72% of aviation workers experience verbal or physical abuse during travel disruption

Aviation workers say that 72% of airline or airport staff have been intimidated, shouted at or physically hurt during disruptions to customer travel. Shockingly, 71% of air travel workers say they see an increase in staff being abused by customers when disruption occurs. This number correlates closely with customer anger, as 73% of aviation workers see customers "furious or frustrated" in the face of travel disruption. 

Research conducted by travel technology specialist IBS Software and Aviation Business News finds that 55% of workers in the air travel sector have seen their mental health negatively impacted by the fallout of flight disruption. What's more, 47% say that disruption affects their work-life balance, as they often think about issues faced during the day when they get home from work.

Encouragingly, despite widespread customer frustration, 65% of airline or airport workers think the airline industry manages disruption well. However, they identify access to accurate information, the impact of disruption on operations and getting information to customers as the top three challenges faced by airlines when disruption occurs.

Ignoring these challenges can have a lasting impact on airlines, with 62% of air travel workers agreeing that customers now choose an airline based on its reputation for handling disruption. 

United Airlines selects Honeywell to provide a wide range of avionics for new 737 MAX aircraft

Honeywell has been selected by United Airlines to provide a wide range of avionics for new 737 MAX aircraft that will enter service over the next decade, including technologies such as the industry's only 3D weather radar, new 25-hour flight data recorders and advanced traffic avoidance systems.

United Airlines first selected a similar suite of Honeywell avionics in 2018 to equip 161 737 MAX aircraft, and this latest agreement builds on Honeywell's reliability in delivering world-class aerospace technology.

"We are proud to continue our long-standing relationship with United Airlines to provide advanced avionics for its growing 737 MAX fleet," said Heath Patrick, President, Americas Aftermarket, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. "Our technology reduces pilot workload, improves situational awareness and supports dispatch reliability."

United Airlines selected the following Honeywell cockpit technologies for its 737 MAX fleet:

IntuVue RDR-4000 3D Weather Radar System is the first automatic commercial radar to accurately depict weather in the flight path of an aeroplane. IntuVue automatically scans the sky at 17 tilt angles — the most in the industry — and delivers a 3D view of the weather through an intuitive display that pilots can quickly and easily reference.

Honeywell Connected Recorder – 25 is made for commercial air transport aircraft to accommodate mandatory flight data and cockpit voice recording. It may result in the potential for better maintenance predictability and operational insight through data analytics.

Honeywell's TPA100B Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System and TRA 100B Transponders identify the aircraft to other surrounding aircraft via an airborne collision avoidance system.

Integrated Multi-Mode Receiver is the industry's leader in radio navigation and combines satellite- and ground-based navigation systems into one receiver. It helps pinpoint precise aeroplane locations for efficient landings, especially during difficult and new runway approaches.

The ALA-52B radar altimeter assists instrument landings at hundreds of U.S. airports and filters out 5G broadband interference.

Leonardo DRS Delivers 1,000th Infrared Sensor Key to U.S. Army Helicopter Missile Warning System

Leonardo DRS, Inc. confirmed that it has provided the 1,000th advanced sensor package which is at the core of BAE Systems’ 2-Color Advanced Warning System (2CAWS), a next-generation missile warning and hostile fire detection system. The system is designed to protect U.S. Army pilots and crews from new and emerging missile threats.

The advanced DRS 2-color infrared detector package is integrated into BAE Systems’ 2CAWS system for the U.S. Army’s Limited Interim Missile Warning System (LIMWS) Quick Reaction Capability program.

The 2CAWS technology provides a foundation for the Army’s current and future threat detection needs by giving aircrews advanced 360-degree threat detection capabilities to enhance survivability.

“We are proud to have reached this important milestone and be partnered with BAE Systems to have developed this critical lifesaving technology for aircrews,” said Jerry Hathaway, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Leonardo DRS Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems business unit. “The challenges in Ukraine emphasize how important it is to have this capability on aircraft today on the battlefield to manoeuvre and conduct operations.”

Odys Aviation and MWASALAT confirmed partnership to develop aerial logistics programs in the GCC in 2025

Odys Aviation, a sustainable aviation company building hybrid-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, and MWASALAT, the Omani National Transport Company, today announced that they will collaborate on the development of programs in Oman for 25 of Odys’ Laila uncrewed aircraft, with the intention of first launching pilot programs on unpopulated and defined routes with pre-production aircraft in 2025. Laila is a hybrid-electric VTOL aircraft designed in multiple configurations for cargo and capable of transporting payloads up to 60kg with a 400 km range. Missions operated via these aircraft provide a low-carbon air cargo alternative for routes across Oman, opening up opportunities that have previously been time-consuming or inaccessible because of infrastructure and geographical challenges.

Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will work together to undertake joint research and development activities to define target routes and services using Odys Aviation’s pre-production aircraft, leveraging the existing relationship and formal engagement Odys has with Oman’s CAA, with a view to establishing new aerial logistics networks with Odys’ Laila aircraft upon receiving full regulatory approval. The partnership also focuses on enhancing the functionality and defining the applications of Odys Aviation’s Laila aircraft in the GCC.

Beyond identifying applications, the two organizations will collaborate to develop concepts of operations that will define aircraft maintenance operations and regulatory compliance for the aircraft in service. During pilot operations, MWASALAT will facilitate use of these aircraft for entities including Oman Post and Asyad Group for logistics operations. In the long-term, it is anticipated that Odys Aviation’s aircraft will support MWASALAT with further applications for various sectors including passenger transportation, oil and gas services, security, tourism, health services and civil defence.

BAE Systems honours Leonardo DRS with a ‘Partner 2 Win’ supplier of the year award

Leonardo DRS, Inc. announced this week that it received a BAE Systems ‘Partner 2 Win’ Supplier of the Year award. DRS was chosen from a select pool of suppliers that delivered exceptional performance and contributions to supply chain success for BAE Systems’ Electronic Systems sector in 2023.

“We are proud to have received this prestigious award from BAE Systems. The recognition highlights DRS’s commitment to our customers and being a strategic partner,” said Jerry Hathaway, senior vice president and general manager of the Leonardo DRS Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems business unit. “DRS and BAE have a strong partnership, forged over many years of close cooperation, and through a collaborative approach we are able to provide the best technology to our warfighters.”

BAE Systems’ Partner 2 Win program is designed to achieve operational excellence and eliminate defects in its supply chain by raising the bar of performance expectations to meet the demand of current and future customers. As part of the program, BAE Systems engages regularly with its suppliers to share best practices to ensure that the components and materials incorporated in its products meet the highest quality standards.

“The development and manufacturing of BAE Systems’ cutting-edge technology is only possible thanks to our best-in-class supply partners,” said Ray Brousseau, vice president of Operations, Electronic Systems. “We thank Leonardo DRS for its support in helping us meet our customers’ needs.”

The Electronic Systems sector of BAE Systems is part of a global defense, aerospace, and security company. We deliver products and services for air, land, sea, and space, as well as advanced electronics, intelligence, security, and IT solutions and support services. Our dedication shows in everything we design, produce, and deliver— to protect those who protect us in a high-performance, innovative culture. We push the limits of possibility to provide a critical advantage to our customers where it counts.

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ispace RESILIENCE lunar lander successfully achieves testing milestone in preparation for mission 2

ispace, inc. which is a lunar exploration company has announced today that the flight model of its HAKUTO-R Mission 2 RESILIENCE lunar lander has successfully completed thermal vacuum testing and remains on schedule for a Winter 2024 launch.

The testing was completed at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Tsukuba Space Center in Tsukuba, Japan, where the agency operates a large testing facility. The flight model was assembled at the facility and all payloads or testing models were integrated into the lunar lander before testing began.

All Testing Success Criteria & Qualifications Attained

All test success criteria were met; ispace engineers are now reviewing the detailed data that RESILIENCE collected during the ten-day testing regime. The results will allow engineers to optimize the spacecraft thermally for spaceflight as well as improve flight operation procedures.

Thermal vacuum testing is conducted in a large chamber that allows the lunar lander to experience conditions similar to what it will face during its journey through outer space including extreme temperatures in a vacuum environment. Initial test results indicated successful operation of power systems, guidance, navigation and control (GNC) equipment, radio communications, and thermal control of the lander while simulating an actual spaceflight. During testing in the chamber, ispace operators utillized the lander’s onboard radio to assess connections, send commands to, and receive telemetry from the lander, further simulating actual flight operations.

Travelport Launches NDC Content and Servicing for Emirates on Travelport+

 Travelport, a global technology company that powers travel bookings for hundreds of thousands of travel suppliers worldwide, and Emirates, one of the world's largest international airlines, today announced that New Distribution Capability (NDC) content from Emirates and enhanced NDC servicing capabilities are now available in the Travelport+ platform.

With this launch, Travelport's agency customers will be able to easily view and compare more dynamic NDC offers and ancillaries from Emirates and create a more streamlined, personalized experience for travellers. Travelport's complete NDC solution for Emirates also provides agents the ability to service NDC bookings, which includes modifications and cancellations.

"Agencies using Travelport+ will now have access to better, more enriched content that is only available via the Emirates NDC channel," said Adnan Kazim, Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer at Emirates. "The integration of our systems will strengthen the expansion of our reach across the global travel retail community and allow them to offer travelers more choice among our best-in-class products and services."

"We are leading the way in delivering Emirates' NDC content to travel retailers and giving agents the ability to compare and book the best offers and ancillaries available from Emirates on Travelport+," said Jason Clarke, Chief Commercial Officer, Travel Partners at Travelport. "This pivotal NDC milestone with Emirates proves Travelport is at the forefront of modern retailing with our ability to provide the best content and cutting-edge tools that agents require to create superior booking and servicing experiences for their customers."

Travelport's NDC content and servicing solution for Emirates has first become available to all agency customers located in Australia, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. Access to Emirates NDC solution in Travelport+ will expand to agency customers located in additional countries in the coming weeks.

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NTT DOCOMO and Space Compass partners with Airbus on HAPS, committing to a USD$100 million investment in AALTO

A consortium of Japanese businesses led by NTT DOCOMO, Inc.and Space Compass Corporation, together with Mizuho Bank Limited and the Development Bank of Japan Inc., has committed to invest USD$100m in AALTO HAPS Limited, which manufactures and operates the stratospheric, solar-powered Zephyr High Altitude Platform Station. The investment will be made through the Japanese Consortium’s investment vehicle, HAPS JAPAN Corporation.

This investment marks the beginning of a strategic alliance to commercialise connectivity and earth observation services using HAPS in Japan and across Asia. It will also support the industrial and commercial roadmap for AALTO’s services, targeting launch in Japan and a global entry-into-service in 2026.

Flying for months at a time in the stratosphere, Zephyr offers game-changing capabilities that will be transformative for mobile connectivity and earth observation. As a payload agnostic platform, Zephyr can transform into a multi-functional tower in the sky to provide low latency 5G direct-to-device mobile connectivity services. Leveraging Airbus’s earth observation service, Strat-Observer, Zephyr can also be used to fulfil a range of monitoring, tracking, sensing and detection applications. AALTO is therefore well-positioned for a variety of use cases, such as expanding mobile network operator (MNO) coverage and providing high-capacity connectivity including during Japan's response to natural disasters.

Consortium of leading Japanese businesses and banks commit to invest USD$100m in Airbus subsidiary AALTO

Investment accelerates industrial and commercial roadmap for Zephyr, the world-leading High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS), and establishes strategic alliance for HAPS commercialisation in Asia

Japan taking leading position in HAPS-based non-terrestrial networks (NTN), with NTT DOCOMO to take the lead in the direct-to-device connectivity sector

NTT DOCOMO’s terrestrial mobile connectivity expertise, combined with advanced earth observation solutions from Airbus Defence and Space, to create powerful group of AALTO shareholders

Hanwha Phasor and Lufthansa Technik to expand on strategic partnership

Hanwha Phasor, a satellite communications company, and Lufthansa Technik, one of the leading providers of technical aircraft services in the world, are expanding their strategic partnership, announced today. The agreement, which was signed in February 2024, will see Lufthansa Technik design, build and supply hundreds of fuselage-mounted Satellite Communications radomes, the aerodynamic cover for Hanwha Phasor’s Phasor A7700 – an Active Electronically Steered Antenna designed for commercial and military aviation. Under the new terms, Lufthansa Technik will also start the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Supplemental Type Certificates (STC) for the Phasor A7700.

The STC is the final hurdle that the business must clear in order to release the Phasor A7700 to the market. The testing is an essential step for Hanwha Phasor to undertake, proving the Phasor A7700 for use with commercial aviation providers.

Following the initial EASA testing, Lufthansa Technik will support Hanwha Phasor with its’ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to ensure that the Phasor A7700 is compliant for use in the United States. The EASA STC is expected to be completed and released in Europe Q3 2025, and FAA testing validation is expected to be complete and released in the United States in Q4 2025.

The extension of the partnership between the two businesses is a clear vote of confidence in the Phasor A7700, and the benefits that it will be able to provide to commercial aviation.

The Heron TP RPAS produced by UAV PEO at the Directorate of Defense Research & Development at the IMoD and Israel Aerospace Industries has made its maiden flight over Germany

The German Heron TP (GHTP), produced by UAV PEO at the Directorate of Defense, Research and Development at the IMoD and Israel Aerospace Industries, has flown in German airspace for the first time. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) was customized for the unique requirements of the German Ministry of Defence, as part of a joint venture between IAI, Israel’s Ministry of Defense’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), and Airbus.

The close cooperation between Airbus, IAI, DDR&D and the German Armed Forces, ensured the development of a RPAS which exhibits both advanced performance and operational readiness while also providing the German Armed Forces with additional capabilities. The flight was conducted in the presence of the senior representatives from the German Air Force, the DDR&D at the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Airbus and, IAI. This historic event is an important step towards reaching full operational capability.

President and CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Mr Boaz Levy:" The deployment of Heron TP (GHTP) RPAS in Germany signifies a milestone achievement for Israel Aerospace Industries, reinforcing its position as a leading provider of cutting-edge aerospace and defence solutions on the global stage. This collaboration sets the stage for continued innovation and collaboration in addressing the ever-evolving challenges in the defence sector."

ICEYE announces API that allows customers to directly task world’s largest SAR satellite constellation

Two new application programming interfaces (APIs) launched as the first in ICEYE’s wider API ecosystem, empowering customers to access critical data in response to time-sensitive demands.

 

ICEYE, the global leader in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite operations, announced the launch of two new application programming interfaces (APIs) that will give customers faster access to imagery from the world’s largest SAR satellite constellation through a self-driven, automated process.

The first API automates the satellite tasking process, enabling machine-to-machine interactions for this critical step. Customers who have built their own platforms to access commercial tasking services may now seamlessly integrate into the ICEYE space and ground architecture without a human-in-the-loop.  The second API automates the process for customers to request SAR imagery from ICEYE’s extensive catalog of over 60,000 archive images. 

“We are thrilled to announce this new service, which makes the world’s largest SAR satellite constellation even more accessible to our customers,” said John Cartwright, SVP and Head of Data Product. “Customers increasingly seek to integrate access to the ICEYE SAR constellation, the largest in the world, through their own platforms.  The end-to-end workflow automation we are releasing today puts this power directly in their hands so they can make smarter, data-driven decisions in near real-time.” 

UK-based satellite communications firm Hanwha Phasor expands to the United States

Hanwha Phasor, a UK-based satellite communications business, confirmed that following a successful four years in the UK, it has opened its first office in the United States. The initial focus of the business will be on developing its market position in the US which presents a wider potential for the portfolio of user terminals.

The office, located in Virginia, will serve as the primary base for the Hanwha Phasor employees based in the US, including the Vice President Business Development Mike Young, the recently joined Business Development Director, Rick LePage, and the new Commercial Director Aviation, Scott McCobb.

Alongside the new US office, Hanwha Phasor has two office locations in the UK. These include the business’ international headquarters in London as well as the ASICs Centre of Excellence in Cambridge.

Vast’s Haven-1 aims to be the world’s first commercial space station connected by SpaceX starlink

Vast’s Haven-1, is scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station and will be equipped with SpaceX’s Starlink laser terminal providing Gigabit/s speed, low latency connectivity to its crew users, internal payload racks, external cameras and instruments.

“If you need to provide high-speed, low-latency, continuous internet connectivity on a space station in orbit in 2025, SpaceX Starlink is the only option,” said Max Haot, Vast’s CEO. “We expect their network and technology leading position to continue and accelerate over time, which is why we are excited to have the chance to partner with SpaceX on deploying their first laser connectivity for a space station.”

The Haven-1 crew will be able to connect their personal devices via Wi-Fi to the Starlink network and have unprecedentedly better internet connectivity on orbit to host outreach video calls and perform experiments and science with full, high-speed internet access. Even during crew rest time, they will be able to use high-speed internet.

“High-speed, low-latency connectivity on orbit for crew and critical scientific research is critical to any space station experience,” said Stephanie Bednarek, SpaceX’s Senior Director of Commercial Sales. “We are excited for Vast’s Haven-1 to be the first commercial space station to stay connected with Starlink.”

Vast and SpaceX have reached an agreement for SpaceX to provide Starlink connectivity to future Vast platforms beyond Haven 1, including connectivity for Vast’s next space station, which the company plans to bid for in NASA's upcoming commercial Low Earth Orbit destinations (CLDs) competition.

In May 2023, Vast announced that SpaceX will launch Haven-1, followed by two human spaceflight missions to the Haven-1 space station.

This new partnership between Vast and SpaceX will continue to create and accelerate greater accessibility to space and more opportunities for exploration on the road to making humanity multiplanetary.

. Special discount limited time offerSave up to 30% now. 
 

Sierra Space Ghost Enters Flight Test Enabling Global Payload Delivery in 90 Minutes

Sierra Space, a leading commercial space-tech company and next-generation defense-tech prime, building a platform in space to benefit life on Earth and protect the freedom of economic activity in the Orbital Age®, has successfully beta-tested a revolutionary new logistics spacecraft, Sierra Space Ghost.

This new technology propels Sierra Space into a new era of national security space and space logistics, promising to redefine the way critical defence supplies are delivered across the globe. The Sierra Space Ghost Beta decelerator, part of the company’s recently announced Sierra Space Axelerator™ incubator, is a cutting-edge thermal protection system tailored for the safe return of small payloads from space. 

Last month, the first drop test of the Sierra Space Ghost was completed in Florida, enabling Sierra Space test engineers to fully understand the flight characteristics of the system and how recovery operations can be rapidly completed on the ground.

“As we continue to innovate at speed, this test enables us to build, test, learn and accelerate the development of a revolutionary new operational asset for national security,” said Tom Vice, CEO of Sierra Space. “We envision having an inventory of Sierra Space Ghost vehicles strategically positioned and readily accessible and deployable within 90 minutes to critical locations anywhere on Earth. Sierra Space Ghost enables our customers to deliver vital resources to frontline personnel with unparalleled precision and speed.”

Half of people can’t spot a deepfake, so whose job is it to stop them from spreading?

Research from digital identity security specialists, ID Crypt Global, reveals that half of the UK doesn’t know what deepfakes are, and only one in five make efforts to ensure they’re not spreading fake news, insisting that social media platforms are responsible for rooting about fake images and videos.

With deepfake technology pushing to the forefront of the news cycle in the lead up to elections both here and in the US, ID Crypt has commissioned a survey of 1,221 members of the UK population to find out if they know what deepfakes are, whether they think they could spot a deepfake out in the wild, and whose job it is to ensure that fake news isn’t easily spread online. 

The survey kicks off by revealing that almost half (47%) of the UK population is still unfamiliar with the term ‘deepfake’ and what it means.

As such, more than half of respondents (53%) are unaware of whether or not they’ve ever encountered a deepfake image or video online, while half of those who say they have encountered a (55%) only know so because it was included in a news story that was reporting on deepfakes. 

When asked what their biggest concerns about deepfake technology are, the most common answers are fraud and identity theft (32%), and the spreading of fake news or misinformation (31%). 

Despite the important elections coming up in both the UK and US, only 10% say they’re concerned about deepfakes manipulating political discourse or events.

India's fledgling airline FLY91to use IBS Software to offer dynamic and competitive airfares.

FLY91, is India's youngest regional airline, with a simple mission to make air travel accessible to travellers across the nation, has partnered with IBS Software to power its commercial operations. IBS Software has created a reservation experience designed to deliver a simple, efficient and cost-effective experience, to attract and retain customers.

By implementing IBS Software's modern omni-channel iFly Res commerce platform, FLY91 will not only create a compelling user experience powered by the platform's rich set of APIs and flexible rules engine, but also deliver dynamic pricing. These real-time dynamic and personalised pricing capabilities are a vital tool in delivering the most cost-effective fares and ensuring pricing is competitive with alternative modes of transport.

Additionally, access to an API-driven ecosystem gives FLY91 the ability to open its services and routes connecting tier 2 (population of 50,000 to 100,000) and tier 3 (population of 20,000 to 50,000) cities across India to interline partners, providing international and domestic airlines with a solution to last-mile coverage to smaller destinations that are traditionally poorly or underserved by existing carriers.

Fighting deepfakes has become a billion pound industry in the UK

Photo by ThisIsEngineering

Digital identity security specialists, ID Crypt Global, reveals that to combat the rapid rise in deepfake technology interfering with life in the real world, the Fraud Detection Software sector has grown by almost 200% in the past decade to become a billion pound industry. But is it enough to avert social and political disaster as we enter what some are already calling the year of the AI election in the USA and UK?

ID Crypt analysed the changing market size, measured in annual revenue, of the Fraud Detection Software Development industry* and the Cyber Security Software Development industry* to see how they have grown over the past decade to combat the rise of deepfake technology and the manipulative powers it can have on a population. 

What is deepfake technology?

Deepfakes are synthetic media, often in the form of videos, audio, or images, created with artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning algorithms. 

Often, this technology enables deepfake creators to use the face, voice, or both of a chosen person, and create media in which they do or say anything the creator wants. It is a technology that is estimated to cost the global economy more than £60 billion a year.

One example is the series of dramatic photos supposedly depicting the arrest of Donald Trump. Another is the fake yet utterly convincing audio recording of Labour leader Keir Starmer screaming at an aide for forgetting an iPad. 

Recent data shows that the number of online deepfakes is doubling every six months, and such is the disinformation they’re creating in the political sphere ahead of this year’s elections in the UK and USA that some are already calling this the year of AI elections.

The deepfake process is becoming so sophisticated that it is now incredibly difficult to quickly differentiate between genuine and fake content. This poses a real threat to the world because of the speed at which news and images travel around the world via social media. Before a deepfake can be spotted, it has already reached and tricked millions of people. 

Airbus continues to collaborate with NASA to monitor climate change from Space

GRACE-C contract for two spacecraft awarded to Airbus

NASA and DLR mission will continue measurements of Earth’s gravity field

Airbus has been awarded a contract to design and build the GRACE-C twin spacecraft by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL (Pasadena, California). This new mission of NASA and the German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) will strengthen the more than 20 year long partnership between the USA and Germany to ensure uninterrupted measurement of the Earth's gravity field, which started in 2002 with GRACE and continues with GRACE Follow-On, launched in 2018.

During its five year nominal mission lifetime, the GRACE-C Mission (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment-Continuity) will continue the series of measurements observing how Earth’s groundwater, oceans, ice sheets, and land shift, month-to-month, by measuring changes in the planet’s gravity field. 

Alain Fauré, Head of Space Systems at Airbus, said: “It is amazing to think that, without looking down at Earth, two satellites more than 200 km away from each other, can tell us how quickly our ice sheets are melting. In environmental monitoring, continuity is key. The valuable data provided by the previous GRACE missions is testament to their success and it is great news that Airbus continues to be part of this international mission providing the tools to measure how our climate is evolving.”

GRACE-C consists of two identical satellites flying around 200 km apart at an orbit altitude of 500 km with an inclination of 89 degrees. Each satellite will measure approximately 3 x 2 x 1 metres and weigh around 600 kg. Launch is planned no earlier than late 2028 from the USA.

Sierra Space Dream Chaser® Spaceplane Successfully Completes First Phase of Pre-Flight Testing

Sierra Space, a leading commercial space company and emerging defence tech prime building a platform in space to benefit and protect life on Earth announced today the successful completion of the initial phase of environmental testing on the revolutionary Dream Chaser® spaceplane, Tenacity®, at NASA’s Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky, Ohio.

Over the past month, the Sierra Space Dream Chaser and its cargo companion, Shooting Star™, underwent rigorous vibration testing while stacked in launch configuration inside the Mechanical Vibration Facility at the NASA complex. In readiness for launch from Kennedy Space Center, the tests exposed the vehicles to the intense conditions of launch vibrations using the world’s most powerful spacecraft shaker table. See video here.

“We are coming out of years of development, years of hard work and years of resolving tough engineering challenges that come from revolutionary new ways of doing things,” said Sierra Space CEO Tom Vice. “This phase of development illustrates how Dream Chaser and the Shooting Star cargo module will handle the mechanical rigours of launch. This is the year that we transition from development and enter orbital operations – it is the year that changes how we connect space and earth.”

NUAIR gets ready for Northeast for cross-border UAS operations

Following a string of critical approvals and operational readiness missions, NUAIR® is prepping the Northeastern United States for cross-border uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) operations. These operations will prove out safe integration of UAS into the national airspace with the opportunity for cross-border international collaboration and regulatory harmonization.

In 2023, NUAIR received a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) from Canada authorizing our team to perform UAS operations with U.S. pilots and U.S. aircraft in Ontario, Canada. And, throughout the course of the past year, NUAIR has been performing preliminary operations testing wireless coverage, flight opportunities, and more to ensure safe and efficient future travel from the United States into Canada and back. The team has also been working as international diplomats collaborating with multiple federal agencies on both sides of the border – the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and others from the United States as well as NAV Canada, Transports Canada and similar on the Canadian side.