Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

By Mark Carreau
In a 2024 update to its evolving Moon-to-Mars Architecture Definition Document, NASA lists five new high-priority technology gaps, including lunar-dust-mitigation systems.
Space Exploration

By Robert Wall
The EU and ESA signed a concession contract with a European industry consortium to deploy a roughly 292-satellite secure, sovereign communications system.
Satellites

By Chen Chuanren
BAE Systems Australia says its vertical-takeoff-and-landing uncrewed combat aircraft system, known as Strix, has made its debut flight.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Matthew Fulco
Oklahoma and Taiwan have deepened their budding aerospace and defense partnership with two new agreements.
Manufacturing & Supply Chain

By Guy Norris
Stratolaunch is recycling for another attempt at the first reusable test flight of the Talon A hypersonic testbed after aborting a mission on Dec. 13.
Emerging Technologies

By Robert Wall
South Korean launcher startup Innospace says supply chain and other issues have driven it to delay the launch of its Hanbit-Nano rocket to July 2025.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Guy Norris
Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 technology demonstrator probed deeper into the transonic speed regime during its ninth test flight from Mojave Air & Space Port.
Emerging Technologies

By Irene Klotz
SpaceX is seeking a special election in Texas to incorporate the private Starbase community that serves as a manufacturing complex, test facility and spaceport.
Budget, Policy & Regulation

By Garrett Reim
Airbus Ventures invests in Singapore-based Eureka Robotics.
Emerging Technologies

By Mark Carreau
NASA’s Langley Research Center has issued a request for information (RFI) supporting a potential Earth aerocapture technology demonstration mission.
Space Exploration

By Mark Carreau
NASA’s Lucy mission spacecraft sped close by the Earth for a second gravity assist to place the probe on a course for the first flybys of five Trojan asteroids.
Space Exploration

By Thierry Dubois
Unseenlabs, boosted by the success of its in-orbit constellation of non-cooperative ship-detection satellites, is preparing its next generation.
Commercial Space

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Army and Navy have conducted a successful, end-to-end test of the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon as they look to field similar versions of the system.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Robert Wall
The Polish Ministry of Defense has signed a contract to upgrade its 16 Airbus C295M transport aircraft.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
The lead system integrators in the trinational Global Combat Air Program have agreed to form a joint venture that will go on to produce the future fighter.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Steve Trimble
Two ground-launched ballistic missiles have struck a simulated enemy target with the predicted trajectory.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Robert Wall
The Indian government has signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics for 12 more Su-30MKI combat aircraft.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Robert Wall
Hensoldt CEO Oliver Dorre is looking to boost the German defense electronic supplier’s international footprint as part of a new growth plan.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Brandon Patrick
Data from Aviation Week Intelligence Network’s Fleet Discovery Military tool indicate that what remained of deposed Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s air force after a decade of civil war may not have posed a modern threat.
AWIN Knowledge Center

By Michael Bruno
Boeing has pledged to invest $1 billion in its South Carolina operation as it looks to double 787 widebody production within two years.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Garrett Reim
Astroscale’s Active Debris Removal by Astroscale-Japan approached to within 15 m of an orbiting derelict Mitsubishi Heavy Industries H-IIA upper-stage body.
Commercial Space

By Vivienne Machi
United Launch Alliance is exploring ways to turn its Centaur upper stage into a rocket that can dynamically move around space.
Launch Vehicles & Propulsion

By Mark Carreau
The joint NASA, French, Canadian and U.K. Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) orbital mission is providing an unprecedented perspective of the seafloor.
Satellites

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force has activated the unit that will train helicopter pilots for its future fleet of Boeing MH-139 Grey Wolfs starting in the next 18 months.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Bill Carey, Sean Broderick
FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker has informed the agency’s workforce that he will step down from his position four years early on Jan. 20, 2025.
Safety, Ops & Regulation