February 8, 2021 - No. 11 In This Issue : New legislation aiming to incentivise SAF production in the US : Hybrid-Electric Plane Concept May Reduce Aviation’s Air Pollution Problem : The first airport for air taxis will begin later this year : Japan Airlines Flies First Japan-Produced SAF Commercial Flight : NASA, industry partner up to power up aircraft propulsion : EU-Funded Project Opens Up the Skies for Medical Emergency Drones : Night Vision Issue Comes to Light : SITA launches Health Protect for helping airlines to share health information : Spirit AeroSystems Collaborates with Infosys to Integrate the IT Infrastructure of its Recently Acquired Businesses : OneSpace launches another private carrier rocket : SpaceX's Dragon Crew to break record for most days in space New legislation aiming to incentivise SAF production in the US The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Act legislation to incentivise the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and help the aviation sector reduce carbon emissions has been introduced in the US. The bill would create a new blender’s tax credit for SAF, linked to carbon reductions, as well as an Investment Tax Credit to help finance new SAF facilities and infrastructure. It would also authorise $1 billion (€0.83 billion) in federal funding for US projects that produce, transport, blend, or store SAF. Additionally it aims to provide $175 million (€145 billion) in research funding to push the limits of existing SAF technology to try to lower SAF carbon emissions even more. It would also require the EPA to establish an aviation-only Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) similar to California’s successful transportation-wide LCFS. Since 2011, more than 200,000 flights have used sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the US. Aviation emissions are projected to triple by 2050. SAF is a drop-in fuel, which is an interchangeable substitute for fossil jet fuel up to a certain blending percentage. The market for renewable aviation fuel (RAF) is expected to witness a combined annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 56.05% from 2020 to 2025. Government policies have been one of the major factors in driving the market, according to research by Reportlinker. https://biofuels-news.com/news/new-legislation-aiming-to-incentivise-saf-production-in-the-us/ Hybrid-Electric Plane Concept May Reduce Aviation’s Air Pollution Problem Proposed design could reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 95 percent, a new study finds. At cruising altitude, airplanes emit a steady stream of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere, where the chemicals can linger to produce ozone and fine particulates. Nitrogen oxides, or NOx, are a major source of air pollution and have been associated with asthma, respiratory disease, and cardiovascular disorders. Previous research has shown that the generation of these chemicals due to global aviation results in 16,000 premature deaths each year. Now MIT engineers have come up with a concept for airplane propulsion that they estimate would eliminate 95 percent of aviation’s NOx emissions, and thereby reduce the number of associated early deaths by 92 percent. The concept is inspired by emissions-control systems used in ground transportation vehicles. Many heavy-duty diesel trucks today house post-combustion emissions-control systems to reduce the NOx generated by engines. The researchers now propose a similar design for aviation, with an electric twist. Today’s planes are propelled by jet engines anchored beneath each wing. Each engine houses a gas turbine that powers a propeller to move the plane through the air as exhaust from the turbine flows out the back. Due to this configuration, it has not been possible to use emissions-control devices, as they would interfere with the thrust produced by the engines. In the new hybrid-electric, or “turbo-electric,” design, a plane’s source of power would still be a conventional gas turbine, but it would be integrated within the plane’s cargo hold. Rather than directly powering propellers or fans, the gas turbine would drive a generator, also in the hold, to produce electricity, which would then electrically power the plane’s wing-mounted, electrically driven propellers or fans. The emissions produced by the gas turbine would be fed into an emissions-control system, broadly similar to those in diesel vehicles, which would clean the exhaust before ejecting it into the atmosphere. “This would still be a tremendous engineering challenge, but there aren’t fundamental physics limitations,” says Steven Barrett, professor of aeronautics and astronautics at MIT. “If you want to get to a net-zero aviation sector, this is a potential way of solving the air pollution part of it, which is significant, and in a way that’s technologically quite viable.” The details of the design, including analyses of its potential fuel cost and health impacts, are published in the journal Energy and Environmental Science. The paper’s co-authors are Prakash Prashanth, Raymond Speth, Sebastian Eastham, and Jayant Sabnins, all members of MIT’s Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment. A semi-electrified plan The seeds for the team’s hybrid-electric plane grew out of Barrett and his team’s work in investigating the Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal. In 2015, environmental regulators discovered that the car manufacturer had been intentionally manipulating diesel engines to activate onboard emissions-control systems only during lab testing, such that they appeared to meet NOx emissions standards but in fact emitted up to 40 times more NOx in real-world driving conditions. As he looked into the health impacts of the emissions cheat, Barrett also became familiar with diesel vehicles’ emissions-control systems in general. Around the same time, he was also looking into the possibility of engineering large, all-electric aircraft. “The research that’s been done in the last few years shows you could probably electrify smaller aircraft, but for big aircraft, it won’t happen anytime soon without pretty major breakthroughs in battery technology,” Barrett says. “So I thought, maybe we can take the electric propulsion part from electric aircraft, and the gas turbines that have been around for a long time and are super reliable and very efficient, and combine that with the emissions-control technology that’s used in automotive and ground power, to at least enable semielectrified planes.” Flying with zero impact Before airplane electrification had been seriously considered, it might have been possible to implement a concept such as this, for example as an add-on to the back of jet engines. But this design, Barrett notes, would “kill any stream of thrust” that a jet engine would produce, effectively grounding the design. Barrett’s concept gets around this limitation by separating the thrust-producing propellers or fans from the power-generating gas turbine. The propellers or fans would instead be directly powered by an electric generator, which in turn would be powered by the gas turbine. The exhaust from the gas turbine would be fed into an emissions-control system, which could be folded up, accordion-style, in the plane’s cargo hold — completely isolated from the thrust-producing propellers. He envisions the bulk of the hybrid-electric system — gas turbine, electric generator, and emissions control system — would fit within the belly of a plane, where there can be ample space in many commercial aircraft. In their new paper, the researchers calculate that if such a hybrid-electric system were implemented on a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320-like aircraft, the extra weight would require about 0.6 percent more fuel to fly the plane. “This would be many, many times more feasible than what has been proposed for all-electric aircraft,” Barrett says. “This design would add some hundreds of kilograms to a plane, as opposed to adding many tons of batteries, which would be over a magnitude of extra weight.” The researchers also calculated the emissions that would be produced by a large aircraft, with and without an emissions control system, and found that the hybrid-electric design would eliminate 95 percent of NOx emissions If this system were rolled out across all aircraft around the world, they further estimate that 92 percent of pollution-related deaths due to aviation would be avoided. They arrived at this estimate by using a global model to map the flow of aviation emissions through the atmosphere, and calculated how much various populations around the world would be exposed to these emissions. They then converted these exposures to mortalities, or estimates of the number of people who would die as a result of exposure to aviation emissions. The team is now working on designs for a “zero-impact” airplane that flies without emitting NOx and other chemicals like climate-altering carbon dioxide. “We need to get to essentially zero net-climate impacts and zero deaths from air pollution,” Barrett says. “This current design would effectively eliminate aviation’s air pollution problem. We’re now working on the climate impact part of it.” Reference: “Post-combustion emissions control in aero-gas turbine engines” by Prakash Prashanth, Raymond L. Speth, Sebastian D. Eastham, Jayant S. Sabnis and Steven R. H. Barrett, 7 December 2020, Energy and Environmental Science. https://scitechdaily.com/hybrid-electric-plane-concept-may-reduce-aviations-air-pollution-problem/ The first airport for air taxis will begin later this year The UK government, Coventry City Council and Hyundai Motor Group have partnered with An urban air port, The London-based aerospace company that is developing the infrastructure for future urban air mobility, in a construction project One flying, The world’s first operational center for Autonomous electric flying vehicles Vertical take off landing (eVTOL). For the less optimistic, urban air travel is still decades away. However, Advances in electric propulsion, autonomous aviation technology, and 5G communication networks will soon produce commercial drone services, thus It will add a new dimension to urban transportation in the future with passenger drones. Urban Air Port was named the winner of the Future aviation challenge To the British Executive, Prof. Award designed to support the aviation infrastructure and systems for the next generation of electric and autonomous aerial vehicles. Airline Emission-free infrastructure development, Is completely independent. Simulation One flying It will be the world’s first “pop-up” urban airport For electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL), including air taxis and cargo drones, it is set to open in Coventry later this year. The The main center Electric aircraft One flying 60% smaller than a traditional airstrip, Which is the most comparable current infrastructure. With innovative modular construction, The sites can be installed in a matter of days, emit zero net carbon emissions and can operate entirely off the gridAccording to the company, which means that The main center Urban Airport doesn’t always have to rely on a suitable network connection, which opens up potential sites for development. “Cars need roads, trains need rails, and planes need airports. You will need EVTOLs Urban air portsRicky Sandhu, founder and CEO of the infrastructure construction company, explained. “More than a hundred years ago, the first commercial flight in history took off, creating the modern world connected by air,” he added. Improving connectivity in all of our cities, and increasing productivity It will help the UK take the lead in a new clean world economy. ” https://thedailyguardian.net/the-first-airport-for-air-taxis-will-begin-later-this-year/ Japan Airlines Flies First Japan-Produced SAF Commercial Flight Flying on fuel made from used clothing, February 4th, 2021, marked a special day for Japan Airlines (JAL). The carrier operated its first commercial flight using a made-in-Japan SAF, or sustainable aviation fuel. While SAF can be made from non-edible plants or agricultural and forestry waste, the SAF used by JAL comes from a more unconventional source: used cotton clothing. “JAL fully recognizes that the airline industry plays an integral role to protect the planet and regards environmental conservation as a vital issue in its Medium Term Management Plan. The carrier will continue striving to achieve key environmental goals and contribute to a greener environment for future generations.” -Japan Airlines via press release From rags to the runway Back in October of 2018, JAL embarked on a project to convert cotton clothing into SAF. The project involved 50 local companies helping to collect upwards of 250,000 pieces of clothing and included technical support from the Green Earth Institute. The process itself was developed by the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE). In March 2020, the final result of nearly two years of work was a domestically-produced SAF. These efforts have earned JAL the honor of being recognized as an ‘Eco-First company’ by the Ministry of the Environment of Japan. Details of the flight The flight took place on February 4th as flight JL319, taking passengers from Tokyo Haneda (HND) to Fukuoka (FUK) using a Boeing 787-8 registered JA849J. Data from AirNav RadarBox shows that the Dreamliner departed at 12:58 and landed at 14:51 local time. With a total flight time of around two hours, this domestic flight would have to be one of the shortest flights using a widebody aircraft. JL319 is a route that has recently used the Boeing 787-8 but in recent months has also deployed the Airbus A350-900. The route also has occasionally been flown by the Boeing 777-200. JAL’s involvement with SAF While the recent event is historic because it used a SAF produced in Japan, JAL notes that it already has a record of SAF use beyond the February flight. In fact, the airline conducted Asia’s first test flight using SAF produced from non-edible feedstocks in 2009 and used SAF to fly from Chicago O’Hare International Airport to Narita International Airport in November 2017 and from San Francisco International Airport to Haneda Airport in January 2019. Later that same year, in June 2019, JAL took delivery of a new Airbus A350. The aircraft’s maiden flight from the Airbus plant at Toulouse, France, to Haneda Airport was powered by SAF. The problem of textile waste While clothing may occasionally get a second life being passed on or donated to a thrift store or charity, textiles ending up in landfills is still a huge problem. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the recycling rate for all textiles (in the US) was just 14.7% in 2018, with 2.5 million tons recycled. The rate for items such as sheets and pillowcases was 15.8% in 2018. Meanwhile, American landfills received 11.3 million tons of municipal solid waste textiles in 2018- 7.7% of all MSW landfilled. Hopefully, this made-in-Japan process can be exported to other parts of the world, turning discarded cotton clothing into a future batch of jet fuel. https://simpleflying.com/jal-saf-first-flight/ NASA, industry partner up to power up aircraft propulsion NASA envisions a future where supersonic airliners and highly efficient aircraft all fly in the same ultra-safe skies. And the agency is already sprinting toward that end goal by developing the X-59 QueSST and exploring alternative aircraft propulsion systems that can reduce costs, noise, and emissions. “Our program develops technologies that help NASA and industry change the paradigm of aviation by opening the way to everyday supersonic flight, environmentally sustainable transport-class aircraft, and widespread advanced air mobility vehicles,” said James Kenyon, NASA’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program director. NASA can’t change the future of flight alone, so the agency has teamed up with two industry partners to transform its approach to aircraft propulsion. These agreements are aimed at designing more efficient aircraft engines, while also addressing several technical challenges: weight, power extraction and storage, and thermal management. The power extraction challenge is especially important for future hybrid-electric aircraft concepts where the energy requirement becomes even greater, as extra power is needed to drive electric fans used for additional inflight thrust. Through its Hybrid Thermally Efficient Core (HyTEC) project, NASA is aggressively pursuing next generation aircraft engines that use less fuel and produce more power, by increasing the bypass ratio. This means making the fan – the one on the front of the engine – bigger, thereby increasing airflow, while shrinking the engine’s core which reduces fuel consumption. “The question becomes how do we shrink the core of the engine, while maintaining performance and increasing the electric power available?” said Tony Nerone, HyTEC project manager at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. “As aircraft become more electric, we’ll need to address the traditional power needs – running subsystems like flight controls, air conditioning, and so on – but we also need to tap more power for the newer electric systems that we’ll be adding to the aircraft. Current state-of-the-art engines can extract about 5% of power and we’ll need to jump up to 10 percent to 20 percent in the future.” Through a Space Act Agreement with Honeywell, NASA engineers will work with a team from Honeywell, to perform technology development and testing on an advanced low-pressure turbine. The data from the test will allow the combined engineering team to establish a turbofan power extraction baseline while also developing computational prediction tools. Ultimately, this test will provide essential data for the HyTEC project and advance Honeywell’s technology development of higher efficiency turbines that could impact its future gas turbine product line. NASA has also entered into a contract with GE to demonstrate and assess turbofan power extraction and integrating electric machines like motors and generators. The goal is to significantly increase power extraction at relevant commercial engine operating conditions from a thrust, weight, efficiency, operability, and durability for future electric propulsion systems. These efforts aim to introduce cleaner, more efficient and cost-effective aircraft propulsion in the near future. Core power systems technology development and testing are just the start. NASA will need to demonstrate the benefits in flight before eventual commercial aircraft integration. “Once HyTEC and its partners demonstrate power extraction, these new engines can be combined with other megawatt-class components we’re developing for electrified aircraft propulsion,” said Barbara Esker, AAVP’s deputy program director. “Together with advances in high-rate composite aircraft manufacturing and innovative configurations like the transonic truss-based wing, NASA can transform the long-term sustainability of commercial aircraft.” https://www.aerotechnews.com/blog/2021/02/07/nasa-industry-partner-up-to-power-up-aircraft-propulsion/ EU-Funded Project Opens Up the Skies for Medical Emergency Drones A new research and innovation project supporting sustainable air mobility in urban contexts via emergency and medical services will test both manned and unmanned drones in real-life conditions in 2023. The EU-funded AiRMOUR project focuses on the research and validation of novel concepts and solutions to make urban air mobility safe, secure, quiet and green, yet also more accessible, affordable and publicly accepted. As the airspace opens up for new transportation systems, new forms of Urban Air Mobility (UAM), such as passenger drones, are gaining more attention. Similar to the adaptation process of electric cars, there are challenges to overcome related to technology regulations, for example. In order to tackle these challenges, a great deal more research is needed and cities need to integrate air mobility into their urban planning processes and acquire suitable tools for this. The AiRMOUR project aims to advance the understanding of necessary near-future actions – not only by urban communities, but also by operators, regulators, academia and businesses. The project will tackle one of the most critical real-life applications of urban air mobility, namely Emergency Medical Services. Within the AiRMOUR project, personal air vehicles for doctors and medical supplies are validated in real-life demonstrations in Stavanger (Norway), Helsinki (Finland) and the region of Nord-Hessen (Germany). The AiRMOUR project will create a UAM toolbox for aviation and urban authorities; a guidebook for cities, operators and other stakeholders; and a training program, in cooperation with Eurocontrol. With the help of these tools, each European local cluster of aviation and urban actors will be able to set-up their own UAM realization. Furthermore, European policymaking, U-space planning and investments will be reinforced as a consequence of AiRMOUR activity, findings and new knowledge. “We have several unique elements in the AiRMOUR project, starting from the main outputs, such as the Urban Air Mobility toolbox and training programs. Their pragmatic design brings European cities quickly up to speed in UAM application. Furthermore, the emergency medical service implementation has great potential. Drones are a superior option when, for example, providing remote islands or congested urban areas with critical care”, says Project Coordinator Petri Mononen from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The AiRMOUR consortium will directly involve the cities and, therefore, ensure that the tools provided are of optimal use and that the impacts can be replicated widely. The consortium has a total of 13 partners, including research institutes, aviation authorities, UAM operators and Emergency Medical Service organizations. Furthermore, the AiRMOUR project will have 10 replicator cities, and an External Advisory Board with strong international support from organizations, such as NASA, Dubai Future Foundation and EASA, in addition to other endorsing bodies. The three-year AiRMOUR project began in January 2021 and has received funding of approximately €6 million from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. https://www.hstoday.us/industry/eu-funded-project-opens-up-the-skies-for-medical-emergency-drones/ Night Vision Issue Comes to Light Here’s a note for broadcasters who own their own towers: The Federal Aviation Administration has known for more than a decade that certain high-intensity red LED-based obstruction lights on communication towers are visible to the naked eye but invisible to those wearing night vision goggles (NVG) in most cases. The FAA previously issued advisories addressing non-NVG compatible LED lighting systems, but in November 2020 it levied final orders to require manufacturers meet a new specification for certified red LED-based obstruction lights that include Infrared (IR) emitters to make lighting systems more visible to pilots using NVG. Several light manufacturers have already standardized on the new IR LED lighting, according to experts familiar with the issue. The use of NVGs and Night Vision Imaging Systems (NVIS) is increasing in civilian aviation to conduct search-and-rescue, emergency medical transport and other flight operations, according to the FAA. It says certain legacy LED lighting systems fall outside the combined visible and near-infrared spectrum of NVGs, and thus are not be visible to some flight crews. LED-based lighting has largely replaced incandescent technology for red (and some white) obstruction lighting because of its reduced maintenance requirements and extended service life. Existing non-IR LED tower beacons are grandfathered in, but going forward all certified LED Aviation Obstruction Lighting installed for newly constructed towers or FAA circular updates must be NVG-friendly, according to the FAA. Broadcasters who own tall towers will need to upgrade to the new certified red LED-based beacons in the normal course of replacing their tower lighting systems, according to the FAA. However, since the new specification ensures the light is visible to pilots operating with night vision goggles, there is risk of a pilot misinterpreting the tower height if a legacy intermediate-level light is replaced with one that meets the new specification unless the top light meets the new specification as well. “Therefore, if a legacy specification intermediate-level LED-based light is replaced with a light that meets the new specifications, then the top-level light(s) on the obstruction must also meet the new specification to ensure the entire obstruction is visible during the use of night vision goggles,” according to the FAA Advisory Circular issued in November. Tower consolidator Vertical Bridge recommends broadcasters call their lighting manufacturer and provide them with serial numbers of their red color LED obstruction markers to determine if the pre-existing fixtures on the tower are NVG compatible and are equipped with an IR emitter. “Knowing that the rule change was coming for several years now, we started upgrading our systems as part of our normal repair and replace program. It’s important that tower owners, including broadcasters, use night vision goggle-friendly lighting going forward,” said Bernard Borghei of Vertical Bridge. The FAA notes that failure of the IR component merits a NOTAM, a Notice to Airmen, and must be reported even though the LED light may still be flashing. Any structure that exceeds 200 feet above ground level generally needs to be marked and/or lighted, according to the FAA. https://www.radioworld.com/tech-and-gear/tech-tips/night-vision-issue-comes-to-light SITA launches Health Protect for helping airlines to share health information SITA today announces the launch of Health Protect – an industry solution, to help airlines, airports, governments, and passengers safely and securely share information on health tests or vaccinations needed during travel. Successful trials have already been undertaken with the Australian government, travelers to the United Arab Emirates,and soon to start at Milan Malpensa Airport. For many countries, economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic relies heavily on travel and tourism.As governments globally seek a way to resume safe and secure travel in the wake of COVID-19, the ability for passengers to share vital health information such as PCR test results or vaccination history with authorities is increasingly important. SITA’s Health Protect allows airlines and passengers to submit these required documents safely and securely in line with specific government requirements. A key benefit is a unique ability to seamlessly integrate with multiple travel pass or ‘health passport’ schemes, bridging the gap between these schemes and aviation and border processes.Critically, by incorporating Advance Passenger Processing (APP), it enables authorities to make an informed decision whether a passenger can travel at the point of check-in, improving the safety of all passengers and avoiding costly return flights. Passengers without the required documentation, or considered high risk, will be unable to check-in for their flight, ensuring they do not travel to the airport. By facilitating the inclusion of health pass schemes into existing, proven, and trusted passenger processing systems, Health Protect minimizes the operational and technical impact on carriers and ports. Combining the functionality of passenger locator forms, health attestations, and travel declarations, as well as Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), Health Protect will deliver confidence for all stakeholders to travel again, safely and securely, supporting a seamless and contactless passenger journey. It will also provide passenger certainty that they have the right documents before departure, vitally at a time when borders regulations change regularly. At the airport, Health Protect also integrates with the existing airport passenger processing systems to verify the health status of the passenger at each point in the process using SITA Flex touchless passenger flow monitoring technology. David Lavorel, CEO of AIRPORTS & BORDERS at SITA, said: “We’re excited for the potential of SITA Health Protect to bridge the gap between airlines resuming normal operations and governments strong focus on keeping control of COVID-19. Recovery from COVID-19 will take time and is complex but we believe that SITA can play a key role in enabling a safer, simpler travel experience for passengers.” Proven success This week for the first time, a small group of air travelers flying from Germany and Estonia to the United Arab Emirates has tested the health data platform and app SimplyGo in a live environment. As part of the trial project, SimplyGo partnered with SITA to make use of SITA Health Protect. During the trial, travelers obtained a negative COVID-19 result via their SimplyGo app before traveling. The data was then securely stored on the SimplyGo platform to be accessed by airlines and border officials authorizing boarding of the plane and eventually arrival at the destination country, the United Arab Emirates. Integration with the UAE government systems was made possible through the Advance Passenger Processing platform delivered by SITA. Integrating SimplyGo with APP forms part of SITA’s Health Protect ecosystem, simplifying and automating the inclusion of health data into existing airline, airport, and government processes. By adapting APP to meet the current health demands of COVID-19,passengers can be processed faster and experience a more enjoyable journey while the airport benefits from improved efficiency and security. Similarly, SEA Milan Airports, Italy’s second busiest airport, is collaborating with SITA to pilot an innovative platform that digitalizes declarations on COVID-19 tested flights and manages the testing process at Milan Malpensa (MXP) airport. SITA continues to work closely with governments globally to support them in the safe reopening of borders. SITA is working with the Australian Government, airlines, and airports to support the implementation of strong border controls that have helped minimize and manage the pandemic’s impacts nationally. This approach has positioned Australia well for the safe reopening of borders into the future. https://www.expresscomputer.in/news/sita-launches-health-protect-for-helping-airlines-to-share-health-information/72769/ Spirit AeroSystems Collaborates with Infosys to Integrate the IT Infrastructure of its Recently Acquired Businesses WICHITA, Kan. and BENGALURU, India , Feb. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys (NYSE: INFY), the global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting, today announced a strategic collaboration with Spirit AeroSystems, a leading aero structures manufacturer. Spirit has chosen Infosys as its lead technology integration partner to help drive and set up the end-to-end applications and infrastructure integration of a few of Bombardier's former aerostructures and aftermarket services assets, which have been recently acquired by Spirit. As the exclusive IT partner, Infosys will leverage its system integration expertise, ecosystem partners, and extensive knowledge of the aviation sector to develop a robust IT framework, which will be built on infrastructure solutions powered by Infosys Cobalt. Seamless IT integration is imperative for successful mergers and acquisitions. The partnership will enable Spirit AeroSystems to empower stakeholders by transforming business applications and facilitating agile, resilient operations on the cloud. Talking about the partnership, Sam Marnick, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Spirit AeroSystems, said, "We look forward to partnering with Infosys on our efforts to further diversify our business and strategically position Spirit AeroSystems for the future. We appreciate the long-standing relationship we have with Infosys and the support they have brought to a number of strategic projects for Spirit." Jasmeet Singh, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Manufacturing, Infosys, said "We are excited to kickstart a new chapter in our long-term strategic partnership with Spirit AeroSystems and support their vision for the aerospace industry. We look forward to maximizing the synergies of the acquisition by facilitating seamless integration of IT ecosystems. Through the partnership, we will support Spirit with infrastructure build-out and unlock more opportunities to accelerate innovation and drive success." About Infosys Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in 46 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With nearly four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/spirit-aerosystems-collaborates-with-infosys-to-integrate-the-it-infrastructure-of-its-recently-acquired-businesses-301223784.html OneSpace launches another private carrier rocket The OS-X6B suborbital rocket, developed and made by OneSpace Technology, blasted off from a launch site in China's northwest at 17:05:05 on Friday. With a length of 9.4 meters, the rocket Chongqing Liangjiang Star flew about 580 seconds and traveled 300 kilometers above the earth. The test load was successfully separated and the entire flight was normal. This launch successfully completed a number of key technology verification, achieved the greatest possible intelligent measurement, launch and flight, and obtained a large amount of real flight environment data. The test was a complete success, the company said. It was the fourth launch of OneSpace, a private rocket company in China. It is the first private company in China to design, built and launch a carrier rocket in 2018. The company adopted vehicle-mounted launch technology to launch the OS-X6B rocket and independently built ground mobile telemetry stations and measuring stations. It was the first time for China's private rocket companies to complete a rocket launch mission with just a launch vehicle, a ground station, a drone and a PAD within 10 minutes. As part of a government effort to foster the commercial space sector and encourage participation by private enterprise, OneSpace has become a rising star in the country's space arena. In 2017, OneSpace Technology signed an agreement with Chongqing Liangjiang Aviation Industry Investment Group to build its research and manufacturing base in Chongqing. Chongqing Liangjiang New Area is the third national development and opening zone in China - and the first inland location - approved by the State Council, after Shanghai's Pudong New Area and Tianjin's Binhai New Area. http://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202102/07/WS601f8a4aa31024ad0baa7ce7.html SpaceX's Dragon Crew to break record for most days in space The National Aeronautics and Space Administration on Sunday said that the crew of Dragon spacecraft of Elon Musk's SpaceX is all set to break the record for most days in space. Four flight engineers, Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker and Soichi Noguchi, docked the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft to the US module last November."They will surpass the record of 84 days set by the Skylab 4 crew on February 8, 1974," NASA said. The Skylab 4 crew, with NASA astronauts Gerald Carr, Edward Gibson and William Pogue, docked their Apollo spacecraft to the Skylab space station 47 years to the day when the SpaceX crew docked to the orbiting lab, the US space authority estimated. Meanwhile, NASA has selected tech billionaire Elon Musk`s private aerospace company SpaceX to provide launch services for an astrophysics mission to survey the sky in the near-infrared light. The planned two-year mission is called SPHEREx, short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer. The near-infrared light, which, though not visible to the human eye, serves as a powerful tool for answering cosmic questions involving the birth of the universe, and the subsequent development of galaxies, according to NASA. SPHEREx will also will search for water and organic molecules -- essentials for life as we know it -- in regions where stars are born from gas and dust, known as stellar nurseries, as well as disks around stars where new planets could be forming, the US space agency said this week. The mission currently is targeted to launch as early as June 2024 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex-4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Astronomers will use the mission to gather data on more than 300 million galaxies, as well as more than 100 million stars in our own Milky Way galaxy. The total cost for NASA to launch SPHEREx is approximately $98.8 million, which includes the launch service and other mission related costs. https://www.wionews.com/science/spacexs-dragon-crew-to-break-record-for-most-days-in-space-361904 Curt Lewis