Long Lehao, a leading Chinese rocket designer, says it is likely that several unmanned flights of the Shen Zhou spacecraft will be made before a crew is put into orbit, reminding observers that the Soviet Union and USA flew several unmanned missions before the first manned flights of the Vostok and Mercury spacecraft in 1961.
Source: Flight International
BAE Systems has completed its acquisition of Ball Aerospace, with the move further strengthening its US business presence.
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has retired its Mars helicopter Ingenuity after the craft suffered damage upon landing.
Saab’s chief test pilot for the Gripen, Marcus Wandt, has traded the cockpit for a roughly two-week stint aboard the International Space Station.
