F-35 costs falling, Pentagon estimates indicate

domingo, 31 de mayo de 2020

Read more...

Caution on China from EU, West's 'soft underbelly'

Read more...

What the Euro-LCC model can tell us about the future of aviation

Read more...

Here’s The Route Flown By The US Navy P-8A “Unsafely” Intercepted By Two Su-35s Off Syria Last Week

Read more...

America returns to manned spaceflight with launch of SpaceX Demo-2

Read more...

Bjorn’s Corner: Do I get COVID in airline cabins? Part 4.

sábado, 30 de mayo de 2020

Read more...

Watch A Russian Su-27 Flanker Intercept A U.S. B-1B Bomber Flying Over The Black Sea Earlier Today

Read more...

Airbus, Bell Continue Rotor Research

Read more...

ESA’S Solar Orbiter set for unexpected rendezvous with Comet ATLAS

Read more...

magniX and AeroTEC Announce Successful First Flight of the World’s Largest All-Electric Aircraft - AeroTEC

Read more...

China Making Headway on Its First Long-Haul Jetliner: Reports - Caixin Global

Read more...

C919 chief designer : 815 orders for C919 and CR929 on the way

Read more...

Wind Turbine Blades Can’t Be Recycled, So They’re Piling Up in Landfills - Bloomberg

viernes, 29 de mayo de 2020

Read more...

The Future of Green Aviation with Bjorn Fehrm — Allplane

Read more...

Exclusive: Brazil's Embraer draws foreign interest after Boeing rift - sources - Reuters

Read more...

EASA: hours on microlights count for PPL - FLYER

Read more...

USS Portland's high-powered laser disables drone in weapon's first at-sea test

Read more...

Russia begins building first stealth bomber

Read more...

NHS Scotland Drone Delivery Trial Supports Covid-19 Response

Read more...

Safran seeks to “reclaim” leading position in interiors

Read more...

HOTR: LATAM files bankruptcy, latest COVID airline casualty; 1,100 aircraft involved

Read more...

Virgin Orbit Performs First Test Launch of LauncherOne Rocket. But Debut Flight Fails.

Read more...

Boeing resumes still grounded Boeing 737 MAX production



Read more...

[Analysis] easyJet’s cost-cutting may be misguided as international arrivals expected to return to 2019 levels by 2021, says GlobalData

Read more...

EASA Proposes eVTOL Certification Means of Compliance

jueves, 28 de mayo de 2020

Read more...

Lilium Hopes To Resume eVTOL Flight Testing in Coming Months

Read more...

Oh... The Pain! NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 Launch Rescheduled to Saturday Due to WX

Read more...

Tecnam Unveils Jet/Diesel Powered P2010 TDI

Read more...

EHang air taxi approved for heavy-lift air logistics in China

Read more...

British Airways Sold 48 Of Their Aircraft Yesterday

Read more...

Boeing is laying off more than 6,000 employees this week as coronavirus hurts demand



Boeing CEO Provides Update on Workforce Actions https://boeing.mediaroom.com/news-releases-statements?item=130684

Read more...

How Close Is Urban Air Mobility To Becoming A Reality?

Read more...

Tecnam unveils P2010 TDI with Continental CD-170 diesel - FLYER

Read more...

Russia says US making 'unacceptable' demands on Open Skies treaty P

martes, 26 de mayo de 2020

Read more...

The UK's first complete ground rocket test in 50 years takes place in Scotland

Read more...

As it flies into the sunset, what the Airbus A380 can teach us P

As it flies into the sunset, what the Airbus A380 can teach us https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2020/05/22/as-it-flies-into-the-sunset-what-the-a380-can-teach-us/ 

Read more...

Flying blind in a post-pandemic world – it’s complicated

Read more...

Bjorn’s Corner: Do I get COVID in airline cabins? Part 3.

Read more...

Pontifications: Aircraft values, lease rates plummet

Read more...

Mitsubishi SpaceJet retreat is the best news for Embraer in months

Read more...

Covid Digs Deeper Hole for Airbus A380

Read more...

ALPA: New 5G Towers Put Essential Aviation Safety Feature at Risk

Read more...

Small satellite launcher Virgin Orbit fails to launch rocket to space during first test flight - The Verge

Read more...

Small satellite launcher Virgin Orbit fails to launch rocket to space during first test flight - The Verge

Read more...

A new eVTOL air taxi developer, Archer Aviation, emerges from stealth - evtol.com

Read more...

Anchorage 's airport becomes busiest airport in the world... (even more than London Heathrow)

domingo, 24 de mayo de 2020

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/anchorage-airport-world-busiest/index.html


Read more...

Let’s Talk About The Claim That “Russia Moved Six MiG-29s and Two Su-24s Escorted By RuAF Su-35s To Libya”

Read more...

Pandemic makes it difficult to obtain raw materials to produce fire retardant

Read more...

US Navy disables drone using a high-energy shipborne laser weapon

Read more...

State of the game: The key players in the emerging eVTOL air taxi market

Read more...

Developing global standards to certify water aerodromes for seaplane operations - Uniting Aviation

viernes, 22 de mayo de 2020

Read more...

Pakistan Airlines flight crashes in Karachi - CNN

Read more...

To infinity and beyond - preserving aviation heritage

Read more...

German Government agrees on a rescue package for Lufthansa

jueves, 21 de mayo de 2020

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/lufthansa-group/lufthansa/german-government-agrees-on-a-rescue-package-for-lufthansa/


related:
https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/lufthansa-group/brussels-airlines/open-letter-pilots-propose-a-temporary-salary-decrease-to-save-jobs/

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/norwegian-air-shuttle/finalises-recapitalisation-and-secures-state-aid/

Read more...

Civil Aviation Decline Forces Rolls-Royce to Cut 9,000 Jobs

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2020-05-20/civil-aviation-decline-forces-rolls-royce-cut-9000-jobs

Read more...

Drones Often Lack FAA Approval and Fly Too High, Says Report

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-05-20/drones-often-lack-faa-approval-and-fly-too-high-says-report

Read more...

Virgin Orbit Confirms Target Date For 1st Launch Attempt from their modified Jumbo

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=a0f12e40-9df6-4770-b402-ca71cad68372

https://virginorbit.com/

Read more...

NASA Telescope Named For ‘Mother of Hubble’ Nancy Grace Roman

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-telescope-named-for-mother-of-hubble-nancy-grace-roman

https://youtu.be/jPq2VVPjk_U


Read more...

California trash-to-hydrogen plant promises dirt-cheap, super-green H2

https://newatlas.com/energy/sgh2-cheap-green-hydrogen-california/

https://www.sgh2energy.com/

Read more...

Delving into the economics of middle-seat-free flying - Runway GirlRunway Girl

Read more...

Boeing 737 MAX Prompts FAA Design Review Reforms

Read more...

COVID-19 Aviation Health Safety Protocol | EASA

miércoles, 20 de mayo de 2020

Read more...

Certifiable autopilots for UAVs, the 5 things you should know

Read more...

Skydweller Aero readies persistent UAV for first flight

Read more...

Emirates Considers Cutting 30,000 Jobs, Retire A380s Faster

Read more...

Phase-out of Air France entire Airbus A380 fleet | Air France KLM

https://www.airfranceklm.com/en/phase-out-air-france-entire-airbus-a380-fleet?sf122769169=1 

Press release

In the context of the current COVID-19 crisis and its impact on anticipated activity levels, the Air France-KLM Group announces today the definitive end of Air France Airbus A380 operations.

Initially scheduled by the end of 2022, the phase-out of Airbus A380 fleet fits in the Air France-KLM Group fleet simplification strategy of making the fleet more competitive, by continuing its transformation with more modern, high-performance aircraft with a significantly reduced environmental footprint.

Five of the Airbus A380 aircraft in the current fleet are owned by Air France or on finance lease, while four are on operating lease. The global impact of the Airbus A380 phase-out write down is estimated at 500 million euros and will be booked in the second quarter of 2020 as a non-current cost/expenses.

Airbus A380 will be replaced by new generation aircraft, including Airbus A350 and Boeing 787, whose deliveries are ongoing.


Read more...

Is Super-STOL A Viable Alternative To Electric VTOL?

Read more...

GKN Aerospace and Eviation sign collaboration agreement on wing, empennage and EWIS for Alice all-electric aircraft



https://www.gknaerospace.com/en/newsroom/news-releases/2020/gkn-aerospace-and-eviation-sign-collaboration-agreement-on-wing-empennage-and-ewis-for-alice-all-electric-aircraft/

  • GKN Aerospace brings advanced lightweight wing, empennage and wiring systems expertise to the world's first all-electric commuter aircraft designed from scratch
  • Collaboration shows GKN Aerospace's increasing focus on environmental sustainability



The collaboration agreement covers the design and manufacture of wings, empennage and electrical wiring interconnection systems (EWIS) for Alice, the ground-breaking regional electric aircraft recently launched by Eviation. The aircraft is aiming to change the way people travel, by making journeys of distances up to 650 miles more sustainable.

GKN Aerospace is the world's multi-technology leader in design and manufacturing of lightweight aerostructures and EWIS systems, as well as being a key partner in the Airbus 'Wing of Tomorrow' programme and market leader in lightweight business jet empennages. As part of GKN Aerospace's collaboration agreement with Eviation, design and manufacturing activities are already ongoing on-site at Eviation (Israel) and in several GKN Aerospace engineering centres across Europe.

GKN Aerospace is using its world-leading capability in the design and manufacture of advanced lightweight aerostructures and EWIS - as proven on the Airbus A220, A320, A330, A400M, A350 XWB, Boeing 767 and 787, Dassault F6X, F7X, F8X Gulfstream G550, G650, G700 and the Lockheed Martin F-35 - to mature the design of the empennage, wing and EWIS of Alice.

John Pritchard, President, Civil Airframes GKN Aerospace said, "We are excited to collaborate with Eviation and to support the development of this all-new electric aircraft. The development of all-electric aircraft is ground-breaking; it's a step change in aviation and we are delighted to contribute. As technology leaders in wing, empennage and EWIS design, we can bring unrivalled knowledge and expertise to the project."

Matteo Borghini Lilli, Director, Wing Product Group at GKN Aerospace said, "In the quest for more sustainable and environmentally friendly aviation, we are excited to be part of the Eviation programme, which is at the forefront in taking electric flight from a future aspiration into today's reality. GKN Aerospace is proud to bring its wealth of experience in design and certification, in conjunction with key technological innovations, to achieve this aspiration."

"GKN Aerospace brings tremendous expertise to the program, allowing us to think again about what could be achieved with advanced aerostructures," says Omer Bar Yohay, Eviation's CEO and Co-Founder. "I trust that we'll see GKN Aerospace take on a growing part of our development and manufacturing effort as the program matures and the Alice nears production."

Read more...

Pilotando el Tema: Quinto episodio, aire acomdicionados, IATA, entevista a Dani Mezquita


¡Ha salido el Quinto! ¡Ha salido el Quinto! enlace a Ivoox

- Cómo funciona el aire acondicionado en los aviones y por qué la IATA no recomienda eliminar el asiento central
-El origen del camuflaje en los uniformes militares, y el por qué antes se vestían como pavos reales y ahora no
-Entrevista a Dani Mezquita Hardy, guitarrista de los hombres G, y nos habla ¿de música? No esta vez: Xplane, IVAO y más










Read more...

Celestia Aerospace, Lanzarsatélites desde un avión de caza








Lanzar satélites desde un avión de caza
El espacio parecía coto privado de las grandes agencias espaciales y algunos ejércitos. Pero cada vez hay más empresas privadas con ganas de hacerse un hueco entre las grandes empresas públicas  y poner su granito de arena en órbita, o en Marte.
Lanzar satélites desde un avión no es idea nueva: Ahí estaba el Pegasus lanzado desde un L1011, ni tampoco es la 1ª vez que se quiere hacer desde un caza. Esto no significa que no sea buena idea o no sea original.  En la historia hay muchos ejemplos de distintos inventos que no funcionaron  porque no llegaron en el momento adecuado, o la tecnología no estaba madura, como el motor a reacción que lleva con nosotros desde 1910 o las aeronaves no tripuladas, que llevan con nosotros desde que Torres Quevedo quiso montar su Telekino en un dirigible a comienzos del siglo XX. Para que una idea triunfe se necesita que sea posible llevarlo a cabo más allá del demostrador tecnológico y que sea económico. Y por supuesto, demanda.
-        ¿Por qué podría funcionar vuestro proyecto ahora, y no los de antes?
La idea no es nueva, pero los anteriores intentos han pecado principalmente de dos importantes defectos: iban a un rango de masas demasiado elevado, requiriendo de importantes modificaciones en el avión e incluso el apoyo de otros aviones; y aparecieron cuando la utilidad de los nanosatélites era muy limitada.
-        ¿Los nanosatélites no son muy pequeños para ser útiles? La miniaturización actual es la razón principal del boom de los nanosatélites: permite un gran número de aplicaciones, observación de la Tierra, comunicaciones seguras de banda estrecha, certificación de componentes que han de viajar al espacio en otros satélites de mayor tamaño…
-        ¿Las constelaciones de nanosatélites no empeoran el problema de la basura espacial?
La ventaja es que van a órbitas llamadas LEO (Low-Earth Orbit) en las cuales la atmósfera todavía está presente y existe una mínima resistencia que hace que los satélites se frenen y reentren a la atmósfera a los 2 años aproximadamente, desintegrándose totalmente.
-        ¿Por qué un ex caza?
El MiG-29 es perfecto para este cometido: es un interceptor puro, diseñado para subir hasta los 20 km de altura en un tiempo récord. Además, se trata de un modelo que lleva operando desde los años 80, por lo que las primeras unidades ya han comenzado a pasar al sector privado lo cual los hace lo asequibles como para hacer que la operación sea rentable.
-        ¿Otros usos para el MiG?
Como mercado secundario, utilizarlo para dar vuelos VIP supersónicos hasta los 20 km de altura, donde comienza a apreciarse la curvatura de la Tierra o contemplar gran parte del Mediterráneo de un solo vistazo.
-        ¿Cualquier aeropuerto serviría?
Cualquiera con una pista de 2 km o más es una base de operaciones viable, por lo que podemos desplazar el avión allí donde el cliente indique.
-        ¿Qué ventajas tiene utilizar este sistema?
Existe un término para definir el punto fuerte de nuestro sistema: Rapid Response. A diferencia de otros sistemas de lanzamiento, permite a un cliente que disponga de uno o más nanosatélites con todos los permisos en regla lanzarlos a órbita en un tiempo récord, ya que el avión se encontrará en estado de vuelo constantemente y dispondremos de un stock de lanzadores (un cohete de 7 m de largo y 1000kg de masa al que hemos bautizado Space Arrow) listos para ser acoplados al avión.

En la actualidad Celestia dispone de todos los permisos para comenzar la campaña de vuelos de prueba en un tiempo no superior a 6 meses, y busca inversores para cerrar la Serie A que permitirá la adquisición del MiG-29UB, lanzadores, y todos los costes de operación hasta el inicio de lanzamientos comerciales.

Read more...

First F-22, now F-35, crashes in Florida

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/15/politics/f-22-jet-crash-florida/index.html

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/33577/f-35-out-of-eglin-air-force-base-has-crashed-just-days-after-f-22-based-there-was-lost

Read more...

AFRL pushes boundaries in metals printing with new research

Read more...

Boeing-built X-37B Launches in Second Mission for U.S. Space Force

Read more...

Volocopter deal marks Diehl’s entry to Urban Air Mobility

Press Release: Volocopter deal marks Diehl's entry to Urban Air Mobility https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2020/05/14/press-release-volocopter-deal-marks-diehls-entry-to-urban-air-mobility/ 

Read more...

Bjorn's Corner: Do I get COVID in airline cabins? Parts 1 & 2

Read more...

Pontifications: There is no good news

Read more...

Pilatus: At Cruising Altitude in 2019 and Prepared for Turbulence in the Future

Pilatus reported another very successful business year in 2019, exceeding the one billion mark yet again with turnover of approximately 1.1 billion Swiss francs. Operating...
http://aviationnews.eu/news/2020/05/at-cruising-altitude-in-2019-and-prepared-for-turbulence-in-the-future/ 

Read more...

Chinese hackers suspected of stealing details of 9 million easyJet customers - Reuters

Read more...

Thai government approves plan for bankruptcy court-led restructuring of Thai Airways

Read more...

Airlines for Europe urges Member States to coordinate reopening of EU borders and reinstate freedom of movement for European travellers

Read more...

GKN Signs as Key Supplier on Eviation’s Alice Electric Aircraft

Read more...

AOPA Issues New Covid-Era Operation Guides

Read more...

Partnership Proposes Customizable Corporate A220 Cabin

Read more...

Gulfstream's G280 Adds To City-pair Records

Read more...

Texas Aircraft Offfers Financing Program

Read more...

Embraer:the future of executive aviation and urban mobility, with detachable car/aircraft cabin


Read more...

Naval Research Laboratory Conducts First Test of Solar Power Satellite Hardware in Orbit

Read more...

Graphene reinforced carbon fibers. Stiffer, and probably cheaper

Read more...

New self healing recyclable rubber

Read more...

ESA - Kerbal includes Ariane 5 and real ESA missions for gamers

Read more...

"Battery butter" could give solid state batteries a much-needed boost

Read more...

NASA’s human spaceflight chief just resigned, and the timing couldn’t be worse | Ars Technica

Read more...

As flying returns, jetmakers seek to quell fears over cabin air - Reuters

martes, 19 de mayo de 2020

Read more...

Saudi Arabia wealth fund buys Boeing, Citi, Disney stakes


The Saudis said in April they were looking into "any opportunity" arising from the economic wreckage of the coronavirus crisis. This weekend we learned Boeing fit the bill.
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/manufacturing/saudi-wealth-fund-buys-big-boeing-stake 

Read more...

Carbon Fiber Prepregs HexPly(R) M79 - Lightening the Ultralight

Read more...

Aerofoam unveils seat blocking device for rapid reconfigurations - Runway GirlRunway Girl

lunes, 18 de mayo de 2020

Read more...

BREAKING: F-22 Crashes Near Eglin Air Force Base. Pilot Ejected Safely.

https://theaviationist.com/2020/05/15/breaking-f-22-crashes-near-eglin-air-force-base-pilot-ejected-safely/

Read more...

Pipistrel Slows Uber eVTOL Work to Advance Other New Aircraft

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-05-14/pipistrel-slows-uber-evtol-work-advance-other-new-aircraft

Read more...

Aerion Paving Path To Bring AS2 to Market



https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2020-05-18/aerion-paving-path-bring-as2-market



related
https://www.aerionsupersonic.com/post/were-building-our-supersonic-jet-in-melbourne-florida/

Read more...

Planetary Exploration Rover Avoids Sand Traps with “Rear Rotator Pedaling”





(A) NASA’s RP15 prototype. (B) The Mini Rover resting on a bed of loosely packed poppy seeds on an incline of θbed ≈ 20∘. (C) Four top-view rendered snapshots of the Mini Rover executing a quadrupedal gait: an RS gait with no modulation. In the RS gait, all wheels except the one colored in red sweep toward the rear of the rover for 2.7 s. The sweep direction for each wheel in each snapshot is shown with the black arrows. Once the sweep is complete, the wheel begins the reset phase, where the wheel is colored in red. The Mini Rover lifts the resetting wheel with its four-bar linkage and rotates it 90° toward the front of the rover in 0.9 s. The reset direction for each wheel is shown in red arrows.


press release

http://www.news.gatech.edu/2020/05/13/planetary-exploration-rover-avoids-sand-traps-rear-rotator-pedaling




The rolling hills of Mars or the moon are a long way from the nearest tow truck. That’s why the next generation of exploration rovers will need to be good at climbing hills covered with loose material and avoiding entrapment on soft granular surfaces.

Built with wheeled appendages that can be lifted and wheels able to wiggle, a new robot known as the “Mini Rover” has developed and tested complex locomotion techniques robust enough to help it climb hills covered with such granular material – and avoid the risk of getting ignominiously stuck on some remote planet or moon.

Using a complex move the researchers dubbed “rear rotator pedaling,” the robot can climb a slope by using its unique design to combine paddling, walking, and wheel spinning motions. The rover’s behaviors were modeled using a branch of physics known as terradynamics.

“When loose materials flow, that can create problems for robots moving across it,” said Dan Goldman, the Dunn Family Professor in the School of Physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “This rover has enough degrees of freedom that it can get out of jams pretty effectively. By avalanching materials from the front wheels, it creates a localized fluid hill for the back wheels that is not as steep as the real slope. The rover is always self-generating and self-organizing a good hill for itself.”

The research was reported on May 13 as the cover article in the journal Science Robotics. The work was supported by the NASA National Robotics Initiative and the Army Research Office.

A robot built by NASA’s Johnson Space Center pioneered the ability to spin its wheels, sweep the surface with those wheels and lift each of its wheeled appendages where necessary, creating a broad range of potential motions. Using in-house 3D printers, the Georgia Tech researchers collaborated with the Johnson Space Center to re-create those capabilities in a scaled-down vehicle with four wheeled appendages driven by 12 different motors.

“The rover was developed with a modular mechatronic architecture, commercially available components, and a minimal number of parts,” said Siddharth Shrivastava, an undergraduate student in Georgia Tech’s George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. “This enabled our team to use our robot as a robust laboratory tool and focus our efforts on exploring creative and interesting experiments without worrying about damaging the rover, service downtime, or hitting performance limitations.”

The rover’s broad range of movements gave the research team an opportunity to test many variations that were studied using granular drag force measurements and modified Resistive Force Theory. Shrivastava and School of Physics Ph.D. candidate Andras Karsai began with the gaits explored by the NASA RP15 robot, and were able to experiment with locomotion schemes that could not have been tested on a full-size rover.

The researchers also tested their experimental gaits on slopes designed to simulate planetary and lunar hills using a fluidized bed system known as SCATTER (Systematic Creation of Arbitrary Terrain and Testing of Exploratory Robots) that could be tilted to evaluate the role of controlling the granular substrate. Karsai and Shrivastava collaborated with Yasemin Ozkan-Aydin, a postdoctoral research fellow in Goldman’s lab, to study the rover motion in the SCATTER test facility.

“By creating a small robot with capabilities similar to the RP15 rover, we could test the principles of locomoting with various gaits in a controlled laboratory environment,” Karsai said. “In our tests, we primarily varied the gait, the locomotion medium, and the slope the robot had to climb. We quickly iterated over many gait strategies and terrain conditions to examine the phenomena that emerged.”

In the paper, the authors describe a gait that allowed the rover to climb a steep slope with the front wheels stirring up the granular material – poppy seeds for the lab testing – and pushing them back toward the rear wheels. The rear wheels wiggled from side-to-side, lifting and spinning to create a motion that resembles paddling in water. The material pushed to the back wheels effectively changed the slope the rear wheels had to climb, allowing the rover to make steady progress up a hill that might have stopped a simple wheeled robot.

The experiments provided a variation on earlier robophysics work in Goldman’s group that involved moving with legs or flippers, which had emphasized disturbing the granular surfaces as little as possible to avoid getting the robot stuck.

“In our previous studies of pure legged robots, modeled on animals, we had kind of figured out that the secret was to not make a mess,” said Goldman. “If you end up making too much of a mess with most robots, you end up just paddling and digging into the granular material. If you want fast locomotion, we found that you should try to keep the material as solid as possible by tweaking the parameters of motion.”

But simple motions had proved problematic for Mars rovers, which got stuck in granular materials. Goldman says the gait discovered by Shrivastava, Karsai and Ozkan-Aydin might be able to help future rovers avoid that fate.

“This combination of lifting and wheeling and paddling, if used properly, provides the ability to maintain some forward progress even if it is slow,” Goldman said. “Through our laboratory experiments, we have shown principles that could lead to improved robustness in planetary exploration – and even in challenging surfaces on our own planet.”

The researchers hope next to scale up the unusual gaits to larger robots, and to explore the idea of studying robots and their localized environments together. “We’d like to think about the locomotor and its environment as a single entity,” Goldman said. “There are certainly some interesting granular and soft matter physics issues to explore.”

Though the Mini Rover was designed to study lunar and planetary exploration, the lessons learned could also be applicable to terrestrial locomotion – an area of interest to the Army Research Laboratory, one of the project’s sponsors.

"This basic research is revealing exciting new approaches for locomotion in complex terrain," said Dr. Samuel Stanton, program manager, Army Research Office, an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory. "This could lead to platforms capable of intelligently transitioning between wheeled and legged modes of movement to maintain high operational tempo."

Beyond those already mentioned, the researchers worked with Robert Ambrose and William Bluethmann at NASA, and traveled to NASA JSC to study the full-size NASA RP15 rover.

This work was supported by the Army Research Office (W911NF-18-1-0120) and the NASA National Robotics Initiative (NNX15AR21G). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsoring agencies.

CITATION: Siddharth Shrivastava, Andras Karsai, Yasemin Ozkan-Aydin, Ross Pettinger, William Bluethmann, Robert O. Ambrose, Daniel I. Goldman, “Material remodeling on granular terrain yields robustness benefits for a robophysical rover.” (Science Robotics, May 2020)


More info:

Material remodeling and unconventional gaits facilitate locomotion of a robophysical rover over granular terrain

Abstract
Autonomous robots and vehicles must occasionally recover from locomotion failure in loosely consolidated granular terrain. Recent mobility challenges led NASA Johnson Space Center to develop a prototype robotic lunar rover Resource Prospector 15 (RP15) capable of wheeled, legged, and crawling behavior. To systematically understand the terradynamic performance of such a device, we developed a scaled-down rover robot and studied its locomotion on slopes of dry and wet granular media. Addition of a cyclic-legged gait to the robot’s wheel spinning action changes the robot dynamics from that of a wheeled vehicle to a locomotor paddling through frictional fluid. Granular drag force measurements and modified resistive force theory facilitate modeling of such dynamics. A peculiar gait strategy that agitates and cyclically reflows grains under the robot allows it to “swim” up loosely consolidated hills. Whereas substrate disturbance typically hinders locomotion in granular media, the multimode design of RP15 and a diversity of possible gaits facilitate formation of self-organized localized frictional fluids that enable effective robust transport.

https://robotics.sciencemag.org/content/5/42/eaba3499

Read more...

Safran : Repurchase of own shares for allocation or sale to employees



press release




Within the scope of its share repurchase program authorized by the May 23, 2019 shareholders' meeting (14th resolution), Safran (Euronext Paris: SAF) has entrusted an investment service provider to acquire up to 62,500 ordinary Safran shares, representing 0.01% of its share capital as at April 30, 2020, no later than May 22, 2020 and subject to market conditions. These shares will be allocated to free share grant programs to some employees. The unit purchase price may not exceed the maximum of €155 per share set by the May 23, 2019 shareholders' meeting.

Read more...

Rolls-Royce launches first immersive virtual reality training for business aviation customers







press release




Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Rolls-Royce continues to ensure world-class support for our global customer base. As part of our IntelligentEngine vision we are further expanding the use of immersive Virtual Reality technology for customer training.

The latest addition to the remote training programme is an instructor-led distance learning course, providing a comprehensive overview of the construction, design and operation of the Rolls-Royce BR725 engine that powers Gulfstream’s current flagship G650 business aircraft family. After completion of this comprehensive two-day training course, participants will be able to service the engine and undertake non-routine maintenance.

Andy Robinson, SVP Customers and Services - Business Aviation, Rolls-Royce, said: “Rolls-Royce has been the leading engine supplier for business aircraft for more than two decades thanks to our continued commitment to the highest levels of service support. We are tremendously proud to have been voted number one in the latest Engine Product Support Services Survey of Aviation International News (AIN) by our operators.


Digitalisation plays a vital role in in bringing our IntelligentEngine vision to life; we use it to design, test and maintain our engines. This new immersive live Virtual Training tool is nothing short of a game-changer - it makes us the leader in technical training and allows customers to participate in the new training, wherever they are in the world. They just need an internet connection, and the required VR equipment, which will be shipped directly to their door,” Andy added.

Lee Bradshaw, Director of Technical Operations, Cox Aviation, said: “The new Virtual Reality maintenance course is a great example of the innovative thinking that is needed to meet the challenges of our ever-changing world. This programme allows each student to immerse themselves in an augmented environment full of realistic images, interactive functions and auditory feedback to delve deeper into the engine like never before. The course complements the industry-leading service already provided by Rolls-Royce and is another reminder of why this company is pioneering the way in creative solutions for the future.”

While not intended to completely replace practical training, Rolls-Royce see the value Virtual Reality adds for customers, such as higher flexibility and the elimination of the need to ship a full size training engine. The user finds themself as part of two realistic scenarios – the engine installed on the aircraft in a virtual hangar and the BR725 engine alone, just like it would be in our in-person training courses. The immersive environment allows them not only to watch the process steps to get familiar with the respective task, but to interact with the engine and the tools, and actually accomplish the task under the constant supervision of the instructor.

Where to enroll? https://rollsroycetraining.wufoo.com/forms/maj05r114g9sx7/

Read more...

Boeing-built X-37B Launches in Second Mission for U.S. Space Force



press release




The Boeing [NYSE: BA]-built X-37B autonomous spaceplane today launched on top of a uniquely configured United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

Boeing is the prime contractor for the X-37B spaceplane and facilitates the integration of all experiments into the vehicle ensuring they receive the correct power, thermal and data services required. Boeing also works to identify future reusable platform experiment opportunities on each mission.

The X-37B’s sixth mission is the first to use a service module with additional payload capability to support a variety of experiments for multiple government partners. The mission will deploy FalconSAT-8, a small satellite developed by the U.S. Air Force Academy and sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory, to conduct experiments on orbit. Further, two NASA experiments will study the impact of radiation and other space effects on certain materials and seeds used to grow food. Another experiment by the Naval Research Laboratory will transform solar power into radio frequency microwave energy which could then be transmitted to the ground. In addition, the mission will test reusable space vehicle technologies.

The X-37B first launched in April 2010. Originally designed for missions of 270 days duration, the X-37B has set endurance records during each of its five previous flights. Most recently, X-37B spent 780 days on orbit before returning to Earth in October 2019.

“The X-37B has shifted the paradigm and redefined efficiency in space development, said Jim Chilton, Boeing Space and Launch senior vice president. “The rapid technology advancements enabled by the program will benefit the entire space community and influence the next generation of spacecraft design.”

The X-37B program is a partnership between the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office and the United States Space Force. Boeing program management, engineering, test and mission support functions for the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) program are conducted at Boeing sites in Southern California and Florida.

Read more...

Clean Sky: Highlights 2019: En route to climate-neutral aviation

Quoting Clean Sky web page…

2019 was a significant year for Clean Sky. We are delighted to announce the launch of the Clean Sky Highlights 2019 report, available now for download.
Halfway through the programme, it is gratifying to see that our vast ecosystem of researchers and engineers is delivering cutting-edge results for greener aviation in fields such as propulsion, systems, aero structures, aerodynamics, and overall aircraft configuration.
To date, Clean Sky has successfully engaged more than 900 actors across the public and private sector, of which, approx. 340 are SMEs, 110 are research centres, 150 are universities and 300 represent industry. Thanks to the united forces of these participants, we are on track to deliver our ambitious objectives of reducing emissions and noise in aircraft, in alignment with the European Commission’s Green Deal.
The Highlights 2019 report is designed to give you a taste of Clean Sky’s main achievements in 2019, as part of the EU Horizon 2020 programme. You’ll find a sample of some of our innovative technical advances, visualisations of our ever-increasing participation figures, insights into our current synergies and a glimpse of the future for clean aviation.

Read more...

Future Combat Air System: Airbus and Fraunhofer FKIE create expert panel on the responsible use of new technologies



press release


In the frame of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS),
Airbus (stock exchange symbol: AIR) and Bonn, Germany-based Fraunhofer Institute for Communication, Information Processing and Ergonomics FKIE have created an independent panel of experts on the responsible use of new technologies to define and propose ethical as well as international legal “guard rails” for Europe’s largest defence project.

The expert panel, which was first initiated in Germany in 2019, currently includes stakeholders such as the German Ministry of Defence, German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, foundations, universities as well as think tanks.

“In many ways, FCAS represents a giant leap forward. Not only is it Europe’s largest defence programme in the coming decades, which will foster collaboration across our partner nations. With FCAS we`ll be significantly stepping up our game in terms of new technologies which will form part of this sixth-generation ‘System of Systems’”, said Dirk Hoke, Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Defence and Space. “This opens up new opportunities in terms of security policy and helps to strengthen Europe's role in the world. But there are also ethical and legal challenges which we have to address.”

The FCAS programme reflects a complex and extensive networked “System of Systems”, of which a next generation manned fighter will represent one key element. Such manned platforms will team with unmanned ones, called "remote carriers", which will be providing additional capabilities to complete the missions at stake. Scalable and interoperable system architectures will allow upgraded existing platforms to be integrated into FCAS. Leveraging the collaborative capabilities of manned and unmanned platforms will require an "Air Combat Cloud" fusing in real time massive amounts of data augmented by warfare analytics and articifical intelligence. Furthermore, it is expected that the technologies developed in the frame of this project will also have significant beneficial spill-over effects for future civil applications.

Professor Reimund Neugebauer, President of Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft e. V., added: “FCAS is the largest and most technologically ambitious European defense program ever. One essential question we’re trying to tackle with this panel is how we can ensure that, on the one hand, such a system meets the necessary mission requirements of the 21st century on a global scale, while, on the other hand, ensuring full human control of such a system at all times and under all circumstances. For the first time in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, a major defense policy project is accompanied from the start by the intellectual struggle for the technical implementation of basic ethical and legal principles – “ethical and legal compliance by design".”

In order to create the greatest possible transparency over the proceedings of the expert panel, a website was established: www.fcas-forum.eu. All panel members make their contribution free of charge and are solely committed to their conscience.

An interview by Dirk Hoke and Professor Reimund Neugebauer further outlining the panel’s purpose and partnership can be read here: http://www.fcas-forum.eu/en/interview.

In order to reflect the European nature of the FCAS programme, it is foreseen in due course to broaden the panel to further participating nations.

Read more...

How COVID-19 Has Affected Defense Production

https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/how-covid-19-has-affected-defense-production


Read more...

X-37B spaceplane launched for sixth secretive mission

Read more...

Cessna SkyCourier 's first flight





https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/skycourier-flies/

https://youtu.be/uGcKM669tP4


press release:

https://txtav.com/en/newsroom/2020/05/first-cessna-skycourier-twin-utility-turboprop-takes-flight


Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced the successful first flight of its new twin utility turboprop, the Cessna SkyCourier. The milestone flight is a significant step toward entry into service for the clean-sheet aircraft, and it kicks off the important flight test program that validates the performance of the Cessna SkyCourier.

“Today was an exciting day for our employees, our suppliers and our customers. The Cessna SkyCourier performed exactly as we expected, which is a testament to the entire team of men and women who worked together to prepare for this day,” said Ron Draper, president and CEO, Textron Aviation. “I’m proud of the way the team has persevered through disruptions caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic and remained focused on getting us to this point. The Cessna SkyCourier will be an excellent product in its segment due to its combination of cabin flexibility, payload capability, superior performance and low operating costs. Our customers will be very pleased with what they experience from this aircraft.”

The Cessna SkyCourier took off from the company’s east campus Beech Field Airport, piloted by Corey Eckhart, senior test pilot, and Aaron Tobias, chief test pilot. During the 2-hour and 15-minute flight, the team tested the aircraft’s performance, stability and control, as well as its propulsion, environmental, flight controls and avionics systems.

“We were very pleased with how the Cessna SkyCourier performed throughout its first flight,” Eckhart said. “It was particularly impressive to see how stable the aircraft handled on takeoff and landing. The Cessna SkyCourier already displays a high level of maturity in its flight characteristics, especially for a first flight. We were able to accomplish everything we wanted on this flight, and that’s an excellent start to the flight test program.”

The prototype aircraft, along with five additional flight and ground test articles, will continue to expand on performance goals, focusing on testing flight controls and aerodynamics.

Relentless capability
The Cessna SkyCourier, featuring Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65SC engines, will be offered in various configurations including a 6,000-pound payload capable freighter, a 19-seat passenger version or a mixed passenger/freight combination, all based on the common platform.

The Cessna SkyCourier is designed for high utilization and will deliver a combination of robust performance and lower operating costs. Cessna SkyCourier will feature the popular Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite and offer highlights such as a maximum cruise speed of up to 200 ktas and a maximum range of 900 nm. Both freighter and passenger variants of the Cessna SkyCourier will includer single-point pressure refueling as standard to enable faster turnarounds.
Images:
Video:
Cessna SkyCourier First Flight B-roll Video

Read more...

Aciturri completa la fabricación y entrega de una nueva versión de la sección S19 del A350

https://www.aciturri.com/es/press-media/noticias/aciturri-completa-fabricacion-entrega-nueva-version-seccions19-a350 

Nota de prensa


Dentro del paquete de trabajo de rediseño y fabricación de la estructura interna de la Sección 19 (S19) del A350, Aciturri ha completado la entrega de todos los componentes correspondientes a la nueva configuración del avión, conocida como Step 7, que incluye, entre otras significantes mejoras, una ampliación de la cabina de pasajeros.

Para lograrlo, se han fabricado numerosas piezas y montajes respondiendo al nuevo diseño del fuselaje posterior de la aeronave, resultado de mover el mamparo de presión (Rear Pressure Bulkhead) hacia la cola del avión. Esto facilitaba la posibilidad de ampliar la capacidad de pasajeros o aumentar la distancia de separación entre ellos y, por ende, incrementaba el volumen de piezas inicialmente previstas.

Entre las piezas fabricadas se incluyen, principalmente, nuevas cuadernas y refuerzos, así como un gran cambio en todos los soportes de sistemas. Esta nueva configuración implica, inicialmente, una serie de modificaciones en las piezas ya fabricadas, que se entregarán en paralelo a las versiones anteriores. La cadencia de entregas de esta nueva configuración irá aumentando durante los próximos años hasta alcanzar un "full rate".  

Desde el punto de vista tecnológico, esta nueva configuración incluye piezas complejas de RTM, forjas de aluminio, mecanizados de titanio y piezas de ATL y termoconformado.

Éste ha sido un proyecto de gran envergadura para la compañía, donde se ha involucrado la totalidad de la cadena de valor de Aciturri y donde han participado los equipos de las plantas de Aerostructures en Ayuelas (Burgos), Boecillo (Valladolid), Tres Cantos (Madrid) y Sevilla. De igual forma, ha participado una extensa lista de colaboradores de nuestra cadena de suministro. A todos agradecemos el esfuerzo y compromiso con el proyecto.

Está previsto que Airbus finalice el montaje del primer A350 con esta nueva configuración en los próximos meses.

 

Read more...

Airbus CEO Tells Managers He Seeks Jobs Deal by Early Summer

viernes, 15 de mayo de 2020

Read more...

COVID-19: Flying with a disability

Read more...

Planet Nine might not be a planet at all

We could know for sure in as little as five years. After centuries of watching the skies, the map of our local solar system has grown quite detailed. We live on one of the rocky inner planets. Next there's a belt of asteroids, two gas giants, two ice giants, and then a second belt of many smaller...


https://flip.it/H5FFvl




Read more...

ESA Startup competition: next steps

Read more...

Boeing and UK Civil Aviation Authority to Partner on Innovation Hub

Read more...

Boeing Awarded $3.1 Billion in U.S. Navy Contracts for Cruise Missile Systems

Read more...

Boeing Delivers 100th P-8A Poseidon Built for the U.S. Navy

Read more...

Read more...

Drone Flies Dangerously Close to Blue Angels in Detroit America Strong Flyover.

Read more...

Future Combat Air System

Read more...

Delta to retire Boeing 777 aircraft fleet to rein in costs

Read more...

Brazil airline Azul to delay delivery of 59 Embraer planes to after 2024

Read more...

Emirates SkyCargo’s global network grows to 75 destinations

Read more...

SpaceJet Program in Distress as Mitsubishi Cuts Funding

Read more...

WingX: Global Bizav Traffic Continues Climbout

Read more...

Startup proposes using drones to disinfect stadiums

Read more...

Le futur porte-avions de la marine sera doté d'une propulsion nucléaire

jueves, 14 de mayo de 2020

Parly a tranché pour un porte-avions de nouvelle génération (PANG) de 70.000/75.000 tonnes doté d'une propulsion nucléaire. https://t.co/86uinnCzFO


https://www.latribune.fr/entreprises-finance/industrie/aeronautique-defense/le-futur-porte-avions-de-la-marine-sera-dote-d-une-propulsion-nucleaire-841633.html 

Read more...

Pilotando el Tema: Michel Gordillo, parte 1. Sus inicios, vuelo a vela, Madrid Oshkosh en ultraligero

miércoles, 13 de mayo de 2020

En Pilotando el Tema entrevistaron a Michel Gordillo, uno de los pilotos de referencia en España. Entre sus azañas ha volado de Madrid a Oshkosh en un avión considerado como ultraligero, una Kitgox IV, o dado la vuelta al mundo por los polos en solitario en un avión que construyó con sus propias manos en su garaje.

En esta primera parte de la entrevista Gordillo habla de sus inicios en la aviación, de sus vuelos en velero y avioneta y alguna toma fuera de campo, de su paso por el Ejército del Aire y el P-3 Orión y de la aventura que supuso llegar de Madrid a Oshkosh en un avión Kitfox IV, atravesando Europa, Rusia, India, China, Vietnam…

https://www.ivoox.com/especial-de-vuelos-extraordinarios-parte-1-audios-mp3_rf_50992832_1.html






Read more...

The planes in Spain parked neatly on the plain

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-spain-planes/the-planes-in-spain-parked-neatly-on-the-plain-idUSKBN22O21M

Read more...

Lufthansa Group CEO in Brussels on Friday to discuss the future of Brussels Airlines with Belgian Government

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/lufthansa-group/brussels-airlines/lufthansa-group-ceo-in-brussels-on-friday-to-discuss-the-future-of-brussels-airlines-with-belgian-government/


related:
Brussels Airlines’ restructuring will have a severe impact on Brussels Airport: 2,000 jobs at stake https://www.aviation24.be/airports/brussels-airport-bru/brussels-airlines-restructuring-will-have-a-severe-impact-on-brussels-airport-2000-jobs-at-stake/

Read more...

TUI Group is to cut 8,000 jobs globally due to the coronavirus pandemic

https://www.aviation24.be/tour-operators/tui-group/cut-8000-jobs-globally-due-to-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

Read more...

IATA Condemns UK, Spanish Quarantine Proposals

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2020-05-13/iata-condemns-uk-spanish-quarantine-proposals

Read more...

FAA-UAS Symposium Goes Virtual

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=e3a5c5b7-4a04-46d1-ba55-9a42fd372d21

Read more...

Considering the quagmire of social distancing as an ancillary product

https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2020/05/11/considering-the-quagmire-of-social-distancing-as-an-ancillary-product/

Read more...

Dassault, Airbus warn of supplier bankruptcies without new funds - Reuters

Read more...

EASA to set out ‘safety protocol’ for restoration of air transport | News | Flight Global

Read more...

IATA Calls for Passenger Face Covering and Crew Masks, not for erasing central seat

With the layered approach of temporary biosecurity measures in place like the ones below, IATA does not support mandating measures that would leave 'middle seats' empty. #COVID19 



https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/pr/2020-05-05-01/ 

Read more...

When It Comes to Supersonic Flight, the F-35’s Wings Are Clipped

Read more...

Delays Cause Two-year, $1.5B Extension For F-35 Block 4

Read more...

EU Won't Tell Airlines to Leave Middle Seat Empty as Travel Resumes - The New York Times

Read more...

Need for hygiene standards for cabin surfaces in the spotlight

martes, 12 de mayo de 2020

Read more...

Analysis: Mitsubishi suspends development of M100, continues M90 due to COVID

Read more...

Let’s Talk About The Recent Roll Out Of The first Loyal Wingman Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Australia

https://theaviationist.com/2020/05/12/lets-talk-about-the-recent-roll-out-of-the-first-loyal-wingman-unmanned-aerial-vehicle-for-australia/

Read more...

Deep cuts at Brussels Airlines: reductions in fleet, workforce and destinations

https://www.aviation24.be/airlines/lufthansa-group/brussels-airlines/cuts-deep-reductions-in-fleet-workforce-and-destinations/

Read more...

meanwhile in Belgium... 100 million euros state aid for Sonaca

https://www.aviation24.be/oem/sonaca-oem/100-million-euros-state-aid-for-sonaca/

Read more...

[video]Boeing CEO: It could take 3 to 5 years for airline industry to return from ‘apocalyptic’ state

https://www.today.com/video/boeing-ceo-it-could-take-3-to-5-years-for-airline-industry-to-return-from-apocalyptic-state-83326533868

Read more...

Air Travel Is Going to Be Very Bad, for a Very Long Time

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/05/james-fallows-flying-will-never-be-same/611413/

Read more...

Avianca Succumbs to Covid-19, Files for Bankruptcy

https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2020-05-11/avianca-succumbs-covid-19-files-bankruptcy

Read more...

Impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on Aero Vodochody



press release





Like any other company on international market, AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE is confronted with unforeseeable impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The management of Aero decided to keep the company running and operational in all activities: MRO, aerostructures, and the L-39NG project.

Aero fully continues its L-39NG activities with target to achieve certification in September 2020. The aerostructures programs are naturally more impacted by the pandemic of the coronavirus due to production shortage of some customers or due to lack of parts and material deliveries from suppliers, which has stronger impact to commercial programs due to their higher production cadences. The running MRO business as defence business, proven by previous crises, is subject to different cycles and patterns than civil aviation and is much more resilient. Furthermore AERO has a very high backlog on MRO business. However, like for almost all aviation companies it will be impossible for Aero to meet the targets originally set for 2020 prior the crisis.

Since beginning of COVID-19 governmental measures, Aero has implemented a comprehensive package of hygienic, safety, technical and personnel measures to minimize the risks of a pandemic situation and to ensure conditions for business continuity.

Read more...

DARPA's Blackjac aims to demonstrate advanced technology for satellite constellation autonomy and space mesh networks



press release




In partnership with the U.S. Space Force and Space Development Agency, DARPA’s Blackjack program is targeting flights to low-Earth orbit (LEO) later this year and 2021. Using a series of small risk reduction satellites, the program aims to demonstrate advanced technology for satellite constellation autonomy and space mesh networks. Blackjack seeks to develop and validate critical elements of global high-speed autonomous networks in LEO, proving a capability that could provide the Department of Defense with highly connected, resilient, and persistent overhead coverage.

The upcoming demonstration flights are all planned as rideshares, catching a ride to LEO on a launch with other missions. The first demonstration, Mandrake 1, is a cubesat that will carry supercomputer processing chips. Mandrake 2 is a pair of small satellites that will carry optical inter-satellite links for broadband data. These could form the basis of future optically meshed computer networks in LEO.

The program also is targeting a risk reduction payload called Wildcard, a software-defined radio that will experiment with links from LEO to tactical radios. A data fusion experiment with the ability to host advanced third party algorithms, known as massless payloads, is intended for an upcoming Loft Orbital mission.

“It's important that we get the design right,” says Paul “Rusty” Thomas, the program manager for Blackjack. “We focused first on buses and payloads, then the autonomous mission management system, which we call Pit Boss. We anticipate we'll begin integrating the first two military payloads next summer with launch via rideshare in late 2021, followed by the remainder of the Blackjack demonstration sub-constellation in 2022.”

Blackjack aims to demonstrate sensors that are low in size, weight, and power, and that can be mass produced to fit on many different buses from many different providers, for less than $2 million per payload.

The agency is evaluating buses from Airbus, Blue Canyon Technologies, and Telesat, all of which have progressed through preliminary design review. The final selection of buses will happen in 2020. The program recently completed preliminary design review for Pit Boss, selecting SEAKR as the primary performer for the on-orbit autonomy system. The agency also awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin as the satellite integrator.

Several sensor payloads are under consideration for the Blackjack demonstration sub-constellation, including overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) from Collins Aerospace and Raytheon; radio frequency systems from Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, Trident, and Systems & Technology Research; position, navigation, and timing from Northrop Grumman; optical inter-satellite links from SA Photonics; and electro-optical/infrared from L3Harris. The program also recently completed a Small Business Innovation Research contract with Augustus Aerospace to work on an Army Space and Missile Defense Command-related payload.

Over the next few months, the program will run simulations to test payloads in virtual constellations of all types of missions. The goal is to show interoperability between the commoditized buses and the various payloads being considered.

“We need to show the constellations can move the right amount of data and support the data fusion and command and control we want from Pit Boss,” Thomas said. “From there, we will start building the actual hardware. By late next spring, we will have hardware and then spend next summer focused on satellite-level qualification for launch readiness in late 2021.”

Read more...

Newsletter

* indicates required

Otra iniciativa de...

Otra iniciativa de...
http://sandglasspatrol.com

Contacto

[E-Mail]

  © Blogger template On The Road by Ourblogtemplates.com 2009

Back to TOP