Guest Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 The flying taxi market is ready for takeoff, changing the travel experience forever PUBLISHED SAT, MAR 7 202010:30 AM EST Tim Hornyak@ROBOTOPIA KEY POINTS The market for flying cars, now known as electric air taxis, should continue to mature during this decade, soaring to $1.5 trillion globally by 2040, according to a Morgan Stanley Research study. Driving this trend is a confluence of technologies, including autonomous vehicles such as drones and self-driving cars, more efficient batteries and advanced manufacturing techniques. Start-ups and major brands are developing them, including Boeing, Hyundai, Airbus, Toyota and Uber. Lilium says its five-seater jets can travel up to 186 in one hour. Lilium Flying cars, now known as electric air taxis, have been around for a long time in our dreams. If you watched sci-fi staples like “The Jetsons” or “Back to the Future,” you may have indulged in flights of fancy about winging it to work and waving traffic jams goodbye. But now that major brands like Toyota, Uber, Hyundai, Airbus and Boeing are promising to whisk riders through the skies in flying taxis, the dream is getting closer to reality. The goal is to link urban centers with suburbs while leapfrogging traffic — air taxis could cruise at 180 mph at altitudes of around 1,000 ft to 2,000 ft. But NASA has reported they can go at an altitude up to 5,000 ft. It’s a market that should continue to mature during this decade and then boom globally. The autonomous urban aircraft market may be worth $1.5 trillion by 2040, according to a Morgan Stanley Research study. Another urban air mobility (UAM) study, by Frost & Sullivan, sees air taxis beginning in 2022 in Dubai and expanding with a compound annual growth rate of about 46% to more than 430,000 units in operation by 2040. Driving this trend is a confluence of technologies, including autonomous vehicles such as drones and self-driving cars, more efficient batteries and advanced manufacturing techniques. It’s not surprising that companies — from venture-backed start-ups and Uber to major auto and aviation companies — are rushing to grab a foothold in this nascent market. The business has the potential to significantly disrupt the landscape of urban mobility, and investors are pouring millions into commercialization efforts.They are attracted to the fact that electric air taxis have the potential to lower operating and maintenance costs dramatically. WATCH NOW VIDEO01:22 Boeing takes another step toward making flying taxis a reality Electric air taxis come in several shapes and sizes, and many look quite different from conventional fixed-wing aircraft. Electric motors replace jet engines, and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, designed to avoid the need for long runways, have rotating wings and, in some cases, rotors in place of propellers. Only a few companies are making vehicles that actually look like cars with wings. Tie-ups in the sky In January, Toyota said it is investing $394 million into Silicon Valley-based Joby Aviation, which is developing a piloted all-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi. The move, part of a financing round worth $590 million, will help Joby launch an electric air-taxi service by 2023 and gives the company access to Toyota’s prowess in manufacturing, quality and cost control. The start-up is building a prototype that it says should eventually approach the cost of ground transportation and help a billion people save more than an hour in commuting time every day. Joby Aviation is developing electric passenger planes and an air taxi service. “Joby has developed advanced technology and integrated it into an amazing aircraft through thoughtful design; this is the key to successful market entry and the commercial success of our products,” says Joby spokesperson Mojgan Khalili. “Joby Aviation’s aircraft is designed for four passengers plus a pilot. It can travel more than 150 miles on a single charge, is 100 times quieter than conventional aircraft during takeoff and landing, and is near silent in flyover.” In another Asian-American partnership, South Korean carmaker Hyundai and Uber showed off a mockup of a large flying taxi at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for the Uber Elevate aerial ride-hailing service. The electrically powered PAV or “personal air vehicle,” will have the capability of carrying four passengers on trips of up to 60 miles at speeds reaching 180 mph. They will be able to cruise at altitudes up to 2,000 ft. Hyundai said the all-electric craft could be recharged in minutes, but did not elaborate on how. Uber has said it wants to begin testing of vertical takeoff and landing vehicles in 2020 and launch its first official ride three years later, rolling out services in Dallas, Los Angeles and Melbourne. It aims to make flying taxis cheaper than owning passenger cars. Uber Elevate is planning to begin demonstration flights this year. “We believe Hyundai has the potential to build Uber Air vehicles at rates unseen in the current aerospace industry, producing high quality, reliable aircraft at high volumes to drive down passenger costs per trip,” Eric Allison, head of Uber Elevate, said in a release. “Combining Hyundai’s manufacturing muscle with Uber’s technology platform represents a giant leap forward for launching a vibrant air taxi network in the coming years.” Hyundai Motor and Uber have announced a new partnership to develop Uber Air Taxis for a future aerial ride share network and unveiled a new full-scale aircraft concept at CES. Hyundai Toyota, Joby, Uber and Hyundai are working in a field that’s already crowded with contenders. Boeing, another partner in the Uber Elevate program, has already begun flight tests of its prototype air taxi. German start-up Lilium Aviation sent a prototype remote-controlled, jet-powered eVTOL on its maiden flight last year and later completed the first phase of testing. Stuttgart-based Volocopter, backed by Intel, Daimler and Geely, has apparently logged over 1,000 test flights and aims for fully autonomous commercial flights in five to 10 years. Turbulence before takeoff “Air taxis are definitely the next phase of mobility,” says Joe Praveen Vijayakumar, Frost & Sullivan senior industry analyst. “Urban centers across the globe are struggling to come to terms with the rising vehicle numbers and the resulting congestion, especially during peak traffic hours. When air taxis become widely commercialized, they will definitely ease the traffic burden on city roads. They will usher in a nimble form of intracity travel, transporting people on the shortest possible route between two locations.” But growth faces hurdles. Incidents like the death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash have highlighted safety concerns of flying taxis. While the first flying taxi services may have human pilots, later replaced by remote-controlled or AI-powered autonomous vehicles, regulators around the world have been trying to get ahead of the commercialization rush by creating standards and virtual sandboxes where developers can experiment. Aside from risks to passengers and people on the ground, air taxis could pose hazards for other aircraft. They could also become a target for hackers. The regulations in development will cover everything from vehicle safety, airworthiness and traffic control to noise pollution, operator certification and software security. Boeing’s first test of its Uber Air air taxi. Source: Boeing Corp. “Everyone in the industry proceeds as though safety is guaranteed and technology will solve everything, which, as we know, is never the case,” says Dominic Perry, an aviation journalist and deputy editor of Flight International. “In the scramble to produce the air vehicles, there are also few companies giving due consideration to the infrastructure required to operate them, or the industrialization and resources required to build them in the first place.” Even if safety can be assured, cost is another big barrier. Morgan Stanley analyst Rajeev Lalwani has speculated that the market could begin as “an ultra-niche add-on to existing transportation infrastructure, similar to how helicopters operate today.” Personal helicopter travel has been around for a long time but hasn’t expanded beyond wealthy passengers, and it’s perhaps no surprise that Boeing and Porsche have joined hands to explore vehicles for the “premium urban air mobility market.” The question is whether automation can lower costs. Lilium Chief Commercial Officer Remo Gerber told CNBC that flights could take passengers from Manhattan to JFK Airport within six minutes for about $70; much less than Uber’s helicopter rides, which cost about $200 to $225 for the same trip. When air taxis become widely commercialized, they will definitely ease the traffic burden on city roads. They will usher in a nimble form of intracity travel, transporting people on the shortest possible route between two locations. Joe Praveen Vijayakumar SENIOR INDUSTRY ANALYST, FROST & SULLIVAN “If they are priced correctly, air taxis may be able to democratize travel in cities where there is no public transport alternative or where the congestion and size of the urban area (Sao Paulo is the classic example) are so great,” adds Perry. “If, however, they simply become another helicopter service for the rich, then all they will be doing is transforming the mobility of the wealthy, further increasing a divide between rich and poor. Will they alleviate ground congestion? Almost certainly not.” Surviving the shakeout It’s early to pick winners in the air-taxi race, but beyond regulations, safety and cost, a few factors are key. One is the ability to work with different players in all the different industries needed to make air taxis work, such as aviation, automotive, telecom, software, cybersecurity and real estate. Another is being able to work with governments to ensure the adoption of regulations supporting commercial air taxi services. “As for which brands will have an edge, definitely companies from the aviation industry which have entered the market, including Boeing, Airbus, Bell, etc., will definitely have an advantage because of their already existing aerospace expertise,” says Vijayakumar, referring to their long history of making commercial jets and helicopters. “Among the UAM start-ups, Volocopter, Kitty Hawk, Lilium and Joby Aviation look promising to commercialize.” Perry believes many players will founder while struggling to shoulder the significant costs of developing air vehicles—Lilium founder and CEO Daniel Wiegand pegged them at “several million” — and will hold out hope for buyouts by white knights like Boeing or Airbus. “There seem to be a lot of companies drawn to the space from the tech sector where the attitude is all about challenging convention and while this can be healthy — all industries need a shakeup from time to time — there are a lot of rules and regulations in aerospace for a good reason,” he adds. “My suspicion is that a lot of Silicon Valley-type firms will also look to sell out at some point, with their IP the big value for them.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Hudson Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 43 minutes ago, Marshall said: When air taxis become widely commercialized, they will definitely ease the traffic burden on city roads. They will usher in a nimble form of intracity travel, transporting people on the shortest possible route between two locations. Will they have TCAS...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 44 minutes ago, Don Hudson said: Will they have TCAS...? Maybe but I would bet that the collision repair shops will do a bumper business . also a fortune to be made rewiring cities so as to put the cables underground or creating conveniently located landing pads . And then also there will be a large increase noise reduction routings, no fly zones and the beat goes on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 TSB now hiring.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted March 8, 2020 Share Posted March 8, 2020 Gonna be fun during "questionable" weather.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 7, 2020 Share Posted April 7, 2020 Boeing will redo botched test for Starliner crew capsule Investigation found capsule could have been destroyed twice due to errors in December flight The Associated Press · Posted: Apr 07, 2020 7:53 AM ET | Last Updated: 2 hours ago In this Dec. 19, 2019, file photo, Boeing's first Starliner spacecraft sits on top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket before a botched, unmanned test flight that was considered a perilous close call by NASA. Boeing said Monday, April 6, 2020, it will repeat a test flight. (Terry Renna/Associated Press) Boeing said Monday it will repeat a test flight of its astronaut capsule following last year's botched demo, considered a perilous close call by NASA. Boeing spokesman Jerry Drelling said the company is looking to fly a second Starliner capsule, once again without a crew, possibly this fall. If that goes well, then astronauts will climb aboard on the following mission. The Starliner's debut last December was marred by software errors. The capsule ended up in the wrong orbit and, as a result, could not reach the International Space Station as intended. Investigators later determined the capsule could have been destroyed in flight — twice — as a result of the mistakes. "Flying another uncrewed flight will allow us to complete all flight test objectives and evaluate the performance of the second Starliner vehicle at no cost to the taxpayer," the company said in a statement. Boeing said earlier this year that it took a $410 million US ($575 million Cdn) charge in its fourth-quarter earnings, to pay for a potential repeat. In this long exposure photo, the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the Boeing Starliner crew capsule lifts off on an orbital flight test to the International Space Station from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force station on Dec. 20, 2019. The capsule ended up in the wrong orbit and could not continue to the space station. (Terry Renna/The Associated Press) NASA hired Boeing — along with SpaceX — to transport astronauts to and from the space station, and ease the space agency's costly reliance on Russian rockets for launching crews. SpaceX is on track to launch two NASA astronauts aboard its Dragon crew capsule next month. It will be the first human launch from Cape Canaveral since NASA's space shuttle program ended in 2011. The company is shooting for mid-to-late May. SpaceX's first test flight of its crew Dragon a year ago, without a crew, was successful RELATED STORIES Boeing's botched Starliner test flirted with 'catastrophic' failure, NASA finds Here are the 1st people who will ride new SpaceX and Boeing spaceships SpaceX launches, destroys rocket in successful astronaut escape test NASA may make Boeing redo failed test flight to space station NASA may make Boeing redo failed test flight to space station Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 9, 2020 Share Posted April 9, 2020 NASA, SpaceX team up for emergency egress exercise by Staff Writers Kennedy Space Center FL (SPX) Apr 08, 2020 On Friday, April 3, 2020, NASA and SpaceX completed an end-to-end demonstration of the teams' ability to safely evacuate crew members from the Fixed Service Structure during an emergency situation at Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Safety is a top priority as NASA and SpaceX prepare for liftoff of the company's second demonstration flight test (Demo-2), the first flight to carry astronauts to the International Space Station onboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program. The teams conducted an emergency egress exercise at Launch Complex 39A at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 3. The end-to-end demonstration is the latest in a series of similar exercises to ensure the crew and support teams can quickly evacuate from the launch pad in the unlikely event of an emergency prior to liftoff. NASA and SpaceX personnel, including the Kennedy pad rescue team, participated in the exercise. The primary objective was to demonstrate the teams' ability to safely evacuate crew members from the launch pad during an emergency situation. Teams rehearsed locating injured personnel on the 265-foot-level of the launch tower, loading them into the pad's slidewire baskets and safely descending the tower, then successfully loading the injured participants into Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles staged at the pad perimeter. Scheduled for launch no earlier than May 2020, Demo-2 will be the first launch of NASA astronauts from American soil to the International Space Station since the space shuttle era. It also is the final flight test for the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft system to be certified for regular flights to the station with crew onboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 13, 2020 Share Posted April 13, 2020 Apollo 13: Enhanced images reveal life on stricken spacecraft By Paul Rincon https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52264743 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 Looks like the industry is maturing from a near monopoly (Russian after the US bowed out) and now we see an accusation of predatory pricing. What next? Ultra low cost space flights / companies? Russia space chief spars with Elon Musk over launch pricing by Staff Writers Moscow (AFP) April 11, 2020 The head of Russia's space agency on Saturday accused Elon Musk's SpaceX of predatory pricing for space launches, which is pushing Russia to cut its own prices. "Instead of honest competition on the market for space launches, they are lobbying for sanctions against us and use price dumping with impunity," Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin wrote on Twitter. Rogozin, who is often outspoken on Twitter and previously engaged in online banter with Elon Musk, on Friday raised the issue during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. He said the Roscosmos space agency "is working to lower prices by more than 30 percent on launch services to increase our share on the international markets." "This is our answer to dumping by American companies financed by the US budget," he said. The market price of a SpaceX launch is $60 million, but NASA pays up to four times that amount, he said. Musk responded to the criticism Saturday by saying on Twitter: "SpaceX rockets are 80% reusable, theirs are 0%. This is the actual problem." SpaceX plans to send astronauts to the International Space Station next month for the first time on board its Falcon 9, a rocket that can be reused, lowering the cost of missions. Musk also announced last month that SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsules will start transporting tourists to the ISS next year. Rogozin has claimed, however, that SpaceX's low pricing is only possible due to lavish funding from the Pentagon. After NASA retired its space shuttles in 2011, Russia became the sole carrier of humans to space, charging NASA for launching US astronauts to the ISS at reportedly $70 million each. Rogozin last year congratulated Musk on Crew Dragon's successful launch, and Musk has tweeted jokes in Russian, with the banter a source of delight for Russian media. In 2014, Rogozin mocked the lack of a US manned flight programme, saying it might as well "deliver its astronauts to the ISS by using a trampoline", after Washington announced new sanctions against Moscow which included some space industries. ma/spm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 15, 2020 Share Posted April 15, 2020 Viking and Longview Aviation Services Announce Delivery of First Production CL-415EAF “Enhanced Aerial Firefighter” 15 April 2020Canadian Aviation News From Longview Aviation Services (LAS) Longview Aviation Services (LAS) of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, in cooperation with Viking Air Limited of Victoria, British Columbia, is pleased to announce the first Viking CL-415EAF “Enhanced Aerial Firefighter” has been delivered to launch customer Bridger Aerospace Group (Bridger Aerospace) of Bozeman, Montana, USA. Bridger Aerospace became the launch customer for the Viking CL-415EAF “Enhanced Aerial Firefighter” program after signing a multiple aircraft purchase agreement in May of 2018. The contract with all options exercised is valued at $204M and covers the sale of six CL-415EAF amphibious aerial firefighting aircraft. Manufacturer’s serial number (MSN) 1081, the first Canadair CL-215 to undergo the major modification to the EAF “Enhanced Aerial Firefighter” configuration, took its inaugural flight on March 9th, 2020 outside of program-collaborator Cascade Aerospace’s facility in Abbotsford, British Columbia. After application of Bridger’s livery at International Aerospace Coatings’ facility in Spokane, Washington, MSN 1081 flew over the central Rocky Mountain range to Bozeman, Montana for delivery to Bridger Aerospace in advance of the 2020 North American wildfire season. Tim Sheehy, founder and CEO of Bridger Aerospace Group, stated, “Aggressive Initial Attack and advanced technology in support of the wildland firefighter are the core of Bridger’s ethos. The Viking CL-415EAF is the most capable initial attack asset on the planet and we are proud to be the launch customer for this incredible capability.” Robert Mauracher, Executive Vice President Sales & Marketing for Viking, commented, “We are very excited and proud to be delivering our first Viking CL-415EAF Enhanced Aerial Firefighter to Bridger Aerospace in time for the 2020 North American wildfire season. The delivery of our first Enhanced Aerial Firefighter is the culmination of a multi-faceted collaborative project originally launched in 2018 and represents the solid partnership that has developed between Viking, LAS, and Bridger over the past 24 months. We are now looking forward to adding a second aircraft to their fleet in the coming months.” The CL-415EAF “Enhanced Aerial Firefighter” modification program, announced in 2018 as a collaboration between the two subsidiaries of Longview Aviation Capital, provides an economic boost throughout Western Canada derived from job creation, aerospace manufacturing, innovation, supply chain development, academic partnerships and global export opportunities. The Viking CL-415EAF modification porgram forms part of a staged approach to utilize advancements made with the LAS converted aircraft as the basis for the proposed next-generation Viking CL-515 new-production aerial firefighting and multi-purpose amphibious aircraft. About the CL-415EAF “Enhanced Aerial Firefighter”: The Viking CL-415EAF “Enhanced Aerial Firefighter” is a specially selected CL-215 airframe converted to turbine configuration using Viking-supplied conversion kits. It features a new Collins Pro Line Fusion® integrated digital avionics suite, Pratt & Whitney PW123AF turbine engines, increased fire-retardant capacity, and improvements to numerous aircraft systems. The Viking CL-415EAF represents the evolution of the type, providing best-in-class water drop performance utilizing the higher delivery 2-door water drop system combined with a zero-timed maintenance program and a “new aircraft” factory-supported warranty program. All obsolete components impacting the worldwide fleet of CL-215 & CL-415 aircraft are replaced in the CL-415EAF, and the upgraded aircraft is designed to failsafe FAR 25 certification criteria with no preset life limit. The very short scooping distance of the CL-415EAF aircraft is expected to outperform competitors from initial attack to sustained major fire suppression, and the combination of safety and longevity represents exceptional value inherent in purpose-built aerial firefighting amphibious aircraft. The CL-415EAF aircraft is the only aerial firefighter with factory OEM support offered by Viking’s Customer Service & Product Support division, including management of all Continuing Airworthiness, warranty items, in-service engineering, initial provisioning, as well as offering Viking’s M+ all-inclusive maintenance support program. All improvements and obsolescence issues addressed in the CL-415EAF aircraft will become the new aircraft production standard in the manufacture of an all new, next generation CL-515 multi-purpose amphibious aircraft. Share this: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 18, 2020 Share Posted April 18, 2020 NASA announces first SpaceX crewed flight for May 27 By Ivan Couronne Washington (AFP) April 17, 2020 A SpaceX rocket will send two American astronauts to the International Space Station on May 27, NASA announced on Friday, the first crewed spaceflight from the US in nearly a decade. "On May 27, @NASA will once again launch American astronauts on American rockets from American soil!" Jim Bridenstine, head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, said in a tweet Since July 2011, the United States has relied on Russian Soyuz rockets to send American astronauts to the ISS. The US space agency had been aiming to conduct the crewed mission in May and is sticking with the plan despite the global coronavirus pandemic. Astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will fly to the ISS on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft also built by SpaceX, the company founded by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. They will lift off at 4:32 pm (2032 GMT) on May 27 from historic launch pad 39A, the same one used for the Apollo and space shuttle missions, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA said. Behnken and Hurley have been training for years for the mission, which would move the United States closer to no longer being reliant on Russia for crewed flights. The Crew Dragon capsule is a modified version of SpaceX's Dragon capsule which has been used to send supplies to the ISS since 2012. It will take approximately 24 hours after liftoff for them to dock with the ISS. The length of their stay aboard the ISS has not been determined. One American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts are currently aboard the ISS. The May mission will be a milestone for NASA, which has had trouble turning the page on the space shuttle era. Shuttles transported American astronauts into space for three decades but two of them also blew up. After abandoning the shuttle, NASA turned to private industry to develop its next generation spacecraft and SpaceX and Boeing have been competing on rolling out a crewed capsule. SpaceX came up with Crew Dragon and Boeing the Starliner but the Starliner suffered a setback in December during a test run. SpaceX is now poised to become the first private company to send astronauts into space. In March, Musk's Crew Dragon capsule made a round trip to the ISS, which is in orbit more than 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth, with a mannequin on board, before returning to the Atlantic after six days in space. SpaceX has made the trip 15 times since 2012, but only to refuel the station. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 24, 2020 Share Posted April 24, 2020 Japanese astronaut prepares for flight aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon by Staff Writers Schriever AFB CO (SPX) Apr 24, 2020 Soichi Noguchi, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut, is currently undergoing training and is set to travel to space alongside NASA astronauts Col. Michael Hopkins, U.S. Air Force, Cmdr. Victor Glover, U.S. Navy, and Shannon Walker, for the Crew-1 mission, tentatively scheduled for August 2020. Noguchi shared details on his training in preparation for Crew-1 during a briefing broadcasted to 50th Wing Staff Agencies Schriever Airmen, April 17. Four 50th Wing Staff Agency Airmen attended a SpaceX briefing on its latest developments and future travel plans to the International Space Station, by Soichi Noguchi, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut, at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, April 17. Col. Jack Fischer, 50th Space Wing vice commander and former NASA astronaut, shared the conference, "Preparing for flight aboard SpaceX/Crew Dragon: Post Certification Mission 1," to keep Airmen engaged and informed on the cooperative efforts to further the space mission alongside SpaceX, Space Force and NASA. "Soichi's purpose was to share with astronauts and cosmonauts the current status of the Crew Dragon flights and answer questions about training," Fischer said. "My purpose [in broadcasting the conference] was to share a neat experience with the Airmen and hopefully, inspire them a bit. Despite COVID, space exploration is continuing ... and is awesome." Noguchi, who has been an astronaut since 1996, will travel aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft (also known as Dragon) to the International Space Station alongside three NASA astronauts. The mission, US Crew Vehicle-1, also known as Crew-1, is tentatively set for August 2020. USCV-1 will be the first crewed operational flight of SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft. During the presentation, Noguchi talked about his training for the upcoming Crew-1 mission, elaborated on the design of the Crew Dragon spacecraft and addressed questions from the astronaut and space focused online conference attendees. Noguchi also introduced the mission that precedes Crew-1, Demo-2. "We are now preparing for the first flight of SpaceX and that mission is called Demo-2," Noguchi said. "NASA astronauts Robert Behnken [Colonel, U.S. Air Force] and Douglas Hurley [Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps, Ret.] are training for [what will be] a certification mission. The launch is slated for May 27." According to NASA, the purpose of the Crew-1 mission is to certify the Dragon spacecraft for operational, long-duration missions to the ISS; laying the foundation for the NASA Commercial Crew Program and the NASA Artemis program, with the goal of landing the first woman and next man on the Moon's surface by 2024. Moreover, the unprecedented Demo-2 certification mission will feature the first crew of astronauts to launch from American soil since the termination of the Space Shuttle Program in 2011 via the Space Transportation System 135 launch. "Most of the space training will be conducted in Los Angeles, California, [at] SpaceX headquarters," Noguchi said. "Some of the training will take place in Houston, Texas so I will be moving between those two states." Fischer shared his time as a NASA astronaut emphasized the importance of training for a mission in space. "The most important training is the emergency training in your transport vehicle and aboard the space station," he said. "Those procedures have to be second nature so that when [the environment] is smoky, dark and potentially toxic, you can resort to your memorized response and stabilize the situation." Fischer and Noguchi bonded as they trained together for previous NASA missions. "He was in the astronaut office during my entire time [at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas]," he said. "We did all sorts of stuff together, including some spacewalk training in our huge pool, the Neutral Buoyancy Lab. He is pure class, and has a big heart. He's just a great guy." When recalling his 2017 mission in space - where he logged 136 days in space with two spacewalks, Fischer remembered the negative effects of gravity he felt on his body, but highlighted the rewarding experience of going to space more than made up for the temporary discomfort. "After a long mission, coming back isn't fun, to put it bluntly, gravity sucks," he said. "After turning off your vestibular system for a while, the turbulent ride of atmospheric re-entry, parachute opening and landing are definitely not fun. But, you got to go to space, so it's definitely worth it." Fischer said both historical missions will have a significant impact on furthering the U.S. space mission and re-establishing the American space program as a world leader. "These astronauts will be flying in a vehicle made by Americans, in America, on an American rocket powered by American engines," he said. "We're witnessing the epicenter of space exploration coming back to our country, and it's exciting to see the re-emergence of U.S. space [flight] power as we define the future." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 26, 2020 Share Posted April 26, 2020 Dream Chaser spaceplane set to get wings by Staff Writers Sparks NV (SPX) Apr 24, 2020 "The wings for Dream Chaser presented an interesting design challenge," said Dream Chaser program director John Curry. "Not only must they survive in low-Earth orbit like a satellite, but they need to be operational in Earth's atmosphere, like an aircraft." Just like the structural body for Dream Chaser, the wings were manufactured by Lockheed Martin in Texas, a subcontractor to SNC, and are single bonded composite structures. Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), the global aerospace and national security leader owned by Eren and Fatih Ozmen, uncrated both wings for its Dream Chaser spaceplane this month at the company's Louisville, Colorado production facility. The wings' arrival kicks off the much-anticipated integration phase of a beautiful and critical differentiator for Dream Chaser, the world's only spaceplane owned by a private company and under contract with NASA. "The wings are here and now we truly have butterflies in anticipation of this integration phase for Dream Chaser," said SNC President Eren Ozmen. "Our spaceplane looks and functions unlike anything else in space - more technologically advanced but with all the heritage of the space shuttle program in its design. Dream Chaser's first flight will be a soaring moment for all of us." The arrival kicks off the integration of the complex Wing Deployment System (WDS) as part of the continued assembly and integration of the vehicle. With their innovative folding design, the wings are stowed in the fairing ahead of launch. After the launch vehicle separates, the WDS deploys the wings and locks them into place. Dream Chaser's steeply angled wings function as stabilizers for the lift generated by the body of the vehicle. "The wings for Dream Chaser presented an interesting design challenge," said Dream Chaser program director John Curry. "Not only must they survive in low-Earth orbit like a satellite, but they need to be operational in Earth's atmosphere, like an aircraft." Just like the structural body for Dream Chaser, the wings were manufactured by Lockheed Martin in Texas, a subcontractor to SNC, and are single bonded composite structures. This state-of-the-art technology saves weight without compromising strength and stiffness. Dream Chaser is under contract with NASA for at least six cargo resupply and return service missions to the International Space Station under the Commercial Resupply Services 2 (CRS-2) contract. The Dream Chaser and attached Shooting Star transport vehicle can carry up to 12,000 pounds of supplies and other cargo, and returns delicate science to Earth with a gentle runway landing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 28, 2020 Share Posted April 28, 2020 Pentagon releases UFO videos for the record https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52457805 2 hours ago Share this with Facebook Share this with Messenger Share this with Twitter Share this with Email https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52457805Share Media captionThe videos have been made public to "clear up any misconceptions"The US Department of Defense has released three declassified videos of "unexplained aerial phenomena".The Pentagon said it wanted to "clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real".The videos had already been leaked in 2007 and 2017.Two were published by the New York Times, while the third was leaked by an organisation co-founded by former Blink-182 singer Tom DeLonge.After they were first leaked, some people claimed the videos showed alien unidentified flying objects (UFOs).What's in the videos?According to the New York Times, a clip from 2004 was filmed by two navy fighter pilots and shows a round object hovering above the water, about 100 miles (160 km) out into the Pacific Ocean.Two other videos filmed in 2015 show objects moving through the air, one of which is spinning. In one, a pilot is heard saying: "Look at that thing, dude! It's rotating!"The UFO sighting investigated by the policeUFO 'sighting' becomes legend like King ArthurIn its statement, the Pentagon said: "After a thorough review, the department has determined that the authorised release of these unclassified videos does not reveal any sensitive capabilities or systems, and does not impinge on any subsequent investigations of military air space incursions by unidentified aerial phenomena."DOD [Department of Defense] is releasing the videos in order to clear up any misconceptions by the public on whether or not the footage that has been circulating was real, or whether or not there is more to the videos. The aerial phenomena observed in the videos remain characterized as 'unidentified'." The fascination with the unexplained never goes away. And the UFO phenomenon is perhaps one of the most potent of these stories, linking uncertainty about worlds beyond our own to conspiracy theories about government and especially the US government.Down the centuries people have looked to the sky and tried to explain mysterious lights and objects. But the modern UFO story took root in 1947 when a farmer discovered debris at Roswell, New Mexico, initially described as a flying disc, but now thought to be part of a secretive balloon programme to monitor the Soviet Union.Subsequently the testing base for advanced aircraft, known as Area 51 in Nevada, became the alleged centre for UFO research. For the conspiracy theorists this was where the US government sought to harness advanced alien technology.Over the years many of the most outlandish theories have been debunked. But in 2017, the Pentagon did finally admit that it had a long-standing programme, now terminated, investigating alleged UFOs.Today, the US Navy prefers to call these unexplained sightings "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena". But that's not going to supplant an acronym which has entered into our collective sub-conscious, prompting that fundamental question: are we really alone in the universe?Tweeting about the release, DeLonge thanked shareholders in his organisation, To the Stars Academy of Arts and Sciences, and said he was hoping to fund further research into the objects."With today's events and articles on my and @TTSAcademy's efforts to get the US Gov to start the grand conversation, I want to thank every share holder at To The Stars for believing in us," he said."Next, we plan on pursuing the technology, finding more answers and telling the stories."The musician co-founded the academy in 2017 in order to study UFOs and other paranormal phenomena. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 Nasa names companies to build Moon landers for human missions By Paul RinconScience editor, BBC News website 28 minutes ago Share this with Facebook Share this with Messenger Share this with Twitter Share this with Email Share Related Topics Artemis Image copyrightBLUE ORIGIN Image captionThe National Team partnership, led by Blue Origin, will build a lander that's split into three parts Nasa has chosen the companies that will develop landers to send astronauts to the Moon's surface in the 2020s. The White House wants to send the next man and the first woman to the Moon in 2024, to be followed by other missions. Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, Elon Musk's SpaceX and Alabama-based Dynetics were selected to build landers under the space agency's Artemis programme. The 2024 mission will see astronauts walk on the Moon's surface for the first time since 1972. Combined, the contracts are worth $967m (£763m; €877m) and will run for a "base period" of 10 months. "With these contract awards, America is moving forward with the final step needed to land astronauts on the Moon by 2024, including the incredible moment when we will see the first woman set foot on the lunar surface," said Nasa's administrator Jim Bridenstine. "This is the first time since the Apollo era that Nasa has direct funding for a human landing system, and now we have companies on contract to do the work for the Artemis programme." To the Moon and Beyond Nasa Moon lander vision takes shape Bezos floats 'national team' to build Moon lander Image copyrightDYNETICS Image captionDynetics' concept has a low-slung design that will put astronauts close to the surface for easy access The winning lander concepts take different approaches to the challenge of setting humans down on the lunar surface. Blue Origin, founded by Amazon president and CEO Jeff Bezos, is partnering with Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Draper to build its lander. Bezos' firm is the prime contractor in the partnership which has been dubbed the "National Team". The design is split into three parts: a transfer element that will carry astronauts from a higher lunar orbit to a lower one; a descent stage that will take them from low lunar orbit to the surface, and an ascent stage that will blast the crew back off the surface at the end of their mission. The concept is designed to be launched on Blue Origin's New Glenn and ULA's Vulcan rocket systems. Dynetics' spacecraft concept is a single-stage structure that will launch on the Vulcan rocket. According to Lisa Watson-Morgan, the human landing system program manager at Nasa's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, this design features a "unique, low-slung crew module, putting the crew very close to the lunar surface for transfer and access". SpaceX's design is the Starship, which will use the company's Super Heavy rocket for launch. A prototype of the craft has been undergoing testing at the company's Boca Chica test site in southern Texas. Boeing aims for Moon landing in 'fewer steps' Nasa unveils new spacesuit for next Moon landing Nasa Moon rocket core leaves for testing The other other key elements in Nasa's Moon plan are further along in their development. Astronauts bound for the Moon will launch from Earth in a capsule called Orion atop a powerful rocket known as the Space Launch System (SLS). Nasa also plans to build a small space station in lunar orbit, known as Gateway, where different lander stages could be assembled. Image copyrightSPACEX Image captionSpaceX's Starship was one of the successful designs However, last month Gateway was removed from the "critical path" for 2024's initial return mission. But during a news conference on Thursday, Mr Bridenstine reiterated the agency's support for Gateway. It won't be used by the Artemis-3 mission in four years, but will happen eventually: "We absolutely need a Gateway," he said. Douglas Loverro, associate administrator for Nasa's Human Explorations and Operations Mission Directorate, commented: "With these awards we begin an exciting partnership with the best of industry to accomplish the nation's goals. We have much work ahead, especially over these next critical 10 months." In the 1960s and 70s, Nasa launched seven missions intended to land on the Moon under the Apollo programme. Apollo 13 did not touch down after an oxygen tank exploded. The last crewed mission was Apollo 17, which explored the Moon's Taurus-Littrow valley in December 1972. But this time, Nasa wants to establish a long-term presence. "We're not going back to the Moon to leave flags and footprints and then not go back for another 50 years," Jim Bridenstine said last year. "We're going to go sustainably - to stay - with landers and robots and rovers and humans." The space agency is acting on a space policy directive signed by President Donald Trump in 2017. It instructs Nasa to return American astronauts to the Moon, and on to "other destinations". Some in the spaceflight community see the Moon as a potential testing ground for capabilities that would help humans perform a successful journey to Mars sometime in the coming decades. SpaceX included plans for an uncrewed test landing on the Moon in its proposal to Nasa. Dynetics says it will perform a demonstration flight to test key capabilities for its lander system prior to a mission to the lunar surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kip Powick Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 57 minutes ago, Marshall said: But this time, Nasa wants to establish a long-term presence. "We're not going back to the Moon to leave flags and footprints and then not go back for another 50 years," Jim Bridenstine said last year. "We're going to go sustainably - to stay - with landers and robots and rovers and humans." The space agency is acting on a space policy directive signed by President Donald Trump in 2017. It instructs Nasa to return American astronauts to the Moon, and on to "other destinations". Some in the spaceflight community see the Moon as a potential testing ground for capabilities that would help humans perform a successful journey to Mars sometime in the coming decades. OMG...IMHO.....what a crock......I know I am in a minority but the question really bothers me....... WHY ??? The money spent on these ventures is so badly needed to clean up the mess we as the human species have made on the "Blue Marble" Please don't bother to try to explain to me the benefits that theses ventures will garner for the population of earth, or how keeping humans on the moon will facilitate mankind getting to Mars....again........WHY do we want to go to a planet that has been deemed as uninhabitable ??? Just use your mouse and gloss over my ranting and have a nice weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 30, 2020 Share Posted April 30, 2020 3 minutes ago, Kip Powick said: OMG...IMHO.....what a crock......I know I am in a minority but the question really bothers me....... WHY ??? The money spent on these ventures is so badly needed to clean up the mess we as the human species have made on the "Blue Marble" Please don't bother to try to explain to me the benefits that theses ventures will garner for the population of earth, or how keeping humans on the moon will facilitate mankind getting to Mars....again........WHY do we want to go to a planet that has been deemed as uninhabitable ??? Just use your mouse and gloss over my ranting and have a nice weekend. Likely for the same reasons that people vacation in 3rd world countries and ignore the plight of those who live there. In other words, because we can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 1, 2020 Share Posted May 1, 2020 and you think you have problems. Elon Musk tweet wipes $14bn off Tesla's value 2 hours ago TY IMAGES Tesla's founder Elon Musk wiped $14bn off the carmaker's value after tweeting that its share price was too high. The tweet also knocked $3bn off Mr Musk's own stake in Tesla as investors promptly bailed out of the company. "Tesla stock price too high imo," he said, one of several tweets that included a vow to sell his possessions. In other tweets, he said his girlfriend was mad at him, while another simply read: "Rage, rage against the dying of the light of consciousness." In 2018, a tweet about Tesla's future on the New York stock market led to regulators fining him $20m and agreeing to have all further posts on the platform pre-screened by lawyers. 'Headache' The Wall Street Journal reported it had asked the billionaire if he was joking about the share price tweet and whether it had been vetted, receiving the reply "No". Tesla's share price has surged this year, putting the electric carmaker's value at close to $100bn, a mark that would trigger a bonus payment of hundreds of millions of dollars to the entrepreneur. Elon Musk ✔@elonmusk I am selling almost all physical possessions. Will own no house. Report End of Twitter post by @elonmusk "We view these Musk comments as tongue in cheek and it's Elon being Elon. It's certainly a headache for investors for him to venture into this area as his tweeting remains a hot button issue and [Wall] Street clearly is frustrated," Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives told Reuters news agency. In 2018, Mr Musk tweeted that he may have secured funding to possibly remove Tesla from the stock market and take it private, which again led to swings in the share price. The Securities and Exchange Commission judged it a market-moving comment, fined him and forced Tesla to put in place checks to ensure it did not happen again. But last month, a federal judge said Tesla and Musk must face a lawsuit by shareholders over the going-private tweet, including a claim that Mr Musk intended to defraud them. Skip Twitter post 2 by @elonmusk Elon Musk ✔@elonmusk Replying to @elonmusk My gf @Grimezsz is mad at me 41.6K 10:17 AM - May 1, 2020 Twitter Ads info and privacy 9,436 people are talking about this Report End of Twitter post 2 by @elonmusk Earlier this week he tweeted to his 33.4 million followers some strong criticism of US stay-at-home restrictions because of the coronavirus pandemic. In 2019 he found himself in court last year after tweeting that a British diver was a "pedo guy". Mr Musk said the promise to sell his possessions included his house, formerly owned by actor and producer Gene Wilder, and bought in 2013. "One stipulation on sale," he tweeted, "I own Gene Wilder's old house. It cannot be torn down or lose any of its soul." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boestar Posted May 2, 2020 Share Posted May 2, 2020 and now he will buy a bunch of shares and watch them creep back up in price. Smart move maybe. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 NASA, SpaceX target historic spaceflight despite pandemic By Ivan Couronne Washington (AFP) May 2, 2020 Astronauts anticipate first crewed launch from U.S. soil in nine years Washington DC (UPI) May 01, 2020 - The two astronauts who are to begin a new era of human spaceflight from U.S. soil this month said Friday they hope to inspire generations of Americans. It is time again "to be watching American rockets launching from the Florida coast to the International Space Station," said Doug Hurley, who will be launched May 27 on the first crewed mission from this country since he piloted the final space shuttle mission in 2011. Hurley and Bob Behnken also will be the first astronauts to lift off on a privately owned space vehicle -- a Falcon 9 rocket that carries a Crew Dragon capsule, both built by Elon Musk's SpaceX. The astronauts said they were pleased to learn only recently they would spend a longer time than previously planned on the International Space Station. NASA announced Friday that their mission, originally designed for a few days in space as a demonstration, would last for weeks or months. Behnken noted he would be flying on the first new crewed spacecraft for NASA since the first shuttle was launched in 1981. "It's probably a dream of every test pilot school student to have the opportunity to fly on a brand-new spaceship, and I'm lucky enough to get that opportunity," he said. The mission also comes under restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The astronauts and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine urged Americans to stay home for the launch and not come to the Kennedy Space Center area. "We want everyone to enjoy this as a moment in U.S. space history, but we want them to enjoy it from a distance," Behnken said. When the two astronauts arrive, they will help the existing three-member crew on the space station change batteries and handle spacewalks. That crew has one U.S. astronaut, Chris Cassidy, and two cosmonauts. "There's a lot of work and activity that can be done in the U.S. segment -- certainly more than one person can accomplish on their own," Behnken said. "I wouldn't be, you know, probably a real astronaut if I didn't say I was looking forward to the possibility of doing some spacewalks. That'll be some icing on the cake for us." The mission is part of the final certification process before Crew Dragon provides ongoing shuttle service to the space station. The two astronauts will be the first since the last Apollo landing in 1972 to come back to Earth with a splashdown just off Florida's Atlantic Coast. "We do expect [splashdown] to be a little bit softer than a Soyuz landing, but definitely harder than a space shuttle landing and then ... well, we'll tell you about it in the post-landing press conference," Behnken said. NASA and SpaceX said Friday they were pressing ahead with plans to launch astronauts to space from US soil for the first time in nearly a decade later on this month, despite the coronavirus pandemic. Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley, both veterans of the Space Shuttle program that was shuttered in 2011, will blast off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida on May 27. Should the mission succeed, the US will have achieved its goal of no longer having to buy seats on Russian Soyuz rockets to give its astronauts rides to the International Space Station (ISS). It is also an important stage in NASA's new economic model: the space agency has spent billions on contracts with both SpaceX and Boeing to develop spaceships that will each have to make six round trips to the ISS. The model is supposed to save taxpayers from financial black holes of past programs, as well as some still to come -- notably the giant Space Launch System rocket that is supposed to take NASA back to the Moon but is plagued by cost overrun and scheduling delays. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine told reporters that the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule will be only the fifth class of US spacecraft to take humans into orbit, after the storied Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. "If you look globally, this will be the ninth time in history when we put humans on a brand new spacecraft," said Bridenstine. "We're going to do it here in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. I'm going to tell you this is a high priority mission for the United States of America," he added. Behnken and Hurley, who have been training for the "Demo-2" mission for years, will dock with the International Space Station (ISS) and remain there for between one to four months, depending on when the next mission takes place, said NASA's Steve Stich. Crew Dragon is able to remain in orbit for around four months (119 days). Hurley, who was the pilot on the last Space Shuttle mission, admitted it was "disappointing" that the launch won't be a public affair, with crowds discouraged from gathering at Cape Canaveral to witness the spectacle. "We won't have the luxury of our family and friends being there at Kennedy to watch the launch but it's obviously, the right thing to do in the current environment," he said. - Win for SpaceX - The mission is a major milestone for SpaceX, the company founded by Elon Musk, who also leads and founded Tesla. His firm, which was started in 2002, has now overtaken aerospace behemoth Boeing, which failed in the uncrewed demonstration mission of its Starliner spacecraft last year and will have to start over. SpaceX, which has received billions of dollars from NASA since the late 2000s, has been supplying cargo to the ISS since 2012, and has established itself as the leader in the private space sector thanks to its reusable rocket, the Falcon 9. "I'll feel a little relief when they're in orbit, I'll feel more relief when they get to the station and then obviously, I will start sleeping again when they're back safely on the planet Earth," said Gwynne Shotwell, the company's chief operating officer. The pandemic has, naturally, impacted the program, but Shotwell said all precautions were being taken to protect the astronauts. "We are ensuring that only essential personnel are near them. They're wearing masks and gloves. We're cleaning the training facility twice daily. "I think we're really doing a great job to ensure that we are not impacting the safety or the health of the astronauts' lives." Half of SpaceX's engineers have been teleworking, and on the day of the launch, NASA personnel in the mission control room will be spaced six feet (two meters) apart. Takeoff is scheduled for 4:42 pm (2042 GMT) on May 27, with space station docking scheduled about 19 hours later, on May 28. ico/ia/acb BOEING TESLA MOTORS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 MDA Receives Contract to Support Robotic Operations on the International Space Station 4 May 2020Canadian Aviation News From MDA BRAMPTON, ON, May 4, 2020 /CNW/ – MDA today announced that it has received a contract worth CAD $190 million to support robotic operations on the International Space Station (ISS) from 2020 to 2024. MDA has provided Logistics and Sustaining Engineering (L&SE) services to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and its international partners since the start of the ISS, which this year will celebrate 20 years of continuous habitation by humans. “This contract further strengthens MDA’s global leadership in operational mission-critical space robotics, and will provide an opportunity to advance robotic system capabilities and techniques using the ISS as a proving ground for future human exploration,” said Mike Greenley, Chief Executive Officer of MDA. “We value our role as prime contractor and partner to the Canadian Space Agency, and enjoy the opportunity to work closely with the ISS partners, in particular NASA and the ISS industrial team.” The contract provides for ongoing operations and maintenance of the Canadian contribution to the ISS, the Mobile Servicing System (MSS), which comprises Canadarm2, Dextre and the Mobile Base System (MBS) and will establish a solid base of business for the next four years for MDA’s robotics teams based in Brampton (ON), St-Hubert (QC) and Houston (TX). Areas of support include goods and services such as Mission Planning & Real-Time Operations Support, Software Engineering (upgrades), Systems Engineering, Hardware Engineering, Logistics Engineering (spares, support equipment, crown property management), Program Management, Product Assurance, and MSS Robotic Operations Training Support for astronauts and ground mission controllers. The contract includes the option for Canada to extend the term of the contract by up to four additional one-year periods under the same conditions. Reliance on Canadarm2 and Dextre – the world’s most sophisticated space robot – for International Space Station maintenance has been steadily increasing. MDA ensures the operational readiness of the MSS robotics, provides training to the robotic operators, and supports operations planning and real-time operations. In addition, MDA continuously enhances the capability of the MSS to meet the evolving needs of the Canadian Space Station Program and International Space Station needs. Canada’s robotics capability is globally recognized for its exemplary performance in support of the ISS. The ISS continues to be an important laboratory that advances breakthrough technologies and extends scientific knowledge. Canada’s contribution of robotics has enabled access to the ISS by Canadian astronauts as well as utilization of the ISS laboratory for Canadian science experiments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 4, 2020 Share Posted May 4, 2020 De Havilland Canada Announces a Phased Return to Work and a Measured Resumption of Activities NEWS PROVIDED BY De Havilland Aircraft of Canada May 04, 2020, 08:00 ET The phased return to work follows the temporary suspension of manufacturing operations on March 20 to support international efforts to mitigate the effects of COVID-19. TORONTO, May 4, 2020 /CNW/ - De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited ("De Havilland Canada") announced today that the company has started a phased return to work of employees and a measured resumption of activities. In the first phase, approximately 100 employees have returned to work and De Havilland Canada is focused on resuming pre-flight activities and delivery of Dash 8-400 aircraft. The phased return to work, which follows the temporary suspension of manufacturing operations on March 20 to support international efforts to mitigate the effects of COVID-19, reflects market demand and is being undertaken in consultation with customers. "In harmony with ongoing efforts to curtail the effects of COVID-19, De Havilland Canada is glad to start welcoming our employees back to work to resume aircraft pre-flight activities and prepare for upcoming deliveries to our customers," said Todd Young, Chief Operating Officer, De Havilland Canada. "The health and safety of our employees, customers and suppliers is of the utmost priority and as such, we will continue to work closely with government agencies and the custodian of the Toronto Site, to ensure that protocols and processes are in place for a safe operational environment." "The global aviation industry continues to face unprecedented uncertainty as a result COVID-19 and we are all watching for signs of economic recovery. As we move forward, we are adjusting the business to reflect the current market demand, as well as for the foreseeable future, and we will proactively manage costs and streamline our operations in all areas of the business," added Mr. Young. During the pause in production and delivery of new Dash 8-400 aircraft, De Havilland Canada continued to provide customer support and technical services to owners and operators of Dash 8 Series aircraft around the world, with most teams working remotely. The teams are responding to numerous requests relating to the reconfiguration of Dash 8 aircraft to support aerial transport services and the delivery of essential cargo during the pandemic. As announced by De Havilland Canada on April 23, Transport's Canada's approval of a new Simplified Package Freighter configuration that can quickly transform the Dash 8-400 aircraft passenger cabin to carry light freight provides a sound solution for operators to redeploy aircraft. De Havilland Canada has prepared a Service Bulletin that provides instructions on implementing the reconfiguration. The company also recently announced that the De Havilland Component Solutions (DCS) program is available to provide component management support to Dash 8-400 aircraft operators, and on April 28, the company delivered the first Dash 8-400 aircraft since the suspension of manufacturing operations. De Havilland's Dash 8 24/7 Customer Response Centre is operating at full capacity: North America (toll free): +1 844 272 2720 Local: +1 416 375 4080 Europe: +44 (0) 28 9046 8899 Technical Help Desk: thd@dehavilland.com Service Solutions and Sales: parts.sales@dehavilland.com Material Services: parts@dehavilland.com / emear.parts@dehavilland.com Mobile Repair Team: mrt@dehavilland.com About De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited With its acquisition of the Dash 8 aircraft program, Longview Aviation Capital has proudly relaunched De Havilland Canada, one of Canada's most iconic brands. De Havilland Canada's portfolio includes support to the worldwide fleet of Dash 8-100/200/300/400 aircraft, as well as production and sales of the Dash 8-400 aircraft. With its low carbon footprint and operating costs, industry-leading passenger experience and jet-like performance, the Dash 8-400 aircraft, which seats up to 90 passengers, is the environmentally responsible choice for operators seeking optimal performance on regional routes. https://dehavilland.com Images relating to this release will be available at https://dehavilland.com/en/media De Havilland, Dash 8, Dash 8-100/200/300 and Dash 8-400 are trademarks of De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited. SOURCE De Havilland Aircraft of Canada For further information: Philippa King, De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited, philippa.king@dehavilland.com, +1 416 375 3062 Organization Profile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 5, 2020 Share Posted May 5, 2020 China launches new rocket as it eyes moon trip by Staff Writers Beijing (AFP) May 05, 2020 illustration only China on Tuesday successfully launched a new rocket and prototype spacecraft, state media said, in a major test of the country's ambitions to operate a permanent space station and send astronauts to the Moon. The Long March 5B rocket took off from the Wenchang launch site in the southern island of Hainan and eight minutes later an unmanned prototype spaceship successfully separated and entered its planned orbit, according to the Xinhua news agency. A test version of a cargo return capsule also successfully separated from the rocket, Xinhua added. The spaceship will one day transport astronauts to a space station that China plans to complete by 2022 -- and eventually to the Moon. It will have capacity for a crew of six. The mission will test its "key technologies", including the control of its re-entry into the atmosphere, its heat shielding and recovery technology, Yang Qing of the China Academy of Space Technology and designer of the spaceship was quoted as saying by Xinhua in March. The United States is so far the only country to have successfully sent humans to the Moon. But Beijing has made huge strides in its effort to catch up, sending astronauts into space, satellites into orbit and a rover to the far side of the Moon. - 849 tonnes - The successful maiden flight of the 54-metre Long March 5B -- which has a takeoff mass of about 849 tonnes -- should reassure China, following failures of the 7A model in March and 3B model in April. "The new spaceship will give China an advantage in the area of human spaceflight over Japan and Europe," said Chen Lan, an independent analyst at GoTaikonauts.com, which specialises in China's space programme. The US no longer has its own spaceship since retiring the space shuttle in 2011 and relies on Russia to send astronauts to the International Space Station. Beijing has launched several spacecraft since 1999 and the previous vessel, the Shenzhou, was modelled after Russia's Soyuz. "It depends how ambitious the Chinese space programme is at the moment but missions beyond the Moon will be possible," said Carter Palmer, space systems analyst with US-based Forecast International consultancy. - Moon and beyond - Assembly of the Tiangong space station, whose name means Heavenly Palace, is expected to begin this year and finish in 2022. The orbiting lab will have three modules, with living and working quarters and two annexes for scientific experiments. China plans to send an astronaut to the Moon in about a decade and then build a base there. It became the first nation to land on the far side of the Moon in January 2019, deploying a lunar rover that has driven some 450 metres so far. The next big mission for Beijing is to land a probe on Mars, with liftoff expected this year. "China has caught up with the US in some space areas like earth observation and navigation," Chen said. "But there are still large gaps between China and US in deep space exploration and human space flight," he said, adding the US was the "leading space power today, yesterday and in the near future." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 6, 2020 Share Posted May 6, 2020 Scientists explain magnetic pole's wanderings By Jonathan AmosBBC Science Correspondent 1 hour ago Share this with Facebook Share this with Messenger Share this with Twitter Share this with Email Share Media captionThe North Magnetic Pole has moved rapidly in recent years away from Canada towards Russia.European scientists think they can now describe with confidence what's driving the drift of the North Magnetic Pole.It's shifted in recent years away from Canada towards Siberia.And this rapid movement has required more frequent updates to navigation systems, including those that operate the mapping functions in smartphones.A team, led from Leeds University, says the behaviour is explained by the competition of two magnetic "blobs" on the edge of the Earth's outer core.Changes in the flow of molten material in the planet's interior have altered the strength of the above regions of negative magnetic flux."This change in the pattern of flow has weakened the patch under Canada and ever so slightly increased the strength of the patch under Siberia," explained Dr Phil Livermore."This is why the North Pole has left its historic position over the Canadian Arctic and crossed over the International Date Line. Northern Russia is winning the 'tug of war', if you like" he told BBC News.Iron 'jet stream' sensed in Earth's coreEarth's magnetic ocean tides mappedWhen we discovered how the Earth really works Image copyrightESA Image captionArtwork: Earth's magnetic field is generated in its fluid outer core Earth has three poles at the top of the planet. A geographic pole which is where the planet's rotation axis intersects the surface. The geomagnetic pole is the location which best fits a classic dipole (its position alters little). And then there is the North Magnetic, or dip, Pole, which is where field lines are perpendicular to the surface. It is this third pole that has been doing all the movement. When first identified by explorer James Clark Ross in the 1830s, it was in Canada's Nunavut territory. Back then it didn't wander very far, very fast. But in the 1990s, it took off, racing to ever higher latitudes and passing by the geographic pole in 2018. The separation was just a few hundred kilometres. Image copyrightP.LIVERMORE Image captionRegions of negative magnetic flux have been in a "tug of war" Using data from satellites that have measured the evolving shape of Earth's magnetic field over the past 20 years, Dr Livermore and colleagues have attempted to model the North Magnetic Pole's wanderings. Two years ago when they first presented their ideas at the American Geophysical Union meeting in Washington DC, they suggested there might be a connection with a westward-accelerating jet of molten material in the outer core. But the models were a complex fit and the team has now revised its assessment to align with a different flow regime. "The jet is tied to quite high northern latitudes and the alteration in the flow in the outer core that's responsible for the change in the position of the pole is actually further south," Dr Livermore said. "There's also a timing issue. The jet acceleration occurs in the 2000s, whereas the pole acceleration begins in the 1990s." Image copyrightP.LIVERMORE The team's latest modelling indicates the pole will continue to move towards Russia but will in time begin to slow. At top speed, it's been making 50-60km a year. "Whether or not it will move back again in the future is anyone's guess," the Leeds scientist told BBC News. The pole's recent race across the top of the world prompted the US National Geophysical Data Center and the British Geological Survey to issue an early update to the World Magnetic Model last year. This model is a representation of Earth's magnetic field across the entire globe. It is incorporated into all navigation devices, including modern smartphones, to correct for any local compass errors. Dr Livermore and colleagues lent heavily on the data acquired by the European Space Agency's Swarm satellites. The team has published its research in the journal Nature Geoscience. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 6, 2020 Share Posted May 6, 2020 China's space test hits snag with capsule 'anomaly' by Staff Writers Beijing (AFP) May 06, 2020 File image of a Shenzhou capsule after a safe landing A cargo capsule that was part of a key test in China's space programme experienced an "anomaly" Wednesday during its return trip, the space authority said. The cargo capsule was launched Tuesday aboard a new type of carrier rocket along with a prototype spacecraft, and the latter is expected to return to Earth on Friday. The launch is a major test of China's ambitions to operate a permanent space station and send astronauts to the Moon. But "an anomaly occurred today during the return" of the cargo capsule, the China Manned Space Agency said in a statement. "Experts are currently analysing the data," it said without offering details. The cargo capsule was not designed to transport astronauts, only equipment. The device, developed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, is an experimental prototype. The capsule was fitted with an "inflatable" heat shield. This type of structure, also being tested by the American and European space agencies, aims to eventually replace the classic metal heat shields that are heavier and thereby reduces the amount of cargo that can be carried into space. Tuesday's launch was also the maiden flight of the Long March 5B rocket, considered the most powerful rocket made in China to date. State media said the launch was a "success". It comes after two previous failures when the Long March 7A malfunctioned in March and the Long March 3B failed to take off in early April. Beijing has invested heavily in its space programme in recent years as it plays catchup to the United States, the only country to have sent a man to the Moon. Assembly of the Chinese Tiangong space station, whose name means Heavenly Palace, is expected to begin this year and finish in 2022. China also became the first nation to land on the far side of the Moon in January 2019, deploying a lunar rover that has driven some 450 metres so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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