FlightGlobal reports “the Comac C919 narrowbody will make its international debut at the Singapore air show, as part of what could be a strong Chinese presence at the event.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal)
Tag: February 2024
Joby and Skyports Partner on Dubai eVTOL Operations
FlightGlobal reports that “Joby Aviation and Skyports Infrastructure have joined forces to launch air taxi passenger services in Dubai as early as 2025 through exclusive deals with the emirate’s transport authority.”
Full Story (FlightGlobal)
US Homeland Security Secretary Declares “No Drone Zone” for Vegas Super Bowl
The AP reports that “local, federal and NFL officials met with the media on Wednesday to outline hardened security measures and declare the Super Bowl a ‘no drone zone.’” League, FBI, and Secret Service officials and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas “said there have not been any ‘specific or credible’ threats to Sunday’s championship game at Allegiant Stadium.”
Full Story (Associated Press)
Axiom Space Astronauts Depart ISS for Trip Home
The Orlando Sentinel reports that the first human spaceflight “of the year is headed home as the four crew of the Axiom Space Ax-3 mission climbed aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom and departed the International Space Station on Wednesday heading for a planned Friday morning splashdown off Florida’s coast.” The astronauts “spent nearly 18 days docked to the ISS after launching from KSC on Jan. 18 and arriving two days later.” On board “are Axiom chief astronaut and mission commander Michael López-Alegría along with Italian Air Force Col. Walter Villadei, Alper Gezeravcı of Turkey and European Space Agency project astronaut Marcus Wandt of Sweden.” Departing the ISS “at 9:20 a.m. EST, they now have just over a 47-hour ride home set to splash down off the coast of Daytona Beach targeting 8:30 a.m. Friday.”
Full Story (Orlando Sentinel – Subscription Publication)
Russian Cosmonaut Breaks World Record for Most Cumulative Time Spent in Space
The AP reports that Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko has “broken the world record for the most cumulative time spent in space, Russia’s space agency Roscosmos reported Sunday.” According to the AP, Kononenko has “now spent more than 878 days and 12 hours in space, surpassing fellow Russian Gennady Padalka, who set the previous record of 878 days, 11 hours, 29 minutes, and 48 seconds in 2015.” By the end of his current expedition, Kononenko is “expected to become the first person to accumulate 1,000 days in space.”
Full Story (Associated Press)
SpaceX Eyes February for Third Starship Test Flight
Space News reports, “SpaceX expects to conduct the third integrated test flight of its Starship vehicle in February as it works to demonstrate key technologies needed to land humans on the moon.” On Tuesday, “Jessica Jensen, vice president of customer operations and integration at SpaceX, said securing an updated Federal Aviation Administration launch license was the key factor driving the schedule for that test flight.” She said, “From a hardware readiness perspective, we are targeting to be ready in January.”
Full Story (Space News)