Industry News
In This Section
News about the aerospace industry curated by AIAA staff
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ULA Launches Atlas 5 On Its 100th National Security Mission
30 July 2024
Spaceflight Now reports, “United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5 rocket marked its swan song when it comes to launching critical missions connected to U.S. national security. A launch at dawn sent up a classified payload as part of the United States... -
Air New Zealand Becomes First Major Carrier to Pull Back from Climate Goal
30 July 2024
BBC News reports, “Air New Zealand has abandoned a 2030 goal to cut its carbon emissions, blaming difficulties securing more efficient planes and... -
SpaceX Successfully Completes 300th Booster Reflight
29 July 2024
Spaceflight Now reports, “SpaceX continued its post-mishap resurgence with the first of planned back-to-back launches in the early morning hours of Sunday. -
Embraer’s Eve Unveils First Air Taxi Prototype
29 July 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “Eve Air Mobility, the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi subsidiary of Embraer, this week joined a select group of eVTOL... -
FAA Clears Falcon 9 to Resume Launches
26 July 2024
Space News reports SpaceX is ready to resume Falcon 9 rocket launches as soon as July 27 after completing an investigation into an upper stage anomaly two weeks earlier. -
Joby Completes Landmark 523-Mile Hydrogen-Electric Flight
26 July 2024
Aviation International reports, “Joby Aviation, a next generation aviation company, today announced it has successfully flown a first-of-its-kind hydrogen-electric air taxi demonstrator 523 miles, with... -
NASA’s MESSENGER Discovers Mercury Has Layer of Diamond 10 Miles Thick
25 July 2024
SPACE reports, Using data from NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft, scientists have determined that the solar system's tiniest planet, Mercury, hides a not-so-tiny secret: “a 10-mile-thick diamond... -
Safran Joins Boeing X-66A Sustainable Flight Demonstrator Project
25 July 2024
Aviation Week reports, "Boeing has selected Safran to provide the electrical power generation system for the airframer's X-66A aircraft which is in development as part of... -
NASA Readies Artemis 2 Core Stage for Vehicle Assembly Building
24 July 2024
Spaceflight Now reports the massive 212-foot-long core stage of the Space Launch System rocket arrived at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center late Tuesday morning. -
General Dynamics Business Jet Revenue Increases 50%
24 July 2024
Reuters reports that General Dynamics reported an 18% rise in second-quarter revenue on Wednesday, helped by higher demand... -
Military and NASA Working On Nuclear Spaceships Again
23 July 2024
Ars Technica reports, “The military and NASA seem serious about building demonstration hardware. Phoebus 2A, the most powerful space nuclear reactor ever made, was fired up at Nevada Test Site... -
Vertical Aerospace Begins Ground Testing New Air Taxi Prototype
23 July 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “U.K.-based electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi manufacturer Vertical Aerospace is back... -
AI Improves NOAA’s GOES-R Weather and Environmental Satellites
22 July 2024
Space News reports, “On June 25, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) launched the fourth and final satellite of the Geostationary Operational Environmental... -
Eve Air Mobility Unveils First Full-Scale eVTOL Prototype
22 July 2024
Aerotime reports that Eve Air Mobility “has announced the roll-out of a prototype of its first full-scale electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. -
Boeing Closer to Understanding Thruster Failures After Latest Testing
19 July 2024
AP News reports, “Boeing is closer to understanding what went wrong with its astronaut capsule in orbit, now that testing is complete on a spare thruster here on Earth. -
Communication Problems Cause Major US Carriers to Ground Flights
19 July 2024
Reuters reports that top U.S. airlines including Delta, United, and American, issued ground stops on Friday citing communication issues, as a global outage roiled... -
Commander of U.S. Space Command Conveys Confidence in Falcon 9’s Quick Return to Flight
18 July 2024
Space News reports, “The head of U.S. Space Command expressed confidence July 17 that SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will soon return to flight... -
Germany’s Lilium Earns Biggest Order Yet for Flying Taxis from Saudi Airline Group
18 July 2024
Reuters reports, “Germany-based air taxi developer Lilium on Thursday clinched its biggest order yet in a deal for Saudi airline Saudia Group to purchase up to 100... -
NASA Rolls Artemis 2 Booster Off Factory Floor In Preparation for 2025 Launch
17 July 2024
SPACE reports, “The core stage of the first rocket to launch astronauts to the moon in over 50 years has left its manufacturing facility, and is bound for vehicle integration... -
US Aviation Industry Asks Congress to Focus On ‘Neglected’ FAA Facilities
17 July 2024
Reuters reports, “Major U.S. aviation groups and unions urged Congress to address persistent shortfalls in funding for FAA facilities after a series of reports raised alarm... -
NASA to Evaluate Astronaut Launch Schedule In Wake of SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Failure
16 July 2024
SPACE reports, “NASA is waiting to see if there will be "schedule impacts" for its next astronaut mission aboard SpaceX after a rocket failure last week, the agency said in a recent statement. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket... -
Beta Electric Aircraft Conducts Two More ‘Real-Time’ Demos
16 July 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “After wrapping up its first test and deployment campaign with the U.S. Air Force in January, electric aircraft manufacturer Beta Technologies... -
NASA Europa Clipper Mission Imperiled by Chips on Spacecraft
15 July 2024
The New York Times reports, “NASA said on Thursday that it is studying the durability of transistors on a $5 billion spacecraft to Europa... -
Boeing Advancing Effort to Use Drones for Aircraft Inspection
15 July 2024
Avionics International reports, “Using small third-party drones for high-resolution imaging and its own artificial intelligence-based software algorithms, Boeing is expanding an effort to speed the inspection of military aircraft... -
SpaceX Falcon 9 Experiences Rare Engine Failure, Loses Starlink Satellites
12 July 2024
Via Satellite reports, “SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket suffered an engine failure during a Starlink mission on July 11, losing 20 Starlink satellites and triggering a Federal Aviation... -
Boeing’s 777X Receives FAA Green Light for Certification Flights
12 July 2024
The Seattle Times reports that the FAA has granted Boeing authority to begin flying its new 777X with FAA personnel on board — beginning a series of test flights needed “to win approval for the 777X... -
NASA Astronauts Are Sure That Boeing’s Starliner Will Get Them Home
11 July 2024
The Washington Post reports, “The two NASA astronauts who flew in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station last month said Wednesday that they have no concerns... -
Joby Exceeds Range Target for Hydrogen-Electric Air Tax Demonstrator
11 July 2024
Aviation Week reports, “While it pursues certification of its battery-powered air taxi and prepares to launch commercial service, Joby Aviation already is flying its electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft... -
First Launch of Ariane 6 Considered Partially Successful
10 July 2024
Aviation Week reports, “In a relatively complex mission, the first Ariane 6 medium- to heavy-lift launcher placed payloads into orbit in its debut flight July 9 and partially demonstrated... -
UrbanLink Partners with Skyway Technologies to Launch Caribbean Jet Service
10 July 2024
Flying Magazine reports that Lilium partner UrbanLink Air Mobility “on Tuesday announced a partnership with California-based vertiport developer and operator Skyway Technologies to install eVTOL hubs... -
NASA’s NEOWISE Spacecraft Set to Retire at End of Month
9 July 2024
Flying Magazine reports that NASA’s Near-Earth Object (NEO) Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or NEOWISE, “has taken millions of infrared measurements and studied tens of thousands of asteroids... -
Airbus Delivers 323 Aircraft in First Half
9 July 2024
Reuters reports, “Airbus confirmed on Monday it had delivered 323 airplanes in the first half of the year, up 2% from 316 in the same period of 2023. -
Chinese Spacewalkers Install Space-Junk Shielding on Tiangong Space Station
8 July 2024
SPACE reports, “Two Chinese astronauts continued installing space debris protection outside the nation's Tiangong space station” during a July 3 EVA. -
Air Force Asks for Increased Funding for Drone Wingmen Program
8 July 2024
Breaking Defense reports, “A reprogramming request recently submitted to Capitol Hill by the Pentagon asks for permission to shift an additional $150 million into the Air Force’s... -
NASA Says Boeing’s Starliner Capable of Staying in Space Beyond 45-Day Limit
3 July 2024
SPACE reports, “Boeing's Starliner capsule is performing well enough on its first-ever astronaut mission... -
American Airlines to Purchase ZeroAvia’s Hydrogen-Electric Engines for Regional Jets
3 July 2024
Aviation Week Network reports, “American Airlines has signed a conditional purchase agreement with ZeroAvia for 100 hydrogen-electric engines to power regional... -
Opinion: “Transferring the International Space Station into the Future”
2 July 2024
In an op-ed in Space News, Jean-Jacques Dordain and Michael Griffin suggest that when it's time to retire the ISS, it should be moved to higher orbit, so that it may one day be made useful again.... -
Next-Gen Fighter Still On Tap, But More Affordable Redesign Needed, Kendall Says
2 July 2024
Defense News reports, “The U.S. Air Force has not abandoned its program to build an advanced next-generation fighter, but it does need... -
NASA Orders More Starliner Tests as Crew Remains in Space
1 July 2024
Ars Technica reports, “NASA and Boeing officials pushed back Friday on headlines that the commercial Starliner crew capsule is stranded... -
Boeing Striving to Inspect Aircraft Autonomously
1 July 2024
Defense Daily reports, “Using small third-party drones for high-resolution imaging and its own artificial intelligence-based software algorithms, Boeing ... -
NASA to Partner with SpaceX to Deorbit International Space Station
28 June 2024
Ars Technica reports, “NASA has awarded an $843 million contract to SpaceX to develop a ‘US Deorbit Vehicle.’ This spacecraft will dock to the International Space Station... -
Boeing to Start Flight-Testing Multi-Mission Pod on P-8 in July
28 June 2024
Defense Daily reports, “Boeing in July will begin flight-testing its internally-developed Multi-Mission Pod on the P-8 Poseidon anti-submarine warfare... -
Breakup of Russian Satellite Creates Over 100 Pieces of Debris
28 June 2024
Via Satellite reports, “U.S. Space Command confirmed that a defunct Russian satellite broke up in Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) on Wednesday, creating more than 100 pieces... -
ULA Planning September Launch of Vulcan to Qualify for Space Force Missions
27 June 2024
Breaking Defense reports, “ULA CEO Tory Bruno explained that Air Force space acquisition czar Frank Calvelli asked Lockheed Martin and Boeing to create an independent review team to 'help' Vulcan production... -
Boeing Says Added Inspections Are Raising 737 Max Production Quality
27 June 2024
The New York Times reports, "Boeing says it has achieved significant quality improvements in the production of the 737 Max since one of the planes lost a panel... -
Astronauts Remain at ISS as Engineers Examine Issues with Starliner’s Propulsion System
26 June 2024
The Washington Post reports, “Before Boeing’s first flight with humans on its Starliner spacecraft earlier this month, the company and NASA said repeatedly... -
Wisk Aero Acquires Aerospace Software Company Verocel
26 June 2024
Flying Magazine reports that Wisk Aero “on Tuesday announced the acquisition of Verocel, a software verification and validation (V&V) company focused on the certification of aerospace software—with a particular focus... -
China Becomes First Country to Retrieve Rocks from Far Side of the Moon
25 June 2024
The New York Times reports, “China brought a capsule full of lunar soil from the far side of the moon down to Earth on Tuesday, achieving the latest success in an ambitious schedule to explore the moon and other parts... -
Joby May Perform Air Tours and Market Survey Flights before Starting Commercial Operations
25 June 2024
Aviation Week Network reports, “Joby Aviation may fly passengers on air tours and market survey flights before starting commercial air taxi operations, the company says. -
China’s Chang’e-6 Heads Home Carrying First-Ever Lunar Far Side Samples
24 June 2024
Space News reports, “China’s Chang’e-6 spacecraft is on its way to Earth to deliver samples collected from the far side of the moon. The Chang’e-6 service module likely fired its engines... -
Upgraded Bell CH-146C Mk II Griffon Performs First Flight for RCAF
24 June 2024
Vertical Magazine reports that the first Royal Canadian Air Force Bell CH-146 Griffon to have completed the CH-146C Mk II upgrade “has performed its maiden flight, the manufacturer has announced... -
Rocket Lab Marks Milestone with 50th Electron Rocket Launch
21 June 2024
Spaceflight Now reports, “Rocket Lab successfully reached a milestone that few commercial rockets achieved and at a pace that outperformed its competition. -
AeroVironment Successfully Flight Tests Heavy Fuel VTOL UAS
21 June 2024
Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “AeroVironment (AV) has successfully demonstrated its JUMP® 20 uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) with a heavy fuel engine. The higher horsepower and lower fuel burn rate... -
ESA’s Ariane 6 Moved to Launch Pad for First Flight
20 June 2024
SpaceWatch.Global reports, “The Ariane 6 Launcher Task Force has announced that Ariane 6’s first launch attempt... -
FAA Approves Joby Aviation’s Use of In-House Software for Air-Taxi Operations
20 June 2024
Reuters reports, “Joby Aviation said on Thursday the FAA has authorized the use of the air-taxi maker's in-house software to perform tasks such as managing pilot workload and matching passengers... -
Starliner Return Delayed a Few More Days as NASA and Boeing Study Data
19 June 2024
Ars Technica reports, “NASA and Boeing will take an additional four days to review all available data about the performance of the Starliner spacecraft before clearing the vehicle to return to Earth, officials said Tuesday. -
Will the Air Force Proceed with a Next-Gen Fighter Jet?
19 June 2024
Defense One reports, “Delays in Lockheed Martin’s F-35 program and Boeing’s lackluster performance on its own defense efforts could be driving recent—and unexpected... -
Perseverance Rover Finds Mysterious Boulder “Never Observed Before” on Mars
18 June 2024
CBS News reports, “While exploring a crater on Mars that may give scientists insights into life that potentially once existed there, NASA said its Perseverance rover... -
Airborne Lasers Offer New Hope for Missile Defense Agency
18 June 2024
Breaking Defense reports, “Airborne lasers are back in the sights of the Missile Defense Agency — a decade after the first attempt to build a system collapsed, having swallowed 16 years and $5 billion... -
Blue Origin Permitted to Bid on National-Security Launches
17 June 2024
Defense One reports, “The Pentagon has picked three companies—Blue Origin, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance—for its new satellite launch competition that was built to usher new entrants... -
Cessna Citation Ascend Completes First Test Flight
17 June 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “The second Cessna Citation Ascend test article has completed its first test flight, advancing development of the business jet program, according to Textron... -
Powerful Solar Storm Shows Radiation Will be a Real Challenge for Mars Colonists
14 June 2024
SPACE reports that a powerful solar storm in May 2024 created auroras on Mars that have provided scientists with crucial information that could aid future crewed... -
Aurora’s Centaur Aircraft Completes In-Air Data Collection
14 June 2024
Unmanned Systems Technology reports, “Aurora Flight Sciences has carried out flight testing with its Centaur optionally piloted aircraft (OPA), based on a certified twin-engine general aviation aircraft. Centaur is equipped... -
Voyager 1 Reactivated in Interstellar Space
13 June 2024
The Washington Post reports, “NASA engineers have succeeded in breathing new life into Voyager 1 after the spacecraft, launched in 1977, went silent seven months ago. -
U.S. Special Ops Command Partners with Merlin to Automate C-130s
13 June 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “The U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has awarded a $105 million contract to Merlin to build virtually autonomously operated C-130J Super Hercules... -
Virgin Galactic Retires Its Space Tourism Vehicle ‘Unity’ – Plans for Larger Replacement
12 June 2024
Flying Magazine reports, “Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity space tourism vehicle has been retired after its seventh flight on Saturday, and it will be at least two years... -
DARPA Announces 6 New Designs for Uncrewed VTOL Military Aircraft
12 June 2024
SPACE reports, “The U.S. military could soon have new uncrewed aircraft that carry weapons and take off and land... -
Starliner Astronaut Mission Extended Through June 18
11 June 2024
SPACE reports “’@NASA and @BoeingSpace teams set a return date of no earlier than Tuesday, June 18, for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test. The additional time in orbit... -
FAA Unveils Air Taxi Airworthiness Guidance to Help Streamline Certification Process
11 June 2024
Flight Global reports “The Federal Aviation Administration has released proposed guidance intended to help developers of electric air taxis better navigate the type-certification process... -
Virgin Galactic Chalks Up 7th Commercial Sub-Orbital Space Flight
10 June 2024
CBS News reports, “Two pilots, a Turkish research astronaut and three private citizens rocketed to space and back Saturday aboard Virgin Galactic's Unity spaceplane, enjoying spectacular views of Earth and about three minutes of... -
FAA Requiring G500 and G600 Inspections Due to Engine-Mount ‘Quality Escape’
10 June 2024
FlightGlobal reports, “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered inspections of the Gulfstream G500 and G600 fleet in response to a “quality escape” involving improperly installed... -
Boeing Starliner Docks with Space Station
7 June 2024
The Washington Post reports, “Boeing’s Starliner capsule, carrying a pair of NASA astronauts, docked with the International Space Station on Thursday... -
US Air Force Close to Having Rapid Electronic Warfare Update Capability
7 June 2024
Defense News reports, “The Air Force is 'very close' to being able to rapidly update electronic warfare systems with fresh battlefield data... -
First Launch of Ariane 6 Set for July 9
6 June 2024
Aviation Week reports, “After last year’s announcement of the June 15-30 window for the first flight of the Ariane 6 rocket, the European Space Agency... -
Archer Aviation Receives FAA Approval to Start Commercial Services
6 June 2024
Reuters reports, “Archer Aviation said on Wednesday the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted the company a certificate to begin commercial operations...