NASA has issued a draft plan for the first phase of its Commercial LEO Destinations program, which seeks to spur the initial development of two to four commercial free flyers as successors to the International Space Station.
Honeywell and Japan-based electric automotive specialist Denso have formed an alliance to develop electric propulsion systems for urban air mobility vehicles.
The rover rolled down the landing platform and started patrolling the surface on the southern part of Utopia Planitia, a 3,300-km-wide (2,051-mi.) plain in Mars’ northern hemisphere.
NASA’s major programs face mounting cost and schedule challenges, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office’s latest annual assessment for Congress.
The trinational Future Combat Air System team is considering various arrangements between the New Generation Fighter (NGF) and its associated remote carriers, aiming to 2027 for first flight of the demonstrators.
The newly-branded Advanced Reactive Strike (ARES) missile and the Modular Payload System (MPS) launcher could be fielded in 4-7 years, depending on the booster configuration.
Russian Helicopters has secured its first domestic customer for its novel VRT500 coaxial single-engine helicopter. Russian Helicopters Systems (RHS), an operator based just outside Moscow, signed a contract for five of the rotorcraft during the HeliRussia 2021 exhibition in May 2020.
With blessings from the U.S. Space Force, United Launch Alliance (ULA) is shifting the first national security space launch (NSSL) mission planned for a Vulcan Centaur rocket onto an Atlas V, buying time to complete two non-NSSL launches which are needed to certify the new booster for military missions.
Having identified a solution to issues that have so far prevented the successful airborne recovery of an unmanned aircraft under DARPA’s Gremlins program, Dynetics plans to resume flight tests in the fall.
Looking ahead to the need to build bases on the Moon and Mars, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has conducted experiments with the remote control and automated operation of construction equipment.
Russia’s United Engine Corp. plans to complete a demonstrator of its first hybrid-electric powerplant by 2023, says Mikhail Shemet, deputy director of the PDV future helicopter engine program at Klimov.
NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei could remain aboard the International Space Station long enough to set a new record for a single U.S. spaceflight, a NASA official says.
The French Navy has ordered an additional two commercial model H160 twin-engine medium helicopters from Airbus to support the search-and-rescue mission.
Airbus and the Republic of Singapore Air Force say they have completed development of an automated aerial refueling capability for the A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport.
Pratt & Whitney plans to open a new engine airfoil facility in North Carolina in the second half of 2022 to support the ramp-up in global F135 production, but facility construction was delayed for six months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Luxembourg-based business aircraft operator Luxaviation Group is to support Lilium in building out the electric regional air mobility startup’s airline operations in Europe.
Aerojet Rocketdyne has agreed to pay a $37,008 fine to the U.S. government and worked to significantly change its hiring practices to include lawful permanent residents at U.S. sites.
The European Space Agency has selected two consortia to define an infrastructure to provide commercial communication and navigation services for lunar exploration.
Potential issues with the WhiteKnightTwo carrier jet for Virgin Galactic’s air-launched SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane have been resolved, clearing the way for the company to resume flight tests as early as May 22, pending weather and technical checks.
UK vertiport developer Skyports plans to have an operational facility for passenger electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft in place in Japan’s Osaka Prefecture in time for the Osaka-Kansai World Expo in 2025.
