The move was the second time in a week that it shot down a pro-Syrian government aircraft in the sky. "The armed pro-regime Shaheed-129 UAV was shot down by a U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle at approximately 12:30 a.m. Carla Babb, the Pentagon correspondent for Voice of America (VOA) tweeted Tuesday saying the sources have confirmed that the Iranian-made drone shot down by the U.S. fighter jet was being operated by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis said the U.S. military shot down the Shahed 129 as it approached an established coalition combat outpost near al-Tanf in southeast Syria, where the U.S. is holding training sessions for local fighters against the Islamic State group, VOA reported. Officials also said that the shot Iranian aircraft was the same type of drone that a U.S. warplane had shot down June 8 after it attacked U.S.-backed fighters in southern Syria.

The Los Angeles Fire Department could soon seek federal permission to fly drones, a tool that officials say could help them track down missing hikers, gauge the risks in burning buildings and search confined spaces. A Los Angeles City Council committee voted Tuesday to allow the department to start seeking Federal Aviation Administration authorization to use "unmanned aerial systems," despite objections from groups concerned about privacy rights. That decision now heads to the entire council for approval. "I think there's a tremendous opportunity to save lives," said Councilman Mitch Englander, who has championed the idea. Fire officials say no drones will be launched, however, until the Board of Fire Commissioners and the City Council approve a policy outlining how they can be used.

An American F-15E fighter jet shot down an Iranian-made armed drone on Tuesday over southeast Syria that was flying toward American-backed Syrian fighters and their advisers, Pentagon officials said. American officials said that the aircraft was a Shahed 129, the same type of Iranian drone that an American warplane blasted on June 8 after it dropped a bomb near American-supported Syrian fighters and their coalition advisers. Tuesday's episode occurred shortly after midnight local time as the drone approached a so-called deconfliction zone the Americans have declared around the town of al-Tanf, the same place where the first drone had ventured. A garrison of Syrian fighters and their American and allied advisers are based near the town, which is near the intersection of the Syrian, Iraqi and Jordanian borders.

The U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group said a U.S. F-15 fighter jet shot down the drone "after it displayed hostile intent" while approaching a military camp near the Syria-Jordan border. The U.S. on Sunday shot down a Syrian jet for the first time during the conflict near Raqqa after it dropped bombs near the U.S.-allied Syrian Democratic Forces, which are battling IS. Fighting and bombardment meanwhile resumed early Tuesday between Syrian government forces and rebels in the southern city of Daraa and nearby areas, where a 48-hour truce had gone into effect on Saturday. The push by Syrian government forces in the Daraa area appears headed for the Jordanian border, two weeks after Assad's troops reached the border with Iraq for the first time in years.

The European Commission wants to make it easier for lightweight drones to fly autonomously in European airspace -- with logistics, inspection services and agricultural businesses set to benefit. Simpler regulations will be welcomed by multinational businesses such as gas giant Engie, which is developing drones for tasks such as pipeline or building inspection or for cleaning the insulators on high-voltage overhead power lines. Other businesses, including some exhibiting at the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget this week, will see common rules as a way to simplify the development of drones and related services. While the drone air traffic control rules won't have much effect on its tethered drone, which is intended for inspecting the interiors of large industrial buildings, they could make life simpler for another drone it is developing to clean the insulators on overhead power lines.

Dubai, also called the Future City, will start testing aerial taxi transportation later this year. Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority announced the flying drones at the 2017 World Government Summit in February. The agency revealed plans Monday to start trials of its Autonomous Aerial Taxis during this year's fourth quarter. The agency also announced an agreement with the German company Volocopter to operate the autonomous passenger drones. When the project was first announced, the agency was working with drone company EHang for single-passenger autonomous flying vehicles. EHang was then replaced with Volocopter.

Elon Musk has shared a glimpse at what goes on inside the Falcon Factory, where SpaceX's powerful rockets are born. A stunning flythrough video shows different stages of work on the massive boosters, revealing a look at everything from the Merlin engines to what it's like inside the cavity of an unfinished Falcon 9. The footage comes just days after Musk announced the aggressive timeline for the completion and launch of a Falcon Heavy rocket, and the steady hum of machinery can be heard as employees work to bring the firm's space-faring visions to life. Elon Musk has shared a glimpse at what goes on inside the Falcon Factory, where SpaceX's powerful rockets are born. Musk shared the video on Instagram this week, writing, 'Flying through the Falcon Factory.' Components from several Falcon 9 rockets can be seen, with numerous first stage cylinders seen lying throughout the factory floor.

The spokesman of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Ramazan Sharif speaks with media members at the conclusion of his press conference in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Sharif, said all six ballistic missiles it launched on Syria hit their targets, according to "local sources and drone films." Iran fired ballistic missiles at IS targets in eastern Syria, in the province of Deir el-Zour, later on Sunday. The spokesman of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Ramazan Sharif speaks with media members at the conclusion of his press conference in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, June 20, 2017. Sharif, said all six ballistic missiles it launched on Syria hit their targets, according to "local sources and drone films."

Iran, in recent months, has expressed concern over militants operating along the Pakistani border. Iran's army chief recently warned that the country was willing to strike militants inside Pakistan -- remarks that drew a strong protest from Islamabad.

If the world is ever going to enjoy the upsides of a sky filled with drones, the unmanned aircraft must be able to behave at least as well as human pilots. They must know how to react to other aircraft coming right for them, how to manage sudden weather changes, and what to do when their vehicle goes haywire. That's why researchers at NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia have developed a system that can help with one slice of drone troubleshooting: enabling small UAVs to determine on their own when they're not working properly, and then find a safe place to land. Safe2Ditch, invented by Langley's Trish and Lou Glaab, is designed for fully autonomous aircraft without human pilots at the controls. It uses software algorithms to detect battery or motor problems, control-surface or structural failures, or even shifting cargo that can disrupt the aircraft's balance.