NASA IS LOSING THE RACE TO BUILD A BETTER ROCKET
An emerging class of powerful rockets is supposed to start flying in the next couple of years. They’re known as heavy-lift launch vehicles. These rockets are capable of getting a whole lot of stuff into space at once — and everyone seems to be making one. SpaceX has been promising that its Falcon Heavy, a larger variant of the Falcon 9 rocket, will fly for the first time this summer. The United Launch Alliance is working on a brand-new vehicle called the Vulcan that’s supposed to fly in 2019. And spaceflight company Blue Origin is the latest to throw its hat in the ring, recently claiming its next big rocket, the New Glenn, will be able to deliver 100,000 pounds of cargo — and eventually people — to lower Earth orbit.
At the same time, NASA is developing a monster rocket of its own... continue reading https://www.theverge.com/2017/5/10/14886570/nasa-space-launch-system-rocket-ula-blue-origin-spacex
AW609 PROGRAMME MOVES FORWARD PREPARING FOR ICING TRIALS
- Several ground and flight tests already performed in Philadelphia by the third AW609 prototype
- Aircraft remains on schedule to begin icing trials this winter
- FAA certification is on track for 2018
The AW609 TiltRotor programme is expected to start icing trials soon following recent ground and flight testing activities. These advances have been made in support of FAA certification, which remains on track for 2018.
The third prototype, based at Leonardo’s facility in Philadelphia, performed several weeks of unrestrained ground testing and, more recently, flight trials that allowed avionics and all systems to be fully tested. During initial flights, the aircraft performed basic hovering and maneuvering and patterns around the airport, concluding with hover landing. Additional flights up to altitudes of 4000 feet with short takeoff and landing (STOL) are planned shortly.
The aircraft will undergo icing trials in Marquette, Michigan, through the winter. The tests will ensure the AW609can fly in known icing conditions and reach operational standards not currently available in any other commercial aircraft.
The fourth AW609 prototype is now located within the main production area of the Philadelphia facility’s assembly line to ensure a smooth transition to the first production build aircraft, also planned for 2018.
Rome 09/02/2017 16:26
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