78 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2026
MIL/AERO007
Defense Speak Interpreted: Hypersonics
Report Back After Six Years of Silence ⊲
It's been six years since my Defense Speaks
column about hypersonic weapons. Back then,
these weapons were the most sought-after tech-
nology as there was little defense for them. They
were the cornerstone of the "strike any location
on earth within one hour" scenario. Of course, the
war in Ukraine, and now the action in Iran, have
grabbed the weapons headlines, but hypersonics
still play a role and development continues. Here
is the update.
Boeing-built Space Launch System Core
Stage Powers First Crewed Artemis Mission
around the Moon ⊲
NASA's Space Launch System rocket, powered by
the Boeing-built core stage, lifted off at 6:35 p.m.
ET on April 1, 2026. Eight and a half minutes into
flight, the core stage successfully completed its
mission and separated from the upper stage of the
rocket, enabling NASA's Orion spacecraft, Integrity,
to carry humankind around the moon.
Renesas' Radiation-Hardened ICs Take
Flight on NASA's Artemis II Crewed Lunar
Mission ⊲
Renesas Electronics Corporation, a premier
supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions,
announced its radiation-hardened (rad-hard) ICs
are being used in NASA's Artemis II mission, which
successfully launched from the Kennedy Space
Center in Florida on April 1.
JRC, SKY Perfect JSAT, Sharp Partner on
Defense Multi-Orbit Comms Project ⊲
Japan Radio Co., Ltd., SKY Perfect JSAT Corpo-
ration, and Sharp Corporation will collaborate
to develop and demonstrate a next-generation
communications system in support of the Ministry
of Defense (Japan) program titled "Development
and Demonstration of Resilience-Enhancing Tech-
nologies for Multi-Orbit Communications Systems,"
for which JRC was selected on Feb. 4, 2026.
Learning with Leo: Why Risk-based Auditing
Is Reshaping Cable Assembly Quality ⊲
Effective product development requires early and
active participation from all stakeholders. The
design process must include input from supply
chain, manufacturing engineering, purchas-
ing, quality, and production. A design cannot be
considered complete until it has been evaluated
against the full manufacturing process, whether
executed by an OEM or a subcontractor. Without
this collaboration, designs are often released that
are not manufacturable in real-world conditions.
Redwire Imaging Tech Supports Artemis II
Mission ⊲
Redwire Corporation, a global leader in space and
defense technology solutions, announced that its
advanced optical imaging and sun sensor technol-
ogy will launch on board the Orion spacecraft as
part of NASA's Artemis II mission, the first crewed
mission for the Artemis program. Through contracts
with Lockheed Martin, NASA's prime contractor for
Orion, Redwire is responsible for the production
and testing of the Orion Camera System for Artemis
missions I-V.
Commerce, Energy Departments Partner
to Ensure Affordable Energy and Power
America's AI Future ⊲
The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC),
alongside the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE),
announced a unique public-private partnership
with SoftBank and AEP Ohio to redevelop DOE
land, modernize energy infrastructure, and develop
advanced computing in Southern Ohio. As part
of the partnership, SB Energy, a SoftBank Group
company, is planning to build 10 gigawatts (GW) of
new power generation—including 9.2 GW of natural
gas generation—that will connect to the local grid
and provide power to a new 10 GW data center
development at the Portsmouth Site in Pike County,
Ohio at no cost to American families. These collec-
tive efforts will deliver lower electricity costs across
the region, create thousands of American jobs, and
strengthen America's national security.
EMI Promotes David Vue to Lead Military
and Aerospace Division ⊲
Express Manufacturing, Inc. (EMI), a global elec-
tronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider,
announced the promotion of David Vue to Military
and Aerospace Division Manager. Vue joined EMI
in 2016 and has progressed through several roles
of increasing responsibility, including associate
manufacturing engineer, manufacturing engineer,
and senior manufacturing engineer.
