October 10, 2019 - No. 079 In This Issue POS Aviation Selects IBS Software's Cloud Platform to Power Cargo Terminal Operations in Malaysia NASA has a new airplane. It runs on clean electricity British Airways owner IAG commits to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 Smiths Detection Showcases Biometric Checkpoint Solution at inter airport Europe 2019 Boeing gifts massive 787 engine to SCC's aviation maintenance program Embry-Riddle graduates its first Aviation Maintenance Technology program class Rainforest Norway Report Finds Aviation Emissions Reduction Targets Could Drive Deforestation ERS Signs Agreement With Irish Aviation Authority to Deliver New Aviation Safety Regulation System Embraer conducts first autonomous aircraft test in Brazil SpaceX May Launch Crucial Crew Dragon Abort Test Next Month, Elon Musk Says POS Aviation Selects IBS Software's Cloud Platform to Power Cargo Terminal Operations in Malaysia KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct. 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Malaysia-based Pos Aviation has transitioned to IBS Software's cloud-based cargo management platform, iCargo, to power its Cargo Terminal Operations at all major airports in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu). iCargo has replaced the legacy systems that previously managed the cargo terminal operations, providing enhanced process agility and improved productivity and positioning Pos Aviation as an end-to-end integrated logistics provider. Under the contract, IBS also implemented other systems to transform Pos Aviation's Unit Load Device (ULD) management and mail operations. Pos Aviation selected IBS to help transform its core systems based on iCargo's unrivaled capability to provide an end-to-end cargo management platform. iCargo's extensive repository of product features offers cargo ground handlers unmatched capabilities to leverage digital solutions to improve the customer experience, enhanced steering and monitoring of warehouse processes and enhance paperless cargo. The implementation has seen the adoption of cutting edge technology such as enterprise mobility and automated electronic task delivery introduced into the business process. iCargo has recorded remarkable traction in the market to emerge as the most definitive cargo management solution in the air transportation industry today. Over 35 leading operators around the world - airlines, cargo terminal operators and ground handling agents - depend on the platform for their mission critical operations. Pos Aviation, the only independent cargo ground handler in Malaysia, also offers inflight catering and aircraft maintenance and engineering services to inbound and outbound international commercial airlines in Malaysia. It has recently tied up with majors like Alibaba and Lazada to enter the e-commerce space as part of its growth strategy. CEO of Pos Aviation, Woo Kam Weng said, "We are glad that we decided to work with IBS for our new cargo system. It is proven to be a good product enabling Pos Aviation to continue providing excellent services to our international customers. We have achieved better service levels whilst improving our cost efficiency and productivity." "I am delighted to welcome Pos Aviation to the iCargo family. Our partnership with Pos Aviation is an important step in the air cargo industry, delivering next generation business practices through the use of innovative technology," said Ashok Rajan, SVP & Head of Airline Cargo Services, IBS Software. "The expanding customer base of iCargo across air cargo carriers and now in the ground handling agent (GHA) space will open new avenues for collaboration and partnership in the industry. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with Pos Aviation." IBS's deal with Pos Aviation comes 18 months after news of its partnership with dnata, an Emirates group company, and one of the largest and fastest growing ground handlers in the world. About IBS Software IBS is a multi-national, vertical SaaS software company, providing new-generation solutions that manage mission critical operations of some of the best airlines, busiest airports, leading cruise lines, top oil & gas companies and renowned travel distributors & hotel groups in the world. IBS also offers consulting and domain-led software services in these business verticals. IBS is a Blackstone invested company and operates from 10 offices across the world serving 170+ customers. To the aviation industry, IBS offers IT systems for passenger services (including Loyalty and staff travel), cargo operations, flight and crew operations, airport operations and aircraft maintenance engineering, making it the enterprise that offers the widest range of technology products to the aviation industry. Further information can be found at https://www.ibsplc.com/ About Pos Aviation Pos Aviation Sdn. Bhd. a subsidiary of the renowned conglomerate DRB-HICOM & Pos Malaysia was incorporated on the 09th February 1995. Malaysia's only licensed independent ground handler that provides a comprehensive range of services to various commercial airlines operating into and through Malaysian Airports. This includes Ground Handling, Cargo Handling, Aircraft Maintenance & Engineering and Inflight Catering. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pos-aviation-selects-ibs-softwares-cloud-platform-to- power-cargo-terminal-operations-in-malaysia-300934212.html Back to Top NASA has a new airplane. It runs on clean electricity. NASA recently received an all-electric aircraft, the X-57 Maxwell, that will undergo testing in the coming months with the first flight expected in 2020. It's a small step toward making zero- emissions air travel a reality, and it couldn't have come at a better time. While aviation emits about 2.4 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, demand for flights is rapidly growing and the resulting emissions are on track to triple by the middle of the century. Meanwhile, scientists say that to limit warming this century to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the world will have to cut total emissions in half by as soon as 2030. There are few options available for reducing overall emissions from air travel, which has led to the flying shame movement among travelers who find it difficult to reconcile their travel habits with their concern for the climate. Teen activist Greta Thunberg famously even crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a sailboat this summer to avoid the emissions from flying. Engineers are trying to come up with ways to decarbonize air travel, and electrification is a promising prospect. "I believe it's one of the hottest topics at the moment in aircraft engineering," Andreas Schäfer, a professor of energy and transport at University College London, told me earlier this year. An electric power system for aviation can be more efficient than conventional engines, unlock new aircraft designs, and when drawing on clean energy, emit zero greenhouse gases. Electric propulsion also stands to be less mechanically complicated and could, in theory, reduce operating costs, which is why some airlines want electric planes. The new NASA aircraft, a modified twin-engine Tecnam P2006T from Empirical Systems Aerospace, is a small step in this direction. While there are already a few electric aircraft models on the market, like Pipistrel's ALPHA Electro trainer plane, the X-57 project is unique because it's not just testing an electric propulsion system, but also studying how electric motors can change the aerodynamics of the aircraft and create brand new designs. The initial testing phase of the aircraft will use two electric motors mounted under the wings and spinning propellers, similar to conventional piston engines. The testing will then progress to a radically different design, one with a much thinner wing, with two main motors on the wingtips and 12 smaller motors along the leading edge of the wing. Physics, Engineering Design and the X-57 Maxwell Electric Airplane The aim is for the smaller motors to add additional lift for takeoff and landing, folding away their propellers during the flight to reduce drag. With a narrower wing, engineers are aiming to increase the X-57's cruise efficiency by 500 percent. Such a design would not be feasible with conventional engines. So when will you be able to book a ticket for an electric plane? "[W]ith experimental technology, you're dealing with stuff that either has never been done before or has not been done in the way currently being researched, so committing to a specific date is challenging," NASA spokesperson Matthew Kamlet wrote in an email. In addition to testing, risk-averse aviation regulators will have to come up with new safety protocols to govern components like the massive batteries electric planes will require. And though battery technology is improving, it's nowhere close to aviation fuel in terms of energy density, so electric planes will be limited to shorter routes in the near future. That means it will likely be decades before electric aircraft make a dent in the emissions from air travel. In the meantime, the difficult questions about the ethics of flying will remain. https://www.vox.com/2019/10/9/20903205/nasa-electric-airplane-x-57-aviation-emissions Back to Top British Airways owner IAG commits to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 LONDON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - British Airways owner IAG said it will achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, becoming the first major airlines group to make such a commitment. The aviation industry is under intense pressure from climate change activist such as Extinction Rebellion, which is aiming to shut down London's City Airport on Thursday. IAG said it would achieve its target with steps such as carbon offsetting for British Airways' domestic flights from 2020, investing in sustainable aviation fuel and replacing older aircraft with more efficient jets over the next five years. "We're investing in new aircraft and innovative technology to reduce our carbon footprint in an industry where there's no current alternative to jet fuel," IAG Chief Executive Willie Walsh said in a statement. IAG said the steps would help the airline contribute both to Britain's goal for a net zero carbon economy by 2050 and a United Nations objective to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. Protesters say cheap and easy short-haul flying will make it impossible for Britain it meet its climate goals and will have dire consequences for the world. Walsh said that aviation represented only 2% of global CO2 emissions, and that the airline group's steps were one part of a broader solution to make aviation less polluting. "Aviation's dependency on fossil fuels means that it's essential that governments support its efforts to decarbonise by providing incentives to accelerate investment in new technologies," he said "Global warming needs a global solution and all these initiatives will help limit the world's temperature increase to 1.5 degrees." https://www.reuters.com/article/climate-change-britain-iag/british-airways-owner-iag-commits-to- net-zero-carbon-emissions-by-2050-idUSL5N26V211 Back to Top Smiths Detection Showcases Biometric Checkpoint Solution at inter airport Europe 2019 MUNICH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global threat detection and security technologies company, Smiths Detection is showcasing for the first time an integrated checkpoint solution at inter airport Europe 2019, which harnesses biometric technology to enable risk-based screening practices. With air passenger growth predicted to double by 2037, the aviation industry will be challenged to support this capacity growth whilst providing operational efficiencies and meeting shifting passenger expectations of the airport experience.1 To cope with this growth, biometric technology is being increasingly adopted at airport Border Control gates, bag drop and boarding gates. As leaders in providing checkpoint solutions to airports across the world, Smiths Detection has partnered with experts in the field of biometry to, for the first time, create a proof of concept which integrates biometric identity management solutions with class-leading screening solutions. Inter airport delegates are invited to experience the biometric capable checkpoint in action - which also employs Smiths Detection's advanced CT scanner, HI-SCAN 6040 CTiX, the iCMORE Weapons automatic object recognition capability and the advanced tray return system, iLane.evo. Biometrics is the 'unique identifier' for passengers, and through integration of biometrics directly into the checkpoint, passengers can be matched with their trays to enable real-time risk-based screening. Risk-based screening is designed to increase operational efficiency and effectiveness through continual risk assessments relevant to the individual passenger journey, resulting in shorter and easier journeys for passengers. Through passenger and tray identification, new data insights can be gathered to inform decision making at airports - based on flights, airlines or destinations. Matching passengers with trays also enables the sharing of screening results with transit or arrival airports, and the combination of hold baggage and checkpoint screening results. "At Smiths Detection, we're dedicated to delivering a seamless passenger journey and we are very excited to be driving biometric checkpoint technology forward in a rapidly developing marketplace," said Smiths Detection Vice President Europe, Africa and Marketing Tony Tielen. "As a trusted partner to airports across the world, we are working with the aviation industry to deliver risk-based screening at departure, transit and arrival airports to streamline the checkpoint journey to make it even safer and more efficient." "Biometrics is an urgently needed solution to provide seamless checkpoint security," said Global Market Director Aviation, Richard Thompson. "Ever increasing air passenger traffic plus advances in biometrics, artificial intelligence and integrated screening technology mean that risk-based screening is now firmly on the fast track. We look forward to offering a preview of the checkpoint solution of the future to delegates at inter airport Europe 2019." References and data points: At the beginning of 2018, SITA, the airlines technology supplier, reported that 77% of airports and 71% of airlines were planning major programs or R&D in biometric ID management over the next five years. Airlines are responding to demands from passengers as 57% of passengers would "definitely use biometrics" if it helps them get quicker through the boarding process, according to SITA. According to the IATA 2018 Passenger Survey, 45% of air travellers choose biometric identification as a replacement of their passport. Over 65 percent of passenger's were inclined towards sharing additional personal information to speed up their processing at the airport. Speed and convenience are paramount, according to IATA. About Smiths Detection Smiths Detection is a global leader in threat detection and screening technologies for aviation, ports and borders, urban security and defence. With more than 40 years of field-tested experience, we deliver the solutions needed to protect society from the threat and illegal passage of explosives, prohibited weapons, contraband, toxic chemicals and narcotics. Our mission is to help make the world a safer place - and do this by using technology to develop innovative solutions and services which protect life, safeguard society and uphold the free flow of trade. For more information visit http://www.smithsdetection.com. About inter airport Europe From 8 - 11 October 2019, inter airport Europe 2019, the 22nd International Exhibition for Airport Equipment, Technology, Design and Services will take place at the Munich Trade Fair Centre in Germany. For manufacturers and suppliers of airport equipment, technology, design and services, inter airport Europe provides the opportunity to meet specialists from airports, airlines, air cargo carriers as well as aviation support from all over the world looking to invest in future-oriented, modern solutions for the interconnected airport. The world's leading airport exhibition is renowned for covering the most comprehensive range of products and services for the entire airport: technology and services for ground handling, airport equipment, terminal operations, airport IT solutions and airport design. For more information visit https://www.interairporteurope.com/welcome#/ https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191009005541/en/Smiths-Detection-Showcases- Biometric-Checkpoint-Solution-inter Back to Top Boeing gifts massive 787 engine to SCC's aviation maintenance program Students in the aviation maintenance program at Spokane Community College are accustomed to working on bush planes. Now they will learn how to maintain and repair something much bigger: a jet engine designed for a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. School officials unveiled the 14-foot-tall, 17,000-pound GEnx turbine during a ceremony Tuesday at SCC's Felts Field hangar. Manufactured by General Electric and gifted by Boeing, the engine will give students hands-on experience with some of the latest commercial airplane technology. Bill McSherry, Boeing's vice president for government operations, said students also will develop skills they can use on the company's factory floor after graduation. "It will make them much more valuable potential employees to companies like us and other aerospace companies around the state, around the country," McSherry said. More than 100 people attended the unveiling ceremony, including students and instructors from the aviation program, a handful of elected officials and a group of students from Shadle Park High School. The high school students are taking part in Boeing's Core Plus program, which aims to prepare them for careers in the aerospace industry. About 75 students are enrolled in SCC's aviation program, which offers two associate degrees and six certificates. McSherry said Boeing needs talented graduates to address a looming shortage of workers on its manufacturing and assembly lines. "There is a terrible skill shortage in our country," he said. "Over the next 10 years, we think 2.4 million jobs will go unfilled because the students coming out of schools don't have the skills that employers like Boeing, our suppliers and our counterparts in other industries need to have in order to fill these jobs here in Washington." Robin Toth, who leads aerospace programs at the state Department of Commerce, echoed that. "We need to continue to fill the pipeline," Toth said. "There are going to be huge numbers of retirements in the near future, and new opportunities will come online with new programs." A new GEnx engine can sell for between $20 million and $30 million. McSherry and school officials declined to state the value of the donated engine, which was never flown and which arrived at the Felts Field hangar with some exterior damage. "The value is not really in dollars," McSherry said. "It's in what you can do with it." SCC President Kevin Brockbank and Christine Johnson, chancellor of the Community Colleges of Spokane, also spoke Tuesday alongside Jennifer Paige, who was hired at Boeing after graduating from SCC nearly two years ago. Paige was quickly promoted to a management position, overseeing a team that puts finishing touches on KC-767 tankers before they are delivered to the U.S. Air Force. Paige credited SCC for teaching her the necessary skills, including basics such as drilling holes and using a torque wrench. "I didn't know how to do any of these things. I learned a lot being in this program," she said. "Spokane Community College is really good about providing real-life experiences that you can take with you to your career." https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/oct/09/boeing-gifts-massive-787-engine-to-sccs- aviation-m/ Back to Top Embry-Riddle graduates its first Aviation Maintenance Technology program class Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) Worldwide held the first graduation ceremony for its Aviation Maintenance Technology (AMT) program, successfully graduating 12 Marine students at the Landing on Marine Corps Air Station New River, Oct. 4. ERAU is a private university; its main campuses are located in Daytona Beach, Florida and Prescott, Arizona. They opened their campus on Marine Corps Air Station New River in 2019. ERAU provides many different programs in addition to the AMT. The AMT program is a nine-week, full-time program designed to train and place transitioning service members, veterans and eligible military spouses into aviation maintenance and technician careers. "Our curriculum provides six classes with the students earning 18 undergraduate credit hours," said Amber Evans, assistant campus director with the New River Campus. "The program is in class, Monday through Friday and once graduated from the program, they earn their ERAU certificate, the AMT certificate and an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) license all under the Federal Aviation Administration." Applicants are not required to have an aviation maintenance background, but a mechanical aptitude is required. The class holds 30 students and is held three times a year in January, May and September. "Students generally fund the program using their GI bill," Evans said. "It uses about three months of their entitled bill." According to Evans, the graduates will receive guaranteed interviews with recognized industry hiring partners such as Pratt & Whitney and Aircraft Accident Reports. All 12 graduating students received job offers with different companies worldwide. "The predictions are that there will be 700,000 aviation maintainers leaving [the workforce] in the next 20 years worldwide," said Angela Albritton, director of Military Relations and Strategic Initiatives. "There is such a large need because of the growth in aviation, and also because of the many retirements coming." ERAU is currently accepting applications for the nine-week program and one can register by coming into the Embry-Riddle Camp Lejeune campus office located at the Education Center on MCAS New River, Bldg. A2-212 room 213. "This is the first course that is allowing service members the time to learn and study to get their A&P license," said Sgt. Charles Cohagen, a flight line mechanic with Marine Heavy Helicopter Training Squadron 302. "If you are in the avionics field, do not be deterred." For additional information, visit worldwide.erau.edu/amtp or call Amber Evans at (910) 449-5794. https://www.dvidshub.net/news/346796/embry-riddle-graduates-its-first-aviation-maintenance- technology-program-class Back to Top Rainforest Norway Report Finds Aviation Emissions Reduction Targets Could Drive Deforestation 3 October 2019: Rainforest Foundation Norway has released a report that analyzes the impacts of the aviation industry's emissions reduction goals on deforestation. The report cautions that the production of alternative aviation fuels is likely to drive forest clearance and generate carbon dioxide emissions from land use change, underscoring how emissions reductions goals in one sector can have a negative impact on others. The report titled, 'Destination deforestation: Aviation biofuels, vegetable oil and land use change,' explains that the aviation industry aims to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 50% in 2050, compared to the 2005 level, without limiting growth. The aviation industry plans to work towards this goal by shifting from conventional jet fuel to alternative aviation fuels. According to Rainforest Foundation Norway's report, the only current technology operating at a commercial scale to produce aviation fuel from electricity is the 'hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids, or HEFA' process, which produces jet fuel from animal fats and vegetable oils. The report raises concerns about the cost of fuels produced using HEFA or other alternatives and cautions that the HEFA industry's sustainability and scalability is limited by the need for feedstock inputs, such as palm oil and soy oil, both of which are associated with tropical deforestation. Based on the aviation industry's projected fuel needs, the report states that, if palm and soy oils each contribute a quarter of the feedstock demand for the aviation industry goal, it "could drive 3.2 million hectares of forest loss and 5 gigatonnes of land use change carbon dioxide emissions." The report concludes that the HEFA technology is "simply not appropriate to delivering the volumes [...] needed for a large-scale transition to alternative fuels in the aviation industry" and therefore recommends identifying more commercially viable and scalable technology options. Within this context, the report questions "whether current rates of aviation growth can ever be sustainable in a carbon constrained world." To avoid undermining the SDGs and limit global temperature rise, the report argues the aviation industry should avoid using biofuels from feedstocks, such as palm oil and soy, that have a high deforestation risk. The report therefore recommends reassessing the realistic potential for alternative aviation fuel deployment between now and 2050. The report further recommends, inter alia: focusing on mobilizing investment for demonstrating the potential of electrofuels and cellulosic biofuels at commercial scale; and reprioritizing additional options to decarbonize aviation, including electric propulsion and novel airframes. http://sdg.iisd.org/news/rainforest-norway-report-finds-aviation-emissions-reduction-targets-could- drive-deforestation/ Back to Top ERS Signs Agreement With Irish Aviation Authority to Deliver New Aviation Safety Regulation System REGINA, Saskatchewan, Oct. 09, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Information Services Corporation (ISV.TO) ("ISC" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that its wholly owned Irish subsidiary, Enterprise Registry Solutions Limited ("ERS"), has signed an agreement with the Irish Aviation Authority ("IAA") to implement and support its new Safety Regulation System. ERS will utilize its RegSys product ("RegSys") to provide the platform upon which this innovative system will be built. The total value of the implementation contract is approximately CAD$7 million, with a subsequent agreement expected for system support and maintenance. The new system is expected to go-live in 2021. Jeff Stusek, President & CEO of ISC commented, "We continue to pursue opportunities that will expand the application of our products and solutions to fit a range of new registry and regulatory markets. This agreement with the IAA not only demonstrates the strong capabilities of our technology as a modern and advanced solution for aviation regulatory systems but also the confidence in our team to deliver a world-class product." The IAA's responsibilities include the safety regulation of Irish civil aviation and the oversight of civil aviation security in Ireland. This new system will provide technology for the regulatory functions of the IAA including licensing, registration, aviation security, air navigation regulation and safety management. Once implementation of the new IAA Safety Regulation System is completed, benefits will include improvements in user experience, workflows and back office capabilities. About ISC Headquartered in Canada, ISC is the leading provider of registry and information management services for public data and records. Throughout our history, we have delivered value to our clients by providing solutions to manage, secure and administer information through our Registry Operations, Services and Technology Solutions segments. ISC is focused on sustaining its core business while pursuing new growth opportunities. The Class A Shares of ISC trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ISV. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ers-signs-agreement-irish-aviation-110000367.html Back to Top Embraer conducts first autonomous aircraft test in Brazil A scientific and technological cooperation between Embraer and the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (Ufes), in the areas of autonomous robotics and artificial intelligence resulted in the first test of an autonomous aircraft in Brazil. The successful initiative made it possible for a prototype to perform the taxiing operation on its own, moving along a previously established path without human interference. The sensor and image navigation set led the autonomous systems technology demonstration aircraft through the runway, taxi area and patio independently, without outside assistance. A pilot followed the cockpit operation in case of any interference. The test took place in the last week of August, at Embraer unit in Gavião Peixoto, in São Paulo state. For the past six months, researchers from Embraer and Ufes have worked together on mathematical and computational models of automation, software development, hardware, laser sensor kit, GPS and cameras, as well as systems integration into the aeronautical platform. The autonomous land navigation system was tested in a simulator during preliminary assessments prior to actual operation. "Our strategy for technology development in autonomous systems seeks to position the country at the forefront of artificial intelligence processes in a variety of applications", said Daniel Moczydlower, Embraer's Executive Vice President of Engineering and Technology. "Achieving this technological milestone in Embraer's 50th anniversary month demonstrated not only the importance of bringing industry closer to the university, but also how prepared and engaged our people are for the journey of excellence needed for the coming decades." The integrated artificial intelligence system monitored the aircraft's external and internal conditions, which acts independently on the acceleration, steering and braking commands, and accurately performed the movement along the indicated path. The test aircraft platform - the same one used for the development of the modern executive jets Legacy 500 and Praetor 600 - integrated features of the Intelligent Autonomous Robotic Automobile (IARA) system, result of an autonomous cars' research that began in 2009, at the Ufes High Performance Computing Laboratory (LCAD). "This success demonstrates the excellence of what we have been developing at Ufes in the last 10 years in the areas of autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence. It puts us once again at the scientific forefront in these areas worldwide. Doing all this in partnership with Embraer fills us with pride and satisfaction", said Professor Alberto Ferreira de Souza, project coordinator. Partnership The partnership with Ufes, in the context of pre-competitive research and development, seeks to accelerate the knowledge of autonomous systems technologies through the implementation of more agile experimentation processes. The proposal for the scientific development of autonomous aeronautical systems, using a technology demonstration platform, constitutes an effective and efficient precompetitive research instrument for learning, training and maturing of technologies prior to application in future products or development of new market segments. Initiatives such as this, combined with long-term incentive policies, can enhance, for example, Brazil's ability to enable a new era of air mobility that is more accessible to the population. Embraer is committed to the open innovation model and collaborates with dozens of universities and research centers in Brazil and abroad. Highlights include long-term partnerships with institutions such as the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep), the Research Support Foundations of the states of Santa Catarina, São Paulo and Minas Gerais (Fapesc, Fapesp and Fapemig, respectively) and Brazilian Company of Industrial Research and Innovation (Embrapii), which are fundamental to reduce the distance between the scientific community and the needs of the industry. By establishing strategic partnerships through more agile cooperation mechanisms, Embraer stimulates knowledge networks that allow a significant increase in the country's competitiveness and the construction of a sustainable future. About Embraer A global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, Embraer celebrates its 50th anniversary with businesses in Commercial and Executive aviation, Defense & Security and Agricultural Aviation. The company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems, providing Services & Support to customers after-sales. https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/embraer-conducts-first-autonomous-aircraft-test-in-brazil Back to Top SpaceX May Launch Crucial Crew Dragon Abort Test Next Month, Elon Musk Says A key safety test of SpaceX's Crew Dragon astronaut taxi could occur as early as next month, Elon Musk said. The test is an in-flight abort (IFA), which will demonstrate Crew Dragon's ability to get out of harm's way in the event of a launch emergency. During the IFA, a Crew Dragon will launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Shortly after liftoff, the capsule will fire up its SuperDraco escape thrusters, which will blast Crew Dragon a considerable distance away from the rocket. Both the spacecraft and the booster needed for the test are already at SpaceX's facilities in Cape Canaveral, so we shouldn't have to wait much longer for the IFA, Musk said. "All hardware is at the Cape. Need to do static fire and reconfigure for flight. Launch probably late Nov / early Dec," he tweeted on Tuesday (Oct. 8). The IFA is a critical milestone on Crew Dragon's path to crewed flight, which both SpaceX and NASA want to happen soon. SpaceX holds a $2.6 billion NASA contract to ferry American astronauts to and from the International Space Station using the capsule and the Falcon 9. That deal was announced in September 2014, as was a similar one that NASA signed with Boeing, which is developing a capsule called CST-100 Starliner. At the time, NASA officials said they wanted at least one of these private vehicles to be up and running by the end of 2017. NASA is eager to stop buying seats aboard Russian Soyuz spacecraft, which have been the only ride to orbit for astronauts of any nationality since the space shuttle fleet was grounded in July 2011. Seats aboard the three-person Soyuz currently sell for around $85 million apiece, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said recently. A Crew Dragon has visited the ISS once before, on a historic uncrewed mission this past March known as Demo-1. That same capsule was slated to perform the IFA test as well, but the vehicle was destroyed in April during a ground test of the SuperDraco abort system, pushing SpaceX's timelines back. The next big milestone after the IFA is Demo-2, a test flight that will carry NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the orbiting lab and back. Operational, contracted missions will start sometime after that. It's unclear when Demo-2 will fly; NASA stopped publishing target dates for any big SpaceX and Boeing commercial-crew milestones in July, shortly after Bill Gerstenmaier, the longtime head of the agency's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, was reassigned. But Demo-2's launch may not be too far off at this point, Musk suggested in another Tuesday tweet. "For what it's worth, the SpaceX schedule, which I've just reviewed in depth, shows Falcon & Dragon at the Cape & all testing done in ~10 weeks," he said via Twitter. Musk was responding to a tweet by Ars Technica's Eric Berger, who reported that a source described "full panic" ensuing as NASA grapples with the prospect that Crew Dragon and Starliner may not be operational by the first half of next year. https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-dragon-abort-test-2019-elon-musk.html Curt Lewis