September 30, 2021 - No. 76 In This Issue : ZURI Unveils VTOL Technology Demonstrator for the First Time : Honda Motor Co announces plans for eVTOL, avatar robots and space technologies : JetBlue Accelerates Transition to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) With Plans for the Largest-Ever Supply of SAF in New York Airports for a Commercial Airline : Can Rolls Royce Spark An Electric Plane Revolution? : AirPortr and Swissport Announce Global Strategic Partnership : Major Sustainable Aviation Fuels Center to be Built in UK : Celestia Technologies Group joins European move for long-range drones : Flying towards a carbon neutral future: Solutions from SITA : What is Air Traffic Management eXploration? : FAA and NASA complete trialling new software to reduce gate pushbacks : SpaceX Dragon cargo ship heads for Earth packed with gravity-sensitive experiments ZURI Unveils VTOL Technology Demonstrator for the First Time The ground test of the VTOL ZURI concept has recently been carried out. The results of the trial allow ZURI to soon proceed to the hovering stage. ZURI now shares the appearance of the technology demonstrator for the very first time. The tests of the technology demonstrator took place at an airport near Prague. The trial included testing the interoperability of individual systems, the verification of theoretical calculation and analysis, and confirmation of power unit performance and physical arrangement, power supply, and control methods. Due to a complex system simultaneously controlling several electric motors, many ground tests were necessary. The ZURI team needed to test the two-way communication between the control system, the power supply system, and power units. Unlike aircraft with one or two engines, hybrid VTOL technology using many electric motors needs to precisely control the power of each electric motor and respond to the movement of the aircraft in milliseconds so that the vertical take-off and landing is entirely smooth. The basic parameters of the ZURI large-scale technology demonstrator are as follows: Wingspan: 11m (36ft) Power units: 8 brushless DC electric motors On-board power source: Lithium-based batteries The new ZURI model with the internal designation ZURI 2.0 will be officially introduced during the autumn of 2021. Its introduction will begin the third phase of developing hybrid VTOL aviation technology, focused primarily on regional air transport of passengers and cargo. With progress towards the next stage of development and the introduction of ZURI 2.0, ZURI brings an opportunity to join this unique project to everybody interested in changing the world of air mobility. ZURI offers cooperation, especially to experts in the positions of aircraft designer, aerodynamic engineers, electrical engineers. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/business-general-aviation/press-release/21240350/zuri-zuri-unveils-vtol-technology-demonstrator-for-the-first-time Honda Motor Co announces plans for eVTOL, avatar robots and space technologies Honda Motor Company announced plans to innovate in new business areas like electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL), bipedal robots and space technology. Honda R&D Co., Honda Motor Company’s (HMC) innovations arm, will be leading the effort on “outside-the-box research on technologies that will bring about new value for people by expanding the potential of mobility into the third dimension, then the fourth dimension which defies the constraints of time and space, and ultimately into outer space,” according to the company. It sounds like the stuff of a sci-fi novel, and indeed some of these innovations might not end up panning out in the end, but during Thursday’s briefing, the company demonstrated how its core technologies developed over the past 73 years – like combustion, electrification, control and robotics – could evolve to suit the purpose of a future world with vastly different mobility needs. Hybrid eVTOLs and a corresponding mobility ecosystem The difference between an eVTOL and a helicopter is mainly that the former has multiple propellers, each of which have an independent motor driven by electricity from a battery, whereas the latter has one large, and loud, rotor at the top. As a result, eVTOLs are generally expected to be safer, quieter and cleaner. While most of the eVTOL being developed around the world are all-electric, HMC aims to “leverage its electrification technologies and develop Honda eVTOL equipped with a gas turbine hybrid power unit,” according to a statement from the company. The company first announced its intentions to develop technologies in this space during a press conference in April, in which HMC also stated its goals to sell 100% EVs by 2050. Marcos Frommer, manager of corporate communications at HMC, explained during the press briefing that all-electric eVTOLs have a very short range due to the battery capacity per mass, which means most use cases for these new vehicles will be limited to short distance flights, such as intercity transportation and shuttle flights. Even Joby Aviation, which recently announced plans to commercialize by 2024, only recently completed the longest test flight of an eVTOL to date, and that was about 150 miles on a single charge. “According to the results of our market research, the largest demand for mobility by eVTOL aircraft is for longer distance such as intercity transportation with a range up to 250 miles,” said Frommer. “Due partly to the electrification of our automobiles Honda is putting its effort in research and development of lithium-ion batteries. However, advancement based on the current lithium-ion battery is expected to increase the energy density per capacity by only about several times in the next 20 years. So we believe that for mobility in the skies, which requires further weight reduction, it’s difficult to achieve long distance using batteries only.” Frommer said if batteries advance more in the future, HMC can choose to make its eVTOLs all-electric by removing the gas turbine generator. The company says it wants to create a new “mobility ecosystem” that features eVTOL at its core and is connected to mobility products on the ground. Per the animated example HMC showed during the briefing, a business executive living in Cape Cod might be able to use a single app to book a hybrid eVTOL to take him to his office in New York City, which would be a mere two hour commute by air. The app might be connected to his personal autonomous Honda vehicle, which would chat to him about the weather as it drove him to a mobility hub for takeoff. When he landed an autonomous shuttle would be there waiting in the Big Apple to take him to his office. After a day of easy commuting, he’d be home in time for dinner on the veranda with his family. “By utilizing the Model Based Systems Engineering, or MBSE, method, this will be a challenge Honda will take on to transform ourselves from a conventional manufacturing company to a new company that will also design and commercialize systems and services,” said Frommer. “We will be able to deliver new value to our customers only when we complete one big system consisting of various elements, including a reservation system infrastructure, air traffic control, flight operation and existing mobility products such as automobiles. It’s impossible for Honda to handle all of these elements alone and we will need to collaborate with many companies and government agencies.” HMC plans to conduct technology verification with prototypes in 2023, and conduct flight tests of a hybrid demonstration model in 2025. It will then make a decision on commercialization. If HMC decides to move forward, it hopes to obtain certifications by 2030 so it can launch in the following decade. The company told TechCrunch if it reaches commercialization, customers can expect prices for eVTOLs, which can more than seat four passengers at a time, to be lower than business class on commercial passenger planes. Details about possible commercialization are still being discussed, however, we are striving to enable all customers to use our eVTOL aircraft at prices lower than the prices of flying business class on a commercial passenger plane. Frommer said HMC expects eVTOL to be the norm by 2040 and has forecasted a market size of about $269 billion by then. Transcend time and space with the Honda Asimo robot Honda’s avatar robot concept, Asimo, would allow the user to have a second self that performs tasks and experiences things without being there in person. Users connect and remotely control the avatar by wearing a VR headset and a tactile glove that will ultimately be able to mirror precise hand movements. “We position this as four dimensional mobility, which transcends time and space going beyond 2D and 3D mobility,” said Frommer. The company envisions Asimo robots being used for applications like remote surgery, which will likely be very popular in developing nations that don’t have access to world-class surgeons in the future, or space exploration, enabling an avatar version of a person to go to places that are uninhabitable or difficult to reach by humans. “What will become the core of the realization of such an avatar robot is the multi-fingered robotic hand developed while leveraging Honda’ strengths in robotics technologies and Honda’s original AI-supported remote control function,” according to the company. “Therefore, Honda strived for an avatar robot that is capable of using its multi-fingered hand to make full use of tools designed for human use and performs complex tasks quickly and accurately based on the AI-supported and more intuitive control by the user.” Toyota also has a similar bipedal avatar robot controlled by telepresence called the T-HR3, and Tesla recently unveiled its plans for a humanoid robot, although the Tesla bot doesn’t appear to be based on remote controlled technology. If Honda goes through with its plans for Asimo, it stands to reason that it would use teleoperation both for easier manipulation and robotic learning. Showing a robot how to do something could just be the best way to train it. Honda says it wants to put Asimo into practical use in the 2030s and is hoping to conduct testing before the end of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024. https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/30/honda-motor-co-announces-plans-for-evtol-avatar-robots-and-space-technologies/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAACzMcTJ8x0XZqrS_Yy8jUJYfdq5CpD1aAktS-HBLtAMeUCm2AJHWq40y86mI292bseRN3TrxYAz9BV3ngZ6QTSMvm3dUDCmiamkkMNVeJWpRh07IM2aJwCN-nZngP0xiG3xh69DMZQBFCMenhjAtbu7oK6on8yz3YY6IqUhEnuup JetBlue Accelerates Transition to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) With Plans for the Largest-Ever Supply of SAF in New York Airports for a Commercial Airline NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--JetBlue (Nasdaq: JBLU) today announced plans to speed up its transition to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) with an offtake agreement with SG Preston, a leading bioenergy developer. With the addition of this SG Preston agreement to its previous SAF commitments, JetBlue is well ahead of pace on its target to convert 10 percent of its total fuel usage to SAF on a blended basis by 2030. The airline will reach nearly eight percent SAF usage by the end of 2023 when delivery of SAF under this agreement is expected. JetBlue is doubling its previous SAF commitment with SG Preston, which was first announced in 2016 as one of the largest SAF purchase agreements in aviation history. JetBlue’s agreement with SG Preston also marks a major milestone for SAF in New York’s airports. This deal is expected to bring the first large-scale volume of domestically produced SAF for a commercial airline to New York’s metropolitan airports. JetBlue will convert 30 percent of its fuel buy across John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) from traditional Jet-A fuel to SAF (b), which is expected to reduce emissions by an estimated 80 percent per gallon of neat SAF, compared to traditional petroleum-based fuels. Targeting a start in 2023 and continuing over a 10-year period, SG Preston will deliver at least 670 million gallons of blended SAF to JetBlue to fuel its flight operations at JFK, LGA and EWR, helping JetBlue avoid approximately 1.5 million metric tons of CO2 emissions. JetBlue expects to invest more than $1 billion in purchasing SAF over the term of this agreement, at a price competitive to traditional Jet-A fuel, with no expected material impact to the airline’s total fuel costs. This marks the largest-ever announced near-term SAF deal for delivery in the Northeast and will be become the airline’s largest single jet fuel contract. “We are well past the point of vague climate commitments and corporate strategies. Earlier this year, we set specific, dated, and aggressive emissions targets. And now we are physically changing the fuel in our aircraft to meet these commitments,” said Robin Hayes, chief executive officer, JetBlue. “At JetBlue, we’re heavily investing in SAF because we see it as our most promising means of rapidly and directly reducing aircraft emissions in the near-term. With this expanded agreement with SG Preston, nearly eight percent of JetBlue’s total fuel use will be SAF, putting us well ahead of pace in reaching our goal of 10 percent SAF usage by 2030.” Sustainable aviation fuel is jet fuel produced from biological resources that can be replenished rapidly and without impacting food supply. Compared to traditional petroleum-based Jet-A fuel, renewable options can significantly reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants such as particulate matter and sulfur oxides. Safety is JetBlue’s number one priority, and SAF is functionally equivalent to conventional Jet-A fuel, posing no discernible difference in safety or performance. The fuel is fully compatible with existing jet engine technology and fuel distribution infrastructure when blended with fossil jet fuel, and is tested and transported the same way as regular Jet-A fuel. SG Preston has made significant progress on a new facility in the Northeast to produce SAF at a large scale. SG Preston’s HEFA- (hydro-processed esters and fatty acids) based renewable jet fuel will be sustainably produced from waste fats, oils, greases, and non-food oilseeds. The fuel is expected to receive sustainability certification from ISCC, an independent, global certification body for sustainability and carbon reduction. SG Preston’s process utilizes industry-leading refining process technology, which has been FAA-approved for commercial flying since 2011. This SAF will be blended with Jet-A fuel at an estimated 30 percent blend ratio before being transported to JFK, LGA, and EWR. “The SG Preston-JetBlue relationship is the blueprint for a balanced partnership designed to achieve both the airline’s and global aviation’s sustainability and pricing goals. The reality of achieving the US sustainability target of approximately 35 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel by 2050 is daunting. Engaging with, and addressing the concerns of all key stakeholders and contributors to the solution, is paramount to successfully reaching this target. JetBlue’s continued commitment to SG Preston’s development strategy illustrates continued confidence in our unique approach to this challenge. We’re honored by this demonstration of trust,” said Randy Delbert Letang, CEO of SG Preston. JetBlue’s SAF Strategy JetBlue’s revised deal with SG Preston is its third agreement for SAF. JetBlue recently entered into a new relationship with World Energy and World Fuel Services and began flying with SAF at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in July 2021. Additionally, JetBlue partnered with Neste in August 2020 to fuel its flights from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) with SAF. JetBlue’s SAF strategy was developed with support and consultancy from energy market experts at ICF. While JetBlue views SAF as the most promising solution to rapidly and directly reduce aircraft emissions in the short and medium term, it is one piece of its larger decarbonization strategy including aircraft efficiency, fuel optimization, sustainable aviation fuel, electric ground operations, technology partnerships and carbon offsetting. Hayes continued, “We recognize that airlines have a responsibility to decarbonize our operations and usher in an era of truly sustainable travel. We are therefore stepping up as an industry with commitments and clear actions. However, we can’t do it alone. In order for our industry to meet our ambitious targets, we are asking for collaboration and leadership from our key stakeholders – fuel suppliers, aircraft and engine manufacturers, and governments to play a critical role in helping the drive toward net zero.” JetBlue’s Commitment to Grow Sustainably in New York New York is JetBlue’s home and where more than 7,000 of its crewmembers live and work. The airline is experiencing significant growth in New York, and furthering plans to substantially increase flying and bring more low fares and jobs to JFK, LGA and EWR as part of its Northeast Alliance with American Airlines. As JetBlue increases its presence and brings more air service to the region’s three airports, it is more important than ever to grow sustainably. With a focus on more sustainable operations, JetBlue was recently selected for a grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s transportation electrification initiative for electric ground service equipment (eGSE) at EWR. With this grant, JetBlue will convert 38 ground service vehicles to electric, and install 16 dual-port charging stations, with additional support from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Following this conversion and one in process at Boston Logan International Airport, JetBlue will have converted 39 percent of these three vehicle types to electric. This is significant progress towards JetBlue’s eGSE goal to convert 40 percent of its bag tugs, belt loaders, and pushbacks network wide to electric by 2025, and 50 percent by 2030. Additionally, JetBlue is making significant updates to T5 by upgrading the entire terminal to LED lighting solutions provided by Brightcore Energy, a premier provider of turn-key energy efficiency projects from lighting to solar, renewable heating & cooling, EV chargers, and battery storage. The T5 upgrades will reduce JetBlue’s lighting-related energy use by approximately 66 percent, based on current usage. The project will have a significant impact, saving more than 2.1 million kWh annually, while improving aesthetics, lowering energy costs and reducing the terminal’s carbon footprint. “We applaud JetBlue’s commitment to convert 30 percent of its fuel demand from traditional jet fuel to sustainable aviation fuel across the three major New York airports. This latest initiative from JetBlue is a critical step towards accelerating the production and adoption of SAF in the northeast, and achieving the associated environmental benefits in our region,” said Rick Cotton, Executive Director of the Port Authority of NY & NJ. “This initiative advances our continued collaboration with JetBlue on important sustainability measures, including energy efficiency upgrades and electrifying ground support equipment at our airports.” JetBlue’s Focus on the Environment JetBlue depends on natural resources and a healthy environment to keep its business running smoothly. Natural resources are essential for the airline to fly and tourism relies on having beautiful, natural and preserved destinations for customers to visit. The airline focuses on issues that have the potential to impact its business. Customers, crewmembers and community are key to JetBlue's sustainability strategy. Demand from these groups for responsible service is one of the motivations behind changes that help reduce the airline’s environmental impact. For more on JetBlue’s sustainability initiatives, visit www.jetblue.com/sustainability. About JetBlue Airways JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline®, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles, Orlando and San Juan. JetBlue carries customers across the U.S., Caribbean and Latin America, and between New York and London. For more information, visit jetblue.com. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210929005546/en/JetBlue-Accelerates-Transition-to-Sustainable-Aviation-Fuel-SAF-With-Plans-for-the-Largest-Ever-Supply-of-SAF-in-New-York-Airports-for-a-Commercial-Airline Can Rolls Royce Spark An Electric Plane Revolution? Rolls Royce made headlines this month for completing the first flight of its electric plane in the U.K. But will this be the first of many, as the EV boom continues, and automotive and aviation companies race to create the most efficient and renewable energy-powered aircraft? Earlier this month, Rolls Royce announced it had completed a 15-minute flight of its first all-electric aircraft, as part of its Accelerating the Electrification of Flight program. This marked the beginning of the company’s extensive testing to better understand the performance potential of the new aircraft and part of its broader aim to support the net-zero carbon emissions national target. The company announced that its Spirit of Innovation plane used a 400kw electric powertrain “with the most power-dense battery pack ever assembled for an aircraft.” The aim is to eventually achieve speeds of over 300 miles an hour. In addition, the aircraft’s three electric motors allow it to achieve a 90 percent energy-efficient flight. Siemens’ Extra 330LE all-electric aircraft was the first to achieve a speed record at 212 mph in April 2017 and was later bought out by Rolls-Royce, which is developing on its existing technology to create faster planes. Simon Burr, Rolls-Royce’s Director, Engineering & Technology – Civil Aerospace, stated of the speed aim “The interesting thing is, no one’s interested if you did 212.5 mph. You put all this effort in – it needs to be significant. So, our threshold is to get over 300 mph. This airplane is very aerodynamic, it’s very fast.” The aircraft received 50 percent of its funding from the Aerospace Technology Institute alongside the U.K. government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, and Innovate U.K. While this presents a major advancement in all-electric aircraft technology, Rolls Royce is not the only company experimenting with renewable energy for powering aircraft. European budget airline EasyJet has partnered with Wright Electric to develop its electric flight technology. We are also seeing developments from NASA, in its X-57 Maxwell aircraft, Norway’s Avinor - Alpha Electro G2, and Equator Aircraft Norway, Israel’s Eviation, California-based Joby Aviation, and Ampaire, and Boeing and JetBlue's backing of Zunum Aero. Several companies have already tested the flight potential of their aircraft with ZeroAvia’s six-seater Piper M-class aircraft, powered by a hydrogen fuel-cell, being the first of its type in the world to complete a flight in 2020. Airbus has also announced plans to manufacture several hydrogen-fuelled aircraft, releasing images of their concept planes in September 2020. The company expects to have the zero-emissions ZEROe planes up and running by 2035. This would mark a huge advancement in the technology, as the commercial aircraft would carry between 120 and 200 passengers, a massive leap from the current hydrogen-fuelled planes. As aviation and aerospace companies race to develop these new technologies, they must decide which renewable source is the most effective and sustainable for the future of aviation. For example, in 2016, we saw the maiden flight of the Solar Impulse 2 aircraft, an entirely solar-powered plane with 17,000 solar cells, weighing just 2.4 tonnes and traveling at the slow speed of 45 mph. The plane completed its world voyage using just the power of the sun, showing that electric batteries and hydrogen fuel cells are not the only possibilities. With governments pushing for green, aviation companies will be looking to maintain their market position while modernizing alongside the automotive industry. At present, the industry accounts for 600 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year. In response, the European Commission established the target of a 75 percent reduction in CO2 emissions per passenger kilometer, as well as a 90 percent drop in nitrous oxide emissions, by 2050. As flights are expected to double over the next two decades, switching to electric and other renewable power sources will have a significant impact on this target. More importantly, we are seeing upward trends in the manufacturing and uptake of electric vehicles, with an anticipated EV fleet of 145 million in 2030, accounting for 7 percent of the road vehicle fleet. Meanwhile, electric aviation is lagging behind EV development. Susan Ying, senior manager at electric aircraft company Ampaire explains of the lag, “If that trend continues, then aviation is going to become one of the top polluters in all industry sectors.” Further, “Aviation will become the final dinosaur, that does not clean up, if we don’t act right now,” she stated. As we are seeing greater numbers of automotive, aviation, and aerospace companies start to develop electric, hydrogen, and other renewable energy-powered aircraft and technologies, there is hope yet for the electric plane to catch up with its EV counterpart. However, greater funding and innovation are needed from private companies and governments if we hope to see electric passenger aircraft and dramatically decrease carbon emissions over the next decade and beyond. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/rolls-royce-spark-electric-plane-210000574.html AirPortr and Swissport Announce Global Strategic Partnership AirPortr, the digital platform and provider of smart baggage management solutions, has entered into a strategic partnership with Swissport, a leading provider of airport ground services and air cargo handling operating across 274 airport locations in 44 countries worldwide. The partnership will enable off-airport baggage processing for airlines and airports, transforming the passenger experience as well as driving operational efficiencies. AirPortr’s technology, product leadership and scalable end-to-end solution will be combined with Swissport’s global presence, its supply chain competence and logistical and operational expertise. This partnership will enable all passengers – regardless of whether they travel in economy, business or first class – to pre-book an at-home baggage collection slot for departing flights. A courier will digitally verify ID and travel documents at the doorstep and seal the baggage for secure delivery to the airport. Passengers will receive live updates and digital airline baggage tags. This transforms the often neglected first-stages of the travel experience, allowing passengers to travel bag-free to the airport, switch to public transport if preferred, bypass the check-in and baggage drop at the airport, and proceed directly to security. The solution also streamlines the last leg of passengers’ journeys, allowing them to digitally submit an eDeclaration, have their bags cleared through Customs, and delivered to their destination within hours of landing – skipping baggage reclaim altogether. Off-airport processing transforms the baggage handling process across the airport and aviation ecosystem. For air travelers, it facilitates truly contactless airport journeys underpinned by seamless digital experiences and improves passenger mobility. For distribution partners it creates value by generating new ancillary revenue streams. For operators, it increases the throughput of existing airport infrastructure by reducing passenger interactions, queues and resource requirements, as well as maximizing space utilization. It also has a positive sustainability impact, with 66% of AirPortr users switching from car usage to public transport as a result of traveling bag-free. This unlocks the large-scale modal-shift that is required for the aviation industry to meet its sustainability targets – vowing to halve emissions by 2050. Randel Darby, CEO and founder at AirPortr, said: “The partnership with Swissport is a significant milestone – it outlines a blueprint and scalable platform for the introduction of smart baggage solutions across the aviation industry. With Swissport, we are transforming baggage from a customer and cost pain point into a new revenue stream, increasing handling efficiency and improving passenger experience. The first deployment will launch imminently, facilitated by a go to market strategy which enables us to deploy rapidly, making the product available across airline client networks. “Our vision is to create a global connected network for airline clients – this partnership with Swissport brings us one step closer to making that vision a reality. By marrying the strength of our technology with Swissport’s operational footprint, this solution is redefining the role of baggage.” Bruno Stefani, senior vice president and managing director for Switzerland and France added: “As the world's leading provider of aviation ground services, Swissport strives to continuously enhance its service quality. We want to generate added value for airlines and their passengers in order to offer a simpler and even more enjoyable travel experience in the future. AirPortr's platform, as well as our global network and existing airline customer relationships, enable an end-to-end solution and user experience for passengers. The complexity of baggage handling will be transformed through user-friendly, intuitive and scalable solutions into a customer-centric service for passengers, allowing them to personalize ancillary services according to their individual needs.” https://www.aviationpros.com/ground-handling/ground-handlers-service-providers/press-release/21240241/swissport-international-ltd-airportr-and-swissport-announce-global-strategic-partnership Major Sustainable Aviation Fuels Center to be Built in UK The Sustainable Aviation Fuels Innovation Centre (SAF-IC), part of the University’s Energy Institute, will provide world-leading, state-of-the-art facilities to test, certify and deploy new sustainable aviation fuels. Jointly funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the University of Sheffield, the center will be located at the University of Sheffield Innovation District and will act as a ‘clearing house’ with facilities to test, validate and certify new fuels. SAF-IC will be the first center in Europe to be able to capture CO₂, produce green hydrogen, convert them into sustainable aviation fuels and analyze their performance all in one single location. A clearing house is seen as the missing link to help producers of sustainable aviation fuels bring their products to market. Having such a facility in the UK will accelerate regulatory approvals of new fuels and give the UK certification capabilities. SAF-IC will be a development hub for the research and scaling-up of sustainable aviation fuels, offering laboratory and testing space as well as coordination and networking facilities. The facility will work in combination with the neighboring Translational Energy Research Centre - a national pilot-scale testing facility that is also part of the University of Sheffield - to support state-of-the-art research and provide much needed testing capabilities to help ready sustainable aviation fuels for commercial use. Sustainable aviation fuels are vital to reducing the UK’s carbon emissions. The UK aviation industry is responsible for around 7% of total UK carbon emissions, and this number is growing fast. However, aviation’s reliance on fossil fuels makes it a challenging sector to decarbonise. Although it's expected that new technologies will propel planes in the future, for now it’s widely seen that the best option to help the industry decarbonize is to exchange fossil fuels for fuels made from sustainable materials such as agricultural waste and waste oils. Making sustainable aviation fuels a viable commercial option for the aviation sector could reduce UK emissions in 2050 by 32% The UK government acknowledged the importance of sustainable aviation by including ambitions for ‘jet zero’ in its Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. Any new aviation fuel must undergo significant fit-for-purpose testing before it can be safely introduced to the market. Technology and chemical processes to produce sustainable aviation fuels do currently exist, but many producers, especially SMEs, require support to scale up production and formally test their fuel. SAF-IC will provide this support with access to collaboration space, world-leading next-generation equipment and the expertise needed to carry out all of the key stages of the testing process required to formalise a new fuel. The Sustainable Aviation Fuels Innovation Centre will heavily invest in supporting SMEs in South Yorkshire as well as work with partners from the aviation industry locally, nationally and internationally. SAF-IC will help to establish South Yorkshire as the leading R&D center of excellence in sustainable aviation fuels. The facility will provide employment opportunities, attract investment and work with the wider region to support innovation and growth in the area. Director of the University of Sheffield Energy Institute and Managing Director for the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Innovation Centre, Professor Mohamed Pourkashanian, said, “We are extremely excited to be establishing this state-of-the-art innovation center in the heart of the University of Sheffield Innovation District. SAF-IC will help the UK to determine the best pathways to net zero aviation, and play a crucial role nationally and internationally in delivering truly sustainable flight. “One of the most unique and critical aspects of SAF-IC is that the center will be the first of its kind to research fuels which are made without any fossil fuels in the process, including improving understanding of how we can use bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) to make a negative emissions fuel. “SAF-IC will enable businesses and academics to drive forward their research and technology at a swift pace thanks to its technical and clearing house abilities, allowing the nation to work in line with the targets set by the Department for Transport for net zero emissions from aviation by 2050.” Work has already begun on the center, which is anticipated to be fully operational by July 2022. A member of the UK’s prestigious Russell Group of leading research-led institutions, Sheffield offers world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines. Unified by the power of discovery and understanding, staff and students at the university are committed to finding new ways to transform the world we live in. Sheffield is the only university to feature in The Sunday Times 100 Best Not-For-Profit Organizations to Work For 2018 and for the last eight years has been ranked in the top five UK universities for Student Satisfaction by Times Higher Education. Sheffield has six Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students and its alumni go on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence all over the world, making significant contributions in their chosen fields. Global research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Unilever, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Siemens and Airbus, as well as many UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations. https://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/biofuels/major-sustainable-aviation-fuels-center-to-be-20210929 Celestia Technologies Group joins European move for long-range drones Celestia Technologies Group (CTG) is taking part in the ADACORSA project, a European initiative designed to unlock the potential of long-range and beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) drones and give Europe a world-class drone industry. ADACORSA — Airborne Data Collection on Resilient System Architecture — is a major collaborative project launched in May 2020 that aims to demonstrate the safety and efficiency of drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in extended out-of-line-of-sight operation ranges. Specifically, it draws on European expertise in developing sensor and communication technologies for UAVs to underpin their role and reliable capability in long-range applications, including observation, analysis and transport, taking them one step further toward being integrated into conventional airspace. ADASCORA also seeks to increase public and regulatory acceptance of modern UAV or drone technology. More than 49 specialist companies from 12 European countries are expected to contribute know-how and practical support. The project also aims to research and develop innovative components and systems for airborne observation and detection, telecommunication and data processing along the electronics value-chain. Task Forces Established To meet ADACORSA’s ambitious targets, task forces have been set up, one of which will be led by CTG. The company will lead the development of electronic components for reliable and fail-operational environment perception and run one project demonstrator designed to integrate unmanned aircraft systems safely into the common European airspace and ensure that they operate correctly in a multi-unmanned aircraft system environment. CTG is a Dutch supplier and part of a pan-European company group providing innovative technology products, systems and services to space, aerospace, defense, telecommunications and scientific markets. Galileo + EGNOS Transponder CTG will use its expertise in on-board UAV electronics to develop a lightweight, high-performance transponder capable of sending and receiving accurate identification and location data for unmanned aerial vehicles. Positioning will be based on Galileo, supplemented by its European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS), allowing all airspace users to know the location of the vehicle and contribute to safety while supporting other on-board systems such as detect-and-avoid equipment. The transponder will be based on conventional aviation technologies such as Mode S Interrogator and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and will integrate new concepts including network identification, meaning the vehicle can fly safely in various scenarios. These include in locations close to airports, in drone fleet operations and within the U-Space environment. U-space is a set of European services and procedures designed to support safe, efficient and secure access to airspace for drones. ADACORSA has received funding from the ECSEL Joint Undertaking (JU) under grant agreement No. 876019. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program and Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Romania, France, Sweden, Cyprus, Greece, Lithuania, Portugal, Italy, Finland and Turkey. https://www.gpsworld.com/celestia-technologies-group-joins-european-move-for-long-range-drones/ Flying towards a carbon neutral future: Solutions from SITA The global aviation industry produces around 2% of all human induced CO2 emissions and is accountable for over 12% of CO2 emissions from all transport sources – according to Air Transport Action Group. With these figures in mind, the industry has been working hard to reduce its environmental impact in the form of alternative fuel sources to power airports, the introduction of sustainable aviation fuels, the inclusion of new technology and much more. Over the years SITA has been developing new technology to support emission reduction for the industry and infrastructure to deliver operational efficiencies. The company’s dedication to reducing its environmental impact led to a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2022 being set, although ambitious the company has been able to achieve this a year ahead of the target date. Following on from the carbon neutral certification the company are working to further decrease emissions, to maintain its annual certification renewal and to assist the industry on the path to reduce its carbon emissions. We speak Sergio Colella, SITA President Europe, to discuss solutions the company offer to the industry as well as what more the industry should be doing to achieve a more environmentally friendly future. Frankie Youd (FY): The company has been certified carbon neutral, what steps have been taken to secure this status? Sergio Colella (SC): It is important today more than ever for airlines to operate in a more financially and environmentally sustainable manner. SITA is acutely aware of these financial and environmental challenges, and we are excited to do our part. We set ourselves the ambitious target of becoming a carbon neutral company by 2022, an ambition I am pleased to say we officially achieved this month when we were certified as a CarbonNeutral® company (in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Procotol, the leading global standard for carbon neutral programs) a year ahead of our target date. This is the result of decisive actions taken to reduce all emissions associated with business operations in 2020. At the same time, we wanted to help our customers become more sustainable. We have adapted our portfolio and introduced new or supplemented solutions that help our customers to cut fuel burn and reduce their carbon footprint on the ground, with solutions that optimize flight trajectories and limit runway taxi times, for example in the air through flexible flight planning and accurate fuel evaluation. The results are immediate and concrete. At present what solutions does SITA offer the industry to further assist its goal to becoming more environmentally friendly? Our current focus is on helping the industry to meet its carbon reduction commitments. We are working on developing the following technology to support CO2 emissions reduction: SITA’s Airport Management’s has introduced an optimization feature which measures, predicts, and reduces carbon emissions in various areas of the airport including aircraft turnaround, landing and take-off cycles (for example stand allocation and taxi times), operating infrastructure such as the airport terminal and ground transportation systems. The feature delivers significant CO2 savings for an airport and can be easily implemented overnight. We have acquired digital solutions start-up Safety Line to strengthen our sustainable aviation portfolio. Integrating green technology solution, OptiFlight, with our eWAS Pilot application, will deliver greater efficiencies for our customers. Using machine learning performance models, accurate 4D weather forecasts, and customized recommendations issued to pilots for each flight, these easy-to-use guidance solutions help avoid adverse weather, reduce fuel consumption, and limit aircraft CO2 emissions at key flight stages. As an example, for a Boeing B777, we can deliver estimated savings on fuel and carbon emissions of 234kg per climb with 214 CO2 tons reduction a year per aircraft tail. FlightFolder is another solution we introduced to the market this year, which digitalizes pilot briefings and improves situational awareness. Not only are digital flight briefings entirely paperless – less weight on the aircraft and thus less fuel burn – but they are also instant. This means fewer delays and quicker decision-making as opposed to waiting for traditional paper upgrades. When integrated with complementary tools like our eWAS Pilot application, pilots gain a superior level of situational awareness to make even better and faster decisions around carbon and fuel savings. Transavia have used OptiClimb & OptiDirect which has delivered estimated savings on fuel and carbon emissions of 82kg per climb, with 223 CO2 tons reduction a year per aircraft tail. More recently, the manufacturer of business jets Bombardier has announced that its brand-new challenger 3500 leverages SITA-powered eco app, an innovative tool which combined SITA’s solutions eWAS Pilot and OptiFlight in order to specifically optimize flight plans and reduce fuel burn, further decreasing the aircraft’s environmental footprint. In your opinion what more do you think the industry could/should be doing? Covid-19 has led to a huge demand on our industry – and indeed many other industries – to reduce costs, do more with less, and streamline operationally. It also marks a real opportunity for the industry to simultaneously achieve greater cost efficiencies, while making progress in reducing carbon emissions in the short term. Measures that help improve operations, such as efficient procedures and weight reduction measures; and improve infrastructure, such as aircraft and associated infrastructure, represent the greatest opportunities for airlines today. Efficiency in aircraft operations can be greatly improved in real-time air-ground collaboration. Today, the processes are complex and time dependent. The multiple stakeholders on the ground often work in organizational silos at different airport locations and, in the case of dispatchers, sometimes even from home. We saw an opportunity, working with Microsoft, to develop our Mission Control application. Using the Teams platform, which many employees are already familiar with, it facilitates real-time collaboration among cockpit, ground control, gate, and ramp personnel. It helps airlines better manage operational variability, optimizing turnarounds while minimizing fuel consumption, and ultimately, carbon emissions. Using this tool, a pilot facing a route change, for example, can notify an aircraft fueller that less fuel is required than originally planned for the upcoming refuelling process. This saves on carrying unnecessary fuel for the next flight, optimizing the refuelling process, not just saving costs for the airline but leading to more sustainable fuel usage. Another key area where we believe that technology can have a major impact is inflight. Before Covid-19 struck, the real challenge with congestion was not on the ground but in the wider airspace. What would you like the future to hold for the industry when it comes to reducing its carbon footprint? Aviation is vital to modern society and the global economy, therefore, building a more sustainable industry is critical for associated sectors like trade, tourism, and business. The pressure on the air transport industry to become more financially and environmentally sustainable has accelerated through the impact of Covid-19. Airlines are increasingly looking to technology to reduce fuel usage to reduce cost, while at the same time cutting their carbon footprint. Using technology, significant cost and carbon savings can be realised from operational and infrastructure efficiencies that reduce fuel burn. Efficiencies such as: Reducing weight, and more sustainable flying by optimizing flight paths and accurate fuel evaluation. For airports, flights tend to be the biggest source of an airport’s emissions. One external science-based study reports more than 97% of an airport’s annual emissions relate to flight arrivals and departures. As such, operational efficiencies such as aircraft turnaround and landing and departure cycles remains crucial. Do you feel that the industry should be subsidized by government/authority bodies to further assist the environmentally beneficial changes? Government investment will play an essential role in the air transport industry’s path to net zero, particularly in funding technology projects that foster sustainability and digitalization. These projects will help the industry to decarbonize faster. We also see that passengers demanding a more sustainable aviation model, particularly in Europe, will reward those companies leading the way in reducing their environmental impact. https://www.airport-technology.com/features/flying-towards-a-carbon-neutral-future-solutions-from-sita/ What is Air Traffic Management eXploration? Operators of new and emerging aircraft – such as future Advanced Air Mobility vehicles or electric-powered vertical takeoff and landing vehicles – have big plans to fly in the U.S. airspace. But before that can happen, we'll need to work with the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, to enable changes to the current airspace system while continuing to keep our skies safe. To make these new and growing aircraft operations a reality – while ensuring efficiency and safety – is where NASA's Air Traffic Management eXploration, or ATM-X, project comes in. ATM-X is developing innovative technology solutions that remove barriers to transforming today’s air transportation system and enabling new aircraft's large-scale access, while also improving current aircraft operations. The end-goal is a digitally-integrated air transportation system that allows for increased mobility and safe, efficient access for both traditional and emerging operations and users – from commercial aircraft to delivery drones and urban air taxis. By collaborating and partnering with a diverse group of industry participants, ATM-X will leverage their expertise to develop technology and define an airspace system that can scale up to handle the load of many and various aircraft. Industry continues to show strong interest by investing in, and contributing to, building airspace management systems. This includes their significant involvement with NASA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management, or UTM. Systems based on the UTM paradigm can accelerate the transformation of the national airspace system in many ways. For example, they can play a role in expanding routine airspace access to more users, developing services to further the use of airspace information for air traffic controllers to service providers, and enabling more flexibility for a variety of piloted and pilotless aircraft to schedule and carryout their missions. ATM-X leverages the convergence of airspace industry involvement with technological advances in cloud computing, faster computing speeds, communications systems capable of handling more data, and increasingly autonomous technologies. These key assets will unlock an airspace management system architecture that will transform the national airspace. The ATM-X team works closely with the FAA to envision what the national airspace will be like in the year 2045. Experts anticipate a transformed airspace that will need to serve denser and more diverse flights, while maintaining or improving safety and efficiency. Advanced technologies, changes in market forces, and societal and environmental factors will all play a role influencing how the future system works. The team's efforts will help guide future ATM-X research and development to identify technical barriers and research questions that need to be addressed. ATM-X research and technology development has four subprojects, each focusing on different domains that contribute to transforming the national airspace, improving airspace access, and making operations more efficient for all users within the airspace system of tomorrow: Digital Information Platform The Digital Information Platform subproject will develop and evaluate a prototype digital information platform software that takes data from many sources and turns it into easily accessible, easy-to-use digital information. This capability will provide necessary data for airspace management and users of the airspace system of the future. Urban Air Mobility Airspace Management The Urban Air Mobility Airspace Management subproject is developing increasingly sophisticated airspace management technologies that enable new electric aircraft to conduct passenger and cargo operations in urban areas as they fly at low altitudes, or less than 5,000 feet. The subproject will test airspace management technologies in support of NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility Project’s National Campaign. The team also will provide industry stakeholders with airspace system requirements and guidance toward a mature Urban Air Mobility airspace system. Pathfinding for Airspace with Autonomous Vehicles Industry is developing increasingly autonomous aircraft that will revolutionize how we transport goods across the United States. The Pathfinding for Airspace with Autonomous Vehicles subproject will enable this new industry by improving the airspace system to provide routine access for these aircraft. This subproject will collaboratively develop airspace integration solutions to make remotely piloted commercial operations possible and increase levels of autonomous flight. Extensible Traffic Management The Extensible Traffic Management subproject is working with the FAA and industry to enable routine access of unmanned aircraft to our national airspace where aircraft fly above 60,000 feet. This work builds on thesuccess of NASA's Unmanned Airspace Systems Traffic Management system for collaborative air traffic management. The team also is identifying additional use cases for a UTM-like extensible traffic management paradigm and how these operations would integrate with current air traffic. Milestones: Completed final-stage development, testing, analysis, and knowledge transfer to the FAA of the Integrated Demand Management concept during ATM-X Phase 1 (June 2020) Completed ATM-X Phase 1, which explored challenging airspace use cases to identify and prioritize the key technical challenges to address in Phase 2, in order to achieve a transformed national air space (September 2020) Received approval to proceed with ATM-X Phase 2, which tackles these challenges (July 2020) Completed Urban Air Mobility subproject's simulation activities, called "X3," to assess the prototype airspace software under three flight scenarios (December 2020), Delivered prototype airspace software to the Advanced Air Mobility Project in support of the National Campaign Developmental Test (January 2021) The Extensible Traffic Management subproject signed a NASA-FAA Research Transition Team Joint Management Plan to collaborate on research and deliverables for airspace traffic management for aircraft flying above 60,000 feet through September 2025 (January 2021) The Digital Information Platform subproject released a Request for Information, receiving more than 40 responses, to facilitate partnerships to implement a prototype Digital Information Platform and services that utilize it. This will culminate in a series of collaborative demonstrations beginning in late 2022 (April 2021) The Pathfinding for Airspace with Autonomous Vehicles subproject will conduct its first simulation, focusing on separation assurance – or making sure aircraft maintain safe distances from other aircraft in the area. This is one of the key barriers identified toward achieving routine access for UAS into the airspace system (September 2021) The Urban Air Mobility Airspace Management subproject's simulation activities, called "X4," will advance the technology and test new information-sharing requirements – amongst service providers, and between providers and air traffic controllers – to enable safe, efficient urban air mobility operations while staying aware of increasing demands on the airspace. (August-September 2021). The subproject will deliver enhanced software to Advanced Air Mobility Project in support of the first full-scale National Campaign test in 2022. Collaborators: The ATM-X project includes team members from three NASA aeronautics centers, including Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley; Glenn Research Center in Cleveland; and Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. ATM-X collaborates closely with sister-projects – System-Wide Safety and Airspace Technology Demonstrations – in the Airspace Operations and Safety Program, as well as Advanced Air Mobility in the Integrated Aviation Systems Program and Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology in the Advanced Air Vehicles Program. All of these projects and programs fall under the leadership of NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate in Washington. ATM-X partners with the FAA to develop new technologies for adoption into their future infrastructure. It also partners with industry stakeholders to collaborate on concept and technology development the community is most likely to leverage. https://www.nasa.gov/ames/atmx FAA and NASA complete trialling new software to reduce gate pushbacks The U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NASA has announced the completion of research and testing on a software capability that calculates gate pushbacks at busy hub airports, so that each plane can roll directly to the runway and to take off. The FAA plans to deploy this capability as part of a larger investment in surface management technology to 27 airports. “The future of flight must be more sustainable and environmentally friendly,” said Steve Dickson, FAA Administrator. “This new capability as part of a flight merging system has a double benefit: it reduces aircraft emissions and ensures air travellers experience more on-time departures.” “NASA is developing transformative technologies that will revolutionise the aviation sector as we know it,” added Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator. “The proof is in the pudding. This air traffic scheduling technology enhances aircraft efficiency and improves dependability for passengers every day. I’m excited that the software NASA developed for air traffic controllers and airlines will be soon rolled out at airports across the country and know the results will continue to be extraordinary.” The innovative capability, which will be part of the FAA’s Terminal Flight Data Manager (TFDM) programme, was developed by NASA and tested for nearly four years by the FAA’s NextGen group, airlines’ airport operations, FAA radar facilities in Charlotte and Dallas/Fort Worth and the Atlanta and Washington, D.C., centres handling high-altitude en route flights. By minimising taxi delay and ramp congestion, the programme reduces fuel burn and CO2 emissions and supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal to build a sustainable aviation system. During programme testing at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), the programme: Reduced taxi times that helped save more than 275,000 gallons of fuel annually, equivalent to the fuel burn of 185 flights between New York and Chicago by a Boeing 737; Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 8 tonnes of CO2 daily; Reduced delays by 916 hours, equivalent to shaving 15 minutes of waiting time on a taxiway for more than 3,600 departing flights. Charlotte Douglas is currently scheduled next in the FAA’s rollout of TFDM, which will include the push-back capability, at 27 hub airports across the country. The FAA anticipates a savings of more than 7 million gallons of fuel every year and the elimination of more than 75,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. Pamela Whitley, FAA Assistant Administrator for NextGen commented: “When you are ready to go, you want to go. Waiting in line on a taxiway is not part of the flight plan. Through a productive partnership between the FAA, NASA and the airlines, we now have technology that brings better predictability of aircraft movements on and above our busiest airports. This will yield benefits for air travellers and for the environment.” The airports currently expected to be part of the rollout include: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago Midway, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston Bush, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis, Newark, New York JFK, New York LaGuardia, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington Dulles, Washington Reagan National. https://www.internationalairportreview.com/news/164567/faa-nasa-new-software-calculate-airport-gate-pushbacks-saves-fuel/ SpaceX Dragon cargo ship heads for Earth packed with gravity-sensitive experiments SpaceX's Dragon cargo resupply spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station packed full of science experiments after one month at the orbiting laboratory. The capsule, carrying 4,600 lbs. (2,900 kilograms) of material to return to Earth, undocked at 9:12 a.m. EDT (1312 GMT) on Thursday (Sept. 30) while the station was travelling over the Pacific Ocean. NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough monitored from inside the International Space Station's cupola as the capsule, commanded by ground controllers at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California, detached from the station's Harmony module and fired its thrusters. "I want to give a huge thank you to the SpaceX and the NASA teams for getting this vehicle up to us in great shape, with a lot of science and surprise for the ISS," Kimbrough said during a NASA livestream. "The activities associated with SpaceX 23 kept our crew busy over the past month. We look forward to hearing about the results of the payloads we interacted with. Have a safe journey back to Earth." The capsule then moved to a safe distance from the station and performed a series of burns, which sent it toward Earth. The spacecraft will splash down off the coast of Florida at around 11 p.m. EDT (0300 GMT on Oct. 1). The capsule will then be transported to NASA's Space Station Processing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center, which is located a short distance from the splashdown site. This short distance is especially important for this shipment, since the capsule carries microgravity experiments that could be affected if exposed to the planet's gravity in an unprotected environment for a longer period of time, NASA officials wrote in a statement. Many of the experiments are biomedical, including some focused on the evolution of degenerative diseases such as Azheimer's, Parkinson's and Type 2 diabetes, as well as others examining muscle atrophy and gene expression in space. Investigators will make a first quick assessment of the biological samples upon arrival at the processing facility before exposure to gravity alters the results. Then, the researchers will perform more in-depth analyses at their home laboratories. The departing Dragon spacecraft had been docked at the space station since Aug. 30. The capsule, launched on Aug. 29 from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center, was SpaceX's 23rd Commercial Resupply Services mission. The next cargo Dragon bound for the space station is currently targeting a launch in early December. The docking port on the Harmony module that the CRS-23 capsule occupied will next be visited by the upcoming Crew Dragon 3 mission this fall. https://www.space.com/spacex-dragon-crs-23-returns-to-earth Curt Lewis