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Zwick Roell provides flexible materials testing over a wide temperature range

2018-10-19

To enable the tests required for development work to be performed with maximum efficiency, the Zwick Roell Group (ZwickRoell) – a global supplier of materials testing machines based out of Ulm, Germany – developed a materials testing machine that can be equipped with both a temperature chamber and a high-temperature furnace.

Article

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

What does NASA do with a space station originally developed for a now-cancelled mission?

2018-10-25

To prepare for the leap from low-Earth orbit habitation to deep space human exploration, NASA began developing a small space station or “proving ground” for placement in cislunar orbit.

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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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U.K. Space Agency partners with industry to advance spaceflight program

2018-07-16

U.K. Space Agency officials in Swindon, England, are partnering with Lockheed Martin in Bethesda, Md., to execute several strategic projects to support the U.K. Spaceflight Program, with a goal of building its first commercial spaceport in Scotland and achieving its first vertical space launch in the early 2020s.

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Three stages of separation: bidding farewell to the Delta II launch vehicle

2018-09-14

The upcoming launch of the NASA ICESat-2 will be the last liftoff for the Delta II rocket, whose reliability made it a mainstay for civil, military, and commercial space customers. The medium-lift Delta II is manufactured by United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Boeing Defense, Space & Security, and features main and upper-stage engines supplied by Aerojet Rocketdyne of Sacramento, Calif.

Article

Techstars and Starburst start new space technology business accelerator

2019-02-15

In order to help the next generation of entrepreneurs enter that market, Boulder, Colorado-based Techstars and Paris-based Starburst Aerospace have joined forces to start a new Los Angeles-based business accelerator for space technology companies.

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.

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

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.

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Space launch providers submit proposals for National Security Space Launch program

2019-08-16

Four companies – Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance (ULA) – recently submitted proposals for the U.S. Air Force's Phase 2 Launch Services Procurement (LSP) competition. Two of those companies will be awarded with up to 34 launches over a five-year period under the National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program.

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Raytheon, DARPA push forward with hypersonic weapon design

2019-08-02

The team completed a successful baseline design review that establishes the technical approach for a critical design review, which moves the system a step closer to development and use.

Article

Orion launch abort system passes full-stress flight test

2019-07-09

The system is designed to lift the crew module off the launch vehicle’s engine stack in case of an emergency and steer it away from danger. According to NASA coverage, engineers have confirmed that the LAS can “outrun a speeding rocket.”

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Orbex debuts innovative smallsat launch vehicle

2019-02-20

Orbex, a developer of small satellite (smallsat) launch vehicles based in Forres, Scotland, has unveiled its “Prime” launch vehicle. The rocket utilizes several novel technologies, including the world’s largest metal rocket engine produced as a single piece through additive manufacturing (AM).

Article

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

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.

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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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Northrop Grumman awarded $792 Million to deliver intermediate and heavy versions of OmegaA space launch vehicle

2018-10-12

Northrop Grumman Corporation of Falls Church, Va. received a Launch Services Agreement (LSA) worth approximately $792 million of government investment from the United States Air Force (USAF) Space and Missile Systems Center to continue development of its OmegA rocket for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program. The agreement runs through 2024 and includes certification flights of OmegA’s intermediate variant in 2021 and its heavy variant in 2024.

Article

Northrop Grumman acquires Orbital ATK, adds solid rocket motors to space portfolio

2018-06-26

Northrop Grumman Corp. has acquired Orbital ATK Inc., one of only two leading U.S. manufacturers of solid rocket motors (SRMs), in exchange for $7.8 billion in cash and assumption of $1.4 billion in debt. Officials have finalized the acquisition and formed Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, the company’s fourth business sector, to enable greater expansion into the space market.

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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.