Airborne-NextGen 11.11.25: Archer Buys Hawthorne, Joby Conforms, Stranded Astros

Also: VerdeGo Contract, Medi-Carrier, Gambit 6 UCAV, Blade Urban Air Mobility Pilot

Archer Aviation has inked a deal for control of Hawthorne Municipal Airport (HHR), also known as Jack Northrop Field, in Los Angeles for $126 million in cash. This marks a major shift in its strategy to build a localized urban air-mobility network and test next-gen aviation tech. The 80-acre facility offers roughly 190,000 square feet of terminal, hangar, and office space in a dense urban setting. Joby Aviation announced the start of power-on testing of the first of its FAA-conforming aircraft built for TIA, or Type Inspection Authorization, that is the lead-up to “for credit” flight tests with FAA pilots operating the aircraft. Joby will now proceed to conduct thousands of hardware and software integration tests prior to the start of flight testing. Three Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station watched as their Shenzhou-20 return capsule was struck by a piece of space debris, leaving them stranded mere hours before their scheduled trip home. The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said the end of the crew’s six-month mission has now been postponed indefinitely. All this -- and MORE in today's episode of Airborne-NextGen!!!

Airborne-NextGen 11.11.25 is chock full of info in this Weekly News Episode, Tuesday, November 11th, 2025... Presented by Aero-TV veteran videographer and Airborne Hosts Holland Lee, Sophie Hurlock, Brianne Cross, Christopher Odom, and Laura Hutson, and is supported by ANN CEO/Editor-In-Chief Jim Campbell, and Chief Videographer Nathan Cremisino, this episode covers:

Archer Eyes L.A. Hub With Hawthorne Airport Acquisition
Joby Starts Power-On Testing First Conforming Aircraft
Stranded Chinese Astronauts Look for a Lifeline
VerdeGo Gets NASA SBIR Ignite Phase II Contract
Drone-Ready Medi-Carrier Gets NHS Air Transport Cert
GA-ASI Adds Air-To-Ground Ops For Its Gambit 6 UCAV
Blade Launching Urban Air Mobility Pilot In December

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