Wednesday, April 16

Ukraine’s long-suffering aerospace giants look to Europe to break free from Russian orbit

https://activitypub.writeworks.uk/2025/04/wednesday-april-16/

Hey, it's a non-oligarch space launch in Santa Barbara, tomorrow, April 16th, 2025 from Vandenberg AFB:

" Launch Alert

Vandenberg SFB Guardians and Airmen are scheduled to support a Northrop Grumman Minotaur IV launch of the NROL-174 mission from Space Launch Complex 8 (SLC-8) no earlier than 12:33 p.m. PT, Wednesday, April 16.

This will be the first Minotaur IV to launch from Vandenberg SFB since 2011.

There is the possibility that residents of and visitors to Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura counties may hear one or more sonic booms during the launch, but what residents experience will depend on weather and other conditions."

so building spacecraft is great and all, except for when you've got 2 weeks of TVAC testing* coming up and they ask you and 6 other people "could you list which 1st, 2nd, and 3rd shifts you'd be available for until August?"

*Thermal vacuum testing is when you put the spacecraft in a vacuum chamber and heat/cool it for environmental testing. Notably needs to be babysat 24/7, so 7 people means you're going to have a lot of evening, overnight, and weekend shifts.

Giorgia Meloni’s government is still supporting Ukraine and backing NATO. Italy’s aerospace and defence sectors help explain why.

Both Meloni’s government and the opposition have put forward complicated if not unrealistic proposals for the war in Ukraine, such as a UN peacekeeping mission after a ceasefire, and repeatedly reaffirmed their commitment to NATO.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20250324-giorgia-melonis-government-is-still-supporting-ukraine-and-backing-nato-italys-aerospace-and-defence-sectors-help-explain-why?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

#Rakete made in #Bayern.
Und das merkt man:
Kurz nach dem Start ist #Spectrum von #Isar #Aerospace abgestürzt.
Während die dt. Medien und der offizielle Livestream nur zeigen, wie die Rakete in der Luft "hängt", kann man hier bei einem frz. YouTuber später den Absturz samt #Explosion sehen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FU3WWGtycog
Bin mal auf die Statements von #Söder und Co. gespannt.

A rocket made by German startup Isar Aerospace failed to reach orbit on its first test flight, veering seconds after liftoff before crashing into the icy surrounds of its launch base in Norway on Sunday.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/other/german-rocket-hits-setback-as-europe-seeks-spacex-alternatives/ar-AA1BWq3q

https://youtu.be/ktJ-ZEWNalQ

Tough go for Germany's Isar Aerospace on the maiden flight of their Spectrum rocket.

Hope they gathered lots of data from this and they can get back to flight soon.

#Isar #aerospace first fully privately funded orbital #rocket launch from #EU will launch in 15 minutes.

Live stream at https://youtube.com/watch?v=IKLQxe2MvpQ

Skeptics laughed when the founders of #Outbound #Aerospace told them they planned to build a new type of blended-wing airplane using innovative manufacturing technologies. Now Seattle-based Outbound has flown its first small-scale prototype. https://www.geekwire.com/2025/outbound-aerospace-test-flight-funding/ #STeVe #Tech #Technology #Aviation

"SpaceX and the Foundation of Elon’s Empire"

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2425400/episodes/16831958-spacex-and-the-foundation-of-elon-s-empire-ft-lora-kolodny

#USA #Politics #Government #NASA #Trump #Musk #Billionaires #SpaceX #StarLink #Empire #Power #AeroSpace #DOGE

https://www.europesays.com/1932949/ Donald Trump has named new F-47 fighter after himself #Aerospace #america #Defense&Security #MilitaryFixedWingPlatforms #science #technology #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #US #USA

The F-35 as a Subscription Service

https://xxtomcooperxx.substack.com/p/the-f-35-as-a-subscription-service

Firefighting #rotorcraft shortfall prompts Bell’s 214ST reboot: https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/aircraft-propulsion/firefighting-rotorcraft-shortfall-prompts-bells-214st-reboot. Aerial #firefighting is an #aerospace niche but it is a critical one. Within that niche, #VTOL aircraft bring unique capabilities. They deliver water and retardant precisely, transport firefighters to remote areas, and perform aerial reconnaissance. VTOLs are essential assets for rapid response and effective wildfire management. #aircraft #aviation #emergencymanagement #engineering #verticalflight

From 06 Mar: Asteroid Mining Startup Loses Its Spacecraft Somewhere Beyond the Moon - A privately built spacecraft is tumbling aimlessly in d... https://gizmodo.com/asteroid-mining-startup-loses-its-spacecraft-somewhere-beyond-the-moon-2000572644 #aerospace-technology #asteroid-mining #asteroids #astroforge #space-&-spaceflight

#AERO2025 in #Friedrichshafen activated my account for #slot booking this night at 4am local. I can handle that. Unfortunately there were some errors and the system took some hours to be functional. Anyway, got my slot! But I really have to consider if I like to do this any longer, as prices skyrocket! That's 133 € including one ticket for the trade fair and if weather doesn't cooperate I am still stuck with 42 €. For nothing. Ok, we'll divide everything by two, as always, but still. Anyway, going to an #AeroSpace event that takes place at an #Airport (#EDNY) by land is out of the question! #avgeek #aviation #AERO #GeneralAviation

Sweden to Base Gripen Fighters in Poland; The First Time on Foreign Soil

https://defensemirror.com/news/39008/Sweden_to_Base_Gripen_Fighters_in_Poland__The_First_Time_on_Foreign_Soil

Ariane 6: Europe's rocket launch postponed due to 'anomaly'.

A 'dysfunctional valve' was detected minutes before the scheduled launch on Monday of the rocket, which is to carry a French military satellite into space.

https://mediafaro.org/article/20250304-ariane-6-europes-rocket-launch-postponed-due-to-anomaly?mf_channel=mastodon&action=forward

Did you know that #firefly #aerospace made the first successful private #moon landing in #space history yesterday?

Anyway, this is a photo from their control room and you can see the #grafana they did the moon landing with in the background.