Industry News
News about the aerospace industry curated by AIAA staff
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China Makes Progress on Engine Program for Super Heavy Rocket
28 November 2023
Space News reports, “China is progressing with a program to develop full-flow staged-combustion-cycle methane engines to power its reusable Long March 9 super heavy-lift launcher.” -
German Air Taxi Firm Lilium Receives EU Approval for Electric Vehicles
28 November 2023
CNBC reports, “Lilium, a German air taxi firm, has received regulatory approval to design and operate its electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles... -
NASA Faces Possibility of Short-Term Gap in Human Space Station Missions
27 November 2023
Space News reported, “While NASA seeks to maintain an uninterrupted human presence in low Earth orbit, an agency official said a short-term gap between the International Space Station and commercial successors .... -
Sunday Air Travel Could Set Record, Travel Experts Say
27 November 2023
The Hill reported that according to travel experts, a “record number” of holiday travelers were expected to board flights on Sunday. The TSA “said it screened 2.6 million passengers Tuesday, and another 2.7 million were expected to pass through... -
Starship’s Second Launch Spread Less Debris Than its First
22 November 2023
Bloomberg reports that SpaceX’s second test flight “of its massive deep-space Starship rocket spread significantly less debris around the surrounding... -
Pentagon Set to Move Forward with Replicator Drone Program to Counter China
22 November 2023
Bloomberg reports the Pentagon “is likely to decide by mid-December what drones will make up the initial phase of its new Replicator program... -
2024 Space Coast Expects to See Most Astronaut Launches Since 2009
21 November 2023
The Orlando (FL) Sentinel reports that the business “of sending humans into space has not yet risen to the levels seen during the space shuttle program, but 2024 could see the most U.S.-based orbital launches in 15 years.” -
Boeing Delivers Final Test MH-139 to USAF
21 November 2023
Aviation Week reports that The Boeing Company “has delivered the sixth and final test MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopter to the US Air Force, completing the evaluation... -
NASA’s Psyche Probe Achieves First Light Transmission
20 November 2023
Aviation Week reported that NASA recently “conducted a test of laser communications capabilities with a ‘first light’ transmission from the Deep Space Optical... -
Embraer CEO Touts Company Future
20 November 2023
Aviation International News reported that Embraer CEO Francisco Gomes Neto spoke at Embraer’s Media Day presentation in New York on Friday and “said the company is now reaping the harvest from the investments and changes it made... -
ULA Prepares for First Vulcan Centaur Launch
17 November 2023
Orlando (FL) Sentinel reports that United Launch Alliance “has its missing rocket piece in hand at Cape Canaveral and all systems are go... -
USAF Wants Early CCA to Have Range Equal to or Beyond That of Fighter Aircraft
17 November 2023
Aviation Week reported that the US Air Force “wants its early Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) to have range equal to or beyond that of fighter aircraft, with potentially aerial refueling... -
SpaceX Considers Spinning Off Starlink Via IPA Next Year
16 November 2023
Bloomberg reports that SpaceX is “discussing an initial public offering for its fast-growing Starlink satellite business as soon as late 2024... -
Profile: Embraer’s E-Jet Challenges Boeing, Airport Narrowbody Supremacy
16 November 2023
Autoevolution profiles Embraer’s E-Jet family as a perpetual underdog in what would otherwise be a two-horse race in the global narrowbody jet competition... -
US Spaceplane to Return to Orbit on SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy
15 November 2023
FlightGlobal reports that the secretive “spaceplane” operated by the US Space Force (USSF) “will return to orbit for its seventh long-endurance mission... -
GE Aerospace’s XA100 Engine Completes Third Phase of Ground Tests
15 November 2023
Aviation Week reports that “GE Aerospace has wrapped a third phase of ground tests on its XA100 adaptive turbofan engine, as it continues to press for support to re-engine the F-35... -
Tool Bag Dropped During ISS Spacewalk
14 November 2023
CNN reports that NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O’Hara “marked their first spacewalk this month with a tool bag floating through space.” The pair “concluded their maintenance work outside the International Space... -
Bell Promoting Range of Helicopters at Dubai Air Show
14 November 2023
FlightGlobal reports, “Bell is promoting a range of helicopters at this year’s Dubai Air Show, including the Bell 429 configured for parapublic missions... -
Rocket Scientist Quarterback Moves Team Towards the NFL Playoffs
13 November 2023
A profile of NFL quarterback Josh Dobbs in The Wall Street Journal discussed his background in aerospace engineering, including his two NFL offseasons moonlighting at NASA... -
Lilium Progresses Along Path of Producing its Lilium Jet Air Taxi
13 November 2023
Aviation Week reported that Lilium has “signed up a supplier of silicon-anode battery cells for its Lilium Jet electric air taxi... -
Wizz Air Prepares for Grounded Aircraft Over Pratt & Whitney Engine Issues
10 November 2023
Aviation Week reports that Wizz Air “said an average of 45 of its Airbus A320neo-family aircraft will be grounded due to Pratt & Whitney GTF engine issues... -
Dream Chaser Lifting Body Ready for NASA Delivery Ahead of 2024 Launch
10 November 2023
Aviation Week reports that the lifting body concept – “long considered a leading contender for routine and affordable access to space – will finally have a chance... -
Joshua Dobbs Highlighted
9 November 2023
The Star Tribune spotlights Joshua Dobbs, the Vikings new quarterback, who majored in aerospace engineering at the University of Tennessee and was involved with AIAA’s... -
Future Space Missions Are Being Designed to Take Advantage of New Generation of Very Large Launch Vehicles
9 November 2023
The Space Review reported on future space missions being designed “to take advantage of a new generation of very large launch vehicles” that will “offer greater mass and volume” at lower prices. -
Airbus Creeps Towards Full-Year Delivery Goal with 18% Year-Over-Year Increase for October
8 November 2023
Reuters reports that Airbus “needs to deliver 161 aircraft in the last two months of the year to reach its full-year delivery target, fractionally below the performance seen in the closing stages of last year.” -
SpaceX Launches Starlink Mission
8 November 2023
Florida Today reports that with SpaceX’s newly “installed crew access arm for use by future astronauts stationed alongside on a support tower, a Falcon 9 rocket blazed into... -
Rocket Scientist Moonlights as Professional Quarterback
7 November 2023
Forbes reports that Joshua Dobbs started a game at quarterback for a new team the same week he arrived. For his new team, he had to learn cadences including numbers, colors, and other codes... -
Curiosity Logs 4,000th Day on Mars
7 November 2023
Phys (UK) reports that four thousand Martian days “after setting its wheels in Gale Crater on Aug. 5, 2012, NASA’s Curiosity rover remains busy conducting exciting science.” -
Latest Boeing EcoDemonstrator Studies SAF Use on Contrails
6 November 2023
Aviation International News reports that while studies have determined an 85% reduction of carbon emissions from sustainable aviation fuel... -
SpaceX Marks Space Coast Record with 60th Launch this Year
6 November 2023
The Orlando (FL) Sentinel reported another Space Coast night launch “Friday marked the 60th liftoff from the Space Coast for the year... -
Joby CEO Announces 84% Completion of Stage 3 FAA Certification Work for EVTOL Aircraft
3 November 2023
Aviation Today reports that Joby Aviation CEO JoeBen Bevirt says the company’s eVTOL aircraft is 84% on its way to completing FAA Stage 3 certification requirements. -
Virgin Galactic Launches 5th Commercial Flight
3 November 2023
Spaceflight Now reported that the first of two Falcon 9 missions SpaceX “is planning for Sunday... -
Airbus Helicopters Uncrewed VSR700 Completes First Test Flight Campaign
2 November 2023
Aviation Week reports that Airbus Helicopters’ uncrewed VSR700 rotorcraft “has completed its latest flight test campaign, demonstrating its ability... -
NASA’s Lucy Spacecraft Passes First of 10 Asteroids on Trip to Jupiter
2 November 2023
AP reports that on Wednesday, NASA’s Lucy spacecraft “encountered the first of 10 asteroids on its long journey to Jupiter.” The spacecraft “swooped past the pint-sized Dinkinesh, about 300 million miles (480 million kilometers) away in the main asteroid belt beyond Mars.” -
JetBlue Predicts Pratt & Whitney Engine Issues to Ground Aircraft through Next Year
1 November 2023
FlightGlobal reports that JetBlue Airways “expects six of its Airbus A321neos to be grounded by Pratt & Whitney (P&W) engine problems by year-end... -
Space Force Assigns 21 Launch Missions to ULA, SpaceX as Part of NSSL Phase 2 Contract
1 November 2023
Space News reports that on October 31, Space Systems Command “announced 21 launch missions have been assigned to United Launch Alliance and SpaceX as part of the National Security Space Launch... -
Embraer Sees Backlogs Rise in Q3
31 October 2023
Aviation Week reports that Embraer “delivered 28 executive aircraft and 15 commercial aircraft during the third quarter (Q3) of 2023, up 30% from 33... -
NASA Safety Panel Expresses Concerns About ISS Transition Plans
31 October 2023
Space News reported that a “NASA safety panel expressed concerns about NASA’s plans to shift from the International Space Station to commercial successors, including funding for an ISS deorbit vehicle.” During its October 26 public meeting.... -
HAL to Produce Forgings for CFM International LEAP Engines
30 October 2023
FlightGlobal reports that Hindustan Aeronautics (HAL) and Safran have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for HAL to produce engine forgings... -
SpaceX Launches 22 More Starlink Satellites
30 October 2023
Spaceflight Now reported that the first of two Falcon 9 missions SpaceX “is planning for Sunday carried into orbit the largest batch of second-generation Starlink satellites... -
Northrop Grumman Remains on Track to Fly B-21 Raider Before End of 2023
27 October 2023
FlightGlobal reports Northrop Grumman said that it “remains on track to fly the secretive B-21 Raider stealth bomber before the end of 2023... -
SpaceX’s Starship Faces US Review on Path to Launch Resumption
27 October 2023
Bloomberg reports that the US Fish and Wildlife Service “initiated a formal review of the upgrades SpaceX has made to its Starship launch system... -
USAF Conducting “Ground Taxi Activities” with B-21 Raider Ahead of First Flight
26 October 2023
Inside Defense reports the US Air Force said that it is “conducting ‘ground taxi activities’ with the B-21 Raider ahead of the bomber’s first flight.” -
Cosmonauts Find Radiator Coolant Leak on ISS During Spacewalk
26 October 2023
Spaceflight Now reports that two Russian spacewalkers “floated outside the International Space Station Wednesday and isolated a leaking radiator as planned, apparently causing residual coolant... -
StandardAero Commences CFM56-7B Test Capabilities at Dallas Facility
25 October 2023
Aviation Week reports that US maintenance provider StandardAero “has commenced test services for the CFM56-7B engine at its engine hospital shop close to Dallas/Fort Worth... -
NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter Achieves Longest Flight in 18 Months
25 October 2023
SPACE reports that NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter “conducted its 63rd Mars flight on Thursday (Oct. 19), covering 1,901 feet (579 meters) of ground in the process.” That was “its longest distance since Flight 25... -
Airbus Helicopters Opens 3D Printing Center
24 October 2023
Aviation International News reports that Airbus Helicopters “has opened a new 3D printing center at its Donauwörth, Germany site... -
USSF Prioritizing Modernization of Spaceports
24 October 2023
Space News reports that the need to “modernize US spaceports has been discussed for years, but major upgrades have yet to materialize.” With $1.3 billion in projected “funding for spaceport... -
Value of Older Commercial Aircraft Increases as New Models Experience Problems
23 October 2023
The Wall Street Journal reported the value of 10-year-old planes, particularly the Airbus A320-200, has surged by 10% since August, recovering from the pandemic. -
NOAA Says Evidence of Rare Metals in Stratosphere Likely from Rocket Launches
23 October 2023
The Washington Post reports NOAA researchers collected and analyzed particles in the stratosphere that indicates the presence of rare elemental metals niobium... -
American Airlines Exceeds 3Q Profit Estimates
20 October 2023
Reuters reports on Thursday American Airlines posted its third-quarter earnings, which “beat estimates for third-quarter adjusted profit.” American “said bookings for the upcoming holiday season have been steady... -
Commercial Space Companies Warn Congress to Improve Regulations or US May Lose Spaceflight Lead
20 October 2023
Spaceflight Now reports that the three companies that “have flown people to space and back, Blue Origin, SpaceX and Virgin Galactic, joined two experts at a Congressional hearing... -
Rolls-Royce Pearl 10X Engine Passes 2,000 Hour Milestone
19 October 2023
Aviation International News reports that Rolls-Royce’s Pearl 10X engine “has now passed the 2,000-hour milestone in ground-testing.” Rated at “more than 18,000 pounds of thrust, the engine met its thrust objectives... -
NASA Conducts First in Series of Ground-Test Firings to Certify Upgraded RS-25 Engine
19 October 2023
Aviation Week reports that “NASA has conducted the first in a planned series of 12 ground-test firings to certify the upgraded Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-25 engine... -
HondaJet Echelon Officially Launched at NBAA-BACE
18 October 2023
Aviation Week reports that Honda Aircraft formally “launched the HondaJet Echelon Model HA-480 light jet program during NBAA-BACE, announcing it has signed more... -
SpaceX Launch Marks a Tie of 2022’s Record Number of Launches
18 October 2023
Orlando (FL) Sentinel reports that a SpaceX launch “from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Tuesday night marked the Space Coast’s 57th launch of the year... -
Pratt & Whitney-Powered A320neo Groundings Start as FAA-Required Inspections Begin
17 October 2023
Aviation Week reports that groundings of Pratt & Whitney-powered Airbus A320neos “are climbing fast as operators remove engines for accelerated... -
EU Nations Eager to Expand Human Low-Earth-Orbit Presence
17 October 2023
Aviation Week reports that the first all-European private astronaut crew “is working toward a planned 14-day visit aboard the International... -
Amazon Launches Aviation Maintenance Career Training Program
16 October 2023
Aviation Week reported that Amazon has “joined widespread efforts to grow the aviation maintenance workforce pipeline.” -
SpaceX Launches Two Missions in One Day
16 October 2023
Orlando (FL) Sentinel reported that after abiding by NASA’s request “to give its Psyche mission on a Falcon Heavy launch its full attention this week, SpaceX lined up and knocked out a Falcon 9 launch just hours later on Friday.” -
European Airlines Say Sustainable Fuel Goals Could Lead to Higher Fares
13 October 2023
Reuters reports, “European airline chiefs said on Thursday the industry needs to make more money and may consolidate further to pay for sustainability targets... -
NASA Delays Test Flights of X-59 to 2024
13 October 2023
Aviation Week in paywalled coverage reports NASA “has pushed back the first flight of the X-59 low-boom supersonic demonstrator to 2024 after a series of subsystem issues encountered during check-out tests at Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works... -
Boeing Flies Upgraded AH-64E Apache Attack Helicopter for First Time
12 October 2023
Defense News reports Boeing announced at the AUSA conference that it has “flown a new version of the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter with upgraded capabilities.” -
NASA Postpones Spacewalk Due to Coolant Leak from Russian ISS Module
12 October 2023
SPACE eports NASA officials have postponed a planned spacewalk from the ISS “as a precautionary measure after a leak of ammonia coolant... -
GA-ASI Completes Test of Small UAS Aerial Recovery System
11 October 2023
The Drive reports GA-ASI has “begun flight demonstrations of a system it’s developed that will allow small drones to be launched and recovered in mid-air... -
NASA Using SpaceX Falcon Heavy to Launch Psyche Mission
11 October 2023
The Orlando (FL) Sentinel reports NASA is using SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket “for the first time, aiming to send a probe... -
Joby Aviation Founder Says Electric Air Taxis Will be in Service by 2025
10 October 2023
The AP reports that in an interview, Joby Aviation founder JoeBen Bevirt said that its electric air taxis will be in service within two years. -
Virgin Galactic Completes Fourth Commercial Suborbital Flight
10 October 2023
SPACE reports that Virgin Galactic “is preparing for its fourth commercial spaceflight mission.” Galactic 04 will “carry a three-person crew accompanied by the company’s head astronaut instructor, as well as... -
Wisk Aero Makes Autonomous eVTOL Flight from California Airport
9 October 2023
Aviation Week reports Wisk Aero has started "conducting test flights of its autonomous air taxi out of Long Beach Airport, California, which the Boeing subsidiary... -
SpaceX Launches 21 More Starlink Satellites from California
9 October 2023
SPACE reports that early Monday morning, SpaceX launched 21 more of its Starlink broadband satellites "atop a Falcon 9 rocket from California's Vandenberg Space Force... -
US Airlines Moving to Larger Aircraft to Combat Operating Challenges
6 October 2023
Reuters reports that United Airlines 110 aircraft order from The Boeing Company and Airbus this week is part of a trend of US carriers moving to larger aircraft... -
Elon Musk Believes SpaceX Can Land On Mars Three to Four Years from Now
6 October 2023
The New York Times reports that SpaceX founder Elon Musk “said the company could land a spacecraft on Mars three to four years from now.” In a Q&A session... -
Collins Aerospace Opens ‘The Grid’ in Illinois
5 October 2023
FlightGlobal reports that Collins Aerospace “has now opened ‘The Grid,’ a long-planned Illinois facility that houses its development of electric and hybrid-electric propulsion technologies... -
SpaceX Launches 22 More Starlink Satellites
5 October 2023
SPACE reports that SpaceX “launched 22 more of its Starlink internet satellites to orbit early this morning (Oct. 5), on the company’s 70th orbital mission... -
Reliable Robotics Completes Study for USAF Examining Autonomous Flight
4 October 2023
Aviation Week reports that Reliable Robotics “has completed a study for the U.S. Air Force examining retrofitting the service’s large multi-engine jets...