Defense and Space

Osiris-Rex, NASA’s first-ever attempt at an asteroid sample return, reached the 1,640-ft.-wide near Earth object known as Bennu as scheduled on Dec. 3.

SpaceX marked another milestone in its quest to develop a fleet of low-maintenance, reusable boosters with a third flight of a Falcon 9 booster on Dec. 3.

Airbus Defense and Space has opened an operating base for its Zephyr solar-powered high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft in Wyndham, Australia.

A planned South Korean order for two Elta ELM-2080 Green Pine Block C radars will reportedly give the country coverage against prospective North Korean SLBMs.

The UK has decided to halt talks in pursuing access to the secure elements of the EU's Galileo sat navigation system post-Brexit, and will proceed with developing its own capability.

Russia’s Soyuz, the world’s only means of transporting human crews to and from the ISS, launched with a three-person crew early Dec. 3.

Saab is proposing an upgrade for Thailand’s current JAS 39 Gripen fighters as part of a deal for an additional batch of new aircraft of the type.

Slovakia’s ministry of defense has signed technical agreements to begin a process to acquire 14 Lockheed Martin F-16V aircraft.

Private equity firm Liberty Hall Capital Partners said it bought APG, which offers proprietary flight operations software targeted at the aerospace aftermarket.

India has scheduled the launch of its GSAT-11 communication satellite—the heaviest its space agency has ever made—for Dec. 5.

Hexcel said Nov. 30 it signed a definitive agreement to acquire ARC Technologies, a custom provider of RF, EMI and microwave-absorbing composite materials.

When evaluating whether to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia, the U.S. should think not only about the countries’ recent rocky relationship but also reflect on how long the nations have been allies, a U.S. State Department official said.

The UK has decided to halt talks in pursuing access to the secure elements of the EU's Galileo sat navigation system post-Brexit, and will proceed with developing its own capability.

Software providers and OEMs have a joint responsibility to ensure that small and medium-size suppliers gain access to the simulation and modeling tools.

Cutting defense spending will not close the U.S. government’s spending deficit, and doing so would be a dangerous disservice to U.S. troops and the American people, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Dec. 1 here at the annual Reagan National Defense Forum.

The "coastal patrol" UH-60 would be a low-cost alternative to the U.S. Navy’s more advanced MH-60R.

Lockheed Martin Space will demonstrate a new booster for a submarine-launched, intermediate-range hypersonic weapon.

Honeywell said Nov. 30 it plans to move its corporate headquarters to Charlotte, North Carolina, from Morris Plains, New Jersey.

Honeywell said it has started testing commercial microfabricated trapped-ion qubit devices as the company spins up a quantum computing-related business line.

Subaru is aiming for large cost reductions in production of a new version of the Bell 412 that the company will build for the Japanese army and civil customers.

Japan’s prospective requirement for attack helos is likely to include shipboard operation and entry into service no later than the mid-2020s.

UAS specialist General Atomics Aeronautical Systems wants to grow ties and work with defense suppliers and related businesses in Japan, the company said.

India’s national defense agency has successfully tested a new Stand-off Anti-Tank missile meant to bolster the military’s multi-platform launch capability.

DHS has developed a new low-cost antenna and has already transferred the technology to three unidentified companies for commercialization.

A Japanese final-assembly plant for Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightnings has capacity for continued and faster production after the country’s current order is complete.