FAA Clears Hermeus Quarterhorse for Supersonic Flight Testing
Hermeus announced that the Federal Aviation Administration granted a Special Airworthiness Certificate in the Experimental Category for its unmanned Quarterhorse Mk 2.1 aircraft. The certification follows a detailed FAA inspection and clears the path for a dedicated supersonic flight‑test campaign. Hermeus plans to use the tests to validate the vehicle’s ability to reach and sustain Mach‑5 speeds. The milestone positions the company closer to commercial and defense applications of high‑speed flight.
AIAA CEO Mowry to Speak at Space Workforce Forum
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) announced that its chief executive officer, Michael Mowry, will speak at the upcoming Space Workforce Forum. The forum, organized by the Office of Space Commerce’s Policy, Advocacy & International Division, will take...
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL Reaches ISS Carrying Tons of Supplies
Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft completed its second flight to the International Space Station, docking on April 13. The vehicle was captured by the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm at 1:20 p.m. EDT. The mission delivered several tons of scientific equipment,...
Airbus Delivers 500th A220 as March Output Signals Production Ramp-Up
Airbus announced the delivery of its 500th A220 jet on April 10, 2026, marking a milestone for the narrow‑body program. The company reported 60 commercial aircraft deliveries in March, up from a combined 54 in January and February, signaling a...
Watch: SpaceX Launches Cygnus XL Cargo Ship to Resupply ISS Crew
SpaceX's Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 7:41 a.m. EDT on Saturday, carrying Northrop Grumman's Cygnus XL cargo spacecraft. The Cygnus XL is bound for the International Space Station to deliver scientific experiments, food, and equipment for the crew....
NATO Ally Taps Red Cat’s Black Widow Drones for Next-Gen Defense
Red Cat Holdings’ Black Widow small unmanned aircraft system has won a contract from an unnamed NATO ally after a competitive tender. The sUAS will be deployed in 2026 to augment the ally’s short‑range air‑defence and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance...
AIAA Announces 2026 Award Recipients
On April 10, 2026, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) announced its 2026 award recipients, highlighting achievements across aeroacoustics, aerodynamics, V/STOL, fluid dynamics, hypersonics, aerospace medicine, and space systems. Notable honorees include NASA Langley’s Stephen A. Rizzi for...
Artemis II Reentry Streams Tonight
NASA’s Artemis II crew is slated to reenter Earth’s atmosphere tonight, April 10, 2026, concluding the first crewed deep‑space flight since the Apollo era. The Orion spacecraft, carrying Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen, Pilot Victor Glover, and Commander Reid Wiseman, will perform a Pacific Ocean...
DoD Seeks Expanded Investment in Counter-UAS Capabilities
The Pentagon’s Counter‑Drone Task Force is asking Congress for more than $580 million in FY 2027 research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) to accelerate counter‑UAS systems. The request targets rapid fielding of technologies that detect, track and neutralize small commercial drones that...
Orion Heat Shield Faces Critical Test as Artemis II Nears Reentry
NASA’s Orion crew capsule is set to splash down tomorrow, marking the final re‑entry phase of the Artemis II mission. Engineers have been monitoring the vehicle’s ablative heat shield since pre‑launch, when experts warned that the shield’s performance could be a...
From Kitty Hawk to Space, America Showcases Milestones in Aviation Innovation
The Wall Street Journal feature chronicles America’s aviation journey from the Wright brothers’ 1903 Kitty Hawk flight to today’s cutting‑edge platforms such as the F‑35 Lightning II and NASA’s robotic Mars explorers. It highlights how early experimentation evolved into a robust...
GA-ASI YFQ-42A CCA Prototype Crashes During California Test Flight
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA‑ASI) reported that its YFQ‑42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft prototype crashed shortly after takeoff on April 6, 2026, at a company‑owned airport in the California desert. The incident marks the first known flight mishap for the U.S....
Artemis II Sets New Human Distance Record During Lunar Flyby
NASA’s Artemis II mission completed a historic lunar flyby, sending four astronauts farther from Earth than any humans before them. The crew reached roughly 260,000 miles (about 418,000 km) from the planet, eclipsing the Apollo 13 record set in 1970. The flight marked the...
Ohio Symposium Celebrates Over Half a Century and Looks Toward the Future of Aerospace
The AIAA Dayton‑Cincinnati Section hosted its 51st annual aerospace symposium in Dayton, Ohio, featuring over 130 technical presentations from industry, academia, and students. The event’s theme, “LI,” cleverly combined the Roman numeral for 51 with the chemical symbol for lithium...
Autonomous Air Taxi Certification Emerges as New Regulatory Frontier
The FAA is tightening certification requirements for vertical‑takeoff‑and‑landing (VTOL) air‑taxi platforms, demanding a rigorous testing regime for developers such as Archer, Joby and Beta. Boeing‑spun Wisk Aero is pushing the envelope with its Generation 6 aircraft, which is designed to operate...
