April 1, 2019 - No. 026 In This Issue Fast 5: How A Student-Created Startup Is Revolutionizing Logbook Research Honeywell works with Inmarsat to make black box in the cloud a reality FL Technics to Open Dubai Line Station Bulletin Clarifies RVSM Authorization Process Amazon moves into 737 freighter operations under lease with Atlas Air TUI Places Initial Cost of Max Groundings at E200 Million Etihad Airways Engineering expands capabilities to Airbus A350s Piaggio Aerospace Aims To Find Buyer by April 2020 Sabena Technics acquires French maintenance rival. Meet SpaceX's Starship Hopper Fast 5: How A Student-Created Startup Is Revolutionizing Logbook Research Vaibhav Kumar, an aerospace engineering graduate student at Georgia Tech and one of Aviation Week's 2019 20 Twenties winners, talks about founding startup AirLogs-which seeks to save mechanics time by digitally analyzing maintenance records. What got you interested in aviation-and in particular, aviation maintenance? In 2017 I was flying and I had a partial engine failure at 200 feet above the ground, which is kind of like the dead man zone, so that instant propelled me into aircraft maintenance. When we got back I realized what the problem was-it was a spark plug failure in one of the cylinders-so that pushed me into understanding why that happened and what I could do to make sure that never happens again, to anyone. I decided I was going to build an advanced engine data monitor that will measure a spark's health over time and kind of predict when the spark would fail so that this specific problem wouldn't happen. With that idea in mind, the next semester I took courses in internal combustion. I spent that winter break working at a repair station in Atlanta trying to see how mechanics work and think, and in that process I ended up logging more than 100 hours of supervised maintenance. I spent the next semester studying internal combustion and working on a new digital engine data monitor that we can use for our fleet of airplanes. You serve as a maintenance crew-chief for the Yellow Jacket Flying Club at Georgia Tech. What is that like? Because I was so involved in maintenance, it was a natural transition for me to stand up and lead as the crew chief for Georgia Tech's fleet of airplanes. I'm the crew chief for three of the four airplanes. Georgia Tech has four Cessna 172s, which fly a total of 4,000 hours per year, so it's a really busy flying club. Because we are a nonprofit, we try to keep costs down and we usually have our own mechanics and our own crew chiefs who are responsible for maintaining their airworthiness. As a crew chief you're responsible for doing weekly inspections of the airplanes, keeping an eye on oil consumption, changing oil, changing oil filters, changing spark plugs, cleaning spark plugs, lubricating control surfaces-all the things that federal aviation regulations allow you to do [without being a licensed mechanic]. Your research into building an engine data monitor led you to co-found a startup called AirLogs. What has that journey been like and what is the goal of AirLogs? Georgia Tech has an incredible startup program called CREATE-X and they told us about this process called customer discovery, where you go talk to customers to understand what their problems are and then build the product, instead of building the product and then trying to sell it- because you want to be sure there's a hard market for it. So, following that advice we went out and talked to 160 people in aviation, including mechanics, repair station owners, aviation inspectors from the FAA-all kinds of people. Over the course of that process, we went through a couple of pivots. We moved from building an engine data monitor to maintenance analysis, to predictive maintenance, to analyzing aircraft maintenance records. It's analyzing the aircraft maintenance records that really got people interested enough to call us back and ask us if our product was ready, because they wanted to buy it. That was the indication for us that this was the way we wanted to go: we had people offering money so we knew this was valuable. What AirLogs does is basically digitize, analyze and research aircraft maintenance records. Airplanes are legally required to have aircraft maintenance records. We scan them, and once they're digitized we use machine learning to analyze the typewritten information and back out [an aircraft's relevant] airworthiness directives, service bulletins and project documents, what [maintenance tasks] were done, and the bill of materials for the aircraft, so we know what needs to be done in the future. We essentially determine everything that has been done on the aircraft and that needs to be done on the aircraft, and this has two major value propositions. Right now, mechanics spend 30% of their time doing this analysis, and this analysis is literally looking at books and checking different sources-like the FAA website, for instance-to see what needs to be done for this specific kind of engine of this configuration, and what has already been done. They're not really turning wrenches, they're just looking at stuff on a computer and backing out things on a logbook. Secondly, because we know the entire history of an aircraft, we know the value of the asset that you own, so that's another market that we're trying to get into. How close are you to bringing AirLogs to the market? We're still developing it. We lost one of our main leads because he got recruited by Google, and we're pivoting a little bit away from just doing general aviation maintenance because we were trying to raise money for our next round of funding. With CREATE-X we got our first round of funding and now we're trying to raise money for our next round, and investors aren't extremely happy with the market value of general aviation. We are in the process of a pivot, so our product will be quite different from what it is right now, but we do have a prototype. We had plans to do our pilot study the end of 2018, so we had two repair stations that have signed up for a pilot study and that was our main plan, but since we recently lost our co-founder, that plan has been pushed back and we're actively recruiting to get another person on board to launch our product in the next two to three months. We're planning on doing it by the end of June, but I have a feeling that's going to get pushed back because of all the directions we're getting stretched into. With a pilot study, we're isolated to a certain kind of airplane for a certain repair station, and once we work with them we'll be able to figure out if our business model is valid. If it is, we'll be able to take that information to potential investors that we're talking to and see if they're interested in funding us. That would help us scale to different repair stations and go from there. What's next for you? What are your future goals within the industry? While we were struggling with funding issues, I ended up picking up a role at Delta. I'm building Delta's next engine planning system, which is how Delta will be planning how it repair engines-how it forecasts removals and staggers them across their fleet. In the next few years, I want to push AirLogs and change how we track maintenance in general aviation. I think there's lots of value there. Ten or 15 years down the line, once we get this new breed of eVTOLs entering the ecosystem, we'll have to develop maintenance standards for them. We'll have to build something that will work to scale, because right now general aviation is pretty small, but with the main concepts they have, general aviation will get pretty big. So we'll have to come up with maintenance procedures that allow for that scaling. Once this change happens, our turnaround times for repairs have to be as good as turnaround times we have for cars, and we are pretty far from that. https://www.mro-network.com/maintenance-repair-overhaul/fast-5-how-student-created-startup- revolutionizing-logbook-research Back to Top Honeywell works with Inmarsat to make black box in the cloud a reality Honeywell Aerospace recently partnered with Curtiss-Wright Corp to reinvent the aircraft cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR) using inflight connectivity. Now Honeywell tells Runway Girl Network it is working "very closely" with satellite operator Inmarsat, a long-time partner, to ensure this 'black box in the cloud' solution delivers on its promises to the commercial airline, cargo transport and business jet markets. Having provided the aviation industry with traditional black boxes for more than 60 years, Honeywell is eyeing both triggered black box transmissions and true streaming throughout the flight with its new Connected Recorder-25, which uses Curtiss-Wright's recently certified Fortress hardware - a 25-hour CVR/FDR recorder - as its foundation. "We look at it a lot of different ways," said Honeywell Aerospace vice president and general manager, software and services John Peterson in reference to taking black boxes from their present passive state to a real-time connected solution. One option is to set "a data frame and a frame rate that makes sense until a certain event, and then you accelerate it. It's kind of like, 'hey you're pulling a whole chunk of data every five minutes or every 15 minutes, then all of a sudden an event occurs and you'll be pulling it every 100 milliseconds.' That's one way they're looking at it." A defined trigger event could be an unapproved course deviation, for example. "Another way is why not take a subset of the data and take that as a continuous stream? And that's another method," explained Peterson to Runway Girl Network. "As it is with data, there are a lot of different ways to do it, and costs associated, and what aspect of that is the most valuable." Inmarsat's SwiftBroadband-based cockpit communications solution SB-Safety (SB-S) - which runs over the firm's L-band satellites, via onboard avionics hardware produced by either Honeywell or Cobham - is a natural conduit for the 'black box in the cloud' application as it is safety services- approved by regulators, noted Peterson. Moreover, Airbus is already offering SB-S as a preferred line-fit service on multiple aircraft types, and the airframer understands Inmarsat's technology path for the offering includes 'black box in the cloud'. But while the secure SB-S service would be a natural option for black box transmissions, Inmarsat's broadband cabin connectivity service, Global Xpress (GX) - for which Honeywell is an exclusive terminal unit provider - could also be employed in the event of an emergency. Said Peterson: We can already run data over multiple pipes, so you look at what we do today on the Bombardier Global Express, we can run data over L- and Ka-band at the same time on different channels and then we can use Ka, parse up that spectrum and set up a separate pipe in Ka that's just 100 kilobits per second, just doing aircraft type data to the ground, and not interrupt the 5 megabits per second that everyone else has. In short, Honeywell is effectively already "set up to handle that and manage that in any way they want to", added Peterson. There are, however, regulatory hurdles to surmount before industry sees real-time black box transmissions over cabin connectivity pipes. "The reason why I mentioned the regulatory front [is] it's hard for airlines to know the exact best ways to invest until they have some guidance as to the solution," said Peterson. Think of the traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) on aircraft, he urged. It's great technology that "has been fantastic" for the industry, "but if it wasn't for the regulatory people defining it from the beginning", it wouldn't have enjoyed such robust adoption. In the near-term, Honeywell's Connected Recorder-25 hardware will surpass the requirements of the upcoming 2021 European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) minimum 25-hour cockpit voice recording mandates, supporting more efficient operations. "With the new regulatory requirement, we saw an opportunity to evolve our recorder technology to not only meet the conditions of governing agencies, but also make this product more powerful and better connected, providing aircraft operators with another source of data collection that can be used to improve aircraft maintenance and performance," said Honeywell president, services and connectivity Ben Driggs when the firm announced its agreement with Curtiss-Wright in February. But ultimately, the hardware can also support 'black box in the cloud', with Peterson telling RGN: "We are working very closely with Inmarsat in terms of how we handle that, and the data - getting the data off of the aircraft and getting it stored in containers for the airlines. It's a complex offering, a complex solution, and sometimes it's easier to get the hardware done, and the data off the aircraft than to get the rest of it sorted out. We're very closely aligned at the regulator level, hardware level, service level and network level in terms of working to get an actual [final black box in the cloud solution]." He did not have a timeframe to share with RGN, but stressed "there is a lot going on" at the regulator and network level to make 'black box in the cloud' a reality. https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2019/03/31/honeywell-works-with-inmarsat-to-make-black-box-in- the-cloud-a-reality/ Back to Top FL Technics to Open Dubai Line Station FL Technics, the Lithuania-headquartered MRO provider, will set up a new line maintenance station at Dubai International Airport. The station is EASA certified and upon opening from next month, will initially provide services for Airbus A320 family aircraft and Boeing 737 classic and NG variants. From the second half of 2019, the station will add further capabilities to include the A320neo and A330, along with 777 and 787 aircraft types. FL Technics says the station will provide services to both UAE-based and overseas airlines with work scopes of up to DY/WY check and defect rectification at the world's third largest airport. The new Dubai location adds to the existing 35 line maintenance stations FL Technics operates around the world. In the past two years, it has added new line stations across the world, including locations in Georgia and Russia. It also has plans to expand its base maintenance capabilities, with new facilities set for China and Thailand. Zilvinas Lapinskas, CEO at FL Technics, which his part of the Avia Solutions Group, says the Middle East region's growth and Dubai's location as an aviation hub makes it important for the company to establish a presence there. In addition to line and base maintenance, FL Technics also holds capabilities for spare parts and component support, engine repairs, APU and LG management, full aircraft engineering and technical training. https://www.mro-network.com/maintenance-repair-overhaul/fl-technics-open-dubai-line-station Back to Top Bulletin Clarifies RVSM Authorization Process The FAA in 2016 adopted a final rule that eliminates the requirement for operators to apply for a specific RVSM approval when their aircraft are equipped with qualified ADS-B Out systems and meet specific altitude keeping equipment requirements for operations in RVSM airspace. This final rule became effective on January 22 and the agency estimates it will save operators $5,000 per RVSM application. To summarize the details of this rule, the FAA has issued Information for Operators (InFo) 19003. Included in this guidance is a reminder that an application to operate in RVSM airspace "will no longer be required to develop and submit an RVSM maintenance program solely for the purpose of obtaining an RVSM authorization." The agency noted that, "because of other, independent FAA airworthiness regulations, all aircraft operators remain required to maintain RVSM equipment in an airworthy condition." Operators of U.S.-registered aircraft whose altitude-keeping performance has been evaluated using data collected through ADS-B Out can obtain monitoring performance via an FAA webpage. Operators seeking to fly under the new provisions should refer to Advisory Circular 91-85B, "Authorization of Aircraft and Operator for Flight in RVSM." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-03-29/bulletin-clarifies-rvsm- authorization-process Back to Top Amazon moves into 737 freighter operations under lease with Atlas Air Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) has made its move into Boeing 737-800 air freighter operations after agreeing to a seven-year lease of five of the narrow-bodied airplanes from Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAWW), one of its flying partners, with the possibility of adding 15 more. In addition, Atlas has granted Amazon warrants that would allow it to acquire up to 39.9 percent of Atlas' common shares, up from a potential ceiling of 30 percent. Under a 2016 agreement between the two companies that called for Amazon to lease 20 Boeing 767 freighters, Amazon was granted warrants to buy up to 20 percent of Atlas' common shares. Amazon was also given the opportunity to buy up to an additional 10 percent of Atlas' common shares. The first tranche of warrants, which Amazon can exercise through May 4, 2021, has already vested. The second tranche can be exercised through May 4, 2023. Amazon will lease five 737s from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), an Amazon spokeswoman said today. The aircraft will then be subleased to Southern Air, one of Atlas' subsidiaries, under a "CMI" agreement in which Southern Air provides the crew, maintenance and insurance. The aircraft will enter service within the next 12 months, according to a March 27 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Amazon has the option of extending the seven-year agreement for another three years. The additional 15 airplanes must be leased by May 31, 2021, should Amazon decide to add them to its fleet, according to the filing. At about the same time it had announced the 2016 deal with Atlas, Amazon also agreed to lease 20 B-767 freighters from Air Transport Services Group (NASDAQ:ATSG), an Atlas rival. Both agreements included the leasing of the planes as well as the CMI services. The first of the 737-800BCFs, which Boeing had converted from passenger configuration, was delivered in April 2018 with GECAS as the launch customer. It has a 47,800-pound maximum payload at a full range of 3,700 miles. It is considered a suitable plane for Amazon's package- delivery needs, and is expected to be deployed in markets that don't require the 187,000-pound payload capacity of the 767 model. The company's "Amazon Air" network supports the company fast-growing "Prime" delivery service, in which the company guarantees two-day deliveries on millions of items on its site. "It makes sense that Amazon doesn't want to exclusively rely on the 767, especially in smaller U.S. markets where a 737 is more efficient," said Jesse Cohen, FreightWaves' air cargo market expert. Seldon Clarke, transport analyst for Deutsche Bank, said in a note today that the updated agreement "gives us confidence that (Atlas) will continue to be a partner of choice in Amazon's ambitions to grow its aircraft fleet and capabilities longer-term." Clarke added that the agreement "puts Atlas in a strong position to continue growing and diversifying its revenue base towards faster growing air freight such as e-commerce." Word of Amazon's interest in the 737 model leaked out earlier this month after an air cargo industry publication, Cargo Facts, published a photo of the plane with the "Amazon Prime" logo at a Chinese airport. https://www.freightwaves.com/news/airfreight/amazon-enters-737-freighter-business Back to Top TUI Places Initial Cost of Max Groundings at €200 Million Pointing to the "considerable uncertainty" around when the Boeing 737 Max will return to service, Hanover-based TUI Group has put in place a contingency plan through mid-July to substitute the capacity it lost with the grounding of its 15 Max jets and a further eight of the type scheduled for delivery by mid-May. In an investors' update issued Friday, the world's largest integrated travel company said it has taken precautions, along with other airlines, to cover the lost capacity until mid-July due to uncertainty about the date of the Max's return to service. "No dates have yet been announced for modifications of the existing aircraft model by the manufacturer, neither for approval of such modifications by the Federal Aviation Administration and the European Aviation Safety Agency," it said. TUI's grounded Max fleet operated with four of its airlines-in the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Its total fleet consists of about 150 aircraft, a mix of single-aisle (about 80 percent) and widebody aircraft (about 20 percent). Apart for a couple of Embraer jets flying with TUI Airlines Belgium, TUI's fleet consists solely of Boeings, namely 737s, 757s, 767s, and 787s. Measures to replace its Max capacity and fulfill its flight schedule include using spare aircraft, extending expiring leases for aircraft due for replacement by 737 Max jets, and leasing more aircraft. The Max grounding also prompted TUI to revise its full-year profit guidance, warning that earnings could range from between 17 percent and 26 percent lower than forecast depending on when the type flies again. The group expects an effect on underlying EBITA of some €200 million ($225 million) assuming a resumption of Max flights by mid-July. However, that amount could increase by a further €100 million should it not become clear "within the coming weeks" that flying the aircraft will resume by that time. The company cites costs related to the replacement of aircraft, higher fuel costs, other disruption costs, and the anticipated influence on trading for the lost revenues. Eventual compensation from Boeing will not affect the current financial year, a TUI spokesman told AIN, stressing the company maintains longstanding and good relations with the U.S. manufacturer. "Our priority now is securing replacement capacity to guarantee our customers' holidays," he said. "As mentioned by our CEO, the topic [of compensation] will be picked at a later stage. TUI came also to an agreement with Boeing when our 787s were delayed." TUI has placed orders with Boeing for fifty-seven 737 Max jets for delivery by 2023. As it typically does not receive new aircraft in the peak summer season, schedules call for Max deliveries not to resume until November. It currently does not plan ferry flights of the eight Max jets scheduled for delivery in the coming weeks because the airspace in the UK and Germany remains closed for all for 737 Max operations, the TUI spokesman said. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2019-03-29/tui-places-initial-cost-max- groundings-eu200-million Back to Top Etihad Airways Engineering expands capabilities to Airbus A350s Etihad Airways Engineering, the largest independent maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) service provider in the Middle East, has announced the addition of Airbus A350 maintenance capabilities to its inhouse portfolio. Etihad Airways Engineering is part of the Airbus MRO Alliance and has emerged as a centre of excellence for the Airbus A380, having supported the A380 fleets of Etihad Airways and third-party customers in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and Australia. The company said it continues to extend its coverage of major commercial aircraft types and has now received approval for Airbus A350 maintenance, awarded by the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). The first A350 aircraft to arrive for maintenance in Abu Dhabi comes from the company's long-term client, Latam Airlines group, based in Latin America. The aircraft will undergo a heavy maintenance check and modifications as part of its routine maintenance program. The C-check will be followed by full stripping and painting of the aircraft in Latam's livery. The airline group is due to send additional A350 aircraft for scheduled maintenance in Abu Dhabi during the year. Etihad Airways Engineering CEO Abdul Khaliq Saeed said: "Building on our position as a centre of excellence for the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A380, we are now ready to support the A350 fleets of our customers from around the world. "Our A350 capability demonstrates our commitment to providing comprehensive aircraft maintenance and engineering solutions for all major aircraft types under one roof. "Our investment in developing A350 maintenance capability recognises the growing global demand for service on this aircraft type forecast over the coming years," he added. Etihad Airways Engineering's facility is the largest independent commercial MRO facility in the Middle East, located adjacent to Abu Dhabi International Airport. Aircraft hangars can accommodate up to three Airbus A380 aircraft simultaneously. https://www.arabianbusiness.com/transport/415261-etihad-engineering-expands-capabilities-to- airbus-a350s Back to Top Piaggio Aerospace Aims To Find Buyer by April 2020 roubled Italian aircraft manufacturer Piaggio Aerospace is trying to chalk up orders for its P.180 Avanti Evo turboprop twin while it simultaneously searches for potential buyers of the entire company by April 2020. Piaggio went into insolvency after its UAE-based owner Mubadala cancelled its order for the P.1HH Hammerhead, an unmanned maritime patrol version of the Avanti. The Italian government appointed lawyer Vincenzo Nicastro on December 3 as an "extraordinary receiver" to temporarily manage Piaggio. Nicastro told AIN this week at the LIMA airshow in Malaysia that the Italian government has pledged €250 million to complete the final stage of the P.1HH program, of which €180 million is for the procurement of eight Hammerheads and four ground stations. It has also informally agreed to promote the sales of the aircraft to Italian government agencies such as the Italian Air Force, coast guard, and police. There are some 37 government-owned Avantis, some of which need replacement. On Tuesday, Piaggio also secured a €45 million maintenance contract to service Italian air force's National Acrobatic Air Patrol Team "Frecce Tricolori" Aermacchi MB.339 for 12 months, as well as P.180 logistics support for the state police (three-year contract), Italian Army (12-month agreement), and national coast guard (two-year contract). "We want everyone to know that we are still in operation," he said. "And we want to present the new Piaggio to the world." Next month, the company is aiming to receive non-binding letters of intent from potential buyers to get a better sense of market interest. By June, Piaggio will present a proposal and officially invite the market to buy the company. Nicastro said it hopes to complete the process, including approval by the government, by next April. "We are confident that that will happen," he added. "Potential buyers could include companies with aeronautical background or equity funds." Piaggio plans to participate at EBACE, Paris Airshow, MAKS (Moscow), and NBAA BACE to further promote the aircraft to potential buyers. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-03-29/piaggio-aerospace-aims- find-buyer-april-2020 Back to Top Sabena Technics acquires French maintenance rival French MRO group Sabena Technics has disclosed its acquisition of compatriot provider New EAS. The transaction was completed in February, says the buyer, and the New EAS site at Perpignan- Rivesaltes airport has been rebranded as Sabena Technics PGF. A total of 165 staff are employed across three hangars at the facility. "Thanks to the implementation of a brand-new organisation and support of the group's other subsidiaries... the Perpignan site has reached an occupancy rate of 100% only a month after its acquisition," says Sabena Technics. Chief operating officer Philippe Rochet describes the acquisition as "perfectly aligned" with Sabena Technics' strategy of strengthening the group's standing in a "very dynamic" MRO market. The Perpignan site - supporting narrowbody and widebody types for civilian and military operators - will complement Sabena Technics' existing facilities and enable the group to provide customers with "extended services with ever more quality and competitiveness", Rochet asserts. Sabena Technics has facilities in Bordeaux, Dinard, Nimes and Toulouse, as well as a jointly operated component repair shop with Air France-KLM's technical arm in Singapore. Among the Perpignan site's recent MRO projects was an Airbus A330-300 check undertaken on behalf of Air France Industries. In late 2018, Sabena Technics revealed that parent company TAT Group had entered exclusive talks with an investor consortium - which included Bpifrance alongside Power Corporation of Canada's Paris-based private equity arm Sagard and the Anglo-US investment firm TowerBrook - to sell a majority shareholding in the MRO provider. The transaction is to be completed by June. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/sabena-technics-acquires-french-maintenance-rival- 457007/ Back to Top Meet SpaceX's Starship Hopper SpaceX continues to amaze in popularizing space exploration. Not only is it doing fantastic work in reaching and exploring space, shown by its efforts to transport supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station, it also flaunts retro exhibitions that capture the interest of people worldwide. Recently, Elon Musk - the CEO of SpaceX - released images and information on what he calls the "Starship" Hopper test rocket. The prototype hopper was recently constructed in a project that will hopefully be used to help colonize Mars. Anyone who follows Musk will know that he is a keen advocate of going to Mars, and with scientists and engineers urging everyone to get behind an exploration mission that can take us to a whole new frontier, it is now becoming more of a reality than a dream. Starship and its huge first-stage booster, Super Heavy - which together were formerly known as the Big Falcon Rocket (BFR) - could be the vehicles to undertake this important task. In order for Starship and Super Heavy to be successful, there are many things to take into account, and a lot of power needs to be exerted. This is not just another 384,400-kilometer (238,855 miles) mission to the moon. This is going to be a journey more than 140 times longer. This means that there needs to be enough food, supplies and protection from the harmful radiation of space in order to survive this journey, and even then there's the question of how much fuel is needed to break free of Earth's gravity and make it Mars. These are the reasons why a voyage to Mars is a struggle. But nothing good ever comes easy. SpaceX has shown extremely promising signs of improved space exploration with the introduction of reusable rockets, and now Musk has released the first images of the Starship prototype that will soon undergo short "hopping" excursions to test its feasibility. These vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) tests will hover up to 5 kilometers (3 miles) above the ground before landing back on Earth. The hopper prototype towers at a height of about 39 meters (128 feet) and has a diameter of 9 meters (30 feet), with a stainless-steel exterior starting at its pointy tip to its three rear "fins" that serve as its legs as it stands on the ground. Starship looks strikingly like something out of a 1950s science-fiction comic book, and that's because it was modelled after one. Again, anyone who follows Musk will also know that he is a huge fan of cultural references in his SpaceX work. Back in February 2018, Musk tested the Falcon Heavy, in the process launching one of his sister company's Tesla cars into an orbit around the sun. Inside the Tesla was Starman, a human-scale mannequin with SpaceX's spacesuit, given its name after the 1972 hit song by David Bowie. In the case of Starship, the rocket was inspired by the 1954 adventure of comic-book hero Tintin in "Explorers on the Moon." Although Starship doesn't have the red-and-white checkered appearance of Tintin's rocket, everything else is remarkably similar. This inspiration was confirmed by Musk at an event in September 2018, which he followed up by saying: "If in doubt, go with Tintin." Musk tweeted a picture of the prototype sitting at one of SpaceX's factories near Boca Chica Village in Texas. Starship and Super Heavy will both utilize the powerful Raptor engine that SpaceX is still working on. It has been suggested that in June 2019 SpaceX will create the orbital prototype of Starship and connect it to the Super Heavy booster for improved testing. This project is sure to be an extremely exciting one to follow. Musk has outlined his ambitions to conduct two unmanned cargo missions to Mars by 2022, followed by a crewed trip around the moon and back as early as 2023; this latter mission will carry 43-year-old Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa. Then, by 2024, SpaceX could be ready to conduct crewed missions to Mars. This will provide the platform for creating settlements on Mars, and science fiction will become a firm reality. After that, the possibilities are endless. Could Mars be the answer to problems on Earth? https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-hopper-elon-musk-explained.html Curt Lewis