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January 18, 2022

Airborne 01.18.22: HIGH Alt Perlan II, 5G NOTAMs!, Virgin Orbit

Also: SuperBowl TFR, Piper Adds MSU, Boeing's 4th Quarter, Collier Nominations

Thales and Iridium have joined the infamous ultra-high-altitude Perlan continuous flight program. The engineless glider can now avail itself of the Iridium communications network, offering the world's highest internet hot spot at more than 65,000 feet. Perlan will use their newfound connectivity for inflight communications, as well as live streaming from both the glider and its Egret super tow plane. The FAA has published its first round of Notices To Air Missions regarding the soon-to-be activated 5G cell networks, placing warnings over 1,462 airports in an effort to ease the industry into a post-5G world with minimal issue. The restrictions put into place warn that radio alt

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Stratolaunch Completes 3rd Test Flight

Hypersonic Launch Vehicle On Track for Customer Flights in 2023

Stratolaunch LLC has seen the third successful Roc carrier aircraft test flight, finally taking the prototype above and beyond all previous records to an altitude of 23,500 feet at 180 knots. The flight has further proven the aircraft ahead of future testing for its hypersonic testbed vehicle, the Talon-A. The Roc is currently the largest flying aircraft in the world, boasting a 385-foot wingspan, originally conceived in the same vein as Virgin Galactic's WhiteKnightTwo carrier craft. A program pivot away from orbital payload delivery towards hypersonic research has brought the company into a niche of its own.

SpaceX Launch Delivers 44 SuperDove Satellites

Planet, an ecological space surveillance company, has successfully launched their Flock 4X satellite cloud, adding 44 to their fleet of roughly 200 already in orbit. The delivery was made in conjunction with SpaceX by sending the new additions aboard a Falcon 9X, bringing its track record with Planet up to 127 satellites across 8 launches. The new mission was the first under a recent multi-year, multiple launch rideshare agreement between the two. Planet said that contact was quickly made with their satellite cloud additions, establishing connections within minutes. The constellation allows Planet to obtain daily insights about the Earth's resources and global events under the firm's PlanetScope