March 29, 2021 - No. 24 In This Issue : Finnair shows green light to electric flying : Marshall and Mountwest Celebrate Groundbreaking for Joint Aviation Maintenance Program : Strong collaboration urged for aviation recovery : Airbus to boost “cold” technology testing as part of its decarbonisation roadmap : Oman Air marks Earth Hour 2021 with renewed commitment to sustainable operations : The Biofuel Boom Could Threaten Food Security : Ionic wings : GE’s Abdurrahman Khalidi To Highlight The Region’s Growing Potential Of Hydrogen For Clean Energy At Power Week 2021 : Multi-billion cost of ‘lost summer’ of international travel highlighted : Space-enabled app for pilots takes to the skies : SpaceX seemingly takes steps to protect telemetry data after leak Finnair shows green light to electric flying Finnair has signalled its interest for electric aviation as a force to be reckoned with for future flying, signing a Letter of Interest for Heart Aerospace's Electric ES-19 electric aircraft, which is currently under development. Finnair could acquire up to 20 of the new 19-seater Heart Aerospace ES-19 electric aircraft, for use on the airline’s short routes. According to Heart Aerospace, the aircraft are expected to be available for first commercial flights in 2026. Anne Larilahti, Finnair Vice President of Sustainability, said: “Finnair believes electric aviation will be one of the tools for the future of flying. It will help to promote responsible and sustainable aviation especially on short routes, in an era where climate change will increasingly dominate the agenda. “We want to be actively involved in developing and implementing new technologies which enable carbon-neutral flying. “Solving the climate challenge of flying is essential so that the social and economic benefits of aviation can continue. Many of the measures require collaboration across industries in tandem with partners playing a key role in our ongoing sustainability work." Anders Forslund, CEO at Heart Aerospace, said: "We're excited about Finnair signing this letter of interest for our ES-19 aircraft. Finnair’s climate goals are among the most ambitious in the airline industry, and we believe that our electric aircraft can play an important role in creating zero emissions regional travel. We've been working closely together in the Nordic Network for some time. We are very impressed by the dedication and commitment of the Finnair team, and we're thankful for their support as we take the next steps in building and certifying the ES-19." Since 2019, Finnair has been a part of the Nordic Electric Aviation initiative to drive the development of electric flying, with focus on standardising electric air infrastructure in the Nordic countries; developing business models for regional point-to-point connectivity between Nordic countries; developing aircraft technology for Nordic weather conditions; and creating a platform for European and global collaborations. As part of its industry-leading commitment to sustainability, Finnair is committed to halving its net CO2 emissions by the end of 2025 and achieving carbon neutrality in 2045. Among the range of measures needed to achieve this are improving fuel efficiency, reducing aircraft weight, combining different modes of transport, emissions trading, and sustainable aviation fuels. https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/finnair-shows-green-light-to-electric-flying Marshall and Mountwest Celebrate Groundbreaking for Joint Aviation Maintenance Program Huntington- Officials with Marshall University and Mountwest Community & Technical College, along with the Robert C. Byrd Institute, today ceremonially broke ground at Huntington Tri-State Airport for their joint Aviation Maintenance Technology program. Facilities construction for the new program includes renovations to an existing hangar, as well as a makeover for an old armory at Tri-State that will house laboratory and classroom space. Total renovation cost is $2.7 million. Today’s event was attended by federal, state and local officials, as well as aviation industry partners including Delta Air Lines, which announced the program would receive Delta Education support. Currently under review by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Higher Learning Commission, the program is set to welcome students in spring 2022 and will feature hands-on instruction for a career field that is forecast to grow at a high rate in coming years. “Today is an exciting day for Marshall University and our region,” said Dr. Jerome A. Gilbert, president of Marshall. “This incredible collaboration, involving multiple partners, has allowed the AMT program to take flight. Marshall is proud to participate in relationships that work across the economic spectrum and lead to opportunities for our great state and the entire region. I also want to thank Mike Sellards for his leadership at Mountwest throughout this process.” Thought to be the first of its kind in West Virginia, the joint program between Marshall and Mountwest will educate students in 18-24 months and include opportunities to earn FAA certifications. Michael Sellards, interim president of Mountwest, said he is looking forward to the program opening. “Mountwest will enroll the students, provide financial aid opportunities, and lend student advising and academic support while working directly with Marshall University on student success,” Sellards said. Charlotte Weber, RCBI director and CEO and vice president for federal programs at Marshall, said the process of navigating industry standards and working with federal and state agencies has culminated in what is expected to be a premier program. “Marshall and Mountwest have truly worked with dozens of partners and agencies to make this program a reality,” Weber said. “We have a few more final details to work out but are focused on opening the doors in just about a year.” The program’s curriculum will include traditional lectures as well as hands-on instruction at Tri-State Airport, where airport director Brent Brown says the affiliation with the AMT program will serve as a catalyst for future aviation development. “I’m hopeful the location of the aviation maintenance program here at Tri-State will pave the way for other companies to position their operations here,” Brown said. The partnership in aviation maintenance is just one of Marshall’s newest programs in aviation. A four-year degree, educating and training pilots for fixed-wing aircraft, is moving forward in cooperation with Yeager Airport in Charleston. http://www.huntingtonnews.net/174945 Strong collaboration urged for aviation recovery The eighth Arab Aviation Summit (AAS), the region’s leading aviation and tourism industry event held in Ras Al-Khaimah, concluded on an optimistic note, with industry stakeholders unanimous in their view of a faster recovery of the industry. They underlined that the need of the hour is to foster stronger collaboration to enhance confidence among the public and to work toward impactful strategies that will support the aviation sector’s revival. Experts highlighted the role of the tourism sector as a catalyst for post-pandemic growth, and also called for leveraging the potential of digital technologies to transform the industry by helping achieve higher operational efficiencies. They urged on the need for unified travel guidelines to support the industry, and expressed optimism that with more vaccinations being administered, there will be greater confidence among the public to travel. The 2021 Arab Aviation Summit was the first in-person aviation event to be held since the pandemic, and was organized by following all safety protocols. Under the theme, “Arab Aviation in the New Normal,” the eighth edition of the summit brought industry experts from around the world to discuss diverse topics covering the aviation sector. More than 300 participants attended the panel discussions and live presentations on topics such as airline strategies to navigate through the new normal, sustainability outlook, out-maneuvering uncertainty in a new era of travel, tourism as catalyst for a post-pandemic economic growth and job creation in the new reality. Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al-Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said the theme of the summit aptly describes the growing call for the resumption of travel across nations and how strong performance of the aviation sector is a significant driver of tourism. Adel Al-Ali, group chief executive, Air Arabia, predicted a positive outcome in the months to come and highlighted the need for industry and regulators to work together on contingency plans to address the current challenges and develop recovery plans for the entire aviation industry. Egypt Air’s chairman and CEO, Rushdi Zakaria’s said that the summit fostered a platform for discussion on the current situation of the aviation sector and reiterated that health and safety remain the No. 1 priority. Abdul Wahab Teffaha, secretary-general of Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO), shed light on the Arab region’s ability and infrastructure for quicker recovery, adding that the region’s business growth and tourism potential will support the industry. He emphasized the importance of strong alliances between all industry players to help the aviation industry emerge from this crisis. https://www.arabnews.com/node/1833386/corporate-news Airbus to boost “cold” technology testing as part of its decarbonisation roadmap The introduction of superconducting materials can lower electrical resistance, meaning that electrical current can supply power without energy loss. When coupled with liquid hydrogen at cryogenic temperatures (-253 degrees Celsius) electrical systems can be cooled in order to significantly increase the performance of the overall electric propulsion system. Airbus will use ASCEND to explore the feasibility of these promising technologies in order to optimise propulsion architecture ready for low-emission and zero-emission flight. Results are expected to show the potential for component weight and electrical losses to be at least halved, as the volume and complexity of systems installation is reduced, as well as a reduction in voltage to below 500V, compared to current systems. ASCEND will assess electric architectures from several hundred kilowatts to multi-megawatt applications with and without liquid hydrogen on board. Airbus will design and build the demonstrator over the next three years at its E-Aircraft System House. Solutions that could be adapted to turboprop, turbofan and hybrid propeller engines will be tested and evaluated by the end of 2023. It will support Airbus’ decision making-process for the type of propulsion system architecture required for future aircraft. ASCEND is also expected to support performance improvements on existing and future propulsion systems across the entire Airbus portfolio, including helicopters, eVTOLs, as well as regional and single-aisle aircraft. The demonstrator is hosted within Airbus UpNext, an Airbus subsidiary created to give future technologies a development fast-track by building demonstrators at speed and scale, evaluating, maturing and validating new products and services that encompass radical technological breakthroughs. https://www.aviation24.be/manufacturers/airbus/airbus-to-boost-cold-technology-testing-as-part-of-its-decarbonisation-roadmap/ Oman Air marks Earth Hour 2021 with renewed commitment to sustainable operations This year's ceremony was toned down to respect COVID-19 safety measures, with lights switched off symbolically at the company's headquarters in Muscat, coinciding with network destination outstations Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, last night joined individuals, businesses and organizations around the world to mark Earth Hour 2021 at 08:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time. This year’s ceremony was toned down to respect COVID-19 safety measures, with lights switched off symbolically at the company’s headquarters in Muscat, coinciding with network destination outstations. “Tackling climate change is a priority issue for airlines around the world and continues to shape the future of eco-efficient air transport,” said Oman Air CEO Abdulaziz Al Raisi. “Oman Air has always championed the cause of climate change by prioritizing a fleet of ultra-efficient aircraft, implementing fuel-saving initiatives, and reducing waste across our business operations. As we mark Earth Hour 2021, we hereby renew our commitment to responsible travel and reducing our environmental footprint in the years ahead.” Started by WWF and partners as a symbolic lights-out event in Sydney, Australia in 2007, Earth Hour is now one of the world's largest grassroots movements for the environment. Held every year on the last Saturday of March, Earth Hour engages millions of people in more than 180 countries and territories, switching off their lights to show support for our planet. Oman Air’s participation in Earth Hour reflects the airline’s efforts in recent years toward sustainable aviation. In the last quarter of 2019, and for a second year in a row, Heathrow Airport’s Fly Quiet and Green programme ranked Oman Air second place among fifty airlines for being one of the cleanest and quietest airlines serving the airport. The programme rates airlines in 7 areas related to noise and emissions, and gave Oman Air an ‘Excellent’ rating for its B787 Dreamliner service on its Muscat to London route, making it the highest-ranked Middle East carrier. In 2019, the airline saved 7.8 million kg of jet fuel, the equivalent of 24.6 million kg of emissions. The significant reductions were achieved by making flight operations more efficient through fuel-saving initiatives and the latest aircraft technology. Multi-award-winning Oman Air strives continuously to maintain the highest standards of performance in all aspects of its operations, including sustainable initiatives. Its fleet comprises ultra-modern, fuel-efficient aircraft renowned for their aesthetically designed interiors, with innovative in-flight service equipment delivering exceptional onboard safety and performance. Ongoing investment in the latest technologies, planning and product innovation has helped propel Oman Air to the forefront of modern aviation. https://www.zawya.com/mena/en/press-releases/story/Oman_Air_marks_Earth_Hour_2021_with_renewed_commitment_to_sustainable_operations-ZAWYA20210328095820/ The Biofuel Boom Could Threaten Food Security Sustainable aviation fuels seem to be the future of air travel, according to industry insiders seeking to reduce the industry’s carbon print. Refiners are on board, just as they are on board with a planned major boost in biofuels production during the Biden administration. Farmers are certainly on board. And the prices of vegetable oils are already rising to multi-year highs, driving up prices of other foodstuffs to the highest since 2014. Reuters’ Naveen Thukral and Gavin Maguire earlier this month wrote that vegetable oil prices have risen to near-record highs since President Biden made clear that a substantial increase in the production of biofuels will be an important part of his energy transition agenda. This, they noted, pushed the UN food index to the highest in seven years. What this means is that food is becoming more expensive for poorer people in developing economies such as India and many African countries. To be fair, the Reuters analysis also notes seasonal and non-regular factors at play in the higher vegetable oil prices, including labor shortages at palm oil plantations in Asia and harsh weather in key producing regions. Restocking after coronavirus lockdowns was also among the factors pushing vegetable oil prices up. Yet even if these factors were absent, we are in for more expensive vegetable oils because of the energy transition. UK-based research consultancy for energy technologies Thunder Said Energy recently reported that global biofuels production could rise from 3.5 million barrels of oil equivalent daily to as much as 20 million boepd as part of the cleaner energy push. This must be great news for farmers, and it’s not too bad for refiners, either: Philips 66 last year said it was going to turn a refinery in San Francisco into a biofuels plant. Marathon Petroleum is preparing to turn its Martinez refinery into a biofuels plant, too. French supermajor Total has a whole biofuels strategy on its agenda. Last month, several airline CEOs met with Biden administration officials to discuss emissions and the options for government incentives for aviation biofuels as a way of reducing these emissions. These fuels could reduce the aviation industry’s emissions by more than a third, according to the head of the European industry association Airlines for Europe. And yet, they are going to make cooking oil a lot more expensive in the process. Not only that, but they—and biofuels s a whole—could drive large-scale deforestation. A biofuels supply increase from 3.5 million boepd to 20 million boepd, according to Thunder Said Energy, would require another 100 million acres of land to plant and grow the crops necessary for their production. That’s despite what the authors of the report call a generous assumption that the industry would capture all the waste oils and other waste-based biofuels feedstock the world produces, which is certainly a stretch. So, even with the capture of all waste that can be converted into biofuels, we would need to clear 100 million acres to plant oil-producing crops. According to the consultancy, reforesting 100 million acres would offset eight times more carbon dioxide emissions than planting these 100 million acres with crops to use for the production of biofuels. Cooking oil is an essential foodstuff across the world. In India, people are already starting to curb their use of it, however, because of higher prices. Reuters’ Thukral and Maguire quote a vegetable oil broker from India as saying expectations of greater cooking oil demand after the end of pandemic-prompted lockdowns are already being shattered as higher prices destroy demand. And those converted refineries in the U.S. haven’t even started to churn out barrel after barrel of biodiesel. Interestingly enough, not all environmentalists are fans of biofuels. “Biofuels are false solutions that don’t decarbonize air travel,” Clare Lakewood, a climate-law official with the Center for Biological Diversity, said last month in comments on the airline CEOs meeting with government officials. “Real action on aircraft emissions requires phasing out dirty, aging aircraft, maximizing operational efficiencies and funding the rapid development of electrification.” Indeed, biofuels are not exactly emission-free. They are much cleaner than fossil fuels—about 50 percent cleaner—but they do emit carbon dioxide, which would hardly sit well with supporters of the absolute-zero vision for the energy future of the world. But there is something else as well. Biofuels are expensive to produce. According to Thunder Said Energy, cheaper biofuels have a breakeven level of $70 a barrel. The more expensive products—such as sustainable aviation fuels or SAFs—have much higher breakeven levels, some reaching $125 per barrel. According to the consultancy, this means that crude oil needs to become a lot more expensive than it is now to justify a major shift to biofuels. Yet, according to proponents of low-carbon energy, costs are not an issue because the top priority is cutting emissions. But add to the high costs, the deforestation risk and the threat to the food security of vulnerable communities, and biofuels stop looking like a simple, elegant solution to the emissions problem of the transport industry. “There is this age-old argument about food versus fuel but no one dare talk about it as it is all about green energy now,” edible oils analyst Dorab Mistry told Reuters’ Thukral and Maguire. “It will take a long time, and noises from the developing countries, before people actually try to slow down the rate at which green energy is being produced.” Perhaps it is time to start talking about this and all the other problems accompanying the green energy push. After all, talking about a problem is the first step to solving it. https://www.technologytimes.pk/2021/03/29/the-biofuel-boom-could-threaten-food-security/ Ionic wings Can you imagine a plane without moving parts? Is this a flight of fancy, you might well ask. However, scientists are indeed experimenting with a plane that is propelled only by ions gushing out of its tail, knocking millions of air molecules. The plane is pushed forward by the resultant ‘ionic wind’. This idea came from the ‘ion thruster’ engines in spacecraft. Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have already flown one such plane. Before you say ‘wow’, you must know that the ‘plane’ was more like a big kite. They applied a high voltage (40,000 V) at the horizontal electrodes — wires that span the plane. This ripped the electrons of the nitrogen atoms in the air, which then became positively charged ions. A back row of wires carried a negative charge and the positive ions rushed to them, colliding, in the process, with millions of neutral air molecules. Thus propelled, the plane sailed 200 feet at 17 kmph. Just a fancy kite that has no future in aviation? Ask those who witnessed the Wright brothers’ first flight if they thought that, one day, aeroplanes could be carrying 600 people or battle tanks. https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/business-tech/scientists-are-experimenting-with-a-plane-that-is-propelled-only-by-ions-gushing-out-of-its-tail/article34183737.ece GE’s Abdurrahman Khalidi To Highlight The Region’s Growing Potential Of Hydrogen For Clean Energy At Power Week 2021 The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of GE Gas Power Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and South Asia, Abdurrahman Khalid, will be a speaker at Power Week 2021 where he will talk about the potential of hydrogen in accelerating a clean energy future. Khalidi will join a panel of top power utilities executives and experts on 31st March, the second day of Power Week 2021, to discuss the topic: ‘Embracing hydrogen to accelerate clean energy.’ Over the past few years, global spending on hydrogen energy research, development and demonstration by national governments and the private sector has risen. Scaling up hydrogen will be essential to helping global economies to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and limit global temperature rises to 1.5C. Green hydrogen could supply up to 25% of the world’s energy needs by 2050 and become a $10trn addressable market by 2050, according to industry experts. But questions still remain about the viability of hydrogen in ensuring full decarbonisation, its actual uses and costs, production and demand, carbon capture and storage, as well as national policies and guidelines. Khalidi will be better placed to answer these and more questions during the panel session given his broad experience in thermal and clean energy generation at GE Gas Power. Mr. Khalidi leads various engineering teams in product service, application and requisition, repair, performance, project engineering, new product innovations (NPI), plant solutions, and Edison engineering. Previously, he led the GE Oil & Gas MENA and Turkey regional engineering team from 2010 till 2013. Prior to that, Aba spent 10 years at GE Global Research, where he had several roles as a senior mechanical engineer and project manager in the Structural Mechanicals and Dynamics Lab in Niskayuna, New York. Mr. Khalidi has worked on a variety of technologies in medical systems, wind turbines, aviation, oil & gas, and power systems. His work concentrated on dynamics & vibration, design, and motion control of mechanical systems and he has 30 US patents in various fields of technology. Power Week 2021 will be held as a virtual event from 30th to 31st March 2021 and it is expected to attract the participation of several professionals from the power sector. The event will bring together top government officials, senior power utilities executives and experts as well as members of the academia to discuss challenges in the power sector, current innovations, success stories and investment opportunities as the Middle East steps up efforts to close the electric power supply-demand gap. The session on ‘Embracing hydrogen to accelerate clean energy’ will start at 2.50pm on 31st March. The topics to be discussed at Power Week 2021 are: Day 1 (March 30): Digitalisation and the transformation of the energy value-chain Accelerating renewable energy adoption in the Middle East Day 2 (March 31): The future of gas in the region’s energy transition Embracing hydrogen to accelerate clean energy https://www.utilities-me.com/news/17008-ges-abdurrahman-khalidi-to-highlight-the-regions-growing-potential-of-hydrogen-for-clean-energy-at-power-week-2021 Multi-billion cost of ‘lost summer’ of international travel highlighted The “catastrophic impact” that only a limited reopening of travel from May is outlined in a new report commissioned by the UK aviation sector. It highlights the cost of a ‘lost summer’ of international travel – £55.7 billion in lost trade and £3 billion in tourism GDP if reopening delayed until September – putting around 574,000 jobs at risk including 73,000 within UK tourism. Being unable to re-open to the EU would cause the most damage, followed by the US, with no transatlantic air links until September costing the UK £2.4 billion, or £23 million a day, putting 51,600 jobs at risk. The warning comes ahead of the reinstated government Global Travel Taskforce due to report in April on ways of reopening international travel from May 17 at the earliest as part of Boris Johnson’s roadmap to relax Covid-19 restrictions. The aviation industry says it is critical that ministers build a “safe, robust and workable” framework for travel can stand the test of time throughout the summer and beyond, “ensuring that a stop/start approach is never seen again” as the sector looks to rebuild confidence. Enabling a safe and sustainable resumption of international travel from May 17 for the whole of the remainder of 2021 would generate a GDP injection of £47.6 billion and help secure more than a million jobs otherwise under threat – worth some £200 million a day to the economy, according to the 133-page analysis by consultants York Aviation. The report compiled for trade body Airlines UK builds on earlier work that demonstrated that the loss of air connectivity to the US cost the UK some £30 million a day in 2020. Overall, an estimated 5,164 UK aviation and related jobs have been lost every month since February 2020, according to the Unite union. The report argues that a phased easing of restrictions is required to help the UK’s economy recover as the vaccine roll-out accelerates both in the UK and abroad, and with widespread testing becoming ever further embedded. It suggests that international travel can safely resume on May 17, through a tiered system based on risk, with government having the opportunity to set a framework to re-establish international travel for others to follow. Airlines UK chief executive Tim Alderslade said: “For many of us, aviation is associated with a holiday or much needed break. “However, this new report demonstrates just how vital the UK’s air links are to our economic prosperity, be it for British exporters, the hospitality sector or companies with an international footprint. “The data refutes the claim that keeping aviation shut down, or delaying restart beyond the summer, is a price worth paying – with each day planes are grounded costing tens of millions of pounds and putting thousands of jobs at risk. “The priority now is clear; ensuring a durable framework for a risk-based approach to reopening air travel from 17 May”. British Airways chief executive Sean Doyle said: “The emotional and economic cost of not starting to re-open international travel on May 17 is clear. “With more than 50% of the UK adult population vaccinated in a programme that has been the envy of the world, the government must now urgently provide a phased, risk-based framework for travel to re-start this summer that will save the economy and jobs, allow business to re-start and reunite friends and families.” His Virgin Atlantic counterpart Shai Weiss said: “The free movement of people and goods by air is vital for competition, connectivity and supporting the UK’s economic recovery. “This report presents evidence that the resumption of international travel, specifically between lower risk countries such as the UK and US – our largest trading partner accounting for 15% of all UK trade – must remain the objective. “In 2019, transatlantic connectivity underpinned trade worth $273 billion. As an essential driver of global trade, FDI [foreign direct investment] and our hospitality and tourism sectors, a thriving and competitive aviation market is more important than ever to the future success of ‘Global Britain’. “A phased easing of testing requirements and border restrictions, that follows the scientific evidence, will protect public health and ensure that skies can safely reopen from 17th May, safeguarding half a million UK jobs reliant on the sector.” Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye added: “Advances in testing technology, coupled with the country’s incredible vaccination progress means a safe and irreversible resumption of international travel from May 17 is within our sights. “For over a year, travel restrictions have effectively severed the UK’s ties with its key trading partners, stunting the country’s economic growth. “For example, resuming transatlantic travel would add £2.4 billion to the national economy this summer alone and help protect over 50,000 jobs. “If this government is serious about delivering a ‘Global Britain’, the travel taskforce must seize this opportunity to put in place a risk-based framework that protects public health and rebuilds vital trade links to countries like the US.” Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate said: “The aviation sector had been hit hard by the pandemic and we cannot afford to leave it behind as the rest of society opens up, otherwise UK plc will lack the vital infrastructure, supply chains and logistics operations it needs to recover quickly through trade and all the other economic activity that airports and airlines generate. “Public health is of course the absolute priority and – provided vaccine rollouts across Europe succeed and restrictions ease as we start the summer – a flexible risk-based approach to reopening international travel would not only help us reopen, rebuild and protect jobs, it would start to restore consumer confidence and allow people to see family or enjoy a well-deserved break.” https://travelweekly.co.uk/news/air/multi-billion-cost-of-lost-summer-of-international-travel-highlighted Space-enabled app for pilots takes to the skies An app that integrates navigational data and weather conditions to improve flight safety for pilots has been launched. Its inventors hope to have a full commercial version on sale by the end of the year. Preparing a flight plan can be a long and arduous task for pilots, who have to process large quantities of information on weather patterns, ground topology, the flights of other aircraft and fuel consumption. The SkyLiberty aeronautical navigation support service, developed in partnership between ESA and a Belgian company called ESNAH, aims to overcome these difficulties using a single device. It integrates aeronautical, geographical and meteorological data with information on airspace regulations. SkyLiberty helps pilots to devise a tailored flight plan. Once airborne, the device informs them of their precise location and the weather conditions ahead. Because the device is programmed with information on airspace regulations, SkyLiberty can alert pilots and their ground-based support if the aircraft starts to drift towards restricted airspace, such as the areas around commercial airports or buildings such as nuclear reactors. The device enables two-way communication between the pilots and the ground. Flying schools and air traffic control could use it to track the flight paths of light aircraft and to talk to pilots. All this is made possible thanks to the combination of satellite communication and data from the global navigation satellite system. The device was recently extensively tested by two pilots—the inventor of the device and the ESA project manager—who used the prototype technology to fly aboard a four-seater Diamond DA40 on a four-day 7,400-kilometer journey from and to Belgium via France, Spain, Portugal, the Canary Islands and Morocco. Most of this flight was over water and poorly connected regions—ideal for testing the reliability of the satellite link. The journey was faster than expected and consumed 15% less fuel than predicted, which was partly because the pilots could search for the best wind while airborne. Arnaud Runge, who is the SkyLiberty project manager at ESA and holds a professional pilot license, said: “SkyLiberty is offering new opportunities for general aviation and business jets pilots, who often operate without all the enormous logistics support and tools available within large airlines. SkyLiberty shows how space can play a role and make travel by air safer, greener and more effective.” The Belgian company ESNAH was set up seven years ago at ESA’s business incubation center in Redu. It joined ESA’s integrated applications promotion, which is an initiative to develop new commercially promising space-based applications or services. The initiative forms part of ESA’s program of Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems (ARTES). Nicolas Hanse, general manager and founder of ESNAH, said: “We started in business in 2012 and, because we were very young company, we needed to build credibility. ESA has helped us to do that. The ESA project manager helped us to get structured and successfully pass each step in our plan. We are now getting a lot of interest from civil aviation and other aeronautical entities.” https://bisouv.com/uncategorized/3587510/space-enabled-app-for-pilots-takes-to-the-skies/ SpaceX seemingly takes steps to protect telemetry data after leak SpaceX typically broadcasts its tests in their entirety, but some amateur radio users wanted access to even more data. SpaceX is known to use specific frequency bands to communicate with its spacecraft, and some amateur radio astronomers were attempting to access the telemetry data in those broadcasts. SpaceX made a move to encrypt the video feeds after several from a Falcon 9 Starlink launch were intercepted and decoded, giving access to video typically only seen by employees. Earlier this month, video communications between SpaceX mission control and a Falcon 9 second stage were making rounds on social media. The leaked video showed views of the Earth from the second stage rocket and inside the Liquid Oxygen tank of the second stage rocket. The amateur radio users learned the frequencies SpaceX uses because the company was forced to inform the FCC and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration of the frequencies used to communicate with its rockets. That requirement meant that the frequencies were publicly available. After success with capturing video and telemetry data from the Falcon 9 launch, the amateurs decided to attempt to grab similar footage from the Starship SN11 test. The user pointed an antenna at the SN11 prototype. While he was able to capture the communication data between the test vehicle and mission controllers, unlike last time, they were unable to decrypt the information. While the communications between SpaceX and the Falcon 9 mission previously were unencrypted, SpaceX has encrypted data between controllers and Starship. There’s a possibility that SpaceX has always encrypted data for Starship test flights and simply doesn’t bother to encrypt data for Falcon 9 missions. Certainly, the amateur radio users will attempt to capture data from future Falcon 9 missions, and if it’s now encrypted, SpaceX has taken steps to protect its data. Leaked data certainly poses the potential to harm SpaceX as a company, and it would make sense that it would want to encrypt all of the information. https://www.slashgear.com/spacex-seemingly-takes-steps-to-protect-telemetry-data-after-leak-28665833/ Curt Lewis