ASD News

The massive globular star cluster Omega Centauri has puzzled astronomers for decades. It should be filled with black holes left behind by exploding stars, yet evidence for them is scarce. Now, astronomers using archival data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and supportive observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have finally located their first stellar-mass black hole in this cluster. Discovering the first of this missing black hole population will help refine current theories on black hole formation within environments such as Omega Centauri. The team’s findings published Monday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

How do black holes at the center of galaxies form and grow over time? To answer this question, scientists need to detect and study supermassive black holes at great distances, which existed much earlier in the universe’s history. New research suggests NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which is on track to launch Aug. 30, 2026, will be able to detect these distant, ancient black holes that existed up to 11 billion years ago.

Leonardo DRS, Inc. (Nasdaq: DRS) announced today the company has signed a contract to supply more than 50,000 Tenum® Orbit™ thermal imaging cameras under a blanket purchase agreement, marking a major production milestone for the company and underscoring growing demand for advanced thermal imaging technology across emerging mission applications.

Pratt & Whitney Canada has been awarded a nine-year, $1 billion contract from V2X Inc. to overhaul more than 750 PT6A-68 engines that power the U.S. Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) T-6 trainer fleet. Pratt & Whitney is an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business.

Cebu Pacific and Lufthansa Technik are further broadening their already extensive cooperation in the field of engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO). A new contract recently signed in Manila encompasses 18 additional shop events of CFM56-5Bs, the powerplants of Cebu Pacific’s Airbus A320ceo family fleet. The agreement concludes the airline’s final MRO tender for its legacy narrowbody engines, as it continues its transition to the A320neo family with latest-generation propulsion systems.

Since 2024, around 20,000 XTRAIMs have been sold, enabling rapid, accurate target engagement in all visibility conditions for major armies worldwide. ©Ludovic BORDE Blue Production

MTU Aero Engines AG looks back on a successful Farnborough International Airshow: The company returned with orders totaling approximately 500 million US dollars. Orders were placed for engines for short- and medium-haul aircraft, long-haul aircraft, and regional jets. “The high demand underscores MTU’s positive growth prospects,” said Dr. Johannes Bussmann, CEO of MTU Aero Engines AG. “With our broad portfolio of engine programs, we were able to succeed across all segments. This shows that we are involved in the right, future-oriented engines. We will also benefit in the aftermarket in the future through our broad maintenance portfolio.”

Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE: TDY), announced that it has received a significant order from AeroVironment, Inc. (“AV”) to deliver its Argus XL counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) platform as part of AV’s Titan® Multi-Sensor (MS) C-UAS counter-drone solution for the U.S. Air Force.

Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has signed a contract with OHB Italia for the development of the PRISMA Second Generation Earth observation satellite for the Italian Space Agency (ASI). Scheduled for launch in 2031, the satellite will carry a hyperspectral instrument, built by Leonardo, featuring enhanced functional and resolution capabilities compared to the first generation.

Leonardo DRS, Inc. (Nasdaq: DRS) announced today that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Space42, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) based AI-powered space technology company with global reach. The agreement establishes a framework to integrate Leonardo DRS mission systems with Space42’s secure satellite connectivity to boost sovereign national security across the UAE.