Sierra Nevada Corp. is moving into the original equipment manufacturer world for large uncrewed aircraft, announcing Oct. 10 it has acquired the UAV portfolio and intellectual property from Volansi.
At the request of its customer, United Launch Alliance is delaying the debut flight of its Vulcan-Centaur booster to the first quarter of 2023, though CEO Tory Bruno acknowledges that even if Astrobotic’s lunar lander was ready, it would be difficult to make the previously targeted December launch date due to delays with Vulcan’s BE-4 core stage engines.
The Advanced Air Mobility OEM Reality Index and Infrastructure Readiness Index reflect continued progress in the industry, from first flights to demonstrations that prove out flight, operations and infrastructure.
United Airlines has provided a glimpse of how it expects its sustainability plays to change the carrier’s fleet makeup by 2030, with its first electric-powered aircraft planned to be in service by then.
Flying personnel or equipment around U.S. Air Force test ranges has been identified as a likely early application for electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles.
Sweden’s Heart Aerospace may have moved up to 30 seats to increase the appeal of its planned electric regional airliner, but French startup Aura Aero continues to pursue a 19-seater and has announced letters of intent for another 130 aircraft, taking the total to more than 330.
The first crewed electric vertical takeoff and landing flight in Italian airspace has been conducted from the country’s first fully functional vertiport at Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport.
