Wed, Dec 12, 2018

NASA InSight Lander 'Hears' Martian Winds

Described As A 'Haunting Low Rumble' Produced By The 8-13 Knot 'Breeze'

NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) lander, which touched down on Mars just 10 days ago, has provided the first ever "sounds" of Martian winds on the Red Planet.  InSight sensors captured a haunting low rumble caused by vibrations from the wind, estimated to be blowing between 10 to 15 mph (8-13 knots) on Dec. 1, from northwest to southeast. The winds were consistent with the direction of dust devil streaks in the landing area, which were observed from orbit.

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Wed, Dec 12, 2018

NASA’s Voyager 2 Probe Enters Interstellar Space

Crossed The Heliopause Boundary November 5

For the second time in history, a human-made object has reached the space between the stars. NASA’s Voyager 2 probe now has exited the heliosphere – the protective bubble of particles and magnetic fields created by the Sun.

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Tue, Dec 11, 2018

New Target Date For SpaceX Demo-1

New Launch Date Is January 17

NASA and SpaceX have agreed to move the target launch date of the uncrewed Demo-1 flight test to the International Space Station. SpaceX coordinated with the Eastern Range for a launch on Thursday, Jan 17. This adjustment allows the return of the Dragon spacecraft from the company’s 16th commercial resupply services mission.

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Tue, Dec 11, 2018

Airborne-Unmanned 12.11.18: NYPD UAVs!, Airobotics Waiver, National Park Service

Also: Schiebel Wins, New Generation Robot, 'Buzzy The Drone', DHS Selects PAE ISR

The NYPD has unveiled a new UAS program, which will be comprised of newly acquired UAVs, and the licensed NYPD officers of the Technical Assistance Response Unit (TARU) who will operate them. The TARU provides specialized investigative equipment and tactical support to all bureaus within the NYPD, from officers on patrol to the Emergency Service Unit (ESU). The unit's expertise in audio/visual technology helps: enhance investigations through the recovery of surveillance video footage; record police action at large-scale demonstrations and arrest situations; and provide crucial live video to incident commanders during ongoing emergency situations. Just a few weeks after announcing that it had received $30 million in funding, Airobotics has now announced that it has become the first company in the United States to receive a Certificate of Waiver (CoW) from the FAA that combines three elements: fl

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Mon, Dec 10, 2018

NASA Astronaut Nick Hague Set For New Space Station Mission After Abort

Will Fly To ISS In February As Part Of Expedition 59-60 Crew

NASA astronaut Nick Hague, who was forced to abort his recent mission to the International Space Station, is scheduled to launch again Feb. 28, 2019, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

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Mon, Dec 10, 2018

Airborne 12.10.18: 'Pecos Bill' Accident Report, Astronaut Nick Hague, SpaceX Update

Also: Champion Aerospace Recall, EAA’s Post-Secondary Scholarships, Ryanair Pilot Training, Universal Avionics

The NTSB has released its preliminary report from the accident involving the P-51D Pecos Bill on November 17. The accident fatally injured the pilot, 73-year-old Cowden Ward, Jr. and his passenger, WWII veteran Vincent Losada of San Antonio, TX, 93. The airplane impacted an apartment parking lot near Fredericksburg, Texas, following maneuvers. The airplane was destroyed during the impact. NASA astronaut Nick Hague, who was forced to abort his recent mission to the International Space Station, is scheduled to launch again Feb. 28, 2019, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Hague will launch with Alexey Ovchinin of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, who was his commander and crewmate on the aborted mission in October, and NASA astronaut Christina Hammock Koch aboard the Russian Soyuz MS-12 spacecraft. The trio will join the station's Expedition 59 crew a

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Mon, Dec 10, 2018

PoSSUM Scientist-Astronaut Candidates Test Novel Space Suits

Biometric Monitoring Systems Also Tested In Zero-G With The National Research Council Of Canada

The National Research Council of Canada's Flight Research Laboratory in Ottawa, Ontario recently completed its fourth microgravity flight campaign with Project PoSSUM, a non-profit citizen-science astronautics research organization with members from 37 countries. Such parabolic flights provide an opportunity to test in a weightless environment simulating that of space.

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