Space / Aerospace / Aircraft

[Guest2]

 

Britain set to launch its first space mission
by Patrick Hilsman
Newquay UK (UPI) Dec 6, 2021

A tentative date has been set for Britain's first space launch.

A launch window for Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne is scheduled to open Dec. 14, NASA's spaceflight editor Chris Bergin tweeted Tuesday.

Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne system has been used on five prior occasions but those missions departed from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California.

The upcoming LauncherOne mission will take off from Spaceport Cornwall at Cornwall Airport Newquay in England aboard a modified Boeing 747 named "Cosmic Girl." The rocket will be carried to an altitude of 35,000 feet before launching into space under its own power.

The mission dubbed "Start Me Up" includes payloads from seven international customers. Two small satellites known as "CubeSats," designed to motor radio and GPS signals for Britain, will be carried into orbit during the mission.

Britain is a major producer of satellites and aerospace technology but has been forced to rely on launch vehicles outside the United Kingdom.

"Working with our partners across the UK government. we're starting up a new capability that will serve the people, the economy, and the security needs of the UK," said Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart.

[deicer]

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/the-uks-new-hydrogen-powered-airliner-concept-produces-zero-emissions

A New Hydrogen Plane Can Fly Halfway Around the World Without Refueling

The 279-seater could fly from London to San Francisco without refueling.

[deicer]

https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/boom-overture-supersonic-jet-1234737630/

[Kip Powick]

Boom's supersonic jet is facing a lack of interest from engine suppliers

Manufacturers say supersonic travel is 'tangential' and are focusing on efficiency instead.

Boom Supersonic

Steve Dent|@stevetdent|September 19, 2022 5:36 AM

Boom recently lost its jet engine partner for the Overture supersonic jet, and other major engine manufacturers aren't interested in the project either, Insider has reported. After Boom signed an "engagement agreement" with Rolls-Royce for supersonic jet engines back in 2020, the latter announced last week that it had left the project. Now, other major jet engine manufacturers including Pratt & Whitney, GE Aviation, Honeywell and Safran Aircraft Engines have told FlightGlobal they're not currently interested in supersonic aircraft.

Boom said that the project is still on track, though, and that it will soon announce an engine partner. "We can reconfirm our intention to announce Boom's selected engine partner and transformational approach for reliable, cost-effective, and sustainable supersonic flight, later this year." Boom told Insider. The company has 20 airplanes on order from American Airlines and 15 from United. It plans to build build a factory in California and start flying passengers by 2029.

For its part, Rolls-Royce said that "after careful consideration... [we] have determined that the commercial aviation supersonic market is not currently a priority for us and, therefore, will not pursue further work on the program at this time."

 

After careful consideration, Rolls-Royce has determined that the commercial aviation supersonic market is not currently a priority for us and, therefore, will not pursue further work on the program at this time.

There are a limited number of other manufacturers capable of developing a supersonic jet engine, and all of the biggest ones said that it's not in their plans. Honeywell, Safron and GE shut down the idea, while Pratt & Whitney stated that supersonic travel is "tangential" to its business.

Pratt & Whitney cited efficiency as an issue for supersonic jets, and other manufacturers said they're focused on reducing fuel-burn. That's the primary direction for the industry right now, given criticism of air travel's contribution to global warming. In addition, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) recently bashed supersonic travel, noting in a report that it would use 7-9 times more fuel per passenger, per kilometer, than subsonic jets. 

Boom has said that it would offset its carbon output through the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). However, the ICAO report said that would be a poor use of scarce SAF fuels, given the high fuel burn compared to a regular jet. It also noted that "the high cruise altitude of supersonics increases the residence time of emissions significantly."

 

[Guest2]

This Month In Aviation History: The Lockheed C-130 'Hercules' Enters Service

Story by Nicole Kylie • Yesterday 3:30 p.m.

The C-130 Hercules is a remarkable (some might even say legendary) military transport aircraft created by American manufacturer, Lockheed Martin. The aircraft plays a significant role in military aviation and is known for its ability to take on any mission, whenever and wherever it may be – but that’s not all the Hercules is lauded for.

This Month In Aviation History: The Lockheed C-130 'Hercules' Enters Service© Provided by SimpleFlying

 

A plane of many talents

First entering service in 1956, the quad-engine turboprop was originally designed as a workhorse for troop and cargo transport, as well as medical evacuations. Throughout the years, its versatile airframe has landed the Hercules several other roles, being used for weather reconnaissance, aerial firefighting, maritime patrol, aerial refueling, airborne assault, and search and rescue. It has also been used as a gunship.

In its 66-year service history, the Hercules has served in a number of civilian and humanitarian aid operations. Today, it is most commonly used by military forces worldwide as a tactical airlifter.

 

The Korean War

When the United States entered the Korean War, the U.S. Air Force found that it lacked a military aircraft capable of transporting combat troops over medium distances to often short and unprepared landing strips. So, the Tactical Air Command issued a brief for manufacturers to propose designs that could meet the requirements.

Lockheed Aircraft Corporation – as it was then known – won the tender and began producing two prototypes. This then led to a production contract, kick-starting the C-130 program.

 

The first batch of C-130s was delivered at the start of 1956, first assigned to several airlift units in the United States and then in Europe and the Far East. The Royal Australian Air Force soon began to operate the aircraft type, followed by the Royal Canadian Air Force.

 

All-around versatility

The aircraft’s spacious, unobstructed interior – allowing for rapid reconfiguration – led the Hercules to become an immediately popular aircraft for special missions. Furthermore, its long range and high lift capacity propelled the aircraft to make a name for itself as a true tactical airlifter.

Not only does the C-130 boast a versatile cargo hold, but it also has a highly adaptable performance. From landing on aircraft carrier runways in the middle of the ocean to the high-altitude landing strips of the Himalayas, the Hercules has landing capabilities that are hard to rival.

As Lockheed Martin aptly, and very proudly, puts it:

 

“The Hercules has been everywhere and done just about anything. Aircrews have flown it to both poles, landed or airdropped military supplies to hot spots from Vietnam to Afghanistan and performed countless relief operations around the globe. The Hercules has been used to drop bombs, retrieve satellites in midair, conduct reconnaissance and attack ground targets with cannons. Some models are flown as commercial transports.”

Record-setting production

Since its entry into service nearly 70 years ago, the Hercules continues to be in production – making it the longest-continuous aircraft production in history. It also holds the record for one of the top three longest-continuous production runs of any aircraft type.

The C-130 variant in current production is the C-130J Super Hercules, an updated version of the former, with a new flight deck, engines, and systems. At present, more than 2,500 C-130s are operated by 70 countries, in over 70 variants, including the Lockheed L-100 Hercules for civilian use.

Source: Lockheed Martin

[Kip Powick]

Was like flying  a jet engined transport. Those Allison T-56 engines were extremely versatile and dependable. It was a real fun aircraft to fly and in DND you never knew what part of the world you would be tasked to go.

Story time

Our C-130 Squadron in Trenton had a task to supply air support for the Feds and required us to air drop men and material to build an ice strip for C-130 operations on an ice   flo. As well, our sister Squadron from Edmonton was also tasked to work with us. The bulldozers and graders were air dropped and in a few days we had a short runway we "could land" on.

The big thing for us as pilots was which pilots, and what Squadron would be the first to land on the most northerly strip in Canada. Our Squadron CO in Trenton was adament that he was going to do the first flight and in doing so he would be the first C-130 pilot to land a C-130, on the most northerly air strip in Canada and our Trenton Squadron would be the first to use the strip..........................so off he went....

My flight was going up to the strip when he passed us going back to Resolute Bay, (our staging area) . We did our trip and got back to Resolute and in the main room of our quarters my FO asked the CO, what it was like to be the first C-130 pilot to land on the ice strip.....The CO was miffed and said when he crossed the button of the "runway" he saw that the Edmonton Squadron had used red paint and said they were first ...but he hastely added that he was the first pilot from OUR squadron to land the furthest north in Canada. My FO asked in what direction he landed (the runway heading slowly changed almost daily due to the ice flo drifting) . The CO said he landed on what we would call that  day, RW 33. My chipper FO then said "Well then Kip is the first pilot in our Squadron to land a C-130 the furthest north in Canada as he landed on RW 15 so he was about  3000-4000 feet further north than you......

The CO briefly smiled and left the room.

[Rich Pulman]

Was that FO posted to Alert on his next tour??

[Kip Powick]

21 minutes ago, Rich Pulman said:

Was that FO posted to Alert on his next tour??

No, but the CO of the Squadron was almost at the end of his 3 year tenure as CO, so HE actually moved on about 3 months after the northern operation. 

[Guest2]

Japan's ispace launches world's 1st commercial lunar lander

Rovers from Japan and U.A.E. will explore moon's surface

Thomson Reuters · Posted: Dec 11, 2022 8:53 AM ET | Last Updated: 1 hour ago

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with a payload including two lunar rovers from Japan and the United Arab Emirates, lifts off from Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Sunday. (John Raoux/The Associated Press)

A Japanese space startup launched a spacecraft to the moon on Sunday after several delays, a step toward what would be a first for the country and for a private company.

ispace Inc.'s HAKUTO-R mission took off without incident from Cape Canaveral, Fla., after two postponements caused by inspections of its SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

More than a hundred people at a viewing party in Tokyo roared in applause when the rocket fired and lifted into the dark skies.

"I'm so happy. After repeated delays, it's good that we had a proper launch today," said Yuriko Takeda, a 28-year old worker at an electronics company who joined the gathering.

"I have this image of the American flag from the Apollo landing, so while this is just the launch, the fact that it's a private company going there with a rover is a really meaningful step."

The national space agencies of the United States, Russia and China have achieved soft landings on Earth's nearest neighbour in the past half century but no companies have.

Mission success would also be a milestone in space co-operation between Japan and the United States at a time when China is becoming increasingly competitive and rides on Russian rockets are no longer available in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

It would also cap a space-filled few days for Japan, after billionaire Yusaku Maezawa revealed on Friday the eight crew members he hopes to take on a SpaceX flyby of the moon as soon as next year.

• Maezawa wants to take you to the moon: Japanese billionaire seeks passengers for 2023 SpaceX trip

The name HAKUTO refers to the white rabbit that lives on the moon in Japanese folklore, in contrast to the Western idea of a man in the moon. The project was a finalist in the Google Lunar XPRIZE before being revived as a commercial venture.

Next year is the Year of the Rabbit in the Asian calendar. The craft, assembled in Germany, is expected to land on the moon in late April.

The company hopes this will be the first of many deliveries of government and commercial payloads. The ispace craft aims to put a small NASA satellite into lunar orbit to search for water deposits before touching down in the Atlas Crater.

Lunar base in the works

The M1 lander will deploy two robotic rovers, a two-wheeled, baseball-sized device from Japan's JAXA space agency and the four-wheeled Rashid explorer made by the United Arab Emirates. It will also be carrying an experimental solid-state battery made by NGK Spark Plug Co.

"The Rashid rover is part of the United Arab Emirates ambitious space program," said Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, who is also vice-president of the United Arab Emirates and who watched the launch at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre.

• NASA finally launches Artemis mission to the moon

• Canada's heading to the moon: A look at the Lunar Gateway

"Our aim is knowledge transfer and developing our capabilities and to add a scientific imprint in the history of humanity," he tweeted.

Privately funded ispace has a contract with NASA to ferry payloads to the moon from 2025 and is aiming to build a permanently staffed lunar colony by 2040.

[Guest2]

 

Looking back from beyond the Moon: how views from space have changed the way we see Earth
by Alice Gorman | Associate Professor in Archaeology and Space Studies
Adelaide, Australia (SPX) Dec 14, 2022

The Blue Marble Redux Version 2022

A photograph taken by NASA's Orion spacecraft has given us a new perspective on our home planet.

The snap was taken during the Artemis I mission, which sent an uncrewed vehicle on a journey around the Moon and back in preparation for astronauts' planned lunar return in 2025.

We get pictures of Earth every day from satellites and the International Space Station. But there's something different about seeing ourselves from the other side of the Moon.

How does this image compare to other iconic views of Earth from the outside?

Earthrise
In December 1968, three astronauts were orbiting the Moon to test systems in preparation for the Apollo 11 landing. When they saw Earth rise over the lunar horizon, they knew this was something special. The crew scrambled to find colour film in time to capture it.

Photographer Galen Rowell called the resulting image "the most influential environmental photograph ever taken".

Six years earlier, biologist Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring drew public attention to how human industries were harming terrestrial ecosystems. The book ignited the environmental movement and laid the ground for the reception of Earthrise.

The economist Barbara Ward, author of Spaceship Earth and one of the founders of sustainable development, said:

She saw Earthrise as part of the underpinning of a "moral community" that would enable a more equitable distribution of the planet's wealth.

Blue marble
The last Apollo mission took place in 1972. On their way to the Moon, the astronauts snapped the whole Earth illuminated by the Sun, giving it the appearance of a glass marble. It is one of the most reproduced photographs in history.

Like Earthrise, this image became an emblem of the environmental movement. It showed a planet requiring stewardship at the global scale.

The Blue Marble is often used to illustrate the Gaia hypothesis, developed by James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis in the 1960s and '70s. The hypothesis proposes that Earth is a complex self-regulating system which acts to maintain a state of equilibrium. While the theory is not widely accepted today, it provided a catalyst for a holistic approach to Earth's environment as a biosphere in delicate balance.

The impression of a single, whole Earth, however, conceals the fact that not all nations or communities are equally responsible for upsetting the balance and creating environmental disequilibrium.

Pale blue dot
Our farthest view of Earth comes from the Voyager 1 spacecraft in 1990. At the request of visionary astronomer Carl Sagan, it turned its camera back on Earth for one last time at a distance of 6 billion kilometres.

If Blue Marble evoked a fragile Earth, Pale Blue Dot emphasised Earth's insignificance in the cosmos.

Sagan added a human dimension to his interpretation of the image:

Rather than focusing on Earth's environment, invisible from this distance, Sagan made a point about the futility of human hatred, violence and war when seen in the context of the cosmos.

Tin can, grey rock, blue marble
Now, on the cusp of a return to the Moon 50 years after Blue Marble was taken, the Orion image offers us something different.

Scholars have noted the absence of the photographer in Earthrise, Blue Marble and Pale Blue Dot. This gives the impression of an objective gaze, leaving out the social and political context that enables such a photograph to be taken.

Here, we know what is taking the picture - and who. The NASA logo is right in the centre. It's a symbol as clear as the US flag planted on the lunar surface by the Apollo 11 mission.

The largest object in the image is a piece of human technology, symbolising mastery over the natural world. The spacecraft is framed as a celestial body with greater visual status than the Moon and Earth in the distance. The message: geopolitical power is no longer centred on Earth but on the ability to leave it.

Elon Musk sent an identical message in photographs of his red Tesla sportscar, launched into solar orbit in 2018, with Earth as the background.

But there's a new vision of the environment in the Orion image too. It's more than the whole Earth: it shows us the entire Earth-Moon system as a single entity, where both have similar weighting.

This expansion of the human sphere of influence represents another shift in cosmic consciousness, where we cease thinking of Earth as isolated and alone.

It also expands the sphere of environmental ethics. As traffic between Earth and the Moon increases, human activities will have impacts on the lunar and cislunar environment. We're responsible for more than just Earth now.

Our place in the cosmos
Images from outside have been powerful commentaries on the state of Earth.

But if a picture were able to bring about a fundamental change in managing Earth's environment and the life dependent on it, it would have happened by now. The Orion image does show how a change of perspective can reframe thinking about human relationships with space.

It's about acknowledging that Earth isn't a sealed spaceship, but is in dynamic interchange with the cosmos.

 

[Guest2]

New jet cold-soaked in Yellowknife cleared to fly in Canada

Published: December 16, 2022 at 5:34amOLLIE WILLIAMS

---

An aircraft model brought to Yellowknife for cold-weather testing earlier this year has been given its type certification, allowing it to fly commercially in Canada.

An Embraer image shows an E195-E2 aircraft during cold-weather testing in February 2022.

The Embraer E195-E2 appeared in Yellowknife and Iqaluit in February, environments that Embraer said were “ideal for measuring the effect of prolonged cold on the aircraft’s operations and systems.”

Toronto-based Porter Airlines is buying at least 50 E195-E2 jets, with delivery of the first reported to be scheduled for the coming days at Embraer’s Brazil headquarters.

Porter is using the new aircraft to expand its range of destinations – daily Toronto-Edmonton and Toronto-Calgary flights will begin next year – and offer what it calls an “elevated economy” for all passengers, including cabins with no middle seats and free wifi.

Snow on an E195-E2 during cold-weather testing. Photo: Embraer

Embraer has positioned the E195-E2 as one of the world’s most environmentally friendly aircraft for its size. Capable of holding up to 146 seats, it is billed by the company as having lower emissions and external noise than others in a similar class.

The aircraft had already received its type certification in Brazil, the United States and Europe. Transport Canada’s certification allows Porter to begin domestic operations with the jet.

“What happens to an airplane when it sits for 10 hours at -35C or less? That’s what a cold-soak test determines,” Embraer explained earlier this year when an E195-E2 arrived in the Northwest Territories.

 

“The test measures the impact on more than 200 items. After the ‘soak,’ Embraer’s flight team flew the aircraft to check its flying behaviour. There was another round of checks by the ground crew after the E195-E2 landed.”

The company said the model had passed an initial test years earlier but that had been inside a hangar simulating ultra-low outdoor temperatures. Transport Canada requires that aircraft be tested in a natural environment.

The NWT government and Yellowknife Airport have worked for years to market the territory as a destination for companies looking to test aircraft, road vehicles and other forms of equipment in some of the world’s coldest conditions.

One of the E195-E2’s closest rivals, the Airbus A220, also performed cold-weather testing in Yellowknife in early 2020.

 

It’s unlikely the E195-E2 will be back in Yellowknife on a regular basis for the time being, though Porter – which has promised “many more destinations soon” – could yet decide an NWT route is viable.

Related

 

[deicer]

https://generalaviationnews.com/2022/12/14/11-bladed-propeller-in-the-works/

11-bladed propeller in the works

Germany-based MT-Propeller has an 11-blade propeller in the works, testing it on a Piper PA31T1 with Pratt & Whitney PT6A-135 turbine engines.

The world’s first 11-bladed propeller recently “took the sky with an impressive noise and sound signature,” company officials said.

“The very promising results in static thrust, 15% increase over the standard certified 5-bladed propeller, and the jet-noise signature showed…what could be possible in the propeller developments,” company officials added.

The propeller system, combined with a low RPM power supply from a turbine or an electric engine, opens new possibilities for performance, efficiency, and noise, MT-Propeller officials noted.

[deicer]

https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/faa-addresses-dual-engine-shutdown-of-a220-pw-engines

FAA addresses dual-engine shutdown of A220 P&W engines

 

Following a dual-engine shutdown on an aircraft with Pratt & Whitney 1500G power plants – used exclusively for the Airbus A220 family – the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD) to prevent the shutdown from happening again. 

The AD, which is a final rulemaking, was published on December 27, 2022, with an effective date of January 31, 2023. 

The dual-engine shutdown occurred as the aircraft landed, compromising the braking capability of the narrow-body aircraft, as the crew lost engine power and the ability to control hydraulic systems. The FAA did not specify when the event occurred. However, the Aviation Safety Network depicts an incident when an AirBaltic Airbus A220-300, registered as YL-AAQ, suffered a dual-engine shutdown as it landed at Copenhagen Airport (CPH) in July 2021. 

According to the FAA, following an investigation into the matter, it determined that “the sequence of the auto-throttle increasing throttle to maintain Mach number, immediately followed by pilot command to decrease throttle to idle, caused a transient disagreement between actual and commanded thrust”. As a result, the disagreement triggered a thrust control malfunction (TCM) detection logic and the aircraft shut down both engines as soon as wheel sensors detected that the aircraft had physically landed on the runway. 

To prevent such a situation from occurring in the future/again, operators will have to remove certain electronic engine control (EEC) full authority digital engine control (FADEC) software versions and replace them with updated software. 

“This software update makes corrective improvements to the TCM logic, including revised criteria for triggering the TCM logic and establishing criteria that permit the TCM logic to unlatch during flight,” concluded the FAA.  

Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) was the only party to comment on the directive, wholeheartedly agreeing with the change. 

The government agency estimated the software update would take two hours at a cost of $170 per aircraft. Since the AD affects 147 engines that are equipped on aircraft that are registered in the US, the FAA estimated the total cost for operators in the country to be $24,990. 

[conehead]

4 hours ago, deicer said:

https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/faa-addresses-dual-engine-shutdown-of-a220-pw-engines

FAA addresses dual-engine shutdown of A220 P&W engines

 

Following a dual-engine shutdown on an aircraft with Pratt & Whitney 1500G power plants – used exclusively for the Airbus A220 family – the United States’ Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD) to prevent the shutdown from happening again. 

The AD, which is a final rulemaking, was published on December 27, 2022, with an effective date of January 31, 2023. 

The dual-engine shutdown occurred as the aircraft landed, compromising the braking capability of the narrow-body aircraft, as the crew lost engine power and the ability to control hydraulic systems. The FAA did not specify when the event occurred. However, the Aviation Safety Network depicts an incident when an AirBaltic Airbus A220-300, registered as YL-AAQ, suffered a dual-engine shutdown as it landed at Copenhagen Airport (CPH) in July 2021. 

According to the FAA, following an investigation into the matter, it determined that “the sequence of the auto-throttle increasing throttle to maintain Mach number, immediately followed by pilot command to decrease throttle to idle, caused a transient disagreement between actual and commanded thrust”. As a result, the disagreement triggered a thrust control malfunction (TCM) detection logic and the aircraft shut down both engines as soon as wheel sensors detected that the aircraft had physically landed on the runway. 

To prevent such a situation from occurring in the future/again, operators will have to remove certain electronic engine control (EEC) full authority digital engine control (FADEC) software versions and replace them with updated software. 

“This software update makes corrective improvements to the TCM logic, including revised criteria for triggering the TCM logic and establishing criteria that permit the TCM logic to unlatch during flight,” concluded the FAA.  

Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) was the only party to comment on the directive, wholeheartedly agreeing with the change. 

The government agency estimated the software update would take two hours at a cost of $170 per aircraft. Since the AD affects 147 engines that are equipped on aircraft that are registered in the US, the FAA estimated the total cost for operators in the country to be $24,990. 

Interesting, thanks for posting this Deicer.

[deicer]

NASA purchases B777 to replace aging DC8.

https://airwaysmag.com/nasa-boeing-777/

DALLAS — The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been flying its very own DC-8 jetliner as part of its flying observatory missions ever since 1985, but as the antique bird possesses far too many problems today, a replacement is well underway: a Boeing 777.

The newly added, almost 20-year-old widebody is a Boeing 777-200ER (MSN 32892), which formerly flew for Japan Airlines (JA) and bore registration JA704J.

Under NASA, the Triple Seven wears a new American registration N744LG. The aircraft was stored in Victorville (VCV) from July 2020 up until December 15, 2022, when the twinjet made its way out of southern California to Langley (AFB) in Virginia.

NASA’s Antique Quad Jet

---

The NASA DC-8-72 is a four-engine jet that has been heavily modified to aid the agency’s science mission. Built in 1969, the DC-8 was only acquired by NASA fifteen years later and is currently housed at the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center facility in Palmdale, California.

According to NASA, it has a range of 5,400 nautical miles and can fly at altitudes ranging from 1000 to 42,000 feet for up to 12 hours.

The space agency also states that the data gathered from the aircraft at altitude and through remote sensing have been used for studies in archaeology, ecology, geography, hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, volcanology, atmospheric chemistry, cryospheric science, soil science, and biology.

Four types of missions are flown with the DC-8: sensor development, satellite sensor verification, space vehicle launch or re-entry telemetry data retrieval, optical tracking, and basic research studies of Earth’s surface and atmosphere.

Big Jet, Big Modifications

---

As stated on Scramble.nl, according to NASA’s FY23 budget documents, the Boeing 777 was acquired in their FY22 budget for under USD 30 million.

Prior to its entry into active mission flying, it will undergo several modifications at NASA’s Langley Research Center and it is also unknown when exactly it could replace the DC-8. According to Scramble, the modifications and testing would take several years.

 

[deicer]

Better take an umbrella if you go out tonight

https://spacenews.com/defunct-nasa-satellite-to-reenter/

Defunct NASA satellite to reenter

by Jeff Foust — January 7, 2023

 

WASHINGTON — A defunct NASA satellite, launched nearly four decades ago, is predicted to reenter late Jan. 8 with a very small risk to people on the ground.

NASA said Jan. 6 that the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) satellite, launched in 1984 and shut down in 2005, will reenter Jan. 8. At the time, NASA estimated a reentry at 6:40 p.m. Eastern, plus or minus 17 hours, based on data from the U.S. Space Force.

The Space Force’s Space Track service updated that prediction late Jan. 6, with a new reentry time of 11:25 p.m. Eastern plus or minus 10 hours. The Aerospace Corporation’s Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies estimated a reentry at 10:49 p.m. Eastern plus or minus 13 hours, based on data as of early Jan. 6.

Most of the 2,450-kilogram satellite will burn up on reentry, NASA said in its statement, but some components will likely survive and reach the surface. The odds that debris would harm anyone on the ground is 1 in 9,400, the agency estimated.

[conehead]

57 minutes ago, deicer said:

Better take an umbrella if you go out tonight

https://spacenews.com/defunct-nasa-satellite-to-reenter/

Defunct NASA satellite to reenter

by Jeff Foust — January 7, 2023

 

WASHINGTON — A defunct NASA satellite, launched nearly four decades ago, is predicted to reenter late Jan. 8 with a very small risk to people on the ground.

NASA said Jan. 6 that the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) satellite, launched in 1984 and shut down in 2005, will reenter Jan. 8. At the time, NASA estimated a reentry at 6:40 p.m. Eastern, plus or minus 17 hours, based on data from the U.S. Space Force.

The Space Force’s Space Track service updated that prediction late Jan. 6, with a new reentry time of 11:25 p.m. Eastern plus or minus 10 hours. The Aerospace Corporation’s Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies estimated a reentry at 10:49 p.m. Eastern plus or minus 13 hours, based on data as of early Jan. 6.

Most of the 2,450-kilogram satellite will burn up on reentry, NASA said in its statement, but some components will likely survive and reach the surface. The odds that debris would harm anyone on the ground is 1 in 9,400, the agency estimated.

So, the odds of me being hit on the head by a piece of satellite tonight are far better than me winning the lottery.

[IFG]

11 hours ago, conehead said:

So, the odds of me being hit on the head by a piece of satellite tonight are far better than me winning the lottery.

Akshully .... No? .... 

The odds of "any[specific]body on the ground" being hit in the head (or otherwise harmed) is likely one in Trillions. Think buying a few 649 tickets and winning it twice in a row. 

IAC, don't know why NASA & the Space Force is indulging this ultra precision in manipulating much less precise numbers - suggesting a "reentry time" to the minute, but plus or minus 17 hours? How about saying Sunday or Monday, likely sometime after supper EST Sunday night? 

Cheers - IFG 

Edited January 9, 2023 by IFG

[Specs]

Virgin's 'Start Me Up' Launcher One launch is today. 

https://virginorbit.com/the-latest/start-me-up-mission-update/

Live coverage begins at 4:00 pm EST and Launch is around 5:15 pm of the coast of Ireland.   Watch it here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Co18HcyqHk

 

[Kip Powick]

Canada officially buying F-35 fighter jets for $19 billion to replace aging CF-18s

 

OTTAWA - Defence Minister Anita Anand says Canada is officially buying the F-35 fighter jet to replace its aging CF-18s, ending the years-long search where it first began.

Canada had announced plans to buy the F-35 back in 2010, before politics and government mismanagement scuttled that decision.

The government says Canada will ultimately buy 88 F-35s at an estimated cost of $19 billion, with the first aircraft to be delivered in 2026.

 

 

The Canadian Press reported last month that the Defence Department had been authorized to spend $7 billion on an initial set of 16 F-35s and associated gear.

Officials confirmed in a briefing today that Canada will buy all 88 F-35s in a phased approach, with the initial investment including infrastructure upgrades, spare parts and other one-time costs.

Canada is expected to pay US$85 million per F-35, which officials say is the same price as the United States.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 9, 2023.

Imagine what we could do with that money with respect to cleaning up this country Canada is buying an aircraft that first took flight in 2006 (yes, I know there have been mods but still.....??? )

[Guest2]

 

Historic UK rocket mission ends in failure
by AFP Staff Writers
London (AFP) Jan 10, 2023

An attempt to launch the first rocket into orbit from UK soil ended in failure on Tuesday, with scientists reporting an "anomaly" as it neared its goal.

A Virgin Orbit Boeing 747 carrying the 70-foot (21-metre) rocket took off from a spaceport in Cornwall, southwest England, at 2202 GMT.

The rocket then detached from the aircraft and ignited as planned at a height of 35,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean to the south of Ireland at around 2315 GMT.

But in a series of tweets as the rocket was due to enter orbit and discharge its nine satellites, Virgin Orbit said: "We appear to have an anomaly that has prevented us from reaching orbit. We are evaluating the information.

"As we find out more, we're removing our previous tweet about reaching orbit. We'll share more info when we can."

The aircraft returned as planned to a subdued Spaceport Cornwall, a consortium that includes Virgin Orbit and the UK Space Agency, at Cornwall Airport Newquay.

The launch was the first from UK soil. UK-produced satellites have previously had to be sent into orbit via foreign spaceports.

Had the mission been successful, the UK would have been one of only nine countries that could launch craft into Earth's orbit.

"Joining that really exclusive club of launch nations is so important because it gives us our own access to space... that we've never had before here in the UK," Spaceport Cornwall chief Melissa Thorpe told BBC television before the launch.

Hundreds of people watched the launch, named "Start Me Up" after the Rolling Stones song.

The satellites were to have a variety of civil and defence functions, from sea monitoring to help countries detect people smugglers to space weather observation.

The number of space bases in Europe has grown in recent years due to the commercialisation of space.

For a long time, satellites were primarily used for institutional missions by national space agencies but most of Europe's spaceport projects are now private-sector initiatives.

The market has exploded with the emergence of small start-ups, modern technology making both rockets and satellites smaller, and the rapidly growing number of applications for satellites.

Some 18,500 small satellites -- those weighing less than 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) -- are expected to be launched between 2022 and 2031, compared with 4,600 in the previous decade.

Campaigners, however, criticised the launch.

"Space is the new frontier for military escalation and spending with no real public scrutiny or accountability," said Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) general secretary Kate Hudson.

Drone Wars director Chris Cole denounced a "space arms race which will inevitably lead to greater risk of instability and conflict".

har/jwp/leg

BOEING

[Specs]

" Had the mission been successful, the UK would have been one of only nine countries that could launch craft into Earth's orbit. ..."

It will happen.  In relative terms this was a minor setback.  Didn't like watching at night though.  Having a chase plane for the initial launch and first stage burn would be cool too.

 

[Guest2]

 

Update on "Start Me Up" mission anomaly
by Staff Writers
Long Beach CA (SPX) Jan 13, 2023

Virgin Orbit is continuing to process its next scheduled rocket through final integration and checkout ahead of its upcoming mission, which is planned to occur from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. Virgin Orbit also anticipates returning to Spaceport Cornwall for additional launches, and is in active discussions with key government and commercial stakeholders in the UK to start planning mission opportunities for as soon as later this year.

Preliminary analysis of data from the Start Me Up mission has begun to shed light on the outcome of the January 9th flight and next steps to follow.

The Start Me Up mission was the first orbital launch attempt in history conducted from western Europe. The flight was conducted by Virgin Orbit's air-launched LauncherOne system from the newly commissioned Spaceport Cornwall in the UK, which just a few weeks ago was transformed from a mere slab of empty cement at a commercial airport into the world's newest space launch operations center.

After successfully proceeding through pre-launch operations and taking off as planned from the runway at Spaceport Cornwall, Virgin Orbit's carrier aircraft traveled to the bespoke drop zone selected for this mission and successfully released the rocket.

The rocket then ignited its first stage engine, quickly going hypersonic and successfully completing the stage one burn. Initial data assessments indicate that the first stage of the rocket performed as expected, that the rocket reached space altitudes, and that stage separation, ignition of the upper stage, and fairing separation similarly occurred per the planned mission timeline.

Later in the mission, at an altitude of approximately 180 km, the upper stage experienced an anomaly. This anomaly prematurely ended the first burn of the upper stage. This event ended the mission, with the rocket components and payload falling back to Earth within the approved safety corridor without ever achieving orbit.

Virgin Orbit's carrier aircraft and its crew returned safely to Spaceport Cornwall.

Update on the Investigation and Next Steps
Extensive telemetry coverage for the flight allowed for the collection of an enormous quantity of data during the mission, allowing Virgin Orbit's engineers and review board members to start their analysis immediately upon detection of the anomaly.

Virgin Orbit has initiated a formal investigation into the source of the second stage failure, to be led by Jim Sponnick (Co-Investigator), a distinguished aerospace veteran who was instrumental in the development and operations of the Atlas II, III and V launch systems and operations of the Delta II and IV launch systems and Chad Foerster (Principal Investigator), Virgin Orbit's Chief Engineer and Vice President of Technology Development. An extensive fault analysis and investigation and completion of all required corrective actions identified during the investigation will be completed prior to the next flight.

Virgin Orbit is continuing to process its next scheduled rocket through final integration and checkout ahead of its upcoming mission, which is planned to occur from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California.

Virgin Orbit also anticipates returning to Spaceport Cornwall for additional launches, and is in active discussions with key government and commercial stakeholders in the UK to start planning mission opportunities for as soon as later this year.

Dan Hart, CEO of Virgin Orbit, said: "We are all disappointed that we were not able to achieve full mission success and provide the launch service that our customers deserve. Upon identifying the anomaly, our team immediately moved into a pre-planned investigation mode. Given our four previous successful missions, which have proven our technology, our team's deep understanding of the LauncherOne system from massive amounts of previously collected flight data, and the ample telemetry data that was collected characterizing the flight and the anomaly, I am confident that root cause and corrective actions will be determined in an efficient and timely manner. We are continuing to process and test our next vehicle per our plan and will implement any required modifications prior to our next launch.

"I also want to express my heartfelt appreciation to our team, who worked tirelessly under high pressure and difficult conditions, and most importantly to our customers, supporters, and partners in the UK, the US, and across the world. We thank you for the many expressions of confidence and support we have received over the past two days."

[deicer]

Well, this is one big step closer....

https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2023-01-airbus-tests-new-technologies-to-enhance-pilot-assistance

Airbus tests new technologies to enhance pilot assistance

 

Toulouse, 12 January 2023 – Airbus UpNext, a wholly owned subsidiary of Airbus, has started testing new, on ground and in-flight, pilot assistance technologies on an A350-1000 test aircraft. 

Known as DragonFly, the technologies being demonstrated include automated emergency diversion in cruise, automatic landing and taxi assistance and are aimed at evaluating the feasibility and pertinence of further exploring autonomous flight systems in support of safer and more efficient operations.

“These tests are one of several steps in the methodical research of technologies to further enhance operations and improve safety,” said Isabelle Lacaze, Head of DragonFly demonstrator, Airbus UpNext. “Inspired by biomimicry, the systems being tested have been designed to identify features in the landscape that enable an aircraft to “see” and safely manoeuver autonomously within its surroundings, in the same way that dragonflies are known to have the ability to recognise landmarks.”

During the flight test campaign, the technologies were able to assist pilots in-flight, managing a simulated incapacitated crew member event, and during landing and taxiing operations. Taking into account external factors such as flight zones, terrain and weather conditions, the aircraft was able to generate a new flight trajectory plan and communicate with both Air Traffic Control (ATC) and the airline Operations Control Centre.

Airbus UpNext has also explored features for taxi assistance, which were tested in real-time conditions at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport. The technology provides the crew with audio alerts in reaction to obstacles, assisted speed control, and guidance to the runway using a dedicated airport map. 

In addition to these capabilities, Airbus UpNext is launching a project to prepare the next generation of computer vision-based algorithms to advance landing and taxi assistance.

These tests were made possible through cooperation with Airbus subsidiaries and external partners including Cobham, Collins Aerospace, Honeywell, Onera and Thales. DragonFly was partially funded by the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) as part of the French Stimulus plan, which is part of the European Plan, Next Generation EU, and the France 2030 plan.

[deicer]

https://www.airbus.com/en/newsroom/stories/2023-01-could-the-humble-dragonfly-help-pilots-during-flight

When safety is concerned, continuous improvement is the name of the game. At Airbus, we are constantly looking to different sources of inspiration to find proactive solutions that can enhance safety and improve performance. 

And what better to be inspired by than the wonderful, natural world? Biologically-inspired engineering – or biomimicry – has led us to many of our creative solutions, from our “sharklet” wing-tip design that reduces drag, to our fello’fly demonstrator that mimics the formation flying of snow geese for improved performance.

Our latest demonstrator to use biomimicry is DragonFly, inspired by – you guessed it – the dragonfly. A dragonfly has phenomenal vision, the ability to see in 360°, and can recognise landmarks, which in turn help it to define its territorial boundaries. The systems we are developing and testing are similarly designed to review and identify features in the landscape that enable the aircraft to “see” and safely manoeuvre within its surroundings. 

These innovations can offer an additional layer of safety for aircraft, particularly in the context of emergency operations. In the unlikely situation where a crew is unable to control the aircraft, DragonFly can redirect the flight to the nearest appropriate airport and facilitate a safe landing. 
 

So how does it work? 

DragonFly could be a game-changer when it comes to derisking emergency operations. Its focus is on three key areas, each one drawing on a combination of data captured during flight and a vast corpus of flight information to promote automated yet intelligent decision making. 

DragonFly offers a solution to help ensure safe flight and landing. If the crew are unable to control the aircraft, the onboard function detects the issue and automatically selects the most suitable airport to redirect the aircraft towards. 

But of course flight paths and external factors are complex and changing. A dragonfly scans its surroundings and adapts its journey accordingly. Our DragonFly demonstrator does much the same thing, taking into account external factors such as flight zones, terrain and weather conditions as it chooses where to land. But unlike a regular dragonfly, our DragonFly also benefits from a constant channel of communication between the aircraft and both Air Traffic Control and the Operations Control Centre of the airline to ensure a safe and coordinated approach.

 

In the same way that dragonflies can recognise landmarks that help them to define boundaries, our demonstrator is equipped with cutting-edge sensing technology and software, capable of managing in-flight and landing operations. The DragonFly demonstrator has been made possible through cooperation within the Airbus engineering community and with our trusted external partners, and we look forward to the insights that this final stage of testing will deliver.

 

Safe, automated landing at any airport in the world

A dragonfly’s vision works far more quickly than a human’s, which is why we have designed a system that combines sensors, computer vision algorithms and robust guidance calculations to make landing in low visibility or difficult weather conditions much easier. 

These innovations pave the way for automated landing (if necessary), or can be customised according to the pilot’s flying skills to relieve them of additional processes in the event of an emergency or critical situation. 

In time, DragonFly’s innovations could allow the aircraft to land at any airport in the world regardless of whether it is equipped with existing ground equipment technology currently used for automatic landing.

The final aspect of the DragonFly demonstrator incorporates pilot assistance technology to help the crew manage taxi guidance and instructions, including navigation and surveillance, freeing them up to focus on other important tasks.
 

What’s next?

DragonFly has now entered the final three months of its testing phase. These testing flights will enable Airbus UpNext to update or confirm the technology with the view to integrating improvements into future programmes.