Recent Updates

Today at AirVenture 2021, Van’s Aircraft teased the very broad outlines of the RV-15, a much rumored, next-generation RV kit aircraft. About all Van’s Rian Johnson would confirm is the general configuration: a high-wing, backcountry-capable homebuilt. It will be all metal, to no one’s surprise, and will embody “total performance,” which is the company’s signature […]

The FAA opened a new field office in Houston, Texas, on Monday designed to expand its oversight of commercial space operations in Texas and New Mexico. According to the agency, the Space Safety field office will allow it to more efficiently monitor testing programs and commercial space tourism operations conducted by companies including SpaceX, Blue […]

NASA announced that it successfully switched the Hubble Space Telescope over to backup hardware on Friday, starting the process of bringing the telescope back online after a payload computer failure last month. The issue, which resulted in the suspension of Hubble’s data collection, is believed to have stemmed from the telescope’s power control unit. With […]

The Air Force has granted airworthiness approval for KittyHawk’s Heaviside eVTOL, meaning the aircraft can now be put in revenue service. The pusher-configured, forward-swept wing aircraft, which can fly 100 miles at 180 MPH, can now be used for Air Force contracts. It’s actually the fourth design approved by the Air Force. Beta Technologies Alia, Joby […]

France-based aerospace company Thales has successfully flown a half-scale prototype of its UAS 100 long-range unmanned aircraft system (UAS/drone). The final version of the hybrid-electric UAS 100 is expected to have a range of greater than 100 kilometers (54 NM), be capable of carrying a 10-kilogram (22-pound) payload and feature a “jam-resistant” navigation system. It […]

“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always liked to make things, and I thought an airplane would be the ultimate project,” said Les Krumel of Moriarty, New Mexico, a mechanical engineer who recently retired as a civilian employee of the U.S. Air Force who worked on aerospace projects. That understatement defines his humble personality. […]

The FAA has upgraded Virgin Galactic’s commercial space transportation operator license to allow the company to carry paying passengers to space. It has been reported that Virgin Galactic currently has over 600 reservations for its planned commercial passenger spaceflights with ticket prices running between $200,000 and $250,000. The licensing update comes after the company successfully […]

Former astronaut and retired U.S. Air Force officer Pam Melroy was sworn in as NASA Deputy Administrator during a ceremony at the agency’s Washington headquarters on Monday. Melroy was nominated for the position in April and confirmed by the Senate on June 17. Selected as an astronaut candidate in 1994, she served as pilot on […]

The first crew-capable eVTOL racing aircraft has flown and its developer says things will move quickly from here toward an organized race series. The Alauda Aeronautics EXA Mk3 took off from an undisclosed location in the deserts of Southern Australia with reps from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority. The EXA was flown autonomously but there’s […]

An Alaskan airline says its rebirth will involve embracing electric short takeoff and landing aircraft to serve the far-flung communities of the rugged state. Ravn Alaska has been flying for 70 years and has flown dozens of different aircraft types over the years, most recently Dash-8s. It serves more than 100 communities, many of which have […]