Tag: October 2024

Europe’s Hera Asteroid Mission Lifts Off Ahead of Hurricane Milton

Ars Technica reports, “Two years ago, a NASA spacecraft smashed into a small asteroid millions of miles from Earth to test a technique that could one day prove useful to deflect an object off a collision course with Earth. The European Space Agency launched a follow-up mission Monday to go back to the crash site and see the damage done. The nearly $400 million (363 million euro) Hera mission, named for the Greek goddess of marriage, will investigate the aftermath of a cosmic collision between NASA’s DART spacecraft and the skyscraper-size asteroid Dimorphos on September 26, 2022.”
Full Story (Ars Technica)

 

Video

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches ESA’s Hera asteroid mission from Cape Canaveral (Launch at 27:08 mark)
(The LaunchPad; YouTube)

ULA’s New Vulcan Centaur Rocket Successfully Launches in 2nd Test

SPACE reports, “United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) powerful new Vulcan Centaur rocket is two for two. Vulcan Centaur, the successor to ULA’s workhorse Atlas V, launched today (Oct. 4) at 7:25 a.m. EDT (1125 GMT)after a series of holds, from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, kicking off a key test flight called Cert-2. The rocket could soon be certified for U.S. national security missions.”
Full Story (SPACE)

 

Video

Vulcan Centaur rocket launches on 2nd test flight (Launch at 00:10 mark)
(VideoFromSpace; YouTube)

NASA Turns Off Voyager 2 Instrument to Save Power

AP News reports, “NASA has switched off another scientific instrument on its Voyager 2 spacecraft to save power. The space agency said Tuesday that Voyager 2’s plasma science instrument — designed to measure the flow of charged atoms — was powered down in late September so the spacecraft can keep exploringfor as long as possible, expected into the 2030s.”
Full Story (AP News)

Skydweller Aero Completes Testing on Drone Equipped with Solar Panels

Gagadget.com reports, “Skydweller Aero has completed testing of the Skydweller drone equipped with solar panels. The test campaign was initiated as part of the Joint Concept for Technology Demonstration (JCTD) of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defence for Research and Development (OUSD R&E). The test was also supported by the aviation unit of the US Navy Air Warfare Centre (NAWCAD).”
Full Story (Gagadget.com)

 

Video

Skydweller Completes First Autonomous Flight
(Skydweller Aero; YouTube)

Toyota to Invest $500M in Joby’s eVTOL Air Taxi

Flying Magazine reports, “One of the world’s largest automobile manufacturers this week committed half a billion dollars to help develop a new mode of flight. Toyota on Wednesday announced it will funnel an additional $500 million into the commercial production and certification of Joby Aviation’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi. The four-passenger design—which takes off vertically like a helicopter but cruises on fixed wings—last year began crewed testing and is expected to begin ferrying customers as early as next year, pending FAA approval.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)

AIAA Announces New $10,000 Mary W. Jackson Scholarship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 2, 2024 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation has launched a $10,000 undergraduate scholarship honoring the late NASA mathematician and aerospace engineer, Mary W. Jackson. The scholarship was created to provide even greater access to opportunity for the best students studying in the aerospace sciences and will be available to students studying at institutions in the United States or its territories.

“Honoring pioneering NASA scientist and aerospace engineer, Mary W. Jackson, through a scholarship is not just a tribute to her pioneering spirit, but a commitment to empowering the next generation of aerospace engineers. By investing in today’s students, AIAA is ensuring that her legacy inspires innovation and excellence in aerospace for years to come,” said Laura McGill, AIAA Foundation Chair.

Applications open 1 October 2024 and close 31 January 2025. The scholarship will be awarded in summer 2025. Students from underrepresented backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

For more information on AIAA’s Undergraduate Scholarships and Graduate Awards Program, visit aiaa.org/foundation.

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 X/Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

eVTOL Developer Lilium Powers on its First In-production Jet

Aerotime reports, “In a significant milestone the electric vehicle takeoff and landing (eVTOL) developer Lilium has successfully powered on its first in-production Lilium Jet. The first Lilium Jet, MSN 1, will be used exclusively for ground testing to confirm safety for the first piloted flight scheduled for early 2025 with MSN 2, which itself is currently in final assembly. This power-on test “confirms that the aircraft is being built in accordance with Lilium’s platform design and the flight systems are functioning correctly,” the developer said on October 1, 2024.”
Full Story (Aerotime)