Aerospace America reports that Archer Aviation yesterday publicly revealed at its Palo Alto, California facility a production version of the four-seat eVTOL the company aims to get into service in 2025. The version is called Midnight, and flies with fixed-wings with 12 rotors. Six stationary propellers on the wing trailing edges provide lift, while the six others on the wing leading edges tilt forward to transition from hover to cruise flight. “Two doors on each side will accommodate four passengers and a pilot, and large windows will provide a panoramic view for the occupants. ‘The landing gear will keep the fuselage low to the ground, so that stepping aboard will be about like getting into a sport utility vehicle,’ said Julien Montousse, vice president of design and innovation and a former auto designer.”
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Tag: Aerospace America
NASA to Dismantle Lunar Gantry Crane at Langley Research Center
Aerospace America reported that NASA plans to demolish the lunar gantry crane, citing “annual maintenance costs and pending corrosion repair.” NASA Office of Strategic Infrastructure Assistant Administrator Joel Carney “informed staff at Langley Research Center about the decision last week.”
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Wisk Aero Details Electric Test Aircraft, Production Plans
Aerospace America reported that Wisk Aero “showed off one of the electric test aircraft it has flown over the years and announced plans to reveal in October the first production aircraft of its next-generation design” at its company tent at the Farnborough Airshow. The production model of Wisk’s eVTOL “will have four seats instead of the two in the Cora test aircraft on display.”
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NASA to Issue Awards Encouraging Companies to Collect Lunar Regolith
Aerospace America reports that NASA “is challenging U.S. and non-U.S. companies to tell it how they would collect between 50 and 500 grams of lunar regolith (three tablespoons to 2.5 cups) and what that would cost.” NASA “will pay between $15,000 and $25,000 for the regolith, Bridenstine said.” Companies “have until Oct. 9 to submit plans for how and when the regolith would be collected. The solicitation specifies only a general timeline and payment structure: The company or companies selected must collect the regolith by 2024 and provide NASA with photos of the regolith and directions for where to find the piles on the lunar surface.” Bridenstine did not give a timeline for when NASA would retrieve the samples collected by the companies.
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