https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-airlines-freight-idUSL4N2IH1IG
lunes, 14 de diciembre de 2020
FAA: Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers May Receive Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine, with Appropriate Precaution
WASHINGTON — Following the Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Pfizer, Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine, the FAA has determined that pilots may receive the vaccine under the conditions of their FAA-issued airman medical certification. FAA Air Traffic Controllers, who are subject to FAA medical clearance, may also receive the vaccine.
To maintain the highest level of safety in the National Airspace System, the agency will require aviation professionals with medical certifications or medical clearances to observe a period of 48 hours following the administration of this vaccine before conducting safety-sensitive aviation duties, such as flying or controlling air traffic.
Because the Pfizer vaccine requires two doses, 21 days apart for maximum effectiveness, this waiting period applies after each dose.
The FAA anticipates taking no additional measures to ensure safety after the initial window for side effects closes. However, the agency’s medical professionals will continuously monitor the initial distribution of the novel vaccine and documented clinical results and will adjust these recommendations as needed.
The FAA will evaluate vaccines from other manufacturers as they receive FDA authorization in the coming weeks and months and will advise pilots and air traffic controllers of any waiting periods required for those vaccines.
The FAA applies similar brief waiting periods after administration of other vaccines, including those for tuberculosis and typhoid.
The FAA encourages Americans to receive COVID-19 vaccinations as authorized by FDA. This policy announcement pertains to a specialized group of FAA-certificated professionals who perform safety-sensitive aviation duties.
For more information, please visit the Medical Certification page at faa.gov.
Modular nuclear reactors promise cost-competitive hydrogen production
press release
NuScale Power Releases Updated Evaluation for 77 MWe Module Clean Hydrogen Production
12/09/2020
25 percent increase in NuScale Power Module™ power output leads to boost in cost-competitive clean hydrogen production
PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NuScale Power today announced updated evaluations for the technical feasibility and economics of producing hydrogen using heat and electricity from a NuScale Power Module™ (NPM) as a result of the recent announcement that an NPM can generate an additional 25 percent more power per module for a total of 250 MWt (or 77 MWe) per module. The hydrogen study was originally conducted in 2014 with the Idaho National Laboratory and has been updated with new production and economic parameters.
The updated analysis found that with the 25 percent increase in power output of an NPM, one 250 MWt NuScale module is capable of producing 2,053 kg/hour of hydrogen, or nearly 50 metric tons per day, an increase from 1,667 kg/hour of hydrogen or 40 metric tons per day for a 200 MWt NuScale module. Moreover, as a result of the lower levelized cost of electricity from the increased power output, hydrogen produced by a NuScale high-temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) system is forecasted to be cost competitive with high capacity factor renewable hydrogen cost estimates while also providing continuous, controlled hydrogen production.
“The ability of our NPM to now produce even more clean hydrogen, in a smaller footprint, is yet another example of how NuScale’s technology can help decarbonize various sectors of the economy while providing additional revenue streams for customers,” said Dr. José Reyes, Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder of NuScale Power. “Coupled with our proven design, unparalleled safety, and load following capabilities, this analysis further demonstrates that NuScale’s design is the gold standard in helping meet the demand for innovative solutions to challenging global energy needs.”
In the analysis, energy from a single NPM in the form of superheated steam and electricity are directly routed to a HTSE system operating at 850°C. Only 2 percent of the electrical output (~1.8 MWe) of the NPM is used to increase the process steam temperature from 300°C at the NPM outlet to 850°C for the electrolyzer. NuScale’s innovative multi-module power plant design means that a NuScale plant could produce reliable clean electricity for the grid while allocating one or more modules to economically produce hydrogen when electricity demand is low.
According to a recent report from LucidCatalyst, in order for the world to meet the Paris goals of keeping warming between 1.5–2°C, sufficient, low-cost, clean hydrogen production is needed to replace oil and gas in shipping, aviation, and industry. Over 95% of the world's hydrogen is currently produced using fossil fuels, with the most common method being steam methane reforming from natural gas. Renewables cannot produce all of this hydrogen alone, and advanced modular reactors will be required to produce enough clean hydrogen to displace the 100 million barrels of oil that are currently consumed around the world each day. Using a single NPM to produce 50 tons of hydrogen per day would avoid about 460 tons of CO2 emissions per day, or 168,000 tons of CO2 per year, as compared to producing hydrogen from natural gas. Additionally, NuScale’s ability to produce clean hydrogen is perfectly suited to assist in decarbonizing transportation, since a single NPM can produce enough hydrogen to power 38,000 fuel cell vehicles or 1,500 long-haul fuel cell trucks at average annual fuel usage rates in the United States.
About NuScale Power
NuScale Power has developed a new modular light water reactor nuclear power plant to supply energy for electrical generation, district heating, desalination, and other process heat applications. This groundbreaking small modular reactor (SMR) design features a fully factory-fabricated NuScale Power Module™ capable of generating 77 MW of electricity using a safer, smaller, and scalable version of pressurized water reactor technology. NuScale's scalable design—a power plant can house up to four, six, or 12 individual power modules—offers the benefits of carbon-free energy and reduces the financial commitments associated with gigawatt-sized nuclear facilities. The majority investor in NuScale is Fluor Corporation, a global engineering, procurement, and construction company with a 60-year history in commercial nuclear power.
NuScale is headquartered in Portland, OR and has offices in Corvallis, OR; Rockville, MD; Charlotte, NC; Richland, WA; and London, UK. Follow us on Twitter: @NuScale_Power, Facebook: NuScale Power, LLC, LinkedIn: NuScale-Power, and Instagram: nuscale_power. Visit NuScale’s website.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201209005943/en/
sábado, 12 de diciembre de 2020
jueves, 10 de diciembre de 2020
Airbus successfully qualifies Europe´s first five metre deployable reflector for radar satellites
Airbus has successfully qualified Europe´s first five metre deployable antenna reflector. The 70 kilogram deployable reflector will help enable higher resolution from a radar instrument for Earth observation. With its exceptionally lightweight design, its stiffness and high robustness, the semi-rigid reflector technology offers significant advantages compared to classic mesh reflectors.
With its large diameter, the reflector would not fit in any rocket fairing, so it must be compactly stowed. After the fairing is released, the reflector will unfold like a flower – from 1.6 to five metres. The unfurlable parabolic reflector concept enables Airbus to enter the market of cost effective and small radar missions or constellations.
After successful completion of the intensive deployment and environmental tests, the qualification model has now been delivered to the customer for further tests on the satellite system level. The flight unit will be delivered in 2021 and is currently scheduled for launch for the export customer in 2022.
Airbus quantum computing challenge helps advance sustainable flight
press release
Airbus has concluded its global Quantum Computing Challenge (AQCC) announcing the winning team of the competition. Machine Learning Reply - a leading systems integration and digital services company from Italy - won the challenge with their solution to optimise aircraft loading.
Airlines try to make the best use of an aircraft’s payload capability to maximise revenue, optimise fuel burn and lower overall operating costs. However, their scope for optimisation can be limited by a number of operational constraints.
By creating an algorithm for optimal aircraft cargo loading configurations, taking these operational constraints -payload, centre of gravity, size and shape of the fuselage- into account, the winners of the competition proved that optimisation problems can be mathematically modelled and solved through quantum computing.
“The Quantum Computing Challenge is testament to Airbus' belief in the power of the collective, to fully harness and apply quantum computing technology to solve complex optimization challenges facing our industry today," said Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer, Airbus. "By looking at how emerging technologies can be used to improve aircraft performance and boost innovation, we are addressing the advanced flight physics problems that will redefine how the aircraft of tomorrow are built and flown, and ultimately shape industry, markets and customer experiences for the better."
The winners are set to start working with Airbus experts, as early as January 2021, to test and benchmark their solution in order to assess how the mastering of complex calculations can tangibly impact airlines, enabling them, as predicted, to benefit from maximised loading capabilities.
With operations being made more efficient, the overall number of required transportation flights could be reduced, having a positive impact on CO2 emissions, thereby contributing to Airbus’ ambition for sustainable flight.
The AQCC was launched in January 2019, to drive innovation across the full aircraft life-cycle. By developing strong partnerships with the global quantum community, Airbus is taking science out of the lab and into industry, by applying newly-available computing capabilities to real-life industrial cases.
For more information on quantum computing and the AQCC: https://www.airbus.com/innovation/industry-4-0/quantum-technologies.html
Dassault Aviation Rolls Out Falcon 6X, New Standard in Long-Range, Ultra Widebody Segment
press release
The final assembly team at Dassault Aviation in Bordeaux-Merignac (France) opened the doors of Charles Lindbergh Hall today to show the world the company’s newest and most advanced aircraft, theFalcon 6X.
“Today’s rollout is a significant achievement. I am very pleased to present the addition of an all-new aircraft design within the Falcon family, the ultra widebody Falcon 6X,” said Dassault Aviation ChairmanEric Trappier. “The challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic required exceptional perseverance and cooperation on the part of Dassault and its partner companies.”
Though circumstances forced the company to stage a “virtual” unveiling, the event had global reach. Customers and operators from all over the world logged on to see the aircraft make its first public appearance. But despite the novelty of the setting, the live-streamed world premiere was a great success, attracting a record number of visitors. Viewers can watch a replay of the event at www.Falcon6XRollout.com.
“The Falcon 6X represents a major step forward for large-cabin business jet operators,” continued Trappier. “Its award-winning cabin — the tallest and widest in business aviation — provides levels of spaciousness, comfort, productivity and safety that will set a new benchmark in the long-range segment.”
The rollout paves the way for completion of the ground test program and the extensive systems checks that must be performed before the first flight, which is scheduled to occur early next year.
In recent months, Pratt & Whitney Canada completed ground and flight tests of the aircraft’s PW812D engine, clearing the path to first flight of the 6X.
With a 5,500 nm (10,186 km) range and top speed of Mach .90, the Falcon 6X can connect passengers to major business centers far and wide. It can fly from London to Hong Kong or from Los Angeles to Moscow nonstop. The Falcon 6X can also perform safe approaches as low as only 109 knots, slower than other business jets. This allows the 6X, like other Falcons, to safely access small airports equipped with ultra-short and hard-to-reach runways.
About Dassault Aviation
Dassault Aviation is a leading aerospace company with a presence in over 90 countries across five continents. It produces the Rafale fighter jet as well as the complete line of Falcons. The company employs a workforce of over 11,000 and has assembly and production plants in both France and the United States and service facilities around the globe. Since the rollout of the first Falcon 20 in 1963, over 2,500 Falcon jets have been delivered. Dassault offers a range of six business jets from the twin-engine 3,350 nm large-cabin Falcon 2000S to its flagship, the tri-engine 6,450 nm ultra-long range Falcon 8X and the new ultra-widebody cabin Falcon 6X.
About Dassault Falcon Jet
Dassault Falcon Jet Corp., is a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, France. Dassault Falcon Jet markets and supports the Falcon family of business jets throughout North America and South America.
Boeing’s Autonomous MQ-25 Completes First Test Flight with Aerial Refueling Store
press release
- Ongoing flights allow for development of software components and testing of the aerial refueling hardware MQ-25 will use operationally
Boeing [NYSE: BA] and the U.S. Navy have for the first time flown the MQ-25 T1 test asset with an aerial refueling store (ARS), a significant milestone informing development of the unmanned aerial refueler.
The successful 2.5-hour flight with the Cobham ARS – the same ARS currently used by F/A-18s for air-to-air refueling – was designed to test the aircraft’s aerodynamics with the ARS mounted under the wing. The flight was conducted by Boeing test pilots operating from a ground control station at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, Ill.
“Having a test asset flying with an ARS gets us one big step closer in our evaluation of how MQ-25 will fulfill its primary mission in the fleet – aerial refueling,” said Capt. Chad Reed, the U.S. Navy’s Unmanned Carrier Aviation program manager. “T1 will continue to yield valuable early insights as we begin flying with F/A-18s and conduct deck handling testing aboard a carrier.”
Future flights will continue to test the aerodynamics of the aircraft and the ARS at various points of the flight envelope, eventually progressing to extension and retraction of the hose and drogue used for refueling.
“To see T1 fly with the hardware and software that makes MQ-25 an aerial refueler this early in the program is a visible reminder of the capability we’re bringing to the carrier deck,” said Dave Bujold, Boeing’s MQ-25 program director. “We’re ensuring the ARS and the software operating it will be ready to help MQ-25 extend the range of the carrier air wing.”
The Boeing-owned T1 test asset is a predecessor to the engineering development model aircraft being produced under a 2018 contract award. T1 is being used for early learning and discovery, laying the foundation for moving rapidly into development and test of the MQ-25. Following its first flight last year, T1 accumulated approximately 30 hours in the air before the planned modification to install the ARS.
Earlier this year the Navy exercised an option for three additional MQ-25 air vehicles, bringing the total aircraft Boeing is initially producing to seven. The Navy intends to procure more than 70 aircraft, which will assume the tanking role currently performed by F/A-18s, allowing for better use of the combat strike fighters.
CT reinforces its presence in the naval sector with the acquisition of Mer Forte
press release
CT reinforces its presence in the naval sector with the acquisition of Mer Forte, a naval engineering company and distributor of Dassault Systèmes software
· Mer Forte's naval architects experience in the sector will complement the activity of CT, leader in naval engineering and design services in Spain and France.
· The CT group, Value Added Reseller (VAR) and Platinum Partner of Dassault Systèmes products in Spain, enters a new stage becoming VAR for the Marine & Offshore French industry.
The CT group has taken a great qualitative leap in its international expansion by acquiring Mer Forte, a French naval engineering & architecture company created by Michel DESJOYEAUX and Denis JUHEL with more than 10 years of experience in the naval & competition sectors. These capabilities compliment CT's, reinforcing its position as a market leader, where its more than 200 engineers specialized in naval engineering develop all types of civil and military vessels.
CT covers the entire life cycle of a vessel, from conception to final delivery to the customer, and manages the digital transformation of its clients by integrating PLM solutions. The CT group is a Platinum partner and Value Added Reseller (VAR) in Spain of Dassault Systèmes products, which they have distributed for 30 years, particularly software such as CATIA, ENOVIA, SIMULIA and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
With this acquisition, CT reinforces its presence in France and continues to advance in the mission with which it was founded in 1988: to offer innovative technological solutions that help its clients to be more efficient and competitive. More than 30 years later, CT is the largest Spanish-owned business group dedicated to engineering services and a leader in technological innovation, with 1,800 engineers. "We are very proud to welcome Michel, Denis and the rest of the team to the CT family, and are excited about the expertise and capabilities they bring to our French and international projects. Their philosophy, focused on innovation and process optimization, fits perfectly with CT", says Jesús Prieto, president and founder of the CT Group.
CT reinforces its presence in the naval sector with the acquisition of Mer Forte, a naval engineering company and distributor of Dassault Systèmes software
· Mer Forte's naval architects experience in the sector will complement the activity of CT, leader in naval engineering and design services in Spain and France.
· The CT group, Value Added Reseller (VAR) and Platinum Partner of Dassault Systèmes products in Spain, enters a new stage becoming VAR for the Marine & Offshore French industry.
The CT group has taken a great qualitative leap in its international expansion by acquiring Mer Forte, a French naval engineering & architecture company created by Michel DESJOYEAUX and Denis JUHEL with more than 10 years of experience in the naval & competition sectors. These capabilities compliment CT's, reinforcing its position as a market leader, where its more than 200 engineers specialized in naval engineering develop all types of civil and military vessels.
CT covers the entire life cycle of a vessel, from conception to final delivery to the customer, and manages the digital transformation of its clients by integrating PLM solutions. The CT group is a Platinum partner and Value Added Reseller (VAR) in Spain of Dassault Systèmes products, which they have distributed for 30 years, particularly software such as CATIA, ENOVIA, SIMULIA and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
With this acquisition, CT reinforces its presence in France and continues to advance in the mission with which it was founded in 1988: to offer innovative technological solutions that help its clients to be more efficient and competitive. More than 30 years later, CT is the largest Spanish-owned business group dedicated to engineering services and a leader in technological innovation, with 1,800 engineers. "We are very proud to welcome Michel, Denis and the rest of the team to the CT family, and are excited about the expertise and capabilities they bring to our French and international projects. Their philosophy, focused on innovation and process optimization, fits perfectly with CT", says Jesús Prieto, president and founder of the CT Group.
miércoles, 9 de diciembre de 2020
AERION SUPERSONIC & AVION PACIFIC FORM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP TO ACCELERATE GROWTH IN ASIA PACIFIC - Aerion Supersonic
- Aerion expands sales network in China for its AS2 supersonic business jet
- Aerion & Avion Pacific sign strategic Asia Pacific marketing and sales agreement
- Aerion secure multi-aircraft order in China extending company's global order backlog for the AS2 to $6.5 billion+
martes, 8 de diciembre de 2020
lunes, 7 de diciembre de 2020
Paris Airshow cancelled in blow to aerospace recovery
The Paris Airshow has been cancelled for the first time since World War Two, raising questions about the speed of the aerospace industry's recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.
domingo, 6 de diciembre de 2020
sábado, 5 de diciembre de 2020
Aevum Rolls Out Ravn X The World’s First Autonomous Launch Vehicle and the Largest Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aevum, Inc., a provider of comprehensive space logistics and autonomous launch services for lightweight payloads, is rolling out its Ravn X Autonomous Launch Vehicle today, the world’s largest Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), by mass, designed to deliver satellites to space as fast as every 180 minutes. Aevum’s customer and mission partner, The United States Space Force, will also take part in the Ravn X unveiling.
“Aevum is completely reimagining access to space. The current definition of rocket science doesn’t work for us. With Aevum, everyone will be able to say, ‘It is rocket science and I can do it.’ Aevum is pushing logistics to the next generation with software and automation technologies,” said Jay Skylus, founder and CEO of Aevum. “U.S. leadership has identified the critical need for extremely fast access to low Earth orbit. We’re faster than anybody. To me, space is merely a vantage point from which the next generation can commit global progress. Through our autonomous technologies, Aevum will shorten the lead time of launches from years to months, and when our customers demand it, minutes. This is necessary to improve lives on Earth. This is necessary to save lives.”
“I’m excited to see the bold innovation and responsiveness in development today by our small launch industry partners to support emerging warfighter needs,” said Lt. Col. Ryan Rose, Chief of the Space and Missile Systems Center’s Small Launch and Targets Division at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “The U.S. Space Force is proactively partnering with industry to support U.S. space superiority objectives. Having a robust U.S. industry providing responsive launch capability is key to ensuring the U.S. Space Force can respond to future threats.”
Aevum has developed what is being credited as an entirely new paradigm for space access: Autonomous Launch. Autonomous Launch, unlike ground launch or air launch, involves a global, fully-autonomous, self-flying, self-managing, self-operating intelligent system of systems, called the autonomous launch architecture, working in concert to deliver payloads from any terrestrial origin to any space destination in low Earth orbit. The autonomous launch architecture optimizes every launch, taking into account variables including weather conditions, air traffic, orbital destination, payload weight, ground crew schedules, and other complex logistics processes to provide an end-to-end seamless service, autonomously. Critical to the Autonomous Launch architecture is the autonomous launch vehicle (AuLV), which flies itself without a pilot and only requires a one-mile runway and an 8,000 sf hangar for operation. AuLV’s use jet fuel and work exactly like an airplane.
With its fleet of autonomous Ravn X vehicles, Aevum will offer on-demand scheduling of precision orbital deliveries, as fast as every 180 minutes, 24/7, with no risk to human life. Ravn X is the only small launch vehicle that has been built from the ground up as reusable - 70% reusable out of the gate, it will be up to 95% reusable in the near future. After making its delivery to low Earth orbit, the UAS simply returns to Earth, autonomously landing safely on a runway and parking itself in the hangar.
The autonomous launch paradigm dramatically lowers the barrier for space access, in time, cost, and customer experience, and accelerates improvements in billion-dollar industries such as logistics, intelligence, defense, e-commerce, advanced analytics, climate change and weather monitoring, agriculture, IoT and more.
Already profitable and generating revenue, Aevum is on track for first launch with the U.S. Space Force and its ASLON-45 mission.
Relevant Ravn X Facts Include:
- Ravn X is 80 ft. long, has a 60 ft. wingspan, is 18 ft. tall and has a gross takeoff weight of 55,000 lbs.
- Ravn X is the only small launch vehicle that has been designed and built from the ground up as reusable. 70% reusable out of the gate, it will be up to 95% reusable in the near future
- Virtually weather agnostic, Aevum offers 96% availability to space per year and minimal delays
- Aevum doesn’t need to build or maintain a launch site. Ravn X can launch from any 1-mile runway; the entire vehicle also uses the same jet fuel as an airplane, Jet A
- All of Aevum’s products and technologies are 100% designed and built in the U.S.A.
See the roll out
Aevum Contracts:
Aevum has been awarded prestigious government contracts totaling over $1 billion including the upcoming ASLON-45 mission with the United States Space Force. ASLON-45 is the first formal small launch mission contracted by the U.S. Space Force under its SRP-O program. Other active contracts include an AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract for rapid launch and space logistics, a broad scope, under a special topic developed for rapid transition of the SBIR program which includes sole-source eligibility for Aevum, a nod to Aevum's unique value proposition to the government market relative to other small launch companies.
In addition, USAF Space and Missile Systems Center's Launch Enterprise Small Launch and Targets Division awarded Aevum its Orbital Services Program-4 (OSP-4), Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, giving Aevum the ability to compete for 20 missions over a 9-year period.
The sum-total value of these 20 missions is $986 million. With the OSP-4 IDIQ, Aevum stands alongside some of the most well recognized and established players in the industry to support the USAF with flexible and responsive launch services.
About Aevum, Inc.
Aevum is provider of comprehensive space logistics and autonomous launch services for lightweight payloads serving both government and commercial customers worldwide. Aevum automates the entire mission management and delivery process of payloads into low Earth orbit. Learn more at www.aevumspace.com.
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