Industry News
In This Section
News about the aerospace industry curated by AIAA staff
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Army Establishes First Enlisted Space Operations Force
7 October 2026
Payload reports that the U.S. Army has begun fielding its first permanent group of enlisted space warfighters, noting that…
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Air Force Faces AI Readiness Challenge for Collaborative Combat Aircraft
7 October 2026
Defense Daily reports that artificial intelligence readiness is emerging as a significant hurdle for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative…
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Satellite Megaconstellation Plans Raise Pressure on Orbital Resources
6 October 2026
SpaceNews reports that increasingly ambitious megaconstellation plans are intensifying competition for orbital resources as companies and governments…
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U.S. Army Looks to Depots to Accelerate Drone Production
6 October 2026
Aviation Week reports that the U.S. Army is opening its depots to drone-part production as the Pentagon looks for ways to rapidly expand manufacturing…
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Denver Broncos Team With MDA Space in First Space Industry Partnership
5 October 2026
Via Satellite reports that the Denver Broncos have named MDA Space their first-ever space industry partner, raising the…
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Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A Talon Blue Completes First Autonomous Flight
5 October 2026
AeroTime reports that Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A Talon Blue has completed its first fully autonomous flight in Mojave…
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SpaceX Falcon Heavy Launches Classified NRO Mission from Kennedy Space Center
2 October 2026
Spaceflight Now reports a SpaceX Falcon Heavy launched a classified National Reconnaissance Office mission from NASA’s…
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Air Force Seeks Small Drones to Extend Communications in Contested Environments
2 October 2026
Defense Daily reports the U.S. Air Force is seeking already-developed, attritable small drones that could form a communications…
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Blue Origin Eyes Major Increase in New Glenn Launches
1 October 2026
Spaceflight Now reports Blue Origin was able to secure permission from the Federal Aviation Administration for a daytime launch.
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NASA SR-71 Blackbird: 6 Reasons #844 Could Be the Comeback Choice
1 October 2026
Aerospace Global News reports that speculation is growing about a possible return to flight for NASA’s SR-71 Blackbird #844, although the agency has not confirmed…
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Crew-13 Astronauts to Advance ISS National Lab Research
30 September 2026
Upward reports that astronauts launching on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission will support a variety of ISS National Lab-sponsored research during their six-month…
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Boeing Wins US Navy F/A-XX Sixth-Generation Fighter
30 September 2026
Aerotime reports that the U.S. Navy has selected Boeing to develop the F/A-XX, its sixth-generation carrier-based strike fighter. The decision gives Boeing “both…
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NASA, for the Time Being, is Unable to Move the Space Station’s Large Robotic Arm
29 September 2026
Ars Technica reports that engineers encountered issues with the International Space Station’s 58-foot-long Canadarm2 robotic arm and its mobile transporter following a routine…
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Airbus A350F Completes Maiden Flight in Toulouse
29 September 2026
AeroTime reports that five years after Airbus first announced the A350F concept, its new-generation freighter completed its maiden flight September 29 from Toulouse Blagnac…
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Starship Reaches Orbit for First Time on Flight 14
28 September 2026
The New York Times reports that SpaceX’s Starship reached orbit for the first time Monday during its 14th test flight, marking a major milestone…
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Beta’s Electric Alia Completes Medical Missions Across North Carolina
28 September 2026
Aviation International News reports that Beta Technologies’ all-electric Alia CX300 is being put to the test for real-world medical and…
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Google to Test Space-Based A.I. Computing With Experimental Satellite
25 September 2026
The New York Times reports that Google plans to send an experimental satellite into orbit next Thursday with enough computing power to answer simple A.I. queries…
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Vertical Aerospace Opens Valo Assembly Centre, Eyes 1,000 Aircraft a Year
25 September 2026
Aerospace Global News reports that Vertical Aerospace has opened its new Aircraft Assembly Centre at Cotswold Airport, where it will begin manufacturing its Valo…
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Starship Flight 14 Fully Stacked Ahead of Possible Monday Launch
24 September 2026
Spaceflight Now reports that SpaceX has fully assembled the Starship vehicle for Flight 14 at Starbase, stacking Ship 41…
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Turkish Airlines Firms Up Major Order for 100 Boeing 737 MAX Jets
24 September 2026
AeroTime reports that Turkish Airlines has committed to purchasing 100 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, with options for 50 additional…
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Exolaunch Signs SpaceX Deal for 2029 Starfall Mission
23 September 2026
SatNews reports that Exolaunch has signed an agreement with SpaceX for a dedicated Starfall mission aboard Starship in 2029, expanding the company beyond…
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Electra Tests Ultra-Short Airport Operations With EL2 Demonstrator
23 September 2026
AeroTime reports that Electra has tested its hybrid-electric EL2 demonstrator from an adapted heliport at Virginia’s Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport as part of…
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Expanded Industry Support Boosts ISS National Lab’s Orbital Edge Accelerator
23 September 2026
Upward reports that increased support from investors, sponsors, and industry partners is helping expand the ISS National Lab’s Orbital Edge Accelerator in its second year…
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Northrop Grumman Adds Utah Manufacturing Capacity for B-21 Raider
22 September 2026
Defense Daily reports that Northrop Grumman has expanded its B-21 Raider manufacturing capacity with the opening…
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Space Industry Confronts Growing Rocket Supply Crunch
22 September 2026
The Wall Street Journal reports that a shortage of available rockets is creating a scramble across the space industry…
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Joby Completes Autonomous Coast-to-Coast Flight with Cessna Caravan
21 September 2026
FLYING reports that a converted Cessna 208 Grand Caravan equipped with Joby Aviation’s autonomy technology completed what…
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SpaceX Launches 27 Starlink Satellites from Vandenberg
21 September 2026
An early-evening Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base added another 27 satellites to SpaceX’s Starlink constellation.
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Honeywell Aerospace-Led Project Advances Hydrogen-Electric Propulsion
18 September 2026
A Honeywell Aerospace-led consortium of 18 European companies has advanced development of a megawatt-class hydrogen-electric…
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NASA Plans New Starliner Missions, Support for Thruster Fixes
18 September 2026
NASA is preparing several moves aimed at keeping Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft flying, with Ars Technica reporting that the agency…
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New Wingcopter 262 Targets Reconnaissance Missions with Six-Hour Endurance
17 September 2026
Wingcopter has introduced the Wingcopter 262, an all-electric reconnaissance aircraft designed for missions lasting up to six hours as…
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China Completes Four Space Launches in Less Than 48 Hours
17 September 2026
China carried out four launches in less than 48 hours beginning Tuesday, with missions originating from the Jiuquan and Hainan spaceports…
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GA-ASI Flight Test Validates Open Architecture for Autonomous Drone Missions
16 September 2026
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and Tactical Air Support demonstrated an open-architecture approach to autonomous drone operations…
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Roman Telescope’s Precision Trajectory Could Extend Mission to 22 Years
16 September 2026
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is on such a precise trajectory toward its observation post that engineers now estimate…
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Merlin, Textron Explore Pilotless Aircraft for Defense Logistics
15 September 2026
Aviation News Daily reports Textron Aviation and autonomous flight developer Merlin are advancing an uncrewed cargo…
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Air Force Secretary Confirms U.S. Has Deployed Space Defense Weapons
15 September 2026
Defense One reports the U.S. has publicly confirmed that it maintains space-control weapons in orbit, a rare acknowledgment…
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Lockheed Martin Expands Vectis Drone Program with Four Additional Prototypes
14 September 2026
Breaking Defense reports Lockheed Martin is “doubling down on its internal investments” in the Vectis stealth drone program, announcing…
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Antares Secures $161M DoD Award to Advance Nuclear Power in Space
14 September 2026
Payload reports Antares has won a $161 million DoD contract to advance nuclear power for space, which the company says is the largest…
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Joby eVTOL Begins Week of eIPP Flights across North Texas
11 September 2026
Aviation International News reports Joby Aviation has launched a week of electric air taxi demonstration flights across the Dallas…
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US Military Conducts First Live-Fly Orbital “Dogfighting” Exercise
11 September 2026
Aerospace Global News reports U.S. Space Command has completed its inaugural Apollo Maneuvers 2026 exercise, testing…
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GE Aerospace Targets Major Fighter Engine Production Expansion
10 September 2026
Aviation Week reports GE Aerospace is working to overcome supply chain bottlenecks and introduce broad production system…
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SpaceX Launches Classified U.S. Space Force Mission from Vandenberg
10 September 2026
SpaceX successfully launched its latest national security mission for the U.S. Space Force on Thursday, sending the classified…
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Boeing Delivers 51 Jets in August as Dreamliner Handovers Decline
9 September 2026
Aviation News reports Boeing delivered 51 commercial aircraft in August, with a slowdown in 787 Dreamliner handovers contributing…
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Space Force Launch Plans Grow by 91 Missions and Nearly $17 Billion
9 September 2026
Air & Space Forces Magazine reports the U.S. Space Force is preparing for a significant expansion of its launch program as demand…
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PAL-V Reaches Key EASA Certification Milestone for Flying Car
8 September 2026
Aerotime reports Dutch flying car developer PAL-V has moved another step closer to bringing its aircraft to market after receiving European…
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Isar Aerospace Makes History with Europe’s First Fully Commercial Orbital Launch
8 September 2026
Ars Technica reports Isar Aerospace achieved a major milestone for Europe’s commercial space sector Saturday, successfully launching its Spectrum…
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Navy Details Plans for Carrier-Based Collaborative Combat Aircraft
3 September 2026
Defense Daily reports the U.S. Navy is offering new insight into its plans for a future carrier-based Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). A notice published this week…
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SpaceX Falcon 9 Booster Completes 35th Flight in Starlink Launch
3 September 2026
SPACE reports a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 27 Starlink satellites from California early Wednesday morning (Sept. 2). It was the 35th flight for the rocket’s…
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Sceye HAPS Completes First Transpacific Flight from U.S. to Japan
2 September 2026
Aerotime reports U.S. firm Sceye, which develops High-Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS) for communications and surveillance, announced it has completed…
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Astronauts Upgrade ISS Systems During Sixth All-Female Spacewalk
2 September 2026
SPACE reports NASA astronaut Jessica Meir and ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot completed a 6-hour, 49-minute spacewalk outside the International Space Station…
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Airbus Flexrotor Begins European Maritime Surveillance Missions
2 September 2026
Aviation News Daily reports Airbus Helicopters has “commenced operational maritime surveillance missions” using its U030 Flexrotor uncrewed aerial system…
