A NASA program to demonstrate on-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing has passed its mission-critical design review putting it on track for launch in 2025 at the earliest.
Whisper Aero plans to test its quiet propulsor technology on a 55-lb. intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance demonstrator drone as part of two Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer contracts.
Private equity firm DC Capital Partners has bought uAvionix, a seven-year-old developer and manufacturer of miniature avionics for communications, navigation and surveillance applications, including for unmanned aircraft.
Russia has not been able to establish air superiority in Ukraine despite a greater number of aircraft and a broad array of air-defense systems, and a senior U.S. Air Force leader said this struggle shows Russian forces are not operating in accordance with their own doctrine.
The U.S. Congress is moving forward with a government-wide spending bill that would provide $728.5 billion for the Defense Department in fiscal 2022, placing a priority on protection of the Indo-Pacific region, space capabilities and assistance for Ukraine.
The U.S. Army expects its costs for Future Vertical Lift programs to rise substantially over the next several years as the service down-selects its Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft and Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft and moves into testing.
An omnibus spending bill approved by U.S. House and Senate appropriations committees on March 9 allocates $24 billion to NASA for fiscal 2022, a $770 million increase over its 2021 budget, but $760 million short of the Biden administration’s request for the year that began Oct. 1, 2021.
Airbus is continuing to build the industrial team for the CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL, partnering with Spirit AeroSystems to design and manufacture the multi-copter’s wings.
A U.S. Space Force (USSF) mission slated to launch aboard United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) next Atlas V has been delayed at the customer’s request, the company said on March 9.
With 15 years of experience with hydrogen propulsion over six generations of fuel-cell powertrain, Germany’s H2Fly is preparing to take the next steps: flying on liquid hydrogen and moving up to a 40-seat regional airliner.
CPI Aerostructures CEO and President Douglas McCrosson is leaving, the embattled Tier 1-2 defense supplier announced March 9, and outside industry veteran Dorith Hakim has been hired as successor CEO.
Bell and Sikorsky both have passed the 85% assembly mark of their respective prototypes for the U.S. Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft competition, but are facing increasing schedule pressure due to the expected delayed delivery of T901 engines from General Electric.
Developed initially for a handful of test flights at its Gale Crater landing site on Mars, NASA’s small solar-powered Ingenuity drone helicopter has logged 20 flights as it graduated to become a reconnaissance asset for the Perseverance rover.
The F-35 Joint Program Office is expecting a cost-per-tail increase on the aircraft as negotiations with prime contractor Lockheed Martin continue beyond initial expected deadlines.
The French Navy is completing the test phases for two small unmanned air systems (UAS) and mulling the integration of more complex ones onto its future aircraft carrier.
Residents' concerns about the impact of nearby flight operations on their land value are especially relevant to urban air mobility as eVTOLs and cargo drones hope to operate in the heart of urban areas.
Robinson Helicopter says it will switch to electric power for its light helicopters when it “makes sense” and is closely watching progress being made by California-based Tier 1 Engineering on a battery-powered R44 conversion program.
Until there is more available data on what a stabilized approach is for an eVTOL aircraft, the FAA will maintain a conservative approach as to how vertiports should be safely built.
Amid lackluster sales and costly new certification requirements, Sikorsky is no longer accepting orders for the S-76D, effectively shutting down the 45-year-old medium helicopter program.
