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RF & Microwave Electronics

Ariane 6 Booster Upgrade Sets a New European Heavy-Lift Benchmark

Ariane 6 has entered a higher-performance phase. On June 17, 2026, the heavy-lift rocket launched 36 Amazon Leo satellites from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, flying...

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Manned Systems

Dassault Falcon 10X Completes Maiden Flight

Dassault Aviation’s Falcon 10X has moved from rollout to flight test, completing a two-hour, 30-minute maiden flight from Bordeaux-Mérignac on June 19, 2026, and giving the company its first...

Podcasts

Manned Systems

Engineering Spacecraft Components at Scale for Commercial Space Growth

On this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast, Brian Ippolitto, Vice President of Space Systems at Marotta Controls, discusses how spacecraft component engineering is evolving to meet the accelerating demands of commercial space growth. Listen now!

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Robotics, Automation & Control

Airbus, Boeing Reveal New Autonomous Aircraft Technologies at ILA Berlin 2026

Airbus and Boeing revealed modified and upgraded variants of a military drone and an uncrewed helicopter during the ILA Berlin Air Show last week. The...

Podcasts

AR/AI

Accelerating Spacecraft Development with AI, Digital Twins, and Simulation

During the 2026 Siemens Realize Live conference and exhibition in Detroit, MI, the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast interviewed Dr. Tom Stoumbos, Simulation and Test Leader at Northrop Grumman, about the company’s use of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital simulation and testing tools to design, manufacture, and produce new satellites and space technologies. Listen now!

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Test & Measurement

Introducing the Modern Virtual Test Environment: Reducing Friction in RDT&E

Federal research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) teams are operating in a data environment that looks nothing like it did a decade ago. Modern...

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Software

Automating Geometric Inconsistencies in Computer-Aided Design of Aircraft Parts

When aerospace companies build digital models of new aircraft, they often combine computer-aided design (CAD) files for individual parts into a single system....

Briefs

Materials

From Racing Car to Rocket Tank

Carbon fiber has become indispensable in high-performance industries such as automotive engineering and aerospace. It’s lightweight, extremely durable, and can be shaped in almost any way. Start-up Blackwave, founded at the Technical University of Munich, specializes in this versatile composite material. What began with custom components for sports cars and aircraft has evolved into the development of high-pressure tanks for space applications. Read on to learn more.

Briefs

Electronics & Computers

Researchers Discover Record-Setting Heat Conducting Material

A multi-institution research team working at the Advanced Photon Source has discovered a metallic material with the highest thermal conductivity measured among metals. Read on to learn more.

Products

RF & Microwave Electronics

New Products

See the new products, including Samtec's BE71A Bulls Eye® Phase & Amplitude Stable Test Assembly; Curtiss Wright's PacStar 424 Tactical Gateway; Vishay Intertechnology's new space-grade, surface-mount common mode choke designed to provide EMI filtering and noise suppression; Marotta Controls' BPE-35 Propellant Gear Pump; and more.

Briefs

Photonics/Optics

European Researchers Develop Self-Healing Composite Material for Spacecraft

Healable spacecraft structures could soon be possible thanks to cutting-edge composite technology. Swiss companies CompPair and CSEM, and Belgian company Com&Sens have partnered with the European Space Agency (ESA) to modify their self-healing carbon fiber product for use in space transportation. Read on to learn more.

Application Briefs

Aerospace

Rapidly Deployable Counter-Threat Space Missions for NATO

EnduroSat, a space infrastructure builder, and Shield Space, a veteran-found UK defense technology company, have entered into a strategic partnership to deliver rapidly deployable counter-threat space missions for NATO and allied defense customers. Read on to learn more.

Articles

Aerospace

Advanced Silicone Materials for Harsh Aerospace Environments

As aerospace and defense systems become more advanced, the demands placed on materials continue to increase. Components must perform reliably under extreme and often overlapping conditions, including thermal cycling, mechanical stress, chemical exposure, and vacuum environments. Read on to learn more.

Briefs

RF & Microwave Electronics

Space Systems Command Looks Ahead to New Era of GPS Success

The GPS III series is the third generation of the U.S. Space Force’s GPS satellites and consists of ten 5,000-pound satellites manufactured by Lockheed Martin, with the first launched in 2018. Read on to learn more.

Articles

Aerospace

Polymer vs. Metal Seals: A Comparison In Critical Space Systems

Neither polymer nor metal seals are universally optimal in space applications. Read on to learn why and find out which is superior.

Articles

Manufacturing & Prototyping

Heritage in Motion: Why Legacy Engineering Matters More Than Ever in Today’s UAV Market

The uncrewed aerial vehicle market is advancing at extraordinary speed, reshaping both commercial and defense aviation. Yet this rapid innovation brings with it growing engineering pressure. UAVs are expected to be lighter, more autonomous, more modular, and more adaptable, all while maintaining near-flawless reliability. This is where heritage becomes decisive. Read on to learn more.

Articles

RF & Microwave Electronics

NAWCWD Engineers Turned a Threat Simulator into an Offensive Electronic Attack Weapon

Keith Yuen, a supervisory engineer at Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD) spent years building a jammer designed to defeat America’s own radars. Then the question changed: what if the same system could jam the enemy? The system is Angry Kitten. Read on to learn more about it.

Articles

Software

Edge Computing Advances Enable Smarter Spacecraft and Satellites in Orbit

As satellites take on more onboard processing — from Earth imaging to autonomy — spacecraft computing designers are pushing for higher performance under tight thermal and radiation constraints. Read on to learn how suppliers are approaching heat removal, radiation mitigation and production-scale space-grade computing for LEO and beyond.

Application Briefs

Unmanned Systems

Northrop Grumman’s AI Revolution in Space Engineering

Teaming with Flexcompute powered by NVIDIA, Northrop Grumman recently created a physics AI model that accurately predicts thruster impingement – a challenging simulation and modeling problem that exists when the exhaust from a spacecraft or rocket will interact or impact other nearby spacecraft or surfaces. Read on to learn more.

Application Briefs

Aerospace

A New Electric Propulsion Satellite Thruster to Meet Demand for New Constellations

Rocket Lab’s new in-house designed and manufactured electric propulsion system, named “Gauss,” features a hall thruster, power processing unit and a propellant management assembly. Read on to learn more.

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Design

A Next Generation Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator for Deep Space Missions

L3Harris Technologies has finalized the design of a next-generation nuclear-based power source for future NASA deep space missions, marking a crucial...

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Materials

Varda Teams with United Therapeutics to Advance In-Orbit Pharmaceutical Processing

Varda Space Industries has launched a new collaboration with United Therapeutics Corporation to explore the use of microgravity to develop improved...

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Manned Systems

B-52 Engine Replacement Program Holds Critical Design Review, Paves Way for F130 Upgrade

The B-52J Commercial Engine Replacement Program (CERP) recently held its Critical Design Review (CDR), a pivotal milestone that enables the...

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Software

Defense Companies Accelerate CMMC Level 2 Certifications as DoW Continues Three-Year Rollout

Defense manufacturers, engineering services providers, and suppliers are increasingly completing the requirements to achieve Cybersecurity Maturity...

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Electronics & Computers

Army Teams with Defense Manufacturers to Host 'Right to Integrate' Hackathon

Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll and leaders from Anduril, Boeing, General Dynamics, L3Harris, Leidos, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Palantir, Perennial...

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Materials

Rethinking Robotics with Intelligent Materials

Today’s advances in robotics are often driven by breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and perception. But in complex and constrained environments, the limiting factor...

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Design

Bombardier Selects CoLab AI Software for Jet Design and Manufacturing

Bombardier has signed a multi‑year, multimillion‑dollar agreement with CoLab AI Inc. to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) software supporting the design and...

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Materials

Researchers Discover Material That Conducts Heat Better Than Copper

Anyone who has ever been frustrated by an overheating mobile phone or wondered how devices will withstand the heat generated by artificial intelligence (AI) applications...

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Energy

New Clean Planet Facility Converts Waste Plastic to Sustainable Aviation Fuel

A major breakthrough in tackling both waste plastic and aviation emissions has been marked with the opening of what Clean Planet Technologies claims to be is the...