Latest news with #militarylogistics
Reuters
13 hours ago
- Science
- Reuters
US Air Force suspends SpaceX rocket project on Pacific atoll, report says
WASHINGTON, July 4 (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force has suspended plans it had proposed with Elon Musk's SpaceX to test hypersonic rocket cargo deliveries from a remote Pacific atoll, according to a report this week in Stars and Stripes, an independent publication of the U.S. military. The suspension came after Reuters reported that biologists and experts said the project would harm many seabirds that nest at the wildlife refuge on the Johnston Atoll, an unincorporated U.S. territory nearly 800 miles (1,300 km) southwest of Hawaii. The Air Force had said it would undertake an environmental assessment of the project, but publication of a draft assessment was delayed after opposition to the plan by environmental groups. The Air Force and SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Air Force is exploring alternative locations for the program, a spokesperson of the military branch told the Stars and Stripes newspaper in story published on Thursday. The program would use commercial rockets, such as those made by SpaceX, although the Air Force has not announced private partners. It would test landing rocket re-entry vehicles designed to deliver up to 100 tons of cargo to anywhere on Earth within about 90 minutes. The program would be a breakthrough for military logistics by making it easier to move supplies quickly into distant locations. But it could be too much for the island's 14 species of tropical birds to withstand, according to biologists and experts who have worked on the one-square-mile (2.6 square km) atoll, part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. SpaceX's activities have affected protected birds elsewhere. A SpaceX launch of its Starship rocket in Boca Chica, Texas, last year involved a blast that destroyed nests and eggs of plover shorebirds, landing the company of billionaire Musk in legal trouble and leading him to remark jokingly that he would refrain from eating omelets for a week to compensate.
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
US Air Force suspends SpaceX rocket project on Pacific atoll, report says
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Air Force has suspended plans it had proposed with Elon Musk's SpaceX to test hypersonic rocket cargo deliveries from a remote Pacific atoll, according to a report this week in Stars and Stripes, an independent publication of the U.S. military. The suspension came after Reuters reported that biologists and experts said the project would harm many seabirds that nest at the wildlife refuge on the Johnston Atoll, an unincorporated U.S. territory nearly 800 miles (1,300 km) southwest of Hawaii. The Air Force had said it would undertake an environmental assessment of the project, but publication of a draft assessment was delayed after opposition to the plan by environmental groups. The Air Force and SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Air Force is exploring alternative locations for the program, a spokesperson of the military branch told the Stars and Stripes newspaper in story published on Thursday. The program would use commercial rockets, such as those made by SpaceX, although the Air Force has not announced private partners. It would test landing rocket re-entry vehicles designed to deliver up to 100 tons of cargo to anywhere on Earth within about 90 minutes. The program would be a breakthrough for military logistics by making it easier to move supplies quickly into distant locations. But it could be too much for the island's 14 species of tropical birds to withstand, according to biologists and experts who have worked on the one-square-mile (2.6 square km) atoll, part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. SpaceX's activities have affected protected birds elsewhere. A SpaceX launch of its Starship rocket in Boca Chica, Texas, last year involved a blast that destroyed nests and eggs of plover shorebirds, landing the company of billionaire Musk in legal trouble and leading him to remark jokingly that he would refrain from eating omelets for a week to compensate.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Honeywell, Near Earth Autonomy Test Pilot-Free Helicopter For Faster, Safer Marine Supply
Honeywell (NASDAQ:HON) and Near Earth Autonomy announced on Tuesday that they have completed the first autonomous test flight of a Leonardo AW139 helicopter in support of the U.S. Marine Corps Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) program. The flight demonstrates the feasibility of uncrewed, autonomous aircraft operating in contested environments without an onboard pilot or remote operator. The test flight on Honeywell's AW139 took place in Phoenix, Arizona, in May and marks a critical step in efforts to deliver scalable, autonomous logistics support to the United States Marine Corps (USMC), the company said in a press the first time, key autopilot modes of the AW139 were controlled directly by Near Earth's onboard autonomy software, without pilot input, showcasing precise flight control and autonomous decision-making. Bob Buddecke, president of Electronic Solutions at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, emphasized showcasing how existing aircraft can be adapted with trusted avionics to support the next generation of defense logistics. The testing underscores growing geopolitical tensions, exacerbated by conflicts such as those in Russia-Ukraine and India-Pakistan and, most recently, Israel's attacks on Iran's energy infrastructure. The ALC program, managed under a Naval Aviation Systems Consortium Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) with Near Earth Autonomy as a prime performer, aims to develop and deploy autonomous aerial logistics systems that reduce personnel risk and increase supply operations' speed and scale. Future testing will expand autonomy capabilities, including automated obstacle avoidance, and integrate them into military logistics workflows. Price Action: HON stock was trading lower by 0.03% to $224.00 in Monday's after-hours session. Read Next:Image via Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? HONEYWELL INTL (HON): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Honeywell, Near Earth Autonomy Test Pilot-Free Helicopter For Faster, Safer Marine Supply originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
