December 30, 2019 - No. 102 In This Issue Florian Reuter leads air taxi firm Volocopter to new heights How blockchain revolutionized airline business in Germany EU's ban on Nepali aircraft unchanged Proposed FAA Rule Would Kickstart New Economy For IDing Drones Aviation: Carbon emissions per passenger down 50% - IATA Flying low: Aviation sector struggling with overcapacity amidst economic slowdown Explosion Rocks Building Where SkyCourier Is Fabricated LATAM Acquisition - How Delta Shook The Aviation Industry In 2019 Boulder firm important player in massive emissions study Italy's Ernest Airlines ordered to suspend operations NASA Says Moon to Mars Plans, Artemis Lunar Program Gets Fast Tracked in 2019 Florian Reuter leads air taxi firm Volocopter to new heights The UN estimates that by 2050, 68 percent of the world's population will live in cities. Transport networks aren't prepared for the strain this will place on their services, and the infrastructure changes needed to expand those networks are incredibly expensive. As cities look into new ways to reduce congestion, a growing number of companies are turning their gaze skywards. The race to develop the world's first commercial air taxi service is on. In May 2019, consulting firm Roland Berger revealed that more than 170 companies are currently developing electrically powered aircraft. Half of these are focused on creating urban air taxis. A number of major firms have thrown their hats into the ring, from aircraft-makers to automotive giants. Early in October, Porsche announced it was working with aircraft-maker Boeing to develop a prototype flying taxi. Meanwhile, Hyundai has hired a NASA engineer to run its air mobility division, and Uber Air expects to commence test flights in 2020. Despite competition from some of the biggest names in transport, one of the companies to enjoy the most success in this pioneering industry is German start-up Volocopter. Its flagship vehicle, the VoloCity, is an electrically powered, 18-rotor passenger drone, designed to carry two people and their luggage at a top speed of about 109km/h. The air taxi recently completed its maiden flight over Singapore's Marina Bay, where Volocopter hopes to commercially launch as early as 2021. In a press release, CEO Florian Reuter called it "the most advanced Volocopter flight yet". He added: "Never before have people been this close to experiencing what urban air mobility in the city of tomorrow will feel like." Not long before the flight, the company had closed €50m in a Series C round of funding led by Chinese automotive company Geely, bringing its total funding to €85m. Other major firms that have invested in the company include Daimler, the German carmaker that owns Mercedes-Benz, and technology giant Intel. Each own around 10 percent of Volocopter, which they're betting will be the first company to take this cutting-edge technology to the skies. A new way to ride When Reuter first joined the company as managing director in 2015, he was its fifth employee. Since then, the company has grown rapidly. It now has 150 members of staff across offices in Bruchsal, Munich and Singapore, but perhaps the biggest testament to Reuter's strong leadership is the fact that many of the company's crowning achievements have happened under his watch. In 2016, the firm received its first meaningful flying permit from the German aviation authorities, and in 2017, it completed its first autonomous test flight, launched by Dubai's Crown Prince, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum. In part, Reuter owes this success to the wealth of experience he gained by working closely with start-ups. Prior to joining Volocopter, he worked on the other side of the coin as a venture manager for Siemens, nurturing start-ups and helping them take their technology from the concept stage through to commercialisation. "Eventually, I realised that what I really wanted was to join a start-up. That's just when Volocopter came knocking," he told Brunswick Group in 2018. "The idea of an electric helicopter - a drone scaled up for humans - that clicked with me. If I was going to put my heart and soul into a start-up, it would have to pursue something as exciting as this." For a long time, the concept of a flying car was confined to the pages of science fiction books. But in recent years, air taxis have come on in leaps and bounds, largely thanks to technological advancements made in the industry. "The key technology enablers are the size and weight reduction of electrical technology and more advanced control systems," David Debney, who heads up whole aircraft technology at the Aerospace Technology Institute, told European CEO. "This has enabled what is known as 'distributed propulsion', which means the aircraft has more thrusters than engines. In the past, this was a one-to-one ratio for a number of design reasons. Increasing that ratio means vertical take-off and landing can be achieved in a more efficient manner." Initially, Volocopter's air taxis will have human pilots, but the goal is for the vehicles to become fully autonomous. As part of its plans to commence operations in cities, Volocopter also wants to build landing hubs with the help of its partner Skyports. Dubbed VoloPorts, these landing hubs would negate the need for massive infrastructure investment, meaning Volocopter could be integrated into cities with limited disruption. Landing bays parked on top of city buildings - named VoloHubs - would operate like ski lifts, allowing Volocopter to process large volumes of passengers every day. Although the air taxis will only be used for singular routes at first, Reuter envisions these routes growing into networks, offering a new mode of transport as ubiquitous as travel by train or car. Needless to say, the company's vision is ambitious. Despite the pie-in-the-sky thinking needed to put such a transformation in motion, Reuter is, at heart, a pragmatist. Compared with disruptors like Uber - infamous for crashing into markets and quickly running into trouble with regulators - Volocopter has taken every measure to ensure its careful arrival into cities. The company has completed more than 1,000 test flights and is working with city officials, regulatory authorities and private companies to get its multicopter off the ground. Reuter also stresses the importance of working with telecommunications companies: in his eyes, 5G is crucial to scaling the technology as customers are unlikely to board a Volocopter to get to the office every day if they can't access their emails or get online during the journey. Turbulent times Despite the progress that companies like Volocopter have made, some doubt the commercial viability of urban air mobility. Integrating a new transport system into a city is a logistical nightmare, and some critics are concerned that the simple fact an air taxi can't land directly in front you, as an ordinary taxi can, will limit the technology's appeal among the wider population. Richard Aboulafia, Vice President of Teal Group, argues that air taxis are little more than glorified helicopters; he doubts that the technology will ever make it to the mass market. "Right now, there is an urban air mobility market that uses turbine helicopters. Last year, it was worth $351m [€315.72m]. There is a chance that air taxis could stimulate that market. But you're still talking about an anecdote in the broader aerospace industry, which is worth about $900bn [€809.53bn]," Aboulafia told European CEO. While the perception of air taxis as toys for the rich is a significant barrier to their widespread adoption, an even more significant barrier is their price. A report by investment bank Citigroup predicts an air taxi ride will cost about $6.04 per kilometre (€5.43), which it says is cheaper than a limousine but double the cost of ground-based ride-hailing. Unless air taxi services can reach a similar price point to that of taxis and trains, it will remain the preserve of the wealthy. But Volocopter is adamant its technology will become affordable for the average commuter. Reuter predicts that, after five to 10 years, the cost will be equivalent to hiring an ordinary taxi. "The goal was always to democratise flying," he told TechCrunch. Barriers to entry Another issue that could have a big impact on the technology's appeal among the general public is noise pollution. City officials and residents alike will undoubtedly resist air taxis if the sound of them taking off and landing becomes an annoyance to communities. "The industry is working hard on ways to minimise this," said Debney. "Current estimates are that these vehicles could be around 75 percent quieter than a helicopter." From a distance of 100 feet, a landing Volocopter is only slightly louder than average road noise in New York, according to Volocopter's whitepaper. Another obstacle that Volocopter needs to overcome is the sheer amount of regulation within the aviation industry. Test after test is required to ensure the vehicles comply with different markets' rules on things like operations, maintenance and noise pollution. And even if a vehicle passes all of these tests, airspace management remains a key issue: aviation regulators are currently unprepared for a flood of private air taxis taking to our skies. "At present, we have air traffic controllers guiding aircraft through the skies, and this system cannot be scaled up to cope with the projected number of flights that urban air mobility will create," said Debney. The seal of approval Certain cities are likely to be prepared for this transition much sooner than others. One of the reasons Dubai and Singapore are being touted as the first air taxi hubs is because they are actively embracing the concept of an autonomous air taxi and adapting their regulation to this end. From Debney's perspective, regulatory compliance is key to determining which companies in this space can gain a competitive edge. "It is important that companies engage with regulators at the earliest opportunity," he told European CEO. "Changes in user requirements could drive major changes into how the vehicles are designed... As cost is a big market driver, having the vehicle design closely matched to user requirements could prove to be a key differentiator." In this fledgeling industry, reliability is everything. Earlier this year, when Volocopter unveiled VoloCity, it was the fourth generation of its multicopter. The first three were developed just for flight and demonstration purposes, but this latest model is designed for commercial use. The fact that the company is on its fourth model demonstrates that it is treating regulatory concerns as a top priority. Further, the firm recently added a stabiliser to ensure it met safety standards set by the European Aviation Safety Agency. Industry experts predict that there won't be a mass market for flying taxi services until the 2030s. However, Citigroup reports that they could be available in Singapore and Dubai by 2025. Currently, Volocopter is ahead of the game in terms of providing a clear vision for an urban air mobility ecosystem. For a technology as pioneering as the air taxi, a steady leader who can help the company deliver on its promises is needed in order to win investor confidence and gain regulatory approval. Reuter has proved he can rise to the task. https://www.europeanceo.com/profiles/florian-reuter-leads-air-taxi-firm-volocopter-to-new-heights/ Back to Top How blockchain revolutionized airline business in Germany It is just less than 24 hours when UN Secretary-General came out to explain why the organization should adopt blockchain, A German airline, travel firm has come out to explain how the tech has developed its business. The blockchain technology has no doubt clear implications for the way it can completely change an industry as it continues to have giant stride on the financial world. TUI Group, one of the biggest travel firms in the world revealed a new revolution within their business development thanks to blockchain tech as a major part of their business model. The German firm adopted the technology with its operations thanks to Joussen's words. One of the first projects the firm began with the tech was named BedSwap. It uses blockchain technology to record hotel inventories, allowing the company and its partners to manage hotel room availability more effectively. The technology has made the company more technologically advanced compared to its contemporaries and ahead of their direct competitors. It is further said that should TUI develop an advanced blockchain solution for the travel industry, its rivals and competitors will want to do the same too. This will no doubt trigger healthy competition within the industry, helping blockchain technology to continue to grow and change other industries. Other prospects for blockchain technology in the aviation sector The UN's specialized agency for aviation President has also said that blockchain technology could offer tremendous benefits across aviation systems globally. The technology has the capability of easing several aviation processes for both aviation workers and patrons alongside the fact that using the technology can bring about enhanced reconciliation and data sharing. The most creative and disruptive possibilities with the tech for this sector goes beyond pure financial transactions. With blockchain tech, an e-ticket is dematerialized, stored in and called up from a massive database. The blockchain can tokenize this asset and further dematerialize it. Through the use of smart contracts associated with the asset, airlines can add business logic and terms and conditions around how the ticket is sold and used. This opens the door for tickets to be sold by different partners, and in real-time, from anywhere in the world. Protecting data privacy is a clear issue when it comes to passenger records, flight manifests and crew information. Not to mention the security implications that are in play today's world if this data is not properly protected. Blockchain technology with a security cover creates a very different and less risky way of managing and sharing this information through the use of authorized access requirements. About TUI group TUI is a world-leading tourism group. The broad portfolio gathered under the Group umbrella consists of strong tour operators, 1,600 travel agencies and leading online portals, six airlines with around 150 aircraft, over 380 hotels, 18 cruise liners and many incoming agencies in all major holiday destinations around the globe. https://www.cryptopolitan.com/blockchain-revolutionizes-airline-business/ Back to Top EU's ban on Nepali aircraft unchanged KATHMANDU: Nepal has achieved around 70 percent progress to meet the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)'s safety standard. The process of separating the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to establish two bodies: a regulatory and service-providing has reached the final phase as per the EU concerns. It seems Nepal has left no stone unturned to follow practices in the international air services and in the use of advanced technology. But why still it has to remain in the EU blacklist, is the concern of the hour. The question is answerable at this time. This has also caught the attention of civil aviation experts who have discussed the matter. The EU has lately decided to keep its decision of blacklisting the operation of Nepali aircraft on the European sky unaltered. As per the decision, Nepali aircraft shall be again prevented from using the European sky for the next six months. The EU's move came on the eve of the Nepal Visit Year 2020 has raised doubt whether it would have its negative impact on the Visit Year. Experts, however, are hopeful of finding a solution soon as Nepal continues its efforts to ensure improvement in its sky. CAN former general director Haribhakta Shrestha is among those believing that Nepal would win the EU confidence soon as efforts were underway for policy-level and organizational improvement in regard to the aviation service. He sees no reason for the EC to continue its ban on Nepali aircraft when security standards adopted by Nepal exceeds 60 percent of the global standard. Nepali airline companies have been forbidden to use Europe's sky since 2013 citing safety reasons. It may be noted that during the Kathmandu Conference of ICAO general directors for Asia and the Pacific regions held four months ago, Nepal made its efforts for lifting the ban. After the EU did not remove Nepal from the 'safety update', Nepal will be continued as a blacklisted country for six more months. The safety update is issued every six months. There are 15 countries including Nepal blacklisted by the EU. Director General at CAAN, Rajan Pokhrel, however, observed that EU would remove Nepal air service from blacklist soon as the institutional reform addressing EU's concern neared the final stage. He further said the Cabinet has already passed the drafts of the Air Service Act and CAAN Act. The passage of these acts will help make ICAO remove Nepal air service from the blacklist, Pokhrel hoped. Nepal has achieved 67 percent of ICAO safety standards, according to CAAN. To this, Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Yogesh Kumar Bhattarai, reminded that frequent discussion was held with the EU countries and representatives to this regard. Minister Bhattarai shared that discussions were held even with the EU Headquarters to remove Nepal from the air service blacklist. In recent times, Nepal has witnessed a decline in the number of plane accidents. https://english.khabarhub.com/2019/28/64974/ Back to Top Proposed FAA Rule Would Kickstart New Economy For IDing Drones Wary of a future in which the skies are filled with unregistered, unidentifiable drones, the Federal Aviation Administration will soon publish a proposed rule to require manufacturers to put remote ID tags in all small unmanned aircraft systems. On Tuesday, the FAA will publish its proposed rule for remote identification of UAS, starting the process for developing an entire ecosystem over the next three years around identifying drones in flight. To date, nearly 1.5 million small drones-between 0.55 pounds and 55 pounds-have been registered with the FAA, along with some 155,000 UAS pilots. However, drone pilots currently cannot fly except in specific, restricted areas, mostly managed through partnerships with the FAA's Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability, or LAANC. As the use of drones expands, the FAA wants to ensure air traffic controllers, law enforcement and the general public can easily identify the machines flying overhead. "As a pilot, my eye is always on safety first," FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement Thursday announcing the rule. "Safety is a joint responsibility between government, pilots, the drone community, the general public and many others who make our nation so creative and innovative." The rule would identify drones using three methods. The first is the "standard remote identification," in which the drone broadcasts a unique ID through a radio signal that can be intercepted by air traffic control, law enforcement and even the general public. That ID would also be transmitted to a Remote ID UAS Service Supplier, or Remote ID USS-more on them later-over the internet. The second method, "limited remote identification," would only transmit the ID over an internet connection, however, it requires the drone pilot to be within the line of sight of the UAS-no more than 400 feet. The FAA is also proposing a third scenario where community-based safety organizations can apply to create FAA-recognized identification areas, or FRIAs, where remote IDs are not required for each individual unit but drones are not allowed to fly outside the designated area. This category would only be available for amateur-built drones and UAS built before the remote ID rule was established. "While remote identification alone will not enable routine expanded operations such as operations over people or beyond visual line of sight, it is a critical element for building unmanned traffic management capabilities," according to the notice to be published in the Federal Register. "The FAA envisions that the remote identification network will form the foundation for the development of other technologies that can enable expanded operations." The remote ID rule is merely the first step in a broader process. FAA officials are also working to establish an ecosystem for Remote ID USS to "collect the identification and location in real-time from in-flight UAS," and make that data available to the public and law enforcement. Remote ID USS providers will work under contracts with the FAA, similar to the LAANC system for monitoring drone flights. The third pillar of the remote ID effort will be to establish a standards-setting community to ensure that production of the ID technology and data structure and dissemination methods are the same for all drones produced in the United States. "This proposal envisions that within three years of the effective date of this rule, all UAS operating in the airspace of the United States will be compliant with the remote identification requirements," the rule states. "No UAS could be produced for operation in the United States after two years and no UAS could be operated after three years except in accordance with the requirements of this proposal." The proposed rule is open for public comment for 60 days. https://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2019/12/proposed-faa-rule-would-kickstart-new-economy-iding-drones/162130/ Back to Top Aviation: Carbon emissions per passenger down 50% - IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently published information confirming that carbon emissions per passenger have declined by more than 50% since 1990. Much of the improvement has occurred because the industry has achieved an annual fuel efficiency improvement of 2.3% over the period since 2009, some 0.8 percentage points ahead of target. This progress is a combination of investments in more efficient aircraft and operational efficiencies. According to IATA CEO Alexandre de Juniac, cutting per passenger emissions in half is an amazing achievement of the technical expertise and innovation in the aviation industry. "But we have even bigger ambitions. From 2020 we will cap net emissions. And by 2050 we will cut emissions to half 2005 levels. Accomplishing these targets means continued investment in new technology, sustainable fuels, and operational improvements," he said in a statement. Airlines have invested some $1 trillion in new aircraft since 2009, and in addition have signed forward purchase agreements for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) amounting to approximately $6 billion. In addition, the introduction of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) will ensure carbon-neutral growth on international flights from 2020 and raise around $40 billion in climate finance. Analysis from IATA shows that efforts to deliberately suppress air travel through punitive passenger taxes are inefficient and largely ineffective at reducing carbon. On the other hand, it is of the view that the CORSIA scheme's effectiveness lies in its global scope. "Governments must focus their efforts correctly. Flying drives prosperity. It is not the enemy. Cutting carbon must at the forefront. And government leadership is needed to incentivize the commercialization of sustainable aviation fuels, drive efficiencies in air traffic management and support research into next generation low-carbon energy sources," said De Juniac. https://www.fin24.com/Companies/Industrial/aviation-carbon-emissions-per-passenger-down-50-iata-20191228 Back to Top Flying low: Aviation sector struggling with overcapacity amidst economic slowdown The economic slowdown couldn't have come at a more inopportune time for India's aviation sector. Domestic carriers have been adding new planes rather aggressively over the past few years, as passenger growth steadily inched up over the past four years. But the slowing economic growth and poor consumer sentiment is hurting airline financials. Data from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) showed that passengers carried by domestic airlines grew only marginally at 3.11% between January and October 2019, compared with a 20.11% growth during the same period in 2018. Weak demand, coupled with rising capacities, have forced airlines to slash fares. India's second-largest carrier by market share, SpiceJet, posted a loss of Rs 462.6 crore in the September quarter, owing to unsustainably low fares. Margins of domestic carriers have also been impacted by higher fuel expenses. Although crude price is lower compared to FY19 levels, averaging at around $64.11/bbl so far in FY20, it is still much higher than FY18 levels, when the average was around $57.85/bbl. The road to recovery may not be very swift, analysts believe. With economic growth slipping to a six-year low in the second quarter of FY20, any pick up in passenger traffic will take a few more quarters. "Perhaps in six to nine months, once we see economic activity picking up, air passenger traffic may also see an uptick," said aviation expert Dhiraj Mathur. Passenger load factor, a parameter for measuring capacity utilisation, also remained subdued for major domestic airlines in 2019, including IndiGo and SpiceJet. SpiceJet's load factor dropped 80 basis points year-on-year to 90% in October, while IndiGo's load factor was marginally higher than last year at 85.1% and GoAir's was also down y-o-y to 83%. "Load factor dropped across airlines in October due to increase in capacity (all-time high fleet size of 616 aircraft and more to be added by year-end)... November fares so far are down around 11% year-on-year," Axis Capital said in a report. SpiceJet added at least 34 aircraft in FY20, but saw an 84 basis points reduction year-on-year in its average capacity utilisation in April-October. Ajay Singh, chairman, SpiceJet, has been vocal about unsustainably low fares. Last month, Singh reportedly blamed "a large monopolistic aviation player" for driving down fares. "This is ultra competition and we have an extremely strong player in the market. We need to increase fares to rational levels. Fares will largely be determined by the largest player in the market," Singh reportedly said in November. The largest player in the market, IndiGo, is facing additional cost pressures from an aging fleet as well. The airline recently ordered 300 Airbus A320neos. However, it will likely see a slowdown in capacity addition in the coming few quarters as a result of the recent DGCA directive - which mandated the airline to replace its A320neos with older engines with new planes that get delivered. Meanwhile, cost of maintenance for the airline, while lower than its peers, has been increasing on account of an aging fleet. IndiGo has added at least 30 aircraft in financial year 2019-20 so far, and plans to add at least three aircraft per month. However, the passenger load factor of the airline averaged at 86.93% between April and October, only 34 basis points higher than the average for April-October 2018. In the September quarter, IndiGo posted a loss of Rs 1,062 crore, its largest ever since its IPO, driven by cost pressures. Ronojoy Dutta, CEO, IndiGo, had in October said the aviation sector was facing a 'major softening'. "No matter what the industry does, we'll do 5% better we think. But we see the industry itself softening," Dutta told analysts in October. He also added that IndiGo saw declines in yield in the metro markets where low cost capacity replaced the capacity of Jet Airways. With the grounding of Jet Airways, the airline got 22 additional slots in India's busiest airport at New Delhi. GoAir added at least 22 aircraft, and saw a 171 basis points average y-o-y increase in passenger load factor so far in FY20. Vistara saw a 4.8 percentage points reduction in its average capacity utilisation to 82.27% during April-October, even though it added 13 aircraft in the same period. Online travel aggregators also reported flat volumes in domestic air ticket sales this year. "In the first half of the financial year, we saw flat volumes in our India business, along with the rest of the market (players). Volumes have now started picking up since October onward," Aditya Agarwal, head, corporate strategy, Cleartrip, told FE, adding that their revenues from India have also seen flat growth, as a large part of the company's margins from ticket sales are linked to sales volumes. Additionally, most seats are being sold at discounted prices. "Passenger loads are not looking up because the one of the first casualties in an economic slowdown or downturn is air travel. Meanwhile, a lot of airlines are doing flash sales because airlines are desperate to fill seats. Mostly the discounted seats are being sold. We are seeing an overall shrinking of overall traveller base, which is worrying," said Mark Martin, aviation consultant. In FY20, increasing capacity kept fares under stress even during the festive season, when ticket sale volumes typically pick up. "While overall slowdown in passenger traffic has not hit traffic growth of major airlines so far (due to allocated slots of Jet Airways), the impact will show up going ahead as the capacity of Jet Airways gets absorbed," analysts from Axis Capital said. Going forward, passenger load factor of domestic airlines may improve as major airlines like IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir and Vistara are expected to retire parts of their old fleet between 2020 and 2022, analysts from ICICI Securities said. "Delayed resumption of (Boeing 737) MAX, retirals of old fleet and internationalisation of Indian airlines will keep domestic supply addition low. Based on our estimates, the aggregate domestic supply is expected to grow by around 5% in FY20 (estimated) and basis induction of MAX would grow by around 15-18% in FY21," analysts said. The brokerage firm estimates around 18% growth in total passengers carried by domestic carriers in FY21. "The cost parameters will improve going ahead with increasing share of fuel efficient fleet and efficiencies in the international segment. Revenue yield will improve with gradual improvement in passenger load factor and improved demand," analysts said. https://www.financialexpress.com/infrastructure/airlines-aviation/flying-low-aviation-sector-struggling-with-overcapacity-amidst-economic-slowdown/1806496/ Back to Top Explosion Rocks Building Where SkyCourier Is Fabricated The building where Textron Aviation is fabricating its new SkyCourier twin-engine turboprop was rocked by a liquid nitrogen explosion around 8 a.m. this morning, sending 11 people to Wichita-area hospitals and leaving a massive hole and partial collapse to a side of the building designated as Plant III. Authorities told AIN that despite rumors of a fatality, there were none. "We do not have any information to suggest there was a loss of life today," Sedgwick County EMS medical director John Gallagher told AIN. "There was one patient who had potentially serious injuries, but I don't have the details on how serious." Fire crews were dispatched to Textron Aviation's campus in east Wichita at 8:05 a.m. today following reports of an explosion that could be heard and felt several miles away. Sedgwick County deputy fire chief Daniel Wegner told AIN that a cause of the explosion wasn't immediately known but there was a three-inch line carrying liquid nitrogen to the building that ruptured and "caused a rupture to another vessel and that is the one that is currently venting now." Crews were continuing to search the massive building for any additional workers as well as assessing the extent of the damage and "checking the distribution systems to make sure we don't have any potentials for secondary rupture," he added. Wegner noted the plant was on holiday shutdown so a "skeleton crew" was working at the time of the explosion. "But I don't have numbers of how many people were in the plant at this time." Textron Aviation spokeswoman Stephanie Harder told AIN that Plant III houses the airframer's composite manufacturing and experimental aircraft fabrication. She confirmed it is where the SkyCourier is located but wasn't sure if any of the test articles or prototypes were affected. "We don't have the extent of those details at this time," she said. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-12-27/explosion-rocks-building-where-skycourier-fabricated Back to Top LATAM Acquisition - How Delta Shook The Aviation Industry In 2019 In September, Delta Air Lines shook up the aviation industry with the announcement of a partnership with LATAM. Delta said it would take a 20% stake in the South American airline group. Delta's move to increase its presence in South America set off several reactions and changed the aviation scene in a noticeable way in 2019. "This transformative partnership with LATAM will bring together our leading global brands, enabling us to provide the very best service and reliability for travelers to, from and throughout the Americas. Our people, customers, owners and communities will all benefit from this exciting platform for future growth." -Ed Bastian, Delta's Chief Executive Officer Partnership details Officially born in 2012 through the joint operations of LAN and TAM, LATAM has bases throughout South America. US carrier Delta sees great value in connecting with LATAM's reach throughout the continent. The details of the agreement are as follows: Delta will invest $1.9 billion for 20% of LATAM. Delta is also investing $350 million to "support the establishment of the strategic partnership". The airline will acquire four Airbus A350 aircraft from LATAM. Furthermore, it will takeover LATAM's commitment to purchase 10 additional A350 aircraft set for delivery between 2020 and 2025. Delta will have representation on LATAM's Board of Directors New codeshare agreement LATAM Airlines Peru, LATAM Airlines Colombia, and LATAM Airlines Ecuador recently signed new codeshare agreements with Delta. This agreement will give passengers flying from Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador the ability to connect through to as many as 74 destinations in the United States and Canada. Beginning in the first quarter of 2020, this agreement will extend to other countries in South America, including Chile and Brazil during 2020. The two airlines are also working to introduce reciprocity for both lounge access and their respective frequent flyer programs. How Delta stirred things up LATAM leaving oneworld. The Delta acquisition meant a number of things for LATAM. Along with the acquisition announcement, LATAM announced that it would leave the oneworld alliance within the year. However, an early December press release noted that the airline was reviewing an earlier departure date and "will communicate any change in due course". Advertisement Ending the partnership with American Airlines. Cozying up to Delta - a US rival to American Airlines means the ending of LATAM's codeshares with American. This is effective from February 1st, 2020. For now, LATAM will maintain its bilateral agreements with most oneworld alliance members, so that members can continue to access route networks, lounges, as well as collect and redeem LATAM frequent flyer miles. American Airlines looks for a new South American partner. The US carrier is reportedly now in talks with Brazilian airline GOL. The two parties are looking to form a partnership that could see them take more market share in South America. GOL Linhas Aereas, more commonly known as GOL, announced the end of its partnership with Delta Air Lines shortly after the LATAM partnership announcement. Interestingly, the airline insists that the talks with GOL were not necessarily a result of the LATAM exit from oneworld, nor were they indicative of GOL joining the alliance. What happened next? American Airlines increases flights to South America. Quite soon after the partnership announcement in September, American decided to up its presence to South America by increasing its services out of Miami International. The target cities were Lima (Peru), Santiago (Chile), and São Paulo (Brazil). Qatar expands LATAM partnership. The Middle Eastern carrier says: "The bilateral codeshare will provide Qatar Airways passengers with connections to destinations throughout Brazil and South America including Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Curitiba, Lima and Bogota to name a few." This move came just a few weeks after the Delta-LATAM announcement in September. Conclusion It's been quite a year for Delta. And it wasn't limited to its deal with LATAM. This year Delta has also made some noticeable waves with its joint ventures involving Virgin Atlantic and WestJet. In fact, the US carrier almost shook things up on the European continent with the intention of taking a share of Italian carrier Alitalia. https://simpleflying.com/delta-air-lines-2019/ Back to Top Boulder firm important player in massive emissions study Boulder's Scientific Aviation has a key role in a first-of-its-kind effort organized by the Environmental Defense Fund to provide timely and transparent data to spotlight methane reduction opportunities for oil and gas operations. Specifically, the effort launched this fall is using advanced emissions monitoring technologies to find out how much methane is escaping from the massive Permian Basin, one of the biggest oil and gas producing regions in the country. A coordinated, yearlong research effort is aimed at generating scientifically robust emissions data that can be employed in mapping and measuring the scale of the problem to facilitate faster and better solutions. "The data gathered here will better define the scope of the methane problem in the Permian and provide much-needed information so companies, public officials and local communities can better manage emissions," Matt Watson, vice president of energy at EDF, said in a statement. The EDF's research partners on the project include Pennsylvania State University, the University of Wyoming and Scientific Aviation, which is credited by the fund as "a leading provider of airborne emissions sensing." "This project will combine multiple layers and multiple kinds of measurement to create the fullest, most accurate picture possible," said Eric Kort of the University of Michigan. He, along with Mary Kang of McGill University and Adam Brandt of Stanford University, are acting as independent scientific advisors for the study. "Nobody else can do what we do," said Stephen Conley, owner of Scientific Aviation. "We have five atmospheric science Ph.D.s" on staff of 10 employees. "This is all we do. Everybody here is coming up with these new techniques. That's kind of our life." Conley said Scientific Aviation came to some level of prominence in 2015 during the Aliso Canyon disaster in southern California's Santa Susana Mountains, the blowout of a natural gas storage well viewed as one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history, in which more natural gas escaped from a single leaking 10-inch diameter pipe than 80,000 homes would use in a year, according to the Los Angeles Times. "During that leak, the state of California ordered weekly flights. and we were the only source of any information about the leak size until NASA released their estimates 13 months after the leak started," Conley said. By comparison, Scientific Aviation's numbers were released within a few minutes of each flight. "That event really launched us," Conley said. "What happened in the beginning is, you had the gas company saying it was nothing unusual and residents saying 'We're getting sick.'" Sensors on Scientific Aviation's aircraft showed 60,000 kilograms per hour of methane leaking out. "That is a humongous amount. Nobody had ever seen anything like that. And that's what led to the governor declaring a state of emergency," resulting, Conley said, "in local residents finally getting the help they needed. "Since then, we have been involved in nearly all of the methane mitigation studies around the country, working for NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), the Environmental Defense Fund, the Canadian government, the state of California" and more. In 2018, Conley said, the company began flying for the United Nations measuring emissions from off-shore drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. This year, Scientific Aviation, with its fleet of four Mooney single-engine Piston aircraft based since 2013 at Boulder Municipal Airport, took on more UN projects in the Norwegian North Sea and Romania related to efforts aimed at mitigation of global climate change. In the Permian basin study, Conley's firm is collecting data spanning over 86,000 square miles of west Texas and southeastern New Mexico, where much about methane emissions is still unknown. Nearly 5 million barrels of oil is produced each day in the basin, yet the majority of methane emissions go unmeasured, unregulated and unmitigated. A study led by the EDF published in the journal Science in June 2018 asserted the U.S. oil and gas industry emits 13 million metric tons of methane from its operations each year, nearly 60% more than was at that time estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, estimated to have more than 80 times the climate warming impact of carbon dioxide over a 20-year timespan. Scientific Aviation's planes, with a range of 1,400 miles, are in the process of making 100 flights over the course of a year, in deployments taking place roughly every other week, weather dependent. Three of its planes are equipped with the Picarro greenhouse gas detector, which takes measurements with one part per billion precision. At a cost of $120,000 each, Conley notes, they are "pricey little instruments." Scientific Aviation also is using drones, outfitted with a less precise instrument. "The drones use the same method the plane uses, and they just do it on a smaller scale," Conley said. "It looks like some fraction of the Permian study will be with drones. A drone requires us to go on an operator's facility." Conley said he believes it's important for people to know about his company's work, because he is concerned there is sentiment among some members of Boulder City Council there might be better uses for the Boulder Municipal Airport property, and he is concerned that could imperil the important scientific research based there, along with other uses, such as emergency services that use it for flight operations. "We need people to recognize it is not just a source of noise. It is not just a rich person's playground. There are important companies like ourselves and NEON," he said, referencing the National Ecological Observatory Network. "This is a hub of atmospheric research." https://www.dailycamera.com/2019/12/29/boulder-firm-important-player-in-massive-emissions-study/ Back to Top Italy's Ernest Airlines ordered to suspend operations Italian authorities are to suspend the operating licence of carrier Ernest Airlines from mid-January, although it has not detailed the reasons for the decision. Civil aviation regulator ENAC says that the suspension will take effect from 13 January 2020. But it states that there are "no imminent critical issues" which would jeopardise operational safety. The suspension is intended to allow the carrier to "reprotect passengers" who are already booked to travel with the carrier. ENAC says the suspension is being deferred until next month in consideration of the holiday period, including that for Ukraine which commences at a later date. It states that it has taken the decision in accordance with European Union rules on provision of air services, and that it will monitor the airline to ensure it adopts initiatives to protect passengers. ENAC adds that, if the carrier provides guarantees required by the EU rules, the suspension "can be revoked". Ernest emerged in 2015, with Italian and Swedish investor backing, and is based in Milan. The company has some 200 personnel. It operates a small fleet of Airbus A320 and A319 jets on routes to destinations in Italy, Spain, France, Ukraine and Albania. Ernest insists the suspension is "temporary" and that its licence can be restored once it demonstrates compliance with current legislation. "Our company is taking all the necessary actions aimed at obtaining the revocation of [the prohibition]," it says. But it confirms that ticket sales have been halted for flights departing from 13 January. It is directing passengers who have already purchased tickets for these flights to obtain a refund. https://www.flightglobal.com/news/italys-ernest-airlines-ordered-to-suspend-operations/135954.article Back to Top NASA Says Moon to Mars Plans, Artemis Lunar Program Gets Fast Tracked in 2019 NASA's Moon to Mars Plans, Artemis Lunar Program Gets Fast Tracked in 2019 December 29, 2019 - In 2019, NASA celebrated the 50th anniversary of the agency's Apollo 11 Moon landing, the most historic moment in space exploration, while also making significant progress toward putting the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024 under the Artemis program. Through America's Moon to Mars exploration approach, Artemis gained bipartisan support this year among members of Congress, the U.S aerospace industry, as well as with international partners, including Canada, Australia, and Japan, and member states of the European Space Agency. "2019 will be remembered as the year the Artemis program really became a reality with real spaceflight hardware built, U.S. commercial and international partnerships standing behind it, and hardworking teams across NASA and the world coming together like never before to quickly and sustainably explore the Moon and use what we learn there to enable humanity's next giant leap - sending astronauts to Mars," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. "While the Artemis program came into sharp focus this year, NASA continued to show what leading in space exploration is all about, whether it was kicking off 2019 with New Horizons' historic Kuiper Belt object flyby, conducting the first all-woman spacewalk outside the International Space Station, or developing the first flying robotic explorer to study Saturn's moon Titan. And wait until you see what we do in 2020!" The Office of the Chief Financial Officer received a successful clean audit in 2019 - the ninth consecutive clean financial audit opinion for the agency. And for the eighth year in a row, NASA retained its standing as the number one large agency in the Best Places to Work in Government rankings, published by the Partnership for Public Service. "Throughout this year, as I have visited each of our centers, I have personally witnessed their unparalleled commitment to accomplishing our mission. The daily devotion of our employees makes them well deserving of this award," Bridenstine said. "I am honored to lead such a dedicated team. They are what makes NASA the Best Place to Work in Government." Moon to Mars This year, NASA officially named the new lunar exploration program Artemis, for the goddess of the Moon and twin sister of Apollo. Under Artemis, NASA will send new science instruments and technology demonstrations to study the Moon, accelerate plans to send astronauts to the Moon by 2024, and establish sustainable lunar exploration by 2028. Science and technology progress in Artemis includes: Two sets of Moon rocks, sealed since they were collected by Apollo astronauts and returned to Earth nearly 50 years ago, were opened for study. NASA announced it will send a new mobile robot, VIPER, to the lunar South Pole to scout and sample ice in the region. Twelve new lunar science and technology investigations were selected in February and July, 24 total, to fly on early Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) flights to the Moon. The agency awarded initial surface task orders for commercial Moon deliveries. New CLPS contracts were awarded to five companies to support the next generation of lunar landers that can land heavier payloads on the surface of the Moon. A total of 14 companies now are eligible to bid on these deliveries. NASA received a record-breaking 10,932,295 names to travel to Mars on the agency's upcoming Mars 2020 mission. The international mission team for NASA's Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) lander continues to assess the lander's heat probe, while the lander's seismometer collects data on quakes. NASA selected 14 Tipping Point and 19 Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity proposals from U.S. companies that focus on technologies and capabilities needed for a sustainable presence on the Moon by 2028. The agency partnered with Advanced Space to develop and build a pathfinder CubeSat destined for the same lunar orbit planned for NASA's lunar Gateway. The Sample Analysis at Mars chemistry lab on NASA's Curiosity rover measured seasonal methane and oxygen spikes in Mar's atmosphere. Technology sensors and an in-situ resource utilization experiment were installed on the Mars 2020 entry vehicle and rover. NASA continues to advance development of our Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft, which will send astronauts to deep space. NASA demonstrated that Orion's launch abort system can pull astronauts to safety if an emergency occurs during launch, and assembled the spacecraft for the first Artemis mission, Artemis I. It was delivered to Ohio for final testing for the extreme environment of space before it's returned to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for launch preparation. On the SLS rocket for the first Artemis mission, engineers completed the segments for the boosters and assembled the core stage. The core stage next will ship to NASA's Stennis Space Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, for a Green Run test of the integrated propulsion system before joining Orion at Kennedy for stacking. Teams at Kennedy conducted a series of water flow tests of the sound suppression system at the launch pad and tested the flow of cryogenic fluids through the pad's infrastructure - the systems that will send liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to the rocket at the time of launch. The launch team at Kennedy held its first formal training simulation for Artemis I, and flight controllers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston simulated part of Orion's uncrewed flight to the Moon. Work also began on hardware for Artemis II, the first SLS/Orion test flight with astronauts aboard. NASA and Northrop Grumman technicians applied insulation to the final booster motor segment of SLS and completed casting of all 10 booster motor segments. The agency also issued a request for proposals from U.S. small satellite developers to fly their missions as secondary payloads on Artemis II. Development of the key pieces of NASA's lunar architecture is underway: NASA awarded a contract for the first element of the Gateway, which will provide power, propulsion, and communications to the lunar outpost. The new Gateway Program is based out of Johnson. Negotiations are underway for the Gateway's habitation and logistics outpost (HALO) module, and awards are expected in the future for logistics supply services. NASA announced astronaut spacesuit designs for the Artemis III mission, which will include the return of astronauts to the Moon's surface. The agency is asking industry for input on production for Artemis IV missions and beyond. The agency also announced its Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, will manage its new Human Landing System Program and asked American companies to design, develop, and demonstrate a human lander. NASA's InSight lander captured audio of the first likely quake on Mars on April 6. The agency also bid farewell to a veteran Martian science rover on Feb. 13 and captured audio of the first likely quake on Mars. The Mars Opportunity Rover mission stopped communicating with Earth when a severe Mars-wide dust storm blanketed its location in June 2018. Designed to last just 90 Martian days and travel less than 3,300 feet (1,000 meters), Opportunity far surpassed all expectations, exceeding its life expectancy by 60 times, traveling more than 28 miles (45 kilometers), and returning more than 217,000 images. Solar System and Beyond It was a great year for astrobiology and the agency's search for life in the universe: Scientists synthesized a molecular DNA-like system in NASA-funded research - a feat that suggests there could be an alternative to DNA-based life as we know it. Other highlights this year include: On New Year's Day 2019, NASA's New Horizons mission flew by the most distant object ever visited by a spacecraft and became the first to directly explore an object that holds remnants from the birth of our solar system. NASA launched the Ionospheric Connection Explorer (ICON) spacecraft and announced the first results from the agency's Parker Solar Probe mission. Significant progress was made on the agency's James Webb Space Telescope. The two halves of Webb were assembled into one observatory and the sunshield passed a critical test. After a navigation maneuver to keep NASA's Juno mission out of an eclipse that could have frozen the solar powered spacecraft, it discovered a new cyclone at Jupiter's south pole. The cyclone is the size of Texas, small by Jupiter standards. NASA's next Mars rover, Mars 2020, passed its first driving test as it rolled forward and backward and pirouetted in a clean room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, on Dec. 17. The next time the rover drives, it will be rolling over Martian soil. The Europa Clipper mission's next phase was confirmed with a decision in August to allow the mission to progress to completion of final design, followed by the construction and testing of the entire spacecraft and science payload. NASA's Chandra, Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NUSTAR), Fermi, Swift, and Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) telescopes contributed to the first direct imaging of a black hole. Chandra, which celebrated its 20th anniversary, separately spotted three black holes on a collision course. The agency's Hubble Space Telescope observed the first confirmed interstellar comet and found water vapor on a habitable-zone exoplanet for the first time. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) completed its first year of science, capturing a panorama of the southern sky and finding 29 confirmed planets and more than 1,000 planet candidates. TESS also captured a rare astrophysical event - a black hole tearing apart a star. The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) detected the universe's first type of molecule, helium hydride. The Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) mission was selected to help us understand how our universe evolved and to search our galaxy for the ingredients for life. NASA's Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) was cleared for the next development phase: finalizing the spacecraft's design. The Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security - Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-Rex) made the first-ever close-up observations of particle plumes erupting from an asteroid's surface, and the mission team announced the site on the asteroid Bennu where the mission will collect samples that will be returned to Earth in 2023. The space station is facilitating a strong commercial market in low-Earth orbit for research, technology development, and crew and cargo transportation, and remains the sole space-based proving ground and stepping stone for the Artemis program. In 2019: SpaceX's Crew Dragon returned to Earth after a five-day demonstration mission to the space station for NASA's Commercial Crew Program. SpaceX now is preparing for an in-flight abort test in advance of its first flight with astronauts. NASA and Boeing are collecting data and lessons learned from the uncrewed flight test of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner, which launched and landed successfully, but was unable to dock with the space station. Boeing successfully completed a key safety milestone in November with a test of its abort system. NASA astronauts assigned to the first Commercial Crew Program flights trained extensively in preparation for their flight tests on Crew Dragon and Starliner. Koch and Morgan are participating in extended missions to provide further opportunities to observe the effects of long-duration space travel. On Dec. 28, Koch will set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. Results from NASA's landmark Twins Study were published, revealing the resilience of the human body in space. NASA announced a five-point plan to open the space station to U.S. industry to accelerate a thriving commercial economy in low-Earth orbit. Five commercial cargo missions delivered more than 32,000 pounds of science investigations, tools, and critical supplies to the space station and returned more than 10,800 pounds of investigations and equipment to researchers on Earth. Commercial resupply missions enabled the crew to support more than 100 new U.S. science investigations to advance human space exploration and conduct research for the U.S. National Laboratory to benefit life on Earth. Research conducted on station included experiments to better understand: human adaptations to spaceflight; how fluid shifts affect an astronaut's blood flow and regolith behaves in microgravity; black holes and quantum mechanics; and how best to grow and harvest vegetables in space and measure atmospheric carbon dioxide. Also tested on the space station was a free-flying robot system, a new air quality monitoring system, a vest designed to protect astronauts from radiation, a new medical research technology called tissue chips, and a virtual reality camera. NASA astronauts participated in 10 spacewalks to install a new docking port for commercial crew spacecraft, upgrade the station's power system, and repair an instrument that is searching for dark matter, anti-matter, and dark energy. Flight NASA's aeronautics team reached several major milestones in its efforts to enable commercial supersonic air travel over land. NASA tested the eXternal Vision System, a forward-facing camera and display system that lets the pilot see the airspace in front of him or her, for the X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology (QueSST). NASA deployed CarpetDiem along a 30-mile-stretch of the Mojave Desert in California to test a specially-configured microphone array that will be used when the X-59 makes a series of acoustic validation flights in 2021. The X-59 project team completed its critical design review and the aircraft was cleared in December for final assembly and systems integration. NASA's research into electric-powered flight with the X-57 Maxwell made headlines throughout the year. NASA devised a custom-designed skin around the aircraft's motor electronics to cool them without changing the aircraft's shape or design. NASA and General Electric announced a $12 million partnership to further explore electrified aircraft propulsion and received the X-57's Mod II aircraft, paving the way for NASA engineers to put the aircraft through ground, taxi and flight tests. Another major aeronautics focus was NASA's ongoing work in Urban Air Mobility - a safe and efficient system for passenger and cargo air transportation. NASA selected two organizations to host the final phase of its four-year series of technical demonstrations involving small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or drones, in Reno, Nevada, and Corpus Christi, Texas. NASA and Uber partnered on computer modeling and simulation of airspace management for small aircraft in crowded city environments. NASA also launched its solicitation for companies to participate in the Urban Air Mobility Grand Challenge. Continuing other avenues of research in aviation technology, the agency: signed contracts with three industry partners to demonstrate the use of systems for the safe operation of drones in the national airspace; successfully tested an advanced photographic technology that captured the first-ever images of the interaction of shockwaves from two supersonic aircraft in flight; demonstrated a new aircraft wing using advanced carbon fiber composites that can flex in flight to maximize aerodynamic efficiency; brought onboard its newest world-class research facility, the NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed (NEAT), in Sandusky, Ohio, which provides a reconfigurable research platform capable of accommodating power systems for large passenger airplanes with megawatts of power; demonstrated air traffic management tools that manage the movement of aircraft from an airport gate to a spot in the sky after takeoff; and, installed onto a flying testbed small fins made from shape memory alloys to help control airflow during flight. Space Technology As NASA embarked on the next era of exploration in 2019, the agency continued to advance technologies needed for a sustainable human presence on the Moon and future human missions to Mars. Two NASA technology demonstrations were launched to improve how spacecraft travel and navigate. The Green Propellant Infusion Mission is successfully demonstrating a low-toxin propellant and NASA's Deep Space Atomic Clock is close to determining how well our clock keeps time, down to the nanosecond. A biology experiment on the space station is testing a method of using microorganisms to produce nutrients usually found in vegetables. Google, in partnership with NASA and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, achieved quantum supremacy by demonstrating the ability to compute in seconds what would take the largest and most advanced supercomputers thousands of years. NASA demonstrated the first coordinated maneuver between two CubeSats in low-Earth orbit, and two CubeSats teamed up for a laser communications pointing experiment. NASA awarded a contract to Made In Space to 3D print and assemble spacecraft parts in low-Earth orbit. NASA helped test a commercial terrain-relative navigation system for precise lunar landings and dozens of other technologies aboard suborbital rockets, spacecraft, planes and balloons. The 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge wrapped up after 30 hours of 3D printing prototype planetary habitats. College students practiced drilling for water on the Moon and Mars using simulated soil and ice stations. NASA established two new space technology research institutes to study smart habitats. NASA-funded university faculty and graduate students researched technologies for robot explorers, spacecraft temperature control and more. Two NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts aimed at exploring lunar craters and mining asteroids received another round of NASA funding The agency licensed to commercial companies NASA technologies and software that can be used to create products and solutions to benefit people everywhere. NASA awarded nearly $180 million, in May, June and November, to hundreds of U.S. small businesses to advance capabilities in aeronautics and space. EARTH NASA continued to use its perspective of Earth from space to improve lives and revolutionize our understanding of how our planet is changing. After powerful Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas in September, NASA assisted emergency response organizations by creating detailed damage assessment and flood maps based on satellite data. The largest migration of small sea creatures on the planet was studied globally for the first time using the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) satellite. A study showed that the increasing dryness of the atmosphere above the Amazon rainforest is primarily the result of human activities and is increasing the demand for water and leaving ecosystems vulnerable to fires and drought. A new NASA laser instrument on the space station began collecting data to create detailed 3D maps of Earth's forests and topography. STEM Engagement NASA provided more than $32 million in financial support to more than 8,000 students participating in internships and fellowships through its: Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP); Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR); Space Grant Project; and Next Gen STEM. Nearly 40% of the opportunities were filled by women, and 30% went to racial or ethnic minorities. Participating in NASA's Micro-g Neutral Buoyancy Experiment Design Team (Micro-g NExT) program, Team CERO, from Lone Star College-CyFair in Cypress, Texas, became the first team to have their tool sent to the International Space Station, where it was used during a spacewalk on Nov. 22 to repair the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. NASA also engaged students, educators and the public in STEM through a series of public events including: Future of Space, a live television event for college students to learn more about NASA's newest mission, Artemis and hear from NASA's leadership Forward to the Moon, a 30-minute show to accompany the Apollo 50th live broadcast to engage the public in STEM activities Space and STEM: Where do you fit in?, a show for college students participating at 2019 International Astronautical Congress Public Engagement NASA is dedicated to engaging the public in the excitement, accomplishments and opportunities available only through the nation's space program. The agency hosted and participated in events across the country marking the 50th anniversary of the first Apollo Moon landing in July 1969, including two events in Washington: a concert on July 20 at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts co-hosted by former Myth Busters host Adam Savage, and a three-day festival on the National Mall that featured exhibits and talks and had more than 50,000 attendees. Other public events included: NASA Day of Remembrance, attended by Vice President Mike Pence Earth Day celebration at Union Station in Washington The agency's Independent Verification and Validation Facility in Fairmont, West Virginia, was renamed in honor of West Virginia native and NASA "human computer" Katherine Johnson. Hidden Figures Way dedication at NASA Headquarters in Washington Star Wars actors Kelly Marie Tran and Naomi Ackie visited Johnson Space Center, where they met with astronauts and learned about training to live and work in space. Tran also narrated a new video detailing how we'll go to the Moon with our Artemis program. Ariana Grande, Blake Griffin, and Karol G also visited Johnson to learn more about human space flight. The cast of Lost in Space toured NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Interactions on social media with celebrities such as Barbara Streisand, Billie Jean King, Priyanka Chopra, Ava DuVernay, Misha Collins, David Bowie, Alicia Keys, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Tony Hawke, Tig Notaro, and others. Events leading up to the premier of the movie Ad Astra, including a conversation between astronauts on the International Space Station and actor Brad Pitt NASA had a significant exhibit presence at two high-profile annual space policy conferences: Space Symposium, which brought together space industry leaders and entrepreneurs from around the globe to discuss the current and future state of space exploration; and the International Astronautical Congress, hosted this year by NASA and during which more than 6,660 people visited the agency's exhibit. NASA now has more than 219.7 million social media followers - up from 187 million in 2018. In addition to increasing engagement on various platforms, the agency hosted 10 NASA Social events, bringing together nearly 500 followers for unique, in-person experiences of exploration and discovery. The agency's social media activity was honored in April with two Webby Awards and two People's Voice awards. The agency's website received its 11th People's Voice Award in the Government & Civil Innovation category. The busiest day for the website was April 10, when NASA shared a black hole image from the National Science Foundation, which had 1.7 million visits. The second-busiest day, with 1.6 million visits, was May 21, when NASA invited to the public to send their names to Mars on the Mars 2020 rover. The agency launched two new mediums to communicate with the public. In March, NASA debuted a weekly email newsletter that already has more than 1.1 million subscribers. In September, NASA TV launched a new video series called #AskNASA, in which agency experts answer questions from the public about its incredible mission. The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences recognized NASA's engagement efforts in September with two Emmy Awards for its coverage of the landing on Mars of NASA's InSight mission and the agency's first test of a spacecraft that will help bring crewed launches to the International Space Station back to U.S. soil. https://goldrushcam.com/sierrasuntimes/index.php/news/local-news/21476-nasa-says-moon-to-mars-plans-artemis-lunar-program-gets-fast-tracked-in-2019 Curt Lewis