Aerospace & Defence

Following a key programme review, NASA approved the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) to proceed to the next phase of design and development for the mission's robotic segment. ARM is a two-part mission that will integrate robotic and crewed spacecraft operations in the proving ground of deep space to demonstrate key capabilities needed for NASA's journey to Mars.

In 2020, NASA plans to launch a new Mars rover that will be tasked with probing a region of the planet scientists believe could hold remnants of ancient microbial life. The rover will collect samples of rocks and soil, and store them on the Martian surface; the samples would be returned to Earth sometime in the distant future so that scientists can meticulously analyse the samples for signs of present or former extraterrestrial life.

Years in the making, one of the trickiest pieces of space technology ever developed is finally ready to join its satellite for launch by the end of next year, bringing us another step closer to a better understanding of the Earth’s winds.  Carrying pioneering lasers, Aeolus will be the first satellite to probe the wind globally.

Mitsubishi Materials Group has signed up to be the latest member of the University of Strathclyde’s Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC), part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. The AFRC will act as a test facility for the development of new products and manufacturing processes, which will be used to produce metal components for use in a range of industries – including oil and gas, aerospace and automotive.

  NASA has selected six U.S. companies to help advance the Journey to Mars by developing ground prototypes and concepts for deep space habitats under the second Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) Broad Agency Announcement, or NextSTEP-2

NASA has selected five green technology concepts that have the potential to transform the aviation industry in the next decade by reducing aircraft fuel use and emissions. The concepts were selected under NASA’s Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program for a two-year study.

Who wouldn’t want to see a world in which renewable jet fuel powers the planes we travel in? This dream is becoming a reality faster than you would think. Oslo airport became the world’s first airport where one can fuel any airplane taking off from its runways with renewable aviation fuel. Their environment sparing renewable fuel is produced by Neste, a producer of waste-based renewable fuels.

All around the world, airports and aviation buildings are some of the most protected public environments. To further strengthen airport access control systems for its personnel, Korea Airports Corporation (KAC) has been implementing a new solution based on the CIPURSE security standard. Infineon supplies the security chips for the electronic access control cards handed out to the staff.

Since Sputnik 1 was launched by the Russians in 1957, more than 50 countries have joined the race to launch satellites into orbit from low-earth to geosynchronous orbit (260 to 22,240 miles from earth). Of the more than 3,500 satellites in earth’s orbit, about 1/3 are active while the rest are no longer operating. The business of launching satellites is evolving, however, and the numbers of operational satellites are set to increase by thou...

Air Tahiti Nui and OpenAirlines signed a contract to implement the software, SkyBreathe Fuel Efficiency, in order to allow the airline to save 2 to 5% of fuel consumption. Taking in account that air transport is responsible for more than 2% of CO2 emissions worldwide (equivalent of Germany's CO2 emissions) as well as 30% of an airline costs, implementing SkyBreathe is a must.