🚀 US B-52 bomber fleet to get powerful hypersonic missile upgrade, China’s first-ever reusable kerosene rocket crashes, Elon Musk plans 5 uncrewed Starship missions to Mars

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The United States Air Force’s (USAF) venerable B-52 “Stratofortress” fleet is to get another round of upgrades to extend its life and enable it to carry hypersonic missiles. The new parts will include brand-new engines, avionics, and other gear that could well mean the aircraft hits a century in service.

The B-52, also known as “big ugly fat fellow” or Buff, is the USAF’s primary long-range, large-payload multirole bomber. It serves as the nation’s principal strategic nuclear and conventional weapons platform. Dive deeper into this Must-Read.

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✈️ US B-52 bomber fleet to get powerful hypersonic missile upgrade, new engines

First entering service in 1961, the B-52 celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2002 and is now officially the longest-serving combat aircraft in the world. The new upgrades will further extend its illustrious service well into the 1940s.

The upgrades are necessary for the newly proposed B-52 variant, the B-52J. One of the most significant changes from the existing B-52H variant will be replacing its Pratt & Whitney TF33 engines with new Rolls Royce F130 engines.

This upgrade will boost fuel efficiency by as much as 30% and is to be fitted under the USAF’s Commercial Engine Replacement Program. After completing the works, the new B-52J should also be able to field the Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM).

🚀 China’s first-ever reusable kerosene rocket crashes during vertical landing

Deep Blue Aerospace, a Chinese private rocket company, announced on Sunday that its Nebula-1, a pioneering reusable rocket powered by kerosene, was unable to successfully complete a high-altitude recovery test.

Despite meeting 10 out of 11 objectives during the vertical takeoff and vertical landing (VTVL) trial, the rocket encountered issues in its final phase, leading to a crash. According to the company, Nebula-1’s three engines initially fired as expected, propelling the rocket to a high altitude. The descent process began smoothly, with two engines shutting down as planned.

However, complications arose when the rocket attempted to land back at the designated pad. The landing mechanism malfunctioned, causing Nebula-1 to make a hard landing.

🛰️ ‘Great adventure’: Elon Musk plans 5 uncrewed Starship missions to Mars in 2 yrs

Elon Musk has announced that SpaceX plans to launch five uncrewed Starship missions to Mars within the next two years, aligning with the upcoming Earth-Mars transfer window.

The success of these missions will greatly determine the timeline for future crewed flights to the Red Planet, according to the tech billionaire.

“No matter what happens with landing success, SpaceX will increase the number of spaceships traveling to Mars exponentially with every transit opportunity,” the space company chief declared on his social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

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