Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

By Brian Everstine
The Pentagon’s approach to stop the threat of counter-small UAS has been bogged down in Defense Department bureaucracy and laws that approach the problem in the wrong way, while commercial drone developers have outpaced the military’s efforts, the No. 2 uniformed official said.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Graham Warwick
Swedish Space Corp. has partnered with Bradford Space to offer a commercial orbital-debris-removal service beginning in 2024.
Commercial Space

By Graham Warwick
The U.S. Air Force has established a detachment to develop training methods and standards for electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing vehicles.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Michael Bruno
Small-satellite startup Terran Orbital, backed by Lockheed Martin and others, plans to become a publicly traded company after a reverse merger with a special-purpose acquisition company, the companies announced late Oct. 28.
Commercial Space

By Graham Warwick
The Isles of Scilly Steamship Group, an operator of air and sea links to the archipelago off the coast of southwest England, has forged an agreement to bring zero-emission hydrogen flights to the islands.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Mark Carreau
As NASA’s Commercial Crew initiative matures, it is accelerating the turnaround of timely science experiments and technology development related to the future human exploration of the Moon and Mars, researchers say.
Space

By Michael Bruno
Small-satellite startup Terran Orbital, backed by Lockheed Martin and others, plans to become a publicly traded company after a reverse merger with a special-purpose acquisition company, the companies announced late Oct. 28.
Space

Conferences and events for professionals in the aerospace & defense community.
Defense

By Brian Everstine
The Space Development Agency has rescinded its request for proposals for the Tranche 1 Transport Layer and reissued the solicitation on Oct. 28 under Other Transaction Authorities in an attempt to avoid a perception that the competition was limited.
Space

By Brian Everstine
Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman Gen. John Hyten is expected to sign off this week on the latest Joint Requirements Oversight Council “strategic directive” on integrated air and missile defense, outlining capability gaps that the services need to fill for their future forces.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Brian Everstine
As the Pentagon’s No. 2 military officer prepares to retire next month following decades of service, including leading key strategic and space commands, Gen. John Hyten’s biggest regret is how vulnerable the nation’s defense satellite system is to attack.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Maxim Pyadushkin
Roscosmos’ commercial arm, Glavkosmos, has made its first direct sales for tourist flights on Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
Commercial Space

By Irene Klotz
A Northrop Grumman census is now tracking 164 small-satellite launch programs, although 46 of the projects are effectively defunct and the status of nine others is unknown.
Commercial Space

By Chen Chuanren
A video of a twin-seat variant of the Chengdu J-20 “Mighty Dragon” stealth fighter has emerged on the internet, suggesting China has developed the world’s first
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Lilium has added Stuttgart Airport to its planned network of regional air mobility hubs in southern Germany.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Mark Carreau
Russia’s MS-18 Progress resupply mission to the International Space Station was on course for a late Oct. 29 docking with a nearly 3-ton cargo of food, water, crew supplies and propellant following a successful launch from Kazakhstan.
Space

By Irene Klotz, Maxim Pyadushkin
Russia plans to spend about $1 billion to develop and flight test a partly reusable, methane-powered orbital launch vehicle known as Amur SPG (“liquid natural gas” in Russian) with a first stage designed to return to its launch site.
Space

By Graham Warwick
With target dates for the launch of electric air taxi services drawing closer, more manufacturers are striking deals aimed at ensuring infrastructure will be in place when their aircraft are ready.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Graham Warwick
Automated flight control system startup Skyryse has raised $200 million in funding and signed partnerships with five fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft manufacturers, including Robinson Helicopter.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Brian Everstine
Two senators are urging the White House to waive impending sanctions on India for purchasing Russian-made S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missiles, saying punishing the country for the buy would derail cooperation at a time when the U.S. needs the partnership in the Indo-Pacific region.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Michael Bruno
Avantus Aerospace has sold off its remaining composite business lines to other private equity investors and to Latécoère so it can focus on fasteners and C-class parts for the metal-friendly narrowbody production ramp-up.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The Pentagon is hoping there are no schedule delays or overruns if defense industry employees do not get COVID-19 vaccines and leave their jobs as the deadline under President Joe Biden’s executive order approaches.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Mark Carreau
The planned launch of the NASA-contracted SpaceX Crew-3 Dragon mission to the International Space Station promises to boost from nine to 11 the number of astronauts with spaceflight experience named to the agency’s Artemis Team.
Space

By Graham Warwick
UK electric air taxi startup Vertical Aerospace has secured additional funding tied to its planned going-public merger with blank-check company Broadstone Acquisition.
Emerging Technologies

By Chen Chuanren
The Japan Air Self Defense Force has opted to participate in the International Flight Training School in Italy and will be sending its pilots for advanced-level fighter training.
Light Attack and Advanced Training