Defense and Space

The U.S. Air Force AFWerX Agility Prime initiative has added Mayman Aerospace to the list of companies receiving support to develop new-generation vertical takeoff and landing aircraft.

NASA on Sept. 21 released a picture of distant Neptune, taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, that reveals a system of rings not seen since NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft flew by in 1989.

Just as they did on Sept. 3, NASA’s Artemis I Launch Control Team members encountered hydrogen leaks while initiating a Space Launch System (SLS) propellant loading demonstration test on Sept. 21.

Advanced air mobility startup Kittyhawk has ceased operations.

The proposal to truncate the U.S. Air Force’s buy of Boeing F-15EXs could mean the Air National Guard does not have enough new aircraft to replace its aging F-15C/Ds that need to be replaced.

Airbus has been testing a loading system that could enable air transport of outsized military equipment on the company’s A300-600-based BelugaST airlifters.

Bulgaria’s government has given the green light for the purchase of eight more Lockheed Martin Block 70 F-16s, enabling a fleet of 16 aircraft.

Dawn Aerospace plans to start test flights of its rocket-powered spaceplane technology demonstrator before year-end.

Personnel at the Russian defense conglomerate are working overtime to meet demand.

Russia’s Soyuz MS-22 soared into a two-orbit launch to docking with the International Space Station on Sept. 21.

The South Africa-based Paramount Group says deliveries of its Mwari light attack aircraft are underway to an undisclosed customer as part of new

Pratt & Whitney has shown the first concept image of an air vehicle powered by the proposed, high-supersonic Metacomet engine.

Aviation Week talks to Raytheon Intelligence & Space about its cutting-edge technologies in the business’s air dominance portfolio, and how these are addressing the complex challenges currently faced by warfighters.

The Enhanced Engine Program upgrade for the F-35 would save billions of dollars.

Growing mergers and acquisitions bring new owners to old assets, and often a very different ownership and operating style.

France, Germany and other nations used the Airbus A330 to demonstrate long-distance deployment in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Adaptive Engine Transition Program is a competitive way to make sure the F-35 remains a competitive aircraft.

The European Commission has chosen Thales Alenia Space to lead the next phase of the European Robotic Orbital Support Services program, slated to culminate with an in-orbit demonstration in 2026 and potentially follow on with commercial missions.

SpinLaunch, a startup looking to commercialize a centrifuge-based mass accelerator for space access, said Sept. 20 it has closed $71 million in a Series B round of venture-capital funding.

The U.S. and NATO are looking at a new approach to fighter deployments in Eastern Europe.

The U.S. Air Force plans to call on a collection of African nations to pool funds to buy a small number of Lockheed Martin C-130s to comprise a new, shared fleet to help with humanitarian missions.

Russian Helicopters has delivered the first Ansat light-twin rotorcraft to Zimbabwe.

Europe and the U.S. are pursuing a powerful pair of infrared telescopes that, taken together, could help provide rapid warning of an asteroid hitting the planet.

NASA has released an updated exploration framework to guide the budding Artemis lunar program toward human missions to Mars and beyond.

A new Air Force Research Laboratory organization will attempt to harness internal expertise to speed up development of artificial intelligence-piloted combat aircraft.