Mission Will Unleash An Arsenal To Fight Space Junk

The "RemoveDebris" satellite is armed with nets, harpoons, and a drag sail Space junk is a real problem. Unlike your cluttered closet, the bits and pieces that are clogging up Earth's orbit have the potential to cause millions of dollars' worth of damage. Speeding around at speeds topping 15,000 ...

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Opinion: The Iran Jetliner Illusion

Why Airbus and Boeing may be chasing fool’s gold



Unless the Farnborough Airshow sees a cloudburst of unanticipated orders, the large jetliner industry will have its first year since 2009 with a book-to-bill ratio lower than 1-1. For an industry addicted to ever-higher record production rates this is a troubling development, particularly with global political and economic uncertainty looming in the background.

In this context, two large Iranian jetliner orders would be very welcome news. But there are strong reasons to doubt that Iran will ride to the industry’s rescue this year—or anytime soon.
Read full text: http://aviationweek.com/commercial-aviation/opinion-iran-jetliner-illusion

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France offers EUR 1 billion (50% offset) to revive India's combat jet engine project

 Read more at: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/53036894.cms


France has offered to invest EUR 1 billion to revive India's combat jet engine project, proposing a joint development plan that could see the stalled 'Kaveri' gas turbine powering indigenous Tejas fighters by 2020.

The proposal is to use offset credits that would come from the planned Rafale fighter jet deal to revive the indigenous jet engine project, people involved in talks between the Indian defence ministry, the Defence Research & Development Organisation and French companies told ET.

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Indian Navy orders four additional P-8I (737 based ASW) aircraft at a cost of $1 billion

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/indian-navy-orders-four-additional-p-8i-aircrafts-2889776/




The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by PM Narendra Modi, has approved the purchase of four additional Boeing P-8I Neptune aircraft at a cost of $1 billion (Rs 6,700 crore). They are expected to be inducted into the Indian Navy over the next three years.

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Tecnam delivers 3 twin engined to Italian Air Force

Press release (italian) http://media.tecnam-crm.com/2016/07/05/ita-tecnam-consegna-3-bimotori-allaeronautica-militare-italiana/


Google Translator: https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=es&sl=it&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tecnam-crm.com%2F2016%2F07%2F05%2Fita-tecnam-consegna-3-bimotori-allaeronautica-militare-italiana%2F

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Chinese consortium acquires 100 H135s from Airbus Helicopters

• A Chinese consortium has signed a purchasing contract with a firm order of 100 H135s to be assembled in China over the next 10 years
• This order will lead to the launch of a H135 final assembly line in Qingdao, Shandong Province
• Further relaxation of China’s low-altitude airspace regulations, upward growth in the civil and parapublic services segments as well as rapid development of offshore wind power generation will see a surge of demand for the H135

A Chinese consortium made up of China Aviation Supplies Holding Company (CAS), Qingdao United General Aviation Industrial Development Company (Qingdao United) and CITIC Offshore Helicopter Co. Ltd (COHC) has ordered 100 H135 light-twin helicopters, becoming China’s first customer to form an industrial partnership to launch a H135 final assembly line (FAL) in Qingdao, Shandong province. This is an important step forward, fulfilling the commitment of purchasing 100 H135s signed in the Letter of Intent (LOI) last year.

The contract signing ceremony was held at the Great Hall of People, in the presence of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and the visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel, marking a significant milestone in the scene of local general aviation industry with this €700 million sales contract and the industrial partnership of a final assembly line (FAL) in Qingdao. The FAL is expected to start operations by 2018, to assemble 100 H135s over the next 10 years.

“We are extremely pleased with the progress of this partnership between Airbus Helicopters and our Chinese partners. With the further opening up of the Chinese skies and the increasing growth in the civil and parapublic segments, China is gearing up to be the biggest market for helicopters in years to come,” said Norbert Ducrot, Head of Airbus Helicopters China and North Asia region. “With their inherent versatility and reliability, these 100 H135s will be best suited to meet the soaring demand in China”.

The H135 has gained popularity in China in recent years, performing various parapublic missions such as helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS), law enforcement, firefighting, patrol command, and search and rescue (SAR), as well as corporate missions such as tourism and transportation.

The rapid development of offshore wind power generation industry in China also presents a new market segment for helicopter operations. The H135 is an excellent solution for these missions thanks to its compact external dimensions, a comparatively small rotor diameter, an optimised cabin size and ideal twin-engine performance. Together with the growth of other segments, a potential demand of 600 light twin-engine helicopters is expected in the next 20 years.

To date, nearly 1200 H135s are delivered globally and in operation, having logged more than three million flight hours.





About CAS

CAS is specialized in package purchase of aircraft business, aviation leasing business, distribution and pooling of aircraft material business, general aviation business. It is State-owned enterprise managed by the State-owned Asset Supervision and Administrative Commission of the State Council.

» CAS website



About Qingdao United

Qingdao United is a Chinese State-owned company, jointly created in May 2016 by and between Qingdao Huatong State-owned Capital Operation (Group) Co., Ltd., Qingdao Tourism Group Co.,Ltd, and Sino-German United Group Co., Ltd., and is a professional platform for creating public general aviation ecosystem, and forming industrial cluster in Qingdao.



About Airbus Helicopters

Airbus Helicopters, a division of Airbus Group, provides the most efficient civil and military helicopter solutions worldwide. Its in-service fleet includes nearly 12,000 helicopters operated by more than 3,000 customers in 154 countries. Airbus Helicopters employs more than 22,000 people worldwide and in 2015 generated revenues of 6.8 billion euros.

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NASA selects Global Aerospace Co. and Northrop Grumman for Titan inflatable flying wing vehichle

press release




IRWINDALE, CA - Global Aerospace Corporation (GAC) announced today that, in collaboration with Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, it will be developing a new exploration vehicle for Saturn's moon, Titan. Under a 2016 Phase I NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract, the GAC-NGAS team will develop the Titan Winged Aerobot (TWA) concept and produce a proof-of-concept prototype for Earth-based testing. TWA, inspired by Northrop Grumman's Titan Lifting-Entry Atmospheric Flight (T-LEAF) platform, incorporates features such as ultra-low power requirements and extended vertical range.

"Titan is a cold, harsh environment that poses many technical challenges for any lighter-than-air exploration platform, but TWA has the potential to overcome these challenges with simple yet innovative engineering approaches to pressure management, lift generation, and maneuverability," said Dr. Benjamin Goldman, principal investigator of the Phase I SBIR effort.

TWA is a hybrid entry vehicle, balloon, and maneuverable glider with 3-D directional control that could satisfy many science objectives, while operating on the minimal power available from a single Radioisotope Power Source. Its unique buoyancy system is at the heart of the proposed innovation, enabling both ascending and descending glide without propulsion systems or control surfaces. Roving the atmosphere will facilitate long-lived flight at low altitudes with revisit capability and possible targeted delivery of probes to the surface.

Titan is of great interest to the scientific community due to its rich atmospheric chemistry and vast oceans of methane. Despite surface temperatures near -300°F and a lack of water, some scientists have speculated that Titan could support non-water based life that survive in methane, analogous to the waterborne creatures here on Earth. NASA is interested in exploring this exotic world in great detail, and for that purpose, maneuvering vehicles with operational flexibility are needed. Aerial platforms such as TWA could support many Titan missions including interplay between the surface and atmosphere, prebiotic exploration, astrobiology and habitability studies. Potential TWA science measurements include: high resolution visible and IR imaging to understand the surface geomorphology; subsurface radar sounding to determine nature of the Titan crust; atmospheric circulation along with methane temperature and humidity vs. altitude to understand the transport of volatiles; and the composition of surface hydrocarbon to determine the chemical pathways leading to formation of complex organics.

While the proposed effort is focused on developing and tailoring a vehicle for the Titan environment, the technology in TWA and T-LEAF is applicable on any solar system body with an atmosphere. Similar systems could be developed for Mars exploration missions and cargo/payload delivery. These concepts also have many Earth-based applications that are of interest to NASA, including high-altitude atmospheric science and low-g sample or payload return from the International Space Station.

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Airbus lags Boeing in order race ahead of Farnborough Airshow - Reuters [feedly]

Reuters

Airbus lags Boeing in order race ahead of Farnborough Airshow Reuters PARIS Airbus (AIR.PA) goes into next week's Farnborough Airshow lagging behind arch-rival Boeing (BA.N) after ending the first half of the year with 227 aircraft orders, or 183 after adjusting for cancellations, company data showed on Wednesday. Analysts Expect Few New Boeing, Airbus Orders at UK Air Show24/7 Wall St. Gov. Bentley to head Alabama team at Farnborough AirshowMade In Alabama los 13 artículos informativos »

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Chinese Y-20 aircraft (C-17/IL-76 equivalent) goes into service

Chinese air force puts new transport aircraft into service
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-defence-airplane-idUSKCN0ZM0AA


China’s largest ever military aircraft entered service on Wednesday, a hulking transport capable of sending troops and tanks around the world at a moment’s notice.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4dd72950-4340-11e6-9b66-0712b3873ae1.html#axzz4DhSGEyW3

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Hot shutdowns led to CS100 engine-test explosion: inquiry [feedly]

Hot shutdowns led to CS100 engine-test explosion: inquiry
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/hot-shutdowns-led-to-cs100-engine-test-explosion-in-427034/

 -- via my feedly newsfeed

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First Bell 525 test aircraft crashes, killing crew [feedly]

First Bell 525 test aircraft crashes, killing crew
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/first-bell-525-test-aircraft-crashes-killing-crew-427063/

 -- via my feedly newsfeed

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Israel Desires V-22 Ospreys in New FMS Deal | Poland’s PGZ Signs LOI with Raytheon for Patriots | China’s Y-20 Aircraft Officially Inducted into Service [feedly]

Israel Desires V-22 Ospreys in New FMS Deal | Poland's PGZ Signs LOI with Raytheon for Patriots | China's Y-20 Aircraft Officially Inducted into Service
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/israel-desires-v-22-ospreys-in-new-fms-deal-polands-pgz-signs-loi-with-raytheon-for-patriots-chinas-y-20-aircraft-officially-inducted-into-service-034222/

 -- via my feedly newsfeed

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Robotic glove tech developed for space station finds use on terra firma [feedly]

A robotic glove that was originally designed for use on the International Space Station (ISS) has been licensed for use back home, where it could be put to work helping manufacturing workers. Developed in partnership between General Motors (GM) and NASA, the RoboGlove is designed to provide the user with extra gripping strength.

.. Continue Reading Robotic glove tech developed for space station finds use on terra firma

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