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Ceramic matrix composites in aircraft engines projected to double over five years, Stratview Research predicts

2018-07-30

Ceramic matrix composite (CMC) use is up across the aerospace market, and among the fastest-growing trends in the global aviation industry. CMC material and component use in aircraft engines, specifically, is projected to double over the next five years, according to a new report from analysts at Stratview Research in Telibandha, India.

Article

NASA invites proposal from space-based large-scale 3D-printing company

2018-05-29

NASA invited MIS to submit a proposal for a technology flight demonstration mission of its Archinaut technology – an in-space robotic manufacturing and assembly platform designed by Made In Space (MIS). It's purpose is to construct space-optimized systems of sizes not previously feasible.

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First Airbus BelugaXL oversize cargo airlifter emerges from paint shop with employee-selected, whale-inspired livery

2018-06-29

The first Airbus BelugaXL has rolled out of the paint shop, sporting a special, beluga whale-inspired livery selected by Airbus employees.

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ISS launches largest satellite to date to test active debris removal

2018-07-05

Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) have launched RemoveDEBRIS, the first satellite with space debris-removal capabilities and the largest satellite ever deployed from the ISS. RemoveDEBRIS, a low Earth orbit test bed for determining the efficacy of active debris removal (ADR) systems, is a multinational effort involving space agencies, aerospace experts, and technologies from throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and the U.S.

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DARPA’s latest drone swarm sprint focuses on virtual environments

2019-05-13

Through OFFSET, DARPA envisions swarms of 250 collaborative autonomous systems – including unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) – providing critical capabilities to ground units in urban areas where challenges such as tall buildings, tight spaces, and limited sight lines constrain essential communications, sensing, maneuverability, and autonomous operations.

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SAE International issues first technical standards for aerospace additive manufacturing

2018-06-13

Jun 13, 2018 - The Aerospace Material Specification committee on Additive Manufacturing (AMS-AM) at SAE International in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, has released its first suite of Aerospace Material Specifications (AMS) additive manufacturing materials and process specifications. The new aerospace technical standards, now available from SAE, support the certification of critical aircraft and spacecraft parts, providing both a framework to protect the integrity of material property data and traceability within the aerospace supply chain.

Article

Additive manufacturing adoption up, growing rapidly in aerospace

2018-06-14

The 3D printing materials market will experience high double-digit growth in the aerospace industry through 2024, as manufacturers of aircraft and spacecraft vehicles and components increasingly adopt and reap the benefits of additive manufacturing, market analysts at Frost & Sullivan in Mountain View, California, predict.

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Embraer X eVTOL debuts design at Uber Elevate 2018

2018-05-31

Autonomous flying cars and air-taxis have been the subject of science fiction movies for decades, but Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer has now announced plans to develop a practical – if futuristic – small commercial air vehicle.

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AVIC subsidiary Continental Aerospace will power the upcoming Diamond DA50, expands into electric propulsion

2019-04-12

Continental Aerospace Technologies is partnering with Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH of Austria to provide a new powerplant for the DA50 general aviation aircraft. Continental also recently expanded its portfolio with a “cash and in-kind contribution” investment in Ampaire Inc., an electric aircraft and propulsion company.

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Kepler Communications will flight test a transmission optimizing “smart radiator device” on its next satellite mission

2019-04-16

Kepler Communications, Inc.’s (Kepler’s) TARS six-unit cubesat – the company’s third satellite scheduled for launch later this year – will feature an innovative smart radiator device (SRD) designed to significantly optimize heat dissipation on communication satellites where environmental conditions have a big impact on transmission signals.

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Mettis Aerospace to serve as testbed for world’s first Wi-Fi 6-enabled smart factory technologies

2019-04-17

As part of its ongoing Wi-Fi 6 program, the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) – an industry association focused on next generation Wi-Fi services and interoperability – is starting the world’s first Wi-Fi 6 Industrial Enterprise and Internet of Things (IoT) trial at Mettis Aerospace Limited’s (Mettis Aerospace’s) 27-acre West Midlands facility.

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Sensuron enables real-time structural health monitoring onboard NASA’s X-56 UAV

2019-04-04

In contrast to the stiff, rigid wings found on most commercial aircraft, flexible wing technology is considered essential to next generation, fuel efficient aircraft. However, flexible wings are susceptible to “flutter,” or highly destructive aeroelastic instability. To better understand and mitigate flutter, engineers at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) equipped the X-56 with fiber optic sensing (FOS) technology.

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NASA highlights material and coating technology ready for commercial applications

2019-05-10

Four of these technologies – smart coatings for corrosion detection and protection, aluminum alloys for high temperature applications, particle contamination mitigation technologies, and thermal and environmental barrier coating systems – are among NASA’s most in-demand technologies and have been applied to mainstream engineering projects.

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Maintainers design a $400 maintenance fixture to save the U.S. Air Force $500k per year

2019-04-30

A cowling, or engine cover, is a critical airframe component that reduces drag and directing airflow into the engine. For the E-8C JSTARS, an aircraft with four massive Pratt and Whitney JT3D-based TF33-102C turbofan engines, each set of engine cowling components can cost up to $80,000 per set. Even a slightly warped cowling renders the entire housing unsafe and unserviceable.

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The Bell V-280 Valor will be engined by Rolls-Royce

2019-05-07

Bell Helicopter will partner with Rolls-Royce to develop an optimized propulsion system for the Bell V-280 Valor and unmanned V-247 Vigilant vertical lift tiltrotor aircraft – the company’s candidate platforms for the U.S. Army’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program.

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Air Force facility dedicated to AI and automation opens in Pittsburgh

2019-04-30

The new Advanced Technology and Training Center (ATTC), which opened yesterday after a ribbon-cutting ceremony, will focus on breakthroughs in condition-based maintenance and the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and automation within that domain.

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Apollo Fusion will supply NASA JPL with MaSMi Hall thrusters as sole licensed manufacturer

2019-05-08

JPL transferred the license to Apollo after the company was awarded a contract to produce three engineering model MaSMi-EM thrusters for JPL’s Ascendant Sub-kW Transcelestial Electric Propulsion System (ASTRAEUS). Apollo will deliver the three MaSMi-EM thrusters to JPL this summer.

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Lockheed Martin validates heatshield for the Mars 2020 rover mission

2019-05-07

Lockheed Martin Corporation successfully completed development and testing for the heatshield that will protect NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Mars 2020 rover during its descent to the Martian surface. After completing the flight hardware structure, Lockheed Martin tested the heatshield’s physical integrity by exposing it to ‘flight-like’ thermal conditions.

Article

NASA budget amendment to help send Americans to moon by 2024, then Mars

2019-05-15

An amended NASA budget for fiscal year 2020 would add $1.6 billion to a $21 billion initial budget request and fund deep space exploration, science, and technology initiatives. An acquisition approach to various projects would present significant opportunities for commercial partners and, likely, the entire aerospace supply chain.

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NASA selects power and propulsion module for upcoming lunar Gateway

2019-05-24

Maxar Technologies Inc. will design, build, and perform a spaceflight demonstration of the power and propulsion element spacecraft with Blue Origin, LLC and the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.