Defense and Space

Ready or not, the next era of space exploration is upon us. The Moon and Mars are calling, and through advancements in key technology the means exist

The transformation of the Army’s fixed-wing intelligence fleet is about to transition from the experimental to the acquisition phase.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

SINGAPORE—Korean Air’s Aerospace Division (KAL ASD) and Airbus Helicopters are to jointly develop a vertical uncrewed aircraft system (VUAS) for the

Teams from ArianeGroup, the European Space Agency and Germany’s space agency, DLR, are testing the Ariane 6 rocket’s upper stage and Vinci engine.

NASA’s SpaceX-contracted Endurance Crew-5 Dragon capsule successfully docked with the International Space Station on Oct. 6, delivering four astronauts and cosmonauts as part of a crew exchange.

Parker Hannifin has plenty of opportunity to change and improve Meggitt operations while still upholding promises Parker made to the UK government to sustain core Meggitt operations in the country, Parker leaders told Aviation Week.

The U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency has awarded a prototype contract worth up to $200 million to York Space Systems for 12 communications satellites as part of its Tranche 1 Demonstration and Experimentation System program.

The Leidos-owned company won the contract for the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonics Test Bed (MACH-TB), the Pentagon said on Oct. 6.

The U.S., Japan and South Korea are responding to increased tensions following multiple North Korean ballistic missile launches this week with a series of air drills and missile defense exercises in the region.

Aerojet Rocketdyne and the Air Force Research Laboratory recently conducted a successful test of a new large solid rocket motor called eSR-19 that the company is pitching for multiple stages on both defense and space applications.

The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) should be strengthened to address the potential proliferation of ballistic missile technology through the development of new-generation satellite launchers, a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has suggested.

The first of 16 Protector medium-altitude, long-endurance uncrewed aircraft systems ordered by the UK Royal Air Force has been accepted, paving the way for deliveries to begin in 2023.

France has selected MBDA’s Akeron LP air-to-ground missile to arm its future fleet of Eurodrone medium-altitude, long-endurance uncrewed aircraft systems.

The Nordic country follows a growing trend of European nations strengthening their defense budgets to reflect the new regional security situation.

“We don’t use words like ‘radical’ lightly, and certainly believe our track record for designing and developing the most cutting-edge UAS in the world gives us some credibility here,” GA-ASI says.

The U.S. Navy’s first carrier-based, autonomous refueling aircraft has had “growing pains,” a Boeing executive says, as the production phase begins.

The U.S. Army and defense industry is eagerly awaiting the outcome of an extended bidding war for a long-range, high-speed rotorcraft.

On Oct. 14, eight renovated galleries of the museum in Washington, D.C., will reopen to the public. Chris Browne, the museum’s John and Adrienne Mars director,

DARPA has launched its Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay program, an effort to demonstrate the long-distance wireless transmission of energy using lasers and UAVs as relays.

The Eurodrone medium altitude long endurance uncrewed aircraft system program has passed its Integrated Baseline Review, a key milestone toward upcoming design reviews.

A Norwegian company has demonstrated a high-supersonic propulsion technology for missiles in two flight tests in August that were partly U.S. military-funded, the Pentagon announced on Oct. 5.

The Boeing P-8 Poseidon is a U.S. maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) based on the 737-800 ERX and powered by a pair of CFM International CFM56-7B27 jet engines.

The Air Force Research Laboratory obligated $835,000 on a contract with a $9.8 million ceiling to Boeing on Sept. 29 to investigate “advanced missile subsystem components."

NASA’s SpaceX-contracted Crew-5 mission was on course to deliver four U.S., Japanese and Russian crewmembers to the International Space Station on Oct. 6 following a successful Falcon 9 launch on Oct. 5 from Kennedy Space Center with a crew Dragon capsule.