Blue Origin, a spacecraft company founded by Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos, just did what SpaceX failed at doing last week and successfully launched and landed a suborbital rocket. Known as New Shepard, the spacecraft reached a maximum altitude of 333,582 feet, which is approximately 63 miles above the Earth's surface, before gently landing back at Blue Origin's test facility located in Texas. Accomplishing this feat makes New Shepard the first commercial vertical rocket to launch into space twice.
Learn MoreThe United States Air Force has reached out to Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc. to standardize and qualify the components used in liquid fueled rockets.
Learn MoreBoeing recently ramped up its production of the space bound CST- 100 Starliner and to get acclimated with the new spacecraft, two of the four NASA astronauts training to fly Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft stopped by the Boeing facility to try some of the systems that will prepare them for flights to the International Space Station.The CST-100 Starliner’s first crew flight test to the space station is expected in 2017 and will be Boeing’s first commercial flight transporting of people to that destination.
Learn MoreNorth Korea’s nuclear threats and claims have led the U.S to deploy the WC-135 Constant Phoenix to track the origin of any radioactive substances in the area around North Korean alleged hydrogen bomb test zone. Atmospheric gatherings will be collected by the aircraft to determine whether North Korea’s nuclear test did indeed happen.
Learn MoreUpgrades to the Raytheon made Patriot Integrated Air and Missile Defense System have proven to be very effective with a recent flight test proving that the they are capable of destroying advanced threats at greater ranges. The test where performed using a Patriot system upgraded with a suite of improvements known as PDB-8 (Post Deployment Build 8) which successfully tracked and engaged a ballistic missile target with PAC-3 MSE missiles.
Learn MoreAirbus and Aerion recently got the thumbs up on putting together a master piece known as the AS2 jet plane; traveling at supersonic speeds. The manufacturing location is not yet decided by Aerion and Airbus but is hoped by both companies to be established in the US according to Bloomberg Business. With estimated times for test flights and commercial traveling commencing in the year 2021 to 2023, this private jet is designed to have a 30 ft. cabin and feature wings that will reduce approximately 20 percent of drag.
Learn MoreEpic Aircraft’s E1000 prototype has successfully completed its first test flight, setting the course for the company to begin deliveries. The aircraft, valued at $2.95 million, should ready for delivery in the next year. The Oregonian manufacturers completed a big step towards getting certification for their single-engine turboprop with their successful maiden voyage.
Learn MoreItaly’s Finmeccanica group is beginning 2016 under a new unified structure, one that has ended its long-standing structure of being a holding group consisting of multiple separately controlled businesses. On January 1st 2016, the restructured company implemented a reorganization process originally launched by CEO and general manager Mauro Moretti in June 2014.
Learn MoreOn January 4, 2016 Airbus has announced that the first delivery of the A320neo will be delayed due to problems and conflicts that are occurring with the plane.
Learn MoreFollowing the completion of successful on-orbit testing, the U.S. Navy accepted the fourth Lockheed Martin-built Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite for Secure Communications Network. Launched September 2, the MUOS-4 is the latest addition to a network of orbiting satellites and relay ground stations that is revolutionizing secure communications for mobile military forces.
Learn MoreAlthough unmanned aircraft are typically not used to combat fires, Lockheed has just proved any doubters otherwise. This past week, Lockheed used its Stalker XE UAS drone to provide data and a precise location to an unmanned K-MAX cargo helicopter. By using an innovative dual-capability electro-optical infrared camera, the drone was able to work in tandem with the K-MAX helicopter to pinpoint fires and determine their intensity.
Learn MoreThe United States Navy has recently made the decision to upgrade the Boeing EA-18G Growler with an updated datalink as well as various other systems which would enable the aircraft to locate vessels at a long distance without the use of a radar.
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