More customers in the EU and US are willing to buy electric vehicles, but some still remain hesitant due to higher prices, according to a survey by OC&C Strategy Consultants. In the US, almost half of customers said they would consider a battery-powered vehicle for their next car purchase, which is a sizable increase from a survey last year.

The Biden administration's 2022 budget proposal includes a $1.5 billion increase for NASA to $24.7 billion and $6.9 billion -- up $325 million -- for the Artemis moon mission. "This $24.7 billion funding request demonstrates the Biden administration's commitment to NASA and its partners who have worked so hard this past year under difficult circumstances and achieved unprecedented success," said NASA Acting Administrator Steve Jurczyk.

Northrop Grumman is seeing interest in its Firebird drone from international buyers, including the Netherlands, Denmark, India and Australia. They are especially attracted to the drone's over-water wide-area surveillance features.

The Biden administration's $715 billion Pentagon budget proposal is finding critics among both Republicans and progressives. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who is leading efforts to increase defense funding, characterizes the budget increase, which seems to just reflect inflation, as sending "a terrible signal not only to our adversaries in Beijing and Moscow, but also to our allies and partners."

Korea Aerospace Industries debuted the first prototype of South Korea's domestically produced fighter jet, the KF-21 Boramae. The aircraft is powered by two General Electric F414 engines.

Continuous Composites has completed its Wing Structure Design for Manufacturing project for the US Air Force Research Laboratory. Continuous Composites, which was contracted by Lockheed Martin, worked to develop "attributable airframe structures" that are made via 3D printing.

Turkish Airlines is the latest carrier to return the Boeing 737 Max to service. So far, regulators in the US, the UK, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Brazil and the European Union have approved the 737 Max for reinstatement.

Americans are showing a continuous demand for leisure travel, keeping a pace of 1 million-plus air passengers per day for March and April. The availability of vaccinations is being counted on by airlines to expand international travel this summer.

United Airlines recently celebrated the efforts of an all-women flight crew as a way to inspire more young girls to consider an aviation career. "The whole idea is to find a career field that challenges you, that you have fun doing, and that gives you the lifestyle you want to have," said pilot M'Liss Ward.

General Atomics will design a nuclear reactor for space missions under a nuclear thermal propulsion contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. NTP is a "leap ahead of conventional propulsion technology and will enable spacecraft to travel immense distances quickly," said Christina Back of General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems.