Space / Aerospace / Aircraft

[Malcolm]

 

CA

Private US spacecraft enters orbit around the moon ahead of landing attempt

Story by The Canadian Press • 55m

PE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A private U.S. lunar lander reached the moon and eased into a low orbit Wednesday, a day before it will attempt an even greater feat — landing on the gray, dusty surface.

A smooth touchdown would put the U.S. back in business on the moon for the first time since NASA astronauts closed out the Apollo program in 1972. The company, if successful, also would become the first private outfit to ace a moon landing.

 

Launched last week, Intuitive Machines’ lander fired its engine on the back side of the moon while out of contact with Earth. Flight controllers at the company’s Houston headquarters had to wait until the spacecraft emerged to learn whether the lander was in orbit or hurtling aimlessly away.

Intuitive Machines confirmed its lander, nicknamed Odysseus, was circling the moon with experiments from NASA and other clients. The lander is part of a NASA program to kickstart the lunar economy; the space agency is paying $118 million to get its experiments on the moon on this mission.

On Thursday, controllers will lower the orbit from just under 60 miles (92 kilometers) to 6 miles (10 kilometers) — a crucial maneuver occurring again on the moon’s far side — before aiming for a touchdown near the moon’s south pole. It’s a dicey place to land with all the craters and cliffs, but deemed prime real estate for astronauts since the permanently shadowed craters are believed to hold frozen water.

The moon is littered with wreckage from failed landings. Some missions never even got that far. Another U.S. company — Astrobotic Technology — tried to send a lander to the moon last month, but it didn't get there because of a fuel leak.___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Marcia Dunn, The Associated Press

[Malcolm]

Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lander is aiming for a crater near the moon's south pole. Here's why

Intuitive Machines' Odysseus mission is targeting touch down near the moon's south pole this week for a historic lunar landing. 

The Nova-C lunar lander, named Odysseus, was built by the Houston-based company Intuitive Machines and launched to the moon atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Feb. 15 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission, known as IM-1, is scheduled to touchdown on the moon on Thursday (Feb. 22), at 5:49 p.m. EST (2249 GMT) in a region near the lunar south pole. If all goes according to plan, Intuitive Machines will be the first private company to reach the moon, and a successful descent will mark the first American soft lunar landing in over 50 years. 

Odysseus is carrying six NASA instruments and will attempt its historic landing near Malapert A, a small impact crater about 190 miles (300 kilometers) from the moon's south pole. So, why was this location selected for the IM-1 mission? 

The Malapert A crater was not Odysseus' original destination. Initially, the spacecraft was slated to land in Oceanus Procellarum — the largest basaltic plain, also known as a lunar maria, located on the western edge of the visible side of the moon.

Instead, Malapert A is a relatively flat and safe region located within the heavily cratered southern highlands on the side of the moon visible from Earth, NASA officials said in a statement announcing the new landing site in May 2023. 

 

A false-color image of the moon's south pole region colored by elevation, with labels for 29 craters. Malapert, the region at which Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lander will attempt to land, can be seen at the bottom of the image. (Image credit: NASA's Scientific Visualization Studi)© Provided by Space

"The decision to move from the original landing site in Oceanus Procellarum was based on a need to learn more about terrain and communications near the lunar south pole, which is expected to be one of the best locations for a sustained human presence on the moon," NASA officials said in the statement.

"Landing near Malapert A also will help mission planners understand how to communicate and send data back to Earth from a location that is low on the lunar horizon." 

Intuitive Machines' Odysseus moon lander beamed home this selfie on Feb. 16, 2024, a day after launching atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. (Image credit: Intuitive Machines via X)© Provided by Space

Although the lunar south pole is a candidate location for NASA's Artemis 3 mission — expected to land astronauts on the moon as soon as 2026 — details of the area's environment remain a mystery to astronomers. -

Therefore, landing near the Malapert A crater offers Odysseus the opportunity to better manage risks for future Artemis landings and gather data about the lunar environment throughout the region.

 

The IM-1 mission — a private attempt under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, or CLPS — aims to demonstrate the lunar spacecraft's landing capabilities and scope out the area for future missions. 

IM-1 is the second attempted landing of a private lander supporting the CLPS initiative. The first attempt ended prematurely when Astrobotic's Peregrine experienced a crippling a propulsion anomaly and later fell back to Earth, losing all of its payloads

[Malcolm]

[Malcolm]

Evidently the ship has landed on the moon and transmission have started, what remains now is figure out exactly where the lander landed.

 

Intuitive Machines-1 Lunar Landing | NASA+

[Malcolm]

U.S. achieves first moon landing in half century with private spacecraft

CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. - 

A spacecraft built and flown by Texas-based company Intuitive Machines LUNR.O landed near the south pole of the moon on Thursday, the first U.S. touchdown on the lunar surface in more than half a century and the first ever achieved entirely by the private sector.

The six-legged robot lander, dubbed Odysseus, touched down at about 6:23 p.m. EST, the company and NASA commentators said in a joint webcast of the landing from Intuitive Machines' mission operations centre in Houston.

•  Top science and technology headlines, all in one place

R

As planned, the spacecraft was believed to have come to rest at a crater named Malapert A near the moon's south pole, according to the webcast.

The landing, one day after the spacecraft reached lunar orbit and a week after its launch from Florida, was confirmed by signals beamed back some 239,000 miles (384,000 kilometres) to mission control.

But communication with the vehicle took several minutes to re-establish, and the initial signal was faint, leaving mission control uncertain as to the precise condition and position of the lander, according to flight controllers heard in the webcast.

The spacecraft was not designed to provide live video of the event.

Touchdown came after an 11th-hour glitch with the spacecraft's autonomous navigation system that required engineers on the ground to employ a work-around solution.

The vehicle is carrying a suite of scientific instruments and technology demonstrations for NASA and several commercial customers designed to operate for seven days on solar energy before the sun sets over the polar landing site.

The NASA payload will focus on collecting data on space weather interactions with the moon's surface, radio astronomy and other aspects of the lunar environment for future landers and NASA's planned return of astronauts later in the decade.

The uncrewed IM-1 mission was sent on its way to the moon on Wednesday atop a Falcon 9 rocket launched by Elon Musk's company SpaceX from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Thursday's landing represented the first controlled descent to the lunar surface by a U.S. spacecraft since Apollo 17 in 1972, when NASA's last crewed moon mission landed there with astronauts Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt.

To date, spacecraft from just four other countries have ever landed on the moon - the former Soviet Union, China, India and, mostly recently, just last month, Japan. The United States is the only one ever to have sent humans to the lunar surface.

Dawn of Artemis

The arrival of Odysseus also marks the first "soft landing" on the moon ever by a commercially manufactured and operated vehicle and the first under NASA's Artemis lunar program, as the U.S. races to return astronauts to Earth's natural satellite before China lands its own crewed spacecraft there.

NASA aims to land its first crewed Artemis in late 2026 as part of long-term, sustained lunar exploration and a stepping stone toward eventual human flights to Mars. The initiative focuses on the moon's south pole in part because a presumed bounty of frozen water exists there that can be used for life support and production of rocket fuel.

A host of small landers like Odysseus are expected to pave the way under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program, designed to deliver instruments and hardware to the moon at lower costs than the U.S. space agency's traditional method of building and launching those vehicles itself.

Leaning more heavily on smaller, less experienced private ventures comes with its own risks.

Just last month the lunar lander of another firm, Astrobotic Technology, suffered a propulsion system leak on its way to the moon shortly after being placed in orbit on Jan. 8 by a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket making its debut flight.

The malfunction of Astrobotic's Peregrine lander marked the third failure of a private company to achieve a lunar touchdown, following ill-fated efforts by companies from Israel and Japan.

Although Odysseus is the latest star of NASA's CLPS program, the IM-1 flight is considered an Intuitive Machines mission. The company was co-founded in 2013 by Stephen Altemus, former deputy director of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and now the company's president and CEO.

The proliferation of commercial space ventures has itself been driven by leaps in technology in recent decades.

The Apollo program and robot lunar Surveyor missions that preceded it flew at the very dawn of the computer age, before the advent of modern microchips, electronic sensors and software, or the development of super light-weight metal alloys and myriad other advances that have spurred a revolution in spaceflight.

RELATED IMAGES

This image from video provided by SpaceX via NASA TV shows Intuitive Machines' lunar lander separating from the rocket's upper stage and heading toward the moon, on Feb. 15, 2024. (SpaceX -NASA TV via AP

[Malcolm]

Both WestJet and AC made money but evidently want more:

Air Canada joins WestJet in hiking checked-bag fee. Could carry-on charges be next?

Domestic checked-bag fees have climbed 40% since they were introduced in 2014

Sophia Harris · CBC News · Posted: Mar 01, 2024 2:00 AM MST | Last Updated: March 1

For travel booked after Feb. 27, Air Canada will now charge between $35 and $42 for the first checked bag for basic and standard economy fares in North America, the Caribbean, and Central America. (Mike Hillman/CBC)

It comes as no surprise to some industry experts: Air Canada hiked its first checked-bag fee by $5 for economy-type fares this week, shortly after WestJet made the same move. 

"It's a business," said Karl Moore, an associate professor with McGill University's faculty of management. "You're leaving money on the table if you don't do it. There's no outrage about it, so you can make some more money."

It remains to be seen, however, if customers do express outrage once they're hit with the higher bag fee.

Even if they don't protest, airlines may face another consequence: more passengers jamming the cabin with carry-on to avoid paying for a checked-bag.

"I've seen fights break out among passengers for carry-on space," said Fred Lazar, an associate professor of economics at York University who studies the industry.

New checked-bag fees

For travel booked after Feb. 27, Air Canada will now charge between $35 and $42 for the first checked bag for basic and standard economy fares in North America, the Caribbean, and Central America. 

WestJet also now charges between $35 and $42 for the first checked bag for economy fares booked after Feb. 14. 

Not long ago, all passengers on domestic flights got to check a bag for free. But that perk ended in 2014 when Porter Airlines, WestJet and Air Canada introduced a $25 checked-bag charge for cheaper fares. A decade later, that fee has climbed by at least 40 per cent.

WATCH | Man battles Air Canada over lost cellphone: 

 

Edmonton man battles Air Canada over lost cellphone | Go Public

 

5 days ago

Duration2:02

Edmonton’s Olu Awoseyi has spent months trying to get Air Canada to either retrieve or replace his expensive new cellphone. An airline employee found it and claims to have placed it in a lost and found, but it disappeared. Awoseyi says the airline has given him the runaround ever since.

Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick told CBC News in an email that the airline upped its bag fees "to remain competitive."

WestJet spokesperson Julia Brunet said in an email that bag charges allow the airline to "keep base fares lower for all travellers."

But some industry experts warn that as checked-luggage fees rise, so do the number of passengers filling the cabin with carry-on. 

"If you're charging for checked bags, you better start charging for carry-on," said Lazar. "Otherwise, people are going to do the only logical thing, they're going to shift from checked bags to carry-ons, which are free."

Some industry experts warn that as checked-luggage fees rise, so do the number of passengers filling the cabin with carry-on bags. (Carlo Allegri/Reuters)

Lazar said too much carry-on is not only problematic for passengers, but also airlines.

"Many [flights] have been delayed because there simply is not enough room for the carry-on bags, coats on the flight. So they have to, at the last minute, check a number of bags."

Some airlines already charge for cabin baggage including Flair Airlines, and Porter when passengers buy its lowest, basic fare. In late 2022, Sunwing introduced a $25 charge for the service.

When asked if they were considering carry-on charges, WestJet and Air Canada would only say that they have made no current changes to their policy of one free overhead bag. 

Too expensive to cancel a flight?

It's not just baggage fees that are going up. Ultra low-cost carrier, Flair Airlines, also recently raised several other fees, including its change and cancellation charges, some of which have more than doubled. 

For example, Flair's cancellation fee recently jumped 115 per cent to $84 per passenger per flight when cancelling a week or more in advance — so it costs $168 to cancel one round trip.

The charge took Flair customer Fernando Chicas by surprise when he contacted the airline to cancel a round trip flight for his family of four from Toronto to Abbotsford, B.C. in April.

"I was shocked," said Chicas, who admits he didn't read the fine print on Flair's website before booking. 

"The reason why I saw them as a viable option is because I thought they would cater to people that are not making extravagant amounts of money."

Fernando Chicas, right, with his family clockwise: daughter Jazmine, wife Belén, and son Mikael. Chicas had to cancel his family's Flair flight from Toronto to B.C. and won't get anything in return. (Submitted by Fernando Chicas)

Chicas said a few weeks after he bought his non-refundable tickets, he realized he made a mistake when choosing the dates, and had no choice but to cancel the family's trip. 

According to an online chat session viewed by CBC News, Flair informed Chicas that because the cost of his tickets (almost $600) totalled less than the cancellation fee ($672 as calculated by CBC News), he will get no travel credits for forfeiting a flight his family can't take. 

"Very frustrated that they get my money for free," said Chicas, who lives in Leamington, Ont. "It leaves the impression that an upfront, cheap cost sometimes is not the best option when it comes to spending your money."

• Watch out for flying fees: WestJet hikes checked-bag cost, Flair adds credit card fee

• Lynx Air to cease operations Monday, obtains creditor protection

Flair Airlines told CBC News that its recent hikes in change and cancellation fees still align with its mission to provide the lowest possible base fares. "By unbundling fares, customers pay only for what they need, not what they don't," said spokesperson Gabrielle Poirier in an email.

She also said that, for a fee, travellers can get "travelflex" which allows them to make flight changes without penalty. 

CBC News asked Transport Canada if it had any concerns about the plethora of fees that don't show up in the advertised price for airfares. 

"As private companies, Canada's air carriers are responsible for making their own business decisions, including how they … charge for optional services," said Transport Canada spokesperson Hicham Ayoun in an email. 

In other words, it's up to passengers to navigate the tricky world of added airline fees. 

[deicer]

https://www.cnn.com/travel/windrunner-biggest-plane-in-the-world/index.html

Gigantic new aircraft design aims to create the largest plane ever to fly

There’s a global energy crisis and onshore wind farms are a potential growth option. Larger wind turbines produce more power than standard ones, but the components are too big to be transported by road.

What’s the solution? A Colorado-based energy startup named Radia has an idea. It’s developing the biggest aircraft in aviation history.

 

Meet the WindRunner airplane, whose mission will be to deliver gigantic 300-foot-long blades directly to wind farms.

To help the world meet its decarbonization targets, it’ll use sustainable aviation fuel and needs only a simple packed-dirt or gravel runway to land on.

It’ll operate from regional hubs, says Radia, delivering where needed – and “can land on airstrips as short as 6,000 feet (1,800 meters), something no other large commercial aircraft can achieve.”

 

Where do the pilots go? Right up top. 

Radia

 

 

 

Let’s talk about specs, baby

When it comes to carrying the largest payloads ever moved by air, dainty just isn’t going to cut it.

 

 

So WindRunner will have a cargo bay volume of 272,000 cubic feet, enough to hold three Olympic swimming pools. That’s 12 times the volume of a Boeing 747-400 and – at 356 feet in length, it’s 127 feet longer too.

As for the wingspan, that’s 261 feet – imagine four bowling lanes laid end to end.

It will also dwarf the Antonov An-225, the heaviest aircraft ever built, which was destroyed at the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The aircraft’s scale might be groundbreaking, but the engineering is not – and that’s by design. Radia says it’s focusing “on existing technology and safety by using, where applicable, tried-and-true aviation materials, components and fabrication techniques that have FAA [US Federal Aviation Administration] approval, are already in mass production and are lowest-risk.”

The idea is to hit the ground running with a fast, well-built fleet that meets aerospace industry standards. Online reports say commercial operations as soon as 2027, but there’s no timeline confirmed on Radia’s website. CNN has reached out to the company for comment.

 

Radia has patented a system for loading blades into WindRunner. 

Radia

There she blows

Radia is banking on research organisation Bloomberg NEF’s estimation that up to $10 trillion will be spent on onshore wind through 2050. The development of WindRunner is to enable GigaWind, the XXL turbines made by Radia’s partners, which include five of the world’s top six turbine manufacturers.

Currently, turbine blades today are ordinarily 230 feet or less (70 meters), but Radia wants to deploy blades of up to 104 meters (341 feet). The company says GigaWind turbines could potentially be two to three times more powerful – and two to three times more profitable than those typically deployed today.

So who are the folks behind these ambitious claims? The founder and CEO is Mark Lundstrum, a cross-industry entrepreneur and MIT aerospace engineer who founded Radia in 2016. The company says its team of advisers include former top brass from Boeing, MIT, Rolls-Royce and the FAA, as well as former US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz and former Prime Minister of Australia Malcolm Turnbull.

It’s an impressive lineup and the decision to focus on safe, existing technology is a smart one. Might we see a WindRunner take off before the end of the decade? Could its distinctive shape one day be as popular as the Beluga XL transporter planes created by Airbus? Watch the skies.

[Kip Powick]

Should be fun watching a 341 foot blade get around a few corners

[Falken]

Somewhere there is a video of that Kip, however, he turns across a train track with the train coming and doesn't make it! When hit it turns the truck and trailer over. 

[Kip Powick]

1 hour ago, Falken said:

Somewhere there is a video of that Kip, however, he turns across a train track with the train coming and doesn't make it! When hit it turns the truck and trailer over. 

 

[J.O.]

On 3/19/2024 at 12:24 PM, deicer said:

 

Where do the pilots go? Right up top. 

When I saw this, I honestly checked my calendar to see if it was April 1st. Once you open the image and see the actual proportions it makes slightly more sense, but still ...

Edited March 22 by J.O.

[deicer]

 

[W5]

9 hours ago, deicer said:

 

The XB-1 demonstrator provides the foundation for Boom’s supersonic airliner Overture.

The XB-1 supersonic aircraft demonstrator of Boom Supersonic flew for the first time on March 22, 2024, from the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California. XB-1, according to the company, is the world’s first independently developed supersonic jet and leverages state-of-the-art technologies to enable efficient supersonic flight including carbon fiber composites, advanced avionics, digitally-optimized aerodynamics, and an advanced supersonic propulsion system.

“Today, XB-1 took flight in the same hallowed airspace where the Bell X-1 first broke the sound barrier in 1947,” said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. “I’ve been looking forward to this flight since founding Boom in 2014, and it marks the most significant milestone yet on our path to bring supersonic travel to passengers worldwide.”

The aircraft was flown by Chief Test Pilot Bill “Doc” Shoemaker, while Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg flew the T-38 chase aircraft which monitored XB-1 in the air, observing how the aircraft was handling and verifying its flight data and airworthiness. Both pilots maintain flight proficiency in T-38 and F-5 aircraft, which they use to develop chase procedures and practice flight test techniques that  will be used in XB-1, but they have also flown the F-104 as both share many flight characteristics.

“Everyone on the XB-1 team should be incredibly proud of this achievement,” said Shoemaker. “It has been a privilege to share this journey with so many dedicated and talented professionals. The experience we have gained in reaching this milestone will be invaluable to Boom’s revival of supersonic travel.”

According to Boom Supersonic’s press statement, XB-1 met all of its test objectives, including safely and successfully achieving an altitude of 7,120 feet and speeds up to 238 knots (273 mph). While XB-1 was in the air, the team performed an initial assessment of the aircraft’s handling qualities, including airspeed checks with the T-38 chase aircraft, and assessing the aircraft’s stability in the landing attitude (at a high angle of attack).

The return of civilian airliners

Two decades after Concorde’s retirement, the first flight of XB-1 marks the return of a civil supersonic aircraft to the skies and paves the way for the revival of mainstream supersonic travel. The aircraft, an all-composite, three-engine, delta-wing, single seat supersonic testbed, rolled out of factory in 2020 and was initially expected to fly in 2021.

Now that XB-1 has successfully completed its first flight, the team will systematically expand the flight envelope to confirm its performance and handling qualities through and beyond Mach 1. When XB-1 is ready for its first supersonic flight, Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenberg will be at the controls. Meanwhile, the company says Overture continues to advance toward production, with a growing global network of Tier 1 suppliers and an order book including 130 orders and pre-orders from American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines.

Overture will carry 64-80 passengers at Mach 1.7 and is designed to run on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel, as Boom aims to make it 100% carbon neutral. The company also specified that the aircraft will fly at full speed over water, doubling the cruise speed of current airliners, while over land it will be restricted to a speed only 20% higher.

Overture will be long 201 ft (about 61 m), all-composite, propelled by four engines, with a max range of 4,250 nm. The engine, also being developed by Boom, is called Symphony and is a turbofan capable of providing 35,000 lb of thrust, produced also with the help of additive manufacturing. Boom says the factory where Overture will be produced is expected to be ready this year.

 

[Malcolm]

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/travel/news/170-000-flying-car-achieves-first-flight/vi-AA1jQeG3?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=EDGEXST&cvid=eb93e04684274baef69e1bfe9865e9df&ei=46

[boestar]

On 3/19/2024 at 7:58 PM, Kip Powick said:

Should be fun watching a 341 foot blade get around a few corners

I followed on in New Brunswick.  It is not a fast mover by any means.  It was entertaining.

 

[Malcolm]

Lots of interesting videos:  The Daily Aviation – The Official Website of The Daily Aviation YouTube Channel

Welcome to The Daily Aviation Channel (youtube.com)

TheDailyAviation.com is the official website of The Daily Aviation YouTube Channel. On this website you will find historical article about aircraft that marked the Aviation history, news, interviews, etc,etc… Don’t forget to bookmark this website if you want to read daily aviation content !

[W5]

On 3/23/2024 at 3:52 PM, W5 said:

The XB-1 demonstrator provides the foundation for Boom’s supersonic airliner Overture.

The XB-1 supersonic aircraft demonstrator of Boom Supersonic flew for the first time on March 22, 2024, from the Mojave Air & Space Port in Mojave, California. XB-1, according to the company, is the world’s first independently developed supersonic jet and leverages state-of-the-art technologies to enable efficient supersonic flight including carbon fiber composites, advanced avionics, digitally-optimized aerodynamics, and an advanced supersonic propulsion system.

“Today, XB-1 took flight in the same hallowed airspace where the Bell X-1 first broke the sound barrier in 1947,” said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. “I’ve been looking forward to this flight since founding Boom in 2014, and it marks the most significant milestone yet on our path to bring supersonic travel to passengers worldwide.”

The aircraft was flown by Chief Test Pilot Bill “Doc” Shoemaker, while Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg flew the T-38 chase aircraft which monitored XB-1 in the air, observing how the aircraft was handling and verifying its flight data and airworthiness. Both pilots maintain flight proficiency in T-38 and F-5 aircraft, which they use to develop chase procedures and practice flight test techniques that  will be used in XB-1, but they have also flown the F-104 as both share many flight characteristics.

“Everyone on the XB-1 team should be incredibly proud of this achievement,” said Shoemaker. “It has been a privilege to share this journey with so many dedicated and talented professionals. The experience we have gained in reaching this milestone will be invaluable to Boom’s revival of supersonic travel.”

According to Boom Supersonic’s press statement, XB-1 met all of its test objectives, including safely and successfully achieving an altitude of 7,120 feet and speeds up to 238 knots (273 mph). While XB-1 was in the air, the team performed an initial assessment of the aircraft’s handling qualities, including airspeed checks with the T-38 chase aircraft, and assessing the aircraft’s stability in the landing attitude (at a high angle of attack).

The return of civilian airliners

Two decades after Concorde’s retirement, the first flight of XB-1 marks the return of a civil supersonic aircraft to the skies and paves the way for the revival of mainstream supersonic travel. The aircraft, an all-composite, three-engine, delta-wing, single seat supersonic testbed, rolled out of factory in 2020 and was initially expected to fly in 2021.

Now that XB-1 has successfully completed its first flight, the team will systematically expand the flight envelope to confirm its performance and handling qualities through and beyond Mach 1. When XB-1 is ready for its first supersonic flight, Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenberg will be at the controls. Meanwhile, the company says Overture continues to advance toward production, with a growing global network of Tier 1 suppliers and an order book including 130 orders and pre-orders from American Airlines, United Airlines, and Japan Airlines.

Overture will carry 64-80 passengers at Mach 1.7 and is designed to run on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel, as Boom aims to make it 100% carbon neutral. The company also specified that the aircraft will fly at full speed over water, doubling the cruise speed of current airliners, while over land it will be restricted to a speed only 20% higher.

Overture will be long 201 ft (about 61 m), all-composite, propelled by four engines, with a max range of 4,250 nm. The engine, also being developed by Boom, is called Symphony and is a turbofan capable of providing 35,000 lb of thrust, produced also with the help of additive manufacturing. Boom says the factory where Overture will be produced is expected to be ready this year.

 

Boom Authorized To Boom

https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/boom-authorized-to-boom/

 

For the first time in its history, the FAA has issued a special flight authorization to allow Boom Supersonic to break the sound barrier. The approval will allow the Colorado startup to fly its XB-1 demonstrator aircraft faster than Mach 1 up to 20 times over the next year in the Black Mountain Supersonic Corridor in Mojave, California. The plane flew for the first time March 22 and is expected to validate the technology Boom will use to build Overture, the supersonic airliner Boom hopes will restart civilian supersonic air travel.

 

“Following XB-1’s successful first flight, I’m looking forward to its historic first supersonic flight,” said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. “We thank the Federal Aviation Administration for supporting innovation and enabling XB-1 to continue its important role of informing the future of supersonic travel.” The company says it will warm up for breaking the sound barrier with 10 to 20 flights, each faster than the previous one. After the first boom, they’ll go up in speed in 0.1 Mach increments to 1.3.

[W5]

AI Flew X-62 VISTA During Simulated Dogfight Against Manned F-16

https://theaviationist.com/2024/04/18/ai-flew-x-62-vista-during-dogfight/

While safety pilots were onboard at all times, the AI agent successfully demonstrated it could safely conduct AI versus human within-visual-range engagements.

The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency just announced that last year the X-62 VISTA was successfully flown by an Artificial Intelligence agent during a simulated dogfight against a human pilot on an F-16. The breakthrough, for which the team has been nominated as finalist for the 2023 Robert J. Collier Trophy, is part of DARPA’s Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program.

“The potential for autonomous air-to-air combat has been imaginable for decades, but the reality has remained a distant dream up until now,” said Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall. “In 2023, the X-62A broke one of the most significant barriers in combat aviation. This is a transformational moment, all made possible by breakthrough accomplishments of the X-62A ACE team”.

The press release did not disclose when the testing happened, however, since it mentioned the teams went from the initial installation of live AI agents into the X-62A’s systems to the demonstration in less than a calendar year, it’s possible it happened between summer and fall 2023. The Air Force acknowledged that the first flights of the X-62 controlled by AI agents were performed in December 2022.

The testing happened in the airspace above Edwards Air Force Base, California. Initial flight safety was built up first using defensive maneuvers, according to the info released, before switching to offensive high-aspect nose-to-nose engagements where the dogfighting aircraft got as close as 2,000 feet at 1,200 miles per hour. In total, the team made over 100,000 lines of flight-critical software changes across 21 test flights.

The X-62A is flown with safety pilots onboard with the independent ability to disengage the AI agent should something go sideways. However, the test pilots did not have to activate the safety switch at any point during the engagements over Edwards AFB, said the Air Force.

The AI versus human within-visual-range engagement, otherwise known as a dogfight, is a highly complex scenario that, according to the service, the X-62A utilized to successfully prove using non-deterministic artificial intelligence safely is possible within aerospace. While performing Basic Fighter Maneuvers against a manned aircraft was the primary testing scenario, it was not the end goal.

“It’s very easy to look at the X-62A ACE program and see it as under autonomous control, it can dogfight, but that misses the point,” said Bill Gray, the Test Pilot School’s chief test pilot. “Dogfighting was the problem to solve so we could start testing autonomous artificial intelligence systems in the air. Every lesson we’re learning applies to every task you could give to an autonomous system”.

The first-ever use of machine-learning-based autonomy in flight-critical systems will serve as a foundation for future aerospace AI advances that are both safer and more reliable in both commercial and defense applications. The lessons learned will be advanced onto future programs of record, while the X-62 will continue to serve a variety of customers for research, while providing key academic lessons.

The X-62 Variable Stability In-Flight Simulator Test Aircraft

The NF-16 VISTA started life as a F-16D Block 30 which later received numerous upgrades and modifications, flying for the first time in the new configuration in 1992, and became an important part of the Test Pilot School curriculum. In 2021 it was redesignated as the X-62A in preparation for its participation in Skyborg autonomous flight tests with the Air Force Research Laboratory.

The aircraft was upgraded to fully replace the VISTA Simulation System and add a new system called the System for Autonomous Control of Simulation (SACS) to support autonomy testing, prompting the redesignation as an X-plane. The central control stick connected to the simulation system, in addition to the F-16’s peculiar side stick, was left installed on the aircraft.

Artificial Intelligence agents successfully piloted the X-62A for the first time during 12 flights between December 1 and 16, 2022. The test campaign involved two AI agents, the AFRL’s Autonomous Air Combat Operations and DARPA’s Air Combat Evolution, each performing in different roles.

In fact, while the AACO’s AI agents performed one-on-one beyond-visual-range (BVR) engagements against a simulated adversary, the ACE’s AI agents performed within-visual-range maneuvering, also known as “dogfighting”, against constructive AI red-team agents. Both teams’ AI agents executed autonomous tactical maneuvering while maintaining real-world airspace boundaries and optimizing aircraft performance.

The Air Combat Evolution program

DARPA’s ACE program aims to develop trusted, scalable, human-level, AI-driven autonomy for air combat by using human-machine collaborative dogfighting as its challenge problem. As we reported in 2020, the ACE program’s AlphaDogfight Trials pitted AI agents against each other flying simulated F-16s in a virtual dogfighting competition that culminated with the winning AI defeating an experienced F-16 fighter pilot flying in a simulator.

The AI vs human dogfight was the final event of the three-day competition, which saw eight different AI programs battling each other in different scenarios. Each participating company developed its AI program and, using machine learning, they put their programs through thousands of simulations to gain experience.

The winning AI agent emerged with an aggressive behavior which went for very precise high aspect gun kills, often at the first merge at the beginning of the fight. The agent was capitalizing on the safety limitations, imposed through the Air Force Instruction (AFI) publications which the human pilot was adhering to during the simulator flight.

Other than flying more precisely and at the limits of safety regulations, the AI also had quicker reactions thanks to the computer’s faster OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide and Act). This resulted in the AI getting a shot as soon as it could, while the human pilot tried to maneuver for a follow-on/rear shot and did not attempt to get a face-shot or a shot of opportunity, even when he had a chance, which ultimately made the difference.

[deicer]

Innovation and experimentation...

 

[Malcolm]

RCAF Avro Canada CF-100 in the foreground with a USAF Convair F-102 Delta Dagger in the back.

#BlackLotusUP

[JL]

Is this really about propulsion or the current level of computer aided design in drag reduction? (RR story above)

Edited April 21 by JL

[deicer]

18 hours ago, JL said:

Is this really about propulsion or the current level of computer aided design in drag reduction? (RR story above)

Don't the two go hand in hand?  Isn't that why modern fighters have the wasp waist?

[JL]

My point was that if they equipped it with 550SHP Pratt it should have posted the same speed. So the real hero in this story wasn't the propulsion system...it was their ability to reduce all types of drag. 

[Malcolm]

Some airlines look to electric for the future of flight

A handful of the world's major airlines are betting on electric for the future of flight

• Calgary Herald
• 22 Apr 2024
• EDWARD RUSSELL

HEART AEROSPACE A rendering of Heart Aerospace's new 30-seat electric turboprop plane, the ES-30. Many airlines and aviation companies are experimenting with new technologies.

Last November, a small, white, oblong helicopter with four passenger seats and six whirring electric engines took off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport.

Several people, including Mayor Eric Adams, watched as the air taxi known as an EVTOL — an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft — flew silently, undetected by nearby pedestrians along the East River.

“To bring electric flight and the benefits of electric flight here is a dream come true,” said Joeben Bevirt, the CEO of Joby Aviation, to the crowd. Joby is just one of dozens of firms around the world betting on EVTOLS. Their backers include some of aviation's biggest names, such as Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Embraer.

Many airlines and aviation companies are experimenting with new technologies not only to manage relentless economic pressure to be an affordable choice for transportation but also to be more environmentally friendly. Besides the move to electric engines, airlines are investigating options for fuel such as hydrogen and repurposed fuels and the re-emergence of supersonic flight. Investors have spent an estimated $22.2 billion, according to a report published by the Mckinsey Center for Future Mobility. Most companies aim to fly their new offerings in noticeable numbers by the end of this decade — or relegate them to the trash heap of history while they pursue other options.

“You need to have a similar revolution as (with) the electric car,” said Anders Forslund, co-founder and CEO of the Swedish company Heart Aerospace.

Modern airplanes are more efficient and safer than they were when the 707, Boeing 's first jetliner, debuted in 1958. Boeing 's latest long-range model, the 787, looks similar, even if the engineering is much improved.

“This is an industry based upon remarkable, sustained, incremental progress,” said Richard Aboulafia, a managing director at Aerodynamic Advisory, in explaining the glacial pace of change in design.

Heart Aerospace intends to change that reputation. Engineers are developing a 30-seat electric turboprop plane, the ES-30, with backing from the likes of Air Canada, Saab and United. The plan is to be operational by 2028. While the ES-30 looks like the prop planes that already fly passengers to small towns around the world, it could be revolutionary if certified: It does not emit carbon while it flies, and it is quiet. The lower cost of operating the ES-30 could also help airlines reopen routes where flights disappeared years ago.

Electric planes have their disadvantages, too. Battery capacity, despite recent improvements, does not equal the energy density of jet fuel. Installing a larger battery would add significant weight to a plane. To compensate, the planes would have to reduce the number of passenger seats to roughly 40 to 50. Last year, domestic flights averaged 132 seats per flight, according to the aviation data analytics firm Cirium Diio.

Flying range would also be limited. An electric plane must fly within a few hundred miles; the average distance flown today is 770 miles.

“In 2030, we're not going to be able to cover all the (airline) routes, but we're going to be able to cover the routes up to 500 miles with reserves,” said Kyle Clark, co-founder and CEO of Beta Technologies.

“We've already seen (batteries) doubling in energy density,” continued Clark. The company first flew an electric test plane in 2017, proving that battery-powered planes can fly. Certification of its production model, the Alia, is underway.

The debate around EVTOLS is different. Delta Air Lines, in partnership with Joby, plans to offer a “premium Home to Seat” service to connect heliports with nearby major airports once certified by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The companies estimate that about 1,000 people a day would choose EVTOLS instead of automobiles to travel to and from the airport. This number is equivalent to just two per cent of the roughly 18.2 million travellers the airline managed at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport during the year ending in November, based on the latest U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics data.

“Moving around people with more means to access mobility and, in some cases, bypass congestion raises equity concerns,” said Adam Cohen, a senior researcher looking at transportation issues at the University of California at Berkeley.

The first commercial EVTOL flights could be in operation this summer at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Certification delays, however, might nix that dream. And, maybe as soon as 2025, Joby and Delta hope to launch flights in New York and Los Angeles; United and Archer Aviation plan to do the same in Chicago.

Hydrogen, depending how it is sourced and produced, can be completely free of carbon emissions. It also weighs less than most electric batteries, allowing the plane to store more energy for longer flights. The downside for using liquid hydrogen is space: The fuel requires more space to carry the amount needed to power most commercial aircraft, which means less space for paying passengers.

“Hydrogen has always been the Holy Grail of aviation fuels,” said Paul Eremenko, co-founder and CEO of Universal Hydrogen.

Hydrogen is the lightest element and can power a fuel cell that generates electricity. The company, which is backed by American Airlines, Jetblue Ventures and others, is developing a hydrogen fuel-cell system that could be retrofitted on existing prop planes.

Universal Hydrogen began testing its fuel cells on a 40-seat plane last year in Moses Lake, Wash. Flight tests have since moved to Mojave, Calif., with an aim to earn certification in 2026.

European aerospace giant Airbus is considering hydrogen fuel as well for its planes. In 2020, Airbus engineers began developing a hydrogen-powered aircraft known as ZEROE with a plan to be operational by the middle of the 2030s. The initial concepts include four types of planes: two small planes with fewer than 100 seats and two larger aircraft with more than 200 seats.

Air New Zealand is betting on all of the new technologies, from electric to hydrogen, for its future fleet. The airline wants to begin flying a low-emission plane on domestic routes around 2030. It will begin testing a cargo plane within two years. The company is partnering with Heart Aerospace and Universal Hydrogen, among others.

“We need to do what we can to support all the technology because we're going to need it all,” said Kiri Hannifin, chief sustainability officer of Air New Zealand. “Next-generation aircraft will be part of the soul for aviation.”

We need to do what we can to support all the technology because we're going to need it all. Next-generation aircraft will be part of the soul for aviation. Kiri Hannifin

Article Name:Some airlines look to electric for the future of flight

Publication:Calgary Herald

Author:EDWARD RUSSELL

Start Page:D1

End Page:D1

[deicer]

44 minutes ago, JL said:

My point was that if they equipped it with 550SHP Pratt it should have posted the same speed. So the real hero in this story wasn't the propulsion system...it was their ability to reduce all types of drag. 

Again, the two go hand in hand.

As they stated, it's about developing and refining new technology.  Sometimes by embracing new ways you learn and move forward faster.  A good example is the Space Dragon capsule.  Totally autonomous, and already in service for a while.  Boeing with their old way of doing things is delayed by years in getting their new capsule to fly.

Same with the 737 program.  How's that working out for Boeing?

I find it exciting when you see new stuff like this being put out there.  From another post above, what would it be if they had developed a hydrogen system to power the aircraft?  New fascinating tech that would once again move forward with a view to sustainability.

Progress will be made whether one likes it or not.