June 17, 2021 - No. 47 In This Issue : Rolls-Royce pledges £80M investment to develop aviation energy storage technology : GE Aviation and Safran launch advanced technology demonstration program for sustainable engines; 20% lower fuel consumption : Minnesota DOT, NASA partner to develop aviation technology : Fortem Technologies Selected to Join Federal Aviation Administration's Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) : Southwest suffers technology problem for second straight day : Airpas Aviation Merges With FuelPlus to Create a Global Leader in Critical Cost Management Software for the Aviation Industry : ATW Reveals 2021 Airline Industry Achievement Award Winners : Japanese industry teams up for supersonic transport : Proactive, Data-Powered Security Solutions Take Off : GE Aviation scores key Air Force approval for 3D-printed metal engine part : SpaceX to break the final frontier in reuse with national defense launch Rolls-Royce pledges £80M investment to develop aviation energy storage technology Rolls-Royce (OTCPK:RYCEF +1.0%) to tap new aviation markets and develop energy storage systems (ESS) that will enable aircraft to undertake zero emissions flights of over 100 miles on a single charge. To strengthen its position as the leading supplier of all-electric and hybrid-electric power and propulsion systems for aviation, the company will invest £80M in ESS over the next decade. This will create around 300 jobs by 2030. By 2035, Rolls-Royce intends to integrate more than 5M battery cells per annum into modular systems. The company has designed 10 different aerospace battery systems, using state-of-the-art cell technology, of which four designs have already flown in three aircraft and another two designs will complete their first flight in aircraft in 2021. Rolls-Royce and airframer Tecnam are currently working with regional airline in Scandinavia 'Widerøe' to deliver an all-electric passenger aircraft for the commuter market, which should to be ready for revenue service in 2026 https://seekingalpha.com/news/3706940-rolls-royce-pledges-80m-investment-to-develop-aviation-energy-storage-technology GE Aviation and Safran launch advanced technology demonstration program for sustainable engines; 20% lower fuel consumption GE Aviation and Safran launched a technology development program targeting more than 20% lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to today’s engines. The CFM RISE (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines) program will demonstrate and mature a range of new, disruptive technologies for future engines that could enter service by the mid-2030s. The companies also signed an agreement extending the CFM International 50/50 partnership to the year 2050, declaring their intent to lead the way for more sustainable aviation in line with the industry’s commitment to halve CO2 emissions by 2050. Technologies matured as part of the RISE Program will serve as the foundation for the next-generation CFM engine that could be available by the mid-2030s. In addition to the lower fuel consumption goal, the team will work on ensuring 100% compatibility with alternative energy sources such as Sustainable Aviation Fuels and hydrogen. Central to the program is state-of-the-art propulsive efficiency for the engine, including developing an open fan architecture. This is a key enabler to achieving significantly improved fuel efficiency while delivering the same speed and cabin experience as current single-aisle aircraft. The program will also use hybrid-electric capability to optimize engine efficiency while enabling electrification of many aircraft systems. The program is being led by a joint GE/Safran engineering team that has laid out a comprehensive technology roadmap including composite fan blades, heat resistant metal alloys, ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), hybrid electric capability and additive manufacturing. The RISE program includes more than 300 separate component, module and full engine builds. A demonstrator engine is scheduled to begin testing at GE and Safran facilities around the middle of this decade and flight test soon thereafter. The original 1974 framework agreement creating CFM International as a 50/50 joint venture between the two aircraft engine manufacturers redefined international cooperation and helped change the course of commercial aviation. The partnership was renewed in 2008 for the launch of the LEAP program. Today, CFM is the world’s leading supplier of commercial aircraft engines with a product line that serves as the industry benchmark for efficiency, reliability and low overall cost of ownership. More than 35,000 CFM engines have been delivered to more than 600 operators around the globe, accumulating more than one billion flight hours. https://www.greencarcongress.com/2021/06/20210615-cfm.html Minnesota DOT, NASA partner to develop aviation technology The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and NASA recently announced they will partner to plan for advanced technology cargo aircraft and passenger air taxi services. The partners will host a series of five workshops for stakeholders to work with NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility team to discuss strategies for future engagement and planning and to identify areas of opportunity and concern regarding Advanced Air Mobility integration. Participants will include representatives from airport authorities and operators, infrastructure providers, vehicle and subsystem manufacturers, workforce development organizations, universities, local governments, and others. The workshops begin this month. “These new electric, vertical take-off aircraft are currently undergoing testing, maturing quickly, and represent the future of a greener, more adaptable aviation option in Minnesota,” Cassandra Isackson, MnDOT office of aeronautics director, said. “Advanced Air Mobility services show great promise to provide localized aviation services that are broadly accessible, equitable, sustainable, and serve all Minnesotans. We look forward to working with NASA and a broad range of local experts to help Minnesota plan for these new technologies.” The Massachusetts Department of Transportation, the North Central Texas Council of Governments Department of Transportation, the Ohio Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of the Ohio Department of Transportation, and the City of Orlando also are partnering with NASA. https://transportationtodaynews.com/news/22950-minnesota-dot-nasa-partner-to-develop-aviation-technology/ Fortem Technologies Selected to Join Federal Aviation Administration's Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) Pleasant Grove, UT, June 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortem Technologies, a leader in airspace security and defense for detecting and defeating dangerous drones, announced today that Adam Robertson, co-founder and CTO of the company, will serve on the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). Specifically, he will be joining the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight Operations (BVLOS) ARC. Adam brings over 24 years of industry experience to the committee, with a specialization in radar technology. “Working with the FAA to bring necessary UAS regulations for routine Beyond Visual Line of Sight to fruition is something that is not only important to me, but critical to enabling exciting new technology such as package delivery,” said Adam Robertson, CTO of Fortem Technologies. “I am excited to be working with other industry leaders and representatives from the community of interest to submit our collective recommendations to the FAA.” Over the next six months, the UAS BVLOS ARC will take a holistic approach based on a performance and technology agnostic regulatory framework, and issue recommendations to the FAA regarding performance-based regulatory requirements. In doing so, the ARC aims to normalize scalable, safe, economically viable, and environmentally advantageous operations that are not under positive air traffic control. At minimum, the ARC’s recommendations will clearly address requirements to support the following concept of operations: ● Long-line linear infrastructure inspections ● Industrial aerial data gathering ● Small package delivery ● Precision agriculture operations (including crop spraying) The ARC model has been proven effective in getting new regulations defined, giving a voice to the drone industry by forming critical regulations that will affect the future of commercial operations. The ARC will consider security, safety, and environmental needs, along with societal benefits, of these operations. To learn more information about the FAA’s Aviation Rulemaking Committee, please visit https://www.faa.gov/. About Fortem Technologies Fortem Technologies is the leader in airspace awareness, security, and defense for detecting and defeating dangerous drones. Through an end-to-end system of distributed radar, AI at the Edge, deep sensor integration, and autonomous drone capture, Fortem monitors and defends the world’s venues, infrastructures, cities, and regions. The same system is accelerating the safety of the world’s airspace for urban air mobility. Based in Pleasant Grove, Utah, the company is privately held and backed by Toshiba, Boeing, DCVC, Mubadala Investment Company, Signia Venture Partners and others. For more, please visit www.fortemtech.com. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/06/17/2249230/0/en/Fortem-Technologies-Selected-to-Join-Federal-Aviation-Administration-s-Aviation-Rulemaking-Committee-ARC.html Southwest suffers technology problem for second straight day DALLAS (AP) — Southwest Airlines said it was working Tuesday to restore normal operations after a technology-related issue interfered with flights for the second straight day. By midafternoon, the nation’s fourth-largest airline had canceled about 500 flights and delayed nearly 1,300 others, according to tracking service FlightAware. The combination of cancellations and delays affected about half of Southwest’s planned flights for the day. The Federal Aviation Administration held up all Southwest departures for about 45 minutes while the company worked to fix a computer issue, an agency spokeswoman said. Spokesman for Dallas-based Southwest said a problem with connectivity of the airline’s technology systems started around midday Tuesday. “Southwest is in the process of resuming normal operations after a brief pause in our flight activity resulting from intermittent performance issues with our network connectivity Tuesday afternoon,” the spokesman, Dan Landson, said in an email. He said crews were working to limit flight disruptions, and urged customers to check their flight status Southwest’s website or seek help from the airline’s airport agents. On Monday night, problems with a third-party weather data provider caused Southwest to delay about 1,500 flights. Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines reported separate technical problems that affected customers trying to book flights. Some Delta customers complained on Twitter that only first-class seats appeared for purchase on the airline’s website. Airline technology systems are vulnerable to glitches and outages that sometimes snarl thousands of flights. In the last few years, a router failure crippled Southwest for days and Delta employees at one airport dragged out an old dot-matrix printer to make boarding passes. Airlines use huge, complicated IT systems that do everything from help operate flights to running mobile apps, and they are often overlaid with new programs. https://www.seattletimes.com/business/southwest-suffers-technology-problem-for-second-straight-day/ Airpas Aviation Merges With FuelPlus to Create a Global Leader in Critical Cost Management Software for the Aviation Industry HANNOVER & BRUNSWICK, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Airpas Aviation, the leader in cost management for airport, ground handling and navigation charges, is merging with FuelPlus, the industry leader in fuel administration and cost management for airlines. The management team of the new organisation will include leaders from both companies. Headquartered in Germany, Airpas and FuelPlus have, between them, 40 years of experience in the aviation industry. Together they serve 103 airlines across 27 countries and four continents, and annually manage over $76 billion of flight charges and over 28% of commercial jet fuel consumption. Their respective teams have the commercial understanding and technical knowledge required to help airlines redesign their processes based on cost data. Combining this expertise and leading technology solutions will create a complete cost management platform for the aviation industry, enabling airlines to understand and manage all their direct operating costs, find efficiencies, reduce wastage, simplify processes, and ensure compliant emissions reporting through a single solution, with a single partner. “The airline industry has been hit hard by the pandemic, and cost management is becoming even more critical for survival,” said Klaus-Peter Warnke, CEO of FuelPlus. “To thrive, they need to accelerate their investment in technology to create efficiencies. By having a single view of all your costs, and really understanding where you are making or losing money, you can make fact-based decisions with an immediate impact on the bottom line. This is what the merger of Airpas and FuelPlus will bring – real-time data on costs and consumption that can streamline operations and increase profitability.” “The technical know-how and expertise in both Airpas and FuelPlus will create a company at the forefront of software development for the aviation industry,” added René Koark, Managing Director of Airpas. “The focus of both companies on driving value and best practice will support the aviation industry as it emerges from the difficulties of the past year.” The funding for the future growth of the combined company is led by Ventiga Capital Partners, a UK-based private equity firm with a track record of investing in European technology companies. “We have deep expertise in the aviation technology services market through our investment in Infare, the leading provider of airfare benchmarking data. This merger brings together two great customer and technology-focused companies, creating the global leader in critical cost management for airlines,” said Daniel Mytnik, Co-founder and Managing Partner. The merger of the two companies will take effect from 14th June. FuelPlus is the leading provider of fuel administration and management software to the aviation industry, managing approximately $31bn of fuel related charges annually. It was previously independently owned. Airpas Aviation is the leading provider of non-fuel direct operation cost charges which includes airport charges, ground operations, navigation, crew travel and catering charges. Airpas processes more than $45 bn of direct flight charges for airlines every year. It was previously owned by Sabre Corporation. Ventiga Capital Partners is a UK-based independent private equity firm, which focuses on unlocking value in complex transactions and driving growth in high-quality, profitable lower-middle-market businesses within growing market niches in the UK, Nordic and DACH regions. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210615005637/en/Airpas-Aviation-Merges-With-FuelPlus-to-Create-a-Global-Leader-in-Critical-Cost-Management-Software-for-the-Aviation-Industry ATW Reveals 2021 Airline Industry Achievement Award Winners WASHINGTON, June 17, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aviation Week Network’s Air Transport World (ATW), the leading media brand serving the information needs of the global airline and commercial air transport communities, today announced the winners of the 47th annual ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards. U.S. carriers JetBlue and United Airlines, Mexican low-cost carrier Viva Aerobus, Qatar Airways Cargo, Incheon International Airport in Seoul, and Alexandria de Juniac, the former Director General and CEO at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) will be honored at a gala dinner in Boston, USA, on October 5. The 47th ATW Awards will mark a return of this prestigious, in-person event, which was suspended last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ATW Airline Industry Achievement Awards recognize excellence across a broad range of airline operations and are widely considered as the most coveted in the air transport industry. “We are very excited about celebrating the remarkable achievements of our 2021 winners and, indeed, the entire air transport industry as it emerges from its worst-ever crisis,” said ATW Editor-in-Chief Karen Walker. Winners revealed today are: JetBlue, Airline Market Leader: New York-based JetBlue continues to be one of the world’s most innovative and trend-setting airlines. JetBlue has continued its hallmark for innovation, unrolling a new premium cabin for its launch into transatlantic service—a service that will be a market gamechanger. The carrier also forged an alliance with American Airlines that will boost its east coast connectivity. When the pandemic began, JetBlue was among the first US carriers to provide complete ticket flexibility and to require masks. Throughout, the company maintained a strong track record in sustainability, diversity, and community programs. In every sense, JetBlue is an airline and a company that breaks the mold and that others seek to emulate. United Airlines, Eco-Airline of the Year: United has committed to being 100% green by 2050, without relying on carbon offsets, and was the only airline to be placed on the 2020 CDP Climate Change A List. "United is honored to be recognized for the industry-leading steps we have taken to decarbonize travel by ATW as its Eco-Airline of the Year," said United CEO Scott Kirby. “United has committed to purchase more sustainable aviation fuel than nearly the rest of the world’s airlines combined. We’ll need the world to come together to solve this global problem and that’s why we created the Eco-Skies Alliance to allow like-minded companies and individuals to help us invest in even more sustainable aviation fuel. These new ideas are a product of the innovative thinking that is at the core of United’s culture, and it’s never been more important or more timely for us to apply this expertise to help save our planet.” Qatar Airways Cargo, Cargo Operator of the Year: Cargo saw renewed prominence in 2020, with many airlines focusing on that business as passenger demand slumped. Few switched as fast and as innovatively as Qatar Airways, which rapidly ramped up cargo operations for urgent medical supply transport, pushed for faster of digitalization of the air cargo industry and is now involved in wider programs, such as the transport of lions that were in captivity in Ukraine to a wildlife refuge in South Africa. Viva Aerobus, Value Airline of the Year: This Mexican ultra-low-cost carrier is transforming travel for millions of people who previously only had the option of making long journeys via bus. Viva Aerobus has become the second largest Mexican operator in the Mexico-US transborder market. The agile airline is owned by a company that operates a major bus network in Mexico, so it can integrate ticket sales with bus tickets, allowing people to get an all-in-one bus connection between airports and their hometowns. Incheon International Airport, Airport of the Year: Seoul’s international hub became the world’s first accredited Airport Council International (ACI) Level 4 Airport in 2020, which is about first-class customer experience. It also became the first Asia-Pacific airport to be accredited under the new ACI airport health accreditation program. This very hi-tech airport is at the forefront of using contactless, biometric, and robotic technologies to clean and ensure a safe, easy and uncongested passenger experience. Incheon also launched an incentive program in May that directly helps passenger airlines financially and stimulates passenger traffic. Alexandre de Juniac, Excellence in Leadership Recipient: An industry icon who had already established a lifelong aviation career at Thomson-CSF, Thales, Air France and Air France-KLM Group, Alexandre de Juniac became the seventh Director General and CEO at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 2016. A strong advocate for aviation liberalism, open borders, sustainability and air traffic reform, he also led the airline industry through the beginnings of its worst-ever crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, tirelessly campaigning until his retirement in March to demonstrate the safety of air travel and the economic necessity to re-open borders, stimulate economies and restore the fundamental freedom to travel. The winner of the 2021 ATW Airline of the Year Award will be announced later this month. The 47th ATW Awards, sponsored by CFM and Pratt & Whitney, will be presented at a gala dinner on October 5th, 6:00 – 9:30 p.m. ET at the Revere Hotel Boston Common. For more information about the Awards, attending the Award ceremony and sponsorship opportunities visit awards.atwonline.com or contact Beth Wagner at +1 212-600-3743. 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For more information, please visit www.informamarkets.com. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2021/06/17/2249110/0/en/ATW-Reveals-2021-Airline-Industry-Achievement-Award-Winners.html Japanese industry teams up for supersonic transport The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has enlisted the support of the country’s aerospace players to conduct research & development into a supersonic transport. The agreement envisages the “international joint development” of a supersonic aircraft “around 2030,” according to JAXA. To support the initiative, JAXA has formed a Japan Supersonic Research (JSR) Council comprised of itself, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Subaru, and IHI. Also involved are the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Association and Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies. An initial objective will be to establish a technology roadmap for the initiative that describes the technical issues, technical goals, R&D concepts, and other areas pertinent to supersonic transport.   “In the future, JAXA will lead the activities of the JSR Council and contribute to the expansion of Japan’s aircraft industry through research and development of supersonic aircraft technology in which Japan is united,” it says. “By demonstrating this technology in flight, we will contribute to the formulation of international standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),” says JAXA. JAXA has been conducting research into supersonic transports since the late 1990s, including work into the reduction of sonic booms. It claims that its airframe technology can reduce the sonic boom by 50% compared to the former Concorde. JAXA’s website envisages a supersonic transport that can carry 36-50 passengers at speeds of up to M1.6, with a maximum take-off weight of around 70t. In the early 2000s, the country conducted drop tests with a model to demonstrate low sonic boom technology. These culminated with a July 2015 flight of its D-SEND#2 (Drop test for Simplified Evaluation of Non-Symmetrically Distributed sonic boom) glider at Sweden’s Esrange Space Center. The test, conducted from a balloon drop at an altitude of 100,000ft, saw the test vehicle hit Mach 1.39. Japan Airlines has also expressed interest in supersonic transports. In 2017 it invested $10 million in Colorado-based Boom Supersonic, and “pre-ordered” up to 20 of Boom’s three-engined Overture airliners, which will travel at speeds of up Mach 2.2. The JAXA announcement comes as MHI works with Lockheed Martin to develop the nation’s F-X future fighter, which will eventually replace the F-2 in Japan Air Self Defense Force service. IHI will develop the powerplant for the new fighter. Japan has had a mixed record in aircraft development over the last two decades. While it developed and deployed the Kawasaki C-2 tactical transport, P-1 maritime patrol aircraft, and Shinmaywa US-2 amphibian, the Mitsubishi Aircraft SpaceJet programme was effectively stopped in 2020 after years of delays and the advent of the coronavirus pandemic. https://www.flightglobal.com/aerospace/japanese-industry-teams-up-for-supersonic-transport/144201.article Proactive, Data-Powered Security Solutions Take Off The United States’ vaccine rollout has given many industries impacted by the pandemic a much-needed boost and the air travel industry is no different. In March 2021, airline passenger numbers reached the highest levels in over a year, topping 1.5 million. And on April 22, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint data indicated an annual traveler throughput increase of 92 percent. After a full year refraining from travel to maintain social distancing guidelines during the pandemic, a newly-vaccinated public is ready to return to air travel and make up for lost time, leaving many industry analysts hopeful for a recovery – but this poses a critical question to airport leaders: Are their facilities ready to welcome passengers back safely? To earn back public trust and protect the wellbeing of employees and passengers alike, airports need updated facilities that provide highly connected and data-driven environments. Studies show airports are ready to do just that; airports globally spent $3.5 billion on IT in 2020 and are projected to budget the same or more in 2021. By integrating powerful digital solutions, airport leaders can maximize non-aeronautical revenue opportunities, streamline the passenger experience and deliver safety and security at every touchpoint. With a presence in more than 200 North American airports, Johnson Controls experts have witnessed first-hand how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the air travel industry. With travelers flooding back to airports this summer, now is the time to make the investment in a safer, more modern airport. Proactive Security Tools Are Essential for Traveler Safety As airports face new threats, from cyberattacks to viral pandemics, the time lost by relying on a purely reactive strategy can be disastrous. Fortunately, there are new technologies on the market that allow for proactive security. By integrating advanced digital solutions with artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, security managers gain increased insight into all facility operations, allowing them to remain one step ahead of any safety risks. As such, airports have seen soaring demand for identity management tools. Touchless access control leverages powerful but respectful facial recognition technology to provide security managers with advanced awareness of who is entering various zones of the airport. Facial recognition solutions can be easily integrated into existing video surveillance systems or as part of a self-service kiosk. In addition, 64 percent of airports plan to open self-boarding gates using biometric and identification documentation before 2030. By replacing physical passenger tickets with digital biometric technology, airports can strengthen security processes while streamlining traditionally hectic boarding processes to improve traveler experience. For further oversight, TSA associates can also reference heatmaps to monitor where crowds and bottlenecks are occurring, allowing them to quickly engage to disperse individuals before the situation escalates. These proactive security solutions drive key outcomes. In addition to their impact on overall safety, they have other powerful benefits, including: Slowing the spread of viruses: Minimizing face-to-face human interaction is a key feature as airports work to limit the spread of disease. And by creating hands-free experiences, airports can mitigate the potential for surface contamination between passengers and employees. Reviving a key source of revenue: Proactive security can also have a positive effect on non-aeronautical revenue generation. The faster and more efficiently passengers can be processed, the more time they have to shop, dine and explore the terminals. Boosting sustainable practices: With technologies like advanced access control and a connected dashboard, airport managers can calibrate energy usage based on foot traffic and occupancy. Security leaders can integrate their building management systems with those of other airport operations executives, giving a full picture of energy usage and allowing for source optimization and forecasting. By investing in proactive solutions, airports can strengthen their security processes and gain a heightened awareness of potential threats while creating a more enjoyable experience for their passengers – it’s a win-win. Powerful analytics allow airports to expect the unexpected Airports have long employed risk algorithms to remain prepared for unexpected emergencies. But as risk scenarios evolve over time, risk insight and active responder technologies must evolve accordingly. Leveraging digital twin technology, airport security managers can create a live digital replica environment by applying internal and external facility data. This enables security leaders to run innovative and highly accurate models and algorithms to account for the biggest risks facing their airport. These models ensure security managers are prepared for any scenario and can help guide them when designing their security systems. Digital twin technology can even help airports locate the source of costly, panic-inducing false alarms. Analytics are quickly becoming a key component in how airport leaders can understand and best serve their customers. Using AI-powered data analytics, security managers can predict and understand passenger behaviors in the airport, and pattern recognition tools can automatically recognize and flag suspicious passenger activity to security personnel before the situation becomes dangerous. Additionally, by understanding the factors that most influence passengers’ shopping, dining and enjoyment, airports can redesign concourse layout for greater customer satisfaction and revenue generation while maintaining best-in-class security. While data is a key component of any modern airport’s operations, it naturally leads to concerns around cybersecurity, especially as the public return to air travel after a long hiatus, resulting in a large influx of passenger data. With the right cybersecurity program, however, these vulnerabilities can be identified and eliminated. Currently, 83 percent of airports plan to implement a significant cybersecurity program, of which cyber-analysis is a key component. A trusted partner can work with airport leaders to identify gaps in their system and create a cybersecurity program aligned to their needs, allowing them to integrate new technologies without the concern of a cyberattack. Creating a streamlined emergency response through integration A surge in passengers can complicate airports’ emergency response processes; more passengers unfortunately create greater potential for accidents and violence, and also amount to more individuals that require evacuation. However, just as airports can implement proactive solutions to predict and analyze security threats, they can also install creative and integrated incident identification and response systems for a comprehensive, real-time emergency response. Whether the emergency involves fire, intrusion, gun violence, or simply suspicious behavior, security systems can be automated and connected to enable a streamlined and automated response. By integrating security solutions onto a single network, multiple systems can communicate with each other for maximum efficiency. Mass notification systems (MNS), including text alerts, digital screens and kiosks, can be integrated with alarms to deliver evacuation guidance to passengers and employees. MNS can also instantly alert local first responders, providing them with detailed information about the situation so they can formulate a plan to best protect employees and travelers. Surveillance cameras can also be integrated with alarms to automatically lock and unlock entrances and exits based on the response required for the incident, preventing individuals from moving towards the danger. In an emergency situation, every second counts. Through integration, airports’ emergency response processes are streamlined and automated, removing human error as a risk factor and ensuring an orderly evacuation process that can save lives. Data-powered security is cleared for takeoff In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, passengers who return to airports in the coming months will naturally have heightened expectations for airport security and efficiency. To assuage any concerns and earn back public trust, passengers will expect to see and experience a greater focus on their wellbeing and comfort, in addition to impenetrable security. Airports cannot afford to fall short. By implementing the latest in advanced security solutions, airport leaders can create an enhanced environment that is data-powered and optimized for traveler wellness. From touchless access control to digital twin analytics, airports can welcome back travelers with a safe, healthy and enjoyable passenger experience that is even better than they remembered. https://www.aviationpros.com/airports/airport-technology/article/21222620/proactive-datapowered-airport-security-solutions-are-take-off GE Aviation scores key Air Force approval for 3D-printed metal engine part The United States Air Force has granted GE Aviation an airworthiness qualification for its F110 metal sump cover created using additive manufacturing. This milestone achievement takes place as part of the company’s pathfinder Pacer Edge program, an initiative intended to highlight the use of industrial 3D printing in the aerospace industry. Additive manufacturing, which is an industry term for what consumers popularly know as 3D printing, is a promising technology that may change the way certain things are built. We’ve seen this technology used for things like ‘printing’ housing structures and NASA has previously explored the technology as a possible way to create necessary components on-demand in future space missions. NASA’s Perseverance rover, which landed on Mars back in February, is an example of how additive manufacturing can be used for spacecraft and other vehicles: it contains 11 metal components that were all 3D-printed. The distinct advantage offered by additive manufacturing is that just about anything you can imagine and design as a 3D model can be created using a machine that precisely forms the object one layer at a time. This removes the need to create molds, cut materials, and other aspects of traditional manufacturing, offering unique design opportunities and potential uses that seem entirely sci-fi in nature — like printing components for structures on Mars, for example. GE Additive specializes in printing metal components via Power Bed Fusion machines. The tech works by applying layers of metal powder that are melted and fused together using either an electron beam or laser. As with consumer-level plastic-based 3D printers, each layer is printed and attached to the previous layer until the final fully manufactured component is finished. GE Aviation used this technology to create the metal sump cover engine component, which the USAF has given airworthiness qualification. With the approval, GE says that Phase 1a of the Pacer Edge initiative is finished, paving the way for future phases that’ll bring metal additive manufacturing to Tinker Air Force Base. This supply chain will enable military customers to acquire airworthy metal components created using 3D printing tech. https://www.slashgear.com/ge-aviation-scores-key-air-force-approval-for-3d-printed-metal-engine-part-15678491/ SpaceX to break the final frontier in reuse with national defense launch A few years ago one of SpaceX's earliest employees, Hans Koenigsmann, told me one of the company's goals was to take the "magic" out of rocket launches. It's just physics, he explained. As its Falcon 9 rocket has become more reliable and flown more frequently—18 launches so far this year, and counting—it seems that SpaceX has succeeded in taking the magic out of launches. And while reliability should definitely be the goal, such regularity does distract from the spectacle of watching a rocket launch. But there are still some special Falcon 9 missions, and that's certainly the case with a launch expected to occur at 12:09 pm ET (16:09 UTC) on Thursday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. With the launch of a next-generation GPS III spacecraft, SpaceX will fly a national security mission for the first time on a reused booster. Last year the Space Force and SpaceX agreed to contract modifications allowing for the launch of this GPS III mission (Space Vehicle-05) and another one (SV-06) on reused Falcon 9 first-stage rockets. The Space Force agreed to allow the GPS III satellites to be launched into a different orbital perigee, enabling a drone ship recovery attempt. The first stage set to launch Thursday previously flew the GPS III SV-04 last November. In return for this accommodation, SpaceX agreed to some additional spacecraft requirements for future missions and saved the US government $52 million. This represents an important signal from the military that it is ready to embrace reused rockets for its most important missions and is something of a final frontier for SpaceX as it seeks to push forward the reuse of Falcon 9 first stages. NASA has already launched its highest-value missions, astronauts, on a reused first stage with the Crew-2 flight in April. Thursday's GPS mission is a high priority for the Space Force, too, as it seeks to modernize its navigation constellation. This new generation of global positioning satellites, built by Lockheed Martin, have three times greater accuracy and an anti-jamming capability that is eight times higher than earlier versions. The next five GPS satellites, vehicles 06 to 10, are in various states of readiness for launch. And Lockheed Martin has been contracted to build up to 22 additional vehicles. Weather for Thursday's 15-minute launch window looks reasonable, with only a 30 percent chance of unfavorable conditions. Upper-level winds may be a concern, however. The SpaceX webcast embedded below should begin about 15 minutes before the launch window opens. https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/06/spacex-to-break-the-final-frontier-in-reuse-with-national-defense-launch/ Curt Lewis