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:
The Observer Research Foundation warned that India’s push to use foreign low‑Earth‑orbit constellations such as Starlink for tele‑education creates strategic and cyber vulnerabilities. Untrusted satellite devices could be denied, jammed, or used to inject false content, especially in remote border schools. ORF recommends a sovereign mix of indigenous LEO/MEO satellites, GEO‑fiber hybrids, and strict trusted‑device regulations. The report cites Europe’s IRIS² and China’s mega‑constellations as models for digital space sovereignty.
SITA launched an Advance Flight Delay Notification API that leverages live departure data and flight‑duration logic to predict delays and push alerts to destination airports. The service automates early warnings, enabling airlines and ground handlers to adjust turnarounds, crew schedules,...
Maritime technology firm ELCOME has signed an authorized reseller agreement with Amazon’s LEO satellite network, formerly Project Kuiper. The deal adds two Amazon‑Leo terminals – the 400 Mbps Leo Pro and the gigabit‑class Leo Ultra – to ELCOME’s portfolio serving over...
At the World Defense Show 2026, MARSS introduced Nation Shield, the latest version of its NiDAR command‑and‑control platform. The system extends C2 capabilities to dismounted troops and vehicle units, delivering a unified operating picture from the edge to mission command....
EgyptAir has received its first of 16 Airbus A350‑900 aircraft, becoming the launch operator for the type in North Africa. The new wide‑body will modernise the carrier’s long‑haul fleet, enabling nonstop routes from Cairo to the US West Coast and...
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent visits to Saudi Arabia and Egypt emphasized deepening defence cooperation, notably proposing Saudi investment in Turkey’s fifth‑generation KAAN fighter and sealing a $350 million Egyptian deal for air‑defence systems and ammunition production. Both talks highlighted the...
Senior defence officials warned that the UK’s traditional, long‑term procurement model is too slow for modern conflict, urging a shift toward "prototype warfare" and rapid frontline experimentation. They propose adopting a minimum viable product approach, deploying early‑stage equipment to troops...
The University of Edinburgh and Kyiv National University hosted an online student forum that gathered Ukrainian and UK experts to dissect drones, disinformation, civil resilience, and energy security, showing how Ukraine’s war is reshaping European security thinking. Panels highlighted drone‑induced...
The Wyoming Army National Guard partnered with the volunteer Wyoming Hoist Team to conduct joint hoist training with the Big Horn County Search and Rescue and Wyoming Life Flight in the Greybull Mountains on Jan. 28, 2026. The exercise taught civilian rescuers...
Munich‑based Constellr closed a €37 million Series A round, bringing total capital to €75 million. The funding, led by Alpine Space Ventures and Lakestar, will accelerate its HiVE microsatellite constellation toward defence‑grade thermal imaging. Constellr plans to upgrade resolution from 30 m to sub‑5 m...
Sweden has deployed six JAS 39 Gripen fighters and more than 110 personnel to Iceland, marking its first leadership of NATO’s Icelandic Air Policing mission. The rotation, based at Keflavík Air Base, will run until mid‑March 2026 and maintain a...
Chicago O’Hare’s gate reallocation is entering another round after United secured full control of Terminals 1 and 2 and American’s presence in Terminal 3 weakened. Spirit sold two gates (G8, G10) to American for $30 million and two (G12, G14) to United...
A StarSky Fokker 50 went down shortly after takeoff from Aden Adde, Mogadishu... crashed near the perimeter, but amazingly, all passengers safely evacuated. No fatalities
Scoop: Deliveries of new C-130s have been halted due to issues with a new communication package being installed on the Herks. https://t.co/4PBkDEFZ7v
NATO has deployed a Joint Planning Team to Sofia to fine‑tune Bulgaria’s contribution to the Eastern Sentry mission, which bolsters situational awareness and defensive posture on the Alliance’s eastern flank. The team, drawn from Allied Air Command, Joint Force Command...
AI, VR or AR? What is the future of professional flight simulation & training devices? A recent RAeS Conference explored the issues. https://t.co/ZbRn47azyY https://t.co/1s7khhvPme
Replacement to the collapsed service platform, that disabled the only launch pad for piloted Soyuz rockets, was now installed at Site 31, according to rumors from Baikonur, marking a major milestone in the repairs of the facility: https://t.co/Gej3DU7zrd https://t.co/2jiuluTuxl
Half Moon Bay Airport and San Carlos Airport in San Mateo County have launched a voluntary "Friendly Approach" noise‑abatement program to address growing resident complaints. The initiative combines publicly posted preferred flight paths, two tracking systems that match complaints to...
Defence experts warned that drones and artificial intelligence are rapidly redefining warfare, yet UK armed forces remain complacent. Air Marshal Edward Stringer criticised officers for dismissing Ukraine’s lessons, emphasizing low‑cost drone integration with conventional forces. Dr. Keith Dear highlighted AI’s...
Free #aviation lecture, RAeS Southend Branch, 10 Feb 'So you want to have an Air Show - The role of the Flying Display Director' #avgeek https://t.co/Io71kgb894 https://t.co/23Dcc3BwhA
FREE #aviation lecture, RAeS Loughborough Branch, 10 Feb, 'Heavy Lift Uncrewed Air Systems' #avgeek #drones https://t.co/0txRAQ0fIY https://t.co/kvuzcxwgR0
At Singapore Airshow 2026, Israeli defence firm Rafael unveiled two new Spike family effectors – the L‑Spike 1X, a section‑level ISR and loitering munition, and the L‑Spike 4X, a battalion‑scale loitering missile. CEO Yoav Turgeman stressed that customers now demand battle‑proven systems...
Algeria has become the first foreign operator of Russia's fifth‑generation Su‑57 stealth fighter, a claim supported by a TikTok video filmed by a local potato farmer near Oum El Bouaghi Air Base. Leaked Rostec documents and Russian media indicate an...
jetAVIVA announced an intensified focus on Brazil, appointing Timon Huber as the firm’s point person for the Latin American market. Huber, a native Brazilian with four decades at Embraer, will split his time between Fort Lauderdale and Rio de Janeiro...
Luxaviation Group announced the addition of four aircraft—two Falcon 7X jets in Asia and a Challenger 604 plus another Falcon 7X in Australia—raising its managed fleet in the Asia‑Pacific to 18 planes. The new jets operate under the company’s Air Operator Certificates in...
The Air Charter Association (ACA) has partnered with AERO Friedrichshafen for the 2026 show, marking its first exhibition presence at the European business‑aviation event. The four‑day trade show, scheduled for 22‑25 April in Friedrichshafen, Germany, attracts over 32,000 visitors and 756...
Cirrus Aircraft has launched the Generation 3 Vision Jet, featuring a redesigned cabin that accommodates up to seven occupants—six adults and a child—and a suite of avionics upgrades. The new model adds ATC Datalink, 3D SafeTaxi, and enhanced safety systems including...
Kelly Ortberg, who took the Boeing helm in August 2024, has been working to repair strained labor relations across multiple unions. While the IAM 751 contract ended after a 53‑day strike and the Teamsters deal closed without walkouts, the IAM...
Munich‑based Hypersonica has emerged from stealth, announcing a €23.3 million Series A round led by Plural and backed by Germany’s Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation, General Catalyst and 201 Ventures. The startup also reported its first successful hypersonic missile test on 3 February from...
Frontier Airlines filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida seeking more than $100,000 from American Airlines after a March 7 ground collision at Miami International Airport badly damaged Frontier’s Airbus A321neo. The incident forced the aircraft to remain...
In this brief episode, the hosts discuss NASA's renewed partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy to develop safe nuclear power systems for space missions. They explain how compact fission reactors could provide reliable energy for deep‑space exploration, lunar bases,...
Ken Kremer, Managing Editor of Space UpClose, appeared on Fox 35 Orlando on Feb. 9, 2026 to discuss NASA’s SpaceX Crew‑12 launch to the International Space Station. The pre‑launch briefing revealed the Falcon 9 Crew Dragon Freedom stack will now lift off on Feb. 12 after...
Red Wolf Cruise Missile Eyed To Give OA-1K Skyraider II Standoff Strike Capability Giving the OA-1K a standoff strike capability has been seen as one potential way to expand its relevance in an era focused on high-end foes. Story: https://t.co/TdDjlCz6b3
Germany’s eVTOL sector has faltered, with Lilium and Volocopter bankrupt and Airbus pausing CityAirbus, leaving the country’s air‑taxi ambitions in doubt. This week Munich‑based ERC System completed the maiden flight of Romeo, a full‑scale lift‑plus‑cruise eVTOL weighing over 6,000 lb, making...
Laser-Guided Rocket-Armed F-15E Strike Eagles Make Super Bowl Cameo Appearance F-15Es sitting ready to knock down drones in the Middle East were highlighted during the National Anthem along with the crews that keep them flying. Story: https://t.co/HE8syvE8Fj
A-10 Warthogs Protect Mine-Hunting Littoral Combat Ship In Arabian Gulf Exercise The A-10, now in the twilight of its career, is uniquely suited to protect naval assets from lower-end threats, such as swarms of Iranian small boats. Story: https://t.co/SZFRWOmm9F
The Pentagon has finished an initial review of defense contractors deemed non‑compliant with President Trump’s executive order, but will keep the assessment open while negotiating remediation. The order bars share buybacks and dividends unless firms invest in modernizing weapons production,...
The Semi-1N, Semi-1P, Semi-1L payloads from Nov 2025's Bandwagon-4 launch are now identified and revealed to be Turkish satellites. As far as I know the specific owner has still not been revealed - anyone know?
Teledyne Technologies announced multiple contract awards from the U.S. Space Development Agency to supply infrared focal‑plane modules for the SDA’s Tranche 3 Tracking Layer. The sensors will augment the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, providing low‑Earth‑orbit coverage against hypersonic glide vehicles and...
Kepler Communications has launched the first operational tranche of its next‑generation optical data relay constellation, deploying ten 300‑kg satellites into a Sun‑Synchronous orbit via a SpaceX Falcon 9 "Twilight" rideshare. The Aether series carries SDA‑compatible laser terminals, multi‑GPU compute modules and...
China’s supersonic YJ‑15 anti‑ship cruise missile was reportedly photographed mounted on a J‑15T carrier‑borne fighter, marking its first confirmed air‑launched deployment. The missile, unveiled at the September 3, 2025 parade, is believed to exceed Mach 5 and reach 1,200‑1,800 km, extending the PLAN’s standoff...
Air Canada announced the suspension of all flights to Cuba after the island nation ran out of aviation fuel. The airline will operate empty southbound trips to bring roughly 3,000 stranded Canadians home, and may tanker extra fuel for return...
The episode examines whether the recent aerospace and defense rally can sustain its momentum into 2026, starting with a look at how NATO alliances fund European defense spending. It then shifts to Middle East geopolitical dynamics and their impact on...
British Airways Helicopters, originally formed as BEA Helicopters in 1964, operated scheduled passenger routes such as the iconic Penzance‑Isles of Scilly service and provided extensive offshore support for the burgeoning North Sea oil industry. Its fleet progressed from Sikorsky S‑61s...
Israel's Ministry of Defense signed a contract exceeding NIS 400 million ($130 million) with Elbit Systems to outfit 12 new CH‑53K “Pereh” helicopters with indigenous command‑and‑control, avionics, electronic‑warfare and DIRCM anti‑missile suites. The upgrades aim to improve flight operations in adverse environments and...
Ukraine has deployed Mission Control, a digital command‑and‑control system that centralizes planning, execution, and reporting for every drone operation across the country. Integrated into the broader DELTA battlefield management ecosystem, the platform captures launch data, flight routes, and mission outcomes...
Proton rocket returned to launch pad this morning in preparation for its first flight in nearly three years on Thursday: https://t.co/DyHPm6OdhH https://t.co/KXqkCYSXcA
CMA CGM, Marlink, and Eutelsat have signed a multi‑year partnership to equip over 300 CMA CGM vessels with OneWeb LEO satellite connectivity. The rollout will be completed within nine months, using a hybrid LEO/GEO architecture via Marlink’s XChange NextGen edge...
European aviation unions and watchdogs are urging the EU to suspend its 2019 Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement with Qatar after evidence surfaced that senior Commission transport official Henrik Hololei accepted complimentary business‑class flights from Qatar Airways during negotiations. The deal...
Air France announced a summer‑time expansion of its New York service, adding up to six daily flights between Paris and JFK and a second daily frequency to Newark from June through October. The carrier will tap its Delta joint‑venture partner for...
