July 27, 2021 - No. 58

 
In This Issue 
: Joby Aviation, aiming to go to market in 2024, completes 154-mile test flight s 
: Projects backed by British Airways get shortlisted for government funding 
: Boeing jets to contribute 1 million tonnes CO2 emissions each -data 
: VSE Corporation Acquires Global Parts Group 
: Hyderabad-based Azad Engineering to supply critical aviation components to Boeing 
: Boeing Releases First Sustainability Report, Charting Path to Sustainable Aerospace 
: Rostec Develops Unique Aviation Sensor for Long Range Awareness under Poor Visibility 
: Even Airlines like Southwest are Having a Harder Time Recruiting New Workers 
: Autonomous aircraft: commercial pilots don’t want to sit alone in the cockpit 
: Cranfield and industry partners win award for airspace management project 
: Blue Origin has a secret project named “Jarvis” to compete with SpaceX 




Joby Aviation, aiming to go to market in 2024, completes 154-mile test flight


Santa Cruz, California-based Joby Aviation has completed the longest test flight of an eVTOL to date: Its unnamed full-sized prototype aircraft concluded a trip of over 150 miles on a single charge, the company said Monday.

The test was completed at Joby’s Electric Flight Base in Big Sur, California, earlier this month. It’s the latest in a succession of secretive tests the company’s been conducting, all part of its goal to achieve certification with the Federal Aviation Administration and start commercial operations.

The prototype spent more than an hour and 17 minutes in the air and covered 154.6 statute miles on a single battery charge, traveling along a predefined circuit. While the test flight was remotely piloted by Joby’s chief test pilot, Justin Paines, the company plans to have pilots in the aircraft when it opens its ridesharing service for customers.


Headed by JoeBen Bevirt, Joby Aviation has spent the past 12 years designing eVTOL – an electric vertical take-off and landing craft that ascends like a helicopter but flies like an airplane and is magnitudes quieter than both.

Joby is one of a suite of startups looking to make electric air travel a reality for the average American. The company’s website features a graphic showing a proposed trip from Los Angeles airport to Newport Beach – over an hour and 44 miles by car, but only 15 minutes and 35 miles with Joby. Joby aims to make such trips a reality by 2024, and tests like these are a major sign to the public, investors and regulators that it is on track to meet that timeline.


Significantly, the company uses commercially available lithium-ion batteries that it has adapted for air travel, so this test flight is also proof that its battery tech is up for the challenge. It’s tricky: The battery must have enough energy density to fly around 150 miles while also having enough power to take off and land vertically. But Joby says it’s nailed a specific combination of cathode and graphite anode to achieve these goals.

Besides being one of the oldest eVTOL developers, Joby is also the best-funded, having raised nearly $800 million in funding to date. That includes a $75 million investment from Uber after Joby bought its air taxi arm, Elevate, and a $400 million investment from Toyota Motor Corp. Joby is going to go public via a merger with special purpose acquisition company Reinvent Technology Partners, a business combination that will inject the startup with an additional $1.6 billion in capital.

It’s a lot of money, but designing and commercializing a novel aircraft is an expensive business. According to some estimates, it could cost up to $1 billion all told.

“We’ve achieved something that many thought impossible with today’s battery technology,” Bevirt said in a statement. “By doing so we’ve taken the first step towards making convenient, emissions-free air travel between places like San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, Houston and Austin, or Los Angeles and San Diego an everyday reality.”


Watch a video on the test flight here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RpqYuce6Ao


https://techcrunch.com/2021/07/27/joby-aviation-aiming-to-go-to-market-in-2024-completes-154-mile-test-flight/


 




 


 




Projects backed by British Airways get shortlisted for government funding


A total of four aviation projects, backed by British Airways and aimed at facilitating decarbonisation, have been shortlisted for the UK Government funding.

The projects aim to help the industry achieve its targets of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

As part of the UK’s prime minister’s Ten Point Plan, the Department of Transport’s Green Fuels, Green Skies (GFGS) competition will fund the development of the nation’s first sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility.


The government has shortlisted eight projects to receive a share of $20.6m (£15m).

These are said to have a ‘clear potential’ to produce SAF, claimed to reduce carbon emissions by 70% on a lifecycle basis, when used as an alternative to conventional fossil jet fuel.

Projects backed by British Airways transforms household and wood waste into sustainable aviation fuel and also captures carbon from the atmosphere.

The projects can move ahead with developing feasibility and engineering plans, upon completion of grant agreements.

For its Altalto project, the carrier partnered with technology company Velocys.


The project will see the construction of a commercial waste-to-SAF plant in Immingham, Lincolnshire.

This plant will have the capacity to produce nearly 80 million litres of cleaner-burning SAF and naphtha from more than half a million tonnes of household and commercial waste.

Altalto project has already obtained planning consent from North East Lincolnshire Council and is currently in the final stages of preparation for Front End Engineering Design.

Project Speedbird will be carried out through a partnership between British Airways, airline company LanzaJet and Nova Pangaea.

It aims to produce 100 million litres of sustainable aviation fuel annually from 2025, which is enough to power 2,000 flights from London to New York operated by an A350 aircraft.

Fuel will be produced using Nova Pangaea’s Refnova process, which converts waste wood into alcohol.

The alcohol is further converted into sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel using LanzaJet’s alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technology, which was developed by LanzaTech and the Pacific Northwest National Lab.

In addition to the Speedbird project, the companies are also working together on two other projects, with each having a capacity to produce more than 100 million litres of SAF annually.


The first would see capturing of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and converting it into SAF, while the second project involves the construction of a new plant in Port Talbot, South Wales, for producing SAF from waste and industrial gases.

British Airways chairman and CEO Sean Doyle said: “We’re delighted to receive this crucial support from the Government’s Green Fuels, Green Skies competition for all these projects, which is critical in helping us to drive forward the development of sustainable aviation fuel in the UK.”


https://www.airport-technology.com/news/british-airways-funding/


 




Boeing jets to contribute 1 million tonnes CO2 emissions each -data


(Reuters) – Commercial jets delivered by Boeing Co in 2020 will contribute on average to emissions equivalent to 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each over their more than 20-year lifespans, data issued by the planemaker showed on Monday.

Boeing is the latest company to report so-called Scope 3 emissions that result when customers use their products, amid pressure from investors and climate activists for data on how companies are performing on curbing emissions.

Europe’s Airbus took similar steps in February.

Together, the world’s two largest planemakers last year delivered jets estimated to be responsible for total emissions equivalent to 600 million tonnes of CO2 over their lifetimes, a figure dampened by lower deliveries during the pandemic.

Boeing aims to “significantly reduce our environmental impact during every stage of a product’s life cycle,” Chief Executive Dave Calhoun said in a forward to the Chicago-based company’s first-ever sustainability report.

Calhoun reiterated that its jets would fly on 100% sustainable aviation fuels by 2030. Jet engines are currently certified to run on a blend up to 50% of the fuel.

In the report, Boeing said the commercial airplanes it delivered in 2020 would be responsible for emissions equivalent to 158 million tonnes of CO2, or MtCO2e, over their lifespan.

That consists of 136 MtCO2e of emissions directly linked to their operation by airlines, and 22 MtCO2e related to the production by energy companies of the fuel used in flight.

Boeing has said it delivered 157 airplanes in 2020, suggesting each airplane is set to generate emissions equivalent to 866,000 tonnes over its lifespan, or 1 million tonnes after including the extra emissions linked to fuel production.

‘HIGH PRICE TAG’

By contrast, Airbus in February said it had delivered 566 jets in 2020 with estimated lifetime emissions of 440 million tonnes, including 80 million for fuel production.

Those figures equate to lower emissions per airplane compared with Boeing’s data, or 636,000 tonnes MtCO2e on average per plane as a direct result of operations, and 777,000 tonnes MtCO2e after adding the related oil-industry emissions.

Experts said comparisons are blurred by different assumptions on the average length of a jet’s service. Boeing also dominates the market for freighters, which fly longer.

Airbus assumed an average 22-year lifespan for its jets. A Boeing spokesman said it assumed 22.8 years for single-aisle aircraft, 21.5 years for twin-aisles and 29.6 years for freighters. Based on delivery data by type, that suggests an average of 24.8 years, Reuters calculates.

Aerospace firms worldwide say they are improving technology and promoting alternative fuels to decarbonize aviation by 2050.

Environmentalist groups insist that flying itself needs to be curbed to have a meaningful impact on climate change.

“The data confirms that Boeing’s aircraft come with a high environmental price tag,” said Dan Rutherford, aviation director at the International Council on Clean Transportation, an environmental research group based in Washington.

Both Boeing and Airbus say their estimates do not include the impact of an expected increase in the use of sustainable aviation fuels, which would cut emissions further. The European Union this month issued mandatory goals for the new fuel.


https://wkzo.com/2021/07/26/boeing-jets-to-contribute-1-million-tonnes-co2-emissions-each-data/


 




VSE Corporation Acquires Global Parts Group


VSE Corporation, a leading provider of aftermarket distribution and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for land, sea and air transportation assets for government and commercial markets, today announced that it has acquired privately held Global Parts Group, Inc. (Global Parts) in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $38 million, subject to customary working capital adjustments.


Global Parts is a fully integrated aftermarket distribution and MRO services provider supporting the global business and general aviation (B&GA) market. Global Parts’ distribution business focuses on supporting airframe components, while its repair capabilities extend to hydraulics and pneumatics. Global Parts’ experienced workforce operates from its distribution and MRO center of excellence in Augusta (Wichita), Kansas.

“We are pleased to welcome the Global Parts team to the VSE family,” stated John Cuomo, President and CEO of VSE Corporation. “This transaction represents an important strategic investment for our Aviation segment, which significantly expands product distribution offerings and repair capabilities across a diverse base of global business and general aviation customers.


TRANSACTION RATIONALE

Better positions VSE Aviation as a leading, comprehensive distribution and MRO solution provider to the B&GA market. By combining VSE Aviation’s existing B&GA part distribution and engine component accessories MRO services with Global Parts’ airframe-centric product distribution and MRO capabilities, business jet customers will have access to a more comprehensive on-demand repair and distribution solution unique to the market.

Provides VSE Aviation with a diverse, growing base of new B&GA owners and operators. This transaction provides VSE access to Global Parts’ more than 3,000 small- and medium-sized business jet customers, representing more than 100 platforms. VSE Aviation expects to generate meaningful revenue opportunities as both new and existing business jet customers leverage the full breadth of combined repair and distribution capabilities.

Better positions VSE as a consolidator of high quality, complementary B&GA assets. Given the fragmented nature of the B&GA services industry, this transaction further positions VSE as a well-capitalized market consolidator focused on achieving efficiencies of scale through both organic and inorganic growth.

Financially accretive transaction. Global Parts generated approximately $65 million in total revenue in 2020. This transaction isimmediately accretive to VSE’s Aviation segment.

https://www.aftermarketnews.com/vse-corporation-acquires-global-parts-group-inc/


 




Hyderabad-based Azad Engineering to supply critical aviation components to Boeing


HYDERABAD: Azad Engineering, a city- based maker of supercritical rotating components used in the aerospace industry has won a contract from Boeing to manufacture and supply critical aviation components and parts, the company said on Monday.

The company's technology enhancements over the years, and a continuous culture of quality and industrial safety has made it a trusted partner for customers across the globe, it said in a press release.

"We are proud to work with Boeing. The contract is a testament to our commitment to quality, precision, and collaborative culture. Without a doubt, the cooperation between Azad Engineering and Boeing is a milestone in the growing aerospace ecosystem in Telangana," Rakesh Chopdar, Managing Director, Azad Engineering said.

Azad Engineering has the capability to manufacture complex and super-critical components and machined parts for the turbine and aerospace industry.

Azad will begin delivering the critical components including hydraulic and mechanical fittings to Boeing from Q1 2022, the release said.

"This is an important step in our commitment to the government of India's Atmanirbhar Bharat vision. As a company with over seven decades of presence in India, Boeing continues to support the development of indigenous aerospace and defence capabilities in the country," Ashwani Bhargava, Director, Supply Chain Management, Boeing India said.


Recently, Azad announced its plan to set up a second manufacturing facility in Hyderabad with an investment of USD 80 million over the next 36 months.

The facility will develop a precision engineering cluster, creating job opportunities for highly skilled people in Telangana to leverage and grow the existing aerospace ecosystem, according to the release.


https://www.newindianexpress.com/business/2021/jul/26/hyderabad-based-azad-engineering-to-supply-critical-aviation-components-to-boeing-2335573.html


 




Boeing Releases First Sustainability Report, Charting Path to Sustainable Aerospace


Boeing released its first Sustainability Report. In the report, the company shares its vision for the future of sustainable aerospace, establishes broad sustainability goals and highlights environmental, social and governance (ESG) progress in alignment with global sustainability standards.

"In September 2020, amidst a global pandemic, Boeing formed a Sustainability organization dedicated to advancing our ESG efforts across the enterprise. As we continue on this journey, we are pleased to publish our first comprehensive report, focused on stakeholder responsiveness and data transparency," said Boeing Chief Sustainability Officer Chris Raymond. "We know there's still work to do and are committed to communicating our progress and holding ourselves accountable to ensure the aerospace industry is safe and sustainable for generations to come."

Boeing's sustainability efforts are organized around four key pillars: people, products and services, operations and communities. In 2020, highlights across these four pillars included:

Establishing six broad new sustainability goals in alignment with our key sustainability priorities and stakeholder interests.
Defining the company's vision for the future of sustainable aerospace through fleet renewal, network operational efficiency, renewable energy and advanced technology.
Committing to deliver commercial airplanes capable of flying on 100% sustainable fuels by 2030.
Partnering with Etihad Airways on the 2020 ecoDemonstrator program, which tested sustainable technologies on one of the airline's new 787-10 Dreamliners.
Implementing digital engineering tools on the T-7A Red Hawk program, achieving a 75% increase in first-time engineering quality and an 80% reduction in assembly hours.
Advancing flight tests for Cora, an all-electric, self-flying air taxi developed by Boeing and Kitty Hawk joint venture Wisk.
Responding to COVID-19 by executing airlift missions to transport supplies, providing community vaccination sites and minimizing air travel health risks through the Confident Travel Initiative.
Establishing a 20-member Racial Equity Task Force to represent diverse viewpoints and amplify all voices at Boeing.
Setting 2030 environmental performance goals to reduce emissions, waste, water use and energy consumption.
Achieving net-zero carbon emissions at work sites, while reducing energy consumption by 12%, water use by 23%, solid waste by 44% and hazardous waste by 34%.
Attaining the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award for Sustained Excellence every year since 2010.
Contributing $234 million in community giving, working with 13,400 community partners and volunteering 250,000 hours.
More information on these and other sustainability accomplishments can be found in the full report.


https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/press-release/21231871/boeing-boeing-releases-first-sustainability-report-charting-path-to-sustainable-aerospace


 




Rostec Develops Unique Aviation Sensor for Long Range Awareness under Poor Visibility


MOSCOW, RUSSIA, July 27, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Ruselectronics holding company of Rostec State Corporation has developed a new generation hybrid TV sensor for detecting and observing distant objects in conditions of poor visibility, such as fog, rain, snowfall, dust storms or low illumination. The equipment is suitable for use in aircraft surveillance, and search and track systems. No similar Russian systems are currently available.

The device is designed to operate in the near-infrared range at a distance of up to 1.7 microns (0.0017 mm). This kind of sensitivity allows developing new properties for a night vision device, which is completely usable also during daylight to detect objects against a bright sky or in twilight haze, and transmit a clear high-resolution image.

The use of the device as part of passive sensor systems makes it possible to increase their range by 2-2.5 times. When using laser illumination, the equipment provides detection and identification of an object at a distance of up to 20 km. Compact size makes the device convenient for use as part of small-sized television equipment.

The device was developed by NRI Electron, a subsidiary structure of Ruselectronics holding company, part of Rostec State Corporation.

“Our new design is intended for tasks requiring the use of extremely sensitive devices in areas such as ultra-weak radiation in the infrared spectrum. The hybrid TV sensor provides a high-quality image in all weather conditions and can be used in both civilian and special-purpose equipment”, noted the Director General of NRI Electron, Alexey Vyaznikov.

The device consists of a sealed housing and a radiation-sensitive photocathode and an electron-sensitive matrix inside in a vacuum. The design is has been patented as know-how of the developers, allowing to reduce the amount of noise interference and increase the resolution of the new device.

Ruselectronics holding company is a national electronics vendor. Founded in 1997, it became a part of Rostec State Corporation in 2009. The holding company includes the largest corporations of Russian radio-electronic industry, i.e., Sozvezdie, Vega, Avtomatika, Control Systems, as well as the National Center for Informatization (NCI). The head structure is United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation. The holding company produces over 50% of electronic components in Russia, 8% of the total production in the radio-electronics sector, and provides over 10% of workplaces in the industry. Ruselectronics is an umbrella for more than 140 enterprises and scientific organisations specialising in the development and manufacturing of radio-electronic components and technologies, communication devices and systems, automated control systems, robotic systems, SHF electronics, computing equipment and telecommunications equipment. The holding company employs above 70 thousand people. Its products are supplied to more than 30 countries in Europe, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.

Rosteс State Corporation is one of the largest industrial companies in Russia. It unites more than 800 scientific and industrial organizations in 60 regions of the country. Its key areas of activity are aircraft engineering, radioelectronics, medical technologies, innovative materials, etc. The corporation’s portfolio includes such well-known brands as AvtoVAZ, KAMAZ, UAC, Russian Helicopters, UEC, Uralvagonzavod, Shvabe, Kalashnikov, etc. Rostec is active in the implementation of all 12 national projects. The company is a key provider of Smart City technology, it is engaged in the digitalization of public administration, industry and social sectors, and it is developing plans for the development of 5G wireless technologies, an Industrial Internet of Things, big data and blockchain systems. Rostec partners with leading world manufacturers such as Boeing, Airbus, Daimler, Pirelli and Renault. The corporation’s products are delivered to more than 100 countries worldwide. Almost a third of the company's revenue comes from the export of high-tech products.


https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/547318484/rostec-develops-unique-aviation-sensor-for-long-range-awareness-under-poor-visibility


 




Even Airlines like Southwest are Having a Harder Time Recruiting New Workers


Airlines are back in hiring mode, looking for pilots, flight attendants and ramp agents to ferry eager travelers who have largely been stuck at home for over a year.

The same day that Dallas-based Southwest Airlines announced that it made a $348 million profit in the second quarter thanks to $724 million in taxpayer-supported payroll grants, CEO Gary Kelly said it’s harder to recruit new employees than it was before the pandemic, even at a company that is regularly named one of the best places to work in the country.

“The effort to hire is double what it used to be,” said Kelly, who is retiring early next year.

It’s a sign of the times in the topsy-turvy labor market where only a year ago workers were looking at pay cuts, reduced schedules and furloughs just to stay employed. The labor force is smaller than it was two years ago by about 3 million workers, according to the U.S. Federal Reserve. Dozens of industries are facing labor shortages in key industries such as retail, manufacturing and restaurants.

The airline industry, despite higher-than-average wages, hasn’t been immune, and now carriers are scrambling to shore up workforces needed to fly planes, check bags, push wheelchairs through airports and more.

“If it’s not the No. 1 focus right now, it is 1A, which is getting hiring in place,” Southwest’s incoming CEO Bob Jordan said. “You’re in a broad market with supply shortages, so there’s just not enough people to fill the jobs that are open.”

Airlines have always been an attractive place to work because of relatively high salaries and benefits that include free travel for employees and family members. The average employee at Southwest took home about $66,000 in wages in 2019. In 2020, the average Southwest employee walked away with about $11,000 in profit-sharing, too.

But some of the biggest areas of concern are among lower-paid employees, including ground workers at airports who work in extreme weather conditions, hoist heavy bags onto airplanes and are paid far less than their pilot, flight attendant and management counterparts.

The company isn’t looking at a shortage of workers everywhere, but there is a pressing need at some of Southwest’s key airports, Jordan said.

“We’ve got a full press to hire on the Denver ramp because there are needs there,” Jordan said.

While Southwest Airlines leaders have tried to persuade the public that the recent operational difficulties were due to technology and weather problems, flight attendants say they have been “stretched to the limit,” and pilots say there is a staffing issue.

Southwest is taking steps to fix that. The company said it is recalling all remaining employees who went out on voluntary leave after the COVID-19 pandemic last year. About a quarter of all employees, some 18,000 people, took time off voluntarily to help the company lower payroll costs through the financial crisis.

Now the company is not only bringing workers back, it’s also looking for new ones.

Dallas-based Southwest graduated its first class of new flight attendant trainees last week and officially posted jobs for 120 new pilots it will need. But training new pilots is tough because Southwest’s leader said the company also has a shortage of flight instructors.


The company hopes that a new $15 minimum wage for all workers will help but also acknowledges that airport jobs are sometimes inconvenient for workers because of background checks and commute times to airports.

Across town, Fort Worth-based American ramped up hiring plans for pilots and says it hopes to hire 350 this year and 1,000 next year. It expects to need new flight attendants next year as well.

American Airlines cut its employee count by more than 10,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic through voluntary buyouts and cutbacks to management and administrative ranks. But now the carrier, which has been the world’s largest in recent months with an aggressive flying schedule, needs workers again. American has added 3,500 workers so far this year, American Airlines president Robert Isom said.

“This quarter, we rebuilt the operation up from pandemic-level flying, effectively adding a new airline the size of the old US Airways over the course of just a few months,” Isom said during the company’s earnings call Thursday.

At times though, it hasn’t been enough. The carrier has faced delays due to labor shortages at its vendors that provide catering. And the union that represents fleet workers and reservations agents pleaded with American for a deal to limit mandatory overtime assignments.

The union that represents American Airlines pilots has complained that conditions are worsening for them. Pilots are increasingly stuck without hotel reservations, and many are unhappy with the cheese and cracker trays that have replaced full meals during short turnarounds between flights.

Both American and Southwest said they have fixed operational problems in recent weeks and that on-time arrival metrics are improving. That should help with some of the staffing issues, especially for flight crews that often have to work extra time when schedules fall apart and for reservation agents who have to reschedule passengers.


https://www.aviationpros.com/airlines/news/21231752/even-airlines-like-southwest-are-having-a-harder-time-recruiting-new-workers


 




Autonomous aircraft: commercial pilots don’t want to sit alone in the cockpit


“The technology for unmanned aircraft has long been in place,” announced the head of German air traffic control at the time, Klaus-Dieter Scheurle, almost four years ago with full conviction. Not least, drone technology has accelerated the development that the human factor no longer appears to be entirely indispensable even on board modern commercial aircraft. The aircraft industry and with it the supervisory authorities and airlines are looking for ways to gradually make the most expensive employees in the industry, the pilots, superfluous and to replace them with artificial intelligence in the future.


Save people
In “Project Connect”, Airbus wants to make extreme long-haul routes possible for a crew of two, as the aircraft would only have to be controlled and monitored by one person over long periods of time thanks to technical support. The other could take a break outside the cockpit so that longer flight times would be possible. According to media reports, Cathay Pacific Airways could already carry out such flights with an Airbus A350 in 2025 and thus save the previously mandatory third person in the cockpit.


But that is by no means the end, because today there are already only two pilots in most commercial aircraft. The flight engineer, which was previously mandatory, is long gone and the autopilot has been steering for a long time. “We will certainly experience the cockpit with one pilot in the next 30 years,” says aviation consultant Gerald Wissel from Airborne. With smaller jets with up to eleven passengers, the single pilot is already a reality.

The presence in the large commercial aircraft will also be gradually reduced and relocated to initially still human controllers on the ground, expects Wissel. Before doing this, it must be possible to shorten the data transmission times and to effectively protect the systems from external attacks. The expert warns, however, that flying is the sole responsibility of a control computer.


Counter arguments from the pilots
The pilots are alarmed and bring weighty counter-arguments into the discussion via the international associations and committees. “We don’t believe that safety is increased if you do without pilots. And it doesn’t get cheaper either,” says Max Scheck, the drone expert from the German Cockpit Association (VC), for example.


The European pilots’ association ECA warns of change problems in the entire training system and refers to human skills for error analysis and problem-solving skills in the team. From the point of view of the association, the mutually supporting and controlling crew members are also the last line against hacker attacks and faulty designs, as with the latest edition of the Boeing 737-Max.


The VC representative Scheck also demands a new type of safety culture when assessing aircraft accidents. He points to NASA studies, according to which irregularities occurred in every fifth flight, which the crews had mastered in many millions of cases. These events should be taken into account as well as the few errors.

save lives
The association ECA also refers to cases in which the pilots alone saved the aircraft and the lives of the passengers. The most famous is certainly the ditching of an Airbus A320 on the Hudson River near New York by Captain Chesley B. Sullenberger in 2009. On the other hand, in March 2015, a controller on the ground could very likely have prevented the deaths of 150 people than one mentally ill co-pilot crashed a Germanwings jet in the French Alps. The man had locked his captain out of the cockpit.

Lufthansa has so far kept a low profile on the new concepts. The certification is a matter for the manufacturer in cooperation with the supervisory authorities, says a spokeswoman in Frankfurt. One is always open to advice and comments, but is neither addressed nor part of the project on this matter.


In any case, the great unknown in the planning remains the attitude of the customers, who so far have tended to refuse to entrust their lives to a machine. The former head of air traffic control, Scheurle, believed that a fundamental change was possible as early as 2018. “The only obstacles to far-reaching automation are the concerns of the airlines, who fear that their passengers will be accepted if there is no longer a pilot in the front of the cockpit.” However, society is moving towards automated mobility in cars. “If it works there, confidence in unmanned aircraft will grow too.”


https://marketresearchtelecast.com/autonomous-aircraft-commercial-pilots-dont-want-to-sit-alone-in-the-cockpit/113591/


 




Cranfield and industry partners win award for airspace management project


Cranfield University has won an industry award for its research work in developing technology and safe operating procedures to enable drones to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) in non-segregated airspace.

Cranfield and the National Beyond visual line of sight Experimentation Corridor (NBEC) consortium – which includes Aveillant, Blue Bear Systems Research, Thales and Vodafone – won the award in the Airspace Management category within the Operations group of the inaugural Airwards.

Airwards judges said that the NBEC initiative was the most innovative, responsible and impactful example of drone use in the category, which focused on access, monitoring or management of organisations in their coordination, integration and regulation of the use of airspace through hardware, flight systems and unmanned traffic management.

Alex Williamson, Unmanned Aerial Systems Manager, Cranfield University, said: "I'm delighted to receive this award on behalf of the NBEC consortium. NBEC is an important initiative in helping to demonstrate how unmanned aircraft flying beyond visual line of sight can integrate safely with existing airspace users in non-segregated airspace. This is a key capability the drone industry needs in order to unlock many applications."

NBEC is being used to enable a range of projects, including a number which have won Future Flight Challenge funding, and will facilitate wider unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) research at Cranfield, feeding into civil aviation projects that benefit society such as drone deliveries of medical supplies and helping to define future airspace and regulation.

The project is ongoing, with a temporary airspace change proposal in progress with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to create a small volume of low-level airspace that will be solely used for small, unmanned aircraft flight for a temporary period of 90 days this summer. During this time, it is planned to demonstrate technologies and procedures that should enable BVLOS drone flight without the need for airspace segregation.

The research will be used to develop navigational and operational capability for operating UAVs when BVLOS of the remote pilot to better understand the requirements for unmanned aircraft and associated infrastructure while operating BVLOS in UK airspace, and to develop detect and avoid systems for unmanned aircraft. This is necessary to help enable future services in the UK and to validate technology and procedures for such use-cases.

NBEC was one of the early projects accepted into the CAA's Sandbox initiative and hopes to inform the CAA in respect of future regulation and airspace design direction by the safe completion of data-gathering experimentation.

The inaugural Airwards acknowledged lifesaving drone projects with a focus on positive use-cases for drones. Winners were selected by a panel of 26 judges from 100 nominations submitted by international companies, non-profits and organisations worldwide.


https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/press/news-2021/cranfield-and-industry-partners-win-award-for-airspace-management-project


 




Blue Origin has a secret project named “Jarvis” to compete with SpaceX


In late May, a rumor concerning Blue Origin's large New Glenn rocket broke on several social media sites frequented by spaceflight enthusiasts.

According to the rumor, Blue Origin was changing the primary structural material of its new rocket from an aluminum alloy to stainless steel. The social media posts sparked considerable interest, as they implied that the company would mimic a competitor in its choice of materials—SpaceX's Starship and Super Heavy are made primarily from stainless steel. Moreover, such a change also augured further delays in the New Glenn development program, which was already years behind schedule.


At the time, I checked with a source and found the rumor to be false. New Glenn was not swapping its first stage to stainless steel.

However, after subsequent reporting, I discovered a kernel of truth to the rumors of stainless steel and Blue Origin rockets. Three sources have confirmed to Ars that Blue Origin has started working on a project to develop a fully reusable upper stage for New Glenn, which may potentially use stainless steel propellant tanks.

The primary goal of this change is to bring down the overall launch cost of the New Glenn rocket. The vehicle's large upper stage, with a 7-meter diameter and two BE-3U engines, is costly, and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos is looking for ways to make the overall rocket more economical.

"This is the difference between taking a profit and a loss on New Glenn launches," said one industry source familiar with the reusable upper-stage plan.

Project Jarvis
The reusable second-stage program appears to have drawn inspiration from SpaceX for more than just its stainless steel materials. In making both the first and second stages of New Glenn fully reusable, Bezos is emulating Musk's ambitious plan to land and reuse both the Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage.


When Musk formally announced the Starship project in 2016 (then referred to as ITS, or Interplanetary Transport System), many in the industry were skeptical of his plan to build a massive, reusable launch system. They remained dubious in early 2019, after Musk announced a switch from carbon fiber to low-cost stainless steel for the rocket's primary structure. Although stainless steel is cheaper and better able to withstand atmospheric heating during reentry, it is about five times heavier than composites.

Bezos had been asking his senior staffers about reusable upper stages, but advisers told him such an approach was unlikely to work, sources said. Bezos also seems to have been told the SpaceX "fail forward" method of rapidly prototyping and testing Starships, with few processes and procedures, would be unlikely to succeed.


However, over the last year, Bezos took note as SpaceX launched and landed its Starship vehicle. This is one of the reasons he decided to initiate a project named "Jarvis" at Blue Origin within the reusable second-stage program. Sources said Bezos has walled off parts of the second-stage development program from the rest of Blue Origin and told its leaders to innovate in an environment unfettered by rigorous management and paperwork processes.

Work has advanced quickly on the Jarvis project, apparently named after the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Initial tank tests could begin as soon as this fall on stainless steel hardware at Blue Origin's site in Florida, followed by further tests if the approach proves feasible. For now, at least, the company's plan is to launch New Glenn initially with an expendable second stage before transitioning to the fully reusable upper stage in the mid-2020s. Such a fully reusable launch system is now seen as a key to competing with SpaceX to launch large payloads.


It is not clear what budget Bezos has allocated for Project Jarvis or whether its managers report directly to Bezos or to Bob Smith, the chief executive of Blue Origin. Blue Origin VP of Communications Linda Mills did not respond to a request for comment for this article.

Other projects
Blue Origin also appears to be focusing more on in-space activities beyond launching rockets. Sources said that Bezos recently greenlighted two other major projects, one related to in-space propulsion and another focusing on developing and demonstrating in situ resource-utilization technologies for the Moon and beyond.

For the resources project, one source said, Blue has almost overnight put together perhaps the best space-resources team in the industry. The company hired research scientist Vlada Stamenkovic from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to lead the team and has made several other key hires. The goal of this program is to enable humans to more sustainably live on the Moon and develop resources to benefit life back on Earth.

Additionally, Blue Origin this month finalized the hire of Austin Murnane as a senior legal counsel. Formerly an attorney at Latham & Watkins in New York, Murnane has expertise in the legal aspects of space resources. His background suggests that Blue Origin may assert that the resources of space belong to no one and that the company may stake claims to resources on the Moon and elsewhere.

In the Fordham International Law Journal, Murnane wrote a 40-page article arguing that, for modern-day prospectors—in the form of commercial space companies—the Moon, asteroids, and other bodies in the Solar System should be free of control from terrestrial governments or the United Nations and the Outer Space Treaty.

"If the Outer Space Treaty is read to have established UN sovereignty in space, it would make that organization the master of all bodies outside of Earth's atmosphere," Murnane wrote. "When one considers the vast multitude of celestial bodies in Earth's Solar System, and further notes that there are probably more than one hundred billion stars in our galaxy, plus untold millions of other galaxies in the universe, such a claim is breathtakingly arrogant."


https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/07/blue-origin-is-developing-reusable-second-stage-other-advanced-projects/


 



Curt Lewis