Aerospace & Defense Technology

In 2024, Microchip launched PIC64, a new portfolio of microprocessors that the Chandler, Arizona-based company claims could enable a generational leap in embedded processing performance for aerospace and defense applications. The new MPU technology is supported by  a 64-bit reduced instruction set computer (RISC-V) architecture with an embedded Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) Ethernet switch. Chec...

A dual-use quantum accelerated simulation startup recentlyestablished a strategic collaboration with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to advance its mission-critical modeling and simulation capabilities with quantum computing. BQP (BosonQ Psi), the Syracuse, New York-based startup, has also announced a new "oversubscribed $4.9 million seed round to expand its unified digital twin platform, B...

EnCharge AI , a California-based startup, recently launchedthe EnCharge EN100 artificial intelligence (AI) chip, developed with a scalable analog in-memory computing architecture. The launch of EN100 came a year after EnCharge AI signed apartnership with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop the new chip. “EN100 represents a fundamental shift in AI computingarchitecture,...

Kymeta achieved a major breakthrough for the satellite communications industry recently by connecting four concurrent beams in Ku- and Ka-band frequencies with a single antenna aperture, during a demonstration in April. Enabled by the company's unique metamaterials antenna surface, the technology was demonstrated and validated at Kymeta's headquarters in Redmond, Washington. Until this point, acco...

The sealing components and materials that are used in spacelaunch and exploration vehicles can face extreme environmental challenges due to the harsh conditions encountered during launch, operation, and re-entry. Howcan materials and sealing technologies be developed in a way that helps improve space vehicle performance? How can precision machining or testing and simulation contribute to improving...

During his appearance at a Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) event held in March, Major General Gregory Gagnon, a top U.S. Space Force official, said that the U.S. Space Force expects to launch more than 100 satellites in 2025. Have you ever considered the challenges of operating inspace that companies must address when designing satellites for military and non-military appli...

Aitech —  the California-based embedded systems provider — launched their new artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled picosatellite constellation platform, IQSat, during the Space Foundation’s 40th annual Space Symposium, recently held inColorado. Pratish Shah, U.S. General Manager, Aitech, is the guest onthe first episode of Season 9 of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast to explain how t...

Amprius recently launched its 450 Wh/kg SiCore™ lithium-ionbattery, the most energy dense battery it has ever developed for electric aircraft and other mobility applications. The California-based lithium-ion battery maker has made several advancements in battery energy density with its silicon anode material system, and is now preparing to move to mass production of SiCore. The commercial launch o...

Last week, Electra announced a new $115 million Series B investment that will provide funding for the pre-production and certification phase of its EL9 Ultra Short hybrid electric aircraft. Electra, a Virginia-based company, was first launched in2020, and previously completed the first flight of a demonstrator prototype hybrid electric aircraft, the Goldfinch EL-2 in 2023. Since then, the company...

Over the last year, research and evaluation projects led bydefense agencies in the U.S., U.K. and around the world have demonstrated the potential advantages of operating hybrid and all-electric vehicles for a variety of military applications. The U.K. Ministry of Defense, for example, recently gave anupdate on its evaluation of hydrogen power units (HPU) for electric vehicle charging . The U.S. A...

Finland-based startup Donut Defence is developing a donut-shaped in-wheel electric motor for air, land and sea military vehicles. In December 2024, Donut Defence was selected to participate in the DEFINE Accelerator program that connects technology companies that are developing and scaling defense, security and dual-use technologies. Michael Waksman, CEO of Donut Defence, is the guest on this epis...

Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) Ethernet is a real-time networking capability that is being developed by a growing number of embedded computing companies for theearliest stages of adoption by aerospace and defense manufacturers and their suppliers. According to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) TSN working group, it is a set of standards that provides deterministic conne...

A House committee hearing held earlier this month outlined the current federal regulations that limit the use of counter unmanned aircraft system technologies by state and local authorities to detect and mitigate the use of illegally operated drones in civilian airspace. "Make no mistake, the recent events in New Jersey have highlighted the ease with which bad actors could utilize drones with nefa...

AeroDefense has been developing drone detection technology to address drones flying in civilian airspace for several years has just released a new system, Air Warden Essentials, that could help increase awareness of random drone sightings incivilian airspace. The system uses a small receiver and cloud computing services to monitor drone traffic using networked Remote ID broadcasts. The company pro...

Czech Republic-based startup Dronetag has launched a new pocket-sized drone-agnostic Remote ID receiver, RIDER, amid the rise in unidentified drone sightings in U.S. airspace. While counter UAS systems focus on neutralizing unididentified drones, Dronetag's new technology is a wireless portable system that provides real-time situational awareness. The device is capable of tracking Remote ID si...

UxV/35 is a new standard recently adopted by the PC104 Computing Consortium to enable rapid development and manufacturing of drones, automatic vehicles, and vessels. The standard provides an embedded computing "stackable bus" architecture where modules are assembled by "mating system boards into stacks like LEGOs™ instead of using wires, solder, and tiny screws." Examples of em...

Pratt & Whitney is using a new robot named Alfred to assemble high-pressure compressor rotors for its GTF PW1100G-JM engine that powers the Airbus A320neo family of aircraft. In September, the aircraft engine manufacturing company published a blog post describing how Alfred is helping to reduce the assembly process time for GTF engines. On this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology...

The Department of Defense (DoD) recently announced a new $20 million award to Kraus Hamdani Aerospace for its Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program. Under the contract, Kraus Hamdani, the California-based drone as a service manufacturer, will use the funding to support the scaling of production of its K1000ULE unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The K1000UL...

Unusual Machines CEO Allan Evans is the guest on this episode of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast.   Headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Unusual Machines describes itself as a "classic American technology company born from garage tinkerers and hobbyists, focused on serving the emerging drone industry with unique and innovative products." The company recently launched a new low co...

The U.S. Army has been establishing a new cross-functional team focused on exploiting the fusion of deep sensing data for decision-making in long-range targeting throughout 2024. During this episode, we present some of the comments made by U.S. Army leadership during the 2024 AUSA conference and exhibitio n. One feature of AUSA is the "Warriors Corner" where panel discussions are hosted to discuss...

On the first episode of Season 6 of the podcast, Michael Amori, CEO and co-founder of Virtualitics, is the guest to explain how the U.S. Air Force is using the company's "Integrated Readiness Optimization" AI applications to deploy a data-driven weapon sustainment strategy. Season 6 of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast is focused on the rise of AI, autonomy and robotics across the aer...

During the Association of the U.S. Army's annual AUSA conference and exhibition, the conference featured a panel titled "Army Space Vision: Delivering Effects for Combat Ready Formations." On the fourth and final episode of Season 5, we feature Colonel Pete Akinson's presentation and question and answer session from his participation in this panel. Atkinson is the Principal Space Advisor for the U...

On Oct. 7, Hera, the European Space Agency's first "planetary defense spacecraft," was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, riding aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. ESA has tasked Hera with investigating the aftermath of NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission, which altered the orbit of the asteroid Dimorphos in 2022. The spacecraft, along with t...

Dan Laubach, Raft LLC's Senior Director of Programs, is the guest on episode 2 of season 5 of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast. Season 5 is focused on next generation satellite and space technology.   In June, Raft LLC was one of 20 companies selected by the U.S. Space Force to for an Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (IDIQ) multi-year contract for the development of ground-sys...

On the first episode of Season 5 of the Aerospace & Defense Technology podcast, the guest is Joshua Cryer, President and CEO of Reticulate Micro .  Season 5 of the podcast, "Next Generation Satellites and Space Technology," will feature interviews focused on satellite and space technology industry trends and insights such as low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, software-defined satellit...