Free Republic

Five aviation companies are under contract to develop armed, unmanned aircraft and control systems for use on the Navy’s fleet of 11 aircraft carriers, USNI News has learned.General Atomics, Boeing, Anduril and Northrop Grumman are on contract for the conceptual design of the so-called collaborative combat aircraft, or CCA, according to a Navy presentation reviewed by USNI News. Lockheed Martin is under contract to build the common control system.The Navy wants “uncrewed, modular, interoperable, interchangeable and versatile platforms” that it can field from an aircraft carrier, reads the slide from Naval Air Systems Command’s program executive office for unmanned aviation...

Elon Musk's SpaceX is getting ready to take the International Space Station out of orbit Elon Musk says it’s about time for SpaceX to deorbit the International Space Station — “as soon as possible.” “It has served its purpose. There is very little incremental utility,” the SpaceX CEO wrote on X, the social media platform he owns. “Let’s go to Mars.” NASA awarded SpaceX a contract worth up to $843 million to deorbit the ISS no earlier than 2030, an endeavor that the company expects will cost it about $680 million, according to federal documents. SpaceX has been tasked with...

If the Zuma launch goes well, it will mark SpaceX's 17th launch of 2017. If the landing goes off without a hitch, it will be the company's 20th overall successful landing. This includes landings on drone ships at sea as well as on land. Very little is known about the Zuma mission, as no government or commercial entity has claimed it.  Usually, even the National Reconnaissance Office — the branch of the government responsible for maintaining spy satellites — will say when a payload is theirs while keeping the mission details classified. But for some reason, whatever agency is behind...

The U.S. Air Force’s Plant 42 in California, America’s premier hub for advanced aerospace development work, especially highly classified military programs, has seen a wave of mysterious drone incursions in recent months. The incidents have now become serious enough to prompt the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to impose new, if temporary flight restrictions around the sprawling high-security facility. The Air Force acknowledged these incidents in response to our questions about purported sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in the area which became viral on social media over the weekend and that local law enforcement appears to have received no reports...

Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus space freighter is pictured moments after release from the Canadarm2 robotic arm, ending its five-and-a-half month stay at the International Space Station. Credit: NASA TVAt 7:01 a.m. EDT, the S.S. Patricia “Patty” Hilliard Robertson Northrop Grumman Cygnus spacecraft was released from the Canadarm2 robotic arm which earlier detached Cygnus from the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station’s Unity module. At the time of release, the station was flying about 260 miles over the South Atlantic Ocean.The Cygnus spacecraft successfully departed the space station more than five and a half months after arriving at the microgravity laboratory...

(Credit: Northrop Grumman/DARPA) The Manta Ray prototype uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) has successfully completed initial full-scale tests in an ocean environment, according to an update that appeared at the website of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA). Built by aerospace and defense technology giants Northrop Grumman, Manta Ray’s first ocean tests were carried out off the coast of Southern California between February and March 2024, featuring submerged operations that allowed each of the new UUV’s modes of control and propulsion to be engaged. An extra-large glider UUV designed to carry out long-range and long-duration missions in undersea environments, DARPA’s...

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has set its sights on the Moon, recently choosing defense giant Northrop Grumman to work on concepts for building a lunar railroad network, according to the Debrief. The recent development is DARPA's latest announcement concerning their 10-year Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) Capability Study. The ultimate goal is to reportedly establish a human colony on the Moon and a "thriving lunar economy." DARPA published the following statement about the development: The 10-Year Lunar Architecture (LunA-10) will explore the rapid development of foundational technology concepts designed to move away from individual scientific efforts within isolated, self-sufficient systems...

American scientists have drawn up plans for a new generation of nuclear-powered drones capable of flying over remote regions of the world for months on end without refuelling. The blueprints for the new drones, which have been developed by Sandia National Laboratories – the US government's principal nuclear research and development agency – and defence contractor Northrop Grumman, were designed to increase flying time "from days to months" while making more power available for operating equipment, according to a project summary published by Sandia. "It's pretty terrifying prospect," said Chris Coles of Drone Wars UK, which campaigns against the increasing...

(Robert F. Kennedy Jr.) "The Russians tried repeatedly to settle...major thing they wanted was for us to keep NATO out of Ukraine. The Big Military Contractors want to add new countries to NATO...Why? Because that country has to conform its military purchases... Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, General Dynamics, Boeing and Lockheed get a trapped market... We committed 113 billion dollars...we then committed another 24 billion since then... Biden's asking for another 60 billion. But the big, big expenses are going to come after the war when we have to rebuild.... Mitch McConnell was asked "Can we really afford to spend 113...

Far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene plunged a House Homeland Security Committee hearing into chaos Wednesday by accusing Rep. Eric Swalwell of having a “sexual relationship with a Chinese spy” — leading Democrats to unsuccessfully demand that the remark be purged from the record. Greene (R-Ga.) made the comment moments after Swalwell accused her of “anti-police rhetoric” and showed a print-out of a tweet she wrote promoting “Defund the FBI” merchandise in response to purported bureau bias. “That was quite entertaining from someone that had a sexual relationship with a Chinese spy — and everyone knows it,” Greene shot back, referring...

A Northrop Grumman rocket carrying more than 4 tons of supplies for the International Space Station will have to wait at least one more day to launch after a fire alarm at its mission control center thwarted a liftoff early Sunday (Nov. 6). The Antares rocket was about 10 minutes away from a planned liftoff at 5:50 a.m. EST (1050 GMT) from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Virginia, when Northrop Grumman called off the flight. A fire alarm at the company's control center in nearby Dulles, Virginia, forced a building evacuation, preventing launch controllers from going through with...

This week Firefly Aerospace signed a deal with Northrop Grumman to replace the first stage of the Antares rocket with the first stage of Firefly Beta, this will eliminate the dependence on Russian engines and bring the manufacturing of the major structural parts into the US.Firefly Will Replace Russian Engines On Antares Rocket With Beta Booster | August 11, 2022 | Scott Manley

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), NASA, and Northrop Grumman have completed the final major test of the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS)-2 spacecraft ahead of its delivery to Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, for launch. JPSS-2 is the second of four satellites in NOAA’s JPSS weather tracking constellation and will launch atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 401 rocket in November — the final scheduled Atlas V flight from California. The JPSS program is NOAA’s latest generation of polar-orbiting satellites that allow for continuous global observations for short- and long-term weather forecasts. JPSS has its roots...

Before the SLS program was officially started, the five-segment SRB concept was proven out with three development motor (DM) firings in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Those previous firings flight-qualified the five-segment SRB. Now, the Flight Support Booster (FDB) tests examine overall process quality, changes, and modifications... FSB-2 will test a newly qualified motor ignition system along with qualifying a new ablative nozzle lining. A new thrust vector control (TVC) system will also be tested, as part of early testing related to the Booster Obsolescence and Life Extension (BOLE) boosters...planned to fly from Artemis IX onwards. There are enough Shuttle-era SRB...

Raytheon Technologies will move its headquarters from Boston's suburbs to Washington, D.C.'s this fall, putting all of the five largest defense companies in National Capital Region. The offices will be in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington and within sight of the Pentagon. “The location increases agility in supporting U.S. government and commercial customers and serves to reinforce partnerships that will progress innovative technologies to advance the industry,” the company said in a statement. “Washington, D.C., serves as a convenient travel hub for the company’s global customers and employees.” Last month, Boeing last...

First use of high-speed missiles by Russia in Ukraine sparks renewed urgency for U.S. development. With the first claimed use of a hypersonic weapon by Russia in the invasion of Ukraine, attention is again focusing on defense contractors in the U.S. that are trying to develop their own. Among U.S. defense contractors notable for their efforts are Lockheed Martin (LMT) , Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Raytheon (RTX). The three were picked by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency last November to develop an "accelerated concept design of the Glide Phase Interceptor," to stop incoming vehicles. Lockheed Martin and Raytheon are also...

House Republicans are calling for President Joe Biden to provide military aircraft to Ukraine, so they can establish a no-fly zone on their own. In a press conference after hearing from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Wednesday, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said their is bipartisan support for sending fighter jets to Ukraine.McCarthy and Republicans also praised Zelensky and the Ukrainian people while highlighting their resistance to Russian aggression. GOP lawmakers called for Biden to impose more sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s regime.House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) also spoke, calling on Biden to step up and take away...

The Cygnus spacecraft, which was launched on an Antares rocket, is scheduled to arrive at the space station around 4:35 a.m. on Monday, February 21. NASA Television, the NASA app, and agency’s website will provide live coverage of the spacecraft’s approach and arrival beginning at 3 a.m. The spacecraft will then be installed on the Earth-facing port of the station’s Unity module. This is Northrop Grumman’s 17th contracted resupply mission under the second Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. The delivery includes critical materials to support dozens of the more than 250 science and research investigations occurring during NASA’s Expedition...

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has been awarded a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Perceptually-enabled Task Guidance (PTG) program to develop a prototype artificial intelligence (AI) assistant. The prototype will be embedded in an augmented reality (AR) headset to help rotary pilots perform expected and unexpected tasks. Northrop Grumman, in partnership with the University of Central Florida (UCF), will develop an Operator and Context Adaptive Reasoning Intuitive Assistant (OCARINA) that will support UH-60 Blackhawk pilots, who fly with both visual and instrumented flight, which varies with weather, time of day and other environmental factors. “The goal...

The companies will "complete an accelerated concept design" of a glide phase interceptor capable of tracking and targeting hypersonic missiles as they travel toward their target. The interceptors will be designed to integrate with the Pentagon’s existing Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense system. Further details on the contract were not made public, but Reuters reported the companies received separate contracts with a total value of $60 million. "Multiple awards allow us to execute a risk reduction phase to explore industry concepts and maximize the benefits of a competitive environment to demonstrate the most effective and reliable Glide Phase Interceptor for regional...