The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter passed a big test when it flew in a combat simulation against F-16 Fighting Falcons. The F-35 practiced air-to-air combat maneuvers for the first time – and after passing with flying colors – has been cleared for more strenuous drills. “When we did the first dogfight in January, they said, ‘you have no limits,’” said Lockheed Martin F-35 test pilot David “Doc” Nelson.

In April of 2015, the Israel Missile Defence Organization’s Directorate of Defence Research and Development along with the US Missile Defense Agency successfully conducted the third test of the David’s Sling Weapon System (DSWS). Developed from a collaboration between Raytheon and Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the DSWS is a terminal missile defense interceptor system intended for use against short-range ballistic missiles, large caliber rockets and cruise missiles with ranges from 40 to 300 kilometers away.

In March of 2015, NASA announced that its Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) will entail a retrieval of a 4-meter boulder from an asteroid which will be placed in orbit around our moon. This mission will provide insight into a future journey to Mars. Costing approximately $1.25 billion USD plus launch costs, the initiative is expected to take place with initial launch slated for December 2020 and arrival at the selected asteroid two years later. NASA astronauts will follow up on the boulder and collect samples for analysis. ARM, which will use an unmanned robotic spacecraft to travel to the asteroid, was established in 2010 as a replacement for the long-delayed and over-budget Constellation Program. The likely candidate for the asteroid will be 2008 EV5.

In March of 2015, Google announced that they will be completely redesigning their drone for their upcoming drone delivery system – Project Wing. Headed by the Google Project X Research Lab, this endeavor seeks to develop commercial applications for unmanned aerial vehicles. The program is over two years in the making (established in 2011), but the company only formally announced its existence last year.