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January 20, 2021

Airborne-Unmanned 01.20.21: Drone Pilot Pleads, Arcturus Acquired, Sony Airpeak

Also: Virgin Orbit Launch Demo 2, Super Bowl LV, Skydio Earns CES Award, Drone Gambling

As previously noted, a CA drone pilot was arrested on suspicion of having flown his hobby drone into an LAPD helo. Now, this overtly errant drone pilot has pleaded guilty to a federal criminal charge that he recklessly operated a drone that crashed into and damaged the fuselage of a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter. Andrew Rene Hernandez, 22, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft. AeroVironment and Arcturus UAV have entered into a definitive agreement under which AeroVironment will acquire Arcturus UAV for a total purchase price of $405 million, including $355 million in cash and $50 million in AeroVironment stock. Founded in 2004, Arctu

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American Rocketry Challenge Earns NAHF Spirit of Flight Award

American Rocketry Challenge Is The World's Largest Rocket Contest

The National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) has announced that the 2020 Spirit of Flight Award will be presented to the American Rocketry Challenge. While the date and time of the presentation are yet to be determined, the NAHF is eager to share this wonderful news about one of the most impactful STEM programs in the world. The American Rocketry Challenge is the world's largest rocket contest, with nearly 5,000 students nationwide competing annually. The contest provides students in 6th - 12th grades the opportunity to design, build, and launch model rockets and gain hands-on experience solving engineering problems.

Data and Inspections Indicate Core Stage in Good Condition

The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket Green Run team has reviewed extensive data and completed preliminary inspections that show the rocket’s hardware is in excellent condition after the Green Run test that ignited all the engines at 5:27 p.m. EST at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. After analyzing initial data, the team determined that the shutdown after firing the engines for 67.2-seconds on Jan.16 was triggered by test parameters that were intentionally conservative to ensure the safety of the core stage during the test.