DART Satellite to Test Direct Impact Effects on Asteroid Course
The Double Asteroid Redirection Test satellite, first of its kind, had a date with the asteroid Dimorphos on September 26. The test gauges the feasibility of changing the course of a moving asteroid, launching the autonomously navigated satellite on a collision course. If successful, a change in the post-impact course of the celestial body will be visible in ground-based measurements.
New Publication Guides Future Advanced Aerial Mobility Infrastructure
A new ASTM International standard for civil vertipor design has been published, the result of a 5-year effort by their unmanned aircraft systems committee to provide industry guidance on what will likely become a common fixture all over the world. As electric and alternative fuel vertical takeoff aircraft progress to certification, infrastructure tailor-made to their inherent advantages will be required to fully leverage their capability. The lower sound signature, short takeoff capability, and diminished operating range compared to traditional air taxis result in structural differences from the usual small general aviation airport.
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