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☆ Boeing launches data tool to chart path to net-zero emissions target
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - Boeing Co (BA.N) said on Wednesday it is rolling out a data modeling tool aimed at helping airlines and policymakers determine the quickest, most efficient path to reducing aviation emissions to zero by 2050. Boeing unveiled a beta version of Cascade in July 2022 but it was not publicly available. The public launch of Cascade comes just days after U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg met with counterparts from Canada, the United Kingdom and Singapore at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum to discuss investments in sustainable aviation fuel. On Tuesday, Reuters reported that European Union countries are set to finalize SAF targets for airports despite some pushback from airlines. “Our intent is to scale SAF and help it scale by first ... examining what has to change in an airplane to be 100% compatible with (SAF),” Raymond said.

☆ Earth-size exoplanet may be covered in volcanoes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Instead, the exoplanet, called LP 791-18 d, is likely covered in volcanoes and may experience eruptions with the same frequency as Jupiter’s moon Io, the most volcanically active place in our solar system, according to researchers. LP 791-18 d is located about 90 light-years from Earth in the Crater constellation, where it orbits a small red dwarf star. And astronomers believe the massive planet LP 971-18 c might be contributing to the newly detected exoplanet’s possible volcanism. As the two objects orbit their star, LP 971-18 c and the newfound exoplanet LP 791-18 d closely pass each other, allowing the gravitational pull of the larger planet LP 971-18 c to tug on planet d and reshape its orbit. The discovery of LP 971-18 d points to the importance of data collected by space telescopes.

☆ Cosmic Aerospace is working on an electric plane with real range
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Denver startup Cosmic Aerospace is developing a fully electric plane to reduce air pollution from regional flights. The aim is to build an electric plane that operates without any emissions but that can still fly for just over 600 miles. Alex Teng, a partner at 50 Years, told CNBC his firm invested in Cosmic partly owing to the cofounders' experience in aviation. The fund also liked that Cosmic is tackling a problem that other developers of electric planes and air taxis have not solved yet -- getting beyond the short hop flight. "Electric aviation has always suffered from a range problem," Teng said, "but my average flight is over 500 miles personally.

☆ Inside one of the strangest looking NASA test sites where sound goes to die
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Emily Swaim | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Nicknamed "The Dome", AAPL provides highly accurate sound level readings for aircraft and rockets. Fiberglass wedges inside AAPL absorb sound to prevent any echoes throughout the room during testing. Glenn Research CenterThe source of AAPL's silence is two-foot-long fiberglass wedges — 17,000 of them. Why fiberglass wedges? Obviously, spiky fiberglass wedges would be hard to walk across for anyone who isn't a gymnast.

☆ How the Voyager probes keep going decades after launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Voyager 2’s priceless data is captured and returned to Earth through its five science instruments, while Voyager 1 still has four operational instruments after one failed earlier in the mission. Both Voyager probes rely on radioisotope thermoelectric generators. Over time, the Voyager team has commanded the probes to turn off instrument heaters and other nonessential systems. The Voyager proof test model, seen here in 1976, has a platform showcasing several of the science instruments. “Picture it as an ocean of space with waves and turbulence and activity going on, and the Voyager instruments can measure what’s happening,” Spilker said.

☆ Ford to test small UK fleet of hydrogen fuel cell E-Transit vans
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Nick Carey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, May 9 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N) said on Tuesday it will test a small fleet of prototype hydrogen fuel-cell versions of its electric E-Transit model to see if they are a workable zero-emission option for customers hauling heavy goods long distances. Ford will lead a consortium in the three-year project that includes BP (BP.L), which will focus on hydrogen and infrastructure, and British online supermarket and technology group Ocado (OCDO.L). Interest in using hydrogen fuel cells to power trucks and vans is getting a boost from fleet operators looking for a more practical alternative to electric vehicles and rising government aid, particularly the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Vehicles with hydrogen fuel cells, in which hydrogen mixes with oxygen to produce water and energy to power a battery, can refuel in minutes and have a much longer range than those with BEVs. But there are major challenges to be overcome for mass adoption of hydrogen fuel cells, including the lack of fueling stations and green hydrogen made using renewable energy to power them.

☆ Petermann Glacier in Greenland is melting away with the tide, which could signal faster sea level rise, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Brandon Miller | Cnn Meteorologist | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A major glacier in northwest Greenland is interacting with the ocean tides, scientists reported Monday, resulting in previously unaccounted-for melting and potentially faster sea level rise. This is an important finding: The traditional view among scientists was that the grounding line did not migrate with the tides – and this introduces another major source of melting that could be accelerating sea level rise. Between 2016 and 2022, warmer tidal cycles melted a 670-foot-tall hole in the underside of the glacier along the grounding line — big enough that two Statues of Liberty could be stacked on top of one another inside it. The study raises more concerns for the already worrisome prospect of sea level rise, which threatens coastlines around the world. Greenland’s melting ice is the single largest contributor to sea level rise, according to NASA, which has been accelerating in recent years.

☆ Frankfurt to Dubai in 90 minutes? Europe enters the hypersonic plane race
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

In recent years, numerous pretenders to the throne – supersonic, hypersonic, hydrogen-powered, with anti-boom technology – have been whizzing round, conceptually at least, but many of these projects promising seamless super-fast travel have instead stalled, sputtered out or hit delays. The Destinus concept is hydrogen-powered flight at five times the speed of sound, cutting flight duration to less than a quarter of current commercial air travel. Its first two prototypes have made successful test flights and are about to start testing hydrogen-powered flight. Hydrogen-powered aviation is still in its infancy, with hydrogen jet engines yet to enter commercial use. The upcoming prototype, Destinus 3, will be supersonic and the hope is for it to achieve supersonic hydrogen-powered flight in 2024.

CNN —A large blimp developed by the Chinese military has been spotted for the first time at a remote base in the desert of northwestern China, exclusive new satellite imagery obtained by CNN shows. “You can expect because it’s available via satellite imagery that we’re tracking the object,” the official said. Military patentsAdditional satellite imagery and analysis of the site suggests that the PLA has significantly loftier goals for its site, and its airship program. Additional satellite imagery provided to CNN by BlackSky shows construction, which includes subterranean excavation and foundation pouring, is continuing. “At this site in particular, I would really want to see the big airship,” Hayes said.

☆ Voyager 2 has been in space for 45 years. NASA just found a way to keep it alive for another 3, despite it being 12 billion miles from Earth.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

NASA has hacked a backup source of power to keep Voyager 2 working. Today, the probes are traveling in interstellar space, 12 and 14 billion miles away from Earth. NASA/JPL-CaltechNASA hacked the ancient probe's power systemA space simulator replica of the Voyager probes is shown here pictured in 1976 NASA/JPL-CalTechThe probes are powered by generators that convert heat from decaying plutonium into electricity. One of Voyager 1's instruments previously malfunctioned, which means the probe has not been using up as much power as Voyager 2. The decision to switch off instruments for Voyager 1 will be made next year, according to the space agency.

☆ Safran posts strong sales but sees supply chain risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The (pandemic) demand crisis is well and truly behind us," Chief Executive Olivier Andries said after reporting first-quarter revenues that rose 24.7% on an underlying basis to 5.266 billion euros ($5.78 billion). Safran's core propulsion revenues rose by 34.9%, on an organic basis, to 2.714 billion euros. Safran reaffirmed its 2023 full-year forecasts for revenues of at least 23 billion euros, recurring operating income around 3 billion euros and free cashflow of at least 2.5 billion. But the engine maker said the main risk factor remained supply chains, led by shortages of materials and labour. Andries said all metals were on the company's watch list for possible supply disruptions, notably steel.

☆ French company Safran keeps 2023 outlook as Q1 sales rise
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, April 26 (Reuters) - France's Safran (SAF.PA) kept its 2023 financial outlook unchanged as it reported sharp growth in quarterly revenues, buoyed by a swift recovery in air traffic demand. Safran, which provides engines for Boeing (BA.N) and Airbus (AIR.PA) narrow-body jets through its CFM International joint venture with General Electric (GE.N), said first-quarter revenues rose 24.7% on an organic basis to 5.266 billion euros ($5.78 billion). Core propulsion revenues rose by 34.9%, on an organic basis, to 2.714 billion euros, the company said on Wednesday. Safran reaffirmed its 2023 full-year financial outlook, namely for revenues of at least 23 billion euros, recurring operating income of around 3 billion euros and a free cash flow of at least 2.5 billion euros. The engine industry and other parts of the aerospace supply chain have, however, been hit by labour and parts shortages.

☆ China says its newest aircraft carrier will be able to launch 'new-type aircraft'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Jack Lau | South China Morning Post | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Chinese navy currently operates two aircraft carriers. Neither carrier features the Fujian's signature catapult system, which allows planes to launch more frequently and carry more fuel and munitions. Despite plans for the navy to gain the ability to operate globally, the CCTV report only referred to operations in domestic waters when saying that China would build more aircraft carriers. "But due to China's vast oceans, the demand cannot be met with only three aircraft carriers — the Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian. Therefore, new aircraft carriers are bound to be built in the future."

CNN —China’s Zhurong rover on Mars has been in hibernation since last May due to an “unpredictable accumulation” of dust, mission designer Zhang Rongqiao said, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Tuesday. “According to our analysis, the biggest possibility is that because of unpredictable accumulation of Martian dust, its power generation capacity was reduced and it was too low to wake itself up,” Rongqiao said, explaining why the rover has since been dormant. This image showing the rover and the lander on the surface of Mars was taken by a separable camera deployed by the Zhurong rover in 2021. The NASA InSight lander’s mission came to an end in December after spending nearly 1,500 days on Mars. But a heavy accumulation of dust on its solar panels caused a steady drop in the lander’s power source.

☆ SpaceX Starship launch: Was it really a 'success?'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —After the first test launch of a SpaceX Starship rocket — the most powerful launch vehicle ever constructed — ended in an eruption of flames over the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, the company sought to frame the mission as a success. Within the space industry, Thursday’s Starship test mission wasn’t considered an outright failure, Caleb Henry, director of research at the space research firm Quilty Analytics, said. The SpaceX Starship exploded after launch for a flight test on April 20, 2023. There isn’t just one Starship vehicle that’s spent years in the development pipeline. The SpaceX rocket that flew on Thursday “was really just a bare bones,” Reisman added.

☆ Jefferies upgrades this multinational on continued growth in the aerospace sector
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Jefferies thinks a storied multinational can benefit from strong growth in its aerospace segment. Jefferies posits that GE will grow its aerospace sector sales by 16% in 2023 to $30.2 billion. GE YTD mountain General Electric could continue to benefit from the growth of its aerospace segment, according to a Thursday note from Jefferies. "GE Aerospace will have a clearer story to tell following the GE Vernova spin in early 2024, which we believe is one of the better positioned stories to the aerospace ramp," Jefferies equity analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu wrote on Thursday. Aerospace margins could also grow to 20% by 2025, Kahyaoglu said, although operating expenses will continue to add pressure.

☆ US government tracking more than 650 potential UFO cases, Pentagon says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Jeremy Herb | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The US government is tracking more than 650 potential cases of so-called “unidentified aerial phenomenon,” commonly known as UFOs, according to the director of the office created last year to focus on the sightings. He played video from two of cases that had been declassified, one that had been resolved and the other unresolved. Kirkpatrick explained that this case was unresolved because there was no other evidence beyond the video. He said that in a small number of cases, he has concerns the episodes could be evidence of potential technological advancements. Those cases, he said, are handed off to the intelligence community to investigate further.

☆ Ingenuity helicopter aces 50th flight on Mars
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

During its 50th flight, Ingenuity traveled over 1,057 feet (322.2 meters) in 145.7 seconds and achieved a new altitude record of 59 feet (18 meters). Since arriving on Mars with the Perseverance rover in February 2021, Ingenuity has flown for more than 89 minutes and 7.1 miles (11.6 kilometers). “When we first flew, we thought we would be incredibly lucky to eke out five flights,” said Teddy Tzanetos, Ingenuity team lead at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in a statement. The rotorcraft has faced numerous challenges since it first detached from the belly of the Perseverance rover more than two years ago. The rover team has a job to do and a schedule to keep.

☆ Ram electric pickup truck can go 500 miles on a charge, says Stellantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

GM expects to get 400 miles of range from its electric trucks. That’s one reason why having a lot of range can be an especially good thing in an electric truck. The pickup truck battle of numbers isn’t just limited to power and pulling, however. Even the Ram TRX, a pickup designed for high-speed desert driving, has a 702-horsepower V8 engine, only slightly more power than the Ram REV. Essentially a plug-in hybrid, that truck will be for customers who aren’t ready to trust a fully electric truck.

☆ NASA to announce astronauts chosen for Artemis II lunar flyby mission
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Steve Gorman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/6] People gather ahead of an event of NASA to announce the crew of the Artemis II space mission to the moon and back in Houston, Texas, U.S., April 3, 2023. REUTERS/Go NakamuraApril 3 (Reuters) - NASA plans on Monday to introduce the four astronauts for its Artemis II lunar flyby mission, set for launch as early as next year in what would be the first crewed voyage around the moon since the end of the Apollo era more than 50 years ago. The newly introduced crew will include the first Canadian astronaut for a moon mission, as well as three Americans from a pool of 18 NASA astronauts - nine women and nine men - selected for the Artemis program in 2020. They were the last of 12 NASA astronauts who walked on the moon during six Apollo missions starting in 1969 with Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin. If Artemis II is a success, NASA plans to follow up a few years later with the programs' first lunar landing of astronauts, one of them a woman, on Artemis III, then continue with additional crewed missions about once a year.

☆ Investing in Space: Boeing's got to get going
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The Starliner spacecraft for the Crew Flight Test is seen in the company's processing facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Even then, each company had faced its share of delays, but NASA estimated flight tests were months apart. I'm not advocating for anything akin to "go fever" for Boeing's upcoming Starliner crewed flight test (CFT), which just got delayed from mid-April to late July. Assuming the test flight goes according to plan, then there are the redesigns of Starliner's propulsion valves and module separation system – and potentially batteries – that are underway for missions after CFT.

☆ Ferrari CEO welcomes EU decision on e-fuels
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Ferrari NV FollowMILAN, March 27 (Reuters) - The chief executive of Ferrari (RACE.MI) on Monday welcomed plans to exempt cars that run on e-fuels from the European Union's planned 2035 phaseout of new combustion engine vehicles. The decision would give the luxury Italian carmaker "greater freedom on the propulsion scheme," CEO Benedetto Vigna told a Reuters newsmaker event. Ferrari, which is renowned for its roaring petrol engines, is already producing plug-in hybrid cars and has promised its first full-electric vehicle for 2025. Reporting by Lisa Jucca and Giulio Piovaccari; writing by Keith Weir; editing by Alvise ArmelliniOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ NASA delays Boeing Starliner's debut crewed voyage
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Starliner's debut crewed mission, which will carry commander Butch Wilmore and pilot Suni Williams, to the International Space Station will be a crucial moment for Boeing's space unit. The delay comes as Boeing and NASA performed extra testing on several areas of the spacecraft. "Boeing has conducted more than a dozen Starliner battery thermal runaway tests, stressing the battery cells beyond their intended limit. Federal procurement data shows NASA has agreed to pay Boeing at least $24.8 million for the upgrade of that system. NASA and Boeing's aim to have the valves redesigned for future missions initiated a dispute with Boeing's propulsion system supplier.

☆ Amogy retrofits vehicles ranging from drones to tractors to make them run on sustainable ammonia. It just raised $139 million with this 18-slide pitch deck.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

We got an exclusive look at the 18-slide deck Amogy used to raise the money. A startup betting on ammonia as a next-generation fuel has just secured $139 million in an all-equity Series B extension. New York-based Amogy has created a retrofit energy system to replace engines, which allows ammonia to be used as a fuel. Ammonia is predicted to account for 45% of all shipping fuel in a net zero 2050 scenario modeled by the International Energy Agency. The company is also working with upstream players to help decarbonize the fuel, Woo said.

☆ Relativity Space's 3D-printed rocket delivers stunning night launch but fails to reach orbit
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Startup Relativity Space sent what it’s calling the “world’s first 3D-printed rocket” toward space on Wednesday, vaulting it into the upper reaches of the atmosphere. Relativity Space's Terran 1 rocket is seen during its third launch attempt of a mission called "GLHF" (Good Luck, Have Fun), from Launch Complex 16 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on March 22, 2023. The company said computers automatically aborted the launch attempt because of a detected software issue. Still, the Terran 1 rocket that failed its first launch attempt on Wednesday may not end up being the company’s showcase product. But those deals are “overwhelmingly for our larger reusable rocket Terran R,” Ellis noted.

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