Trump's Nasa budget: flying 'Jetson cars' and a return to the moon

Most of those goals, if realized, would come after the end of the Trump administration, which has allocated little of its budget for Nasa The Trump administration unveiled its 2019 budget for Nasa on Monday, promising an outpost on the moon, "Jetson cars" and new attempts to cut funding for the i...

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Bloodhound Diary: Getting a grip for 2018

A British team is developing a car that will be capable of reaching 1,000mph (1,610km/h). Powered by a rocket bolted to a Eurofighter-Typhoon jet engine, the vehicle aims to show its potential by going progressively faster, year after year. In 2018, Bloodhound wants to run above 500mph. In 2019, ...

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The barren desert preparing astronauts for life on Mars

It looks like something out of a sci-fi film. But this is the desert where scientists and volunteers test pressure-simulating suits in the inhospitable conditions of the Oman desert to prepare for life on Mars.

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Trump cuts US cash for International Space Station

President Donald Trump wants to end US funding for the International Space Station (ISS) by 2025 with the aim of putting it into private hands. His plans for ISS and the Nasa space programme were unveiled in his 2019 budget proposal. Mr Trump wants to increase Nasa spending by 3% next year. But i...

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Bombardier reports 57% rise in profits

Bombardier, the train and plane manufacturer at the centre of a trade row between the US the UK and Canada has seen a 57% rise in profits. The US Commercial department had threatened to impose 292% tariffs on its C-Series aircraft which employs some 4,000 workers in Belfast. But the US Internatio...

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China Wants to Make a Mark in Space—But It'll Need a Little Help

In a China Global Television Network video from 2003, taikonaut Yang Liwei leans back in his orbital capsule, the overstuffed stripes of his spacesuit legs filling the frame. His helmet shield is up, so the viewer can gaze into his eyes as he speaks: "Greetings to people around the world!" His ey...

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As Electric Cars Surge, the Gas Engine Keeps Getting Better

As one place after another makes moves to ban gasoline-powered vehicles in the next few decades—Norway, the Netherlands, the UK, India, China, California, Paris—it gets harder and harder to deny that the future is electric. And the internal combustion engine that has driven global movement for mo...

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Before They Can Take Off, Flying Cars Must Defeat Bureaucracy

At 8:52 on the morning of January 31, eight buzzing rotors lifted a black bubble of an aircraft off the ground for the first time. About 20 feet from nose to tail and the same from wingtip to wingtip, Vahana spent 53 seconds aloft, under its own power and autonomous control. It reached a height of …

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Self-Driving Servicer Now Baselined for NASA's Restore-L Satellite-Servicing Demonstration



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Self-Driving Servicer Now Baselined for NASA's Restore-L Satellite-Servicing Demonstration // Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Self_Driving_Servicer_Now_Baselined_for_NASAs_Restore_L_Satellite_Servicing_Demonstration_999.html

Greenbelt MD (SPX) Feb 14, 2018
One test changed the fortunes of an advanced 3-D imaging lidar system now baselined for NASA's Restore-L project that will demonstrate an autonomous satellite-servicing capability. Officials with NASA's Satellite Servicing Projects Division, or SSPD, have officially baselined the Kodiak system - formerly known as the Goddard Reconfigurable Solid-state Scanning Lidar, or GRSSLi - to provide
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Boeing Invests in Global Learning and Innovation Institute Singularity University



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Boeing Invests in Global Learning and Innovation Institute Singularity University // MediaRoom
http://boeing.mediaroom.com/2018-02-15-Boeing-Invests-in-Global-Learning-and-Innovation-Institute-Singularity-University

Partnership to generate advanced learning opportunities for Boeing employees worldwide
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US Air Force outlines future of bomber force



PR




WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Air Force outlined plans for its bomber fleet in its Fiscal Year 2019 President’s Budget Request February 12, 2018.

In line with the service’s bomber vector, the budget request detailed the Air Force plan to update the B-52 Stratofortress fleet and continue modifications to the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit fleets while continuing to acquire B-21 Raiders.

“As part of our decisions presented in the FY19 President’s Budget, the Air Force will update the B-52 bomber fleet and fund development of replacement engines,” said Secretary of the Air Force Heather A. Wilson. “We will also continue necessary B-1 and B-2 modifications to keep them relevant until the B-21s come on line.”

Once sufficient B-21 aircraft are operational, the B-1s and B-2s will be incrementally retired. Delivery and retirement timelines are dependent on the B-21 production and delivery schedules.

“If the force structure we have proposed is supported by the Congress, bases that have bombers now will have bombers in the future,” Wilson said. “They will be B-52s and B-21s.”

The B-21, which the Air Force plans to start fielding in the mid-2020s, will eventually become the backbone of the U.S. strategic bomber fleet and serve as a visible, flexible deterrent to adversaries and assure U.S. partners and allies.

"Modernizing and recapitalizing our bomber force is absolutely central to the recently released National Defense Strategy and the Nuclear Posture Review," said Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David L. Goldfein. "Our bomber force allows the commander in chief to hold targets at risk anywhere on the globe with unparalleled range and our most diverse payloads."

The decision to maintain the B-52 is based on numerous factors including maintenance and sustainment metrics, such as aircraft availability, mission capability, supply, maintenance hours per flying hour and total cost perspectives.

“With an adequate sustainment and modernization focus, including new engines, the B-52 has a projected service life through 2050, remaining a key part of the bomber enterprise well into the future,” said Gen. Robin Rand, Air Force Global Strike Command commander.

The Air Force’s bombers are an integral component of the nation’s strategic deterrence and global strike capabilities. The nation requires that the bomber force remain a potent and decisive asset throughout the spectrum of conflict in the modern battlespace.

“At the end of Desert Storm in 1991 we had 290 total bombers,” said Rand. “Today that force has dropped to 157 bombers at five bomb wings and 15 total force bomb squadrons. That’s a 46 percent decrease in our bomber force while we have conducted continuous combat operations such as Allied Force, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, Odyssey Dawn, Inherent Resolve and Freedom’s Sentinel, in addition to continuous bomber rotations in the (U.S. Central Command) and (U.S. Pacific Command) areas of responsibility.”

TsAGI scientist discuss strategic aeroacoustic issues with European colleagues



PR




The negative health and environmental impact of aircraft noise is considered by the international scientific community as one of the key factors for consolidation of efforts in the development of aviation. Hence, representatives of the European Commission, Clean Sky program and the Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) opened a discussion. A seminar on “EU policy on aircraft noise studies” was held in mid-January in Brussels (Belgium) in which a TsAGI delegation participated.

The participants reviewed the entire spectrum of research on aeroacoustics, from the creation of new technologies to the norms and standards set by the ICAO Committee on Aviation Protection (CAEP). In particular, they discussed the work carried out by the European Community together with TsAGI. A relevant example is the RUMBLE project, which is focused on the development of proposals to ICAO regarding the formation of generally accepted international norms of the sonic boom level from a supersonic passenger aircraft.

An important achievement for the Institute was to maintain the status of Contact Point from Russia in the X-Noise International consortium to coordinate the research on aircraft noise. The Aviation Noise Impact Management through Novel Approaches (ANIMA) project is meant to become the next stage of development in this multi-year project. ANIMA will provide support to the roadmap of European aeroacoustics research by attracting experts at the national level, defined by the X-Noise contact points, and managers of existing projects.

Also, attendees agreed to organize a seminar for European and Russian scientists with financial support from X-Noise. It is planned that the event dedicated to the formulating of directions for joint research on noise, will take place in Berlin.

Victor Kopyev, head of the Aeroacoustics and Aviation Ecology Division of TsAGI gave his evaluation of the meeting in Brussels. “Most important for us is the example of a multi-year integrated management of noise, which involved research institutes, universities, aviation companies, airports, the European aviation safety agency EASA and ICAO,” he noted. “A unique support structure is created for the environmental management and further advanced research. The evolution of approaches in creating noise reduction technology is reflected in new projects, AERIALIST, ARTEM TURBONOISE, RUMBLE, TILDA and their position in the working map of X-Noise. We can say with confidence that the seminar was frank and exhaustive.”

Full-Year 2017 results: Airbus overachieved on all key performance indicators

PR

  • Strong underlying business performance
  • Revenues €67bn; EBIT Adjusted €4.3bn; EBIT (reported) €3.4bn; EPS (reported) €3.71
  • Proposed 2017 dividend €1.50 per share, up 11 percent from 2016
  • Solid commercial environment: book-to-bill of 1.5, record backlog supporting ramp-up
  • Free cash flow before M&A and customer financing € 2.9 billion
  • A400M charge € 1.3 billion in 2017; clear roadmap mitigating future risk
  • Airbus expects around a 20 percent increase in EBIT Adjusted in 2018
Airbus SE (stock exchange symbol: AIR) reported 2017   financial results and provided an outlook for 2018.  It overachieved on its 2017 guidance for all key performance indicators, driven by a strong underlying performance.

“We overachieved on all our 2017 KPIs thanks to a very good operational performance, especially in the last quarter,” said Airbus Chief Executive Officer Tom Enders. “Despite persistent engine issues on the A320neo, we continued the production ramp-up and finally delivered a record number of aircraft. On A400M, we made progress on the industrial and capabilities front and agreed a re-baselining with government customers which will significantly reduce the remaining programme risks. This is reflected in a substantial one-off charge. Overall, the strength of our 2017 achievements is reflected in our dividend proposal which is up 11 percent against last year. This also endorses our earnings and cash growth story for the future.”

[video] What Do You Get When You Cross an Airplane With a Submarine?

Time-lapse image of the EagleRay transitioning from underwater to the air. Image credit: Matthew Bryant. Click to enlarge.
 
 
Bryant, Weisler and Stewart (from left to right), with a prototype of the EagleRay. 


North Carolina State University's press release

https://youtu.be/Aw01NnG9hu0



Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed the first unmanned, fixed-wing aircraft that is capable of traveling both through the air and under the water – transitioning repeatedly between sky and sea. The EagleRay XAV, which was developed with funding and assistance from Teledyne Scientific, holds promise for use in applications such as tracking and observing wildlife.



“Maintaining aerial surveillance can use a lot of energy,” says Warren Weisler, a Ph.D. student at NC State who worked on the EagleRay project. “The EagleRay can conserve energy by spending some of its time in the water.

“For example, the EagleRay could track a fast-moving pod of dolphins from the air, then spend time loitering in the water if the dolphins stop to take advantage of a good feeding spot. The EagleRay could then resume flight when the dolphins begin moving again.”

“The EagleRay could also rapidly move underwater sensors from location to location,” says William Stewart, another NC State Ph.D. student who worked on the project. “It could even perform underwater monitoring that most unmanned aerial vehicles can’t.

“For example, sonar only works underwater. If you’re seeking a sonar target, the EagleRay could fly to a site, submerge to take sonar readings, and then resume flight to take readings elsewhere. Historically, an aircraft would have to drop sonobuoys to collect sonar data.”

The project started when a team of four NC State faculty, led by Matthew Bryant, an assistant professor in NC State’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, won a research contract from Teledyne in 2014. Professors Kara Peters, Ashok Gopalarathnam, and Larry Silverberg served as co-principle investigators on the project. By spring of 2016, Bryant’s team had developed a fully functional prototype – and they published a paper on the work in 2017. Video of the EagleRay in action can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw01NnG9hu0.

“A key point regarding the EagleRay design is that it is scalable – you can make larger or smaller models as needed,” Stewart says. “It really depends on the size of the desired payload, how long you’d need it to operate, and so on.”

The current model of EagleRay has a wingspan of 59 inches and is 55 inches long, weighing in at 12.6 pounds. It has a dual-use propeller, powered by an electric motor, that propels it through both air and water.

“We’re currently developing a custom controller for the EagleRay,” Weisler says. “Existing controllers aren’t designed for a vehicle that transitions from air to sea and back again – they’re designed to be one or the other, with no transition stage.”

The researchers are also refining a dynamic model of the EagleRay, for use in simulations that can be used for training purposes, to predict performance under various conditions and to refine the vehicle design.

“This project has been extremely challenging and rewarding,” Weisler says.

“Seeing it fly during field trials was exhilarating,” says Stewart.





Testing and Characterization of a Fixed Wing Cross-Domain Unmanned Vehicle Operating in Aerial and Underwater Environments
The paper, “Testing and Characterization of a Fixed Wing Cross-Domain Unmanned Vehicle Operating in Aerial and Underwater Environments,” is published in the IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering. Weisler is lead author of the paper. Co-authors include Stewart, Bryant, Peters, Gopalarathnam and Mark Anderson of Teledyne.

Abstract:
This paper presents test results and performance characterization of the first fixed-wing unmanned vehicle capable of full cross-domain operation in both the aerial and underwater environments with repeated transition and low-energy loitering capabilities. This vehicle concept combines the speed and range of an aircraft with the persistence, diving capabilities, and stealth of a submersible. The paper describes the proof-of-concept vehicle including its concept of operations, the approaches employed to achieve the required functions, and the main components and subsystems. Key subsystems include a passively flooding and draining wing, a single motor and propeller combination for propulsion in both domains, and aerodynamic–hydrodynamic control surfaces. Experiments to quantify the vehicle performance, control responses, and energy consumption in underwater, surface, and flight operation are presented and analyzed. Results of several full-cycle tests are presented to characterize and illustrate each stage of operation including surface locomotion, underwater locomotion, water egress, flight, and water ingress. In total, the proof-of-concept vehicle demonstrated 12 full-cycle cross-domain missions including both manually controlled and autonomous operation.