Scary... Audio Inadvertently Routed to NASA Livestream

Wednesday, at approximately 5:28 CDT, audio was heard on the NASA livestream feed from an internal ground-based simulation channel that a  crewmember on the International Space Station (ISS) was enduring symptoms of decompression sickness (DCS). The audio was misrouted to the NASA channel instead of its likely intended audience in the ground control center. On X (formerly Twitter) the ISS feed posted at 6:05 pm CDT that there was in fact no actual emergency happening on the station. Nonetheless, with millions of people following the channel probably at all times of the day and night this caused an immediate and immense outpouring of questions, anxiety, and concern that a real emergency was underway.

Super Heavy Launch Operations Lining Up to Enhance 

Florida residents will be able to weigh in on the issue of SpaceX Starship launches from Kennedy Space Center Complex 39A at Cape Canaveral before the operations are approved. The FAA is considering up to 44 Starship launches per year in its Florida backyard, and locals will have a chance to weigh in on the proposition. Changes to the operational tempo, reusability of the Super Heavy Booster, and new construction add some variation to previously laid 2019-era plans. As such, the FAA is looking for public input before they go further in the process, making sure they cover all their bases. Public comments will be accepted through June 24th, 2024.

Addition of New Commercial Operators Fleshes Out Traffic Data Initiative

The FAA has added two more companies to its Space Data Integrator tool, adding to the public's situational awareness and helping the administration manage air traffic during space operations. Now, the FAA can reopen airspace in as little as 3 minutes after a launch or reentry vehicle safely transits a designated hazard area, obviating the need to keep large swathes of airspace open for a long period out of an abundance of caution. The SDI addition helps the FAA respond to anomalies, too, should something far outside expectations come to being.

With a Shift in the Industry Coming, Planners Seek to Call the Shots Before they Land

Airbus and Avincis have signed off on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to partner on the development of Advanced Air Mobility tech together, focusing largely on eVTOL operations in continental Europe. The MoU outlines each company's forte, with both working on defining a variety of mission profiles for eVTOL ops in Europe and other markets abroad. While it's a small step, it's a step regardless, and the industry knows that the eVTOL industry could prove to be just the shot in the arm small-time aircraft transportation needs.