Loss Sparks Innovation: Southwest's 10‑minute Turnarounds
This is one of my favorite examples that didn’t make it into the final version of Inside the Box. Link in bio if you would like to pre-order. In 1972, Southwest was almost out of money and had to sell one of its four planes. Instead of cutting routes, they asked a different question: how can three planes do the work of four? That constraint led to ten-minute turnarounds, crews working together in new ways, and ultimately 47 straight years of profitability. It’s a good reminder that the breakthrough often starts when something you can’t afford to lose gets taken away.
Artemis III's Initial Orbit Remains Undecided, Officials Say
“One of the questions is what the initial orbit will be for Artemis III." https://t.co/atoSFLDYEs
Voyager's 1970s Tech Outpaces AI Hype
Did you know the Voyager 1 spacecraft has been flying for 49 years and is now 15.5 billion miles from Earth—yet it still phones home with less computing power than your garage door opener? We're literally running humanity's farthest outpost...
New Plan Unveiled for Assembling Post‑ISS Russian Space Complex
The latest scenario for the assembly of the post-ISS ROS complex from Roskosmos and its prime piloted spacecraft developer RKK Energia. Context: https://t.co/81bSOWHp9D https://t.co/5GW8HQkApg
NVIDIA Jetson Powers Real-Time AI on Lunar Spacecraft
$FLY 🤝 $NVDA “Integrating the NVIDIA Jetson platform into Firefly’s Elytra spacecraft enables autonomous, on-orbit AI processing that transforms raw lunar imagery into actionable insights in real time.” 🚀🌖 https://t.co/Uk3IGXn8jp https://t.co/nqePqTPMlk
Constellation Lock Shapes In‑Flight Connectivity Standards
In-flight connectivity: @GilatSatNet @PanasonicAero @Hughes & @SES_Satellites on 'constellation lock' & the drawbacks and benefits of terminal standards.https://t.co/PwyXgeiwJJ https://t.co/Vr4ARPxJse
Airline Holds Forecast Amid Fuel Price Uncertainty
“Bastian said the airline isn’t walking back its full-year forecast but isn’t updating it either because of uncertainty of fuel prices.”
Musk Eyes SpaceX IPO This Summer, Beating AI Rivals
Musk, who’d long insisted he would never take SpaceX public—at least not until it had established a Mars colony—appears to be trying to beat AI rivals Anthropic and OpenAI to the public markets as early as this summer. https://t.co/HOEydX4Vk4
Delta Faces $2 Billion Fuel Cost Surge From Middle‑East Conflict
Latest: Delta Air Lines expects to incur more than $2 billion in higher fuel costs through June because of the US-Israel war on Iran https://t.co/pfNgi3ALzA
Machina Labs Secures $124M for AI‑Powered Aerospace Factory
Machina Labs raised $124mn to build an AI-driven factory for aluminum and titanium aerospace structures. https://www.metalnomist.com/2026/04/machina-labs-aerospace-factory-signals.html
Jet Fuel Supply May Need Months to Rebound Post-Hormuz Reopening
IATA chief says jet fuel supply could take months to recover after Hormuz reopening https://t.co/9qcnn6QlNE
AirAsia Fare Surge Threatens SME Margins, Hidden Costs Persist
AirAsia's 30% to 40% fare hike, if you think it’s just a "holidaymaker's problem," then you’ve ignored the immediate crisis it creates for local businesses. With overall fares jumping up to 40% as the airline grapples with soaring jet fuel prices,...
Filming Nuclear Command Plane Highlights Fear Over Facts
I'm at Offutt Air Force Base for the week, home of a lot of important national level assets. We're here to film on the E-4B, an aircraft whose primary mission is to be an airborne command and control platform during...
Artemis II Just Got an Amazing Upgrade
I mean COME ON. Just when you think Artemis II can't get any better, this drops. 🥹
Transportation Secretary Open to Airline Mergers, Citing Trump’s Deal Appetite
Transportation Secretary Says He’s Open To Airline Mergers — “Trump Loves To See Big Deals Happen” - View from the Wing https://t.co/lOqKHbeNux
US Awards $48.9M LEO Tactical Comms Contract to IonQ
US @SemperCitiusSDA awards prototype contract to @IonQ_Inc 's @capellaspace to demonstrate tactical waveform/beamforming/secure tactical comms in LEO under HALO, Europa Track 1 solicitation, for up to $48.9M for 2 space vehicles, w/ demos to be completed by November 2027. https://t.co/7VCm9ATINm
Artemis II Images Transformed Into Stunning Poster Series
Couldn't resist turning the incredible Artemis II photos from @NASA into a poster series https://t.co/Epab5X0JNn
Russian Lunar Launch Delays Repeatedly Rehashed, Yet Unchanged
Russia media quote a RAN official today about the latest delay of Russian lunar missions, however all these "new" dates had already been known since at least January and reported here... and will certainly be delayed again: https://t.co/oxFsJRelFu
Artemis 2 Update Conference Rescheduled to 4:45 Pm ET
Today's daily Artemis 2 update press conference is now at 4:45 pm ET rather than 4:30 pm ET. Listen on: https://t.co/5WwQdsBQIl
US B‑52s Launch Toward Iran Ahead of Trump Deadline
🚨 MAJOR ESCALATION Multiple B-52H bombers have just departed RAF Fairford today, April 7, 2026, and are expected to arrive over Iran just in time for President Trump’s 8PM ET deadline. Tensions reaching boiling point. 👀 https://t.co/oWb8ygbXH7
Russian “Starlink” Satellites Begin Maneuvering, Developer Remains Silent
A couple of "Russian Starlinks" from the 16-bird group showed first signs of maneuvers, based on the US data, but there has been no word from the developer about the status of the mission since its launch on March 23. UPDATES:...
Orion Spacecraft Snaps Backlit Moon During Solar Eclipse
The Moon, seen here backlit by the Sun during a solar eclipse on April 6, 2026, is photographed by one of the cameras on the Orion spacecraft’s solar array wings. https://t.co/3GkEIJ7NBT
United's $300 Offer Fails as Overbooked Passengers Refuse
It’s so weird to me that airlines can accidentally over book flights. United is begging for 2 people to volunteer to be rebooked and receive a 300 dollar credit. No one is budging and the guy is getting more irritated...
United Leads U.S. Airlines in Starlink Adoption
United is adopting Starlink faster than any other major US airline. It's about to be legendarily good wifi. (This tweet posted at Mach 0.75 from previous-gen United wifi.)
First Glimpse of Orion Returning From Moon
This picture right here is, I think, one of the most important of the Artemis II mission since the Orion spacecraft is clearly behind and a distance from the Moon. It's the first time we could see what intergalactic travelers...
AIM‑260 Missile Gets $2 B Boost, Speeding Deployment
Dogfight missile dollars increased: Lockheed Martin’s new AIM-260 air-to-air missile program received a $2 billion boost in the Trump administration’s proposed budget, a sign the classified weapon could see accelerated production and be deployed soon https://t.co/r74IUvtxbi
Duffy Hails Boeing 787 Plant as American Manufacturing Comeback
.@SecDuffy at Boeing 787 factory in South Carolina. "This is great American manufacturing... This is a comeback story for Boeing" on CNBC
ISS and Artemis II Ship‑to‑Ship Call at 2:
Ship-to-ship call between ISS and Artemis II coming up soon at 2:40 pm ET. Audio only. Listen on NASA's YouTube channel: https://t.co/3y6Tm3VF4k
Ohio Guard F‑16 Wing Conducts Week‑Long Night Flights
US Air National Guard F-16 fighter wing in Ohio conducting night flying operations all this week 🤔 Source: WTOL https://t.co/H3RjUL5aUQ
STARLUX's Metallic Dream: Sorayama‑Designed A350s Unveiled
January 2026: STARLUX unveils the AIRSORAYAMA dream with Hajime Sorayama in Tokyo. March: silver A350-1000 B-58553 rolls out. April: the golden counterpart B-58554 emerges in Toulouse looking like liquid sunlight. Three years of work, one insane metallic vision.
Artemis II Heals Gen X Trauma, Restoring Hope and Joy
This mission has healed the PTSD all of us Gen X kids had from watching the Challenger launch on live TV. This crew has brought so much love, happiness and excitement to our world in a time when we’ve all...
Cygnus‑24 Launch Delayed to April 10, Reaches ISS April 11
Launch of Cygnus-24 to the ISS has slipped from Apr 8 to Apr 10 due to weather. 8:03 am ET. Arrival at ISS on Apr 11 at 11:39 pm ET. https://t.co/lSzznKUi4R
Cisco Eyes Space Data Centers, but Still Distant
Cisco execs are discussing what they need to send data centers to space, but we're a long way off that just yet. https://t.co/UJrFSlqnuK
New Visual Backdrops Reveal Unbuilt Soviet Lunar Dreams
This week, I got so many new backgrounds for my visualizations of unrealized Soviet and Russian lunar exploration projects:
ACES II Seat Saves Nine Lives
ACES II ejection seat is what? 9 for 9 in this conflict? Everyone literally walked away. Pretty incredible. https://t.co/awxkVXJnIn
Chinese Airlines Ban Cheap Lithium Power Banks on Flights
Having a whole bunch of cheap Chinese no name lithium power banks on planes is one of my biggest worries when traveling. Airlines in China have begun banning them completely, even in carry-ons. https://t.co/DSi33tN31U
TerraSpark, Dcubed to Test Space Solar on 2027 SpaceX Mission
TerraSpark, Dcubed to test space solar on SpaceX 2027 mission #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/7bJQOviMER
US Space Force Launches STP‑S29A on Minotaur IV
LAUNCH of the US Space Force STP-S29A mission on a Minotaur IV from Vandenberg at 1133 UTC Apr 7
Southwest Restricts Travelers to One Power Bank per Flight
News: @SouthwestAir to limit passengers to one portable charger, or power bank during flights and require them to keep them under seats or with them https://t.co/1U26AHRvcT
NASA Chief Showcases Soviet Voskhod‑2 Inflatable Airlock
NASA administrator's photo-tour of a space museum starts with an exhibit of the Soviet Voskhod-2 spacecraft featuring inflatable airlock (not a cosmonaut-shooting gun): https://t.co/UyIwE1iyL1
Space Dominance Unlocks Rapid, Pilot‑free Kinetic Strikes
Now people are finally getting it. Space dominance = asymmetric defensive and offensive weapons systems (golden dome and rods from god) Ex: simultaneous kinetic bombardment with 7 minute ETAs, no risk of downed aircraft or pilots.
China’s CZ‑8 Lifts Qian
LAUNCH at 1332 UTC Apr 7 of a Chang Zheng 8 from Hainan with batch 7 of the commercial Qianfan internet satellite system - the first Qianfan launch since Oct 2025
Airlines Hustle, Passengers Linger Post‑pandemic
Qatar Airways busy on the ramp at Hamad Airport.... planes parked, ground equipment moving. Terminal? Looks totally empty with quiet seating areas. Classic “airline working hard, passengers still slow to return” situation.
Orion Leaves Lunar Sphere, Crew Chats with ISS
Orion will depart the sphere of lunar influence today at 1:25 pm ET and the crew will speak to the ISS astronauts at 2:40 pm ET. Mission status briefing at 4:30 pm ET. List of events (times...
PLD Space Secures €30M Debt, Aims First Orbital Flight
Spanish launcher startup @PLD_Space secures EUR 30M ($34.6M) venture debt facility from @EIB, bringing total funding to $438M. PLD is targeting 1st orbital flight this year from Europe's @EuropeSpacePort. @esa @defis_eu @aee_gob. https://t.co/gp12v7W6YI https://t.co/vKQAUHfGZS
Half‑Billion Dollar Jet Exposed, Satellite‑Guided Weapon Hits It
“...What on earth was this half-billion dollar airplane doing sitting right out in the open, where commercial satellite imagery can see exactly where it was and target a weapon onto that, which apparently they did,” said Tom Shugart... https://t.co/rsnIuBIpuk
Artemis II Records Earthset From Moon’s Far Side After 50 Years
Artemis II captures “Earthset” from the far side of the Moon for first time in over 50 years https://t.co/XbozFoH8GG
From Giants' Shoulders to Moon's New Foundations
Your whole life you hear about the shoulders of giants. Then one day you wake up and find you're the shoulders. Four broad new sets of shoulders just orbited the Moon. Imagine how many more will stand upon them. nasa canadianspaceagency #Artemis
Indian Airlines Face Crisis, IndiGo Plans Massive Fleet Expansion
Enjoyed reading this sharp analysis by @menakadoshi in today's @business India newsletter. 'Indian aviation faces its toughest period yet, exacerbated by regional conflicts and persistent profit pressures, prompting leadership overhauls at the country's two major airlines. The Iran war has shut...
Test Pilot Arie Slagter Shares Why He Joined RAeS
This month's New Member Spotlight - experimental test pilot Arie Slagter explains why he joined the RAeS #avgeek https://t.co/bILBZlUMDC https://t.co/2pZZeWjWt9