Fri, Jan 24, 2020

SpaceX Recovers Crew Dragon Trunk From Abort System Test

Component Was Not Expected To Survive The Test

SpaceX has recovered a piece of the Crew Dragon abort test launch system that it did not expect to get back.

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Fri, Jan 24, 2020

NASA Looking At Boeing Starliner Thruster Performance

Source Says Many Elements Were Overstressed In Uncrewed Test Flight

The recent uncrewed test of Boeing's Starliner commercial crew system left NASA and Boeing with a lot of questions to answer, including whether another unmanned flight would be required before allowing humans to fly in the spacecraft.

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Thu, Jan 23, 2020

AMA Drone Report 01.23.20: DJI Phantom ReIntro, Autel Evo II, EAA v RID

Also: Drone Test Site Program, FoxFury D3060, Airbus eVTOL Vahana, Super Bowl TFR

The DJI Phantom line of drones, considered by some to be the industry standard, vanished from store shelves about 14 months ago. At the time, DJI cited a "parts shortage" that prevented it from manufacturing new Phantom drones. Well, the Phantom 4 Pro is back. DJI posted a statement saying that the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 is again available for purchase as of January 6, 2020. A new drone from Autel Robotics was introduced at CES 2020 in Las Vegas. The 8K Autel Evo II is billed as a potential "Mavic Killer" by the company. Autel Robotics says that the Evo II will have a standard 7100mAh battery that provides up to 40 minutes of flight time in forward motion or 35 minutes in hover. The drone can be controlled at a range of up to 4.8 nautical miles, and has a dozen computer vision sensors controlled by a dual-core processor and AI machine. It can detect potential hazards up to 100 f

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Thu, Jan 23, 2020

NASA Pays Tribute, Says Goodbye to One of Agency’s Great Observatories

Spitzer Telescope Will Be Decommissioned January 30th

One of NASA's four Great Observatories, Spitzer was launched on Aug. 25, 2003, and has studied the cosmos in infrared light ever since. Its breathtaking images have revealed the beauty of the infrared universe.

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Thu, Jan 23, 2020

ESA Solar Orbiter Team Prepares For February 6 Launch

Running Multiple Simulations For The Mission

The European Space Agency's Solar Orbiter control team is simulating launch for the final time before the Sun-seeking spacecraft lifts-off for real. After months of nerve-wracking simulation training, which has seen the control team play out a range of scenarios where something goes wrong, mission control is almost “green for launch”. On February 6 (CET), Solar Orbiter will begin its loopy journey through space on the way to the Sun.

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Wed, Jan 22, 2020

Airborne 01.22.20: SpaceX Abort Test, Airport Attack, Airbus Vahana

Also: Production Airlander 10, Rhode Island AirShow, Sinclair Av Training Ctr, Dream Chaser

NASA and SpaceX completed a launch escape demonstration of the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket Sunday. This was the final major flight test of the spacecraft before it begins carrying astronauts to the International Space Station under NASA's Commercial Crew Program. The launch escape test began at 10:30 a.m. EST with liftoff from KSC’s Launch Complex 39A. As part of the test, SpaceX configured Crew Dragon to trigger a launch escape about 1.5 minutes after liftoff. All major functions were executed, including separation, engine firings, parachute deployment and landing. Crew Dragon splashed down at 10:38 a.m. just off the Florida coast in the Atlantic Ocean. Green Township in Sussex County, NJ plans to close an airport it purchased nearly 20 years ago and will consider options for redeveloping the site. Trinca Airport (13N) was first opened 81-years ago, acc

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