Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

U.S. startup Pyka’s Pelican Cargo autonomous electric heavy-payload aircraft has flown in the UK for the first time.

South Africa is working to develop an indigenous launch capability within five years, with plans to develop a former military site on the Western Cape into a commercial spaceport.

U.S. startup Skyryse has taken delivery of an Airbus H130 from air medical service provider Air Methods.

RTX company Collins Aerospace has formally opened the Grid, a $50 million advanced electric power systems laboratory.

The pending deliveries will allow Sikorsky and Bell to start installing the 3,000-shp-class turboshaft in the prototypes for the Raider X and 360 Invictus, respectively.

Firefox is a software defined radio for the Tactical Boost Glide, which adds a new dimension to the known capabilities of the hypersonic systems.

Maintainers serving with the Franco-German airlift squadron flying the C-130J Hercules will shortly begin training in a new facility developed by the OEM.

Boom has received its FAA G-1 stage 1 issue paper from the FAA, a key step in the multi-stage process to clear the Mach 1.7 Overture airliner for service.

Joby Aviation has begun flying its S4 tiltprop electric-vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft with a pilot on board.

Reliable Robotics has completed a study for the USAF examining retrofitting the service’s large multi-engine jets with its autonomous flight control tech.

Russia’s attempt to land a spacecraft on the Moon in August failed due to a mistimed thruster burn.

The FCC for the first time has imposed a fine on a satellite operator for failing to properly deorbit a satellite.

The X-66A will combine the experimental high aspect ratio TTBW wing with the modified fuselage of an MD-90.

Signatories of the Artemis Accords plan to share data to avoid potential lunar mission interference.

The award is a big step for the RDE community, providing a platform to move forward the nascent technology that potentially offers a leap in fuel efficiency.

Australia’s V-Star Powered Lift Aviation and radiopharmaceutical supplier Cyclotek have signed an agreement to trial the use of long-range uncrewed aircraft to deliver time-sensitive medical tracers to regional imaging centers.

Numerous companies have agreed to joint production, technology exchange and component supply during Ukraine’s first Defense Industries Forum in Kyiv Sept. 30.

The Royal Thai Air Force had previously announced that a squadron of Lockheed Martin F-16A/Bs based in Korat would be decommissioned between 2028 and 2031.

The contract is part of a multi-phase project on which GKN has been working since 2019 with Sweden’s Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) and Saab.

The next mission, Chang’e 6, which is intended to return the first samples from the lunar far side, is expected to launch in May.

The image released by the 412th Test Wing shows a portion of the missile where the solid rocket motor of the booster stage connects to the exhaust section.

Astroscale Japan has received an $80 million grant from the Japanese government to “image and diagnose” a large, defunct satellite.

Congress has authorized ISS operations through 2030.

Financing issues are delaying development of a new Russian space station in low Earth orbit.

Acquire thousands of cheap drones within a few years by empowering combatant commands and defense-wide agencies, Anduril's Chris Brose says.