A pair of back-to back cargo launches to the International Space station are slated this week.

NASA now considers the SpaceX Falcon 9 to be a Category 3 launch vehicle, suitable for flying its most expensive and critical spacecraft.

Competitors will be required to conduct two separate launches to low Earth orbit within weeks of each other from two different sites.

Flying at Mach 1.4 and 50,000 ft., the X-59 is designed to produce a sonic “thump” of less than 75 PNLdB, compared with the 105-110-PLdB “double-bang” sonic boom produced by Concorde.

Airbus and British academia are studying the potential of very large satellite communication antennas to be placed in orbit.

British smallsat launcher firm Skyrora is planning to use additive manufactured engines for its Skyrora XL smallsat launcher.

The Hubble Space Telescope has resumed science operations following more than three weeks of troubleshooting involving its gyroscopes.

The entry period for the 2018 Aviation Week Photo Contest is closed. Good luck to all our entrants. Winners will be announced in online Dec. 7 and published in the Dec. 10-23 Aviation Week & Space Technology.