The World’s Fastest Drones Want to Save Lives in America, Too

When I first visited Zipline, two years ago, the startup was operating out of a pile of shipping containers, in a cow-filled field on the Pacific Coast, in Northern California. Now, when I round the corner on the dirt road leading to the startup's new test range, I'm met by what looks like a …

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Ryanair reveals worst gender pay gap in airline industry

Median hourly pay among UK staff is 71.8% lower for women with bonus pay 3% lower Ryanair has revealed a gender pay gap of 72% – the worst in the airline industry – with women making up only 3% of the top quarter of earners at the budget airline. The figure is among the most imbalanced yet report...

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Watch SpaceX Launch Its Resupply Mission to the ISS

Another day, another SpaceX launch. On Monday at 4:30 pm ET, the commercial space company is slated to propel a previously-flown Dragon cargo ship into low Earth orbit aboard a used Falcon 9 rocket. The Dragon spacecraft, which is carrying food and supplies for the International Space Station, is …

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Last week in tech: All the technology news with none of the April Fool’s nonsense

It was a good week for Apple news and a very bad week for Tesla. In the internet age, it's rare that we get a gift like the one we received over the weekend. April Fool's Day—undoubtedly the worst possible day to look at the internet—fell on a Sunday that was also a major holiday. That means most...

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The drone school really taking off

Ivory Coast's biggest power provider - the Ivorian Electricity Company (CIE) - is training drone pilots to inspect electricity pylons. The BBC's Matthew Davies went to the drone academy in Abidjan to hear how the drones are dramatically reducing the firm's maintenance costs.

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Zipline blood delivery drone applies for US trial

Drone delivery firm Zipline has revealed a new aircraft that it says will let it make up to 500 deliveries every day. Zipline operates a commercial service delivering blood supplies in Rwanda. The new drone weighs 20kg (44lb) and can carry 1.75kg of cargo. It can drop its delivery to an area abou...

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Boeing, Air Lease Corporation Sign Order for Eight 737 MAX Airplanes

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Boeing, Air Lease Corporation Sign Order for Eight 737 MAX Airplanes // MediaRoom
http://boeing.mediaroom.com/2018-04-03-Boeing-Air-Lease-Corporation-Sign-Order-for-Eight-737-MAX-Airplanes

Order from leading airplane lessor reflects strong market demand for new and improved 737 jet
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EASA proposes to reinforce flight-recorder resilience

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EASA proposes to reinforce flight-recorder resilience // Airlines news
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/easa-proposes-to-reinforce-flight-recorder-resilienc-447259/

European safety regulators have detailed certification proposals to improve the protection of information from flight recorders.
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ESA Conducts First Test For Largest Mars Mission Parachute

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=aeef0740-0cca-4798-974f-9a235980c8d1

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Indian scientists lose contact with satellite

http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Indian_scientists_lose_contact_with_satellite_999.html

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ARJ21 completes crosswind validation testing in Iceland

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/arj21-completes-crosswind-validation-testing-in-icel-447255/

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Don’t look for commercial BWB airplane any time soon, says Boeing’s future airplanes head

https://leehamnews.com/2018/04/03/dont-look-for-commercial-bwb-airplane-any-time-soon-says-boeings-future-airplanes-head/

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Hubble Uncovers the Farthest Star Ever Seen

Press Release




More than halfway across the universe, an enormous blue star nicknamed Icarus is the farthest individual star ever seen. Normally, it would be much too faint to view, even with the world’s largest telescopes. But through a quirk of nature that tremendously amplifies the star’s feeble glow, astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope were able to pinpoint this faraway star and set a new distance record. They also used Icarus to test one theory of dark matter, and to probe the make-up of a foreground galaxy cluster.

The star, harbored in a very distant spiral galaxy, is so far away that its light has taken 9 billion years to reach Earth. It appears to us as it did when the universe was about 30 percent of its current age.

The discovery of Icarus through gravitational lensing has initiated a new way for astronomers to study individual stars in distant galaxies. These observations provide a rare, detailed look at how stars evolve, especially the most luminous stars.

“This is the first time we’re seeing a magnified, individual star,” explained former University of California at Berkeley postdoc and study leader Patrick Kelly now of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. “You can see individual galaxies out there, but this star is at least 100 times farther away than the next individual star we can study, except for supernova explosions.”

Gravity as a Natural Cosmic Lens

The cosmic quirk that makes this star visible is a phenomenon called “gravitational lensing.” Gravity from a foreground, massive cluster of galaxies acts as a natural lens in space, bending and amplifying light. Sometimes light from a single background object appears as multiple images. The light can be highly magnified, making extremely faint and distant objects bright enough to see.

In the case of Icarus, a natural “magnifying glass” is created by a galaxy cluster called MACS J1149+2223. Located about 5 billion light-years from Earth, this massive cluster of galaxies sits between the Earth and the galaxy that contains the distant star. By combining the strength of this gravitational lens with Hubble’s exquisite resolution and sensitivity, astronomers can see and study Icarus.

The team — including Jose Diego of the Instituto de Física de Cantabria, Spain, and Steven Rodney of the University of South Carolina, Columbia — dubbed the star “Icarus,“ after the Greek mythological character who flew too near the Sun on wings of feathers and wax that melted. (Its official name is MACS J1149+2223 Lensed Star 1.) Much like Icarus, the background star had only fleeting glory as seen from Earth: It momentarily skyrocketed to 2,000 times its true brightness when temporarily magnified.

Models suggest that the tremendous brightening was probably from the gravitational amplification of a star, similar in mass to the Sun, in the foreground galaxy cluster when the star moved in front of Icarus. The star’s light is usually magnified by about 600 times due to the foreground cluster’s mass.

Characterizing Icarus

The team had been using Hubble to monitor a supernova in the far-distant spiral galaxy when, in 2016, they spotted a new point of light not far from the magnified supernova. From the position of the new source, they inferred that it should be much more highly magnified than the supernova.

When they analyzed the colors of the light coming from this object, they discovered it was a blue supergiant star. This type of star is much larger, more massive, hotter, and possibly hundreds of thousands of times intrinsically brighter than our Sun. But at this distance, it would still be too far away to see without the amplification of gravitational lensing, even for Hubble.

How did Kelly and his team know Icarus was not another supernova? “The source isn’t getting hotter; it’s not exploding. The light is just being magnified,” said Kelly. “And that’s what you expect from gravitational lensing.”

Looking for Dark Matter

Detecting the amplification of a single, pinpoint background star provided a unique opportunity to test the nature of dark matter in the cluster. Dark matter is an invisible material that makes up most of the universe’s mass.

By probing what’s floating around in the foreground cluster, scientists were able to test one theory that dark matter might be made up mostly of a huge number of primordial black holes formed in the birth of the universe with masses tens of times larger than the Sun. The results of this unique test disfavor that hypothesis, because light fluctuations from the background star, monitored with Hubble for 13 years, would have looked different if there were a swarm of intervening black holes.

When NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is launched, astronomers expect to find many more stars like Icarus. Webb's extraordinary sensitivity will allow measurement of even more details, including whether these distant stars are rotating. Such magnified stars may even be found to be fairly common.

The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, in Washington, D.C.

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NASA: Robo-bees scouting mars

 The objective of the proposed work is to increase the set of possible exploration and science missions on Mars by investigating thefeasibility of flapping wing aerospace architectures in a Martian environment. The proposed architecture consists of a Mars rover that serves as a mobile base and a swarm of Marsbees. Marsbees are robotic flapping wing flyers of a bumblebee size with cicada sized wings. The Marsbees are integrated with sensors and wireless communication devices. The mobile base can act as a recharging station and main communication center. The swarm of Marsbee can significantly enhance the Mars exploration mission with the following benefits: i) Facilitating reconfigurable sensor networks; ii) Creation of resilient systems; iii) Sample or data collection using single or collaborative Marsbees…
Continue reading: https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/niac/2018_Phase_I_Phase_II/Marsbee_Swarm_of_Flapping_Wing_Flyers_for_Enhanced_Mars_Exploration

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https://www.cnet.com/news/nasa-explores-mars-robot-bees-marsbees/

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Jeppesen Teams with Bad Elf to Integrate Wireless Flight Data Transfers for General and Business Aviation Pilots

Press Release

• New Jeppesen technology combines with Bad Elf Wombat device to update avionics data cards directly from the cockpit

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA], through its subsidiary Jeppesen, today introduced a new mobile version of its Jeppesen Distribution Manager (JDM) flight data update technology, and announced a new strategic alliance with Bad Elf, a leading provider of aviation hardware and software solutions. Together, Jeppesen and Bad Elf have now established a wireless data transfer system for aircraft owners and operators, using JDM Mobile and the Bad Elf Wombat portable device to update avionics data cards.

"Previously, many aircraft operators needed to update data cards offsite, which often meant working a long distance from their aircraft due to a dependency on traditional landline PC technology," said Mike Abbott, director, Jeppesen Data Solutions, Product & Portfolio Management. "Through our relationship with Bad Elf, most of our general and business aviation customers will now be able to use JDM Mobile and the Wombat device to wirelessly update essential charts and data, right in the cockpit. This capability also extends to tens of thousands of customers operating legacy avionics that are not designed for wireless navigation data update capabilities."

Initially, Garmin and Avidyne avionics systems will be supported by the JDM Mobile and Bad Elf Wombat integrated technology, representing a majority of Jeppesen's general aviation pilot customer base. In the coming months, additional avionics systems will be supported across general and business aviation, in total reaching more than 80 percent of JDM customers.

Jeppesen data subscribers using supported avionics platforms are now able to use JDM Mobile to download data updates on an iPhone or iPad and then wirelessly connect to the Bad Elf Wombat device to transfer flight information to avionics data cards. This allows pilots to update their avionics with current data before taking to the skies.

"We are excited to team with Jeppesen to provide a world-class mobile experience, related to what had become a tedious task for general and business aviation pilots to update their data," said John Cunningham, CEO, Bad Elf. "Additionally with Wombat, pilots can easily collect flight and engine logs for analysis by several partner apps and services. We look forward to providing wireless data transfer capabilities with Jeppesen for the leading avionics platforms of choice."

Jeppesen navigation data (NavData) is developed from a comprehensive aviation database, which is composed of more than one million records. To ensure accuracy, Jeppesen flight information analysts edit and verify approximately 150,000 database transactions generated from worldwide aviation data source documents during every 28-day revision cycle.

For further detail on the industry-leading navigation operations, training and optimization solutions provided by Jeppesen, visit www.jeppesen.com. To learn more about the aviation hardware and software solutions offered by Bad Elf, visit www.bad-elf.com.

About Boeing Global Services

Boeing Global Services, headquartered in the Dallas area, was formed by integrating the services capabilities of the government, space and commercial sectors into a single, customer-focused business. Operating as a third business unit of Boeing, Global Services provides agile, cost-competitive services to commercial and government customers worldwide.

About Bad Elf

Bad Elf, headquartered in the Hartford area, began in 2010 by introducing the first plug-in GPS accessory for Apple's iPhone and iPad to enable pilots to display own-ship position in their electronic flight bag apps. Today, Bad Elf produces a range of GPS receivers and other accessories for mobile platforms serving aviation, marine, and geographic information (GIS) professionals.

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Saudi Arabian Military Industries and Boeing Form Joint Venture Partnership Targeting 55% Localization

Press Release

• With revenues to exceed $22 billion and 6,000 jobs by 2030
• Partnership to provide sustainment services for fixed- and rotary-wing military aircraft of KSA military fleet
• New partnership will support local content in a move to achieve the National Transformation Program goals and embrace Vision 2030
• Investment value to reach $450 million in facilities and equipment inside the Kingdom

In line with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and following the announcement of HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crowne Prince, Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minster of Defense, to localize 50% of the total military spending by 2030, Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) and Boeing [NYSE: BA] today signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to develop a new joint venture (JV) aiming to localize more than 55% of the MRO services for fixed and rotary-wing military aircraft in Saudi Arabia. The agreement will also transfer technology to install weaponry on these aircraft as well as localize the supply chain for spare parts in the Kingdom.

The signing ceremony came in conjunction with HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to Seattle, which included an official visit and tour of Boeing's aircraft manufacturing facilities. The agreement was signed by H.E. Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Chairman of SAMI, and Dennis Muilenburg, Chairman, President, and CEO of Boeing, at Boeing's commercial manufacturing facility in Everett, Wash. The ceremony also included a comprehensive visit to the manufacturing facilities of Boeing, featuring a detailed explanation of the company's operations.

Commenting on this important milestone, H.E. Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Chairman of SAMI, said, "Boeing has a long-standing commitment to Saudi Arabia, and is extremely keen on expanding its footprint in the country. Inspired by the vision of HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman, SAMI, on the other hand, is exploring all collaborative opportunities to build a strong autonomous military industries ecosystem in the Kingdom."

The joint venture agreement will provide sustainment services for fixed- and rotary-wing military aircraft of the KSA ‎military fleet and will be the sole provider of these ‎services for all military aviation platforms of ‎the KSA military fleet, strengthening the Kingdom's defense capabilities and enhancing its deterrent potential.

"We deeply appreciate the trust that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in general, and HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally, are placing in Boeing to help deliver Vision 2030 with this new joint venture," said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing Chairman, President, and CEO. "Our relationship with the Kingdom dates back more than 70 years, and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership in support of the Kingdom's national security and aerospace industry needs."

The MoA will further solidify the enduring relationship between Boeing and Saudi Arabia and result in the development of local research, design, engineering, manufacturing, and MRO abilities. The JV will continuously improve performance and growth, upgrade the readiness of and increase confidence in the Saudi military fleet, enhance maintenance capabilities, and reduce support costs throughout the fleet's life. In addition, the agreement will create 6,000 jobs and training opportunities for Saudi youth, support local content, improve Saudization levels in the industry, and assist towards achieving the ambitious Vision 2030 plan.

Dr. Andreas Schwer, CEO of SAMI, added, "The significance of the MoA, which is signed today, will enable SAMI and Boeing to play a key role in leading and laying the foundational framework for Saudi's defense sector industrialization, in line with the goals of the Kingdom's National Transformation Program and Vision 2030. In addition to local sustainment capabilities, the inevitable partnership between the two companies could explore the creation of intellectual property as well."

Once the MoA is operational, the joint venture will provide a foundation for future platform sales and for expanding Boeing's presence in the Kingdom to support market growth for both commercial and defense programs.

Leanne Caret, President and CEO, Boeing Defense, Space and Security added, "With this local capability dedicated to sustaining all U.S.-made defense platforms, we can better serve our customers and support the Kingdom's goals of localization and economic growth."

Boeing's partnership with Saudi Arabia dates back to more than 70 years and is growing from strength to strength. It began on February 14, 1945, when U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented a twin-engine Dakota DC-3 airplane (manufactured by Boeing's heritage company Douglas Aircraft) to King Abdulaziz Al Saud. This event marked both the beginning of the Boeing relationship with Saudi Arabia and the birth of commercial air travel in the Kingdom.

SOURCE Boeing

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