Tag: engineering

Pittsburgh International Airport Microgrid Wins Prestigious 2024 Jay Hollingsworth Speas Airport Award for Environmental Innovation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Award recognizes innovative microgrid project as PIT leads industry’s sustainability efforts

February 28, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) congratulates Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) as the winner of the 2024 Jay Hollingsworth Speas Airport Award for the creation of its cost-saving and emissions-reducing airport microgrid project.

The Jay Hollingsworth Speas Airport Award honors an individual or individuals judged to have contributed most significantly in recent years to the enhancement of relationships between airports and/or heliports and other surrounding environments via exemplary innovation that might be replicated elsewhere. The award is cosponsored by AIAA, the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), and the Airport Consultants Council (ACC).

Paul Hoback, Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer, and John Bevilacqua, Electrical Engineering Project Manager, at Pittsburgh International Airport, will accept the 2024 Jay Hollingsworth Speas Airport Award during the awards luncheon on 6 March at the 2024 AAAE/ACC Airport Planning, Design, and Construction Symposium in Salt Lake City, Utah.

PIT’s first-of-its-kind airport microgrid became fully operational in summer 2021, providing a complete electric power source for the PIT terminal and campus in the event of an outage that affects the traditional grid – propelling the airport into a world leadership role in the transition to clean energy.

Built in partnership with People’s Natural Gas, IMG Energy Solutions and CNX, the microgrid is fueled by natural gas and nearly 10,000 solar panels built atop a capped landfill, land otherwise unusable for development. PIT is planning to double the size of the solar array in the future. By utilizing cleaner energy, the microgrid provides a yearly carbon reduction of more than 6 million pounds and saved the airport and its partners more than $1 million annually. The microgrid was built at no cost to the airport, constructed and funded entirely by private sources.

The unique system is inspiring change across the world, drawing numerous international delegations eager to see it in operation during the first-ever Global Clean Energy Action Forum, which was held in Pittsburgh in 2022. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is now examining its utilization of capped landfill space as part of a review of other similar opportunities to redevelop land.

PIT’s microgrid has been studied by government and business leaders from around the world as PIT has hosted several airports and airlines to examine the facility. Airports in the country have since announced their own microgrid plans while others are examining similar options. The microgrid makes PIT one of the most resilient airports in the world while significantly increasing sustainability. The project has received several national and local awards and has been written about extensively in both local and national press, including Forbes magazine.

About AAAE
Founded in 1928, AAAE is the world’s largest professional organization representing the individuals who work at public-use commercial and general aviation airports. AAAE’s 10,000 members represent over 960 airports and hundreds of companies and organizations that support the airport industry. Headquartered in Alexandria, Va., AAAE serves its membership through results-oriented representation in Washington, D.C., and delivers a wide range of industry services and professional development opportunities, including training, conferences, and a highly respected accreditation program. aaae.org

About ACC
The Airport Consultants Council (ACC) is the global trade association that represents private businesses involved in the development and operation of airports and their related facilities. Part of ACC’s mission is to inform its members of new trends while promoting fair competition and procurement practices that protect the industry’s bottom line. acconline.org

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org, and follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

About Pittsburgh International Airport
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) serves approximately 10 million passengers annually and is a key economic driver for the region, reflecting and serving the community, inspiring the industry, and advancing the region’s role as a world leader. PIT’s new terminal, scheduled to open in 2025, will transform the passenger experience and showcase the region’s thriving economy as its new front door. PIT has recently won numerous international awards including being named by Fast Company magazine as One of the Most Innovative Companies in the World as well as a finalist in Accessible Design. Future Travel Experience named PIT a winner in its Pioneer innovation awards, and PIT’s first-of-its-kind microgrid has garnered numerous accolades for resiliency and sustainability. For more information visit www.flypittsburgh.com.

Media Contacts

AAAE
Molly Balkam, Manager, Marketing
[email protected]
703.797.2539 | 301.787.1605

ACAA
Bob Kerlik, Director, Public Affairs
[email protected]
412-472-3557

ACC
T. J. Schulz, President
[email protected]
703-344-6792

AIAA
Rebecca Gray, Director, Communications
[email protected]
804-397-5270 cell

NASA SpaceX Crew-8 Mission to Launch Friday

Flying Magazine reports, “NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission is set to launch via a Falcon 9 rocket Friday, ferrying three space agency astronauts and a Roscosmos cosmonaut to the International Space Station (ISS).” The four Crew-8 members are “NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, as well as Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin.” The targeted launch time is 12:04 a.m. EST Friday, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Full Story (Flying Magazine)

Embraer’s Phenom 300 Remains Top-Selling Business TwinJet

Aviation International News reports, “Following the release of the 2023 year-end delivery numbers by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, Embraer announced that for the 12th consecutive year, its Phenom 300 was the best-selling jet in its class, with 63 of the series delivered last year.” The light jet is also “the top-selling twinjet for the fourth year in a row,” and remains the “fastest light jet in production.”
More Info (Aviation International News)

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches 24 Starlink Satellites

Spaceflight Now reports “SpaceX launched its biggest batch of second generation Starlink Satellites to date on Sunday.” The launch was the first featuring a batch of 24 Starlink V2 Mini satellites, the most launched at once to date. Liftoff occurred at 5:06 p.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)

 

 

 

 

Video

SpaceX launches a Falcon 9 rocket with 24 second-generation Starlink internet satellites
(Spaceflight Now; YouTube)

Joby Aviation Achieves Key Air Taxi Certification Milestone

Flying Magazine reports “It’s full steam ahead for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi manufacturer Joby Aviation.”  The company recently reported its fourth-quarter and full-year 2023 earnings and revealed “that it recorded revenue for the first time” while “announcing plans to ramp up testing, certification, and manufacturing activities.” Joby is “the first eVTOL manufacturer to complete the third of five stages in FAA type certification, and the firm is now turning to stage four: for-credit flight testing with the regulator.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches 22 Starlink Satellites from West Coast

Spaceflight Now reports, “A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the West Coast with another batch of 22 Starlink satellites at 8:11 p.m. PST Thursday (11:11 p.m. EST / 0411 UTC).” The Starlink 7-15 mission launched from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.  The article notes that the first stage booster, tail number 1061, “was making its 19th flight, which ties the record previously set by booster 1058 before it was lost during recovery operations following a successful launch and landing.”
Full Story (Spaceflight Now)

 

Video

SpaceX Falcon 9 Launches 22 Starlink Satellites from West Coast
(VideoFromSpace; YouTube)

AIAA Statement on the IM-1 Mission

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 22, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) CEO Dan Dumbacher made the following statement:

“Congratulations to the IM-1 mission team on the successful soft landing at the south pole of the moon! We were thrilled watching the Odysseus lander’s journey to the lunar surface unfold in real time. Today marks a truly historic space exploration milestone due to the unique government-industry collaboration between NASA and Intuitive Machines. We are eagerly following the mission’s progress in the coming days.

As the world’s largest technical society for aerospace professionals, our members appreciate and understand the difficulty of this mission’s engineering challenges targeting a landing in the moon’s south pole region. It’s vital to gain engineering and science data from this uncrewed mission as a precursor to Artemis returning Americans to the lunar surface in the coming years.

We were honored to hear from the Intuitive Machines team just last week at our ASCENDxTexas event in Houston, 14–15 February. The innovators at Intuitive Machines and their partners have chronicled the development of their mission, including the spacecraft, flight software, and camera, by authoring articles for AIAA peer-reviewed journals, as well as presenting meeting papers at AIAA forums and ASCEND events. Their technological progress has been published in AIAA’s Aerospace Research Central (ARC) at arc.aiaa.org, the leading source of aerospace industry archives. These noteworthy publications provide valuable insight into their preparation for this day:

We’re witnessing somewhat of a lunar renaissance. Multiple missions from companies and governments are advancing the development of a sustainable cislunar ecosystem and economy. We appreciate the transparency and ongoing public communication throughout the missions. It is heartening that these missions are also capturing the imagination of the general public around the world, as everyone on Earth benefits from exploring our moon.

On behalf of the 30,000 professional and student members of AIAA, we recognize the numerous aerospace industry professionals involved in making this mission a success. We salute and applaud the entire IM-1 team for shaping the future of aerospace.”

AIAA Media Contact: Rebecca Gray, [email protected], 804-397-5270 cell

About AIAA
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the world’s largest aerospace technical society. With nearly 30,000 individual members from 91 countries, and 100 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit aiaa.org or follow AIAA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Video

Intuitive Machines Lunar Landing on NASATV 22 Feb. 2024
(NASA TV; YouTube)