Aerospace America

Knowledge inspires. Knowledge empowers. In that spirit, AIAA’s membership magazine informs you about the critical technology and policy issues through intelligent and highly visual journalism. Stay on top of the latest developments with our free online news stories. Then go deeper by receiving our visually stunning, print edition magazine with its in-depth articles, graphics and photos — all of which is available to members online as well. Aerospace America provides you with the knowledge, ideas and inspiration that can help you shape your career and the future of aerospace.

 Current Issue

The September issue of Aerospace America is now live. Don't miss this month's cover story, “250 Grams of Our History,” by Keith Button. A lot can go wrong when you’re trying to collect matter from deep space and bring it home. Your spacecraft could crash-land on its target, as a Japanese spacecraft did in 2005. Your capsule’s parachute could fail and the capsule could slam into the ground, breaking into thousands of pieces, as a NASA capsule did in 2004. Keith Button spoke to the team that aims to deliver bits of the asteroid Bennu home on Sept. 24 without any drama. Full Story 

Also, check out the Editor's Notebook, “Why Do We Fear Flying More than Driving? Here's a Hunch,” by Aerospace America Editor-in-Chief Ben Iannotta:  “In the United Kingdom, an unwritten rule says that two heirs to the British throne should not travel together by air, according to Business Insider and others. The intent, I suppose, is to avoid the royal equivalent of the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives becoming the leader of the free world.” Full Story 

In the issue's Q&A, “Water Whisperer,” Aerospace America associate editor Cat Hofacker speaks with Nada Vinogradova Shiffer, manager of the Ocean Physics Program at NASA Headquarters, about NASA's Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite, launched in December, which is the first to measure the cycling of water across Earth's entire surface, including its oceans, lakes and rivers. Full Story 

Also, see if you can solve this month's AeroPuzzler, “Great Spot.” Send a response of up to 250 words that someone in any field could understand to aeropuzzler@aerospaceamerica.org by noon Eastern September 13 for a chance to have it published in the next issue. Full Story 

To read these stories and all other exclusive content, log in to the Aerospace America website.