February 23, 2026

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TECH TAKE

Material 3D-Prints Conformal Drone Batteries A U.S. startup is commercializing technology to 3D-print conformal batteries, eliminating the space wasted and weight added when packs are built around industry-standard cylindrical or pouch cells.

By Graham Warwick8 min

COMMERCIAL AVIATION

Low-Cost Combos

> VIVA AND VOLARIS ATTEMPT TO WRITE A NEW CHAPTER IN MEXICAN AVIATION HISTORY > ALLEGIANT AND SUN COUNTRY COMBINE AS SPIRIT RESTRUCTURES

By Lori Ranson,Christine Boynton7 min

COMMERCIAL AVIATION

Aircraft Manufacturers Aim To Seize Asia-Pacific Market Opportunities

> NARROWBODY ORDERS DOMINATE, BUT CARRIERS ALSO NEED WIDEBODY REPLACEMENTS > ATR AND EMBRAER SEE RISING PROSPECTS FOR REGIONAL AIRCRAFT

By Adrian Schofield7 min

SPACE

The Artemis II Crew Poised for NASA's Next Giant Leap

Cape Canaveral Fifty-eight years ago, Apollo 8 astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders became the first humans to leave the gravitational bonds of Earth orbit and circle around the Moon. Emerging from the far side, they shared what became an indelible image of Earth rising over the lunar horizon.

By Irene Klotz7 min

FAST 5

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman

Between Feb. 9 and Feb. 27, you toured the NASA field centers from Goddard to Glenn. What have been your most important takeaways from those visits? Did anything strike you that you really had not been aware of before? I really enjoyed visiting all the centers.

By Irene Klotz7 min

MANUFACTURING

Pentagon Experiments With 3D-Printing Drones at Front Lines

> COMPANIES TOUT CUSTOMIZING DRONES TO MISSION REQUIREMENTS > THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT IS WORRIED TROOPS WOULD BE CUT OFF FROM RESUPPLY

By Garrett Reim6 min

COMMERCIAL AVIATION

CRUNCH TIME

> AIRBUS BLAMES PRATT FOR SLOWER RAMP-UP > CONSOLIDATION OF SITES HAS ALSO BEEN A DRAG ON PRODUCTION > THE AIRFRAMER IS IN “WAIT-AND-SEE” MODE ON A FUTURE FIGHTER

By Jens Flottau,Robert Wall6 min

COMMERCIAL AVIATION

JetZero BWB Demonstrator Assembly Accelerates in Mojave

> MAIN BODY COMPLETION TARGETED BY FOURTH QUARTER > SUBSCALE FLYING TESTBED IS EVALUATING REVISED CONFIGURATION

By Guy Norris6 min

FEBRUARY 9-222026

February 23, 2026

February 23, 2026

Leaving Earth Orbit

By Irene Klotz9 min