Spacecraft’s First Mission Faced Tech Issues that Stranded Astronauts for Months

NASA and Boeing have agreed to rethink the Starliner spacecraft’s future role in the commercial program after its debut crewed mission in June 2024 went sideways, leaving astronauts on the ISS for 278 days longer than planned. Starliner’s next mission is now slated for April 2026, this time with no one on board. The decision follows the flight that stranded NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams on the International Space Station for around nine months due to a mishmash of propulsion issues, including helium leaks and multiple thruster failures. With confidence in the vehicle’s ability to get them home safely plummeting, Starliner flew home uncrewed and handed the crew off to a SpaceX Crew Dragon from another mission.

Aerospace Giant Continues Sprint Towards Starship V3’s Next Test Flight

SpaceX is quickly moving on from the Booster 18 mishap, insisting it can still meet an already ambitious target for Starship V3. The ship’s twelfth flight remains scheduled for early 2026 despite its Super Heavy booster coming out of its first day of testing looking a little like a crushed soda can before the sun even rose. The booster test campaign began with gas-system pressure testing on November 21 at SpaceX's Massey facility in Starbase, Texas. Within hours, Booster 18 was significantly damaged.

MK30 Drone Clipped an Internet Cable Two Months After Two Others Struck a Crane

Amazon’s Prime Air drones are back in the spotlight after one of its newest MK30 delivery drones struck an overhead internet cable in Waco, Texas. The incident serves as an unnerving replay of safety concerns that surfaced just two months ago involving back-to-back collisions with a crane in Arizona. The more recent event occurred on November 18. The drone, registered N139PA, had just wrapped up a delivery when it “clipped a thin, overhead internet cable,” according to Amazon. The company says the impact triggered a built-in failsafe meant to bring the aircraft down immediately in unexpected situations. The drone descended slowly and touched down without injuries or service outages.

Pair Was Part of a Four-Person Formation Flight Over Napper Field

A formation flight of four Van’s RV-7 aircraft over Sydney’s Wedderburn Airport (Napper Field) on November 30 met an early end when two planes collided mid-air, tragically taking one pilot’s life. The other aircraft involved was, fortunately, able to return for a safe landing. Emergency services were called just before noon after witnesses reported a crash in nearby bushland. The aircraft, registered VH-EWS, barely missed the airport’s hangars before impacting wooded terrain, fatally injuring 48-year-old seasoned aerobatic pilot and kit builder Eddie Seve.

Also: ‘Fat Albert’ Heads To UK, Samson Patent, Western Global Pilot Furloughs, 1700th Ipanema

An inflight incident that took place on a JetBlue flight from Cancun, MX, to Newark, NJ, on October 30 has resulted in serious cautions for the 11,300 aircraft in the Airbus A320 series. The scheduled flight, Flight 1230, required an emergency landing at Tampa, FL, with several people requiring hospitalization after a flight control issue and a sudden uncommanded pitch change. Cleveland officials are again attempting to close a beloved community airport, this time by exploiting a federal loophole. Mayor Justin Bibb and Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne have asked Congress to help them bypass years of FAA red tape (that they agreed to in order to get OUR tax dollars) and waive more than $9 million in federal grant obligations that legally bind the city to operate the airport until 2036. The successful launch of three crew members to the In

Also: USAF Reaper Accident, Baikonur Damage, Horizon eVTOL IFR/FIKI, New Glenn Update

Honda has outlined its clearest timeline yet for its entry into the world of electric vertical-lift, confirming that its first full-scale eVTOL prototype will be finished by the end of 2025. The inaugural flight is slated for March 2026, marking the company’s transition from years of under-the-radar development to a much more public testing phase. Arctus Aerospace announced it raised $2.6 million from Version One Ventures, South Park Commons, gradCapital, and several angel investors in a pre-seed round to accelerate the development of its large, unmanned aircraft intended to fly at 45,000 feet for up to 24 hours. Arctus said the funding will be deployed to establish one of the deepest full-stack unmanned aircraft manufacturing and engineering capabilities that will be built entirely in-house. Sam Bousfield, CEO of Samson Sky, has been granted his eighth desi

Flares Deployed To Draw Pilot’s Attention, Escorted From Airspace

North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) announced that U.S. military F-16 fighter aircraft intercepted a civilian aircraft on Saturday November 29 after it violated a temporary flight restriction airspace over Palm Beach, Florida. The aircraft entered the restricted airspace at 4:20 pm EST and the F-16s deployed flares to get the pilot’s attention and alert him to the violation, after which he was safely escorted from the airspace.

Long-Time Provider Of Voltage Regulators, Alternator Controls, Other Power Products

Hartzell Engine Tech, a unit of Signia Aerospace, announced the expansion of its “firewall forward” line of products to now include Lamar Technologies brand of advanced aviation electrical components and power systems.

“Sand & Fun” Event Sets Guinness World Record for Unique Firework Show

Riyadh’s General Aviation Airshow “Sand & Fun” can add a Guinness World Record to its resume thanks to a helicopter equipped to launch more fireworks than anyone would’ve thought possible. The Saudi Aviation Club pulled off the feat at Al-Thumamah Airport using a modified MBB Bo 105 P1M fitted with a custom pyrotechnic platform engineered for the display.

Also: 1st-Ever Space Crime Was a Fraud, IAE Buys Diamonds, Kennon Bows Out, Perseverance Rover

An interesting moment came about this past Sunday as ANN CEO, Jim Campbell, noted that the Aero-News Network came into being 30 years ago. ANN was the first actual aviation online news service, and in the ensuing 30 years, has amassed an extraordinary record... over 600,000 stories, a total of videos, podcasts, Airborne and Aero-TV features surpassing 10,000 programs... The debut of SpaceX’s Starship Version 3 booster didn’t exactly go as planned, with its test campaign starting and ending before the sun even rose. Booster 18 suffered a major structural failure partway into what was supposed to be a long list of cryogenic checks and pressure trials at Massey’s Test Site. The US National Archives has declassified more than 4,600 pages of radio communications, maps, tables, and logs related to the disappearance of legendary aviator Amelia