Recent Updates

eVTOL start-up Lilium has filed for bankruptcy days after the German federal government and the Free State of Bavaria have failed to guarantee $108 million in loans the company needs to stay in operation. In a Form 6-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Lilium said it’s out of cash and can’t pay its […]

GE Aerospace announced today it is joining with Munich, Germany-based Regional Air Mobility (RAM) developer Lilium “to build a solid safety foundation for this exciting new mode of travel.” With 1,000 employees (500 engineers), Lilium will share flight data and analytic platforms with U.S.-based GE, which boasts 52,000 employees worldwide. Plans for the partnership include […]

Toyota announced today it was investing a half billion dollars more in Joby Aviation. Since 2019, the carmaker has already invested some $394 million in the electric air-taxi developer. Toyota said the added investment is “to support the certification and commercial production of Joby’s electric air taxi, with the aim of realizing the two companies’ […]

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk called for the resignation of FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker, following testimony the FAA chief gave earlier this week, as tensions between the company and FAA heat up. During a hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Tuesday, Whitaker addressed the more than $630,000 in fines the […]

One of the most unusual entries in the flying car sweepstakes says it has 3200 pre-orders and is getting set up for full-scale manufacturing. Alef Aeronautics announced it will buy parts from a joint venture by PUCARA Aero and MYX. Alef’s aircraft has a self-centering gimballed flight deck suspended in a screened platform that houses […]

The FAA’s long-awaited rules governing the operation of eVTOL (powered-lift) aircraft will be released in October, a couple of months ahead of the date mandated by Congress, according to a senior Department of Transportation official. Various outlets reported that Christopher Coes, acting undersecretary of transportation for policy for the U.S. Department of Transportation, told Honeywell’s […]

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is drawing criticism from both industry stakeholders and members of Congress regarding its handling of commercial space launch licensing During a House space subcommittee hearing this week, industry officials and  lawmakers called out the agency on its implementation of new launch licensing regulations known as Part 450. According to SpaceNews, […]

NASA confirmed Boeing’s Starliner will undock from the International Space Station and make its return to earth on Friday evening without astronauts onboard. Boeing and NASA expressed confidence that Starliner would not encounter any issues before making a planned parachute landing at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. However, astronauts Suni Williams and Butch […]

Archer Aviation’s eVTOL prototype Midnight completed 402 test flights so far this year, surpassing its goal of 400 flights in 2024, the company announced Tuesday. Over the past eight months, Archer has intensified its flight test operations in preparation for “for-credit” certification testing with the FAA. “When we first set our goal for 400 flights […]

When it leaves the International Space Station next Friday, Boeing’s troubled Starliner crew capsule may not be going quietly into the night. The spacecraft started making a funny noise on Saturday shortly after it was announced that Boeing would attempt to return the vehicle autonomously to Earth on Sept. 6. Astronaut Butch Wilmore, who rode […]