jueves, 17 de junio de 2010

Thales studies integrating military systems with civilian airspace

http://sify.com/finance/thales-studies-integrating-military-systems-with-civilian-airspace-news-default-kgqpEcdhdaf.html

In a step that could have applications in India, aerospace major Thales has completed a year-long technical study on integrating unmanned aerial systems (UAS) with Europe's civilian airspace.


EADS, Eurocopter and BioCombustibles del Chubut sign agreement to evaluate the production and use of aviation biofuel in Brazil

The creation of an aviation biofuel production facility in Brazil will be evaluated by EADS, Eurocopter and BioCombustibles del Chubut under terms of a cooperative agreement signed at this month’s ILA Berlin Air Show.

The accord will benefit from the pioneering work in algae-based biofuels already conducted by EADS and BioCombustibles del Chubut, and it builds on Eurocopter’s growing presence in Brazil.

“EADS understands the importance of working with all elements of the ‘value chain’ in developing biofuels as an alternate to fossil fuels used in aviation,” said EADS Chief Technical Officer Jean Botti. “By teaming with BioCombustibles del Chubut, we will benefit from the company’s unmatched experience in developing microalgae as a source of next-generation biofuels.”

“The signature of this agreement is the first step in changing the future of aviation as we know it today,” said Marcelo González Machin, the president of BioCombustibles del Chubut. “Furthermore, through the production of this biofuel, the EADS Group will start a very significant social and productive change worldwide. It will be a revolutionary change, not only for the massive reductions in CO2 emissions that it is to provide, but also for production system that it will establish.”

“Eurocopter has made the development of more eco-friendly helicopters one of its priorities,” said Didier Renaux, Eurocopter’s Business Engineering Vice President. “Moreover, the concept of local production of algae biofuel is particularly adapted to helicopter operations, and opens new business opportunities.”

Under terms of the agreement signed at the Berlin Air Show, the team of EADS, Eurocopter and BioCombustibles del Chubut will perform feasibility studies using microalgae farming to produce aviation-grade biofuel. The feasibility of helicopter flight tests with the biofuel is currently under assessment.
A subsequent step could be the development of full-scale biofuel production plant in Brazil based on a confirmation of the technical and economic feasibility of such an operation.

EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2009, the Group – comprising Airbus, Eurocopter, EADS Astrium and EADS Defence & Security – generated revenues of € 42.8 billion and employed a workforce of more than 119,000.

Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a Division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace, defence and related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approx. 15,600 people. In 2009, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer in the civil and parapublic market, with a turnover of 4.6 billion Euros, orders for 344 new helicopters, and a 52 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors.

BioCombustibles del Chubut is a Patagonia, Argentina-based company specialized in the production of microalgae for oil and biofuels. It supplied the microalgae oil for the EADS-demonstrator Diamond Aircraft DA42 general aviation aircraft, which made daily demonstration flights at the 2010 Berlin Air Show – a world’s first utilising pure algae biofuel.

Microalgae are microscopic organisms that use sunlight, water and minerals to grow by photosynthesis, while absorbing carbon dioxide greenhouse gases in the photosynthesis process. The microalgae reproduce more rapidly and create significantly more biomass (organic substance) per cultivated area, and their cultivation process does not compete with food production.

Grown for many years on a commercial basis for the development of products such as food supplements and cosmetics, microalgae have now emerged as one of the leading sources of alternative fuels.

EADS Press Release

IAI TestBuilder tackles UAV software

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/06/17/343286/iai-testbuilder-tackles-uav-software.html

Israel Aerospace Industries is developing advanced tools to test software installed in the company's new unmanned air vehicles.

Buenas sensaciones del ILA Berlin Air Show 2010

http://blog.aergenium.es/2010/06/buenas-sensaciones-del-ila-berlin-air.html


La feria aeronáutica ILA Berlin Air Show 2010 que se ha celebrado esta última semana pasada en Berlín ha transmitido una señal muy positiva a la industria, y en particular a Airbus, que ha obtenido un sonado éxito de ventas con el A380 y además ha presentado por primera vez en público el A400M.

A destacar también la participación de la industria española, y en particular de la andaluza en esta edición de la feria.

Mars500 video diary no. 1 - tour the facilities with Diego Urbina

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMV42RVEAG_index_0.html

In this first video diary from the Mars500 crew, Diego Urbina takes us on tour inside the Mars500 facilities - see how the crew are living and working for the next 17 months in isolation.