Aerospace Archives

Dur-E-Therm ssto Radian One single stage to orbit

Radian Aerospace Reveals Next-Generation Spacecraft Material “Dur-E-Therm” Designed to Withstand Single-Stage-to-Orbit Flight

Christopher Plain·March 24, 2025

Company behind the Radian One experimental single stage to orbit spaceplane has announced its advanced Dur-E-Therm spacecraft material.

Inside the F-47: America’s Most Advanced Warplane Yet Signals the Future of U.S. Air Dominance

Christopher Plain·March 22, 2025

The newly announced F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance fighter intended to replace the F-22 Raptor boasts several technological advancements.

NASA’s “Blue Ghost” Lunar Lander Captures New Close-Up Images of the Moon’s Surface

Ryan Whalen·March 14, 2025

The first images of lunar lander engine thruster stirring up moon dust were captured during the successful Blue Ghost descent.

SpaceX’s Starship Explodes Midflight in Second Major Setback for Musk’s Mars Plans

Micah Hanks·March 7, 2025

SpaceX saw setbacks on Thursday after the eighth test flight of one of its Starship rockets ended in flames.

Look: NASA Photos Capture Experimental Supersonic Aircraft as it Noiselessly Breaks the Sound Barrier

Micah Hanks·March 6, 2025

In stunning images, NASA has revealed the moment an experimental supersonic aircraft broke the sound barrier without producing an audible sonic boom.

Blue Origin’s All-Female Crew: Exploring the Emotional Impact of Looking Back at Earth from Space

Chrissy Newton·March 5, 2025

With the announcement of Blue Origin's all-female crew for the upcoming NS-31 mission, we explore the profound emotional and psychological impact of space travel on astronauts.

Northrop Grumman Equips South Korea with New Helicopter-Mounted Mine Detectors

Ryan Whalen·February 26, 2025

Northrop Grumman reached a deal with Hanwha this week to provide helicopter-mounted Airborne Laser Mine Detection Systems.

Lockheed Martin’s New Missile Tracking Spacecraft Aim to Defend U.S. Against Foreign Hypersonic Threats

Ryan Whalen·February 21, 2025

Lockheed Martin spacecraft will support the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture, tracking threats in the hypersonic missile arms race.

Plasma Rocket Engine Breakthrough Unveiled as New Russian Prototype Aims for Faster Space Travel

Micah Hanks·February 17, 2025

A prototype electric plasma rocket engine capable of significantly increasing thrust and efficiency has been unveiled by Russian scientists.

Lockheed Martin Secures Massive Contract to Upgrade Navy’s Legendary Trident II D5 Missile

Micah Hanks·February 3, 2025

U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin has secured a $383 million contract to develop the next-generation Trident II D5 Life Extension missile.

New Details Emerging on the Chilling Final Moments Before the Tragic Mid-Air Collision over Washington D.C.

Tim McMillan·January 31, 2025

New details are beginning to emerge about the events leading up to the tragic mid-air collision over Washington D.C.

This Nimble New Drone Can Easily Track Humans Moving Through Dense Terrain

Ryan Whalen·January 29, 2025

The new SUPER drone can follow a person jogging through the woods, avoid thin obstacles like power lines, and exceed 20 meters per second.

U.S. Military’s New Spy Plane on the Horizon as GAO Denies Protest Halting ‘HADES’ Program

Micah Hanks·January 10, 2025

The U.S. Army is back on track with development of its High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) spy plane, following setbacks that involved prospective contractors for the program.

National Science Foundation Hosts Interagency Meeting on Disruptive Technology with UAP in Focus

Chrissy Newton·December 18, 2024

The advancement of low Earth orbit technologies and addressing challenges like UAP were among the issues discussed during a recent meeting hosted by the National Science Foundation.

Breakthrough Color Technology Based On Peacock Feathers Could Coat Your Next Car

Ryan Whalen·December 16, 2024

For thousands of years, humans have used pigmented paints, dyes, and inks that absorb light to create color, but now, a Japanese researcher is pioneering a radical new way of applying reflective color technology to 3D objects.

Could New Evidence Solve the D.B. Cooper Hijacking Mystery? Some Longtime Researchers Aren’t Convinced.

Ryan Whalen·November 28, 2024

New evidence could finally solve the decades-old D.B. Cooper mystery, but some longtime researchers into the famous hijacking aren't so sure.

China Unveils New ‘Cuantianhou’ Spaceplane: Innovation or Simply Imitation of American Technology?

Tim McMillan·November 22, 2024

China has unveiled its new "Cuantianhou" spaceplane, which looks unmistakably like another iconic American aircraft.

Hybrid “Anti-Frost” Surface Prevents Accumulation on Airplane Wings and Power Lines for Days

Christopher Plain·November 5, 2024

Northwestern researchers have developed a novel anti-frost surface that prevents accumulation on airplane wings for a week or more.

Water World: Dwarf Planet Ceres Was Once Covered by an Ocean

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry·October 1, 2024

A new study, published in Nature Astronomy, suggests that Ceres is far icier than once thought and may have once been a muddy ocean world.

How the Polaris Dawn Mission Made History With the First Civilian Commercial Space Walk

Ryan Whalen·September 16, 2024

Polaris Dawn, SpaceX’s most ambitious mission to date, successfully carried astronauts the furthest from Earth since the Apollo era.

NASA’s New Radar-Equipped Gulfstream Aircraft is Set to Enhance Earth Science Capabilities

Ryan Whalen·September 7, 2024

NASA’s heavily modified Gulfstream IV twin jet will greatly enhance the agency’s data collection capabilities for Earth science missions.

Secretive SR-72 Hypersonic Aircraft, Successor to Lockheed Martin’s Legendary SR-71, Could Soon Take Flight

Micah Hanks·August 27, 2024

New indications suggest Lockheed Martin's secretive SR-72 hypersonic demonstrator aircraft could finally be nearing production.

NASA-Funded Hypersonic Breakthrough Can Eliminate Deadly “Shock Train” at the Speed of Light

Christopher Plain·July 27, 2024

Optical sensors that rapidly detect a 'shock train' inside a scramjet engine could revolutionize hypersonic flight.

Advanced Propulsion Researchers from GE Aerospace Successfully Test Cutting-Edge Dual-Mode Hypersonic Ramjet

Christopher Plain·July 16, 2024

Researchers from GE Aerospace have announced their first-ever successful test of a dual mode hypersonic ramjet engine.

The Southwest Research Institute’s New High-Speed Propulsion Facility Officially Breaks Ground

Christopher Plain·July 11, 2024

The Southwest Research Institute has officially broken ground on their new CAMP high-speed propulsion facility.

Air Force-Funded Ursa Major Successfully Test Fires “Draper” Engine Built to Power Spacecraft of the Future

Christopher Plain·July 10, 2024

Ursa Major has announced the first successful test firing of its Draper engine, which will power both hypersonic and in-space flight.

NASA Officially Confirms Mysterious Object Recovered in NC Mountains is SpaceX Debris

Micah Hanks·July 2, 2024

NASA has officially confirmed that a mysterious object found on a remote North Carolina trail is SpaceX debris that once belonged to one of the American spacecraft company's Dragon capsules.

DARPA Teases Newest ‘X-Plane’ Images as Mysterious Hybrid Electric Propulsion Craft Gets Official Designation

Micah Hanks·June 25, 2024

DARPA has revealed the official designation of a next-generation X-plane it currently has under development.

U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin Test Advanced Mk21A Missile Reentry Vehicle Over the Pacific

Micah Hanks·June 18, 2024

The USAF and Lockheed Martin have announced the successful completion of a test involving the Mk21A future intercontinental ballistic missile reentry vehicle.

Anomalous Satellites? DARPA Deploys New System for Detecting Unusual Objects in Orbit

Micah Hanks·June 12, 2024

DARPA has a new tracking system to detect objects in orbit that exhibit anomalous behavior that may threaten U.S. national security.

SpaceX Starlink “Extreme Flaring” Increases Reported UAP Sightings and Poses Aviation Risks, New Research Finds

Tim McMillan·May 28, 2024

New research shows SpaceX's Starlink satellites can cause extreme flaring, confusing airline pilots and complicating UAP tracking.

Look: DARPA’s High-Speed X-Plane Just Got a Makeover, New Images Reveal

Micah Hanks·May 22, 2024

An experimental high-speed, vertical-lift X-plane has a new look, as revealed in new conceptual images as the aircraft moves toward its preliminary design phase.

UK Space Agency Testing Extremely Low Orbit Propulsion System That Runs on Solar Power and Thin Air

Christopher Plain·May 10, 2024

UK's new extremely low orbit propulsion system that could keep satellites aloft for years at a time will run on solar power and thin air

NASA is Developing Future Propulsion Systems and Improving Sustainability with This Pint-Sized Jet Engine

Micah Hanks·April 29, 2024

A small-scale jet engine compact enough to fit on a tabletop is helping to make the future of aviation more sustainable, according to NASA engineers currently involved in tests that could help pave the way toward new aircraft propulsion systems of the coming decades.

Lockheed Martin’s ‘Mako,’ the U.S. Navy’s Powerful New Multi-Mission Hypersonic Missile, is Officially Unveiled

Micah Hanks·April 24, 2024

Lockheed Martin’s new Mako missile has officially made its debut, marking the arrival of the first hypersonic weapon developed for compatibility with fifth-generation fighter aircraft.

DARPA’s Groundbreaking “ACE” Program and X-62A Becomes First AI-Controlled Jet to Dogfight Against Manned F-16 in Real-World

Tim McMillan·April 17, 2024

DARPA's ACE program achieves a milestone with the first AI jet to successfully engage in a real-world dogfight against a manned F-16.

RocketStar Successfully Demonstrates FireStar™ Nuclear Fusion-Enhanced Pulsed Plasma Propulsion Drive

Christopher Plain·April 12, 2024

RocketStar Inc. says they have successfully demonstrated their FireStar™ nuclear fusion-enhanced pulsed plasma electric propulsion drive.

Engineers Create “Ultrablack” Coating for Light-Sensitive Equipment Operating in Outer Space

Christopher Plain·March 13, 2024

Engineers create an "ultrablack" coating for space applications that absorbs 99.3% of the light it encounters across a wide range of light wavelengths.

Mission to Investigate Potentially Hazardous Objects in Orbit Lifts Off Aboard Rocket Lab Electron Rocket

Micah Hanks·February 19, 2024

Aerospace company Rocket Lab has successfully deployed a satellite on a mission to inspect space junk for potential removal from orbit.

U.S. Air Force Prepares to Unleash ‘LITENING’ with Its New Large Aperture Targeting Pod

Micah Hanks·February 13, 2024

The U.S. Air Force is gearing up to equip its new LITENING targeting pod with enhanced electro-optical and infrared capabilities.

Next-Generation Adaptive Propulsion Technology One Step Closer as Aerospace Company Looks Toward Prototype Tests

Micah Hanks·February 12, 2024

Aerospace manufacturer Pratt & Whitney says it is advancing toward ground tests of its new Next-Generation Adaptive Propulsion prototype.

Game-Changing ‘Flightline of the Future’ Leverages Augmented Reality for Transmission of Sensitive Military Aircraft Data at High Speeds

Micah Hanks·January 30, 2024

Northrup Grumman and its partners have unveiled a new system that facilitates the secure transmission of sensitive, classified military data at high speeds.

Unknown Object Punched “Softball Sized Hole” in Aircraft, Prompting Emergency Landing and FAA Investigation

Micah Hanks·January 19, 2024

The FAA is investigating an incident that prompted the emergency landing of an Atlas Air flight at Miami International Airport late Thursday evening, leaving a hole above one of its engines.

DARPA’s Mysterious X-Plane Will Revolutionize Flight by Breaking This Century-Old Aviation Design Paradigm

Micah Hanks·January 14, 2024

DARPA is set to revolutionize flight with its experimental X-plane, upending a century of flight with an aircraft featuring no moving control surfaces.

NASA’s X-59 Quiet Supersonic Aircraft is Unveiled During Historic Ceremony at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works

Micah Hanks·January 12, 2024

On Friday, the X-59 Quesst supersonic aircraft was unveiled to the public at Lockheed Martin’s iconic Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, California.

New Bipartisan Bill Aims to Strengthen UAP Reporting from Civilian Pilots and Aviation Personnel

Micah Hanks·January 11, 2024

A new bill, the 'Safe Airspace for Americans Act' aims to encourage reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) from pilots.

NASA Will Debut Its Mysterious X-59 ‘Quiet’ Supersonic Aircraft at Famous Lockheed Martin Skunk Works Facility Next Week

Micah Hanks·January 5, 2024

NASA has announced its plans to unveil its ultra-quiet X-59 supersonic aircraft next week, the American space agency said in a statement on Friday.

Revolutionary Electrospray Propulsion System Powered by Nanotech May Be Ready to Power Small Spacecraft by the End of 2024

Micah Hanks·January 1, 2024

The ESA is producing a new electrospray propulsion system for small spacecraft that is small enough to fit into the palm of your hand.

Dream Chaser Spaceplane is Gearing Up to Help NASA Deliver Cargo to the International Space Station

Micah Hanks·December 18, 2023

An innovative new spaceplane cargo system is advancing toward its first delivery to the International Space Station (ISS), as one of NASA’s commercial partners providing resupply services.

Unknown Mission of Pentagon’s Mysterious X-37B Spacecraft to Resume, Amidst Setbacks and Speculations

Micah Hanks·December 11, 2023

The X-37B spaceplane is set to resume one of the U.S. military’s most mysterious space missions, amidst setbacks over the weekend that pushed the spacecraft’s launch forward another day to Monday.