’s Matrice 3D series and Dock 2, clearing a major regulatory hurdle for beyond‑visual‑line‑of‑sight (BVLOS) operations. The approval validates the system‑level safety architecture, hardware redundancy and software design, allowing enterprises to bypass lengthy certification...
NASA is back for seconds with a new food system design challenge.
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The U.S. Air Force 40th Airlift Squadron and the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s No. 40 Squadron flew their C‑130J Hercules aircraft together during a training sortie at the Advanced Tactics Aircrew Course near Fort Huachuca, Arizona, on August 21, 2025. The sortie was part...
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On August 21, 2025, a U.S. Air Force C‑130J Hercules of the 40th Airlift Squadron and a Royal New Zealand Air Force C‑130J of No. 40 Squadron landed together at Fort Huachuca, Arizona, after completing the Advanced Tactics Aircrew Course. The course, run...
Had a chance to see ZA004 off this morning from BFI on her final flight to retirement. This 787 has seen a thing or two. What a journey. https://t.co/tcL4rZlLKH
Confirming earlier reporting: Airspace was closed by the FAA near El Paso late Tuesday after CBP personnel launched a counter-drone laser weapon without full inter-agency integration, officials say. That weapon had recently been transferred temporarily by the Pentagon to DHS. Airspace...
The European Space Agency will attend the 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC) from 13‑15 February 2026, with Director General Josef Aschbacher joining heads of state, industry CEOs and security experts. ESA aims to showcase how space systems underpin Europe’s competitiveness,...
ULA’s Vulcan Centaur will launch early on Feb 12 from Cape Canaveral on the USSF‑87 mission, carrying two Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellites for the U.S. Space Force. The payloads will monitor the crowded geostationary orbit, providing “neighborhood watch” data...
Outside of the Special Air Warfare Symposium, how Beacon AI is touting pilot assistance autonomy https://t.co/AK7QFrzgvz
Galaxia Mission Systems announced a multi‑launch agreement with Italy’s Impulso.Space to support its MissionOne turnkey satellite program. The partnership, formalized at Space Tech Expo Europe and revealed on Feb. 5, gives Galaxia access to Impulso’s end‑to‑end launch services from a U.S....
Vista Global announced a firm order for 40 Bombardier Challenger 3500 jets with an additional 120 purchase options, slated for delivery beginning in 2026 and spread over the next decade. The deal secures capacity for a rapidly expanding member base...
NEW: @SierraNevCorp is teaming with Northrop Grumman and General Atomics-ASI on its "Freedom" aircraft it is bidding for the US Navy's Undergraduate Jet Training System. First on @aviationweek https://t.co/Ch1Ml4EeZu https://t.co/nqyJQIievk
Frontier Airlines announced a right‑sizing plan that will return 24 leased Airbus A320/321 aircraft to AerCap in Q2 2026 and defer 69 A320neo family deliveries to 2031‑33. The early lease terminations are expected to generate roughly $90 million in annual rent...
Aircraft interiors specialist ACS UK has secured two contracts with tier‑one global airlines to design and manufacture bespoke monuments for wide‑body aircraft, with deliveries slated for 2027. The deals were signed only months after the company reopened its order book,...
ATPCO opened Routehappy to all Community Participation airlines on 1 January 2026, pushing the platform’s adoption to 106 carriers – a 152% increase in one year. Since June 2025, more than 60 airlines, including Finnair, China Airlines, SAS and Singapore Airlines, have uploaded...
Raytheon announced a successful test of the Coyote Block 3NK, a non‑kinetic counter‑drone system that can loiter, engage and be recalled for multiple missions. The variant is designed to neutralize drone swarms while minimizing collateral damage, making it suitable for urban...
Boeing’s 737 program, still emerging from a six‑year safety and production crisis, is now outputting 42 aircraft per month. The company plans incremental rate increases, targeting 52 and eventually 63 jets monthly by activating a new North Line at the...
The New Terminal One at JFK Airport announced the launch of Enhanced Passenger Processing (EPP), a biometric system that verifies U.S. citizens’ identities in real time during international arrivals. The initiative, powered by iProov’s facial‑recognition technology, integrates with U.S. Customs...
Renault Group announced it will produce up to 600 unmanned aerial vehicles for the French armed forces, repurposing its Le Mans automotive plant rather than building a new facility. The move marks the French automaker’s first foray into defense hardware and...
The North American Space Institute (NASI), a Canadian‑origin space technician school, has announced partnerships with U.S. firms Learning Exchange Inc. (LEXX) and Alliance Cyber to launch a continent‑wide training standard. Its flagship Space Systems Technician (SST) program, the first certified...
Read the latest (Feb 2026) edition of AEROSPACE to find out how FPV drones are now being used by criminals, cartels & terror groups. #drones #avgeek https://t.co/ojreumsvPo https://t.co/H6AVjtFYvB
Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport unveiled a new 21,000‑square‑foot Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) facility, Station 92, on February 6. The modern station replaces the older unit and joins two existing fire stations, providing round‑the‑clock coverage for the airport. Featuring six...
The 10th Singapore Airshow in February 2026 highlighted a shifting Asian defense market where cost‑effective, system‑of‑systems solutions are overtaking pure platform performance. China’s presence was muted, with fewer exhibitors and a conservative J‑10C demo aimed at budget‑constrained buyers, while its...
Czech defence group CSG and Turkey’s Aselsan signed a joint venture on 4 February 2026 to produce the Korkut short‑range air‑defence system in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The partnership relocates manufacturing and integration to EU facilities, ensuring compliance with NATO...
In this episode, Mike Busch, founder and CEO of Savvy Aviation, makes the case that general aviation is over‑maintained and advocates a shift to on‑condition, reliability‑centered maintenance to save owners time and money while easing mechanic workload. He outlines the...
