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AVIO engineers evolve Vega rocket design, enhance avionics and propulsion

2019-01-16

Hardware and software engineers at AVIO, a global aerospace company engaged in the construction and development of space launchers and solid and liquid propulsion systems for space travel, with facilities in Italy, France, and French Guyana are actively enhancing the design of the Vega space launcher, with a focus on evolving the design with enhanced avionics and propulsion technologies while also maximizing subsystem reuse and reorganizing production processes for a more efficient production chain.

Article

SpaceX tests Raptor engine, prepares for Starship “hop”

2019-02-07

Hawthorne, California-based SpaceX has test fired its Raptor rocket engine at its Rocket Development and Test Facility, in McGregor, Texas. The Raptor is designed to power the Super Heavy first stage and Starship second stage launch vehicles.

Article

VPT rad-hard point of load converters designed for digital processing in space environments

2018-07-24

VPT Inc. is introducing its SVPL series space-qualified, radiation-hardened point of load DC-DC converters – covering an input voltage range of 3.1 volts to 13.2 volts and offered in 6-, 9-, and 12-amp output surface-mount options – designed specifically for space applications facing harsh radiation environments while requiring low voltages and tight regulation for high-performance processors.

Article

SAE International anti-counterfeit standards integral to obsolescence management

2018-07-25

Counterfeit parts prevention is integral to an effective obsolescence management plan, and the focus of anti-counterfeit standards – including Counterfeit Avoidance Standard (AS5553) and Counterfeit Detection Standard (AS6081) – from SAE International in Warrendale, Pa. SAE International officials are bringing the anti-counterfeit discussion and sharing best practices, which include adherence to critical standards, to the Future of Obsolescence Management (FOM) event on October 10 and 11 in Washington.

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Advances in adhesive joining of structure components focus of new book from SAE International

2018-08-16

Adhesive joining of structural components will assume an increasingly important role in designing and manufacturing lightweight structures for aerospace platforms. The latest book from SAE International, Adhesive Joining of Structural Components: New Insights and Technologies explores recent advancements in adhesive bonding, used in the manufacture of primary aircraft fuselage and wing structures since 1945.

Article

Blue Origin aims for crewed New Shepard launch in 2019

2019-01-29

Kent, Washington-based Blue Origin successfully completed the tenth launch of its suborbital launch vehicle New Shepard. The New Shepard is designed to be a crewed, space tourism vehicle, and although the launch was unmanned, statements made during Blue Origin’s launch broadcast suggest that the company has its first crewed launch test flight targeted for the end of this year.

Article

Northrop Grumman completes first live motor cast for OmegA rocket

2018-09-06

Northrop Grumman has successfully completed casting, or filling with solid propellant, the first live motor segment for its new OmegA rocket. The segment, developed as a part of the Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems’ Common Boost Segment (CBS) program, is specifically designed to support the needs of the OmegA intermediate- to heavy-lift rocket, soon to be the largest and most capable in the company’s line-up.

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Astronaut garbage is a serious operational concern when travelling to the Moon and Mars

2018-12-18

Waste, trash, refuse – regardless of preferred nomenclature – the approach to managing it has stood for centuries: collect it and then send it somewhere else to be stored or incinerated. The same holds for waste produced by astronauts in space. But for those who may spend extended time on the Moon or Mars, this approach might not be the best idea.

Article

Stratolaunch composite air-launch aircraft pulls the wheels up during latest taxi test

2019-01-17

Seattle-based Stratolaunch Systems Corporation is fast approaching the first flight of its Stratolaunch aircraft. According to a brief social media post, the aircraft – the largest in the world in terms of wingspan – reached a speed of 136 miles per hour during a high-speed taxi test at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California.

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Toyota takes up challenge of space, brings electrified, automated vehicle technologies

2019-03-13

Technology transfer and collaboration continue to grow globally among mobility engineering professionals focused on aerospace and automotive applications. Cross-industry partnerships received a boost this week, as Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Toyota Motor Corp. officials announced increased cooperation on unmanned, electrified, and automated rovers for space exploration.

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ULA’s Vulcan Centaur will launch Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser spaceplane

2019-08-20

United Launch Alliance (ULA) will supply launch vehicles for the Dream Chaser Cargo System. Starting in 2021, Dream Chaser – Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) Space Systems’ reusable spaceplane – will launch aboard ULA's Vulcan Centaur rockets for six NASA cargo resupply and return services to the International Space Station (ISS).

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New university-led Air Force Center of Excellence focuses on securing autonomous systems operating in contested environments

2019-05-22

The researchers at the COE for Assured Autonomy in Contested Environments – all of which histories of innovation for Department of Defense problems of interest – will focus on the availability, integrity, and effective use of information by leveraging its diverse expertise in dynamics, mathematics, control theory, information theory, communications, and computer science.

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OneWeb ramps up satellite production with new round of funding

2019-03-21

OneWeb has secured $1.25 billion in its latest funding round. The company, which seeks to deploy a satellite communication network by 2021 that will enable global high-speed, low-latency Internet access, has now raised a total of $3.4 billion to fund its mission. Tokyo-based Softbank Group Corp., Mexico’s Grupos Salinas, San Deigo-based Qualcomm Technologies Inc., and the Government of Rwanda led the last round of funding.

Article

Virgin Galactic takes first passenger to space

2019-02-26

Virgin Galactic’s spaceplane, SpaceShipTwo or “VSS Unity,” made its fifth powered test flight and second space flight late last week with three individuals on board. In addition to pilots Dave Mackay and Mike Masucci, Virgin Galactic’s first non-pilot passenger and the world’s first female commercial spacefarer – Beth Moses – also qualified for commercial astronaut wings from the Federal Aviation Administration.

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OmegA rocket sustains explosion during first static test, Northrop Grumman maintains test was a success

2019-05-31

Although Northrop Grumman officials acknowledged during a post-test press conference that the incident needs to be “looked into,” they stated that the thrust profile could be “very normal, nominal.” A following statement labeled the test a success and announced that OmegA is on track for its first test launch in 2021 and operational service in 2022.

Article

Stratolaunch all-composite aircraft achieves first flight

2019-04-15

Stratolaunch Systems Corp., founded by Paul G. Allen, in Seattle, Washington, has completed the first flight of the Stratolaunch, the world’s largest all-composite aircraft, with a dual-fuselage design and wingspan greater than the length of an American football field. The Stratolaunch aircraft took flight on April 13 at 0658 PDT from the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California; achieved a maximum speed of 189 miles per hour; and flew for 2.5 hours over the Mojave Desert at altitudes up to 17,000 feet. 

Article

New Zealand and LeoLabs establish the first low-Earth orbit regulatory platform

2019-06-26

The rapid shift of commercial focus toward LEO has resulted in thousands of new satellites. An expected growth in satellite constellations requires space-faring nations such as New Zealand to engage in monitoring and regulating satellite activity.

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Wind River and Airbiquity partner to update autonomous and connected vehicle software through cloud-based, over-the-air technology

2019-06-04

Through this work, Wind River and Airbiquity look to enable secure and intelligent software updates and data management for these vehicles through over-the-air (OTA) programming technology. The work may also lead to similar solutions for traditional aerospace and unmanned aircraft system (UAS) industries.

Article

Can the Air Force reach a 24-hour launch window?

2019-06-13

In a “sources sought” notice titled Rapid Space Launch Initiative, the service is reaching out to American space launch companies to identify technical risks and challenges and develop demonstrations that would result in a launch within 24 hours of a “call up,” versus weeks or months.

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Norsk and SAE International collaborate on world’s first directed energy deposition specification

2019-02-18

Norsk Titanium’s proprietary “Rapid Plasma Deposition” (RPD) additive manufacturing (AM) process is distinguished in the aviation industry for producing complex, titanium structural and safety-critical components for many original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). But today, through a partnership with SAE International, Norsk’s RPD process and material requirement specifications are available to a wider, global base of manufacturers.