A business unit of  United Technologies Corp. has received a contract from the U.S. Air Force to update the company’s MS-177 imaging sensor system in efforts to increase the technology’s resolution and coverage. UTC Aerospace Systems will design, build, manufacture and deliver updated MS-177A sensors for potential deployment by the Air Force in 2019, UTC said Monday. The service branch will determine eventual sensor […] More

A United Technologies Corp. business unit will continue to provide sustainment, on-site and field services in support of the U.S. Air Force‘s Raytheon-operated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platform for data collection, command and situational awareness functions. UTC Aerospace Systems‘ ISR and space systems division will provide electro-optical/infrared multi-spectral imaging exploitation and training support to Raytheon for the Distributed Common Ground System, UTC said Thursday. The company […] More

NASA wants ideas from teams of undergraduate and graduate students in fields related to human space exploration as part of the agency’s 2017 Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-changing Idea challenge. The agency said the competition seeks concepts on how to assemble spacecraft as they are in space and in particular tugs that use solar electric propulsion to transfer payloads from low-earth orbit to […] More

The U.S. Army has awarded Phoenix Nuclear Labs multiple contracts worth a total of $3.6 million to create a neutron radiography system that will work to detect defective munitions and explosive threats. PNL said Tuesday it will supply a pilot-production neutron radiography system to the Army that is designed to produce a higher neutron yield while mitigating safety […] More

The Small Business Administration has awarded $325,000 in grant funds to 21 organizations to assist the agency in efforts to help entrepreneurs get more involved in the government’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs. SBA said Thursday it chose 16 state and local economic development agencies, business development centers, colleges and universities to receive a combined $125,000 under the […] More

Lockheed Martin has awarded a contract to United Technologies Corp. to integrate a sensor system with the U.S. Air Force’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance collection and processing infrastructure. UTC said Monday its aerospace systems unit will perform a study on the integration of the MS-177 sensor system into the Distributed Common Ground System to help provide image processing tools, command […] More

The U.K. military has selected MBDA to demonstrate a capacity to field laser-directed weapons that can potentially urge the country’s navy and other services to utilize similar systems, Defense News reported Sunday. Andrew Chuter writes MBDA leads a bid team called UK Dragonfire that includes BAE Systems, Leonardo-Finmeccanica, Marshall Defense and Aerospace and Qinetiq to develop a solid state high power demonstrator weapon […] More

The U.S. Army plans to award General Dynamics a sole-source contract to update signals intelligence technology of the branch’s combat vehicles in order to help troops identify and counter signal emissions in the battlefield, Military & Aerospace Electronics reported Wednesday. John Keller writes the potential contract with General Dynamics’ mission systems segment covers work to convert 47 AN/MLQ-44A Prophet SIGINT vetronics […] More

A Northrop Grumman subsidiary has received funds from the Thirty Meter Telescope organization to continue support work on a narrow field infrared adaptive optics system for the TMT astronomical observatory construction initiative. Northrop said Tuesday its subsidiary AOA Xinetics will design and build a functional actuator mirror equipped with nearly 400 channels as well as test the mirror against TMT operational requirements. An […] More

Orbital ATK‘s Cygnus spacecraft re-entered Earth’s atmosphere Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time after it performed three in-orbit scientific missions and delivered approximately 7,900 pounds of scientific experiments and crew supplies to the International Space Station. The atmospheric re-entry of the space vehicle, also known as S.S. Rick Husband, loaded with 4,087 pounds of items for disposal marks the company’s […] More

The Department of Homeland Security has launched an industry solicitation for rugged wearable electronic devices to monitor the health of canine dogs operating under tough conditions, Military & Aerospace Electronics reported Wednesday. John Keller writes that DHS seeks a wearable contraption meant to gather field intelligence and canine health data without negative impact on the […] More

Jacobs Engineering Group will provide consulting and analysis services to city utilities in Springfield, Missouri, to facilitate compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s coal combustion residual regulations under a $4.9 million contract. The contract covers environmental and geophysical investigations, control plan development, site planning, compliance recommendations in order to address surface impoundments and landfills and other professional […] More