October 18, 2021 - No. 81


In This Issue 
: GKN's Global Technology Center Aims for Net Zero Carbon Goal 
: Plan for 'clean' aviation fuel made from mustard plants 
: Joby Aviation has designed an aircraft for today's systems 
: FAA Suggests Steps to Improve Aviation Safety in Alaska. Some Experts Say They’re Not Enough 
: Applying Nanocoatings to Aviation: A Review 
: Vantis partners with Thales to build UAS infrastructure 
: EasyJet launches competition for kids to design zero-emission passenger plane 
: SolAero Technologies to Power NASA's Lucy Mission 
: UN Sustainable Transport Conference calls for accelerated action to achieve net-zero emissions 
: 7 Ways The Pandemic May Change The Airline Industry For Good 
: SpaceX’s first orbital Starship launch slips to March 2022 in NASA document 





GKN's Global Technology Center Aims for Net Zero Carbon Goal


GKN Aerospace marked the official opening of its Global Technology Center (GTC) in the UK with an October 18 conference focused on the technological challenges the company and its partners face in achieving the goal of delivering a zero-carbon future for aviation. Speakers also addressed how the industry can respond to an increasingly urgent skills shortage and improve its still-limited success in recruiting talent from beyond the traditional pool of largely white male job candidates.

The GTC facility at Filton, close to neighboring Airbus and Rolls-Royce factories, represents an initial investment of £32 million ($44 million), almost half of which the UK government covered through its Aerospace Technology Institute. It concentrates entirely on future aerospace technology, including Airbus’s “Wing of Tomorrow” program, advances in composite materials and additive manufacturing, and electric and hydrogen propulsion. Earlier this year, GKN launched a £54 million project called H2Gear to develop a hydrogen-electric powertrain.

In July, the facility delivered the first full set of wings, empennage, and wiring for Eviation’s all-electric Alice aircraft, which the manufacturer expects to make its first flight in December. GKN is also partnered with eVTOL aircraft developers Vertical Aerospace and Joby Aviation.

John Pritchard, president of GKN’s civil aerospace business, said that the aerostructures and components supplied to Eviation were completed within 12 months of being specified by the customer. He attributed the accelerated development to the high degree of focus in the GTC, which completed the work in around a third of the time he estimated it would have taken in one of GKN’s existing production sites. “We’re entirely focused on future technologies and decarbonization of aviation, and we can’t do that alone," he told reporters. "We have to work closely with our partners, and recruiting the right skills is also very important to us.”

Part of the decarbonization effort involves making the production process more sustainable. According to Pritchard, the Airbus “Wing of Tomorrow” will require at least 60 percent less energy to produce and will involve a 20 percent reduction in waste materials.


The conference, called "Shaping a Sustainable Future of Flight," also heard from Airbus UK general manager Trevor Higgs and Rolls-Royce chief technology officer Paul Stein, who both said that their companies are collaborating to meet the industry’s goal of achieving "net zero" carbon outputs by 2050.

“To get to net zero in 2050, we’ve got to supercharge what’s been done already,” said Emma Gilthorpe, CEO of the UK’s Jet Zero Council. With the UK government set to host the COP26 environment conference in less than two weeks, it is consulting with industry leaders to agree on attainable interim goals. “Initially, we talked about a goal of cutting emissions [from aviation] by 10 percent by 2030, and, at the time, that seemed ambitious but now it seems as if we have to at least achieve that,” she explained.

The new GTC, which complements similar facilities that GKN operates in Sweden and the Netherlands, will house around 300 people from the company and its partners. It will receive an annual investment for research and development work of approximately £30 million.

“The challenge that we as an industry face is: how can we continue to deliver the huge benefits of flight, but in a truly sustainable way?” said GKN Aerospace chief executive David Paja. “That is why GKN Aerospace has set itself the target to become a net-zero business by 2050, with ambitious five-year targets along the way.”



https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2021-10-18/gkns-global-technology-center-aims-net-zero-carbon-goal





 




 


 




Plan for 'clean' aviation fuel made from mustard plants



Planes could fly using "clean" fuel grown from oil seed crops based on a type of mustard plant, according to University of Georgia scientists. 

Switching to the new sustainable fuel could cut emissions from flying by 68%, says University of Georgia scientist Puneet Dwivedi.

The airline industry emits 2.5% of all carbon dioxide emissions nationwide and is responsible for 3.5% of global warming. 

Without action, the airline industry could consume up to 22% of the global carbon budget by 2050. 

Diwedi said: "If we can secure feedstock supply and provide suitable economic incentives along the supply chain, we could potentially produce carinata-based sustainable aviation fuel in the southern United States."

The oil would be obtained from Brassica carinata, a non-edible oilseed crop. 


Researchers spent the past four years investigating how to grow carinata in the US south-east, exploring questions related to genetics and best practices for the highest crop and oil yield. 

Diwedi said: "In the South, we can grow carinata as a winter crop because our winters are not as severe compared to other regions of the country.

"Since carinata is grown in the 'off' season it does not compete with other food crops, and it does not trigger food versus fuel issues. Additionally, growing carinata provides all the cover-crop benefits related to water quality, soil health, biodiversity and pollination."

Other plans to make "clean" aviation fuel involve making aviation fuel from carbon produced from the air by "carbon capture" technologies, which are currently being trialled in plants around the world.


Some of these technologies can capture CO2 directly from the air with up to 97% efficiency, a study found earlier this year. 

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and ETH Zurich investigated different technologies to remove CO2 directly from the air. 

Carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmosphere and then either buried or used in carbon-based fuels. 


The researchers cautioned that such technology wouldn't remove the need to cut carbon emissions, but would instead work alongside carbon reduction to help countries hit their climate goals. 


https://uk.news.yahoo.com/clean-fuel-mustard-160432233.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADOqYTEqavpQCkyhJUMpPSfFnzD2FQTO3c85ld50JNKFapuks5KwlZJSzzcLGFOc6HRr_46ZwPVVnJsLoiz194-TVRY0NQv5QwTTC3Ccgo-Z3Rbxqv41Dg_W6bFHxDFbQ__18tcWPf27XoZRNFb2R-DmarKuWPTCb0HDmsSxr9K0



 




Joby Aviation has designed an aircraft for today's systems



Joby Aviation, which is working to certify its electric vertical take-off and landing air taxi (eVTOL), is simultaneously thinking within and outside the box.

Why it matters: First, the plane looks like the result of a merger between a helicopter and dragonfly. Second, and here is where the traditional part comes in, Joby is designing its plane and planning its flight operations for today's air traffic system, rather than waiting for the FAA to certify new "vertiports" where eVTOL aircraft can land and take off vertically.

Pilots for Joby would have the same types of flight certificates they do now, provided under what are known as Part 135 rules, opening the company up to a larger talent pool.
Between the lines: This approach gives Joby a leg up on the competition, as does its takeover of Uber Elevate, which will allow it to show up on the Uber app as an aerial trip option for users, while also operating its own air taxi app.

It wasn't until late last week, when I tried out the Joby flight simulator in Washington, that I realized what sets this company apart: Its aircraft design.
Details: As a pilot of small planes since I was 14 (I soloed on my 16th birthday), I jumped at the chance to fly Joby's full-scale flight simulator, which the company set up for journalists and policymakers in D.C.

Like many pilots of fixed-wing aircraft, I'm intimidated (actually, terrified) by the idea of piloting a helicopter. This is because the instincts needed to master one will quickly get you into trouble in the other.
A plane in the air naturally wants to keep flying straight and nearly level. A helicopter, not so much.
Thus I was delighted by the fact that Joby's plane may look like a helicopter hybrid, but it handles like an elegant, intuitive, fixed-wing aircraft — with some noteworthy exceptions.
How it works: In the simulator, I took off from Washington Reagan International Airport and climbed to about 500 feet. I then took my hands off the controls as instructed (an Airbus-like joystick in one hand, and a "speed" control — not a throttle — in the other), and was astonished that the plane just sat there, maintaining altitude, airspeed and its angle of attack.

I practiced forward flight, and a transition to a helicopter-like landing at the Pentagon heliport, under the guidance of Greg Bowles, Joby's head of government affairs.
The plane's redundancy is comforting, with multiple small, simple electric motors across the aircraft, making a single point of failure less impactful. Another safety feature is the flight software's prevention of any pilot inputs that would put the plane outside the envelope of safe flight, similar to how modern commercial aircraft work.
Joby's planes seat four, plus the pilot, whereas competitors like Beta Technologies will seat slightly more with six passengers, and fly farther, at about 250 nautical miles.
Between the lines: Joby's aircraft has already proved to have a range of 150 miles, and NASA sound testing has shown it has a far smaller noise footprint when compared to today's fleet of executive helicopters and small planes.

In other words, when air taxis fly between locations in urban areas, it's unlikely to provoke noise complaints.
Joby is working toward an airworthiness certification in 2023, with operations starting in 2024, that would allow it to operate its electric air taxi within the air traffic environment that exists today, Bowles said.
Joby views itself as an aircraft builder and airline, and will be operating air taxi operations with conventional Cirrus aircraft first, before integrating the eVTOL planes into its fleet, Bowles said.
Yes, but: It remains to be seen whether consumers will pay for electric air taxis in droves in order to drive costs down, or find them safe, and what markets will be best suited for them.

In its slide deck for analysts this past summer, Joby pitched Southern California as an ideal market. The company believes there's at least a $500 million market in the L.A. area alone.



https://www.axios.com/joby-aviation-evtol-plane-design-flight-simulator-7d38a1f6-7ec6-41b8-a434-e917bc69c569.html




 




FAA Suggests Steps to Improve Aviation Safety in Alaska. Some Experts Say They’re Not Enough



Recommendations released last week by the Federal Aviation Administration to improve aviation safety in Alaska represent a significant step forward but fall short of what’s needed to reduce the state’s fatal crash rate, aviation experts say.

The FAA Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative, or FAASI, released its final report Thursday, encouraging the agency to focus its efforts on bolstering the availability of weather information for pilots flying in the state, increasing use of safety technology and improving FAA policies for flying with cockpit instruments.


Those involved in Alaska’s aviation industry say the report is a positive step, but some, including the National Transportation Safety Board, say it isn’t enough on its own.

“There’s lots more that needs to be done, but it’s a big start,” said Lee Ryan, president of Ryan Air, a commercial operator that serves 72 communities across Western Alaska and also provides charter flights within the state and elsewhere. “It’s leaps and bounds beyond where we were two years ago.”


The Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative was launched in October 2020 following a recommendation from the NTSB, the federal agency that investigates transportation accidents, to review and prioritize Alaska’s aviation safety needs and ensure the FAA was making progress on implementing safety enhancements.

The report contains few new initiatives or specific calls for additional funding. FAA officials said the main contribution provided by the group was helping the agency prioritize some of its existing efforts to improve safety in the state and promote collaboration between its various departments. Outside observers have said FAA units often fail to work together as effectively as they could.

“I am hopeful that this effort will give the FAA Regional Administrator’s office an increased ability to steer current and future Alaska specific programs,” Tom George, the Alaska regional manager for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, a national nonprofit aviation group, said in an email. George and Ryan participated in a call last week unveiling the report.

The report mirrors some of the solutions suggested in a KUCB and ProPublica investigation. In June, the news organizations found that Alaska is the site of a growing share of the country’s crashes involving small commercial aircraft. Over the past two decades, the number of deaths in crashes involving these operators has plummeted nationwide, while in Alaska deaths have held relatively steady.

The FAASI report comes two years after a roundtable meeting held by the NTSB to address Alaska’s high number of small commercial plane accidents and fatalities. The group released an interim report in April that listed many of the current FAA efforts to improve aviation safety. Since then, the FAA has held a dozen meetings for pilots, operators, industry members, government officials and academic experts to offer feedback.

The Recommendations
Alaska, where 80% of communities are not on the road system, is dependent on aviation. But the state has unique challenges. It’s large and sparsely populated. There is remote, mountainous terrain to navigate. The weather can change quickly.

The FAASI report notes that one of the primary challenges for pilots in the state is the lack of areas where they can fly without relying on their line of sight. Pilots generally can fly in one of two ways. When the weather is clear, they can use their eyes to spot other airplanes and terrain they want to avoid. But when flying in poor weather or at higher elevations, pilots need to use electronic instruments and controls in the cockpit to fly safely.


In much of Alaska, however, pilots don’t have access to weather information that would allow them to use instruments. The report recommends that the agency continue its efforts to install systems that transmit automated weather broadcasts to pilots and to proceed with testing a new technology to provide weather bulletins plus video of the current weather directly to pilots’ mobile devices or through flight service stations.

The FAA is also seeking to expand the use of a collision avoidance technology called Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast systems. Currently, less than half the state’s territory that is 3,000 feet or more above ground level is covered by ADS-B ground stations. Ground stations provide weather and traffic information to planes, and the report calls for the FAA to install more of them throughout the state.

However, the news organizations previously found that many planes in Alaska are not equipped with an ADS-B device, in part because one is only required at very high altitudes and around Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Despite NTSB recommendations to mandate its use in other high-traffic areas, the report directs the FAA to rely on a voluntary approach. The FAA says it prefers encouragement over regulations in this case because the agency believes this will increase ADS-B usage faster than starting a new rulemaking process.


While most of the report’s recommendations focus on existing FAA efforts, it does call for the agency to begin adjusting its policies to allow for flying with instruments in more places throughout the state, especially at low altitudes. Industry members and experts had previously told the news organizations that the lack of FAA-approved approaches that pilots could use to fly in and out of many of the state’s airports was one of the key obstacles to broader use of instrument flight. The report notes that this recommendation came as a direct result of conversations with pilots.

Is It Enough?
Two members of Alaska’s congressional delegation, Rep. Don Young and Sen. Dan Sullivan, both Republicans, are calling on the FAA to ask for funding through President Joe Biden’s budget request to implement the report’s recommendations.


Recently retired NTSB Chair Robert Sumwalt says the recommendations should improve aviation safety in Alaska if they are implemented.

“Until then, we’re still at status quo,” he said via email.

Current NTSB Chair Jennifer L. Homendy applauded the FAA report in a statement but said “more needs to be done to ensure air transportation is as safe in Alaska as in the rest of the nation.”

FAA officials said they will focus first on the initiatives that could have the most impact; more funding will be needed to install new automated weather systems and ADS-B ground stations.

Ryan, the Ryan Air president, said he was cautiously optimistic that the FAASI effort, which identified on paper the state’s most pressing aviation issues, will be successful. But he left the call unveiling the report a bit confused about who is responsible for seeking additional funding.

“How do you get somebody to put this into a budget?” he said after the call. “Does it come down to Joe Biden making sure this goes through? Or does it come down to Don Young making sure this goes through? Let’s get a definitive answer, so it’s written down and funded.”



https://www.propublica.org/article/faa-suggests-steps-to-improve-aviation-safety-in-alaska-some-experts-say-theyre-not-enough





 




Applying Nanocoatings to Aviation: A Review


Coatings are an integral part of practically any product or structure. Apart from improving the product's esthetic appeal, coatings serve as protection from a wide range of external factors, such as mechanical damage (scratches or impacts), corrosion, weathering, and bio-fouling.

In addition, coatings can provide specialized functionality to the product, like electrical conductivity, electrical or thermal insulation, hydrophobicity, and light reflection. However, conventional coatings possess limitations, such as poor adhesion between the coating layer and the substrate, limited flexibility, inadequate abrasion resistance, and limited durability and strength.

Applying nanotechnology in coatings has shown exceptional growth in the last two decades. Such remarkable development results from the increased availability of nanomaterials, such as nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, and others, and the advances in deposition processes permitting control of the coating structure at the nanoscale.

Besides, the potential of nanotechnology to address many performance challenges introduced by the expanding range of products that require advanced coatings further contributes to the ever-growing interest from the industry and academia towards the development of nanotechnology-based coatings.


Nanocoatings Offer Tailored Characteristics for Various Applications
Nanocoatings are typically single- or multi-phase solid structures deposited onto an undelaying surface, with a thickness of around 100 nm or less, adding a specific property or function to the substrate material. Various materials exhibit unique properties at the nanoscale. Common characteristics such as melting temperature, electrical conductivity, magnetic permeability, hydrophobicity, and chemical reactivity strongly depend on the size of the material particles.

The material properties on the nanoscale are governed by intermolecular forces like Van der Waals interactions, hydrogen bonding, and electrostatic forces. These intermolecular forces act on length scales ranging from a few Angstroms to a few nanometers.

When the dimensions of the material become of the same order of magnitude as the intermolecular force distances (i.e. nanoscale), the properties of the material change dramatically. Thus, nanocoatings composed of nanoparticles or multiple nanoscale layers offer the opportunity of exploring their enhanced physical and chemical properties in a wide range of novel applications.

The main industrial applications of nanocoatings include corrosion protection, wear-resistant coatings, thermal protection, and self-cleaning (non-stick) surfaces. Such applications are particularly relevant to the aviation industry, enabling modification of aircraft frames, interior and engine components for improved performance, fuel efficiency, and lower operational costs.


Invisible Coatings Can Protect the Next Generation of Aviation Engines
Titanium alloys are among the lightest materials currently used in modern aircraft, particularly for manufacturing gas turbine engine components. Improving the heat and wear resistance of titanium alloys will permit replacing expensive nickel alloys with more affordable and lightweight alternatives, thus significantly reducing the aircraft's weight

Researchers at Riga Technical University's Institute of Aeronautics have developed a multilayer metal-ceramic nanocoating, called McBLADE, that can be used to protect the compressor and turbine blades in modern jet engines made of titanium alloys.


Each layer of the coating is extremely thin and has a specific function. The first enhances the adhesion to the base material. The second layer protects against the oxidation of the titanium alloy. In contrast, the top-most layer provides thermal protection and the coating's abrasion resistance, allowing the components to operate at high temperatures.

The layer deposition is based on a magnetron sputtering physical vapor deposition process that allows different components to be evaporated/sputtered from a condensed phase and deposited as a thin film on the substrate. Extensive tests demonstrated that the innovative coating can provide long-term protection of titanium alloys operating at temperatures in the range 800-870°C.

A similar process, electron-beam physical vapor deposition (EB-PVD), is used by Honeywell Aerospace for the deposition of yttria-stabilized zirconia nanocoatings. The company envisages this to be the next generation of thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) that can be used in industrial and aircraft gas turbine engines. The company's research team managed to adapt the advanced EB-PVD chemistry to fabricate a range of high-performance TBCs for different applications.

How Can Nanocoatings Reduce the Environmental Impact of Aircraft?
Developing novel methods for passive drag reduction in aviation is one of the most viable approaches to reduce aircraft fuel consumption, CO2, and noise emissions. Riblet surfaces, consisting of very small (2-100 microns) parallel grooves, are regarded as one of the most promising systems for passive drag reduction in next-generation aircraft.

An interdisciplinary research project, called ReSiSTant (Large Riblet Surface with Super Hardness, Mechanical and Temperature Resistance by nanofunctionalization) funded by the EU's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, aims to develop advanced nanocoatings and deposition methods to enhance riblets performance in harsh environments by providing abrasion and corrosion resistance.

The use of silica nanoparticles in the coatings improves the thermal and flame resistance of the riblets (to temperatures up to 1000°C), permitting not only to use riblets on the aircraft exterior but also to use them for the optimization of gas flow within the aircraft's jet engines. The researchers expect to be able to demonstrate production prototypes by the end of 2021. The technology can also be translated into other industrial sectors, such as wind turbine manufacturing and industrial gas compressors.



Nanocoatings for Reduced Ice Formation and Better Aerodynamics
Aircraft de-icing in cold weather can be costly and time-consuming. Scientists from the nanotechnology research department at Glonatech, a nanotechnology company based in Athens, Greece, in collaboration with aviation industry partners, are developing nanocoatings that can repel water and ice, leading to significant maintenance costs savings.

In-flight testing on British Airways Airbus A320 aircraft demonstrated 20-40% improvement of the surface hydrophobicity compared to other commercially available conventional coatings. At the same time, the innovative coatings, based on nanostructured carbon materials (such as carbon nanotubes and graphene oxide), reduce wind drag on the aircraft's surface, thus reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Opportunities to Advance the Aviation Industry
Researchers and engineers are investigating even more advanced nanomaterials with lower low thermal conductivity and superior mechanical properties to take full advantage of the nanocoating technology. For example, such advanced nanocoatings would enable jet engine parts to last up to 50% longer compared to the existing materials.

Designing a jet engine that can operate at temperatures 300°C higher than the temperatures in the currently existing engines could also result in 5-10% improvement in power output and 1-2% better fuel efficiency, saving the industry billions of dollars in fuel costs and lowering CO2 emissions over the entire life cycle of the aircraft.


References and Further Reading
N. R. Lopez (2020) RESISTANT PROJECT: How can nanotechnology reduce environmental impacts of aircrafts? [Online] www.openaccessgovernment.org Available at: https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/nanotechnology-reduce-environmental-impacts-of-aircrafts/85311

Labs of Latvia (2021) Nanocoatings for the New Generation of Aviation Engine Parts Developed by RTU. [Online] www.labsoflatvia.com Available at: https://labsoflatvia.com/en/news/nanocoatings-for-the-new-generation-of-aviation-engine-parts-developed-by-rtu

Bao, W., et al. (2019) Next-Generation Composite Coating System: Nanocoating. Front. Mater. 6, 72. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmats.2019.00072

Gu, Y., et al. (2020) Technical Characteristics and Wear-Resistant Mechanism of Nano Coatings: A Review. Coatings 10, 233. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings10030233

Pathak, S., et al. (2021) Engineered Nanomaterials for Aviation Industry in COVID-19 Context: A Time-Sensitive Review. Coatings 11, 382. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings11040382

L. Kiesel., (2021) Advanced Air Plasma Spray TBCs for Aerospace and Industrial Components [Online] www.aerospace.honeywell.com Available at: https://aerospace.honeywell.com/us/en/learn/about-us/blogs/advanced-air-plasma-spray-tbcs 

Glonatech. (2016) Glonatech White Paper on Nanotechnology. [Online] www.glonatech.com Available at: https://www.glonatech.com/wp-content/uploads/Carbon-Nanotubes-Nanotechnology-Consulting-Glonatech-White-Paper.pdf 



https://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=5843




 




Vantis partners with Thales to build UAS infrastructure



GRAND FORKS – Vantis, North Dakota’s Statewide Unmanned Aircraft Systems Network, has selected Thales, a global technology leader, as its long-term systems integrator to build out this UAS, or drone, infrastructure across the state.


Vantis is a State of North Dakota-funded technology infrastructure that uses radar, radios and other communications equipment on towers distributed throughout the state to provide command, control and situational awareness to UAS pilots flying aircraft within the network’s coverage area. With Vantis, UAS pilots can see and avoid obstacles and fly safely at a distance – which means commercial UAS flights that are economically feasible and scalable to the size of business.

Currently, approvals to fly Beyond Visual Line of Sight must be obtained directly from the Federal Aviation Administration on an individual basis. Working with the FAA as the Vantis network is built out and proven will enable any operator who flies on the network to receive the appropriate approvals to facilitate true BVLOS flights – something that does not exist at this scale anywhere in the country.

As the systems integration partner for Vantis, Thales will deploy new communications and surveillance infrastructure in phases across the state. This infrastructure will be supported by a Mission and Network Operations Center that uses the State of North Dakota’s fiber optic telecommunications network along with robust digital services deployed on cloud-based infrastructure to support operational resilience.

Vantis infrastructure has been installed at key sites in western North Dakota, where testing is currently underway. As the system matures, Vantis will continue its expansion across the state.


https://www.minotdailynews.com/life/business/2021/10/vantis-partners-with-thales-to-build-uas-infrastructure/





 




EasyJet launches competition for kids to design zero-emission passenger plane



EasyJet - which became the world’s first major airline to offset the carbon emissions from the fuel used for all its flights in 2019 - is now launching a competition to challenge the brightest young minds to design their vision for future flying, a zero-emission passenger plane.


The competition is calling on school children up and down the UK, aged from 7 – 16 to design a passenger plane for travelling across Europe, powered by a sustainable energy source.  

The airline, which is helping to pave the way towards operating zero-emission flights, has launched the competition to engage younger generations and inspire them to become part of the revolution of future air travel as aircraft designers and engineers.  

The competition has launched just in time for UK half-term. Families flying with easyJet over the holidays are encouraged to pack their pencil cases, for kids to take inspiration from their flight for their design and help parents keep them occupied on board.

All designs will be judged by an esteemed panel representing world class experts in flying, sustainability, design and zero-emission technology.  

EasyJet’s First Officer Debbie Thomas, who is also an engineer and zero-emission aircraft modeller will be joined on the panel by easyJet’s Director of Sustainability Jane Ashton;  Glenn Llewellyn from aircraft manufacturer Airbus who is currently leading their zero-emission aircraft programme; Jeff Engler, CEO of Wright Electric which is developing a zero-emission short-haul plane; and world-famous automotive transportation designer Frank Stephenson, best known for his iconic car designs for MINI and Fiat 500, as well as recent innovative work designing electric flying vehicles.

HOW TO ENTER
The competition is open from Monday 18th October 2021 until 23.59hrs on Friday 31st October 2021. Children aged 7 – 16 in the UK will be able to enter the competition by drawing their zero-emission aircraft design on paper or tablet, complete with notes and descriptions highlighting how their aircraft works and why they have chosen the elements of their design. Entries can be submitted via mediacentre.easyjet.com/competition

Entries will be judged and shortlisted in two age categories – age 7 – 11 years and age 12 - 16 years, where a winner and runner-up will be awarded in each category.

The winning entry will receive a money-can’t-buy prize in the form of a trip to the easyJet Training  Centre in London Gatwick and an experience in a full-flight simulator, plus return easyJet flights to anywhere on the airline’s network for the winner’s immediate family, as well as a 3-D model and rendering of their design, produced and signed by Frank Stephenson.   

In addition, the winner of the 12-16 year age category will also win a trip to Airbus and a chance to feature on Frank Stephenson’s YouTube podcast channel to discuss their design. Runners up will also be in with a chance to receive a signed rendering of their design.  

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS  
Successful designs must consider both technical and creative elements of aircraft and the reasons for including them, such as the materials used, patterns, shapes and colours of the plane, how it will take off and land and most importantly, what sustainable source will power it.
 
JUDGING CRITERIA
Entries will be judged on the quality of the design, interpretation of the theme, creativity, innovation, practicality and most of all, how the design has considered sustainability and the environment.  

The judging panel will make a final decision on the winners and runners-up jointly.  

EasyJet First Officer, Debbie Thomas, said: “At easyJet we are very clear about the imperative to reduce CO2 and to stimulate radical technologies, and zero-emissions flying is our ultimate destination. We know the environment is important to all of our customers, including our younger passengers, so we are really excited to launch our Aircraft of the Future competition to engage younger generations in the exciting possibilities of new zero-emission technology for air travel and inspire them to become designers and engineers of the future, who will play a vital role in the industry’s future.”

Frank Stephenson, world-renowned designer, said: “Design has the power to improve the world and it is important to allow the future custodians of the planet to have their say. It is an honour to be involved with easyJet’s aircraft design competition as we look to inspire the designers of the future to get involved with the development of zero-emission planes. I can’t wait to see what incredible designs they come up with.”

Championing the development of a zero-emission aircraft to de-carbonise aviation has long been a focus for easyJet. In 2016 the airline first unveiled plans for a revolutionary zero-emissions hydrogen fuel system for its aircraft as part of a competition with Cranfield University to develop ideas for the future of sustainable air travel, followed by partnerships with Wright Electric in 2017 and with Airbus in 2019, who are developing zero-emission technologies for passenger planes, powered by hydrogen-combustion and hydrogen-electric propulsion.  

In 2019 easyJet became the world’s first major airline to offset 100% of the carbon emissions from the fuel used for all of their flights, supporting projects for renewable energy and protection against deforestation across the globe – and they remain the only major airline in Europe to do so. Carbon offsetting is an interim measure on easyJet’s journey to net-zero while new aviation technologies are developed, so the airline continues to support industry-leading technology partners, including Airbus and Wright Electric, on  the advancement of new zero-emission technologies like hydrogen-powered engines to help try to make flying zero-emission aircraft possible from the mid-2030s.  

As part of easyJet’s wider commitment to reduce their impact on the environment they are also committed to reducing waste on board, focusing on changes to inflight food and drink service by reducing plastics, moving to non-plastic alternatives and more sustainable materials. This year the airline introduced new uniforms for their pilots and crew made from recycled plastic bottles.


https://www.adsadvance.co.uk/easyjet-launches-competition-for-kids-to-design-zero-emission-passenger-plane.html




 




SolAero Technologies to Power NASA's Lucy Mission



SolAero Technologies Corp. (SolAero), a leading provider of high efficiency solar cells, solar panels, and composite structural products for satellite and aerospace applications, populated Northrop Grumman Space Systems' (NGSS') UltraFlex© solar arrays with its patented ZTJ solar cell technology to power NASA's Lucy Mission. Powered by SolAero's high-efficiency, triple-junction ZTJ solar cells, the Lockheed Martin designed and manufactured Lucy spacecraft launched successfully on October 16th, 2021 aboard the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL. Lucy will be the first mission to study Jupiter's Trojan asteroids. An odyssey of 12 years, 4-billion miles, and eight asteroids, Lucy will revolutionize our knowledge of planetary origins and the formation of the solar system. The "fossils" of the solar system could hold clues about what conditions were like when the planets formed, leading to an even greater understanding of our origins.

SolAero's ZTJ solar cells that have been demonstrated to exhibit superior performance under demanding Low Intensity sunlight and Low Temperature (LILT) conditions characteristic of interplanetary missions like Lucy. UltraFlex® is an accordion fanfold flexible-blanket solar array comprising interconnected triangular shaped ultra-lightweight substrates. The Lucy Mission has a UltraFlex® solar array; at a mere 4 inches thick when stowed, but nearly 24 feet in diameter when expanded. SolAero has powered over 20 missions using the UltraFlex® solar array technology, including several Cygnus CRS (Cargo Resupply Missions to the International Space Station) spacecraft and the Mars InSight Lander, the largest solar array ever deployed on the surface of Mars.

"We were delighted to see the culmination of so much hard work by so many partners embodied in today's launch of Lucy," said Brad Clevenger, President and CEO of SolAero Technologies. "We offer our sincere congratulations to the entire Lucy team, in particular our long-time partners at NASA, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin."

About SolAero Technologies Corp.

SolAero Technologies is a leading provider of satellite solar power solutions and precision aerospace structures to the global space markets, encompassing a wide array of applications including civil space exploration, science and earth observation, defense intelligence and communication, and commercial telecommunications industries. The business was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. For more information about SolAero, visit https://solaerotech.com/

About Northrop Grumman Space Systems

Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems designs, builds and delivers space, defense and aviation-related systems to customers around the world. Our main products include launch vehicles and related propulsion systems; missile products, subsystems and defense electronics; precision weapons, armament systems and ammunition; satellites and associated space components and services; and advanced aerospace structures. For more information about NGIS, visit www.northropgrumman.com


http://spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=58513



 




UN Sustainable Transport Conference calls for accelerated action to achieve net-zero emissions



The Second UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference concluded with a call to accelerate progress towards achieving sustainable transport that would result in major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and in improving the lives of millions of people.

The Conference participants agreed that without a profound shift to sustainable mobility, achieving the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals—already off-track—would be impossible.

Warning that the door on climate action was closing, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for the decarbonization of all means of transport, in order to get to net-zero emissions by 2050 globally.

More specifically, the Secretary-General called for phasing out the production of internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035 for leading manufacturing countries, and by 2040 for developing countries; for zero emission ships to become the default choice, and commercially available for all by 2030, in order to achieve zero emissions in the shipping sector by 2050; and that companies start using sustainable aviation fuels now, in order to cut carbon emissions per passenger by 65 per cent by 2050.

The Conference concluded with the Beijing Statement, which called for adopting integrated, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral approaches, supported by greater international cooperation.

In his remarks to the Conference, China’s President Xi Jinping committed to establishing a Global Innovation and Knowledge Center for Sustainable Transport as a contribution to global transport development.

Representatives from countries participating in the Conference said the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the important role that the transport sector plays in building communities and supporting livelihoods, impacting the movement of both freight and people. The pandemic caused job losses and a disruption to global supply chains. As a result, communities and countries that depend on tourism experienced huge losses in revenue.

Connectivity is also an issue. More than 1 billion people worldwide still lack adequate access to an all-weather road, especially in developing countries, including countries in special situations. In Africa, 450 million people, more than 70% of the total rural population, remain unconnected to transport infrastructure and systems.

Transport tailpipe emissions alone are linked to almost 400,000 deaths and in addition to human loss and suffering, road traffic accidents cause billions of dollars of associated costs which amounts, in many countries, to 3 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The transition to e-mobility can improve lives and have a positive impact on the environment. From bike sharing and carpooling to improved public transit and the increased use of electric vehicles and buses powered by renewable energy, countries, businesses and communities are stepping up efforts to transition to more environmentally friendly modes.

We have the opportunity now to capture the innovation and technology that can revolutionize transport. But these new technologies have to work for everyone. We have the solutions, and now we need the global cooperation to ensure that sustainable transport will be the engine that powers our efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

—Conference Secretary-General Liu Zhenmin, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs
Progress is insufficient. However, challenges remain. While some member states have made some initial steps to address emissions from shipping and aviation, for example, current commitments are not enough to meet the 1.5-degree goal of the Paris Agreement.

Countries in special situations, remote rural communities and vulnerable groups risk being left behind as the number of new and emerging transport-related technologies increase. More than $2 trillion of transport infrastructure investments will be needed each year until 2040 to fuel economic development. There is also a need for stronger policies on road safety measures and regulations on the import of new and used vehicles.



https://www.greencarcongress.com/2021/10/20211018-un.html





 




7 Ways The Pandemic May Change The Airline Industry For Good


It's hard to overstate the damage the pandemic has had on the airline industry, with global revenues dropping by 40% in 2020 and dozens of airlines around the world filing for bankruptcy. One moment last year when the gravity became particularly apparent was when Asian carriers (in countries with low COVID-19 rates) began offering "flights to nowhere" — starting and ending at the same airport as a way to earn some cash from would-be travelers who missed the in-flight experience.

More than a year later today, experts believe that air traffic won't return to normal levels until 2024.

But beyond the financial woes, the unprecedented slowdown in air travel may bring some silver linings as key aspects of the industry are bound to change once back in full spin, with some longer-term effects on aviation already emerging. Here are some major transformations to expect in the coming years:



Cleaner aviation fuel
The U.S. administration of President Joe Biden and the airline industry recently agreed to the ambitious goal of replacing all jet fuel with sustainable alternatives by 2050. Already in a decade, the U.S. aims to produce three billion gallons of sustainable fuel — about one-tenth of current total use — from waste, plants and other organic matter.

While greening the world's road transport has long been at the top of the climate agenda, aviation is not even included under the Paris Agreement. But with air travel responsible for roughly 12% of all CO2 emissions from transport, and stricter international regulation on the horizon, the industry is increasingly seeking sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based fuel.

Fees imposed on the airline industry should be funneled into a climate fund.
In Germany, state broadcaster Deutsche Welle reports that the world's first factory producing CO2-neutral kerosene recently started operations in the town of Wertle, in Lower Saxony. The plant, for which Lufthansa is set to become the pilot customer, will produce CO2-neutral kerosene through a circular production cycle incorporating sustainable and green energy sources and raw materials. Energy is supplied through wind turbines from the surrounding area, while the fuel's main ingredients are water and waste-generated CO2 coming from a nearby biogas plant.

Farther north, Norwegian Air Shuttle has recently submitted a recommendation to the government that fees imposed on the airline industry should be funneled into a climate fund aimed at developing cleaner aviation fuel, according to Norwegian news site E24. The airline also suggested that the government significantly reduce the tax burden on the industry over a longer period to allow airlines to recover from the pandemic.


Hydrogen and electrification
Some airline manufacturers are betting on hydrogen, with research suggesting that the abundant resource has the potential to match the flight distances and payload of a current fossil-fuel aircraft. If derived from renewable resources like sun and wind power, hydrogen — with an energy-density almost three times that of gasoline or diesel — could work as a fully sustainable aviation fuel that emits only water.

One example comes out of California, where fuel-cell specialist HyPoint has entered a partnership with Pennsylvania-based Piasecki Aircraft Corporation to manufacture 650-kilowatt hydrogen fuel cell systems for aircrafts. According to HyPoint, the system — scheduled for commercial availability product by 2025 — will have four times the energy density of existing lithium-ion batteries and double the specific power of existing hydrogen fuel-cell systems. Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce is looking to smash the speed record of electrical flights with a newly designed 23-foot-long model. Christened the Spirit of Innovation, the small plane took off for the first time earlier this month and successfully managed a 15-minute long test flight. However, the company has announced plans to fly the machine faster than 300 mph (480 km/h) before the year is out, and also to sell similar propulsion systems to companies developing electrical air taxis or small commuter planes.


New aircraft designs
Airlines are also upgrading aircraft design to become more eco-friendly. Air France just received its first upgrade of a single-aisle, medium-haul aircraft in 33 years. Fleet director Nicolas Bertrand told French daily Les Echos that the new A220 — that will replace the old A320 model — will reduce operating costs by 10%, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 20% and noise footprint by 34%.

International first class will be very nearly a thing of the past.
The pandemic has also ushered in a new era of consumer demand where privacy and personal space is put above luxury. The retirement of older aircraft caused by COVID-19 means that international first class — already in steady decline over the last decades — will be very nearly a thing of the past. Instead, airplane manufacturers around the world (including Delta, China Eastern, JetBlue, British Airways and Shanghai Airlines) are betting on a new generation of super-business minisuites where passengers have a privacy door. The idea, which was introduced by Qatar Airways in 2017, is to offer more personal space than in regular business class but without the lavishness of first class.


Hygiene rankings  
Rome's Fiumicino Airport has become the first in the world to earn "the COVID-19 5-Star Airport Rating" from Skytrax, an international airline and airport review and ranking site, Italian daily La Repubblica reports. Skytrax, which publishes a yearly annual ranking of the world's best airports and issues the World Airport Awards, this year created a second list to specifically call out airports with the best health and hygiene standards



Smoother check-in
The pandemic has also accelerated the shift towards contactless traveling, with more airports harnessing the power of biometrics — such as facial recognition or fever screening — to reduce touchpoints and human contact. Similar technology can also be used to more efficiently scan physical objects, such as explosive detection. Ultimately, passengers will be able to "check-in" and go through a security screening anywhere at the airports, removing queues and bottlenecks.

Data privacy issues
However, as pointed out in Canadian publication The Lawyer's Daily, increased use of AI and biometrics also means increased privacy concerns. For example, health and hygiene measures like digital vaccine passports also mean that airports can collect data on who has been vaccinated and the type of vaccine used.


The billion-dollar question: Will we fly less?
At the end of the day, even with all these (mostly positive) changes that we've seen take shape over the past 18 months, the industry faces major uncertainty about whether air travel will ever return to the pre-COVID levels. Not only are people wary about being in crowded and closed airplanes, but the worth of long-distance business travel in particular is being questioned as many have seen that meetings can function remotely, via Zoom and other online apps.

Trying to forecast the future, experts point to the years following the 9/11 terrorist attacks as at least a partial blueprint for what a recovery might look like in the years ahead. Twenty years ago, as passenger enthusiasm for flying waned amid security fears following the attacks, airlines were forced to cancel flights and put planes into storage.

40% of Swedes intend to travel less
According to McKinsey, leisure trips and visits to family and friends rebounded faster than business flights, which took four years to return to pre-crisis levels in the UK. This time too, business travel is expected to lag, with the consulting firm estimating only 80% recovery of pre-pandemic levels by 2024.

But the COVID-19 crisis also came at a time when passengers were already rethinking their travel habits due to climate concerns, while worldwide lockdowns have ushered in a new era of remote working. In Sweden, a survey by the country's largest research company shows that 40% of the population intend to travel less even after the pandemic ends. Similarly in the UK, nearly 60% of adults said during the spring they intended to fly less after being vaccinated against COVID-19 — with climate change cited as a top reason for people wanting to reduce their number of flights, according to research by the University of Bristol.

At the same time, major companies are increasingly forced to face the music of the environmental movement, with several corporations rolling out climate targets over the last few years. Today, five of the 10 biggest buyers of corporate air travel in the US are technology companies: Amazon, IBM, Google, Apple and Microsoft, according to Taipei Times, all of which have set individual targets for environmental stewardship. As such, the era of flying across the Atlantic for a two-hour executive meeting is likely in its dying days.


https://worldcrunch.com/tech-science/airline-industry/the-billion-dollar-question-will-we-fly-less



 




SpaceX’s first orbital Starship launch slips to March 2022 in NASA document


A NASA document discussing a group’s plans to document SpaceX’s first orbital-velocity Starship reentry appears to suggest that the next-generation rocket’s orbital launch debut has slipped several months into 2022.

In March 2021, CEO Elon Musk confirmed a report that SpaceX was working towards a target of July 2021 for Starship’s first orbital launch attempt. At the time, it seemed undeniably ambitious but far from impossible. Less than half a year prior, SpaceX had kicked off a series of suborbital Starship test flights to altitudes of 10-12.5 km (6.2-8 mi). Beginning in December 2020, SN8 – effectively the first structurally complete Starship prototype – nearly stuck a landing on its first try, only narrowly falling short due to an engine and pressurization issue.

Less than two months later, SpaceX completed and launched Starship SN9 – again with a nearly flawless six-minute flight capped off with an unsuccessful landing attempt. Starship SN10 followed less than a month later and became the first prototype to land in one piece – albeit only for a few minutes. It was two weeks after that near-success – SpaceX’s third launch in as many months – that Musk revealed a goal of July 2021 for Starship’s first orbital launch. At that point in time, it appeared all but inevitable that SpaceX would be technically ready for an orbital launch before the end of the year.

Most likely Starship to orbit date, late March 2022. from SpaceXLounge


Two weeks after Musk’s comments and less than four weeks after SN10’s near-miss, Starship SN11 gave one of the worst performances yet, invisibly exploding inside a fogbank well above the ground. However, further stoking the fires of optimism, Starship SN15 debuted a number of upgrades and became the first prototype to successfully launch, land, and survive a ~10km test flight in early May. Put simply, SpaceX built five Starship prototypes practically from scratch in roughly eight months and then completed five test flights in less than five months – all of which were largely successful.


SpaceX considered reusing Starship SN15 or launching SN16 to gain more landing experience but ultimately decided to mothball the prototypes to avoid disrupting orbital launch site construction. Just three months after SN15’s successful landing, SpaceX rolled the first orbital-class Starship and Super Heavy to the orbital launch site and briefly stacked the pair (Ship 20 and Booster 4) to their full height, forming the tallest rocket ever assembled. Although largely a photo opportunity, SpaceX still installed a full 29 Raptors on Super Heavy B4 and six Raptors on Starship S20, further raising confidence that the company’s engine production was already up to the task of supplying the nearly three-dozen needed for a single orbital test flight.

However, for reasons that are less than clear, that August 6th full-stack milestone is about where SpaceX’s H1 2021 momentum appeared to run into a brick wall. Perhaps due to a desire to focus on orbital launch site construction even at the cost of avoiding road closures or testing that would require a clear pad, Starship S20 sat on a stand for the better part of two months before completing even a minor test – by far the longest any Starship prototype has waited.


Seemingly in the midst of its third round of Raptor engine removal, Super Heavy B4 has yet to attempt a single test and it’s unclear how close to ready the orbital pad is to support booster proof and static fire tests. Neither ship nor booster has attempted to static fire its Raptor engines, though S20 could potentially be ready for its first test as early as Monday, October 18th.

Combined with recent developments in the FAA’s Boca Chica environmental review process, the odds of SpaceX attempting the first orbital Starship launch by the end of 2021 have rapidly dropped from decent to near-zero. From a technical perspective, it seems likely that SpaceX could still be ready for an orbital launch attempt just a few months from now. From a regulatory perspective, though, it would be practically unprecedented for the FAA to complete a favorable environmental review and approve even a one-off orbital Starship launch license in ~10 weeks. Even the apparent March 2022 target revealed in a NASA poster focused on the agency’s plans to film an orbital Starship reentry via high-altitude jet assumes that the FAA’s review and licensing process will take ~7 months from August 2021 – still extremely optimistic.

Ultimately, after two months with next to no prototype testing, it’s beginning to look like SpaceX has decided to focus on finishing Starbase’s first orbital launch site, refining vehicle designs, and building new prototypes (B5, S21, S22) rather than pushing hard for rapid B4/S20 testing and an imminent launch attempt. As a result, it’s becoming increasingly unlikely that Booster 4 and Ship 20 will fly as new and improved prototypes like Super Heavy B5 and Starship S21 prepare to overtake them.


https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-starship-first-orbital-launch-date-nasa-update/



 



Curt Lewis