European launch sector braces for new competition from SpaceX, India

Now it will be called Airbus Group, instead of European Aerospace, Defense and Space Co. (EADS), a name it used proudly for the last 13 years. This is a formidable rebranding initiative for a global 144,000-employee group headquartered in the Netherlands (for fiscal reasons only). The new title, which is scheduled to be ratified in May by the shareholders, has been in use since Jan. 1.

What promises to be another busy year in space is set to peak in September, when two orbital missions arrive at Mars and NASA launches the Orion crew capsule it hopes to send back to the Moon into an orbit designed to test how well it will withstand high-speed reentry from deep space. The Mars missions—including the first for India—were launched in the November planetary window to continue the robotic exploration of the red planet. Orbital mechanics dictate that they will at least arrive in the vicinity of Mars as scheduled.

Commercial ISS mission includes largest cubesat constellation ever

Garver turned space policy in a new direction

Textron's Scorpion two-seat advanced trainer is now in the flight-test phase. The company's public relations efforts remain minimal, although this is a valuable initiative, company-funded programs of such magnitude being a rare occurrence. But can an all-new military aircraft expect export success in the absence of domestic orders? Can Textron overcome such a handicap ? On the opposite side of the Atlantic, Dassault Aviation has not developed the Alpha Jet's long-overdue successor: Perhaps they should talk and jointly create a global product.