Huntsville to host Artemis II Splashdown Watch Party

In just a couple of days, the Orion spacecraft will splash down off the coast of San Diego and 3,000 miles away in the Rocket City, there will be a party. The City of Huntsville and Downtown Huntsville Inc. are hosting an Artemis II Splashdown Watch Party on Friday and everyone is invited. “This mission […]

Ed Buckbee’s legacy ‘will resonate for generations’

“We have all sorts of camps … why don’t we have a science camp?” And with those words more than 45 years ago, and the blessing of Dr. Wernher von Braun, Ed Buckbee put the wheels in motion for Space Camp. Buckbee, the founding executive director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and creator […]

Boeing, Lockheed Martin to turbocharge Patriot seeker production in Huntsville

Boeing’s Huntsville facility will triple production of its PAC-3 missile seekers following an agreement on a seven-year deal with the Pentagon.  Under the agreement, Boeing, the Department of War and PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement prime contractor Lockheed Martin will immediately begin production ramp-up and negotiate toward a multi-year contract award later this year. “This agreement […]

Artemis II crew, including Space Camp alum, ready; Rocket Center hosts viewing party

“Hey, let’s go to the moon!”  Astronaut Reid Wiseman’s comment reflects the excitement of all of NASA as the space agency and nation prepare for the historic Artemis II launch. “I think the nation and the world has been waiting a long time to do this again,” Wiseman said last Friday after he and his […]

Krispy Kreme launches Artemis II Doughnut to celebrate historic NASA mission

T-minus 1 day and counting. It’s one small bite for … nah, there won’t be any small bites Tuesday when Krispy Kreme launches its Artemis II Doughnuts. One day ahead of the planned historic launch of Artemis II – the first crewed test flight on NASA’s journey toward a long‑term lunar presence – Krispy Kreme […]

‘Amazon for the soldier’: Army launches online marketplace to revolutionize drone acquisition

Imagine a digital one-stop shop that will allow Army units, government partners and allies to buy drone systems. Well, there’s no need to imagine. It is reality. Nicknamed “Amazon for the soldier,” the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Marketplace was launched this week at the AUSA Global Force Symposium & Exhibition in the Von Braun Center. The […]

$5 a shot vs. $4M a shot: AeroVironment’s LOCUST X3 laser makes battlefield math easy

It’s simple battlefield math but not quite 1+1=2.  It’s more like a $50,000 drone>$30 million aircraft and a $4 million missile shot<the $50,000 drone. Enter the economics of AeroVironment: A $5 laser shot<$4 million missile shot, therefore the $5 laser shot>the $50,000 drone. This cutting-edge development by the Huntsville company was showcased this week at […]

Bite of the VAMPIRE: L3Harris ramps up counter-drone production in Huntsville

There will soon be VAMPIREs flying out of Cummings Research Park. And they will be deadly. No, we’re not talking about the likes of Dracula or Nosferatu nor, even, characters of Anne Rice. These VAMPIREs (Vehicle-Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment) are the latest line of defense against drone attacks and L3Harris is ramping up […]

Global Force: Epirus, General Dynamics, Kodiak unveil mobile, high-power microwave platform to counter drones

With drones rapidly taking over 21st century warfare, namely the wars in Ukraine and Iran, countries have been forced to adjust their strategies in real time. Static missile-based defenses have proven inefficient in halting drone attacks and the mobile missile defense systems are more geared toward aircraft and incoming missiles. To answer this new threat […]

Delivering victory: Global Force Symposium and Exposition to address technological changes

We all know that technology is ever-changing at an ever-increasing speed. To avoid being left in the dust, whether commercially or militarily, these changes must be met. The Army is making its own transformational changes, as well, to answer challenges from our adversaries. And those changes will be addressed at next week’s Association of the […]