NASA is seeking a quartet of applicants for the first in a series of three planned year-long simulations of life on Mars intended to evaluate how human explorers might respond to limited resources, equipment failures, communications delays and environmental stresses.
The existence of the new production facility also points to a likely return by the Skunk Works to a series manufacturing role after spending most of the last four decades focused on being a rapid prototyping arm and future concepts developer.
Startup space vehicle maker Firefly Aerospace continues to roll out offerings, announcing a new line of business dedicated to supplying rocket engines and components to the emerging new-space industry.
The UK Ministry of Defense plans to explore the use of free-space optical communications in low-Earth orbit through the use of a satellite demonstrator.
The Martian surface delivered a bit of a surprise late last week as NASA’s Perseverance rover tried to acquire its first sample of rock from the floor of Jezero Crater for caching and eventual return to Earth.
The Japanese Defense Ministry has reported to the ruling Liberal Democratic Party that the F-15J upgrade program will proceed without the Lockheed Martin AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), according to state broadcaster NHK.
The TH-73 arrived at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Florida, on Aug. 6 following the June 10 handover of the aircraft by manufacturer Leonardo in Philadelphia, where the aircraft is being produced.
As the Pentagon develops a plan to formalize the investigation of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), a group of scientists and researchers are advocating for greater civilian involvement.
A NASA-backed Moon mission targeted to launch from Wallops Island, Virginia, will instead fly from Rocket Lab’s New Zealand spaceport due to ongoing efforts by NASA to certify the Electron booster’s automated flight termination system for use at Wallops.
Building on their cooperation to install a first-of-kind space surveillance radar, LeoLabs and the New Zealand Space Agency have announced a multiyear agreement to develop a space regulatory and sustainability platform.
In a bid to bridge the so-called valley of death between technology demonstration and full-scale development, DARPA is exploring the concept of an “X Prime” program that would fit between an experimental X-plane and a Y-plane prototype and help transition capabilities from research to operation.
Eurofighter partner nations have agreed to a €300 million ($352.8 million) package of enhancements to boost the fighter’s capabilities that will also prepare the aircraft for future upgrades.
The recoverable exercise-variant torpedo, which lacks a warhead or propulsion system, was released by the aircraft near the UK’s main Poseidon operating base at RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland.
The U.S. government may offer the Colombian Air Force an option to buy used F-16s rather than a new production order, a senior U.S. Air Force official said on Aug. 6.
A sale of 50 F-35As and 18 MQ-9Bs to the UAE remains on hold as senior Biden administration officials continue to review the orders signed in the last days of the Trump White House that are worth a combined $13.4 billion, a U.S. Air Force official said on Aug. 5.
Startup hypersonic aircraft developer Hermeus has won a $60 million U.S. Air Force contract to develop single-engine flight demonstrators of its planned turbine-based, combined cycle-powered Mach 5 transport concept.
The UK Royal Air Force has declared the end of the operational career of its Boeing E-3D Sentry fleet after the airborne early warning aircraft flew its final missions over the Middle East at the end of July.
The U.S. State Department has approved the sale of 44 Raytheon RIM-116C Rolling Airframe Missiles Block 2 to Japan. The missiles are destined for Japan Maritime Self Defense Force ships.
In another blow for U.S. hypersonic flight testing, John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory confirmed that a long-delayed flow physics flight experiment supported by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory failed to meet “all science objectives” after an anomaly with the launch vehicle.
Launch of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner on a long-awaited reflight demonstration to the International Space Station remained on hold while engineers assessed options to address an issue with valves in the spacecraft’s propulsion system.
