Wed, Jan 23, 2019

Firefly Plans Rocket Factory Near Cape Canaveral, FL

Would Focus On Growing Small Satellite Market

Startup rocket company Firefly is reportedly in negotiations to build a $52 million factory and launch site near Cape Canaveral, FL, according to sources familiar with the project.

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Wed, Jan 23, 2019

OneWeb Satellites Has Shipped First Spacecraft To Launch Site

First Launch Beginning Mega Constellation Planned For February 19

OneWeb Satellites, a joint venture between Airbus and OneWeb, today announced the delivery of the first satellites for the OneWeb constellation.

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Tue, Jan 22, 2019

Stratolaunch Scales Back Operations

Shelves Launch Vehicle And Rocket Engine Programs

A few months after the passing of its founder Paul Allen, Stratolaunch has shelved several projects in an effort to streamline its operations. While the company will continue to work on the Stratolaunch aircraft for horizontal launch operations, it has dropped development on a new type of rocket engine as well as launch vehicles it had on the drawing board.

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Tue, Jan 22, 2019

Airborne-Unmanned 01.22.19: UAS Symposium Postponed, Small UAS Rule, SWAT UAV

Also: UNLV Drone Pilot Certificate, Aria Insights, GA-ASI Collaboration Team, AUVSI XCELLENCE Awards

In light of a number of events and programs being curtailed due to the long-term government shutdown, it should come to no surprise that the stalemate is affecting the aviation community in a number of ways. AUVSI tells us that the much anticipated FAA UAS Symposium 2019 that was scheduled to take place in February is being postponed due to the government shutdown. The new conference dates will be announced after furloughed FAA employees return to work. Brian Wynne, president and CEO of AUVSI, issued the following statement regarding the FAA’s notice of proposed rulemaking on small UAS operations over people and the advanced notice of proposed rulemaking on the safe and secure operations of small UAS: "These FAA rulemakings will help advance the commercial UAS industry beyond the current regulatory framework. Expanded operations such as operations over people are c

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Tue, Jan 22, 2019

NASA's TESS Rounds Up Its First Planets, Snares Far-Flung Supernovae

Delivering On Its Goal Of Discovering Planets Around Nearby Bright Stars In First Three Months Of Operation

NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) has found three confirmed exoplanets, or worlds beyond our solar system, in its first three months of observations.

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Tue, Jan 22, 2019

United Launch Alliance Successfully Launches NROL-71

Boosted Into Orbit Atop A Delta IV Rocket In Support Of National Security

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying a critical payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) denoted NROL-71 lifted off from Space Launch Complex-6 on Jan. 19 at 11:10 a.m. PST. The mission is in support of our country’s national defense.

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Mon, Jan 21, 2019

Airborne 01.21.19: SubSonex Upgraded!, Aero Club Of Atlanta, Snow v Citation

Also: Aerocor-Apex Aviation, Sikorsky Presents $ To Make-A-Wish, Chinese Av Mkt, JetBlue Donating

One of the coolest little sportplanes to ever work its way out of the feverish and somewhat convoluted imagination of Sonex Boss, John Monnett, is the SubSonex -- a single-seat kitjet powered by a small jet turbine engine... resulting in an aerobatic bird that is about as unique as anything currently offered. However; Sonex has upped the ante and announced a number of upgrades for their SubSonex kitjet program. Three new kit features are now included under current SubSonex pricing, and upgrade kits are available to existing customers. And... another aviation program gets hit by the government shutdown... with the industry wondering just how much damage will be done by the reduced staffing levels in most facets of aviation and aerospace government programs. The most recent casualty is the monthly Atlanta Aero Club gathering... Due to problems that have resulted from the political

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