Aviation Week & Space Technology

Oct. 4-6—ISTAT Europe 2015. Hilton Prague. Prague. See istat.org/p/cm/ld/fid=49 Oct. 4-7—2015 ACI-NA Annual Conference & Exhibition. Long Beach Convention Center. Long Beach, California. See annual.aci-na.org

Team hopes stratospheric mountain waves and polar night jet stream will combine to propel Perlan 2 glider into the stratosphere and a record altitude for sustained level flight of 90,000 ft.

Remember when the F-35 was going to be the only Western fighter in production after 2020? That’s not how it looks today.

The U.K.’s mini UAVs; GA-ASI trains UAV pilots; F-35 avionics; Japanese missile defense; and a sole-source U.S. contract.

The technical centerpiece of China’s new launchers, the YF-100 engine, has now flown in the smallest member of the family, Long March 6. The rapid-response solid-propellant launcher Long March 11, meanwhile, should fly imminently.

Enceladus is home to a global subsurface ocean that sprays plumes of ice from its south pole.

Scott Kelly has some tricks for enduring his year-long stay on the space station.

Developers hope to ground test a turbine engine at Mach 3.2 in the coming months, paving the way for long-range supersonic cruise missiles as well as potentially laying the foundation for a viable combined-cycle hypersonic propulsion system.

Leaked details from a Norwegian defense planning document appear to support continued procurement of the planned full complement of Lockheed Martin F-35s.

Low-cost carriers in Mexico are already outpacing legacy airlines, but want to grow the overall market by enticing bus passengers to fly and save time, at competitive fares.

Four industry groups say Aviation Week was wrong in predicting that ICAO’s 2020 fuel-burn goals will be missed.

SpaceX and other new players in the A&D field may change the way heritage providers do business.

The ruling makes it easier for carriers to be successfully sued over flight cancellations and suppliers over defective parts.

Among Chinese carriers, Hainan Airlines is the most eager to try long, thin international routes. The government has decided the airline has the most use for the A330s in a bulk order placed in June.

JT8D engines powering MD-88s suffer the worst fan-blade erosion of any engine in Delta’s fleet. FAA research program will support tests of an anti-erosion coating.

XTI’s VTOL TriFan appeals to crowdfunders; game-changing demos at AFRL; fast-formable composite parts; how UAS can help in a crisis; more unmanned news.

Deep-space flight time and expense could be greatly reduced through the use of nuclear rocket engines and make Mars exploration more feasible.

For the foreseeable future, national security space launches will keep the United Launch Alliance and enginemaker Aerojet in business. But the outlook down the road is full of change and opportunity, as Blue Origin plans to build a new launch vehicle and test facility in Florida and will team up with ULA on a new Vulcan rocket.

Historic space-launch facilities in Florida are getting a private-sector makeover

What is a ‘real’ operational test, anyway; NASA doubts Orbital can meet its schedule for returning Antares to flight and Japan may lift restrictions on daytime flights to the U.S.

NTSB points to possible broader problems in the industry with missed safety checks.

Australia’s Airbus Tiger helicopters, which were under threat of abrupt replacement early this year, are proving their worth. Belated declaration of final operational capability is likely only a few months away.

After years of delays and development problems, Australia’s MRH90 helicopters are finally going into service.

Republican lawmaker says NASA shortchanged itself in delaying the first manned Orion flight.

The smooth performance of helicopter deliveries to Australia under U.S. FMS contracts contrasts with troublesome programs for two Airbus types that were immature when ordered