Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

“In the same way we opened access to low Earth orbit for smallsats, Rocket Lab is poised to become the dedicated ride to the Moon and beyond for small satellites,” founder and CEO Peter Beck says

Aviation and space legend Burt Rutan is designing a new aircraft, and it appears to use an electric-powered vertical takeoff and landing configuration eVTOL.

Sandel Avionics announced Oct. 18 that its board has appointed CFO Steve Jackson as its new president and CEO.

GERMAN ARMY has grounded NH90 helicopters until they undergo tail rotor blade inspections.

THALES ALENIA SPACE began construction of expanded satellite clean room in Spain, adding 600 sq. m to 2,000-sq.-m facility.

Textron Aviation posted third-quarter revenue of $1.2 billion.

Oct. 21-25—IAC 2019 - American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Washington, D.C. For more information go to http://www.iafastro.org/washington-usa-to-host-iac-2019

NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir replaced a faulty power control unit essential to the operation of the International Space Station's avionics.

The delivery in Christiansburg, Virginia, by Wing’s Hummingbird aircraft made use of the first Part 135 air carrier certificate granted by the FAA for a drone operation.

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter full-rate production decision, which is slated for December, may be put off for up to 13 months because of delays with integrating the Joint Simulation Environment (JSE).

The U.S. has approved a possible sale to South Korea of AIM-120D Amraams, foreshadowing introduction into Asia of the latest standard of the Raytheon air-to-air missile.

Japanese startup SkyDrive has raised $14 million to advance development of its fly/drive electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) vehicle.

NASA is plotting a manned return to the Moon and then on to Mars and deeper into the Solar System, a theme evident this week at a meeting of the Association of Space Explorers.

The U.S. Army has confirmed the funding amount and status of the new Multi-Domain Sensing System (MDSS) program.

Exploration activities will include continuing funding of the International Space Station, European cooperation with NASA for lunar missions and possibly a Mars sample return mission.

A cruise missile featured in China’s Oct. 1 National Day parade appears to be designed for high-supersonic flight.

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has taken over commercial remote sensing provider Planet’s subscription service from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

SIKORSKY has $7.9m U.S. Navy contract for 36 improved nacelle production kits for CH-53Es.

The U.S. Army says its biggest challenge in addressing the global pilot shortage is retaining pilots who are mid-career level warrant officers.

The National Security Council will soon release a strategy for preventing drone disruptions at major metropolitan airports, the FAA says.

Testing how an AI “brain” can control a fighter-sized aircraft remains the goal of the Skyborg program. But the first prototype will also serve as a guinea pig for a new approach to aircraft design and production, the AFRL says.

Britain’s aerospace industry is carefully examining the details of a revised agreement for the country’s exit from the European Union (EU).

Lockheed Martin expects South Korea to order another batch of PAC-3 MSE surface-to-air missiles within two years, adding to 64 that the country decided to buy in 2018.

Europe’s Ariane 6 launcher program, on time for a first launch next year but facing a dearth of firm orders, has received renewed support from France and Germany.

South Korea’s defense tech organization and Hanwha have flight tested a tech-demo fighter radar in cooperation with Elta, while proceeding in parallel with full-scale development of the sensor for the KF-X fighter.