SpaceWatch Global
• Joshua Faleti
EraDrive has received clearance to test autonomous maneuvering software aboard NASA’s Starling satellites. The trial advances onboard navigation and control capabilities, putting spacecraft maneuver decisions closer to the vehicle rather than relying solely on ground-based direction.
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EraDrive has received clearance to test autonomous maneuvering software aboard NASA’s Starling satellites. The trial advances onboard navigation and control capabilities, putting spacecraft maneuver decisions closer to the vehicle rather than relying solely on ground-based direction.
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Skyfly secured a $10 million seed round to scale production, while North Vector Dynamics raised more than $20 million in a Series A valuing it above $90 million to develop counter-UAS interceptors. Separately, Electra demonstrated a 150-foot takeoff in Manhattan, and Brazil’s Moya Aero completed a full transition flight with its autonomous cargo eVTOL prototype.
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Japan Airlines has begun operating TLD Robotics’ driverless EZTow tractors at Fukuoka Airport, extending airside autonomous towing to a third airport in its network. The vehicles move cargo containers on a 1.7-kilometer restricted-area route, as JAL turns to automation amid ground-handling labor shortages and a shrinking working-age population.
LiveEO co-founder Daniel Seidel discusses a new alliance with Airbus and IBM Germany, using satellite data to generate 3D terrain in minutes. The initiative is framed against Germany’s gap in sovereign imagery capability; the available report does not detail the partners’ commitments or the system’s operational status.
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Elon Musk said SpaceX has closed $40 billion in debt financing to acquire graphics processing units for its artificial intelligence efforts. Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the discussions, reported that pricing talks were still ongoing, leaving details of the deal unclear.
General Atomics is working with Spirit Defense, a Boeing subsidiary, to help increase production of its FQ-42 collaborative combat aircraft as the U.S. Air Force seeks fighter drones over the next six years. The partnership points to an effort to build manufacturing capacity around the emerging uncrewed combat-aircraft requirement.
The Air Force wants artificial intelligence to review aerial refueling operations using video from cameras mounted on tankers, then provide crews with “hot wash” feedback. The initiative is aimed at strengthening crew capability through analysis of refueling performance.
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