Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

NanoRacks has completed the critical design review phase for the airlock it plans to install aboard the International Space Station in late 2019.

The U.S. Air Force has backtracked on which platforms were involved in the massive strike operation on Syria's chemical weapons sites.

Canada will support the development of tech for optionally piloted helos, autonomous aerial logistics and urban air taxis led by Bell Helicopter Textron Canada.

Sierra Nevada expects to get aeroshell panels next month for the first orbital Dream Chaser, marking a key milestone in the run-up to the start of assembly.

A Space X Falcon 9 rocket soared off its Cape Canaveral launch pad April 18 to send NASA’s planet-hunting TESS telescope on its way to an operational orbit.

Cubic will sell Cubic Global Defense (CGD) Services to Valiant Integrated Services for $135 million cash.

Darpa is offering a top prize of $10 million to launch a payload into orbit with just a few days notice.

ITALY approved LEONARDO’s Mirach-40 (M-40) target drone for operations following testing at PISQ joint armed forces test range in Sardinia.

Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL), Goonhilly Earth Station and Astrobotic are partnering to create “a road map of innovations” concerning in-space communications relay for organizations operating on or around the Moon.

“Right now I’m very happy with how the program is progressing,” the U.S. Air Force's top uniformed acquisition official told Congress.

The rocket-powered missile will provide a precision strike capability against time-critical targets from both fighters and bombers.

Dynetics has been selected to demonstrate airborne launch and recovery of UAS from manned platforms under Darpa’s Gremlins program.

U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine has cleared a possible final roadblock in his quest to be OK'd as the next NASA administrator by winning Sen. Marco Rubio's support.

Boeing says it has “high confidence” that it will debut the Starliner CST-100 vehicle for both uncrewed and crewed test flights by year’s end.

The ISS partnership should take on the development and operation of NASA’s planned Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, a Russian official says.

Russian cargo airline group Volga-Dnepr is withdrawing from NATO's Strategic Air Lift International Solution (Salis) at the end of 2018.

Aerospace Corp. has developed small transponders that can ride on newly launched satellites to help avoid space collisions.

A couple of aircraft manufacturer Textron's highest-profile military projects remain in a holding pattern.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has begun discussions with the U.S. Air Force to take over space traffic notifications to commercial satellite operators.

Britain’s Royal Air Force (RAF) has re-established 617 Sqdn. as the nation’s first unit to fly the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter.

Malaysia has awarded a $153 million contract to Kongsberg for an undisclosed number of Naval Strike Missiles (NSMs) to arm six light frigates under construction.

“We have entered the space game finally," a UK Royal Air Force official says.

The Space and Missile Systems Center is being restructured into what U.S. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson calls “SMC 2.0.”

HUNTINGTON INGALLS INDUSTRIES has $65m U.S. Navy contract for long lead-time material in support of Enterprise (CVN 80).

This week the Space Foundation’s 34th annual Space Symposium is underway in Colorado Springs.