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.  

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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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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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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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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

The post Astronauts Test Artemis Moon Camera appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

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.”

The post NASA Artemis II’s Orion Crew, Service Modules Joined appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

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:

China’s EHang Earns World’s First eVTOL Type Certificate

What happened? The U.S. was beaten to a key AAM milestone…by a familiar foe. China’s civil aviation authority (CAAC) last week awarded Guangzhou-based EHang the world’s first type certificate for an eVTOL aircraft, dealing somewhat of a blow to U.S. companies working toward that goal with the FAA. At the same time, though, the rising tide could raise all boats, so to speak.

EHang’s milestone: The Chinese manufacturer’s EH216-S—designed for passenger air taxi and tourism services—is now type certified and authorized for commercial operations and scaled production. Amazingly, the first type-approved eVTOL flies autonomously, with no pilot on board. Among the major players globally, Boeing’s Wisk Aero is the only other firm that wants to fly autonomous from the jump.

During a 30-month process, the EH216-S was thoroughly scrutinized and tested, completing more than 40,000 preliminary flights—some with passengers on board. Rivals Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation are the closest to beginning “for credit” testing with the FAA in the U.S.

The playing field: Joby recently began testing its eVTOL with a pilot on board, while Archer appears set to reach that stage next year. Wisk, meanwhile, is looking further out, eyeing commercial operations before the end of the decade. But there’s a high likelihood the next eVTOL type certification also comes from abroad.

Germany’s Volocopter expects to type certify its VoloCity air taxi in time for a commercial launch during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, ahead of Joby and Archer’s initial air taxi routes in the U.S. (planned for 2025). Another German manufacturer, Lilium, is the only eVTOL firm with certification bases established from both the FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Quick quote: “For the industry, the first type certificate for an eVTOL aircraft is a major step forward, as it shows that a player has met the expectations around safety, reliability, etc. that the regulator imposes to protect the public. It opens up the commercial market and allows the start of initial commercial operations, assuming operating regulation is also in place. That is an exciting moment for the industry,” Robin Riedel, who co-leads the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility, told FLYING.

My take: So…what does this all mean? In my mind, there are two ways to view EHang’s milestone: as a blow to its U.S. rivals, or as a boon for the AAM industry as a whole.

Let’s start with that first perspective. Obviously, the U.S. wants to be the first nation with a robust AAM industry, and type certification is a major step. EHang (for now) is only permitted to fly in China, which should allow the U.S. market to develop concurrently. However, the eastern superpower now has a head start, and it could capitalize by growing its AAM services at a faster rate—especially if other firms obtain the approval EHang did.

Now for the counterpoint: Perhaps a rising tide will lift all boats? The FAA has shown to be more methodical when it comes to AAM regulations, opting for a different process than regulators in the EU and elsewhere. But China has now shown the world that it’s possible to quickly certify an eVTOL, albeit with the caveat that certification does not necessarily equate to safe flight. 

Faced with the pressure of beating out its rival—amplified by Chinese dominance in the commercial drone market—maybe the FAA could take a page or two from its playbook.

Deep dive: China’s EHang Earns World’s First eVTOL Type Certificate

In Other News…

Amazon Makes a Flurry of Drone Delivery Announcements

What happened? After months of radio silence, Amazon provided an update on its Prime Air drone delivery service—four updates to be more accurate. The e-commerce giant said it will add prescription drone delivery in Texas, announced an international expansion, unveiled its latest design, and revealed that its drones will soon be integrated into its massive delivery network.

Back on track? It’s hard to describe Prime Air’s current drone delivery offerings as anything other than a disappointment. After a decade of hyping up the service, Amazon in May said it had completed just 100 deliveries in California and Texas, a far cry from its projections. But with the addition of prescription delivery and an expansion into the U.K., Italy, and another unnamed U.S. city, the company clearly has not given up.

The integration of drones into Amazon’s unparalleled delivery network could be huge. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The firm has an unparalleled lattice of thousands of facilities worldwide, all deliberately built to be close to as many customers as possible. Sounds like an ideal hub for short-range delivery drones.

Deep dive: Amazon Adds Texas Prescription Drone Delivery, Announces International Expansion

Archer Lays Groundwork for Service in the UAE

What happened? The Middle East is quickly becoming a hot spot for eVTOL activity, and Archer is the latest to enter the action. The air taxi manufacturer is working with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to set up shop in the United Arab Emirates, with plans to build a new headquarters, add manufacturing capabilities, and launch commercial service in Abu Dhabi in 2026.

AAM in the UAE: Archer’s facilities will be located in Abu Dhabi’s Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) cluster, a planned urban community announced last week. The cluster has the backing of Emirati higher-ups and recently inducted Archer rival Joby, which also plans to establish a footprint in the country.

The UAE is pouring millions of dollars into its AAM industry and has also hosted flights from Volocopter, China’s XPeng, and several others. A few firms—including a California-based eVTOL manufacturer—have already set up shop in the country. If all goes according to plan, they and Archer will be some of the first companies to offer AAM services in the Middle East.

Deep Dive: Archer Plans to Launch Electric Air Taxi Flights Across the UAE

And a Few More Headlines:

• Lilium partnered with Houston-based EMCJET to begin selling its Jet Pioneer Edition to wealthy individual customers in the U.S.

• Jetson Aero’s Jetson One personal electric aircraft earned Italy’s first ultralight eVTOL certification.

• NASA unveiled plans for a new 36-acre Berkeley Space Center, located at its Ames Research Center in California.

• The agency also received a lift from SpaceX, which launched the Psyche asteroid mission spacecraft aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket.

• Beta Technologies partnered with FBO and airport management firm Shoreline Aviation to install Massachusetts’ first electric aircraft charging station.

Spotlight on…

Turbulence Solutions

This week, I’m not the only one holding the spotlight. A video posted to X (formerly Twitter) by Austrian startup Turbulence Solutions garnered millions of viewers, who were likely intrigued (as I was) by the firm’s Turbulence Canceling technology.

Turbulence Solutions predicts its tech will reduce the turbulence felt by passengers by as much as 80 percent. In the video, a simulated flight comparison demonstrates how aircraft might behave with and without it. Real-life footage depicting views from an aircraft cockpit and one of the wings shows what the solution will look like in action. The basic idea is to use a combination of sensors, lidar, and flight control software to predict and adjust to turbulence.

Andras Galffy, the firm’s founder, CEO, and head of technology and research, told FLYING the company will first integrate its solution on GA and eVTOL aircraft. Already, the system has been tested on crewed demonstrator aircraft, and Turbulence Solutions recently got its first customer: a manufacturer of 1,300-pound ultralights.

Deep Dive: Startup Looking to Eliminate Turbulence for GA Pilots Goes Viral

On the Horizon…

First, briefly revisiting EHang’s type certification milestone, China’s progress on AAM operations is something to keep an eye on. Electric air taxis are not in the country’s skies just yet. But successful or not, EHang’s commercial flights will give regulators in the U.S. and elsewhere valuable information, which could inform new AAM policies and strategies.

Staying on the topic of AAM, AFWERX, the U.S. Air Force’s innovation arm, is working with the Department of Transportation’s AAM Interagency Working Group to shape regulations for the U.S. market. Already, AFWERX has plenty of expertise with emerging aircraft. And combined with upcoming deliveries of eVTOL aircraft from Joby and Archer, the department could offer a unique perspective on regulations.

Elsewhere, regulators in the U.K. and Australia continue to explore beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations. The U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority has selected six trials—covering innovations from medical drone delivery to “sky highways”—with the hope that they can inform the regulator’s BVLOS policy. 

The Australian aviation authority (CASA), meanwhile, requested public feedback on a survey designed to collect data on BVLOS drone use. It too will use its learnings to develop a regulatory framework for low-risk operations beyond the pilot’s view.

Mark Your Calendars

Each week, I’ll be running through a list of upcoming industry events. Intergeo 2023 and Dronitaly wrapped up last week across the Atlantic, but here are a few conferences to keep an eye on:

• Airtec 2023—Wednesday-October 27 in Augsburg, Germany
• World’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Conference—November 12-14 in Jerusalem
• Dubai Air Show—November 13-17 in Dubai, UAE
• 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
• 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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Twitter: FLYING Magazine (@FlyingMagazine) / Twitter

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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.

The post Is China the Top Dog in eVTOL? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Two NASA employees have won medals for planetary defense based on their work on a space agency mission that altered the orbit of an asteroid.

Brian Key and Scott Bellamy, who served as program manager and mission manager, respectively, for NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, were each presented with the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal on Tuesday during a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

The awards, known as the “Sammies,” honor career federal employees for work that inspires public service while also benefiting the nation.

In November 2021, NASA launched the DART mission spacecraft on a course to travel 6.8 million miles and intentionally impact the 492-foot-diameter asteroid Dimorphos while traveling at about 14,000 mph and consequently altering its orbit around a larger asteroid.

In September 2022, the DART mission did just that, “demonstrating one planetary defense method that could be used to protect Earth from a potentially hazardous asteroid on a collision course with our home planet if one were ever discovered,” NASA said.

According to the space agency, the DART collision altered the asteroid’s 12-hour orbit period by about 30 minutes.

“DART was a first-of-its-kind mission that marked a watershed moment for planetary defense,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement. “The DART team members are some of the very best of NASA, and we are so excited to see Brian Key and Scott Bellamy recognized for their contributions and leadership. Brian, Scott, and the entire DART team have shaped the course of human space exploration, inspiring people around the world through innovation. Thanks to their dedication and hard work, NASA is better prepared to defend our home planet and will be ready for whatever the universe throws at us.”

The post 2 NASA Employees Win Awards for Planetary Defense appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

NASA and University of California at Berkeley announced Monday they are teaming up for a new aviation and space innovation hub located at the space agency’s research campus in Silicon Valley. 

Once completed, the 36-acre Berkeley Space Center will be able to accommodate up to 1.4 million square feet of research space located at NASA Ames Research Center and Moffett Federal Airfield (KNUQ) in Mountain View, California.

The complex is expected to cost $2 billion to build, The Mercury News reported.

For decades, NASA has focused on developing land acquired after Naval Air Station Moffett Field was decommissioned in 1994. Since its launch in 2002, NASA Research Center has become home to 25 companies, including Google, UC-Berkeley said.

The new buildings will house state-of-the-art research and development laboratories for companies and UC-Berkeley researchers, as well as classrooms—all of which will provide an immersive experience for students, according to the university.

“We’re hoping to create an ecosystem where Berkeley talent can collaborate with the private sector and co-locate their research and development teams,” Alex Bayen, a UC-Berkeley electrical engineering and computer sciences professor and associate provost for Moffett Field program development. “And since we will be close to NASA talent and technology in the heart of Silicon Valley, we hope to leverage that to form future partnerships.”

The facility will build upon an existing partnership between the space agency and university, which NASA said could lead to “potential mutually beneficial learning opportunities.”

“[That includes] accelerating local and national capabilities for transporting cargo and passengers using emerging automation and electric propulsion technologies; examining how biomanufacturing can enable deep space exploration; and leveraging NASA’s high-performance computing assets,” NASA said. “The new campus aims to bring together researchers from the private sector, academia, and the government to tackle the complex scientific, technological, and societal issues facing our world.”

According to Ames Research Center director Eugene Tu, UC-Berkeley’s research and capabilities could “be a significant addition” to the work already underway there, starting with the proximity to undergraduate and graduate-level students. 

“The NASA mission is twofold: inspiring the next generation of explorers, and dissemination of our technologies and our research for public benefit,” Tu said. “Collaboration between NASA and university researchers fits within that mission.”

The post Plans for Berkeley Space Center Unveiled for NASA Ames appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, on board a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, lifted off at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday morning. Its final destination: the metal-rich asteroid bearing the spacecraft’s name about 2.2 billion miles away.

The 10:19 a.m. EDT launch was the first NASA mission aboard the Falcon Heavy but the fourth launch for side boosters, both of which previously supported the USSF-44, USSF-67, and Hughes Jupiter 3 missions, according to SpaceX.

• READ MORE: NASA: ISS Spacewalk Postponed After Leak Discovery

The spacecraft will now travel six years and ~2.2 billion miles to the asteroid Psyche, currently orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter https://t.co/29bfT6fod2

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) October 13, 2023

The space agency’s mission is to study the estimated 173-mile-wide asteroid composed of more metal than rock or ice. But the minivan-sized spacecraft powered by solar-electric propulsion won’t reach its target anytime soon.

• READ MORE: SpaceX Starship Is ‘Ready to Launch’ Again—Or Is It?

“Asteroid Psyche’s gravity will capture the spacecraft in late July 2029, and Psyche will begin its prime mission in August,” NASA said. “It will spend about two years orbiting the asteroid to take pictures, map the surface, and collect data to determine Psyche’s composition.”

The mineral composition of Psyche could offer clues about how Earth’s core, as well as the cores of other terrestrial planets, came to be, according to NASA.

• READ MORE: SpaceX Launches Falcon Heavy for First Time in Three Years

The post SpaceX Launches NASA’s Psyche Bound for Asteroid Mission appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

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:

Hamas Used Drone Swarms to Overwhelm Israeli Defenses

What happened? After more than two years of fighting in Russia and Ukraine, the world has seen what drones are capable of on the battlefield. Naturally, it raises alarm bells when the technology ends up in the wrong hands, as was the case on Saturday when Hamas launched a terror attack on Israeli civilians, killing hundreds. Casualties have since risen to the thousands.

What Hamas is working with: In short, the terrorist group deployed a swarm of drones in conjunction with land and sea attacks to catch Israel’s defenses off guard. Drone technology from China’s DJI—and reportedly some developed with the help of Iran—was used to hit strategic targets (such as the country’s central base for counter-drone operations) and civilians.

Some of the technology—including powered hang gliders that were used to transport militants over Israel’s billion-dollar border wall—raised eyebrows for current and former intelligence officials, who claim the attacks would not have been possible without Iran’s support. Hezbollah and the Houthis, two other terrorist groups and Iran proxies, could also enter the conflict.

How Israel could respond: In addition to its border wall, Israel deploys counter-drone systems such as the Iron Dome, which is designed to shoot down projectiles over large, populated areas. But these systems were overwhelmed by thousands of Hamas drones, rendering them ineffective. The aerial distraction also enabled attacks on the ground and by sea.

However, with Hamas’ capabilities now known, some experts believe Israel could defend future assaults more effectively. Support from the U.S. may also move the needle. American officials have no plans to put boots on the ground, but the government will send ships, counter-drone technology, and munitions to assist the Israeli Defense Forces.

Quick quote: “Directly comparing the drones of each side is a bit like comparing rifles on each side. The U.S. M-16 was far superior to the AK-47, yet that did not yield a U.S. victory in the Vietnam War, for example […] What matters here is the accessibility of the technology (even in more primitive forms), and how well it is used,” professor Audrey Kurth Cronin, director of Carnegie Mellon University’s Institute for Security and Technology, told FLYING.

My take: Above all, Hamas’ surprise attack on Israeli civilians validates what we’ve seen in Russia and Ukraine: In the wrong hands, drones can be a force for evil—and an effective one at that.

There are no easy answers here. The drones deployed by Hamas were small, cheap, plentiful, and likely designed or delivered by Iran. The fact that rudimentary technology could be used to such effect (and obtained rather easily from a widely sanctioned country) sets a dangerous precedent. Already, Israel has retaliated against thousands of civilian deaths by deploying its own swarms of drones, which have now killed more than 1,000 Palestinian civilians.

Though Hamas incited the growing conflict, regular people in both Israel and Palestine—through no fault of their own—are now threatened by sudden, deadly drone strikes. And with global superpowers now stockpiling the tiny aircraft, casualties of war may be more severe than ever.

Deep dive: Deadly Siege Marks Hamas’ Most Effective Use of Combat Drone Swarm

In Other News…

Wing Shows Us How It’s Delivered

What happened? If you follow me on X, formerly Twitter (@jack_daleo), you’ve seen me post about Wing and Walmart’s Dallas drone delivery service, which I got the chance to see in action last week at UP.Summit. But for the uninitiated, I posted a deep dive of the operation on FLYING Digital this week—here are the highlights.

How It’s Delivered: One thing that stood out to me—and that a spokesperson made sure to emphasize—was Wing’s ability to fit into Walmart’s workflows. The whole operation is run from a fenced area in the parking lot of a Supercenter, about the size of a tennis court. All Walmart associates need to do is pack orders and walk them over to the Wing staffers.

As for the drone delivery personnel, they didn’t have much to do either. The Wing system takes orders, assigns drones, plots flight plans, performs health checks, and responds to contingencies almost entirely on its own. Soon, the Wing Delivery Network and AutoLoader, which CEO Adam Woodworth detailed at UP.Summit, will add more autonomy to the service.

Deep dive: How It’s Delivered: Wing Gives Us a Glimpse of a Future With Drone Delivery

Archer Nabs Financing for ‘World’s Largest’ eVTOL Production Plant

What happened? Before ferrying passengers to and from airports in Chicago and the New York City metro area in partnership with United, Archer Aviation will first need to produce its eVTOL in numbers. Earlier this year, the firm broke ground on a mass manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia. Now, it’s secured the funding—$65 million from Synovus Bank—to complete it.

Cheap volume: Initially, Archer’s facility is expected to span 350,000 square feet and produce up to 650 aircraft per year. That’s more than any of its competitors are planning to put out. Eventually, the company said the site could grow to 900,000 square feet, churning out over 2,000 Midnight eVTOLs annually.

Interestingly, Archer claims it will be able to do this while keeping production costs lower than those of its competitors. That’s because the firm leverages outside aerospace companies to supply the majority of Midnight’s components. Archer will need an FAA production certificate, which will follow Midnight type certification, to begin using the facility to its full potential.

Deep Dive: Archer Secures $65 Million in Financing for ‘World’s Largest’ eVTOL Production Plant

And a Few More Headlines:

• UP.Summit 2023 in Dallas wrapped up last week, but check out our roundup of the biggest headlines.

• NASA postponed an International Space Station spacewalk after discovering a leak on the orbital complex.

• Personal eVTOL manufacturer Applied eVTOL Concepts will certify its Epiphany Transporter (what a name!) as a light sport aircraft.

• Airspace security provider Dedrone introduced a solution to enable BVLOS drone first responder operations.

• The NFL and other sports leagues are dealing with a new threat: unlicensed drones flying over stadiums.

Spotlight on…

Pivotal

Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Boeing’s Wisk Aero, and other eVTOL air taxi companies are still years away from commercial service. That’s also true for the personal eVTOL space…with the exception of Pivotal, formerly Opener Aero.

Pivotal so far is the only eVTOL manufacturer to actually sell and deliver its aircraft to paying customers in the U.S.—in other words, they own the vehicle outright. For now, a half dozen customers own BlackFly, Pivotal’s preproduction design. But the company last week unveiled Helix, a scalable production model it hopes will become the first personal eVTOL on the market.

I got to fly a BlackFly simulator at UP.Summit in Dallas—the aircraft featured a single seat with joystick controllers on either armrest. That’s it, as far as flight controls go. UP.Summit attendees were also treated to a BlackFly demonstration flight, where the aircraft showed off transitions between vertical flight, hover, and cruise. Helix is expected to include more robust hardware and an upgraded propulsion system that will extend the aircraft’s range of uses.

Deep Dive: Opener Rebrands to Pivotal and Unveils Helix, Its First Scalable Production Aircraft

On the Horizon…

The FAA’s authority was recently extended through December 31, but that doesn’t mean FAA reauthorization is in the rearview mirror. The pressure is still on lawmakers to pass the House reauthorization bill, which calls for measures such as a final BVLOS drone rule and funding for advanced air mobility (AAM)-related activities.

On the topic of AAM, California Governor Gavin Newson signed a bill authored by Senator Anna Caballero (D-Calif.) that would create an AAM and Aviation Electrification Committee for the state. Its job would be to assess current state and federal laws and identify potential changes to ensure safe operations in California. Wisk, Archer, and other manufacturers have facilities in the state; some, such as Joby, plan to fly there.

Meanwhile, India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation loosened its drone laws by removing the passport requirement for obtaining a remote pilot certificate. The move lowers the barrier to verification to encompass documents such as a photo ID or driver’s license, which should open the industry to more drone pilots.

Mark Your Calendars

Each week, I’ll be running through a list of upcoming industry events. The FAI World Drone Racing Championship wrapped up Monday in Seoul, South Korea, but here are a few conferences to keep an eye on:

• Intergeo 2023—Tuesday through Thursday in Berlin
• Dronitaly—Wednesday through Friday in Bologna, Italy
• World’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Conference—November 12-14 in Jerusalem
• ICAO Drone Enable—December 5-7 in Montreal
• 11th Annual eVTOL Symposium—February 6-8 in Silicon Valley, California 
• AUVSI Xponential 2024—April 22-25 in San Diego 

Tweet of the Week

Want to see your tweet here next week? Have comments or feedback? Share your thoughts on X, formerly Twitter, and tag me (@jack_daleo)! Or check out FLYING’s media accounts:

X: FLYING Magazine (@FlyingMagazine) / Twitter

Facebook: FLYING Magazine – Home (facebook.com)

Instagram: FLYING Magazine (@flyingmagazine) • Instagram photos and videos

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.

The post In Israel and Gaza, Drones Change the Calculus of War appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Spacewalks planned this week for the International Space Station (ISS) have been postponed following the discovery of a coolant leak, NASA announced.

The leak was reported by Roscosmos flight controllers. Evidence of residual coolant droplets was also seen in video from NASA’s external station cameras.

• READ MORE: NASA Crew-7 Astronauts Arrive at International Space Station

The seepage has stopped and teams on the ground continue to investigate its cause, NASA said.

Astronauts Loral O’Hara (NASA) and Andreas Mogensen (European Space Agency) had been scheduled to conduct a six-hour spacewalk Thursday to collect microorganism samples from the exterior of the ISS orbital complex. They were also scheduled to replace a high-definition camera on the port truss of the ISS. 

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

“NASA engineering and flight control teams are continuing to review data and video associated with a coolant leak from a backup radiator on the station’s Nauka multipurpose laboratory module (MLM),” NASA said in a statement. “Two United States segment spacewalks originally scheduled for Thursday, October 12, and Friday, October 20, have been postponed until the review is complete. New dates will be announced later.”

The post NASA: ISS Spacewalk Postponed After Leak Discovery appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Rocket Lab has a new rocket engine factory. The Long Beach, California-based launch and space systems company held a ribbon-cutting Wednesday to officially open its new 144,000-square-foot Engine Development Center in what was Virgin Orbit’s former headquarters. 

The facility will support high-rate production of the 3D-printed Rutherford engine, as well as the development and production of Rocket Lab’s new Archimedes engine that will power its new Neutron rocket.

• READ MORE: Virgin Orbit Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

The Neutron medium-lift rocket is designed for mega-constellation deployment, deep space missions, and human spaceflight, and according to Rocket Lab, will be reusable.

Following manufacturing, the Archimedes engines will be transported to NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Mississippi, where they will undergo testing.

“From there, the Archimedes engines will be integrated onto the Neutron launch vehicle in preparation for liftoff from Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 3 at Virginia Spaceport Authority’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport within NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia,” the company said. 

This week, Rocket Lab said it completed cryogenic and maximum expected operating pressure (MEOP) testing on a Neutron Stage 2 tank. “Armed with a wealth of data from this campaign, the next Neutron stage 2 tank is progressing at pace,” the company said in a message on X, formerly known as Twitter.

As part of structural testing we push our tanks to Maximum Expected Operating Pressure (MEOP)…and far beyond. It's always fun to round out an intensive test campaign with a bang!

Armed with a wealth of data from this campaign, the next Neutron stage 2 tank is progressing at… https://t.co/Zk0ePk8TIU pic.twitter.com/2BqJjBOASQ

— Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) October 4, 2023

Rocket Lab acquired the lease on its new Long Beach facility, as well as the factory’s production assets, in May for $16.1 million.

“This Engine Development Center builds on the legacy of the Rutherford engine and signals a new era at Rocket Lab with the development of Archimedes, our new large [liquid oxygen]/methane engine, which will power the reusable Neutron rocket,” Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder and CEO, said in a statement. “By co-locating our engine development center near our Long Beach headquarters and production complex, we’ve maximized collaboration between our engineering and manufacturing to ensure streamlined efficiency as we continue ramping up Electron launch cadence and get closer to Neutron’s debut launch.”

The post Rocket Lab Opens New Engine Development Center appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Hello, and welcome to the Future of FLYING newsletter…with a twist! This week, I’m on-site in Dallas covering the UP.Summit, an annual, invite-only gathering of 300 of the transportation industry’s most dynamic, groundbreaking, and futuristic technology companies.

Among them are many of the same aircraft you’ve seen me highlight in this column each week, from drones, to electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) designs, to spacecraft that have been to the International Space Station and back.

Among the attendees are former presidents and prime ministers, current state legislators and members of Congress, representatives from the Department of Defense, and CEOs and executives of some of the most disruptive companies in the industry, from Google’s Wing (and partner Walmart) to Volocopter to SpaceX.

Below you’ll find a roundup of the biggest announcements made during the three-day event, including from cutting-edge companies such as Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Sikorsky, Zipline, UP.Labs…and the list goes on and on. Without further ado, here’s what has come out of the event as Day 2 comes to a close:

Jetson Aero got seed funding…from the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am in a move that would come as quite a surprise if you haven’t followed the artist’s evolution over the years. The longtime frontman has invested in many a tech company over the years—and even launched and acquired a few of his own.

Now, will.i.am will attempt to make history by training to fly Jetson’s Jetson One, the firm’s single-seat personal eVTOL aircraft. The artist and entrepreneur would be one of the first on the planet to fly such a vehicle. Read more here.

Joby Aviation put pilots in the cockpit for the first time, advancing to crewed flight testing of its preproduction prototype eVTOL air taxi. Among those considered major eVTOL air taxi players (Archer Aviation, Lilium, Wisk Aero, and Volocopter to name a few), only Volocopter reached that milestone before Joby.

The next step for the manufacturer is “for credit” flight testing with the FAA, using a full-scale production prototype. The hope is for that to take place next year in time for a 2025 commercial launch with Delta Air Lines, beginning with air taxi routes in New York and Los Angeles. For a deeper dive, check out FLYING’s story from earlier this week. Meanwhile…

Archer got the ball rolling with the Air Force after the department paid out $1 million to the eVTOL firm, the first installment of what is expected to be many as part of its freshly signed contracts with AFWERX Agility Prime, worth up to $142 million. The payout was exchanged for a mobile flight simulator, which is now on its way to the Air Force.

The Air Force will train pilots to fly Archer’s Midnight eVTOL using the sim, familiarizing them with the aircraft and providing the company with valuable feedback on the pilot experience. And at an unspecified date, the company is expected to deliver up to six Midnight models to an as yet unnamed air force base. Here’s a deeper dive on that news.

Boeing’s Wisk Aero launched a flight test campaign in Los Angeles, bringing its Gen 5 autonomous air taxi, also known as Cora, to the City of Angels. CEO Brian Yutko said the company is the first eVTOL manufacturer to fly at a commercial airport in Los Angeles. He added that Wisk expects to fly its newer Gen 6 prototype for the first time in 2024.

“We’re flying at a dense urban airport with real-world autonomous operations at work, for the third time within this past year,” Yutko told FLYING at UP.Summit. “This is a step forward not only for our aircraft testing program, but for developing organizational skill at operating autonomous aircraft in complex environments.”

Sikorsky and startup Rain are automating firefighting in a collaboration that saw Rain equip a Sikorsky optionally piloted Black Hawk with its Wildfire Mission Autonomy System, taking the pilot out of the equation. The system automates just about every step of the process, from identification to dispatching to precision targeting of the blazes. Sikorsky’s Matrix autonomy suite beamed commands to the uncrewed Black Hawk.

The partnership hopes to improve response times and lower costs for firefighting companies, which are contending with an unprecedented number of blazes. More on that here.

UP.Labs and Alaska Airlines launched an incubator, with hopes of fostering six startups over the next three years. UP.Labs, a branch of UP.Partners (the host of UP.Summit), will launch the partnership with the airline in 2024.

The project will be called the Airline Venture Lab, and it’ll explore ways to address the greatest areas of friction in aviation, for both Alaska Airlines and the industry at large. Potential use cases include operational efficiency, guest experience, and the business of travel.

Reliable Robotics and the Air Force made a trio of positive findings after completing a large aircraft automation study. The partners found that the airframe they examined (which wasn’t named) could handle system upgrades without impacting remote pilot abilities. 

They also discovered that large, remotely piloted military aircraft can match the efficiency and flexibility of commercial aircraft, without the need to build a new airframe. Finally, Reliable found that its Remotely Operated Aircraft System (ROAS) could achieve the same levels of reliability required by the FAA while flying on larger airframes.

Beta Technologies opened its first electric-aircraft assembly plant in Vermont, which the company said will one day churn out 300 aircraft per year. The facility will build both the company’s eVTOL and its eCTOL (conventional takeoff and landing), which was revealed earlier this year.

The site spans 188,500 square feet and is located on a 40-acre plot of land at Burlington International Airport (KBTV), which will allow it to double in size in the future. FLYING’s Jonathan Welsh has the scoop.

Wing Drone Delivery is now serving customers in the Dallas area through a partnership with Walmart, announced in August. The agreement unites the largest retailer in the world and one of the largest corporations on the planet (Wing parent Alphabet) to deliver a variety of food and convenience items in minutes, straight to customers’ doorsteps, front yards, and more.

I’ll have more on this news Friday when I take a trip to the Dallas suburb of Frisco, where a Walmart Supercenter has been equipped to make Wing drone deliveries.

Personal eVTOL manufacturer Opener rebranded to Pivotal and launched Helix, its first scalable production aircraft. I got the chance to see the firm’s preproduction design, BlackFly, in action during a showcase Thursday morning. The aircraft showed off transitions between three phases of flight: vertical lift, forward cruise, and thrust-borne hover.

Helix will carry over many of the features of BlackFly, but it’s expected to have a more robust propulsion system, greater comfort, and possibly a higher payload capacity. A handful of customers are already flying the eVTOL, making it one of the earliest entries on the market.

Oh, and here’s the company’s BlackFly in action:

Still with me? Here are a few more quick hitters:

Elroy Air now Has 1,000 orders in its backlog for the Chaparral, its heavy-duty cargo delivery drone.

Regent raised $60 Million and partnered with Japan Airlines to develop a system for operations in the country with its all-electric seaglider.

Zipline partnered with Mendocino Farms to deliver sandwiches, salads, and more using its P2 drone delivery system.

And finally, Verge Aero unveiled the X7 Drone, an upgraded design which the company will use to perform drone light shows.

Bonus! Here are a few more photos from my first two days in Dallas:

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The post Flying Cars, Rocket Ships, Self-Piloting Drones and More Abound at UP.Summit 2023 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

When Artemis III astronauts moonwalk in 2025, they will be looking sharp. That’s because Axiom Space—the company tapped by NASA to develop the spacesuits for the lunar mission—is partnering with Italian luxury fashion house Prada for the design.

The Artemis III mission is set to send astronauts to the lunar south pole, marking humans’ first return to the moon’s surface in more than 50 years.

“Prada’s technical expertise with raw materials, manufacturing techniques, and innovative design concepts will bring advanced technologies instrumental in ensuring not only the comfort of astronauts on the lunar surface, but also the much-needed human factors considerations absent from legacy spacesuits,” Michael Suffredini, CEO of Axiom Space, said Wednesday.

• READ MORE: NASA Selects Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace To Provide New Spacesuits

Last summer, NASA announced its commercial partnership with Axiom Space and Collins Aerospace to provide the next-generation spacesuits and spacewalk systems for the upcoming Artemis missions. The space agency noted at the time the contract would allow for additional vendors as the “commercial space services market evolves.”

The Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit design will provide increased flexibility and environmental protection for astronauts. “Using innovative technologies and design, these spacesuits will enable greater exploration of the lunar surface than ever before,” Axiom Space said.

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

Engineers from the Milan-based apparel designer will work with a team from Axiom Space throughout the design process, the companies said.

“We are honored to be a part of this historic mission with Axiom Space,” Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group marketing director, said in a statement. “Our decades of experimentation, cutting-edge technology, and design know-how—which started back in the ’90s with Luna Rossa challenging for the America’s Cup [sailing competition]—will now be applied to the design of a spacesuit for the Artemis era. It is a true celebration of the power of human creativity and innovation to advance civilization.”

The post Artemis III Astronauts Set to Moonwalk Wearing Prada appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Two NASA astronauts and a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut are set to take their first spacewalk outside the International Space Station (ISS) in order to conduct research and install a high-definition camera for Earth views.

On October 12, astronauts Loral O’Hara (NASA) and Andreas Mogensen (ESA) will spacewalk  to collect microorganism samples from the exterior of the ISS orbital complex. The pair are also scheduled to replace an HD camera on the port truss of the ISS, NASA said. 

In order to maintain breathable air for astronauts inside the space station, its life support system vents carbon dioxide into space,  bacterial residue possible near the vents, ESA said.

“Understanding if bacteria can survive on surfaces in outer space will help reduce human contamination on future missions to the moon and Mars,” ESA said.

• READ MORE: NASA Crew-7 Astronauts Arrive at International Space Station

The six-hour spacewalk will begin at 10 a.m. EDT and may be watched on NASA TV or the NASA app.

“O’Hara will serve as extravehicular activity (EVA) crew member [one] and will wear a suit with red stripes,” NASA said. “Mogensen will serve as extravehicular crew member [two] and will wear an unmarked suit. U.S. spacewalk 89 will be the first spacewalk for both crewmembers.”

Preparation

Mogensen, who is commander of the space station, and O’Hara will prepare by breathing pure oxygen and doing some light exercises, according to ESA. The agency said the exercises will help rid nitrogen from their blood, since too much of the element can create a serious health issue when transitioning from a high-pressure environment to a low one.

“Outside the space station, Andreas will install a new high-definition camera while strapped to the station’s robotic arm, Canadarm2,” ESA said. “For the first time the robotic arm will be operated from ground control instead of by an astronaut on the space station. NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli will be inside the International Space Station monitoring operations and ready to take over if needed.”

On October 20, O’Hara will again spacewalk, joined by Moghbeli. The two will remove a faulty Radio Frequency Group electronics box from a communications antenna on the starboard truss of the station. They are also set to replace one of 12 trundle bearing assemblies on the port truss solar alpha rotary joint.

“The bearings enable the station’s solar arrays to rotate properly to track the sun as the station orbits the Earth,” NASA said.

That spacewalk will begin at 7:30 a.m. EDT and is expected to last nearly seven hours, according to NASA.

The post NASA Unveils Upcoming ISS Spacewalk Itinerary appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) announced it has updated a list of recommendations aimed at limiting hazards that commercial space vehicle occupants could encounter, from preflight to landing. 

The recommendations, which are the first since 2014, cover the gamut across design, manufacturing, and operations, and are based on lessons learned during the NASA Commercial Crew program, as well as recent commercial space fights, the FAA said Friday.

• READ MORE: Blue Origin Flights to ‘Soon’ Resume After FAA Closes Investigation

“AST is issuing Version 2 of this document because significant progress has been made in the commercial human space flight industry since 2014, the year Version 1 was issued,” the FAA said in recommendations Friday. “SpaceX, via its Dragon capsule, is regularly conducting orbital flights to the International Space Station under contract with…(NASA’s) Commercial Crew program, as well as private orbital flights. Virgin Galactic has successfully taken people on a suborbital flight from Spaceport America [in New Mexico]. And Blue Origin is regularly launching passengers on suborbital flights from its site in West Texas.”

Among the recommendations included in the 102-page document is a call for system operators to enhance cybersecurity measures in order to prevent hacking of critical vehicle functions. Operators should  also develop and use voluntary consensus standards in support of human space flight occupant safety, the agency said.

“The use of consensus standards which have been developed and are found to conform to best practices can recognize time and financial savings,” the FAA noted.

• READ MORE: FAA Readies to Regulate Commercial Human Spaceflight Safety 

The recommendations are the latest from the safety agency, which last week proposed a rule aiming to limit new orbital debris during commercial space operations, aligning with those accepted by the U.S. government for its space missions. 

Earlier this summer, the FAA launched a rulemaking committee to examine the cost and development of possible future regulations related to occupant safety during commercial space flights. The 25-member committee includes representatives from the FAA and space industry, including Virgin Galactic, Boeing, SpaceX, and Blue Origin.

The post FAA Releases Updated Space Tourist Safety Recommendations appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

After a year of inactivity, Jeff Bezos’ space tourism venture could soon be back in orbit.

This week, the FAA closed its mishap investigation into New Shepard 23, an uncrewed, suborbital cargo mission that crashed in September 2022. The investigation, which looped in NASA and the National Transportation Safety Board as official observers, grounded Bezos-owned Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, which in the months prior had ferried a total of 31 people to the edge of the atmosphere.

To be clear, New Shepard is not yet cleared for takeoff. That won’t happen until Blue Origin implements 21 corrective actions identified by the FAA—including an engine redesign—to prevent a similar incident. After that, the company can modify its launch license, giving it the green light to resume flying.

In a statement to FLYING and a post on X, formerly Twitter, Blue Origin confirmed it received the FAA’s notice and “[plans] to fly soon.”

We’ve received the FAA’s letter and plan to fly soon. https://t.co/J2bCKETQe7

— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) September 27, 2023

But just how soon? In a March update, Blue Origin said higher-than-expected operating temperatures created a “thermo-structural failure” in one of New Shepard’s nozzles. It added that it had already begun tweaking the spacecraft and expected to fly again late this year.

“Blue Origin is implementing corrective actions, including design changes to the combustion chamber and operating parameters, which have reduced engine nozzle bulk and hot-streak temperatures,” the company said. “Additional design changes to the nozzle have improved structural performance under thermal and dynamic loads.”

The company appeared to reiterate the late 2023 target in its statement—and that may be more than just talk. Earlier this month, two sources familiar with Blue Origin’s launch manifest told Ars Technica the company is tentatively planning an uncrewed test flight for early next month. If all goes well, it could launch its first crewed mission since August 2022 in mid-February.

How We Got Here

Included in the FAA’s announcement of the investigation’s closure was an agency assessment of what went wrong last September. It agreed with Blue Origin: “Higher than expected engine operating temperatures” caused a structural failure in one of the engine nozzles.

Just over one minute into the flight, which lifted off from the company’s Launch Site One in Texas, both New Shepard and its cargo capsule reversed course back to Earth. An onboard launch vehicle system detected the issue with the nozzle, triggering an abort and separation of the capsule from the rocket (as intended) and shutting down the engine.

The capsule floated gently to the desert floor on parachutes. The propulsion module, on the other hand, was destroyed on impact. However, all debris landed within a designated hazard area, and no injuries or property damage were reported.

Now, Blue Origin will need to address the 21 actions laid out by the FAA. These include a redesign of both the engine and nozzle components and unspecified “organizational changes.” The latter is detailed in the FAA’s letter to Blue Origin, which is not publicly available because it includes proprietary data and U.S. Export Control information, the FAA said.

What’s Next?

New Shepard is the vehicle Blue Origin relies on for its space tourism business, which carries people and cargo to about 340,000 feet in altitude for a few minutes of weightlessness. The experience is similar to the one offered by rival Virgin Galactic, owned by another billionaire business mogul, Richard Branson.

So far, Blue Origin has made a handful of successful flights with New Shepard. The company’s passengers have included Bezos himself, Star Trek icon William Shatner, and Good Morning America host and former NFL defensive end Michael Strahan. Aerospace pioneer and “Mercury 13” candidate Wally Funk set several records during her flight—some since superseded. Actor and comedian Pete Davidson also booked a seat before backing out. 

While the “organizational changes” specified by the FAA are unclear, Blue Origin this week shook up its top brass with the appointment of Dave Limp, who will depart his role as senior vice president of devices and services at Amazon. Limp spearheaded the launches of products such as Alexa and Echo, known to be pet projects of Bezos.

The Amazon executive will replace outgoing CEO Bob Smith, who oversaw New Shepard’s maiden voyage, in December. Under Smith, Blue Origin has struggled to launch its New Glenn super-heavy lift rocket, missed out on lucrative Pentagon contracts to rivals SpaceX and United Launch Alliance, and faced accusations of a toxic workplace permeated with discomfort and misogyny. The firm’s Orbital Reef space station partnership with Sierra Space is also reportedly on the rocks.

Blue Origin isn’t the only company tied up with the FAA. Elon Musk-owned SpaceX faces its own mishap investigation into the April 20 crash of Starship, a super-heavy lift rocket akin to New Glenn. That investigation remains open, and as of July 31, SpaceX had yet to file paperwork outlining the corrective actions it would take. 

However, the company continues to launch droves of Starlink satellites and conduct International Space Station crew rotation missions for NASA with its Crew Dragon. Virgin Galactic, meanwhile, has flown commercial missions in back-to-back-to-back months, with a fourth planned for Thursday.

When New Shepard was first sidelined, Blue Origin looked like the clear leader in space tourism, with a half dozen commercial flights under its belt. At the time, Virgin Galactic itself was grounded and had yet to serve paying customers. 

By now, Blue Origin’s competitors have leapfrogged it in the modern space race. But with New Shepard getting closer to reintroduction, the door is still very much open for Bezos to recapture the lead.

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The post Blue Origin Flights to ‘Soon’ Resume After FAA Closes Investigation appeared first on FLYING Magazine.