The burgeoning urban air mobility sector is poised to open up private air travel to unprecedented markets. But benefits will only be maximized if decisions are made now to ensure UAM systems are accessible to the disabled, experts say.
Plans to demonstrate an autonomous aerial firefighting capability with an Erickson S-64 Aircrane heavy-lift helicopter have been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The FAA expects to certify the first of a new generation of advanced or urban air mobility (AAM/UAM) aircraft later in 2021 and says regulations will be in place in time for initial piloted electric vertical-take-off-and-landing (eVTOL) operations to begin as early as 2023.
Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon’s leading contractor by sales, will prove its “culture of cash” for shareholders in the coming years after returning almost $4 billion in dividends and share buybacks in 2020 despite the COVID-19 crisis, tempered F-35 deliveries and slowing space work near term.
NASA plans to delay departure of the Osiris-Rex spacecraft from the asteroid Bennu from March 3 to May 10, with a May 24 backup, which will provide an early April opportunity for a final flyby.
President Joe Biden may opt to reassess the headquarters location of U.S. Space Command, which was previously selected during the waning days of the Trump administration.
Joining former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and Israeli entrepreneur Eytan Stibbe on the first privately financed U.S. mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will be real estate and technology investor Larry Connor of Ohio and Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist Mark Pathy, Axiom Space said on Jan. 26.
Airbus Helicopters CEO Seeks Euro Cooperation On Military Rotorcraft Tony Osborne, [email protected] Airbus Helicopters CEO Bruno Even has called on Europe’s rotorcraft industry to cooperate on a future military rotorcraft program, as NATO countries begin considering their medium-lift needs for the 2030s and beyond.
The requests for enhanced white papers show the U.S. Army’s plans for the next iteration of a portfolio of Long Range Precision Fires programs, which includes the Precision Strike Missile and the Mid-Range Missile Capability.
While it has a large potential domestic market for advanced air mobility, the U.S. needs a clear national strategy if it is to lead this new market globally, a report by consultants Deloitte and the Aerospace Industries Association says.
Three F/A-18E/Fs have already been delivered from an SLM line in St. Louis, Missouri. But the fourth SLM-updated F/A-18E/F delivered to the Navy emerged from Boeing’s facility at Kelly Field.
Satellite operator Inmarsat announced on Jan. 25 that it will provide satellite communications for a UK government initiative to create a zero-carbon emissions regional air transportation network.
The U.S. Army recently established a joint systems integration laboratory to test new technologies and determine whether they are a fit for Project Convergence ’21, according to the head of Army Futures Command.
BAE Systems will conduct a demonstration flight of its PHASA-35 high-altitude pseudo-satellite in the U.S. this year for potential Defense Department customers.
AFWERX has launched a six-week market research phase to understand the bourgeoning field of startup companies seeking to build supersonic and hypersonic transports.
The Greek government on Jan. 25 formally ordered 18 Rafale fighters from Dassault Aviation after an agreement was reached with the French Ministry of Armed Forces.
As the UK launches a series of projects under its Future Flight Challenge, a new study highlights the potential socio-economic benefits of an integrated aviation system built on freight-carrying drones, urban air taxis and hybrid-electric regional aircraft.
As Virgin Orbit gears up for the start of operational missions following its successful Jan. 17 demonstration flight, the California-based space company has revealed it has been selected to launch the first military satellite for the Netherlands.
NASA and Boeing are now targeting March 25 for the launch of an uncrewed CST-100 Starliner on the Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) to the International Space Station—four days earlier than previously planned.
A team headed by Spirit Aerosystems will lead the development and demonstration of a low-cost unmanned combat aircraft that could go on to operate as a loyal wingman for the UK’s Typhoon, F-35, and later Tempest manned fighters.
