Google plans aerospace, robotics projects for Hangar One

A NASA spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday that Google Inc plans using a 350,000-square-foot hangar that was originally built to house helium airships for the U.S. Navy and its cavernous interior, for building and testing new robots, planetary rovers and other space or aviation technology.

The proposal submitted by Google, the giant Internet company, plans to restore the outside of the landmark structure known as Hangar One at Moffett Federal Airfield in California.

Based on that proposal, U.S. officials said this week they will negotiate a long-term lease with Google for a significant portion of the former naval base, including three historic hangars, two runways and some adjacent land and buildings.

While the company is best known for its Internet search engine, software and other online services, Google's founders and several top executives also have a well-documented interest in robots, high-altitude balloons, aviation and space exploration.

In recent months, Google has confirmed buying eight small robotics companies for a mysterious new division headed by its former Android software chief, Andy Rubin.

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin already own a fleet of jets now parked at Moffett Field. And Page, the company's CEO, has reportedly invested in a separate company that hopes to mine asteroids for precious metals.

While a Google spokeswoman didn't respond to requests for more details about the company's plans, it's clear the massive Hangar One would provide plenty of room for tinkering with exotic hardware.

The Depression-era structure is 200 feet tall and covers 8 acres.

All told, the proposed lease would provide more than 1 million square feet of space in Hangar One and its two neighbors, known as Two and Three.

That's probably enough for projects such as Google's plans to develop new robot technology for manufacturing and retail shopping.

Rubin is reportedly working in a Palo Alto, Calif., office now, but the effort appears to be expanding.

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Rubin has discussed a robotics partnership with the Taiwanese manufacturing giant Foxconn.

It's unclear if Google plans to sublet any of the Moffett space to other commercial tenants, although local real estate experts say it would be an attractive property.

Neighbouring residents said they might be concerned if Google brings more air traffic or daytime workers into the area. Mountain View City Manager Dan Rich, however, said in a statement that he's pleased the landmark hangar will be restored.

Officials at NASA and the U.S. General Services Administration, which helps administer federal property, said only that the proposal from Google subsidiary Planetary Ventures described using all three historic hangars for "research, testing, assembly and development" of new technology related to space, aviation and "rover/robotics."

The proposal also calls for building a new 90,000-square-foot structure on the property that Planetary Ventures would make available "at no cost" for a "public benefit educational/museum/incubator," said GSA spokeswoman Jackeline Stewart.

Federal officials rejected competing proposals from two other groups, including a coalition of scientists and entrepreneurs that wanted to make the airfield a center for new aerospace companies.

One rival was disqualified because it didn't follow procedures, officials said, while another fell short on several criteria.

As part of its proposal, which NASA official Richard Keegan rated "exceptional," Google promised to upgrade a golf course on the property and provide a net increase in revenue for the federal government, while operating the two runways on a "low-use" basis for a mix of private and government flights.

Officials said specific financial terms haven't been negotiated.

Since it was decommissioned as a Navy air base in 1994, the sprawling, 2,000-acre Moffett property has been home to a mix of private tenants and government agencies, including NASA's Ames Research Center and a wing of the California Air National Guard. NASA currently occupies about 500 acres, but the government has negotiated long-term leases for other portions over the years.

Google has a separate long-term lease to build a planned office campus on 42 acres of the site, which are not physically connected to the airfield portion.

A coalition of local colleges has a lease for 77 acres, where it hopes to build classrooms, labs and possibly housing.

Several aerospace contractors also use the site. Former NASA scientist Sean Casey, who led one of the rival bidding groups, said he hopes Google will keep the airfield open to aerospace startups.

"Moffett Field is a great place for new space companies to connect with the investment community and with NASA Ames," he said.

In a statement Monday, Google said simply: "We are delighted to move ahead in the selection process and we are looking forward to working with both GSA and NASA to preserve the heritage of Moffett Federal Airfield."

ROCKET SCIENCE XCOR Aerospace Announces Significant Propulsion Milestone on Lynx Suborbital Vehicle

67 second engine test featuring XCOR's 2,500 lb-thrust Lynx main engine (one out of four engines). 

This engine is fed entirely by XCOR's revolutionary rocket propellant piston pumps, which are far more cost effective and manufacturable than turbopumps. 

Both the liquid oxygen oxydizer and kerosene fuel are being pumped into the engine using this techonology. For more information, see our press release at XCOR

XCOR Aerospace has announced a first in aviation and space history, the firing of a full piston pump-powered rocket engine. This breakthrough is the foundation for fully reusable spacecraft that can fly multiple times per day, every day.

It is a game changing technology that has the power to fundamentally alter the way we as a society view, visit, and utilize the abundant resources around our planet and in our solar system.

The initial portion of XCOR's pump test program culminated in a 67-second engine run with the propulsion system mated to the flight weight Lynx fuselage.

After the installation of the flight sized liquid oxygen tank, the next test sequence will extend the engine run duration to the full powered flight duration of the Lynx Mark I suborbital vehicle.

"Through use of our proprietary rocket propellant piston pumps we deliver both kerosene and liquid oxygen to our rocket engines and eliminate the need for heavy, high-pressure fuel and oxidizer tanks. It also enables our propulsion system to fly multiple times per day and last for tens of thousands of flights," said XCOR Chief Executive Officer Jeff Greason.

"This is one more step toward a significant reduction in per-flight cost and turnaround time, while increasing overall flight safety."

Boeing provided additional funding to complete the XCOR test sequence and advance low-cost rocket propulsion technology. The demonstrated results of the full pump fed engine firing for extended periods helps to ensure the technology migrates into broader global applications.

"Unlike the expensive and finicky turbopumps on today's rocket propulsion systems, XCOR's piston pumps are designed to be as powerful in their thrust class as turbines, but as easy to manufacture, maintain and operate as an automotive engine," said XCOR Chief Operating Officer Andrew Nelson.

"This is the culmination of a 12 year program to develop this unique technology. The kerosene piston pump has been successfully flight-proven during our 40-flight test program on the X-Racer aircraft. We'll be entering another flight test program soon with Lynx and these pumps and engines will power XCOR and the industry to the next level."

Do it yourself Rocket Builders 'Crazy Idea' - Just might work

Kristian von Bengtson and Peter Madsen and their efforts to launch themselves into space on a homemade rocket.

Von Bengtson, an aerospace scientist and former NASA contractor, and Madsen, an entrepreneur and aerospace engineer, founded their nonprofit, do-it-yourself space program, dubbed Copenhagen Suborbitals, after a 2008 chat on a 40-ton submarine Madsen had built in his spare time.

Since then they have enlisted 30 volunteer experts, conducted 50 static rocket-engine tests at their Copenhagen, Denmark, headquarters and launched the largest “amateur” rocket ever built, the 9.5-meter HEAT 1X Tycho Brahe, in June 2011.

Their ultimate goal is to launch a person about 100 kilometers miles above the Earth, considered the boundary of outer space.

“We have gone from having a crazy idea on a submarine to a smoothly run organization that builds rockets and spacecraft, and has experience with big launches,” von Bengtson said. “It feels like we have become a part of a new era in space.”

RAF Tornado livery marks 100 years of Squadron

The new painted tail of a II (AC) Squadron Tornado revealed at RAF Marham

[Picture: Senior Aircraftman Andy Masson]

Number II (AC) Squadron, based at RAF Marham in Norfolk, were formed as a squadron in the Royal Flying Corps at Farnborough on 13 May 1912.

To mark the anniversary a GR4 aircraft has been painted with tail livery that depicts the iconic Bristol Scout aircraft with which the Squadron was equipped during the First World War.

The Squadron badge features a distinctive 'Wake' knot in the centre roundel, derived from Hereward The Wake, the 11th Century folk hero who led opposition to William the Conqueror in the Fens, and which indicates the basic role of the unit as a guardian of the Army.

The roundel is also shown on the fuselage next to the equally distinctive Squadron insignia of the white "triangle, circle, triangle", this having been the recognition symbol used by the Squadron during their service above the Western Front during the First World War.

RAF Marham Station Commander, Group Captain Cooper, stated:

"This is a fitting tribute to 'Shiny Two' and a demonstration of the skills of our Spray and Finishing bay. Royal Air Force Marham personnel look forward to sharing in Number II (Army Cooperation) Squadron's celebrations this year alongside those of 3 Squadron, who enjoy a similar, significant anniversary.

"The potent capabilities of the Tornado and Typhoon could not have been imagined by those early aviators and these events mark an notable occasion in the Royal Air Force's history."

The Squadron will receive their new Standard on 11 May 2012, a significant and historic event which precedes a weekend of celebratory activities, culminating a Service of Dedication in Ely Cathedral on 13 May.

China Blocks More EADS Airbus Buys In EU Tax Row

China suspended approval for the purchase of 10 more Airbus jets as its fight with the European Union emissions charges escalates.

Chinese airlines sought approval to buy the A330 jetliners from the Toulouse, France-based plane manufacturer, but a continuing row over EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) put the $14 billion deal at risk as Beijing on Thursday suspended a purchase approval.

Under the ETS, airlines operating at an EU airport must hold carbon-offsetting credits as part of an effort to lower carbon emissions 20 percent by 2020.

The scheme has imposed on airlines billions of dollars in added costs.

Chinese authorities already withheld approvals for the purchase of 45 Airbus airliners.

Tensions over the ETS have sparked fears of an aviation trade war, as U.S., Indian and Russian airlines have all expressed dismay over the cap and trade rules.

Airlines are particularly exercised by the fact that the ETS scheme charges them for the entirety of a flight instead of just the fraction that occurs within EU airspace.

"There is a hellish battle going on behind the scenes," a senior French government official told the Journal. "We knew [the emissions levies] would provoke strident protests," the official said. "Now we're facing a real threat."

Chinese officials denied the reported block, saying the government hopes to reach a resolution via negotiations.

Some industry monitors fear Russia and India may react by imposing additional charges on airlines that fly through their airspace, even if they do not land within its territory.

"The threat of retaliation creates uncertainty in the business environment," said Victoria Moores, spokeswoman for the Association of European Airlines in Brussels. "We want to see concrete steps toward de-escalating this."

NASA Morpheus Tether Test #8 - YouTube video

The Morpheus team successfully performed another Tether Test. This was the longest run of the vehicle to date.

Morpheus grew out of the efforts of Project M and stands with its own list of accomplishments. The Morpheus testbed, completed in cooperation with Armadillo Aerospace, is providing an avenue through which the development of future landers, to the Moon or beyond, is improved, in less time, and with less money.

Since its beginning, the Morpheus team has focused on off-the-shelf solutions, modularity of components, rapid turn-around of testing, testing as much as possible, and making use of the talents of other NASA centers.

But more than the hardware or software innovations that are a hallmark of Morpheus, one of the project’s biggest hallmarks may very well be its affect on those working on it.

Gone are the days, as one engineer put it, “…when you have a file cabinet for every screw”, a natural outgrowth of the Shuttle era.

It has to be remembered that during the 30 years that was the Shuttle era, making any changes to the spacecraft required a great deal of analysis and paperwork.

Rather than test and test again, the workflow was one of analyze and analyze again. When one is talking about changing a crewed spacecraft that works, such mindset is perfectly understandable. After all, getting the crew back safely was, and remains the number one priority.

Women, Aerospace and Innovation on This Week @ NASA - YouTube

NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden and Deputy Administrator Lori Garver helped announce a new series of Women@NASA during a Women's History Month event at George Washington University in Washington.

The Women, Aerospace, and Innovation event showcased new videos from the Women@NASA website highlighting the role of women in science, technology, engineering and math at the agency.

Check out the Women@NASA website. Also, NASA successfully conducted another drop test of the Orion crew vehicle's entry, descent and landing parachutes in preparation for its orbital flight test in 2014, engineers at the Stennis Space Center have moved a J-2X engine to the A-2 Test Stand in preparation for another round of testing, SpaceX completes a "Wet Dress Rehearsal" for its upcoming Falcon 9 demonstration flight to the International Space Station, NASA helps release "Angry Birds Space" and more!

NASA - Spray Bars to Help Test Engine Icing

Ron Colantonio (left), manager of the Atmospheric Environment Safety Technologies Project at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, discussed with NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden the latest testing and research on airplane engine icing during the administrator's February 2012 visit to the center.

Colantonio showed Bolden how a large horizontal array of spray bars, such as those pictured, would emit a cloud of ice crystals in high-altitude, low pressure conditions that match those an airliner might experience in flight.

NASA scientists are mounting a research campaign using flight and ground tests to solve this aviation mystery, in which ice crystals associated with warm-weather storms can be ingested into the core of a hot jet engine, melt and then re-freeze.

As larger amounts of ice build up, some of the ice can break off and cause damage inside the engine, or melt and cause the engine to lose power or shut down altogether in a flameout.

Part of the research effort involves using the spray bars to simulate the icing conditions in engines on the ground at the Propulsion Systems Laboratory at Glenn. Eventually, a full-scale engine will be mounted opposite the bar array.

Image Credit: NASA/Marvin Smith

Lockheed Martin's Green Supersonic Machine

An artist's impression of Nasa and Lockheed Martin's Green Supersonic Machine, capable of supersonic, sub-orbital space flight. 

Planes travelling at five times the speed of sound and passenger aircraft flying in formation could come to pass in the last part of this century, according to a report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

Picture: NASA/Lockheed Martin/PA

ATK Aerospace Systems rocket test

An ATK Aerospace Systems rocket undergoes a two-minute test in Utah's west desert.

This was the third test of this 154-foot, five-stage booster rocket that could launch future space flights for NASA and commercial operators.

Picture: APATK Aerospace Systems

NASA NPP Runs the Gauntlet of Environmental Testing

The NPP satellite sits surrounded by 144 rock concert speakers. They're stacked in a circle 16 feet high in a testing room at Ball Aerospace in Boulder, Colorado.

As engineers set up for the environmental test, Pink Floyd's song "Money" plays gently in the background.

The music stops. The room clears. Then the sound engineer wearing earplugs and headphones in the control room next door flips a switch.

Slowly, the noise of thousands of pounds of exploding rocket fuel builds louder and louder until it blasts the satellite at a deafening 143.6 decibels -- loud enough to cause serious damage and pain to unprotected ears.

"I was outside the building when they did the full level acoustics," says Glenn Iona, NPP Chief Engineer at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. "and I could feel the ground shaking."

The acoustic test is one of a gauntlet of environmental tests a satellite must pass to prove that it can survive launch and life in space. For Large Class Observatory mission NPP, this process took years to plan, 15 months to execute and was fraught with as many engineering challenges as building the satellite itself.

The NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) is the prototype for the next generation of Earth-observing satellites that will monitor daily weather and long-term ozone levels and climate change.

NPP's five instruments will continue data collection now done by an aging fleet of satellites. NASA's oldest Earth Observing System (EOS) satellites are more than 10 years old, with instrument designs and technology dating back to the early 1990s.

NPP is the bridge between the original EOS missions and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). JPSS, previously called the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS), will be developed by NASA for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Testing to evaluate whether a satellite is ready for space occurs at several levels. Some individual parts and each individual instrument from the satellite go through three types of testing: dynamic, electromagnetic compatibility, and thermal vacuum.

Then the parts are integrated onto the main satellite bus, a wedge-shaped block the size of a four-door sedan. The bus has propulsion systems, a flight computer, a data processing computer, data storage and a solar panel wing that powers it all.

Engineers then put the spacecraft and instruments through their paces to get a performance baseline before the whole satellite is run through the suite of environmental tests again.

Global Hawk UAV: Smart Drone Set to Replace U-2 Spy Plane

The Air Force's Global Hawk surveillance plane at Northrop Grumman in Palmdale, Calif. Five will be built this year.

Work tables surround a handful of fuselages, and an unusually long wing, needed to slip through the thin air at 60,000 feet, is ready to be bolted into place.

Open panels await controls for cameras and eavesdropping gear, and bright blue tool bins and parts vats are scattered around the concrete floor.

Just 50 people work in the factory and a test hangar, and only five of the drones will be built this year. But despite a spate of delays, second-guessing and cost overruns, the Global Hawk is once again on track to replace one of America’s most noted aircraft: the U-2 spy plane, famed for its role in the cold war and more recently Afghanistan.

The Air Force decided last month to stick with its $12 billion Global Hawk program, betting that the unmanned drone can replicate the aging U-2’s ability to sweep up a broad mix of intelligence from commanding heights, and do it more safely and for much longer stretches than the piloted U-2.

The Navy is also onboard, with plans to spend $11 billion on a version that could patrol vast ocean areas.

The continued push for the Global Hawk reflects how drones are changing warfare and how critical high-altitude spying can be in any type of fight.

Still, the program remains ensnared in military politics and budget battles, and the aircraft itself awaits some important technical changes that could slow its unveiling.

In particular, creating the new models and their high-tech sensors, which can cost more than the planes, has been difficult.

And in an era in which remotely piloted planes are seen as relatively cheap and easy solutions, the Global Hawk has become the Escalade of drones, the gold-plated one that nearly broke the bank.

“The Global Hawk is a very impressive product, but it is also a very expensive product,” said Richard L. Aboulafia, an aviation analyst at the Teal Group, a consultancy in Fairfax, Va. “Those U-2s were paid for a long time ago.”

‪Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion Touch Screen‬‏ - YouTube

For the first 50 years of computing, the input and output of a computer have been to different places. Mobile computing and the touch screen are quickly changing things though and the changes extend to the aircraft industry.

At the 59th Annual Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Airventure in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Rockwell Collins has unveiled the first touch-control primary flight displays (PFD) for business jets and turboprop aircraft, which will be available on future applications of the company's Pro Line Fusion avionics system.

The icon-based, touch-controlled interface is designed to make the cockpit more user friendly and keep the pilot's eyes focused up and forward instead of down at the center console.

A tap of the display brings up a context-sensitive menu that lets pilots change things such as the speed, altitude and heading of the aircraft with just a couple of taps.

Through the icon-based graphical user interface, the pilot can also manage aircraft systems, complete checklists, and review the flightplan on a scrollable map, all without taking their eyes off the PFD.

Through gesture controls, pilots can also redirect the aircraft to a graphically displayed waypoint or destination with a swipe of a finger instead of entering information on a console-mounted keypad.

Other gestures control panning and zoom features, while a physical keyboard is retained for alphanumeric input rather than an onscreen virtual keyboard that was decided would cover up too much important information.

With a couple of taps, the screen layout can also be split into two, three or four windows and the elements of the individual windows customized by dragging and dropping icons to provide a wealth of relevant flight information at a glance.

Rockwell Collins says the user-friendly, icon-based graphical user interface also cuts the learning curve for pilots transitioning to a new aircraft type.

"These displays demonstrate our focus on empowering pilots with natural head-up, eyes-forward interfaces," said Colin Mahoney, vice president of Sales and Marketing for Rockwell Collins.

"Touch-controlled, icon-based controls on the main displays help keep pilots' attention focused up and forward for safer and more efficient flying."

Rockwell Collins expects to receive certification for the touchscreen interface in 2013, after which it is slated to appear in cockpits featuring its Pro Line Fusion avionics suite.

Southampton engineers fly the world’s first ‘printed’ aircraft

Engineers at the University of Southampton have designed and flown the world’s first ‘printed’ aircraft, which could revolutionise the economics of aircraft design.

The SULSA (Southampton University Laser Sintered Aircraft) plane is an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) whose entire structure has been printed, including wings, integral control surfaces and access hatches.

It was printed on an EOS EOSINT P730 nylon laser sintering machine, which fabricates plastic or metal objects, building up the item layer by layer.

No fasteners were used and all equipment was attached using ‘snap fit’ techniques so that the entire aircraft can be put together without tools in minutes.

The electric-powered aircraft, with a 2-metres wingspan, has a top speed of nearly 100 miles per hour, but when in cruise mode is almost silent. The aircraft is also equipped with a miniature autopilot developed by Dr Matt Bennett, one of the members of the team.

Laser sintering allows the designer to create shapes and structures that would normally involve costly traditional manufacturing techniques. This technology allows a highly-tailored aircraft to be developed from concept to first flight in days.

Using conventional materials and manufacturing techniques, such as composites, this would normally take months. Furthermore, because no tooling is required for manufacture, radical changes to the shape and scale of the aircraft can be made with no extra cost.

This project has been led by Professors Andy Keane and Jim Scanlan from the University’s Computational Engineering and Design Research group.

Professor Scanlon says: “The flexibility of the laser sintering process allows the design team to re-visit historical techniques and ideas that would have been prohibitively expensive using conventional manufacturing. One of these ideas involves the use of a Geodetic structure.

This type of structure was initially developed by Barnes Wallis and famously used on the Vickers Wellington bomber which first flew in 1936. This form of structure is very stiff and lightweight, but very complex.

If it was manufactured conventionally it would require a large number of individually tailored parts that would have to be bonded or fastened at great expense.”

Professor Keane adds: “Another design benefit that laser sintering provides is the use of an elliptical wing planform. Aerodynamicists have, for decades, known that elliptical wings offer drag benefits.

The Spitfire wing was recognised as an extremely efficient design but it was notoriously difficult and expensive to manufacture. Again laser sintering removes the manufacturing constraint associated with shape complexity and in the SULSA aircraft there is no cost penalty in using an elliptical shape.”

SULSA is part of the EPSRC-funded DECODE project, which is employing the use of leading edge manufacturing techniques, such as laser sintering, to demonstrate their use in the design of UAVs.

Investigating Space Planes

Click on the picture to see the complete picture

Airbus and DLR testing fuel cell technology to cut aircraft pollution and noise emissions

The goals of the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE) to reduce CO2 emissions by 50 percent, NOx emissions by 80 percent and noise cut by 50 percent by 2020 has seen aircraft manufacturers and airlines looking at alternative fuels such as biofuel.

While not feasible for powering the flight of the aircraft itself, Airbus has also been looking at the potential for fuel cell technology to power a number of aircraft functions, such as autonomous taxiing.

In 2008, Airbus, together with its research partner the German Aerospace Center (DLR), performed the first successful flight test of fuel cell technology where a fuel cell system provided power for the aircraft's back-up systems.

Airbus and DLR are now looking at the potential of fuel cell technology for powering other aircraft functions including autonomous taxiing.

A DLR designed technology demonstrator has been installed in a DLR owned A320 ATRA (Advanced Technology Research Aircraft) consisting of a fuel cell system powering two electric motors built into the rims of the aircraft nose wheel.

The 47-ton aircraft taxied around Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport propelled by an electric nose wheel on July 1st, 2011.

DLR says that an airliner fitted with a fuel cell-powered nose wheel would be able to move from its stand to the end of the runway without using its engines, thus allowing emissions produced in airports to be cut by up to roughly 18 percent and the noise during taxiing to be almost eliminated completely.

Although DLR is still working on detailed models of the potential savings at airports, Thorsten Mulhouse from the DLR Institute of Flight Guidance (Institut für Flugführung) says, "the potential saving at Frankfurt Airport from the use of electrically-driven nose wheels for Airbus A320 class aircraft is about 44 tons of kerosene per day."

Airbus and DLR testing fuel cell technology to cut aircraft pollution and noise emissions

ESA at the Paris Air & Space Show - slideshow

ESA's director, Dordain, explains the ESA exhibits at the Paris Air & Space Show - Click on the picture to view the slideshow

Honeywell, Safran eye green airplane taxiing

Honeywell and Safran, a French aerospace company, said they will launch a joint venture to create an electric taxiing system for airplanes in a move that will save money, fuel and carbon emissions.

The companies said the electric taxiing system will use an airplane’s Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) generator to power motors in the main wheels without using primary engines while on the ground.

Today, airplanes use their main engines and taxiing eats up 4 percent of total fuel consumption.

That percentage equates to 5 million tons of fuel used just to taxi.

Under the joint venture’s plan, the Honeywell-Safran system will be installed on new aircraft and retrofitted on existing planes starting in 2016.

The two companies appear to be a good fit since Honeywell specialises in auxiliary power units and Safran makes landing gear systems.

Safran explained how the system works on its Web site:

From the technical standpoint, each powered wheel in the main landing gear is equipped with an electric motor-reduction gearbox-clutch assembly to drive the wheel. The aircraft’s own auxiliary power unit, or APU, provides the electrical power needed by the motor. The APU is actually a gas turbine/generator unit, generally located in the fuselage tail, that provides the electrical power needed to start the jet engines, power air conditions and supply electricity for other onboard systems, mainly on the ground when the jet engines aren’t operating. With this new system, we can also do away with the tractors that tow the aircraft after the doors are closed at the loading gate. In other words, the aircraft taxis using only electric power until just a few minutes before takeoff – and then again after landing, right after it leaves the runway.

Among the key benefits of this electric taxiing system:

• Airplanes will be able to push back from the gate and go faster.
• Fuel costs and related equipment costs such as tugging, brake wear and carbon emissions taxes will decline.
• Airlines will save “several hundred thousand dollars” per aircraft a year.

The two companies said that they will initially focused on narrow-body aircraft, which are used for short-range flights and are generally more sensitive to fuel costs.

Russia to build aerospace defence shield

Russia will build a national aerospace defense shield by the end of 2011, Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security Viktor Ozerov told reporters on Tuesday in the cosmonauts' training center near Moscow. He believes that a combined aerospace defense force will cooperate more effectively with NATO's European anti-missile defense system.

Last year, President Medvedev approved a plan to merge the Space Forces created in 2001, the Air Defense Forces and also the missile attack warning and space surveillance systems into a single military force. Commenting on the issue, Viktor Ozerov said as follows:

"Space Forces is a branch of the Russian army that focuses on space and ground intelligence, as well as anti-missile security. Cooperation with Russia on anti-missile defence was named among the priorities at the latest Russia-NATO summit in Lisbon. Russia and NATO member states have managed to agree on some aspects of anti-missile shield in Europe, though some difficulties remain with adjusting anti-missile systems of Russia, the US and that of NATO to each other."

During the talks in the Cosmonaut Training Center outside Moscow, deputy chairman of the Russian Federal Space Agency Vitaly Davydov commented on the planned Moon and Mars missions, adding that Russia has been working on a program for the Solar system exploration through 2030.

"President Medvedev asked us to present a program for space exploration until 2030. Before we start making preparations for a piloted Mars mission, we expect to launch several missions to the Moon."

These manned missions may be launched from Russia's new spaceport "Vostochny", which is currently being built in Amur region. The first unmanned capsule is due to take off from the Vostochny in 2015, while the first piloted mission is scheduled for 2018.

Russian Space Program is grossly underfunded

Russia is not in a position to carry out global space programs single-handedly and should team up with India and Kazakhstan, veteran rocket scientist Boris Chertok said on Tuesday.

He said Russian space programs are grossly underfunded compared to similar projects in the United States and China.

"The United States spends about 10 times as much on space programs as Russia," he said. "At present there are three [space] poles - Russia, the United States and China."

To preserve its positions in space research Russia needs to pool efforts with India and Kazakhstan, he added.

"As for China, it has sufficient resources to undertake space programs on its own," Chertok also said.