The Air Current
• Carter Johnston
NASA says the X-70 Fractal will serve as an experimental aircraft, but the announcement provides little detail on its design, schedule or research objectives. The program adds a new aircraft to NASA’s flight-research portfolio; further specifics will determine what technologies it is intended to advance.
NASA
Latest source-backed stories
High activity
NASA says the X-70 Fractal will serve as an experimental aircraft, but the announcement provides little detail on its design, schedule or research objectives. The program adds a new aircraft to NASA’s flight-research portfolio; further specifics will determine what technologies it is intended to advance.
High activity
NASA introduced the X-70 Fractal at the UP.Summit at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, describing it as a high-performance, adaptable research platform. The aircraft is intended to accelerate development and testing of advanced aviation technologies, including new flight-control capabilities and greater maneuverability.
High activity
NASA selected Viasat, SES and Astranis to develop Ka-band relay concepts that can serve existing spacecraft without onboard modifications, while SES reported a two-way optical link demonstration between ground and space. Separately, SSC Space and ArkEdge agreed on ground services, and ITU rulings addressed deadline extensions for satellite programs in Korea, Thailand and Oman.
NASA’s Artemis II launch created a large disturbance in Earth’s ionosphere, according to the reports, with the resulting hole potentially causing a temporary reduction in GPS accuracy. The event highlights how powerful rocket launches can affect the atmospheric conditions that satellite-navigation signals traverse.
High activity
Democrats’ midterm gains shifted control of congressional committees responsible for NASA funding and Space Force oversight, raising the prospect of closer scrutiny for SpaceX and defense spending. In Texas, the electoral shift also puts deals Elon Musk struck with the state at risk, while defense stocks fell on spending concerns.
Starfish Space’s Otter spacecraft has switched off its communications link after a problem with its fault-protection system, ending its mission to inspect inoperable satellites. The loss of contact cuts short a NASA-funded demonstration of the company’s satellite-servicing vehicle.
High activity
Starfish Space says it can no longer receive data from its first full-scale Otter servicing spacecraft after a fault-protection issue disrupted communications. The failure prematurely ended SSPICY, a NASA-funded, $15 million mission to inspect inoperable satellites, shortly after the vehicle’s launch.
NASA Human Landing System engineers describe Artemis III test articles and docking operations intended to support future crewed lunar landings. Separately, University of Alabama in Huntsville students and researchers report three rocket-motor firings on a prototype landing pad designed to make lunar operations safer.
Create a free account to see more recent NASA stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
