Aerospace
Experimental Air Force aircraft goes hypersonic
May 6, 2013 9:49 am | News | Comments
An experimental, unmanned aircraft developed for the U.S. Air Force went hypersonic during a test off the Southern California coast, traveling at more than 3,000 mph, the Air Force said Friday. The X-51A WaveRider flew for more than three minutes under power from its exotic scramjet engine and hit a speed of Mach 5.1, or more than five times the speed of sound.
Budget cuts pare real-time monitoring of volcanoes
May 14, 2013 8:09 am | by Rachel D’Oro, Associated Press | News | Comments
Worldwide, hundreds of flights are diverted each year because of volcanic activity....
Small electric UAV shatters endurance record
May 10, 2013 12:53 pm | News | Comments
Researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) recently flew their fuel cell...
Experimental Air Force aircraft goes hypersonic
May 6, 2013 9:49 am | News | Comments
An experimental, unmanned aircraft developed for the U.S. Air Force went hypersonic...
Private spaceship tests underway
May 16, 2013 3:17 pm | by BROCK VERGAKIS - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsA Colorado company developing a spaceship to take astronauts to the International Space Station is having elements of its spacecraft undergo landing-related tests at NASA facilities in Virginia and California. NASA wants private firms to ferry astronauts into low-Earth orbit so it can focus on deep-space exploration and send crews to a nearby asteroid and eventually Mars.
Virgin Galactic spaceship makes first powered flight
April 29, 2013 11:00 pm | by Raquel Maria Dillon, Associated Press | News | CommentsIn a major step for Virgin Galactic’s bid to create the first space tourism company, the SpaceShipTwo made its first powered flight Monday, breaking the sound barrier in a test over the Mojave Desert. It then glided to a safe landing. The successful flight moves the company closer to its goal of flying paying passengers on brief hops into space.
Orbital Sciences to design satellite for NASA
April 29, 2013 12:02 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsOrbital Sciences Corp. has won a $50 million contract to build a new satellite for NASA, the space technology company said Monday. The Dulles, Va.-based company will create and test a new heliophysics science satellite that is responsible for investigating the connection between space weather and Earth's terrestrial weather.
Japan to allow airlines to resume 787 flights
April 26, 2013 3:58 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsJapan's transport minister says the government is poised to allow Japanese carriers to resume flying the Boeing 787 once they complete repairs to problematic lithium ion batteries. Transport Minister Akihiro Ohta says in a statement on the ministry's Website that the approval could come as early as Friday night following an expected official safety order from U.S. federal regulators.
Rocket that will carry cargo ship test launched
April 21, 2013 5:41 pm | by BROCK VERGAKIS - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsA company contracted by NASA to deliver supplies to the International Space Station successfully launched a rocket on Sunday in a test of its ability to send a cargo ship aloft. About 10 minutes after the launch from Wallops Island on Virginia's Eastern Shore, Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles declared the test a success after observing a practice payload reach orbit and safely separate from the rocket.
Investors who stood by Boeing reap reward
April 21, 2013 2:21 pm | by JOSHUA FREED - AP Business Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsInvestors who stood by Boeing during its 787 crisis have been rewarded. Things looked bad three months ago. Boeing's flagship plane was grounded worldwide because no one could explain the smoldering batteries on two different planes. Deliveries of the 787 to customers had stopped. No one knew how much the whole mess would cost.
Test launch of unmanned space rocket delayed
April 19, 2013 10:54 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA test launch of an unmanned rocket that would eventually help carry supplies to the International Space Station has been rescheduled. NASA says the launch will take place no earlier than 5 p.m. Saturday, with a backup opportunity Sunday.
Test launch of private rocket scrubbed in U.S.
April 17, 2013 7:58 pm | by BROCK VERGAKIS - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsA private company contracted by the U.S. space agency to make supply runs to the International Space Station called off a test launch of an unmanned rocket, saying an important data cord linked to the rocket's second stage detached too soon. The Antares rocket had been scheduled to blast off Wednesday afternoon from Virginia when the countdown clock was halted 12 minutes before the expected launch.
Pratt & Whitney Additive Manufacturing Innovation Center opens at UConn
April 10, 2013 4:39 am | News | CommentsThe University of Connecticut and Pratt & Whitney this week celebrated the opening of a new Pratt & Whitney Additive Manufacturing Innovation Center at UConn, one of the most advanced additive manufacturing laboratories in the nation. Located on UConn’s Depot Campus in Storrs, the center features the latest in 3D manufacturing equipment and rapid prototyping technologies.
Drone industry worries about privacy backlash
March 29, 2013 3:05 am | by JOAN LOWY - Associated Press - Associated Press | News | CommentsIt's a good bet that in the not-so-distant future aerial drones will be part of Americans' everyday lives, performing countless useful functions. A far cry from the killing machines whose missiles incinerate terrorists, these generally small, unmanned aircraft will help farmers more precisely apply water and pesticides to crops, saving money and reducing environmental impacts. They'll help police departments find missing people, reconstruct traffic accidents and act as lookouts for SWAT teams.
Solar plane plans stops in Phoenix, Dallas, NYC
March 28, 2013 10:41 pm | by Terence Chea, Associated Press | News | CommentsSolar Impulse, considered the world's most advanced solar-powered plane, is set to travel across the United States, stopping for seven to 10 days at major airports in each city, so the pilots can display and discuss the aircraft with reporters, students, engineers and aviation fans. It plans to reach New York's Kennedy Airport in early July—without using a drop of fuel, its creators said.
SpaceX Dragon cargo ship splashes into Pacific
March 26, 2013 7:26 pm | by Marcia Dunn, AP Aerospace Writer | News | CommentsThe SpaceX Dragon capsule returned to Earth on Tuesday with a full science load from the International Space Station—and a bunch of well-used children's Legos. The privately owned cargo ship splashed down in the Pacific right on target, 250 miles off the coast of Mexico's Baja Peninsula, five hours after leaving the orbiting lab. The California-based SpaceX confirmed the Dragon's safe arrival via Twitter.
SpaceX Dragon cargo ship splashes into Pacific
March 26, 2013 1:49 pm | by MARCIA DUNN - AP Aerospace Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsThe SpaceX Dragon capsule returned to Earth on Tuesday with a full science load from the International Space Station. The privately owned cargo ship splashed down in the Pacific, off the coast of Mexico's Baja Peninsula, five hours after leaving the orbiting laboratory. The California-based SpaceX confirmed the Dragon's safe arrival via Twitter.
Boeing 787 makes test flight to check battery
March 25, 2013 10:27 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA Boeing 787 with a redesigned battery system made a 2-hour test flight on Monday, and the company said the event "went according to plan." The test flight was an important step in Boeing Co.'s plan to convince safety regulators to let airlines resume using the plane, which the company calls the Dreamliner.
Investigators scold Boeing over 787 comments
March 22, 2013 1:37 pm | by JOSHUA FREED - AP Business Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsBoeing's comments about the smoldering batteries on its 787 have annoyed the National Transportation Safety Board. Boeing gave its own account of two battery incidents, which included a fire, at a detailed press briefing in Tokyo last week. The problem is that the NTSB is still investigating the incidents. Boeing is a party to the investigation, meaning it provides technical experts and, in effect, gets a seat at the table as investigators try to sort out what happened.
Amazon CEO recovers Apollo engines from Atlantic
March 21, 2013 8:54 am | by Alicia Chang, AP Science Writer | News | CommentsRusted pieces of two Apollo-era rocket engines that helped boost astronauts to the moon have been fished out of the murky depths of the Atlantic by Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos. A privately funded expedition led by Bezos raised the main engine parts during three weeks at sea, about 360 miles from Cape Canaveral. The engine parts were resting nearly 3 miles deep in the Atlantic
Thermal Barrier Coatings for Turbine Engines
March 19, 2013 3:24 pm | Product Releases | CommentsInnovnano, a manufacturer of high performance ceramic powder, has produced highly pure 4YSZ (4 mol% yttria stabilised zirconia), a thermal barrier coating material with exceptional properties for withstanding extreme temperature variations found in demanding operating environments. The patented manufacturing process delivers resilient coatings for improved turbine efficiency.
NASA to reveal contents of drilled Martian rock
March 12, 2013 12:54 pm | by ALICIA CHANG - AP Science Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsThe Mars rover Curiosity drilled into its first rock a month ago. Now scientists will reveal what's inside. Gathering at NASA headquarters Tuesday, the rover team will detail the minerals and chemicals found in a pinch of ground-up rock. The results come seven months after Curiosity made a dramatic landing in an ancient crater near the equator.
Supply ship meets space station after shaky start
March 4, 2013 7:58 am | by Marcia Dunn, AP Aerospace Writer | News | CommentsA private Earth-to-orbit delivery service made good on its latest shipment to the International Space Station on Sunday, overcoming mechanical difficulty and delivering a ton of supplies with high-flying finesse. The Dragon's arrival couldn't have been sweeter—and not because of the fresh fruit on board for the six-man station crew. Coming a full day late, the 250-mile-high linkup above Ukraine culminated a two-day chase that got off to a shaky, almost dead-ending start.
Private SpaceX rocket launched to space station
March 1, 2013 10:57 am | by Marcia Dunn, AP Aerospace Writer | News | CommentsA commercial cargo ship rocketed toward the International Space Station on Friday under a billion-dollar contract with NASA that could lead to astronaut rides in just a few years. Launch controllers applauded and gave high-fives to one another once the spacecraft safely reached orbit. The rocket successfully separated from the white Dragon capsule, which contains more than a ton of food, tools, computer hardware, and science experiments.
Boeing reports 787 battery fix to Japan regulators
February 28, 2013 2:37 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsBoeing CEO Ray Conner has met with Japan's transport minister and other officials in Tokyo to explain his company's proposal for resolving problems with the 787 Dreamliner's lithium-ion batteries that have kept the aircraft grounded for over a month.
Japan identifies some Boeing 787 problems
February 21, 2013 11:19 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsJapanese investigators have identified the causes of fuel leaks and other problems with Boeing's 787 but are still investigating the more serious battery problem that forced an emergency landing in January and the worldwide grounding of the jets. The Transport Ministry on Friday released the results of its investigation into problems that occurred with 787 Dreamliner jets in January.
NASA rover prepares to analyze Mars rock dust
February 20, 2013 3:21 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsFresh off drilling into a rock for the first time, the Mars rover Curiosity is prepping for the next step—dissecting the pulverized rock to determine what it's made of. NASA said Wednesday it received confirmation that Curiosity successfully collected a tablespoon of powder from the drilling two weeks ago and was poised to transfer a pinch to its onboard laboratories. It's the first time a spacecraft has bored into a rock on Mars to retrieve a sample from the interior.
Japan probe finds miswiring of Boeing 787 battery
February 20, 2013 6:49 am | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsA probe into the overheating of a lithium ion battery in an All Nippon Airways Boeing 787 found it was improperly wired, Japan's Transport Ministry said Wednesday. The Transport Safety Board said in a report that the battery of the aircraft's auxiliary power unit was incorrectly connected to the main battery that overheated, although a protective valve would have prevented power from the APU from doing damage.
Russia, Kazakhstan may manage space base together
February 15, 2013 8:39 am | by Peter Leonard, Associated Press | News | CommentsRussia may suspend its lease for some facilities at the Baikonur space complex in Kazakhstan, opening the way for its joint administration by the two countries, a senior Russian space official says. The launch pad for satellite-deploying Zenit rockets at the complex will be the first facility to be reviewed, Roscosmos deputy head Sergei Savelyev told the Ivzestia newspaper in an interview published Thursday.
