Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

By Irene Klotz
The company's ultimate plan is to capture returning boosters in mid-air by helicopter for refurbishment and reflight, with the goal of boosting Electron’s launch rate from monthly to weekly flights.
Space

By Jen DiMascio
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket deployed Israeli company Spacecom’s Amos-17 satellite to geostationary transfer orbit on Aug. 6.
Defense and Space

By Tony Osborne
British UAV research company Blue Bear says it will use an open architecture and modular approach in designing a low-cost combat UAV for the UK defense ministry.
Defense and Space

By Michael Bruno
A few years into a surge of spending, Lockheed Martin remains Wall Street’s favorite prime defense contractor to benefit from the DOD's hypersonics drive. But Raytheon could be a better investment, a new report says.
Defense and Space

By Steve Trimble, Lee Hudson
The U.S. Air Force has assigned the X-61A designation to the Dynetics Gremlin about five months before the first scheduled flight demonstration of the UAV, which can be recovered in-flight.
Defense and Space

By Guy Norris
The Russian project is focused on development of a ramjet for spacecraft operating in ultra-low orbits at altitudes of 150-200 km.
Defense and Space

By Irene Klotz
Six months after launching a prototype three-cubesat constellation to identify radio frequency (RF) emitter locations worldwide, startup HawkEye 360 has closed a $70 million round of financing to build and launch a commercial network and develop a line of RF analytic products.
Defense and Space

By Lee Hudson
The U.S. general in charge of protecting North America claims the space-based sensor layer is “absolutely key” in defending the nation against hypersonic glide vehicles, but it was not included in the Pentagon’s fiscal 2020 budget request.
Defense and Space

By Graham Warwick
The goal of the AI Exploration program is to investigate high-risk, high-reward topics to determine feasibility and whether an area is ready for increased investment as part of a larger DARPA program.
Defense and Space

By Lee Hudson
This was the first-time live F-35 track data was sent to the IBCS using both the F-35 ground station and the F-35 IBCS adaptation kit, which were both developed by Lockheed Martin, according to a company statement.
Defense and Space

By Steve Trimble
Lockheed Martin will integrate new sensors for missile tracking into the command and control hub for the Ballistic Missile Defense System under a $320 million contract, the company announced Aug. 6.
Defense and Space

By Graham Warwick
Citing progress with its $25 million Series B private placement, XTI Aircraft is to wind down an unusual crowdfunding campaign that has so far helped support development of its TriFan 600 hybrid-electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) business aircraft.

By Mark Carreau
An Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket placed two U.S. and European telecommunications satellites into geostationary transfer orbit following a successful Aug. 6 launch from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Defense and Space

By Mark Carreau
Northrop Grumman’s 11th NASA-contracted Cygnus cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) departed the six-person orbiting science lab Aug. 6, prepared for an extended stay in orbit to support a variety of commercial activities.
Defense and Space

By Graham Warwick
Autonomous aircraft developer Ehang has selected its home city of Guangzhou, China, as its first pilot market for unmanned air mobility (UAM).

By Bill Carey
Participating Unmanned Aircraft Systems Service Providers connect to the flight information management system data exchange via open interfaces to provide the services drone operators need to meet regulatory and operational requirements.

By Mark Carreau
NASA is hoping for a flight demonstration of a new 1- to 3-kW fission nuclear power source, called Kilopower, on the lunar surface in about 2026.
Defense and Space

India’s space agency is building a new communication satellite, GSAT-7R, for the country’s navy to facilitate the exchange of information between its aircraft, warships and other elements.
Defense and Space

By Bill Carey
Using a Skyfront multi-rotor drone, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program team completed a 3.87-mi. inspection of Trans-Alaska Pipeline infrastructure without relying on a visual observer to monitor the aircraft.

By Lee Hudson
For the first time, journalists have been permitted to tour Lockheed Martin’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense manufacturing, final assembly and test facility, where the company has produced 450 interceptors since 2007.
Defense and Space

By Marhalim Abas
The ACMI pod, developed by the defense ministry’s Defense Potential Directorate and private company PT Tress, is ready for production after tests on prototypes showed it met all the requirements of the Indonesian Air Force, the ministry says.
Defense and Space

By Irene Klotz
With an eye on the growing smallsat market, Arianespace has unveiled the first of a planned series of dedicated small satellite rideshare missions direct to geostationary orbit.
Defense and Space

On Tuesday Arianespace is scheduled to launch the Intelsat 39 and EDRS-C communications satellites aboard an Ariane 5 from Kourou, French Guiana

ROCKWELL COLLINS has $40.2m U.S. Air Force contract for training system support center operations for E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System Aircrew Training Device.

By Steve Trimble
The first of 15 Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band pods ordered by the Navy will be used to verify aircraft installation compliance, including mass properties and ground procedures.
Defense and Space