Former NASA astronaut Ken Mattingly II, best known for helping the crew of Apollo 13 return to Earth safely in 1970 after the loss of an oxygen tank in space doomed the lunar landing, has died at 87. 

His cause of death on October 31 in Arlington, Virginia, was not released by NASA.

“Mattingly was key to the success of our Apollo program, and his shining personality will ensure he is remembered throughout history,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement that also called Mattingly “one of our country’s heroes.”

According to his NASA biography, Thomas Kenneth Mattingly II, who went by Ken or “TK,” was born in Chicago on March 17, 1936. He graduated from high school in Miami and earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from Auburn University in 1958.

He began his aerospace career as a Naval aviator, earning his wings in 1960. He flew multiple aircraft on multiple assignments, eventually joining the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School as a student. This led NASA to select him as part of the astronaut class of 1966. Before flying in space, Mattingly worked in the Apollo program as part of the astronaut support crew, taking leadership in the development of the Apollo spacesuit and backpack.

In 1970, Mattingly was slated to be aboard Apollo 13, however, he was exposed to rubella (also known as the German measles), which forced the space agency to remove him from the mission out of an abundance of caution. According to NASA, when the crew of Apollo 13 ran into trouble on its ill-fated mission, Mattingly ran scenarios on the ground that helped bring the crippled spacecraft and  astronauts James Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise safely home.

In director Ron Howard’s 1995 movie Apollo 13, Mattingly was played by Gary Sinise. One of the most poignant scenes in the film is when Mattingly climbs into the Apollo capsule mock-up to run scenarios to find a solution to address the emergency in orbit. When offered a particular flashlight to use, Mattingly declines it, saying it is not the same as the one the astronauts have aboard the spacecraft and it is important that he craft a solution with the same tools they have.

Mattingly would go on to serve as command module pilot for Apollo 16 and spacecraft commander for space shuttle missions STS-4, the fourth mission of the Columbia launched in 1982, and, the third flight of Discovery launched in 1985. The latter mission was the first to carry a Department of Defense payload and as such many details of the mission to this day remain classified.

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After months of being grounded by the FAA, SpaceX’s Starship rocket could soon see its second launch in a matter of days, the company said Friday.

“The second flight test of a fully integrated Starship could launch as soon as mid-November, pending regulatory approval,” SpaceX said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Starship was grounded by the agency in April, pending an investigation after its initial test flight exploded in flames when the spacecraft lost control during stage separation just minutes into the flight.

• READ MORE: SpaceX’s Starship—the Most Powerful Rocket in History—Nears Return to Flight

The FAA concluded its probe into the mishap in September and wrapped up the safety review portion of the SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy license evaluation earlier this week. The safety review is considered a principal component in the process that grants companies authority to launch rockets.

The second flight test of a fully integrated Starship could launch as soon as mid-November, pending regulatory approval → https://t.co/pxgvgUeIFF pic.twitter.com/P40vOCaFaZ

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) November 3, 2023

“Starship’s first flight test provided numerous lessons learned that directly contributed to several upgrades to both the vehicle and ground infrastructure to improve the probability of success on future flights,” SpaceX said. “The second flight test will debut a hot-stage separation system and a new electronic Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system for Super Heavy Raptor engines, in addition to reinforcements to the pad foundation and a water-cooled steel flame deflector, among many other enhancements.”

• READ MORE: SpaceX’s Starship Rocket Explodes Minutes After Launch

SpaceX also announced it will livestream a webcast of the flight test, which will begin about 30 minutes before launch.  

The post SpaceX: Starship Could Launch Again By Mid-November appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The U.S. military is playing a larger role in the most recent conflict in Israel and Gaza than previously thought.

On Friday, the Pentagon confirmed reports that forces from the U.S. Special Operations Command are flying unarmed surveillance drones over the Gaza Strip to assist in the recovery of hostages held by Hamas, of which there are thought to be around 240, including several Americans.

According to Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been flying over Gaza since Hamas’ October 7 invasion of Israel.

“In support of hostage recovery efforts, the U.S. is conducting unarmed UAV flights over Gaza, as well as providing advice and assistance to support our Israeli partner as they work on their hostage recovery efforts,” said Ryder in a statement. “These UAV flights began after the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel.”

According to a report by The New York Times, which first spotted the drones on publicly accessible flight-tracking website Flightradar24, the UAVs are remotely piloted MQ-9A extended range Reapers.

Amelia Smith, an open source intelligence and aviation researcher who has been tracking the MQ-9s for several days, told FLYING that by her estimate, a total of seven different aircraft are flying across the region, four of them per day. Typically, only one Reaper is in the air at any given moment. But the UAVs have loitered over Gaza at around 24,000 to 26,000 feet, sometimes for several hours at a time, Smith said.

The MQ-9 Reaper is considered the Air Force’s first “hunter-killer” UAV. It was initially designed as a highly precise and durable combat drone, with advanced sensors and cameras, robust communications, and the ability to loiter for more than 24 hours. Today, it is used primarily for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations.

Two unnamed Department of Defense (DOD) officials told the Times the Reaper deployments are thought to be the first time U.S. drones have flown missions over Gaza. The officials added that one goal of the flights is to pass potential leads on hostage positions along to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Previously, Pentagon officials had announced the U.S. delivery of precision-guided munitions, Air Force fighters, and air defense capabilities—such as interceptors for Israel’s Iron Dome counter-drone systems—to the IDF. But before Friday, they made no mention of MQ-9s.

In a Tuesday press briefing, however, Ryder mentioned that the DOD is “coordinating closely with the Israelis to help secure the release of the hostages held by Hamas, including American citizens.”

Added Ryder: “[Defense Secretary Lloyd] Austin highlighted that we immediately provided U.S. military advisors to offer best practices for integrating hostage recovery into Israel’s operations.”

Christopher Maier, an assistant secretary of defense, said earlier this week that U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) are on the ground in Israel to assist with hostage recovery. Officials anonymously told the Times that several dozen commandos have been dispatched and are working with the FBI, the State Department, and other U.S. government hostage recovery specialists.

A senior Pentagon official told Spencer Ackerman, who runs the militarism-focused Substack blog “Forever Wars,” that SOF are preparing for “contingencies,” which may include the retrieval of hostages from Hamas. However, the official stressed that current deployments are non-combat missions aimed at training, consulting, and planning with the IDF, not recovering hostages.

Ackerman characterized direct special operations involvement in hostage retrieval as being in the “break-glass-in-case-of-absolute-emergency category.” For now, action is limited to surveillance with the MQ-9 Reaper drones and soft support for the IDF.

Meanwhile, Israel, which this week launched a ground offensive in Gaza City, reportedly plans to send drones into Gaza’s extensive tunnel network. According to recent reports and a firsthand account from an Israeli hostage who was released, these tunnels are where Hamas holds people after they’ve been captured.

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Hello, and welcome to the Future of FLYING newsletter, our weekly look at the biggest stories in emerging aviation technology. From low-altitude drones to high-flying rockets at the edge of the atmosphere, we’ll take you on a tour of the modern flying world to help you make sense of it all.

Now for this week’s top story:

Canada’s Helijet Makes History with Beta eVTOL Order

What happened? Helijet is one of North America’s oldest and largest helicopter airlines and one of the few that offers scheduled passenger flights. Now, the company is flying into the future with its order for Beta Technologies’ Alia-250 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi—the first such purchase by a Canadian air carrier.

Old dog, new tricks: Helijet has been around since the ’80s, but that won’t stop it from embracing technologies at aviation’s cutting edge. The firm, Beta’s first Canadian customer, expects to be the country’s first air carrier to offer passenger and cargo eVTOL flights. Beta’s Alia will complement—not replace—its fleet of Eurocopter AS350 B2s, Sikorsky S76s, Learjet 31As, and Pilatus PC-12s.

Alia is more limited than these designs, with a 250 nm range and 100 knot cruise speed. However, it produces zero carbon emissions and is expected to be far quieter than those helicopters—and cheaper, Beta and Helijet claim. Helijet will deploy it for passenger, cargo, and medical transport services.

Why Beta? Per Helijet, Beta makes for an ideal partner due to its plan to certify Alia for IFR operations. The eVTOL manufacturer also has a footprint in Canada, having opened an engineering and research and development hub in Montreal in March. It also partnered with Canadian flight simulator provider CAE to train Alia pilots and maintenance technicians.

The partners estimate that eVTOL aircraft could serve 4.2 million passengers in the Greater Vancouver area over the next 15 to 20 years, generating some $1.5 billion ($2.1 million Canadian dollars) in advanced air mobility (AAM) business activity. But they’ll need to wait for Alia’s certification, which is expected around 2026.

Quick quote: “With its mature air travel market demographic and existing challenges for conventional transportation between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, southern British Columbia provides an exciting opportunity to demonstrate the commercial viability and environmental sustainability of AAM in B.C. and Canada,” said JR Hammond, executive director of Canadian Advanced Air Mobility (CAAM), the country’s national AAM consortium.

My take: Could Helijet, one of only two major scheduled passenger helicopter airline services in North America (Blade Urban Air Mobility being the other), become one of the region’s biggest AAM player?

Compared to the massive eVTOL investments made by U.S. airlines such as United and Delta, Canadian air carriers have been slower to warm up to the emerging tech. But Helijet could be set up for early success, with a built-in customer base that already seeks short-hop helicopter flights. Replacing some of those trips with air taxi routes shouldn’t harm demand—especially if Alia can offer a cheaper alternative, as the partners claim.

The new aircraft likely won’t fly until 2026. But when they do, Helijet could provide an important litmus test for AAM operations in Canada.

Deep dive: Canada’s Helijet Makes History with Beta eVTOL Order

In Other News…

SpaceX Starship Nears Return to Flight

What happened? SpaceX’s Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, has been grounded since its April maiden voyage began and ended in flames. But the FAA in September closed its investigation into the explosion, and the agency this week announced it has now completed its safety review—a key portion of the evaluation of SpaceX’s launch license.

Back in action soon? Having completed the safety review, the FAA is now working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on an environmental review, the final step needed to modify SpaceX’s vehicle operator license, which may take up to 135 days. When that modification is approved, Starship will be cleared for a second test flight.

However, keep an eye on the lingering lawsuit the FAA and SpaceX are battling. If they lose the case, the FAA will need to produce an environmental impact statement analyzing the effect of Starship launches on local wildlife. That process could delay things for months—or longer.

Deep dive: SpaceX’s Starship—the Most Powerful Rocket in History—Nears Return to Flight

Zipline and Cleveland Clinic Plan Prescription Drone Delivery

What happened? Zipline, the world’s largest drone delivery provider, added its fourth major U.S. healthcare partner this year in Cleveland Clinic. The hospital system will work with Zipline to launch prescription drone delivery in 2025, using its new partner’s Platform 2 (P2) delivery system.

How it’ll work: Zipline’s P2 does a couple cool things—among them is the installation of drone “drive-thru” windows that will allow Cleveland Clinic technicians to load the aircraft without leaving the lab. Rather than drop prescriptions using a parachute, like Zipline’s Platform 1 does, P2 will lower a small, autonomous droid that steers itself to a landing area the size of a patio table.

The collaboration makes sense for Cleveland Clinic, which has been lauded for its supply chain and innovative use of technology. Eventually, the partners plan to ramp up with deliveries of lab samples, prescription meals, and more.

Deep Dive: Zipline and Cleveland Clinic Partner on Prescription Drone Delivery

And a Few More Headlines:

• Ireland’s Manna Drone Delivery launched commercially in the U.S. with Halloween deliveries for trick-or-treaters.

• Virgin Galactic completed its Galactic 05 mission, the company’s sixth successful spaceflight in as many months.

• Chinese eVTOL manufacturer EHang said it expects to begin delivering its type-certified air taxi to customers in the coming months.

• Germany’s Lilium, another eVTOL maker, appointed ArcosJet as its exclusive Lilium Jet dealer in the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and Cyprus.

• Tampa International Airport (KTPA) hosted a test flight of Volocopter’s eVTOL for city and state officials.

On the Horizon…

Kicking off things with a pair of developments FLYING covered this week, the FAA and the U.S. Air Force, as well as the state of Utah, have stepped up their AAM efforts.

Starting with the two government entities: The FAA and AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Air Force, are collaborating to share flight data and testing capabilities for eVTOL and autonomous aircraft. AFWERX has awarded millions of dollars worth of contracts to 36 electric aircraft and technology developers, and its learnings could help the FAA meet its Innovate28 goals. The partnership is expected to benefit U.S.-made aircraft in particular.

Regulators in Utah, meanwhile, released an AAM blueprint resembling a smaller, state-level version of Innovate28. The report provides an interesting look at how individual states may initially tackle these new services. While it’s jampacked with guidance, the researchers’ key takeaway was that Utah already has plenty of assets to work with, and it could see fully operational AAM services by 2028.

We’ve got a couple of Congressional updates this week too. The big one is the introduction of the American Security Drone Act of 2023 to the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. The bill, initially proposed in February by Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.), would prevent federal departments and agencies from operating, procuring, or using federal funding to purchase drones made in China and Russia.

Meanwhile, Warner and other legislators this week announced that the Senate passed a measure to limit federal funding for drones made in China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, and Cuba—collectively described as the “New Axis of Evil.” The amendment will withhold funding included in the upcoming FAA appropriations package.

Staying at the federal level, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security could soon lose the ability to down rogue drones, as their counter-drone authority, established in 2018, is set to expire November 18. Christopher Wray, director of the FBI, said failure to reauthorize the two agencies could leave the U.S. “effectively defenseless” against threats to mass gatherings, airports, and other critical infrastructure.

Speaking of critical infrastructure: In New York’s Capital Region, officials have introduced a bill that would prevent drones from flying near schools and other buildings with that label. The legislation appears after a series of incidents involving drones flying over schools.

Mark Your Calendars

Each week, I’ll be running through a list of upcoming industry events. Here are a few conferences to keep an eye on:

• Dubai Air Show—November 13-17 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Aerospace Tech Week Americas 2023—November 14-15 in Atlanta
• Advanced Air Mobility Summit 2023—November 20-21 in Lisbon, Portugal
• ICAO Drone Enable—December 5-7 in Montreal
• 11th Annual eVTOL Symposium—February 6-8 in Silicon Valley, California
• Drone Show Korea 2024—March 6-8 in Busan, South Korea
• World’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Conference—March 17-19 in Jerusalem
• AUVSI Xponential 2024—April 22-25 in San Diego 
• Vertical Flight Society’s Forum 80—May 7-9 in Montreal

Tweet of the Week

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I want to hear your questions, comments, concerns, and criticisms about everything in the modern flying space, whether they’re about a new drone you just bought or the future of space exploration. Reach out to jack@flying.media or tweet me @jack_daleo with your thoughts.

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Cold, dreary weather is always a threat to derail Halloween festivities, as was the case in Dallas-Fort Worth this year. But for trick-or-treaters in one of the area’s neighborhoods, drones came to the rescue.

“We are taking Halloween to new heights with a fun new way for kids to trick or treat—especially when the weather isn’t very Halloween compatible,” said Andrew Patton, the head of Ireland-based Manna Drone Delivery’s U.S. business.

On Tuesday, Manna drones flew chocolate, candies, and other sweet treats straight to the doorsteps of clamoring children (and adults) in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Northlake. The Halloween-themed deliveries marked the company’s official U.S. launch, first teased in March.

But Manna, which is backed by Coca-Cola HBC and operates one of Europe’s largest drone delivery services, will deliver more than just Kit Kats and Sour Patch Kids.

“After over four years of operations and over 150,000 flights logged in Europe, we are excited to be touching down in the United States to offer the residents of Dallas-Fort Worth a lightning-quick and sustainable home delivery service,” said Patton.

Patton brings some traditional aviation expertise to the table—the Manna executive holds a commercial pilot’s license with 1,900 hours of flight time and multiple jet type ratings. He flies a Yakovlev Yak-50 aerobatic airplane whenever time permits.

Moving forward, residents of Northlake’s Pecan Square community will be able to order drinks and food (including more chocolate and candy) from local retailers Farmhouse Coffee & Treasures and The Touring Chocolatier, as well as from a few “notable national brands.” 

The service will run on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, delivering items in less than three minutes on average, Manna said. Patton told FLYING the company plans to deliver to the yards of all 1,600 households in Pecan Square, rolling out service with a “staggered” approach.

According to the company’s website, when an order is placed through its app, Manna drones take off from a delivery hub, flying at 60 mph (52 knots) at a height of around 200 feet. When they arrive above the customer’s yard, the drones descend to about 100 feet, lowering packages gently to the ground using a tether. That allows it to deliver delicate items such as eggs.

Manna claims that when its drones are soaring at their cruising altitude, they’re perceived as silent by people on the ground. And when descending to complete a delivery, the company describes the aircraft’s buzzing as inaudible to customers indoors.

To kick off its U.S. launch, Manna also partnered with the local Tarrant Area Food Bank, which provides close to a million meals per week to North Texans. The company will make a donation for every flight it conducts this year.

The Start of Something Bigger?

While Pecan Square is Manna’s first and only U.S. drone delivery service area, it’s unlikely to be the last.

Pecan Square was developed by Hillwood Communities and is located near the company’s AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone (MIZ). The MIZ aims to test and scale drone delivery and unmanned aircraft technologies in a real-world environment.

Manna’s Dallas-Fort Worth launch came a few months after it and Hillwood announced the beginning of trials at the MIZ, with the ultimate goal of offering drone delivery to “a select number of Hillwood’s residential developments.” 

The implication is that Pecan Square is only the first site. Per that announcement, Manna plans to eventually offer its service to more than 10,000 local residents.

“Hillwood is the premier developer of best-in-class residential communities in Texas,” Patton told FLYING. “Hillwood’s legacy of technology-forward communities and its investment in next-generation autonomous transportation technology through the AllianceTexas MIZ make it an extremely well-suited partner for Manna as we move into the U.S.”

Another major drone delivery player, Alphabet’s Wing, tested its service at the MIZ’s Flight Test Center in 2021. A year later, it launched a delivery hub at Hillwood’s Frisco Station mixed-use development in partnership with Walgreens. Bell Textron has also demonstrated drone package delivery at the AllianceTexas site.

“Drone deliveries are here to stay, and we’re leaning into this efficient and innovative delivery option,” Chris Ash, senior vice president of aviation business development at Hillwood and the leader of MIZ, told FLYING. “We will continue to build great relationships with more companies to further develop and commercialize this technology that reduces roadway congestion and emissions.”

In August, Wing expanded its Dallas-Fort Worth operations to a Walmart Supercenter in Frisco, which FLYING received an inside look at last month. Israel’s Flytrex has offered drone delivery in the DFW suburb of Granbury since 2022. And elsewhere in the state, Amazon Prime Air last year landed in College Station, adding prescription drone delivery to that service in October.

Manna, meanwhile, has primarily focused on growing domestic operations. Its largest markets are the Dublin suburb of Balbriggan and a few other locations in Ireland—per an interview with Forbes, it has completed thousands of flights per day in multiple Irish markets. According to CEO Bobby Healy, those services are one-tenth the cost of a human driver in a car.

Healy told Forbes the company’s philosophy is to target highly populated U.S. markets, drawing from its experience flying over urban densities of 10,000 people per square mile. Dallas-Fort Worth, one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the U.S., appears to fit that bill. At the same time, Manna is eyeing an expansion into mainland Europe.

“Manna is doing great things in Dublin, and we’re excited to see them make their U.S. debut in Texas and within a Hillwood community,” said Ash. “The AllianceTexas MIZ connects the people, places and ideas needed to propel innovation in surface and air mobility forward. Manna and Wing, another great partner to Hillwood, will continue to benefit from this ecosystem.”

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The European Space Agency (ESA) is accepting applications for its 2024 internship program, it announced Thursday.

“Applications are open for one month, and positions are available in engineering, science, IT, natural/social sciences, business, economics, and administration services,” ESA said. “This is your chance to kick off your career in the space sector.”

Applicants must be students, preferably in their last or second-to-last year of graduate school and a citizen of an ESA member country, associate member country, or European cooperating country.

Those countries include:

• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Canada 
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czechia
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• The Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom 

How to Apply

Internship positions are listed on the ESA recruitment website. To apply, students must create a candidate profile, upload their resume, and submit a motivation letter.

Candidates will be shortlisted and selected by January.

Additional information about ESA’s internship program may be found here.

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A few months after the FAA released its Innovate28 plan for scaled advanced air mobility (AAM) operations by 2028, Utah officials have revealed their own plan to integrate delivery drones, electric air taxis, vertiports, and more into the state’s airspace.

At the request of the state legislature, the Utah AAM Working Group, part of the Utah Department of Transportation’s Aeronautics Division, this week released a legislative report and study on the implementation of AAM services in regions such as the Salt Lake City metro area.

The Utah AAM Infrastructure and Regulatory Study is a 58-page framework—similar to the FAA’s Innovate28 and its previously released AAM blueprint—that identifies the benefits, limitations, assets, timelines, and funding mechanisms associated with the state’s adoption of these emerging services. It does not establish any new rules or regulations but simply provides guidance.

The Utah Legislature also called on researchers to review state laws and identify any changes that could be made to speed the development of the state’s AAM operations. But according to the report, Utah already has plenty of potential to support technologies like drones and air taxis.

“Through leadership foresight, from the legislature to state agencies, Utah has positioned itself to embrace AAM,” the report reads. “The state already has significant assets in place that could be utilized in early implementation of advanced air mobility.”

Researchers identified several positive effects AAM could have on the state, the two biggest being a reduction in carbon emissions—since many drones and air taxi designs are electric—and “clear and compelling” economic benefits.

The report suggests that AAM services would create the potential for thousands of high-paying jobs in vehicle manufacturing, maintenance, and vertiport operations. For example, Zipline—which operates drone delivery in Utah through a partnership with Intermountain Healthcare—hires FAA-certificated drone pilots directly out of high school and helps them to pay for college. Utah is also one of seven states where Walmart and delivery partner DroneUp are flying.

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) manufacturers could bring further employment opportunities. Two of the U.S.’s largest, Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation, have begun building production plants in Georgia and Ohio, respectively, far from their California headquarters. Both firms expect to produce hundreds of vehicles and thousands of lucrative jobs.

On the other hand, the biggest limitations of AAM may be safety and privacy concerns from Utah residents and impacts on local or migrating animals, according to the report.

Researchers believe that Utah has plenty of readily available assets that could serve the AAM industry with some slight modifications. They note, for example, that the Aeronautics Division is already assisting airports with electrification and vertiport installation. 

The report considers airports, unsurprisingly, to be “prime” locations for AAM operations. It lists South Valley Regional Airport (U42), Skypark Airport (KBTF), and Spanish Fork Airport (KSPK) as potential urban air mobility hubs, adding that local or rural airports could be turned into regional air mobility hubs or drone delivery service centers.

Based on data from the Wasatch Front Regional Council, the report also identifies potential sites for vertiports in communities without airports: underutilized parking garages. Shopping center parking lots, for example, could be transformed into landing pads by rearranging paint and lighting.

Utah’s “excellent” statewide fiber-optic and cellular network coverage should allow drones to easily broadcast data and communicate with remote pilots when flying beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS)—an FAA requirement.

The state’s electric grid, meanwhile, produces around 37,000 MWh of electricity per year to charge eVTOL or other electric aircraft. Utah relies on a shared grid system, which allows it to draw some additional power as demand increases. But its electric substations may require upgrades to support an influx of AAM aircraft. And at first, the state may need to build vertiports selectively based on the capacity of local facilities.

The Roadmap

The report examines what AAM operations in Utah may look like in various phases, zooming in to the next two to three years and zooming out decades from now.

“Everything does not have to be in place on day one,” the report reads. “The prudent approach is to follow a phased implementation plan that allows government and markets to grow one step at a time and adjust as appropriate to shifting market demands.”

Researchers broke down the plan into four segments based on “current industry projections.” The initial phase, which covers the next two to three years, will focus mainly on community outreach and public engagement. It will also involve the initial buildout of infrastructure, such as a statewide unmanned traffic management (UTM) system.

A UTM—and an Aerial Traffic Operations Center for the personnel managing it—is one of the “hard” infrastructure components Utah will need to add to its AAM ecosystem. Its creation, along with the improvement of cellular and internet broadcast receivers, will be one of the more challenging tasks the state faces.

In addition, Utah will require “soft” infrastructure improvements: more personnel, man hours, and expertise to name a few. The designing of aerial corridors, adaptation of land-use planning, and development of AAM policies are also on the agenda.

Phase two of the plan, expected to last three to five years, is primarily aimed at expanding UTM capacity and building the initial vertiport sites, with continued local outreach and engagement. Matt Maass, director of Utah’s aeronautics division, told the Salt Lake Tribune that 2028—which would fall under this stage—could mark the entry of AAM services such as electric air taxis.

The third stage is planned to last seven to 15 years. By this point, Utah hopes to have comprehensive UTM services, including a fully operational Aerial Traffic Operations Center. Vertiport infrastructure and operations should be at a “commercially viable” level, providing capacity for daily commutes.

The final phase, which could stretch from anywhere between 15 and 30 years, will tie everything together. By then, the state should have a fully integrated electric- and hydrogen-hybrid aviation and ground transportation system. This network would connect urban and rural communities statewide, the report predicts.

To get there—or to even advance beyond phase one—Utah will need plenty of funding. As things stand, municipalities looking to add vertiport infrastructure can apply for loans from the state. They can also issue general or revenue-obligated bonds if they expect to make money from those sites. And through a pair of recent House bills, federal financing is now becoming available. More is expected when the FAA is reauthorized.

“Mechanisms to acquire the money needed to pay for the new technologies are already in place, and more funding is anticipated from the federal government,” the report reads. “Most importantly, Utah’s preparation allows the state the flexibility to start at a methodical, yet efficient, pace.”

Researchers suggest the state might consider issuing bonds, appropriating general revenues, or using green revolving funds to help finance AAM projects. Potential funding mechanisms could also include fees (such as for landing, airspace usage, or permitting) and sales or excise taxes (such as on aircraft sales or facility charges).

How Utah Could Get AAM Laws on the Books

Though the report is not meant to create any new AAM rules, the researchers do suggest a few initial steps legislators could take to get the regulatory ball rolling.

For example, they point out that Utah Senate Bill 166, passed last year, defines the term “AAM system” and calls for state preemption of local AAM laws. Legislators could consider adding definitions such as “aerial transit corridor,” “vertiport,” or “UTM” to the rule, the report suggests.

To address property rights concerns, Utah could establish avigation easements, which would essentially give the state the rights to use airspace above private property, with the owner’s permission. The creation of an AAM Program Office and formal processes for licensing vertiports and registering AAM aircraft could also clear up things.

Researchers also say the state should consider requiring all municipalities to add the terms “drone package delivery” and “aerial taxi operations” to their approved conditional use permit lists. This would provide a basis for early AAM entrants to operate legally. Enacting zoning language for takeoff and landing sites and “vertiport overlay zones” could help municipalities further prepare for the birth of a new sector.

“Advanced air mobility is an entirely new transportation system and presents new opportunities and challenges never before encountered by departments of transportation,” the report concludes. “However, national-scale solutions for the entirety of the system do not need to be resolved prior to Utah implementing the first steps and phases toward active operations.”

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Since its inaugural launch, SpaceX’s Starship rocket has been grounded while the FAA conducted a mishap investigation, which finally closed in September. This week, the agency completed another key step toward issuing a modified launch license for Starship, which would return the spacecraft to action.

“The FAA completed the safety review portion of the SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy license evaluation on October 31,” the agency told FLYING.

The safety review is the “principal component” of the FAA’s vehicle operator license evaluation, which grants companies the authority to launch rockets. In its review, the agency assessed the impact of Starship launches on public health and property damage. It also evaluated SpaceX’s safety organization, system safety processes, and flight safety analysis, as well as quantitative risk criteria related to launch, reentry, and vehicle disposal.

Starship—whose two reusable components, the Super Heavy Booster and Starship upper stage, stand close to 400 feet when stacked together—is the largest and most powerful rocket ever built. But its maiden voyage in April began and ended in flames, when the spacecraft lost control and exploded during stage separation just minutes into the flight.

Meanwhile, the impact of Super Heavy’s 33 Raptor engines on the company’s Boca Chica, Texas, launch pad, Starbase, created a massive crater. Starship’s liftoff broke windows, shook buildings, and sprayed ash and debris over an area far larger than expected, including 6 miles away in the town of Port Isabel.

While the FAA’s license evaluation safety review centered around Starship’s impact to people and property, the agency is now working on an environmental review to gauge its effect on nearby wildlife.

Coordinating with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) under the Endangered Species Act, the FAA must produce an updated biological assessment for Starship. An initial biological assessment, published in October 2021, assessed threats to wildlife surrounding Starbase.

According to USFWS, the ongoing environmental assessment focuses on a new water deluge system installed at Starbase, one of several upgrades the company has made to the launch pad since April. Most launch pads have either a water deluge system or a flame trench to suppress heat and sound. But Starbase lacked such a system during Starship’s first launch, which may have exacerbated the damage caused by the engines.

The FAA initiated a consultation with USFWS on October 19, giving the latter 135 days to issue an amended biological opinion based on the FAA’s assessment. However, it does not expect to take the full amount of time.

The FAA’s completion of Starship’s safety review and the ongoing work toward the environmental review bring SpaceX closer to modifying its launch license, which would clear the way for the massive rocket to fly again. But the company may still have hurdles beyond the FAA’s evaluation.

Starship’s maiden voyage was permitted under the FAA’s April written reevaluation of the programmatic environmental assessment (PEA) it awarded to SpaceX in 2022. But the April explosion brought scrutiny upon the PEA in the form of a lawsuit brought against the FAA by five environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity.

The plaintiffs claim the FAA could have mitigated the damage from the launch and subsequent explosion. Had the agency conducted an environmental impact statement (EIS) instead of a PEA “based on SpaceX’s preference,” as the groups allege, the impact may have been less severe.

Both a PEA and an EIS can give an operator the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) compliance required to greenlight a launch. But unlike an EIS, the PEA allowed SpaceX to analyze the potential impact of its own launch proposal and may have authorized Starship to fly sooner. The FAA required SpaceX to take more than 75 actions after submitting its PEA. But the lawsuit alleges these were not sufficient to prevent a mishap.

SpaceX in June joined the suit as a codefendant, and it and the FAA are now seeking to dismiss it. If they lose, the FAA would be required to conduct an EIS, which could represent a major setback for Starship.

However, SpaceX last week said Starship is ready to fly pending the approval of its license modification, and the company should still be able to conduct test flights despite the ongoing lawsuit.

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Russia’s use of loitering kamikaze drones to attack priority targets in Ukraine has created “a step change” in its attack capability, according to British military intelligence.

“Russia’s Lancet small one-way-attack uncrewed aerial systems (OWA UAVs) have highly likely been one of the most effective new capabilities Russia has fielded in Ukraine over the last 12 months,” the U.K. Ministry of Defense said Wednesday in a message on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It is designed to be piloted over enemy territory, waiting until a target is identified, before diving towards it and detonating.”

• READ MORE: In Israel and Gaza, Drones Change the Calculus of War

Russian sources claim its military began using a new version of the Lancet UAVs as of October 21 and that it is testing them for mass synchronized swarm strikes, according to an assessment released Saturday by the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.

The UAVs are manufactured by Russian ZALA Aero Group, which also produces small, unarmed Orlan 10 UAVs often used with Lancets for target reconnaissance. 

“Russia deploys Lancets to attack priority targets, and they have become increasingly prominent in the key counter-battery fight, striking enemy artillery,” the U.K. Ministry of Defense said. “Traditionally, Russia has used small UAVs mainly for reconnaissance. With its attack capability, Lancet has been a step change in how Russia uses this category of weapons.”

• READ MORE: Deadly Siege Marks Hamas’ Effective Use of Combat Drone Swarm 

The development comes as Ukrainian defense officials say they are ready to step up the country’s drone production. 

Speaking at the NATO-Industry Forum in Stockholm last week, Oleksandr Kamyshin, the Ukrainian minister of strategic industries who oversees the country’s defense industry, said the country is preparing to produce thousands of UAVS every month. 

• READ MORE: Ukraine Readies to Produce ‘Dozens of Thousands’ of Drones Per Month

During the past 21 months of war with Russia, Ukraine has deployed a wide variety of the aircraft, including suicide or kamikaze drones, such as U.S.-made Switchblade loitering munitions; large combat UAVs such as Turkey’s Bayraktar TB2; insect-sized surveillance drones such as Norway’s Black Hornet; and hobbyist or first-person-view drones from China’s DJI.

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One of North America’s oldest helicopter airlines plans to add one of aviation’s newest aircraft designs to its fleet.

Helijet International Inc. on Tuesday announced that it placed firm orders for Beta Technologies’ Alia-250 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi, becoming the first Canadian air carrier to purchase such a design. Helijet, Beta’s first commercial customer in Canada, also expects to be the first air carrier to offer eVTOL passenger and cargo services in the country.

The British Columbia-based firm claims to be the largest and longest-standing helicopter airline in North America. As far as scheduled passenger helicopter airlines go, Helijet and New York City-based Blade Urban Air Mobility are the only major regional players. In 2021, Blade partnered with Helijet’s booking platform to expand into Canada.

Once Beta’s Alia is certified and delivered, Helijet plans to add the aircraft to its existing fleet, which is composed of Eurocopter AS350 B2s, Sikorsky S76s, Learjet 31As, and Pilatus PC-12s.

How Helijet Will Deploy Alia

Though there are similarities between helicopters and eVTOL designs—the most obvious being the ability to take off and land vertically—Alia doesn’t quite match the performance of the aforementioned models. Its 50-foot wingspan is similar. But its 250 nm range and 100 knot cruise speed are more restrictive. However, Beta’s design is expected to be 90 percent quieter than comparable helicopters.

Alia will be integrated into Helijet’s passenger transport operations in southwest British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest, offering sustainable, quiet flights for a pilot and up to five passengers at a time. Beta and Helijet claim these trips will cost less than current helicopter flights, making them particularly valuable to rural or remote communities lacking convenient air services.

The eVTOL aircraft are also expected to bolster Helijet’s emergency response, air ambulance, and organ transfer services in Canada’s Lower Mainland region.

Over the past two years, the helicopter airline has shortlisted three eVTOL manufacturers building aircraft designed to fit into advanced air mobility (AAM) ecosystems. Though Beta will be its first supplier, the company will continue to evaluate orders for other nominated designs.

Helijet selected Alia in part due to Beta’s plan to certify the aircraft for IFR operations. The firm is also interested in growing its industrial base in Canada, where Beta in March opened an engineering and research and development hub at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (CYUL).

Beta also has a partnership with Canada’s CAE, a large training OEM and provider of flight simulators, to develop pilot and maintenance technician training programs for Alia. Rival eVTOL manufacturer Joby Aviation has a similar agreement.

“With its mature air travel market demographic and existing challenges for conventional transportation between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, southern B.C. provides an exciting opportunity to demonstrate the commercial viability and environmental sustainability of AAM in B.C. and Canada,” said JR Hammond, executive director of Canadian Advanced Air Mobility (CAAM), the country’s national AAM consortium, of which Helijet is a founding member.

Citing a 2020 white paper from Nexa Advisors, another member of the CAAM consortium, Helijet and Beta estimate that, over the next 15 to 20 years, the Greater Vancouver area has the potential to serve 4.2 million passengers using eVTOL aircraft. That could translate to about $1.5 billion (2.1 million Canadian dollars) in new AAM business activity.

To support those aims, Helijet is leading the development of a commercial vertiport at its downtown Vancouver waterfront heliport. The site is planned to be an intermodal transportation hub, connecting AAM passengers with road, marine, air, and rail access throughout the region.

“This provincial government recognizes the potential of advanced air mobility to decarbonize the aviation sector, improve regional connectivity, improve emergency response times and introduce new manufacturing opportunities in our province,” said British Columbia Premier David Eby, who attended the announcement of the deal at Helijet’s Victoria Harbour Heliport (CBF7).

Alia’s Flight Path

Per Tuesday’s announcement, Alia is in “advanced flight standards development” and on track for commercial certification in 2026, one year after Beta’s eCTOL (electric conventional takeoff and landing) variant is expected to be approved. Shortly after, it will be available for private and commercial service.

Beta so far has conducted eVTOL evaluation flights with the FAA, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Army. The aircraft has completed multiple thousand-mile-plus jaunts across the U.S., the most recent of which saw it travel more than 1,500 nm across 12 states en route to Duke Field (KEGI), a military airport at Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base. Beta also delivered an electric aircraft charging station to Eglin in September, the first to arrive on an Air Force base.

Alia’s flight from the company’s home field in Plattsburgh, New York, to Eglin represented Beta’s first eVTOL delivery to a contracted partner. Just weeks earlier, the firm’s eCTOL completed a cross-border flight from Plattsburgh to Montreal, marking the first time a battery-utilizing electric aircraft landed in the city.

“Between our growing engineering hub in Montreal, our first cross-border flight to the region earlier this year, and the support we’ve received from the government and regulators across Canada, we look forward to continuing to grow our presence in the country,” said Kyle Clark, founder and CEO of Beta.

In addition to Helijet, Beta has Alia purchase orders from UPS, Blade, Bristow Group, LCI Aviation, United Therapeutics, and Air New Zealand, and the aircraft are expected to fulfill a variety of use cases. However, Beta plans to target cargo and medical delivery and military and defense missions before transporting passengers, per Tuesday’s announcement.

Earlier this month, the company opened a 188,500-square-foot final assembly plant at Vermont’s Burlington International Airport (KBTV), which it says is the first such operational facility for electric aircraft in the U.S. Beta also claims the site is the largest net-zero manufacturing plant east of the Mississippi River.

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One of the most highly regarded healthcare providers in the U.S. will soon deliver prescriptions via drone.

Cleveland Clinic, considered one of the top hospital systems in the world based on rankings by outlets such as U.S. News & World Report and Newsweek, is partnering with drone delivery provider Zipline to fly certain medications directly to patients’ porches, patio tables, or front steps starting in 2025.

Deliveries will be made using Zipline’s Platform 2 (P2) delivery system, which is designed to complete 10 sm (8.7 nm) trips to dense, urban areas in about 10 minutes.

The largest drone delivery provider on Earth in terms of sheer volume, Zipline has completed more than 800,000 deliveries of some 8.3 million items to date, per the company’s website. The bulk of these are on-demand healthcare deliveries of cargo such as blood, vaccines, and prescription medications.

Already, Zipline is partnered with several U.S. retailers and healthcare providers, including Walmart, Cardinal Health, and MultiCare Health System. It added agreements with Michigan Medicine, Intermountain Healthcare, and OhioHealth earlier this year. The company currently flies in Arkansas, Utah, and North Carolina, with plans to expand into other states in the months ahead.

Earlier this month, competitor Amazon Prime Air added prescription drone delivery to its service in College Station, Texas, as more firms begin exploring the use case.

“This technology will help us achieve our goal to expand our pharmacy home delivery program and provide easier, quicker access to prescribed medications in our communities,” said Geoff Gates, senior director of supply chain management at Cleveland Clinic.

Starting next year, Cleveland Clinic will coordinate with local government officials to check its compliance with safety and technical requirements for launching the drone delivery service. It will also begin to install Zipline docks and loading portals at locations in northeast Ohio, mostly facilities at its main campus in Cleveland and in nearby Beechwood.

Initially, the service will deliver specialty medications and other prescriptions—which typically would be shipped via ground delivery—from more than a dozen Cleveland Clinic locations. Eventually, it’s expected to offer emergency or “rush” prescriptions, lab samples, prescription meals, medical and surgical supplies, and items for “hospital-at-home” services.

Cleveland Clinic has been lauded for its supply chain (for which it earned the top spot on Gartner’s 2021 ranking) and innovative use of technology, in particular. That makes it somewhat unsurprising that the hospital system would add an emerging technology like drone delivery, which is already changing the healthcare landscape in regions such as Africa. Zipline’s drones, for example, have delivered blood, vaccines, and other medical supplies in Rwanda since 2016.

“We are always looking for solutions that are cost effective, reliable and reduce the burden of getting medications to our patients,” said Bill Peacock, chief of operations at Cleveland Clinic. “Not only are deliveries via drone more accurate and efficient, the technology we are utilizing is environmentally friendly. The drones are small, electric, and use very little energy for deliveries.”

Zipline’s P2 drones, or Zips, include a detachable delivery “droid.” The droid docks on loading portals that can be installed directly on buildings, sliding back and forth between the building’s interior and exterior through a small opening—like a fast-food restaurant employee handing off meals through a drive-thru window.

When a prescription is ready to be delivered, a Cleveland Clinic technician will load the droid, which can carry up to 8 pounds of cargo. The small capsule then slides out of the window, undocks from the loading portal, and docks with the Zip, all on its own.

The drones will cruise at around 70 mph (61 knots) at an altitude near 300 feet, and customers will be able to track their orders in real time. Once it arrives at the delivery address, the Zip will deploy the droid, which uses a mix of onboard perception technology and electric fans to quietly and precisely steer itself to a dropoff point as small as a patio table. The Zip will then fly back to a Cleveland Clinic site and dock itself.

“Zipline has been focused on improving access to healthcare for eight years,” said Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, co-founder and CEO of Zipline. “We’re thrilled to soon bring fast, sustainable, and convenient delivery to Cleveland Clinic patients.”

Zipline announced P2 in March, but the system is not yet in action. However, the company expects the new hardware and software will enable quicker, quieter deliveries. 

In addition to the upgraded Zips, easier integrations with retailers, and other technology upgrades, a big benefit of P2 will be flexibility. The new drones will be able to fly up to 24 miles in a single direction and land on any dock in the network, allowing Zipline to send additional capacity to locations experiencing high volume (or divert it from sites that aren’t).

Already, the firm has several P2 customers lined up, including the government of Rwanda, Michigan Medicine, MultiCare, and American restaurant chain Sweetgreen. It will continue to deploy its Platform 1 (P1) system—which airdrops packages using a parachute—for certain clients.

Zipline is one of five U.S. drone delivery companies—the others being Prime Air, UPS Flight Forward, Alphabet’s Wing, and Causey Aviation Unmanned, a longtime partner of Israel’s Flytrex—to receive Part 135 air carrier certification from the FAA. The firm’s approval authorizes commercial operations spanning up to 26 sm (22.5 nm), including beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) of the pilot.

In September, Zipline obtained an FAA BVLOS exemption for its services in Utah and Arkansas with P1. The waiver allows the company to remove visual observers from those routes, which it said it will begin doing later this year. Three other firms, including Flight Forward, received similar permissions.

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A NASA C-130 Hercules successfully made its first flight to Antarctica on Saturday, delivering the Galactic/Extragalactic ULDB Spectroscopic Terahertz Observatory (GUSTO) to McMurdo Station, according to the space agency.

GUSTO is set to launch aboard a long-duration balloon campaign in December to map a portion of the Milky Way and nearby Large Magellanic Cloud.

The NASA Wallops Flight Facility, based in Wallops Island, Virginia, spent nearly a year coordinating the 26,400 nm, round-trip flight that required an extra pilot and flight engineer to manage 90 hours across numerous time zones.

“From international clearances with agencies, cargo configurations with NASA’s Balloon Program Office, logistical support with the National Science Foundation at McMurdo, to specialized training on nontraditional navigation systems in Antarctica, the [Wallops] Aircraft Office developed an extensive plan to safely deliver the intricate science payload,” NASA said.

The journey began October 17 at Fort Cavazos, Texas, where the GUSTO observatory and members of its instrument team were loaded onto the heavy-lift cargo aircraft.

“Additional stops to service the aircraft and for crew rest included Travis Air Force Base (AFB), California; Hickam AFB, Hawaii; Pago Pago, American Samoa; and Christchurch, New Zealand, before finally reaching McMurdo, Antarctica—a mere 800 miles from the South Pole,” NASA said.

Said John Baycura, a Wallops research pilot on the GUSTO mission: “We work very hard to make sure that we execute the mission at a high standard of technical competence and professionalism to maintain NASA’s international reputation.” 

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Testing is underway for a new camera to be used by Artemis III astronauts to document the first steps on the moon’s surface in more than 50 years, according to the European Space Agency (ESA).

The NASA-developed Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC) is a mirrorless, hand-held camera built from off-the-shelf cameras and modified for the unique operational conditions of space. 

“Mirrorless cameras provide excellent image quality in low light situations, making [them] well suited to the challenging, high-contrast environment of the moon,” ESA said..

NASA engineers added a blanket to protect the HULC from dust and add protection from temperatures that range from minus-200 to 120 degrees Celsius (minus 328 to 248 degrees Fahrenheit). Also added were large, ergonomic buttons to make it easier to operate with bulky gloves. 

• READ MORE: Artemis III Astronauts Set to Moonwalk Wearing Prada

“The lunar camera will be one of many tools they will need to handle on the moon, so it should be easy to use,” said Jeremy Myers, NASA’s lead engineer for the HULC camera. “The human factor is a big deal for us, because you want the camera to be intuitive and not taxing on the crew.”

Astronauts participating in ESA’s Pangaea training course in Lanzarote, Spain, recently had the opportunity to use the HULC. The Pangaea course offers an opportunity to learn field geology and astrobiology in an environment considered a geological analogue for future exploration missions to the moon and Mars.

During the course, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet used the camera in broad daylight, as well as in dark, volcanic caves in order to simulate the extremes of conditions expected.

“The engineers have done a really good job reconfiguring the buttons and arranging them in a simple yet reliable protection for the camera,” Pesquet said.

Pesquet has conducted two missions to the International Space Station (ISS), where he took more than 380,000 photos, according to ESA.

“I spent a lot of time learning what you can do with the cameras available in orbit,” Pesquet said. “It is not just point and shoot. On the moon, just pressing the buttons in auto mode won’t be good enough.”

• READ MORE: NASA Artemis II’s Orion Crew, Service Modules Joined

The Artemis III mission planned for 2025 is set to send astronauts in search of water ice evidence at the lunar south pole near permanently shadowed craters.

“Conditions for photography will be tricky in many ways, from operating the camera with the gloves on to very low light levels and big contrast between bright and dark sources,” Pesquet said.

Development on the HULC interface and its housing continues to evolve, with one version expected to be used at ISS for additional testing in the near future, ESA said.

“We will continue modifying the camera as we move toward the Artemis III lunar landing,” said Myers. “I am positive that we will end up with the best product—a camera that will capture moon pictures for humankind, used by crews from many countries and for many years to come.”

Watch: The Moon Camera

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The FAA and the U.S. Air Force are stepping up efforts to integrate advanced air mobility (AAM) aircraft into U.S. airspace.

This week, the regulator and the military’s aviation arm agreed to exchange flight test data and combine their capabilities for testing AAM aircraft designs, such as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) or autonomous aircraft. The new collaboration is meant to mature—and safely integrate—the emerging technologies with airports, individual pilots, policies, communications, and other aircraft within the nation’s complex national airspace system (NAS).

“A new era of aviation is taking off, and safe and efficient operations require collaboration,” said John Maffei, the FAA’s technology development director. “This data will help inform FAA certification efforts, policies, standards, and future airspace integration requirements.”

On Wednesday, Maffei on behalf of the FAA signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Colonel Elliott Leigh, chief commercial officer for the Air Force and the director of AFWERX, a technology directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory that serves as the department’s innovation arm. AFWERX’s goal is to accelerate new aircraft capabilities by connecting private sector companies with department resources, including airmen.

“We intend to utilize all the various aircraft and traffic management systems we have access to in order to help the FAA gain the data they need to accelerate regulatory changes to enable emerging technology integration,” Darshan “Dash” Divakaran, AFWERX head of airspace innovation and Prime partnerships, told FLYING.

The signing of the MOU took place during an event at Duke Field (KEGI), a military airport at Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base. The airfield houses the 919th Special Operations Wing, an Air Force Reserve unit.

Two manufacturers working with AFWERX, Joby Aviation, and Beta Technologies have already delivered an eVTOL aircraft and an electric aircraft charger, respectively, to Eglin. Beta this week also flew its Alia eCTOL (electric conventional takeoff and landing) on a 1,500 nm journey across 12 states, landing at Duke Field on Thursday. The companies will train Air Force pilots to fly their respective aircraft, which will soon be used to conduct testing and experimentation.

“Even prior to the signing of the MOU, AFWERX Prime and the FAA began exploring ways to integrate efforts and share data,” said Divakaran. “One example is the Prime Logistics team meeting with the Emerging Technology office within the FAA’s Office of Airports to share information and lessons learned through the installation of the first eVTOL charging station on a DOD installation at Duke Field.”

AFWERX and the FAA emphasized that the MOU supports the development of U.S.-built aircraft in particular, as well as the infrastructure and regulations that will enable safe integration.

“We are driving progress in propulsion technology, in manufacturing and materials, and in test and safety for a novel class of air vehicles,” said Leigh. “Keeping this effort rooted in the United States, building our national security and accelerating innovation for our airmen and guardians are all crucial for the Air Force… I am excited about this industry’s direction and the Air Force’s role in shaping it.”

Just in the past three years, AFWERX has awarded more than $345 million in contracts to 36 electric aircraft and technology developers, which supports the country’s developing national AAM strategy, said Leigh. By his estimate, Air Force investments, certifications, partnerships, and testing have helped the program funnel over $11 billion in commercial investment into the AAM sector.

Specifically, the MOU was signed between the FAA and AFWERX Prime, a subdivision seeking to “prime” emerging commercial markets. Prime offers a sort of quid pro quo: The Air Force provides resources for contracted private companies to field their aircraft more quickly, while the military gets to explore use cases for designs not yet on the commercial market.

Joby, for example, had its eVTOL air taxi in the skies above Eglin within a week of delivery—and well ahead of its expected commercial launch in 2025. The Air Force, meanwhile, received a shiny, new aircraft to test unexplored military applications. Everybody wins.

Joby and Beta are far from the only eVTOL manufacturers under contract with AFWERX. Competitor Archer Aviation, for instance, signed a deal worth up to $142 million for the delivery of six Midnight air taxis in July. Another firm, Jump Aero, recently extended its contract, while Pipistrel this week sealed the first AFWERX agreement for its Velis Electro.

Now, the FAA will have access to the data and learnings these firms uncover while flying with the Air Force.

“This MOU is a big step for the future of AAM and provides industry and investors the confidence needed to accelerate forward,” said Divakaran in a press release. “This partnership validates why the DOD created the AFWERX Agility Prime program to focus on AAM and dual-use technology.”

This week’s agreement comes a few months after the FAA released Innovate28, its plan to enable safe, near-term AAM operations using existing infrastructure, regulations, and systems. The agency hopes it will culminate in scaled operations in time for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where several eVTOL air taxi firms are expected to ferry spectators and athletes around the city.

FAA officials believe the MOU supports Innovate28’s initial entry into service targets. Future phases, as described by the agency’s Urban Air Mobility Concept of Operations (UAM ConOps), released in May, could also be impacted. The UAM ConOps is essentially a blueprint that provides guidance on AAM operations down the line as the industry matures.

“We intend to continue to explore areas for integrated testing by collaborating with the FAA’s Innovate28 team, which is consolidating research and data requirements from across the FAA’s lines of business,” Divakaran told FLYING.

Collaborating with the Air Force could help the FAA make up some ground on U.S. leadership in the eVTOL space. 

To the surprise of many in the industry, the agency last year reversed course on eVTOL classification. Rather than obtaining type certification in the normal class under Part 23 light aircraft regulations—which was the expectation for years—manufacturers were informed they would need to switch to the special class process under FAR 21.17(b), certifying in the newly added “powered lift” category. The change forced the FAA to reissue certification bases to a handful of firms, including Joby and Archer.

Since then, the FAA published a final rule that defined powered-lift operations in regulations covering other commercial operations, such as airlines or charters. It also proposed a rule for training and certifying powered-lift pilots, though the proposal was widely panned by several major industry groups.

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Beta Technologies said its Alia electric aircraft landed Thursday at Duke Field, a subsidiary of Eglin Air Force Base, to begin a months-long deployment period with the U.S. Air Force. The aircraft, which made a series of flights down the East Coast to reach the base in Florida, is to be used for a series of experiments.

The Alia’s arrival at Duke marks the company’s first delivery of an aircraft to a contracted partner and the Air Force’s receipt of its first manned Beta aircraft. Beta recently worked with the Air Force to arrange the installation and commissioning of one of the company’s chargers at Duke Field earlier this month.

• READ MORE: Beta Technologies Opens Electric-Aircraft Assembly Plant in Vermont

Beta said the aircraft and its main flight testing team will stay at Duke for several months to work with the 413th Squadron to conduct hands-on experimentation and training with the Alia and its related technology. As part of the program, the Air Force will test and validate potential uses for the aircraft, including critical resupply, cargo delivery, and personnel transport.

During the trip from its home field in Plattsburgh, New York (KPBG), the Beta crew flew the Alia more than 1,500 nm across 12 states using a special market research certificate issued by the FAA. The company said it used the series of flights to test the aircraft in many challenging scenarios, such as flying through Boston’s Class B airspace and the Flight Restricted Zone around Washington, D.C. Beta also met with local airport and municipal officials during its many stops along the route and marked the installation of a charging station at Marshfield Municipal Airport (KHGH) in Massachusetts with a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier this month.

• READ MORE: Beta Technologies, Shoreline Aviation Partner with Massachusetts Agencies to Promote Electric Aviation

The company also held a groundbreaking event for the first electric aircraft charger in North Carolina at Raleigh Executive Jetport (KTTA), a project conducted in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and AFWERX, an Air Force program that fosters innovation within its ranks.

“For the past several years, AFWERX has provided critical input and support to the Beta programs. Deploying Alia for experimentation and training at Duke Field is the natural next step in our partnership,” said Kyle Clark, Beta’s founder and CEO. “We look forward to working hand-in-hand with the U.S. Air Force over the next few months as we work together to assess how the economic, sustainability, and energy independence benefits of electric aviation can serve our military.”

To supplement its collaboration, Beta provided a mobile simulator for training Air Force pilots in preparation for operations in the full-size Alia aircraft.

“The Department of the Air Force is constantly searching for the next generation of technology to make our warfighters safer and more efficient,” said Colonel Elliott Leigh, AFWERX director and chief commercialization officer for the Department of the Air Force. “As agile innovators, we believe that partnering with American businesses is the key to this goal for delivering disruptive air capabilities.”

Beta said its Alia eCTOL and eVTOL aircraft continue to progress toward FAA certification. The company said it anticipates the eCTOL model will enter service in 2025 followed by the eVTOL in 2026.

The post Beta Technologies’ Alia Electric Aircraft, Crew Arrive at Eglin AFB for Testing Program appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Updated Oct. 30 at 11:15 a.m. EDT with commentary from Mikhail Kokorich, founder and CEO of Destinus.

Ukraine is ready to take its military drone production to the next level, according to comments from Oleksandr Kamyshin, the Ukrainian minister of strategic industries who oversees the country’s defense industry.

Speaking at the NATO-Industry Forum in Stockholm this week, Kamyshin said Ukraine is preparing to produce thousands of the uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) every month. The aircraft have been widely deployed by both Ukraine and its Russian adversaries over the course of the war in Eastern Europe, which entered its 21st month this week.

“By the end of this year, it would be dozens of thousands [of drones] a month,” Kamyshin said. “And that’s something we grow even faster than conventional warfare ammunition and warfare weapons.”

What Ukraine Already Has in the Sky

Kamyshin did not provide an estimate of Ukraine’s current drone output. But the country’s forces have relied upon a wide variety of the aircraft, including suicide or kamikaze drones, such as U.S.-made Switchblade loitering munitions; large combat UAVs such as Turkey’s Bayraktar TB2; insect-sized surveillance drones such as Norway’s Black Hornet; and hobbyist or first-person-view drones from China’s DJI.

Frequently, Ukraine deploys the aircraft in swarms, with the goal of overwhelming Russian air defenses and hitting key targets—the idea is to “exhaust” the enemy, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy put it.

Often, air defenses will neutralize smaller swarms. But occasionally, one or a handful will get through, striking enemy soldiers or assets. Drones have also allowed Ukraine to hit targets deep within Russian territory—including in Moscow.

“There is such a wide range of different types of drones, with such wide accessibility, that they are becoming a new category separate and different from manned aviation, yet integrated with ground operations,” Audrey Kurth Cronin, director of Carnegie Mellon University’s Institute for Security and Technology, told FLYING. “Just because drones fly in the air does not mean they are just like advanced aircraft. That is not the case.”

Buying Local

Toward the beginning of the conflict, Ukraine largely relied on foreign-made drones. However, in recent months the focus has turned to boosting local production. Kamyshin at the NATO-Industry Forum said all of the country’s defense production capabilities have increased greatly. But they’re still short of what’s required.

“Speaking about shells, for instance, we produce times more now than for the whole (of) last year,” he said.

One way the country has ramped up drone production is through the “Army of Drones” initiative, which launched in July 2022 through a partnership between Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation and United24, a Ukrainian government-run fundraising platform.

The initiative has loosened import restrictions and taxes for UAV technology, which has fostered a friendly environment for local drone manufacturers. Companies and individuals can donate money or “dronate” certain models directly to the military. American actor Mark Hamill, best known for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, serves as ambassador of United24 and is helping to raise funds himself.

Ukrainian drone units supported by the Army of Drones damaged or destroyed 86 Russian artillery targets between September 25 and October 2—a one-week record according to Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. 

And per the commander of Ukraine’s 24th Mechanized Brigade, one of the initiative’s largest beneficiaries, the unit wiped out $40 million worth of Russian hardware in September alone. But the commander, speaking to CBS News under the codename “Hasan,” said his forces will need even more drones.

Brigadier General Yuriy Shchyhol, head of Ukraine’s State Service of Special Communications and the official leading drone procurement for the military, told CNN in June that some 30 companies were mass-producing drones for defense. The goal, he said, is for the military to purchase 200,000 UAVs by year’s end. Earlier this month, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said more than 200 domestic firms have begun producing drones in some capacity.

Are ‘Dozens of Thousands’ Enough?

According to Russian-born physicist, entrepreneur, and CEO of Swiss aerospace and defense specialist Destinus, Mikhail Kokorich, Ukraine’s proliferation of drones could have a significant impact on the war.

Kokorich left Russia to found a series of aerospace companies, including Destinus and space transportation firm Momentus, throughout the 2010s. He is also a founding member of the Anti-War Committee of Russia, a group of Russian expats who oppose President Vladimir Putin’s regime and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Kokorich told FLYING that heavier deployment of loitering munitions or kamikaze drones would bring about major changes in battlefield tactics.

“It poses a significant threat to heavy machinery, as they become vulnerable to these devices, and there aren’t yet very effective methods for detection or counteraction against such threats,” said Kokorich. “The psychological impact is that it demoralizes troops, knowing that danger can strike at any moment.”

The precise targeting enabled by kamikaze drones—even over great distances—can render assets that were once useful obsolete. At scale, these shifts in importance could be more seismic.

“[Loitering munitions diminish] the significance of much heavy and light machinery—which becomes easily accessible—and amplify the role of individual personnel, soldiers, and the need for camouflage, making warfare more stretched out over distances, as these drones render battle lines transparent over long ranges,” said Kokorich.

Increased use of strategic drones that can fly tens, hundreds, or even thousands of miles, hitting targets deep behind enemy lines, could also pose problems for Russia, the Destinus CEO explained. Intercepting them with shoulder-launched missiles, for example, requires the defender to be within close range.

“Defenses like the S-300 [anti-aircraft missile system] are not very efficient and expensive for such protection…Entirely new defense systems will be needed,” said Kokorich. “This, of course, creates vulnerabilities, including for Russia and its infrastructure assets. It’s clear that Ukraine will try to ensure that Russian attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure do not go unpunished.”

While producing “dozens of thousands” of drones may move the needle for Ukraine, even more aircraft could be needed. While some survive their missions, the UAVs can be shot down or intercepted by air defenses far beyond the frontlines—or simply explode on impact, in the case of kamikaze drones—making many of them single-use. The Royal United Services Institute, a U.K.-based defense and security think tank, estimated that Ukraine loses 10,000 drones per month.

“The latest plans by Ukraine to build many thousands of drones per month reflect this attrition and the importance of maintaining a robust drone arsenal,” Dr. James Rogers, executive director of the Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute at Cornell University, told FLYING.

Rogers advises the United Nations and NATO on the global proliferation of drones and disruptive technologies. He continued, “In essence, drones are vital to Ukraine’s offensive power and to keep up the fight against Russia’s illegal war.”

Shmyhal earlier this month said the country was leaning heavily on DJI drones. It has reportedly received “millions” of aircraft and spare parts from the Chinese company. But obtaining drones from China has been a much slower process since the country curbed exports in August. Per Shmyhal, Ukraine’s DJI drones are mainly acquired through European intermediaries.

Kamyshin told Politico that Ukraine is also trying to increase its output of air defense systems and is looking for Western partners to invest. The country will need them to defend against the onslaught of Russian drone attacks.

Earlier this month, Ukraine struck a deal with German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall for the supply of drone reconnaissance systems. This week, the pair took the partnership to the next level with the launch of a joint defense venture.

Like Ukraine, Russia deploys loitering munitions. It uses ready-made models, such as the domestically produced Lancet-3M, as well as smaller, improvised UAVs built from modified racing drones. 

The country has a penchant for replicating Iranian Shahed drones (with Iran’s help, according to U.S. intelligence officials) and building lethal UAVs with engines from AliExpress, which is owned by Chinese conglomerate Alibaba. And, of course, DJI models are also part of the equation. Anton Siluanov, Russia’s finance minister, recently admitted “mostly all” of the military’s drones come from China.

“This war can be for decades,” Kamyshin said in an interview with Politico earlier this week. “[The] Russians can come back always.”

Kamyshin also expressed to Politico his desire for Western nations to step up their own drone, missile, and shell production. In his view, current levels are not sufficient to sustain support for parallel conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, where Israel and Hamas militants are fighting their own battle.

“The free world should be producing enough to protect itself,” Kamyshin said. “That’s why we have to produce more and better weapons to stay safe.”

In Israel, drones played a key part in Hamas’ multimodal invasion on October 7, managing to infiltrate the country’s Iron Dome counter-drone systems and fly over the billion-dollar barrier along the Israel-Gaza border. 

The U.S.-designated terrorist group’s unexpected success lent credence to a growing concern among militaries worldwide: that a small country, blockaded and deprived of key resources for decades, could still strike effectively with rudimentary drones. The attack demonstrated how even cheap, cobbled-together UAVs can pose a threat and reemphasized the need for effective counter-drone systems. It could be a sign of things to come.

“Drone use in Ukraine/Russia and in the Hamas-Israel war shows us that drones are just another weapon of war,” said Cronin. “We are developing new tactical and strategic theory as to how to use drones effectively, and that theory is being tested in the two ongoing conflicts.”

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In a significant leap toward sustainable aviation, Pipistrel, a subsidiary of Textron Inc., has announced that the Velis Electro, the world’s first type-certified electric aircraft, has been selected by the U.S. Air Force for its Agility Prime program (AFWERX).

Agility Prime, the service’s cutting-edge, vertical lift initiative, explores the operational and training potential of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for various mission-critical purposes, including training and operations.

• READ MORE: Pipistrel Delivers First Electric Aircraft to Canada

“AFWERX and MTSI’s selection of the Velis Electro is a powerful endorsement of Pipistrel and the growing acceptance by leading organizations of this area of emerging technology,” Kriya Shortt, president and CEO of Textron’s eAviation segment, said in a release. “This marks an important milestone on the journey to sustainable flight, and we are proud to support the Agility Prime program as the Velis enters its fleet.”

Pipistrel, headquartered in Slovenia, said the Velis Electro stands out as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly choice for flight training, with its mature electric engine design developed in-house by Pipistrel. Company president Gabriel Massey emphasizes the aircraft’s remarkable potential.

“The Velis Electro is a cost-effective and sustainable option for flight training,” Massey said. “With its mature electric engine design…the Velis Electro leads the industry in carrying out more sustainable pilot training and other missions.”

Two Velis Electro aircraft will be directly supported by Pipistrel’s distributor, Lincoln Park Aviation, which the company believes marks a stride toward a greener, more sustainable future in aviation.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Plane & Pilot.

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Archer Aviation’s Midnight electric air taxi is finally airborne.

After receiving a special airworthiness certificate from the FAA to begin testing the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) design in August, a noncomforming Midnight prototype has completed its inaugural test flight.

The five-seat aircraft—the first Midnight prototype to be rolled off the manufacturer’s Palo Alto, California, production line in May—made an uncrewed, untethered hover flight on Tuesday, marking the next phase of Archer’s flight test regimen. 

Following uncrewed flights, the firm will move to piloted “for-credit” testing with the FAA, using a type-conforming Midnight model. That campaign is considered one of the final steps in eVTOL type certification. Archer expects for-credit testing to begin in early 2024.

Midnight’s first flight follows four years of testing with earlier prototypes, including two years spent evaluating a pair of Maker aircraft. Maker is the company’s two-seat, 80-percent-scale version of Midnight, which it uses as a technology demonstrator.

“This next phase of Archer’s flight test program is only possible because of the four years of flight testing we’ve done,” said Adam Goldstein, the firm’s founder and CEO. “Midnight is building on the successes of its predecessor aircraft and represents another significant step forward in Archer’s path to commercialization. The next year and a half will be focused on continuing to rapidly advance our flight test program and Archer’s electric air taxi operations.”

Archer said uncrewed Midnight flight testing will “progress rapidly” over the coming months, quickly advancing from simple hover maneuvers to transitions between vertical lift and full wing-borne cruise.

Simultaneously, the manufacturer plans to continue its Maker flight test program, flying simulated commercial routes to prepare for the launch of commercial operations. That’s scheduled for 2025 after Midnight obtains type certification and other FAA-required approvals.

“Having taken seven full-size eVTOL aircraft from design to flight test during my career in the eVTOL industry, [Tuesday’s] milestone with Midnight marks the most significant flight to date, bringing Archer and the eVTOL industry another step closer to bringing a scalable and commercially viable aircraft to market,” said Archer chief operating officer Tom Muniz, who previously served as vice president of engineering for Kitty Hawk and its eVTOL manufacturing spinoff, Wisk Aero.

Archer expects Midnight to fly in U.S. markets such as Chicago, Los Angeles, and the New York City metro area in partnership with United Airlines, which in 2021 invested in the manufacturer. The airline placed an order for 100 aircraft valued at $1 billion, with an option for $500 million worth of additional units. It made an initial $10 million prepayment to Archer in August 2022.

Midnight can carry a pilot and up to four passengers (or 1,000 pounds of cargo) as far as 100 sm (87 nm) at a cruise speed of 130 knots. But the air taxi is optimized for back-to-back, short-hop flights with about 12 minutes of downtime in between, which will be used to charge the aircraft.

By Archer’s estimate, 20 to 50 sm (17 to 43 nm) trips that would normally take up to an hour and a half by car will be replaced by 10- to 20-minute flights. Because Midnight will have such little downtime—and will be cheaper to produce than its competitors, the company claims—Archer believes its air taxi routes will be cost-competitive with ground-based rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft.

Midnight’s 12 electric engines run on six lithium-ion battery packs from Taiwanese manufacturer Molicel, powering a dozen propellers. The tiltrotor design positions six of them on each side of the aircraft’s fixed wings—the front props tilt forward during cruise to provide added thrust, while the back props lock in place. Archer says the propulsion system allows Midnight to produce 45 dB less noise than a helicopter while at cruising altitude.

The manufacturer’s agreement with Molicel is one of many it leverages to source parts and systems for Midnight, which allows it to funnel more time and money into aircraft performance, certification, and operational readiness. The design incorporates avionics from Safran and Garmin and actuators from Honeywell.

Archer also has a battery development and sourcing collaboration with automaker Stellantis, with which it signed an exclusive mass production partnership in January.

What It Means

Even with Midnight’s inaugural flight, Archer will need to complete plenty of additional testing before obtaining type certification. But the milestone adds to the manufacturer’s recent momentum and should help it stay on track.

Stellantis is now working with Archer to build what the firm described as the “world’s largest” eVTOL production plant in Covington, Georgia. Construction on the facility began in March. Phase one of the site is expected to be completed by 2024 and will span 350,000 square feet, allowing Archer to churn out 650 aircraft per year.

Earlier this month, Archer closed a financing agreement with Synovus Bank, securing $65 million in fresh capital. The funding will cover the “substantial majority” of phase one construction costs, adding to incentives from the state of Georgia and $150 million worth of equity capital from Stellantis, which the company will be able to draw from as needed throughout this year and next.

In the future, phase two of construction could expand the site to 900,000 square feet, giving it enough juice to produce up to 2,000 Midnight models per year.

Archer’s main U.S. competitor, Joby Aviation, announced the location of its own scaled manufacturing plant last month. The firm’s facility at Dayton International Airport (KDAY) is initially expected to produce 500 air taxis annually, with the potential for more down the line. Recently, Joby began crewed flight testing of its production prototype with a pilot on board.

But neither company will be able to ramp up manufacturing until they obtain FAA production certification, which will follow type approval. Having received the first eVTOL airworthiness criteria from the agency at the end of 2022, Archer and Joby are two of the furthest along in that process among U.S. electric air taxi manufacturers.

Following the start of Midnight flight testing, Archer anticipates it will deliver the first of six aircraft to the U.S. Air Force as early as this year. The shipments are part of its lucrative contracts with AFWERX, the Air Force’s innovation arm, which explores defense applications for emerging aircraft designs and seeks to accelerate their commercial deployment.

The agreement, worth up to $142 million, is one of the largest defense contracts for an eVTOL manufacturer. Archer kicked off the execution phase earlier this month after receiving an initial $1 million deposit for a mobile flight simulator, which the Air Force will use to train pilots on Midnight’s systems. 

Once the aircraft arrives, pilots will deploy it for personnel transport, logistics support, rescue operations, and other missions. Other military branches will be able to leverage the contracts for additional projects. Archer has even hinted that it could one day develop a version of Midnight specifically for Air Force applications.

The partnership should give Archer valuable insights on Midnight’s performance, aiding its flight test campaign. Following FAA type, production, and airworthiness approvals, the manufacturer will also need to obtain a Part 135 air carrier certificate for powered-lift operations to begin flying as a commercial operator.

In addition to U.S. cities, the Middle East could launch Midnight’s earliest commercial flights. Archer recently announced a plan to establish air taxi routes across the United Arab Emirates in 2026, working with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office.

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Rolls-Royce said it successfully completed a series of tests of its Pearl 15 and Pearl 10X business aviation engines using 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF.

The Pearl 15, which is the first member of the Pearl engine family, powers the  Bombardier Global 5500 and 6500 aircraft. The Pearl 10X will be used on the Dassault Falcon 10X, the company’s ultralong-range flagship.

• READ MORE: Rolls-Royce Marks Successful Engine Test Run on Hydrogen

Rolls-Royce said the tests, which took place at the company’s business aviation headquarters in Dahlewitz, Germany, reflect its plans to “play a leading role in the journey to achieve net-zero flight by 2050.”

In addition to proving SAF’s compatibility, the tests included back-to-back test runs of a Pearl 10X engine using jet-A-1 and SAF to demonstrate environmental improvements resulting from the change to SAF.

Rolls-Royce said the hydro-processed esters and fatty acids, or HEFA, SAF used in the tests was derived from sustainable, waste-based feedstocks including cooking oils and fat waste. The fuel has the potential to cut net carbon dioxide life cycle emissions by about 80 percent compared with conventional jet fuel.

• READ MORE: Rolls-Royce Tests UltraFan, Its first New Engine Architecture in 54 Years

The back-to-back tests also showed that SAF burns more cleanly than fossil-based fuel while emitting lower levels of non-volatile particulate matter, or nvPM. The test results will help move SAF closer to certification, the company said.

“Sustainable aviation fuels are a key element of our sustainability strategy, as they will play an important role in decarbonizing long-haul flight,” said Dr. Dirk Geisinger, Rolls-Royce’s director of business aviation. “With its outstanding environmental performance, the Pearl family is already setting new standards in the ultralong-range corporate jet market.”

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NASA’s Orion spacecraft crew and service modules that will transport astronauts around the moon on the Artemis II mission have been joined at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The 10-day Artemis II mission is expected to begin no earlier than November 2024 and will fly NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen on the first crewed mission with the agency’s goal of establishing a long-term presence on the moon.

• READ MORE: NASA Unveils 4-Member Artemis II Crew

Prior to joining, the modules successfully completed hardware installation and testing in recent months, NASA said.

“Now that the crew and service modules are integrated, the team will power up the combined crew and service module for the first time,” NASA said. “After power-on tests are complete, Orion will begin altitude chamber testing, which will put the spacecraft through conditions as close as possible to the environment it will experience in the vacuum of deep space.”

The crew completed the first part of  mission training in August, requiring it to master familiarity with Orion’s interior. 

• READ MORE: Booster Delivery Marks NASA Artemis II Moon Mission Milestone

“The crew is making incredible progress getting ready for their flight as the first people to fly inside NASA’s newest spacecraft built for deep space,” Jacki Mahaffey, chief training officer for Artemis II at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, said in a statement. “Their training is preparing them to do everything from planned mission tasks and daily operations to how to recognize and deal with unexpected situations.”

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