Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

A joint project of NASA and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) designed to provide satellite data for rural development in the Third World is delivering bite-sized chunks of Earth-observation information from space to help authorities in Nepal respond to the deadly earthquakes there.

By Mark Carreau
NASA’s Nicer/Sextant team is preparing for a fall 2016 launch to the International Space Station of a first-of-its-kind external observatory.

Engineers are having trouble extracting data from the flight data recorders of an A400M airlifter that crashed May 9 near Seville, Spain, killing four crewmembers.

Defense and Space

By Jay Menon
India’s plan to procure midair refueler aircraft is progressing well, the country’s defense minister says, marking a major step to increase the operational reach of the air force.
Defense and Space

Boeing B-52 bombers will not be getting new engines any time soon, the U.S. Air Force has decided.

Selected U.S. military contracts for the week of May 4-8, 2015. Selected U.S. military contracts for May 4, 2015 U.S. NAVY The Boeing Co., Seattle, is

BOEING was selected by Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) to supply P-8A Poseidon training system in 2018. VECTOR AEROSPACE was selected by Portuguese navy to provide structural repairs/systems upgrades on an Mk .95 Lynx in Gosport, U.K.

This week the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) marks up its version of the fiscal 2016 National Defense Authorization Act in a series of closed

By Mark Carreau
Russia’s federal space agency will delay near-term International Space Station Soyuz crew and Progress resupply launch and landing operations following the recent failed Progress M-27M cargo mission.
Space

By Tony Osborne
The Spanish defense ministry has temporarily revoked the flight test permit for the A400M airlifter following the crash that killed four people on May 9.

By Tony Osborne
The chief of the Royal Netherlands Air Force has signed an agreement that will open the way for the country’s fast jet pilots to be trained in Italy on the M-346 jet trainer.

The U.S. Navy’s Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 tested for the first time on an aircraft carrier the “Magic Carpet” carrier landing aid system while underway onboard CVN 77 USS George H.W. Bush in late April in the Atlantic Ocean.

China spent 2014 finding ways to better integrate its carrier and aircraft operations, the Pentagon says.

While the Pentagon spends more on contracts than other government agencies, its seesawing budget and spending trends make it more difficult to carry out budget cuts, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) says.

The U.S. should develop a new suite of nuclear weapons, including a revived enhanced-radiation warhead (ERW) or “neutron bomb,” to be deployed in allied nations in Europe and Asia and delivered by F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, according to a report.

By Bradley Perrett
Australia has begun building the infrastructure it will need to support its planned force of at least 72 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightnings, with much of the work driven by U.S. demands for tightened security of the aircraft and their systems.
Defense and Space

U.S. Navy and Marine Corps leaders have been emphasizing recently the need to work on better joint operations and the services have started official exercises with that in mind.

Reports of the planned demise of the Atlas V rocket may be premature.
Space

By Mark Carreau
Flourishing well into their second decade, the versatile CubeSat family may soon have dedicated, NASA-initiated competing commercial launch services providers.

By Jay Menon
India’s Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) is under fire from the country’s audit watchdog, which found “deficiencies and shortfalls” in the aircraft, throwing into question its readiness to be inducted into the Indian air force (IAF).

By Graham Warwick
A team of universities selected by the FAA to operate a center of excellence (COE) for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) has experience working with the agency and “turning research into rules,” says the head of the Mississippi State University (MSU)-led organization.

By Graham Warwick
The “hybrid acquisition” strategy will see upgrades being fielded every 18 months, and is modeled on Air Force Special Operation Command’s Lead-Off Hitter project, which fields new capabilities for its MQ-9s every six months.

By Tony Osborne
An investigation into the May 9 crash of an Airbus A400M airlifter is focusing on the aircraft’s TP400 engines and associated fuel system.
Defense and Space

By Tony Osborne
The U.K.’s new majority Conservative government may be facing a split, just days after being elected into power over concerns about defense spending.

The Chinese DF-21D antiship ballistic missile (ASBM) presents a potential threat for U.S. aircraft carriers operating close to the coast of the Asian giant, according to a recent annual Pentagon report.