NASA ‘Received Responses’ From SpaceX and Blue Origin on Artemis III, Isaacman Says
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman told a House appropriations subcommittee that the agency has received formal responses from SpaceX and Blue Origin to support Artemis III, slated for a low‑Earth‑orbit rendezvous and docking test in late 2027. The test will validate the interoperability of both lunar landers before the planned crewed Moon landing in 2028. Isaacman said confidence is growing as both vendors have committed significant investment beyond NASA’s budget. A final budget request is pending administration sign‑off, while Congress pushes back against proposed cuts to NASA’s overall funding.
AIAA Associate Fellow Senneff Died in March 2026
John Senneff, a 101‑year‑old AIAA Associate Fellow, passed away on March 29, 2026. He flew 74 combat missions in a P‑47 during World II before joining Bell Aircraft, where he led injector design for the Agena upper‑stage engine that launched 361...
Test Time for These Moon Drills
A South Dakota startup, AeroFly, is developing two auger‑based systems to move lunar regolith and extract water for future Artemis outposts. The LEONA project will demonstrate a 2‑meter horizontal auger that sublimates ice into vapor, while the Rego‑LIFT system will...
House Science Committee Members Vow to Reject NASA Budget Cuts
U.S. lawmakers on the House Science Committee denounced the Trump administration’s proposal to slash NASA’s FY2027 budget by 23%, echoing their rejection of a similar FY2026 request that would have reduced the agency’s funding to $18.6 billion. The administration’s plan also...
NASA Targeting September to Launch Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
NASA announced that the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will launch in early September aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy, eight months ahead of the original schedule and under budget. The 2.4‑meter telescope, built at Goddard, will travel to the Sun‑Earth...
At DBF, Aerospace Engineering Students Explore Best Uses of AI
The University of Ljubljana’s carbon‑fiber aircraft BRVINC captured first place at the AIAA Design/Build/Fly competition, crediting AI‑assisted early‑stage research for its performance. While many of the 89 participating teams turned to large language models like ChatGPT for data gathering and...
University of Ljubljana Tops the Competition at AIAA’s Design/Build/Fly
Slovenia’s University of Ljubljana captured first place at AIAA’s 30th Design/Build/Fly competition, earning a $3,000 prize for its electric RC aircraft, the BRVINC. The fly‑off attracted a record 1,179 students from 89 teams across 12 countries, testing real‑world aircraft design...
Space Force Looks to Personnel Growth to Boost Integrated Testing Approach
The U.S. Space Force is pushing an integrated testing model that merges developmental and operational testing, a shift supported by a planned personnel surge in its FY2027 budget request. The White House proposal seeks $70.1 billion for the service, up from...
Industry Panel: Moon Base Essentials Include Transportation, Surface Power
NASA aims to establish a permanent lunar surface base by 2030, launching nearly monthly robotic missions through 2028 to test habitation technologies. An industry panel highlighted three pillars—reliable transportation, continuous communication relays, and robust surface power—as essential for sustained operations....
Commercial Station Builders Counter NASA’s Assessment of LEO Market
Commercial space‑station developers Vast, Axiom Space and Starlab pushed back against NASA’s claim that a low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) market has not yet materialized. They argue they can be operational and profitable by the time the International Space Station retires in 2030,...
Lawmakers Seek More Details, Cost Information From Golden Dome Program Manager
House Armed Services lawmakers pressed the Golden Dome missile‑defense program for detailed cost data after the White House earmarked $17.5 billion for FY 2027, following $24.4 billion in FY 2026. The administration’s FY 2027 defense budget totals a historic $1.5 trillion, with Golden Dome positioned as...
Space Force Releases Two Documents Focused on 2040 Planning
On Wednesday, the U.S. Space Force unveiled two unclassified planning documents—Future Operating Environment 2040 and Objective Force 2040—aimed at shaping the service’s capabilities through 2040. The Future Operating Environment paper paints a contested space battlefield, naming China as the primary...
U.S. Space Command Advances Work on Maneuver Warfare Strategy
U.S. Space Command announced it will conduct tabletop and live‑fly exercises this year as it refines a maneuver warfare strategy for space. The approach, championed by Gen. Stephen Whiting, seeks to make satellite operations less predictable and more responsive by...
This AI Prediction Model Could Help Shield Future Lunar Habitats Against Micrometeorites
NASA’s Artemis II crew observed six micrometeorite impact flashes during a 30‑minute window of its lunar flyby, indicating a higher‑than‑expected particle flux. In response, researchers from UT San Antonio and Purdue have created a deep‑learning artificial neural network that predicts penetration depths...
NASA and Contractors Accelerate Mobile Launcher Refurbishment, Artemis III Hardware to Meet New Schedule
NASA is accelerating the Artemis program to enable a mid‑2027 Artemis III launch, moving solid‑rocket booster deliveries forward and fast‑tracking mobile‑launcher refurbishment. The 112‑meter‑tall mobile launcher will be inspected, power‑washed, and welded to remove corrosive booster residue and repair heat‑warped structure...
Q&A: U.S. House Space Subcommittee Chair on Extending ISS, Fostering Commercial LEO Market
U.S. Rep. Mike Haridopolos, chair of the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, discussed extending the International Space Station (ISS) beyond 2030 and fostering a commercial low‑Earth‑orbit (LEO) market. NASA’s budget can only fund one private LEO station, raising concerns about...
Opinion: The Cultural Gap Facing Aerospace R&D Testing
Aerospace R&D still leans on months‑long physical testing despite rapid advances in simulation and digital‑twin technology. The industry’s cultural reliance on physical validation slows programs like the Golden Dome missile‑defense shield, where speed is critical. Other sectors, notably automotive, have...
Simulators Poised to Play Key Role in Air Taxi Pilot Training
The air‑taxi sector is turning to advanced flight simulators to address the looming pilot shortage and high training costs. Joby Aviation’s Academy uses a $60,000 per‑pilot simulator program, targeting 250 new pilots annually, while CAE supplies similar units to Eve...
U.S. Space Force Chief: Fiscal 2027 Budget Will Reflect ‘Aspirations’ for Rapidly Growing the Service
U.S. Space Force chief Gen. Chance Saltzman said the FY2027 budget will likely reflect the service’s push for rapid expansion. The force received about $40 billion in FY2026, a 40% increase from FY2025, and officials expect an even larger boost next...
Quadruped Robots Have Potential as Astronaut Surface Assistants, New Research Finds
Researchers at Oregon State University and NASA tested a battery‑powered quadruped robot in White Sands’ Mars‑like dunes, showing it can collaborate with astronaut scientists to collect soil data. The robot’s leg motors generate current that doubles as a terrain sensor,...
U.S. Office of Space Commerce Publishes Framework for Certifying ‘Novel’ Space Operations
NOAA’s Office of Space Commerce unveiled a proposal for an opt‑in Space Commerce Certification to streamline approval of novel on‑orbit activities such as satellite servicing, in‑space manufacturing, and lunar stations. The framework would coordinate existing agency approvals, applying a light‑touch...
Scrubbing Away Lunar Dust
Researchers at Orbital Mining and Space Dust Research & Technologies are concluding tests of Lunar SCRUB, an electrostatic cleaning device that uses an electron beam to lift moon dust from surfaces. The prototype, about one‑third the size of a loaf of...
NASA’s Artemis II Moon Mission Will Put These Technologies to the Test
NASA’s Artemis II, slated for an April 1 launch, will carry four astronauts on a ten‑day lunar flyby, marking the first crewed deep‑space mission since Apollo. After resolving hydrogen‑leak and helium‑flow issues on the Space Launch System, the crew will test Orion’s...
Artemis II Crew ‘Primed’ to Contribute to Scientific Knowledge of Moon, NASA Scientist Says
NASA's Artemis II mission, slated for early April, will send four astronauts on a ten‑day lunar flyby, becoming the first humans to view the Moon’s far side since Apollo. The crew will operate within 6,400‑9,000 km of the surface, capturing wide‑angle imagery,...
NASA Targets April 1 for Artemis II Launch
NASA announced a target launch date of April 1 for Artemis II, the first crewed mission beyond low‑Earth orbit since 1972. The crew—NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen—will fly a 10‑day lunar flyby. After a series...
Lockheed Martin, Air Force Project Tests Missile Evasion with AI-Piloted Fighters
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and the USAF Test Pilot School demonstrated AI‑piloted fighters evading missiles on the X‑62A VISTA, a modified F‑16. Dozens of AI agents were trained in randomized, high‑fidelity simulations before being uploaded to a tablet and given control...
Combatant Command Leaders Say They’re Working Closely with Golden Dome Director
U.S. Northern, Space and Strategic Commands are deepening coordination with Golden Dome program manager Gen. Michael Guetlein to accelerate the missile‑defense system’s fielding. Senior leaders, including Gen. Stephen Whiting and Gen. Gregory Guillot, have placed liaison officers in the Pentagon...
U.S. Air Force Plans to Expand Use of Portfolio Acquisition Executives over the Next Year
The U.S. Air Force will expand its portfolio acquisition executive (PAE) model to about 18 leaders within the next year, replacing the traditional program executive officer structure. PAEs will directly control contracting, finance and sustainment functions, aiming to embed lifecycle...
Magdrive’s Plasma Thruster Proves Its Mettle in First Orbital Test
Magdrive’s Rogue plasma thruster completed its first orbital firing test, demonstrating that a sliver of copper or aluminum can serve as propellant. The 3‑kg unit stores up to 10 kJ in commercial supercapacitors and discharges up to 200 W to create plasma...
Space Force Is Moving to Acquire by Mission Area, Service Official Says
The U.S. Space Force announced a shift from program‑based buying to aligning acquisitions with specific mission areas, a change championed by Lt. Gen. David Miller Jr. at the Defense and Intelligence Space Conference. Miller warned that speed alone without clear...
NASA Chief: Artemis Moon Landing Is Litmus Test for ‘American Exceptionalism’
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman warned that the Artemis III moon landing is a litmus test for American exceptionalism, stressing that a U.S. miss before China’s 2030 landing would raise questions about national competence. The White House pushed the Artemis III...
New DARPA Challenge Zeroes in on Drone Payloads
DARPA has launched the Lift Challenge, a competition that aims to develop vertical‑lift drones capable of carrying at least four times their own weight. The contest offers up to $6.5 million in prize money, with a live flight test scheduled for...
Boeing Posts Fourth-Quarter Profit Despite Losses in Commercial Aircraft, Defense Units
Boeing reported a fourth‑quarter profit of $8.2 billion, buoyed by the $10.6 billion sale of its Jeppesen software unit and a record 160 commercial aircraft deliveries. However, its Commercial Airplanes and Defense, Space & Security divisions posted losses of $632 million and $507 million...
AIAA Senior Member Mackey Died in September 2025
Col. Wilfred “Glenn” Mackey, a retired USAF colonel and AIAA senior member, passed away in September 2025. He logged over 4,000 flight hours, served as a Skyraider pilot in Vietnam, and later led test and development programs. After retirement, Mackey...