Author: Cat Hofacker - Aerospace America

Aerospace Research Central

Author: Cat Hofacker

Author: Cat Hofacker

Q&A: Electra on design, business strategy for its hybrid-electric aircraft

By Cat Hofacker January 15, 2026

NASA cameras on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander could inform future missions

By Cat Hofacker January 14, 2026

Q&A: Axiom’s Peggy Whitson on space station assembly

By Cat Hofacker January 12, 2026

Eugene Hoffman, Southwest Research Institute

By Cat Hofacker October 1, 2025

ULA forecasts launching at least 20 times a year, starting in 2026

By Cat Hofacker August 7, 2025

Panelists warn that cutting ISS research could harm future commercial stations

By Cat Hofacker July 25, 2025

Lockheed Martin weighs selling Orion flights as a service

By Cat Hofacker July 24, 2025

U.S. Space Systems Command chief: First Vulcan national security launch is “weeks” away

By Cat Hofacker July 23, 2025

Trump’s pick for NASA CFO calls for agency to bolster private industry

By Cat Hofacker July 22, 2025

Looking to the past as we chart our future

By Cat Hofacker July 1, 2025

Taylor Fazzini, Northrop Grumman

By Cat Hofacker July 1, 2025

Barrier breaker

By Cat Hofacker April 2, 2025

Nearly 10 years after its founding, Boom Supersonic earlier this year broke the sound barrier...

What advice would you give Boeing?

By Cat Hofacker March 21, 2025

Rush hour at the moon?

By Cat Hofacker February 26, 2025

An app for that might not be crazy Tonight’s planned launch of an Intuitive Machines...

Two launches. Two companies. Two billionaires.

By Cat Hofacker February 1, 2025

Bringing home a piece of space history

By Cat Hofacker January 10, 2025

In U.S.: Generals, spies and moguls cross their fingers for Bezos’ New Glenn

By Cat Hofacker January 9, 2025

NASA describes ideas for bringing samples of Mars home more affordably

By Cat Hofacker January 7, 2025

Press briefing puts choices on the public record before Trump team’s arrival AIAA SCITECH FORUM,...

Extravehicular activities, then and now

By Cat Hofacker October 1, 2024

NASA’s AI czar

By Cat Hofacker July 1, 2024

Tomorrow’s spacesuits

By Cat Hofacker June 1, 2024

AI in the cockpit

By Cat Hofacker May 1, 2024

NASA’s realist-in-chief

By Cat Hofacker May 1, 2024

Putting Starship’s plasma in perspective

By Cat Hofacker April 1, 2024

Chronicler of corporate culture

By Cat Hofacker April 1, 2024

Choosing wisely on AI

By Cat Hofacker March 1, 2024

Innovation machine

By Cat Hofacker March 1, 2024

The fuel behind Vulcan’s debut

By Cat Hofacker February 1, 2024

Lessons from the space shuttle

By Cat Hofacker February 1, 2024

Analyzing AI

By Cat Hofacker January 1, 2024

Inside NASA’s long handoff of orbital research to private sector

By Cat Hofacker October 25, 2023

Space adventurer

By Cat Hofacker October 1, 2023

Water whisperer

By Cat Hofacker September 1, 2023

The bridge to net-zero

By Cat Hofacker March 1, 2023

Test time for Starliner

By Cat Hofacker March 1, 2023

Testing their way toward hydrogen-powered hypersonic flight

By Cat Hofacker February 1, 2023

Lessons from Columbia

By Cat Hofacker February 1, 2023

Building space societies

By Cat Hofacker July 1, 2022

Building tomorrow’s firefighting tankers

By Cat Hofacker June 1, 2022

Climate communicator

By Cat Hofacker April 1, 2022

Hydrogen evangelist

By Cat Hofacker March 1, 2022

Air taxi trailblazer

By Cat Hofacker February 1, 2022

Dream Chaser’s inaugural cargo flight could come as soon as November

By Cat Hofacker January 5, 2022

Start your motors

By Cat Hofacker January 1, 2022

For post-ISS era, consensus remains elusive over whether market can support multiple private stations

By Cat Hofacker November 17, 2021

U.S., Russia disagree about impact of satellite destruction

By Cat Hofacker November 16, 2021

After one Gremlin drone recovery, DARPA plans for more

By Cat Hofacker November 9, 2021

Lunar rehearsal: Your mission guide to Artemis I

By Cat Hofacker November 8, 2021

Decadal survey wants NASA to rethink how it designs space telescopes

By Cat Hofacker November 4, 2021

Space safety regulator

By Cat Hofacker November 1, 2021

Earning public acceptance

By Cat Hofacker November 1, 2021

This software could be coming to “anything that flies”

By Cat Hofacker October 27, 2021

What’s next for the Inspiration4 capsule?

By Cat Hofacker October 1, 2021

Standing firm

By Cat Hofacker October 1, 2021

Reality checker

By Cat Hofacker October 1, 2021

SpaceX passengers will experience panoramic view of Earth

By Cat Hofacker September 15, 2021

Contractors want America’s “moon rocket” to be more than that

By Cat Hofacker August 26, 2021

Augmented reality is helping NASA get back to the moon

By Cat Hofacker August 24, 2021

Chilling effect?

By Cat Hofacker August 24, 2021

Mach 5 air travel? Start your engines

By Cat Hofacker August 24, 2021

Independent voice

By Cat Hofacker August 24, 2021

AIAA Aviation: NASA aeronautics chief calls for increasing SAF production

By Cat Hofacker August 5, 2021

Breaking down Bezos’ flight: what you need to know

By Cat Hofacker July 20, 2021

Branson’s spaceplane versus Bezos’ capsule

By Cat Hofacker July 9, 2021

Key moments in the race: Blue Origin vs. Virgin Galactic

By Cat Hofacker July 1, 2021

Meet the new boss

By Cat Hofacker July 1, 2021

Building vertiport cities

By Cat Hofacker July 1, 2021

Falcon 9 boosts dozens of sats, including two that will test a new way of conducting business in space

By Cat Hofacker June 30, 2021

Green-fuel guru

By Cat Hofacker June 1, 2021

Killer coating

By Cat Hofacker June 1, 2021

India team takes prize in AIAA’s student aircraft competition

By Cat Hofacker May 14, 2021

Aviation investigator

By Cat Hofacker May 1, 2021

Scene from above

By Cat Hofacker May 1, 2021

First company steps forward to compete for ISS seed dollars

By Cat Hofacker April 1, 2021

Aerospace arbiter

By Cat Hofacker April 1, 2021

From food to jet fuel

By Cat Hofacker April 1, 2021

From food to jet fuel

By Cat Hofacker March 26, 2021

Readying NASA’s Space Launch System rocket engines for their second hot fire attempt

By Cat Hofacker March 17, 2021

Honeywell thinks ultraviolet cleaning of aircraft cabins is here to stay

By Cat Hofacker February 26, 2021

United’s emergency landing might not be an isolated incident

By Cat Hofacker February 22, 2021

Podcast: Creating Ingenuity

By Cat Hofacker February 17, 2021

Airbus and Boeing embrace contrasting strategies in drive for cleaner air transportation

By Cat Hofacker February 11, 2021

Telesat picks a manufacturer — and a name — for its LEO constellation

By Cat Hofacker February 9, 2021

Battling those other emissions: nitrogen oxides

By Cat Hofacker February 1, 2021

Urban air mobility master

By Cat Hofacker February 1, 2021

NASA’s giant moon rocket faces its biggest test yet

By Cat Hofacker January 15, 2021

AIAA SciTech: Boeing executive delivers a green message

By Cat Hofacker January 13, 2021

“Deorbiting plus”: These University of Florida researchers want to predict where cubesats will land

By Cat Hofacker January 7, 2021

Air launch with a twist

By Cat Hofacker January 6, 2021

Tomorrow’s station operator

By Cat Hofacker January 1, 2021

Meet your AIAA presidential candidates

By Cat Hofacker January 1, 2021

ULA’s Bruno: Vulcan Centaur design on track for 2021 first flight

By Cat Hofacker December 18, 2020

This Alabama startup plans to launch small satellites via autonomous drone

By Cat Hofacker December 3, 2020

AIAA ASCEND: Experts urge Biden administration to help commercialize LEO

By Cat Hofacker November 17, 2020

AIAA ASCEND: Axiom shares details of its space station strategy

By Cat Hofacker November 17, 2020

Rocket Lab aims to do for small rockets what SpaceX has done for big ones

By Cat Hofacker November 5, 2020

Cosmic explorer

By Cat Hofacker November 1, 2020

UPDATED: NASA spacecraft makes contact with Bennu in first attempt to sample an asteroid

By Cat Hofacker October 19, 2020

Meet the demonstrator that could bring back supersonic passenger travel

By Cat Hofacker October 7, 2020

Meet NASA’s Kathy Lueders

By Cat Hofacker October 1, 2020

Unlocking electrification

By Cat Hofacker October 1, 2020

Anti-space debris tech poised for testing

By Cat Hofacker October 1, 2020

Teleworking NASA employees become hacking targets

By Cat Hofacker September 18, 2020

Inside one company’s moon-landing proposal

By Cat Hofacker September 16, 2020

NASA plans to pay companies to extract tablespoons of lunar regolith

By Cat Hofacker September 10, 2020

Honeywell creates lab to simulate urban flights

By Cat Hofacker September 3, 2020

Anti-covid leader

By Cat Hofacker September 1, 2020

No-contact cleansing

By Cat Hofacker September 1, 2020

AIAA Propulsion & Energy: Experts urge U.S. to move faster on space traffic management

By Cat Hofacker August 26, 2020

PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: AIAA SciTech goes virtual; NASA-designed ventilators to be produced in Brazil; Lufthansa tightens rules for mask exemptions; U.S. airlines brace for layoffs

By Cat Hofacker August 26, 2020

AIAA Propulsion & Energy: NASA faces fresh hurdles before moon rocket launch

By Cat Hofacker August 24, 2020

PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: No Space Symposium in 2020; Landsat 9 delayed; American tightens mask rules; air travelers remain wary

By Cat Hofacker August 19, 2020

PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: Arianespace back on the launch pad; Airbus deliveries up in July; Alaska Airlines says no mask exemptions

By Cat Hofacker August 12, 2020

NASA’s final sample collection rehearsal at asteroid Bennu comes with a pandemic twist

By Cat Hofacker August 10, 2020

A hypersonic Air Force One? The U.S. Air Force wants to have a look

By Cat Hofacker August 6, 2020

PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: Virgin Galactic delays first passenger flight; U.S. lawmakers push for mask mandate for air travelers; fewer flights means less accurate weather forecasting

By Cat Hofacker August 5, 2020

UPDATED: NASA’s next Mars rover is on its way

By Cat Hofacker July 30, 2020

PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: NetJets brings back furloughed flight crews; fresh aid proposed for U.S. airlines and airports

By Cat Hofacker July 29, 2020

PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: Udvar-Hazy Center to reopen; Delta cracks down on mask exemptions; pandemic prompts a goodbye to Boeing 747s from British Airways

By Cat Hofacker July 22, 2020

UAE’s Mars probe to target more than science at the red planet

By Cat Hofacker July 17, 2020

University of Colorado announces new hypersonics initiative

By Cat Hofacker July 15, 2020

PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: Mandating masks; keeping the middle seats empty; astronomy conference goes virtual

By Cat Hofacker July 15, 2020

PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: NASA to update on science missions; travelers’ top three concerns on board aircraft

By Cat Hofacker July 8, 2020

Why airlines aren’t rushing to redesign cabins for social distancing

By Cat Hofacker July 2, 2020

PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: Europe blocks U.S. travelers; American Airlines ditches social distancing; Airbus to cut thousands of jobs; U.S. lawmakers look to bolster R&D spending

By Cat Hofacker July 1, 2020

Shopping for a spaceship

By Cat Hofacker July 1, 2020

PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: Webb telescope launch will slip; tracking environmental impacts via satellite; restarting flights to China; a celestial tribute to medical workers

By Cat Hofacker June 24, 2020

AIAA Aviation: Boeing’s “Confident Travel” effort targets permanent health improvements

By Cat Hofacker June 19, 2020

PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: Aerion delays first flight; airlines get tough on passengers who refuse to wear masks; Arianespace to resume launches; a UV machine for sanitizing aircraft

By Cat Hofacker June 17, 2020

AIAA Aviation: Bridenstine urges corporations to continue R&D spending amid the pandemic

By Cat Hofacker June 16, 2020

PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: Congress looks at the defense supply chain; Rocket Lab to resume satellite launches; France’s aid package; a drone for sanitizing airports

By Cat Hofacker June 10, 2020

PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: U.N. agency calls for “feasible” social distancing on flights; 267,000 flights added this week; NASA grants licenses for ventilator production; German aircraft to measure air pollution

By Cat Hofacker June 3, 2020

Satellite strategist

By Cat Hofacker June 2, 2020

Mapping with laser light

By Cat Hofacker June 1, 2020

SpaceX launches NASA astronauts. Next stop: ISS

By Cat Hofacker May 30, 2020

PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: NASA to update public on science mission status; air passengers prioritize social distancing; UK to mandate quarantine for travelers

By Cat Hofacker May 27, 2020

NASA spaceflight chief cites unspecified “personal actions” and “mistake” in internal farewell email

By Cat Hofacker May 20, 2020

PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: Quarantined astronauts to arrive in Florida; F-35 production slows; air travel guidelines issued; NASA awards contracts

By Cat Hofacker May 20, 2020

PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: 2020 IAC goes virtual and free; U.S. bill requires airline aid transparency; preps for space launches proceed

By Cat Hofacker May 13, 2020

Expanding an aerospace facility for the fight against COVID-19

By Cat Hofacker May 12, 2020

PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: a NASA-designed ventilator; in-person Senate hearings; making room for cargo

By Cat Hofacker May 6, 2020

Duration of NASA’s first Commercial Crew mission remains undecided

By Cat Hofacker May 1, 2020

Aviation advocate

By Cat Hofacker May 1, 2020

Action plans

By Cat Hofacker May 1, 2020

NASA’s lunar lander choices reflect unsettled questions about best approach

By Cat Hofacker April 30, 2020

One of these companies could deliver American astronauts to the moon in 2024

By Cat Hofacker April 30, 2020

PANDEMIC NEWS UPDATE: Boeing to cut workforce; Virginia tests drones for no-contact delivery

By Cat Hofacker April 29, 2020

Delivering the drone revolution

By Cat Hofacker April 1, 2020

Mapping Bennu

By Cat Hofacker April 1, 2020

NASA says delays likely for flagship missions

By Cat Hofacker March 20, 2020

Analysts expect a slow, steady comeback for airline industry once virus is contained

By Cat Hofacker March 19, 2020

Working through a pandemic

By Cat Hofacker March 18, 2020

Boeing: Starliner error would have been caught with expanded testing

By Cat Hofacker February 28, 2020

How to make a megaconstellation

By Cat Hofacker February 28, 2020

This rocket startup is about to make a bold move

By Cat Hofacker February 28, 2020

Commanding commercialization

By Cat Hofacker February 1, 2020

This test could clear the way for SpaceX to carry ISS crew members

By Cat Hofacker January 16, 2020

Former NASA deputy makes case for climate focus

By Cat Hofacker January 9, 2020

Budget maker

By Cat Hofacker January 1, 2020

Now it’s Boeing’s turn to prove the safety of its crew capsule design

By Cat Hofacker December 19, 2019

NASA spacecraft will visit asteroid’s north pole for sample collection

By Cat Hofacker December 12, 2019

FAA predicted additional 737 MAX crashes, and then one happened

By Cat Hofacker December 11, 2019

NASA’s Bridenstine eyes creative funding for moon lander

By Cat Hofacker December 5, 2019

Meet NASA’s air taxi simulator

By Cat Hofacker November 26, 2019

NASA inspectors blast agency’s exploration planning

By Cat Hofacker November 13, 2019

Loose pin blamed for imperfect chute deployment in Starliner test

By Cat Hofacker November 7, 2019

Starliner descends one chute short, but NASA declares success

By Cat Hofacker November 4, 2019

Boeing hopes for a good day with Starliner

By Cat Hofacker November 1, 2019

Britain’s innovation architect

By Cat Hofacker November 1, 2019

House lawmakers rebuke Muilenburg, Boeing over MAX

By Cat Hofacker October 31, 2019

Lawmakers press Muilenburg about Boeing’s role in certification of 737 MAX jets

By Cat Hofacker October 29, 2019

IAC 2019: NASA might need to buy one or two more rides on Soyuz capsules

By Cat Hofacker October 24, 2019

IAC 2019: Explaining the tepid reaction to Pence’s moon speech

By Cat Hofacker October 23, 2019

IAC 2019: NASA collects international support for Artemis

By Cat Hofacker October 21, 2019

Confirmation issues could linger into tenure of new U.S. Air Force secretary

By Cat Hofacker October 17, 2019

Launching into the future

By Cat Hofacker October 1, 2019

Seeing inside storms from space

By Cat Hofacker October 1, 2019

Reporter’s picks: my game plan for IAC

By Cat Hofacker October 1, 2019

In wake of MAX, U.S. investigators warn of faulty assumptions in safety assessment process

By Cat Hofacker September 26, 2019

Aviation groups want to protect FAA’s NextGen from budget impasses

By Cat Hofacker September 26, 2019

Artemis moon decisions hinge on unfilled NASA position

By Cat Hofacker September 18, 2019

Here’s how NASA plans to pull off its 2024 moon landing

By Cat Hofacker September 4, 2019

Site visit: The factory where Vulcan rockets are being built

By Cat Hofacker August 29, 2019

For drone hobbyists in the U.S., the Wild West comes to an end

By Cat Hofacker August 22, 2019

This spacewalk could have a big payoff

By Cat Hofacker August 20, 2019

NASA Marshall put in charge of lander for 2024 moon plan

By Cat Hofacker August 16, 2019

A closer look at the moon as “proving ground” for Mars exploration

By Cat Hofacker August 5, 2019

Hyten: Space Force should not be separate branch

By Cat Hofacker July 30, 2019

Airlines divided on simulator training for 737 MAX

By Cat Hofacker July 25, 2019

After some tumult, the FAA has a new boss

By Cat Hofacker July 24, 2019

Planetary Society’s LightSail unfurled

By Cat Hofacker July 19, 2019

Families of MAX crash victims call for plane to be “fully recertified”

By Cat Hofacker July 17, 2019

Bridenstine lays groundwork for Artemis testimony to Senate committee

By Cat Hofacker July 15, 2019

NASA staffing changes surprise fans, critics of Artemis moon program

By Cat Hofacker July 11, 2019

Emergency landing due to loose engine part “almost unheard of”

By Cat Hofacker July 11, 2019

NASA passes milestone for 2024 with Orion abort test

By Cat Hofacker July 2, 2019

NASA, Lockheed Martin “very confident” ahead of Orion abort test

By Cat Hofacker July 1, 2019

Visualizing electrical loads

By Cat Hofacker July 1, 2019

NASA will send a rotorcraft to Titan, despite early worries about the design

By Cat Hofacker June 28, 2019

Paris Air Show: MAX crashes shine spotlight on U.S. versus non-U.S. pilot training

By Cat Hofacker June 19, 2019

Paris Air Show: Airbus, Boeing jockey in midcapacity jet market

By Cat Hofacker June 18, 2019

Paris Air Show: Veterans of Apollo missions see money as biggest hurdle to 2024 landing

By Cat Hofacker June 17, 2019

Bridenstine: “Nothing has changed” with 2024 moon plan

By Cat Hofacker June 10, 2019

Shooting for the moon

By Cat Hofacker June 1, 2019

Muilenburg: I have “great confidence” in FAA certification process

By Cat Hofacker May 29, 2019

The first part of NASA’s lunar Gateway to be built by Maxar

By Cat Hofacker May 23, 2019

Drone groups say they’re focused on safety as new FAA regulations for recreational operators take shape

By Cat Hofacker May 23, 2019

New York to London at Mach 5

By Cat Hofacker May 17, 2019

Mars via the moon

By Cat Hofacker May 10, 2019

SpaceX Crew Dragon parachute system failed during April test

By Cat Hofacker May 9, 2019

SpaceX confirms destruction of Crew Dragon capsule

By Cat Hofacker May 2, 2019

Accelerating innovation

By Cat Hofacker May 1, 2019

Bridenstine praises international partners amid “America first” push to the moon

By Cat Hofacker April 29, 2019

Mystery around SpaceX Dragon “anomaly” could linger

By Cat Hofacker April 23, 2019

Design Build Fly: Slovenian students take victory in annual AIAA aircraft competition

By Cat Hofacker April 15, 2019

Top U.S. officials have differing views on future of space defense

By Cat Hofacker April 10, 2019

This commander’s next role could be boon to U.S. military space backers

By Cat Hofacker April 9, 2019

Kennedy: New space agency is an opportunity, not a threat

By Cat Hofacker April 8, 2019

Boeing cites “chain of events” in MAX accidents

By Cat Hofacker April 5, 2019

Making 3D-printed parts for Boeing 787s

By Cat Hofacker August 31, 2018

Game changer

By Cat Hofacker May 31, 2017