Thom Patterson

A new FAA draft report assessing potential environmental impact suggests SpaceX may ultimately be allowed to launch larger rockets from its Texas Boca Chica site. SpaceX is working with the FAA to win permission to launch its large Super Heavy booster rocket and Starship upper stage from the site, which is located on the Gulf […]

Archer Aviation is now the third air taxi developer to start public trading since August—the second just this week—after it successfully completed a merger with a special purpose acquisition company, also known as a SPAC. As of Friday, the Palo Alto, California-based company appears on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ACHR. […]

A division of Hyundai and UK startup Urban-Air Port said Thursday they plan to build 65 electric urban airports worldwide to support burgeoning industries for delivery drones and electric air taxis. As multiple companies race to develop electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, infrastructure will be needed to service these new vehicles. Investors hope […]

Federal prosecutors are planning to criminally charge a former Boeing employee who served as chief technical pilot during development of the 737 Max, according to a report published Friday in the Wall Street Journal. The journal attributed its story to “people familiar with the matter,” and identified the pilot as Mark Forkner. The report did […]

Shell announced Thursday that it will convert a huge fuel refinery in the Netherlands to create nearly half a million tons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) per year. The news comes as major airlines have committed to cutting their carbon emissions by moving away from fossil fuels. Plans call for the Shell Energy and Chemicals […]

Inspiration4, the world’s first orbital spaceflight fully crewed by civilians, successfully lifted off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, beginning what mission officials called a “new era.” Never before has a journey to orbit been fully composed of civilians who aren’t professional astronauts. In some ways, it brings crewed space travel closer to a […]

Hours before their scheduled Wednesday liftoff, the all-rookie crew of Inspiration4 opened up about their historic SpaceX mission. Commander and billionaire businessman Jared Isaacman joined fellow crew members Hayley Arceneaux, Dr. Sian Proctor and Chris Sembroski at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday to answer questions about pre-mission jitters and what they plan to accomplish […]

A merger Tuesday has cleared the way for a third air taxi developer, Archer Aviation, to begin trading on a major U.S. stock exchange. Shareholders of Atlas Crest Investment Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), voted to merge with Archer, which beginning Friday will be traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the […]

Mission controllers for Inspiration4 have updated the launch window for SpaceX’s next crewed mission to Earth orbit, launching from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. A new five-hour launch window begins at 8:02 p.m. ET on Wednesday, according to a statement. The window is based on an updated weather forecast for the launch site and possible landing […]

Virgin Galactic has delayed the first commercial research mission of its “Unity” spacecraft as a result of concerns about a “potential manufacturing defect” in part of the flight control system, the company said. The mission, dubbed Unity 23, had been scheduled to lift off in late September or early October, from New Mexico’s Spaceport America […]