January 18, 2021 - No. 05

In This Issue 
: United Airlines aims to suck carbon dioxide from the friendly skies 
: Toledo Airport Officially Listed as Possible Site for Major Commercial Airport in Washington 
: Supersonic Aircraft Can Now Be Tested Over Land, FAA Rules 
: Trump blacklisting move jolts China’s ambitions to take on Boeing 
: Why Don’t Airbus Aircraft Have Serrated Engine Covers? 
: Appleton International Airport Now Using Credential Authentication Technology 
: FAA Announces $5.8 Million in 33 Unmanned Aircraft System Research Grants 
: Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration’s Failure to Cut Airplane Climate Pollution 
: FAA Approves First Fully-Automated Commercial Drone Flights (With A Catch) 
: These new flying taxis offer a glimpse at our future commutes 
: SpaceX will launch its 1st Starlink satellites of 2021 on Tuesday. Here's how to watch. 




United Airlines aims to suck carbon dioxide from the friendly skies
 
United Airlines is investing in a venture that doesn’t make airplanes, transport passengers, or ring up frequent flier miles on the company’s credit cards. And, even as it posts losses stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, United is providing millions of dollars to that venture, which has no direct ties to aviation and may not make any money.
 
It is backing carbon capture, the nascent technology designed to suck carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
 
United Airlines is the first major U.S. air carrier to take a step toward trying to remove some of the greenhouse gases spewed by it and every other airline — pollution that is driving up global temperatures.
 
For United, it's an alluring project. Governments, particularly in Europe, are beginning to crack down on emissions from airlines. Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency for the first time regulated greenhouse gas emissions from commercial aircraft, although environmental groups say the rules are so lax as to not make a difference. United is increasingly focused on its voluntary goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 — good publicity at a time of growing alarm about climate change.
 
But it may also be placing an early bet that carbon capture technology could — with the help of federal tax credits — prove profitable as the globe races for ways to cut the pollution that threatens the planet.
 
"This crisis will end," United chief executive Scott Kirby wrote on Medium last month, referring to the pandemic. "That's why we're keeping our focus on another crisis that will force all of us to change our behavior in far more dramatic ways than the pandemic ever did: the crisis of a changing climate. The longer we wait, the more drastic those changes will have to be."
 
United has declined to say how much it is investing.
 
Steve Oldham, chief executive of Carbon Engineering, which has developed carbon capture technology, said United is taking an unusual approach to decarbonization. “When most are thinking they have to stop emissions, here you have a very credible company with a real need saying that the best way of dealing with emissions is removing them,” he said.
 
A lot is at stake. If global airlines were lumped together as one country, they would rank among the world's top five or six emitters of carbon dioxide, according to the International Energy Agency. Aviation accounts for 3.5% of the planet's man-made greenhouse gas emissions, a recent Manchester Metropolitan University study says. At high altitudes, the planes leave behind contrails of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, water vapor and soot.
 
When it comes to commercial aviation, there are no low-carbon alternatives. In the summer, a small white-and-red all-electric-powered Cessna e-Caravan flew safely in the air over Washington state — for only 28 minutes. The plane had room for nine, but only the pilot was on board. Solar-powered flights are even less practical.
 
"The aviation sector is one of the hardest to decarbonize," Oldham said. "Planes require fuel and burn a lot of fuel. At high altitude, the impact of those carbon emissions is greater than if they were released on the surface."
 
So United says it will become a partner in 1PointFive, a joint venture designed to finance and deploy a large-scale direct air capture plant. The firm, formed in August by a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum and Rusheen Capital Management, will use technology created by Carbon Engineering.
 
1PointFive refers to the U.N. goal of limiting the average increase in global temperature to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared with preindustrial times. Constraining global warming to that level could avert the most catastrophic fallout from climate change, scientists say. The company will build its first plant somewhere in the Texas Permian Basin, an area rich in shale crude oil and natural gas.
 
Occidental, the biggest oil and gas operator in the Permian, will take the carbon dioxide from the air and pump it into old wells to extract more oil. Legislation gives firms a $35-a-barrel tax credit for this capture and use. Occidental will leave the carbon dioxide underground; it has said it has enough geologic storage capacity to bury 28 years' worth of U.S. emissions.
 
But extracting more oil from underground doesn't please climate activists, although the money will help 1PointFive cover Carbon Engineering's estimated cost of $100 for each ton of carbon dioxide captured.
 
"It's not a new business model. It's just thinking about carbon as an asset, not a waste product," said Jim McDermott, cofounder and managing partner of Rusheen. 1PointFive plans to ultimately build 27 plants, he said.
 
Even with that ambition, scale remains a problem. United has improved its fuel efficiency by more than 45% since 1990, the year often used as a benchmark for climate-oriented energy savings. It has added aerodynamic fins on wing tips, used only one engine when taxiing on runways and bought planes that weigh less.
 
But the number of travelers has soared, and airline fuel consumption has gone up. The federal Energy Information Administration estimates that jet fuel demand will more than double to 230 million gallons in 2050.
 
Each carbon capture plant will take up about 100 acres and capture 1 million tons, equivalent to the work of more than 40 million trees. To put that into perspective, worldwide emissions are 40 gigatons. Offsetting that would require 40,000 carbon capture plants.
 
It's a daunting number, though Oldham says that it's no more than the number of power and industrial plants around the world. And it would be a major jobs program. In his campaign position paper, President-elect Joe Biden said he would "double down" on federal investments and tax incentives to bring carbon capture technology to market.
 
Time, however, is pressing. United aircraft burned 3.56 billion gallons of fuel in 2019, generating 34.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and equivalent greenhouse gases, the company said. It is one of the nation's four largest carriers, with an approximately 15% market share.
 
https://www.inquirer.com/business/carbon-sequestration-climate-change-united-airlines-20210117.html


 




 


 




Toledo Airport Officially Listed as Possible Site for Major Commercial Airport in Washington
 
Ed Carlson Memorial Field has been listed as one of six potential sites for a new major commercial airport in Washington. 
 
The list of sites is part of the Commercial Aviation Coordinating Committee’s (CACC) Phase I report, which includes preliminary recommendations for meeting Washington’s long-range commercial aviation facility needs. 
 
Listed alongside Ed Carlson Memorial Field are Arlington Municipal Airport, Bremerton National Airport, Paine Field in Snohomish County, Sanderson Field Airport in Shelton and Tacoma Narrows Airport in Gig Harbor.  
 
“The list of six potential sites should only be considered preliminary because it only includes existing airports at this time,” said David Fleckenstein, CACC chair, in a press release from the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). “Additional work needs to be done to identify potential sites that may be more appropriate for a major airport. The work of the CACC was greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which constrained opportunities for community engagement.”
 
WSDOT created the CACC under direction from Substitute Senate Bill 5370, passed unanimously in the state Legislature’s 2019 regular session. The commission was tasked with determining Washington’s long-range commercial aviation facility needs, coming up with recommendations for how to meet those needs and identifying a site for a new primary commercial aviation facility. 
 
The bill cites an increase in air traffic operations, concerns about health, environmental, social and economic impacts of a projected increase in those operations, and Washington’s position as a “national and international trading leader” as reasons for building a new commercial aviation facility. 
 
The commission has until September of this year to identify the top two choices from the list of potential sites and until Jan. 1, 2022, to pick its top choice. 
 
The Lewis County Board of Commissioners submitted a letter to the CACC back in July to express interest in working with WSDOT to expand Ed Carlson Memorial Field. 
 
“A more developed airport that close to I-5 with services and other opportunities could provide significant economic benefits to Lewis County, as well as other neighboring communities, including opportunities for aviation technology-based industries, new family-wage jobs and increased tax revenues to support additional community services,” the county’s letter reads. 
 
Local residents formed the Citizens for Responsible Aviation in Toledo in September of last year to advocate for the self-sufficiency of Ed Carlson Memorial Field and to oppose the airport’s expansion into a large regional airport. 
 
“Our vision for the South Lewis County Airport is to protect our natural rural environment by partnering with the county on future airport related decisions affecting citizens and communities throughout our region,” reads a mission statement on the group’s website, www.toledoforaviation.com. 
 
The group also hosts a Facebook page, which is intended to “provide a social forum for the happenings around the new major airport selection process as it pertains to Toledo.” 
 
Public engagement is CACC’s next step, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. WSDOT states that the CACC has already heard many citizen concerns about noise and the effects on the environment and society, and the commission intends to “consider measures to reduce both noise and harmful aircraft emissions from aircraft.”
 
The CACC’s next upcoming virtual webinar will be in February, with the next official meeting in the spring. 
 
WSDOT stated that the commission’s website, https://wsdot.wa.gov/aviation/commission/home.htm, will be updated as soon as the dates are confirmed. The full Phase I report is also available online via the link above. 
 
http://www.chronline.com/news/toledo-airport-officially-listed-as-possible-site-for-major-commercial-airport-in-washington/article_d9c9182a-5794-11eb-8bbe-0fedee607f9d.html


 




Supersonic Aircraft Can Now Be Tested Over Land, FAA Rules
 
Supersonic aircraft just got a big boost from the Federal Aviation Administration. A new ruling will allow limited testing of Mach 1-plus aircraft over land. Until now, leaders like Aerion, Boom and Spike were limited to testing over water.
 
The FAA ruling still prohibits unlimited supersonic flight over US soil, but it does open a path for exemptions for testing the experimental aircraft. The US agency is also hoping to prompt aviation authorities in other countries to move in a similar direction, so that transcontinental supersonic flight could become reality in the next eight years.
 
Tom Vice, chairman of Aerion, called the ruling a “significant milestone” for supersonic flight. “Our AS2 will be the first supersonic aircraft to enter commercial service in 51 years, and this gives our company the ability to test it over land in addition to the overwater testing currently planned,” Vice told Robb Report.
 
Boom had a similar reaction, saying it was “pleased” with the ruling. It has developed a working “baby boom” XB-1 aircraft to test. “As we plan for the start of our XB-1 flight test campaign later this year, we welcome the FAA’s interest in clarifying supersonic test flight rules,” the company told Robb Report. “We’re leveraging new innovation to build a supersonic commercial airplane that is environmentally and socially sustainable.”
 
This next generation of supersonic aircraft makers have placed fuel sustainability and noise reduction—or the infamous sonic boom—at the heart of their R&D programs. Aerion uses what it calls “caustic layers” of temperature inversion to fly over Mach 1 to reflect the sonic boom upwards into the atmosphere so it never reaches the ground. It also plans to use a renewable biofuel to limit emissions.
 
Boom said its XB-1 demonstrator will be carbon neutral, with sustainable aviation fuels and “high-quality, vetted carbon offsetting.” Boom said it also plans to make its full-scale Overture a net-zero carbon aircraft. The Overture should begin testing in 2026.
 
The new regulations, which specifically allow for noise testing, make it possible to monitor how well “boomless” cruise technology works over land. The aircraft manufacturers will need to apply for permission for each test.
 
https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/supersonic-aircraft-boost-feds-1234591221/


 




Trump blacklisting move jolts China’s ambitions to take on Boeing
 
A U.S. move to increase pressure on Chinese companies could threaten that nation’s ambitions to compete with Boeing and Airbus.
 
The Trump administration’s addition of Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China, better known as Comac, to a Defense Department list of companies with alleged Chinese military ties comes just days after a breakthrough in the state-backed jet manufacturer’s effort to win customers when an Indonesian airline agreed to buy its planes.
 
A spokesperson for Comac had no immediate comment.
 
If President-elect Joe Biden doesn’t reverse the move, American investors will be prohibited from buying securities of companies on the list, and will have to divest their holdings by November. That won’t impact Comac because it’s not publicly traded, but other companies Trump initially put on such lists — including Comac shareholder Aviation Industry Corp. of China — have since found themselves targets for more severe sanctions, including curbs on access to American technology.
 
That could be potentially crippling for Comac, which relies on American imports for its jet engines and other parts, according to Shukor Yusof, founder and aviation analyst at Endau Analytics.
 
“China doesn’t have the domestic capability to provide the necessary components so they’re very much reliant on U.S. components,” Yusof said.
 
Comac’s C919, a narrow-body alternative to Boeing’s 737 model and Airbus’s A320, is in its test phase. About 60% of the main suppliers to the C919 are American companies, according to a report by the Center for Strategic & International Studies, a Washington-based think tank.
 
“The engines are the hardest part,” Bloomberg Intelligence senior analyst George Ferguson said. “There are only two and both have American leads: GE and Raytheon.”
 
If Comac were shifted to the U.S. Commerce Department’s Military End-User List, which sees companies denied access to American technology without specific permission, it would be “impossible” to source engines for the C919 without a waiver from the U.S. government, Ferguson said.
 
After being blacklisted as having military links in December, China National Offshore Oil Corp., or Cnooc, was shifted to the Military End-User List on Thursday. AVIC, a state-owned conglomerate that owns part of Comac, was first identified as military-linked in June and by year-end the group and several of its subsidiaries had been moved to the Military End-User List.
 
Hong Kong-based China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings on Jan. 8 said it would provide Indonesian airline Transnusa Aviation Mandiri with 30 ARJ21 regional jets, making the carrier the first airline outside China to fly Comac planes.
 
China Aircraft Leasing declined to comment on the most recent developments, while Transnusa Vice Chairman Leo Budiman said Comac’s blacklisting won’t affect the carrier’s plans.
 
“If the pandemic situation is improving, we are hoping to start receiving deliveries of the aircraft starting next year,” Budiman said in a phone interview Friday.
 
Transnusa is waiting for regulatory clearance to operate the ARJ21 — developed as a competitor to Embraer’s E-Jets — in Indonesia, including a decision that the fleet will have the necessary infrastructure for maintenance.
 
Comac is an integral part of the“Made in China 2025” program to reduce the country’s reliance on critical technology imports — everything from semiconductors to satellites — by 2025. But its progress has been patchy. Although Comac has targeted other parts of the developing world, signing a memorandum of understanding in 2018 to provide regional jets in Africa, the company has yet to make real headway outside China. By the end of 2020 — a dozen years after the first ARJ21 flight — Comac had only delivered 46 of the jets, all of them inside China, according to state media.
 
Support endures at home, though. In November, Comac signed a 100-plane deal with China Express Airlines.
 
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/trump-blacklisting-move-jolts-chinas-ambitions-to-take-on-boeing/


 




Why Don’t Airbus Aircraft Have Serrated Engine Covers?
 
We recently discussed planespotting and how to distinguish aircraft from one another. One defining feature of new generation Boeing jets is their serrated engine covers. Also known as chevrons, these are located on the back of the nacelle and are in place to reduce jet blast noise. Airbus has released some new aircraft since this technology was implemented by Boeing – but do you know the reason why you haven’t yet seen this on Airbus jets?
 
Where you’ll find these chevrons
First, let’s take a look at where these chevrons do exist. You’ll find this interesting feature on the following Boeing aircraft:
 
All 787 Dreamliners, regardless of whether they are fitted with General Electric GEnx or Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines.
All sizes of 737 MAX aircraft. These are CFM LEAP-1B engines.
And the final generation of 747, the 747-8. Both the passenger and freighter variants use a similar engine as is available to the 787 – a variant of the General Electric GEnx.
 
In addition to acoustic liners, Boeing says that these chevrons are such effective noise suppressors that several hundred pounds of sound insulation may be eliminated from the fuselage. The reduced weight translates to greater operational efficiency for airlines.
 
How the serrated edges came to be
A 2005 Boeing Frontiers article discusses this ‘new’ feature, saying the following:
 
“To combat the sound of jet-blast from the rear of the engine, Boeing, General Electric, and NASA developed serrated edges called chevrons for the back of the nacelle and the engine exhaust nozzle. The chevrons reduce jet blast noise by controlling the way the air mixes after passing through and around the engine.”
 
The fact that these serrated engine covers were developed by Airbus’ archrival Boeing would appear, on the surface, to be a strong indicator that the European planemaker is unlikely to feature it on its own jets. In this highly competitive market, having such technology would certainly provide an edge over the competitor. But is it really a case of intellectual property and patents?
 
Is it a patent thing?
On the one hand, it appears that Boeing is the holder of the patent for part of this design (or a variant of it). The patent, US6612106B2, is titled “Segmented mixing device having chevrons for exhaust noise reduction in jet engines” and shows that Boeing is the current assignee to this active patent – which actually expires this year. Although figures and their descriptions in the patent discuss the engine covers, it’s unclear (at least to us) if the patent applies to both the chevrons on the nacelle and the nozzle sleeve (as you will find on the 747-8 and the Quiet Technology Demonstrator image above).
 
Of course, this reasoning gets more unclear when you realize that certain Airbus aircraft actually do employ engines that have chevrons on the exhaust nozzles.
 
An interesting message thread on Stack Exchange shows a 2006 FlightGlobal article stating that the chief engineer for the Airbus A350 decided against chevrons. Apparently, the team didn’t get a noise advantage from this design. Combined with a specific fuel consumption penalty, the aircraft designers decided not to adopt them.
 
So, at the end of this article, we’re still left with just a little bit of uncertainty about why Airbus doesn’t have these same chevrons on its engine covers. They aren’t currently on the engine covers of Airbus jets – but maybe we’ll see them on a future Airbus aircraft.
 
It does seem clear, however, that the European planemaker has managed to find the same efficiencies and similar results using other technologies.
 
https://simpleflying.com/airbus-no-serrated-engine-covers/


 




Appleton International Airport Now Using Credential Authentication Technology
 
The Transportation Security Administration checkpoint at Appleton International Airport is now utilizing new technology that confirms the validity of a traveler’s identification (ID) and confirms their flight information in near real time.
 
“This new technology installed at the Appleton International Airport checkpoint enhances capabilities for identifying fraudulent ID such as driver’s licenses and passports and increases our efficiency by automatically verifying the passenger’s identification,” said Wisconsin’s TSA Federal Security Director Mark Lendvay. “The system also provides a reduction in touchpoints during the pandemic for our passengers.”
 
Passengers will approach the travel document checking station at the checkpoint and listen to the instructions of the TSA Officer, who will request passengers to insert their personal identification into the scanner for authentication.
 
Passengers will not have to hand over their boarding pass (electronic or paper), thus reducing a touchpoint. Instead, they should have their boarding pass in possession in the event that the TSA Officer requests visual inspection. The Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) unit will verify that the traveler is prescreened to travel out of the airport for a flight that day; however, a boarding pass may be requested for travelers under the age of 18 and/or those without IDs or have issues with damaged ID.
 
Even with TSA’s use of CAT, travelers still need to check-in with their airline in advance and bring their boarding pass to their gate and show the airline representative prior to boarding their flight.
 
https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/airport-aviation-security/appleton-international-airport-now-using-credential-authentication-technology/


 




FAA Announces $5.8 Million in 33 Unmanned Aircraft System Research Grants
 
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced $5.8 million in research, education and training grants to universities that comprise FAA’s Air Transportation Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), also known as the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE).

The FAA’s Center of Excellence for UAS is advancing the administration’s transportation and economic goals that air travel provides to the nation. The Center of Excellence UAS universities received a total of $5,822,990 to advance specific goals and projects.

More than 1.7 million recreational and commercial drones are in the active UAS fleet. That number is expected to grow to as high as 2.31 million by 2024. The ASSURE grants are aimed at continuing and enhancing the safe and successful integration of drones into the nation’s airspace system (NAS).
The FAA has established 13 Centers of Excellence in critical topic areas focusing on: unmanned aircraft systems; alternative jet fuels and environment; general aviation safety; commercial space transportation; airliner cabin environment and intermodal transportation research; aircraft noise and aviation emissions mitigation; advanced materials; general aviation research; airworthiness assurance; operations research; airport pavement and technology; computational modeling of aircraft structures; and technical training and human performance.

The first round of ASSURE grants for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 were awarded for the following eight (8) research areas:
Air Carrier Operations–Investigate and Identify the Key Differences Between Commercial Air Carrier Operations and Unmanned Transport Operations
This research will provide findings, recommendations and lessons learned that will enhance the FAA’s understanding of the requirements for certifying large UAS for air carrier operations.

Specific focus of this evaluation will analyze projected demand by location (e.g. rural, exurb, suburb, or urban) and the feasibility of commercial UAS air carrier operations. It will also explore the role of autonomy in UAS vehicles beginning with operations in less risky areas such as rural locations to exurbs (areas beyond the suburbs), and then on to more populated areas of suburban and metro areas. This exploration will focus on the passenger transportation environment, and investigate the workforce impact of this new capability.

Kansas State University – Lead University
$220,000
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
$150,000
North Carolina State University
$150,000
University of North Dakota
$130,000
The Ohio State University
$149,745

UAS Cargo Operations–From Manned Cargo to UAS Cargo Operations: Future Trends, Performance, Reliability, and Safety Characteristics Towards Integration into the NAS

This research will evaluate the feasibility of commercial UAS cargo operations together with the projected demand by location. Furthermore, the research will detail anticipated needs of the FAA to support further integration of UAS cargo operations, including how greater autonomy may provide an improved level of safety.

University of Alaska, Fairbanks – Lead University
$240,000
Kansas State University
$125,000
University of Alabama, Huntsville
$124,987
North Carolina State University
$125,000
University of North Dakota
$60,000
The Ohio State University
$124,996

High-Bypass UAS Engine Ingestion Test
Inclusion of large numbers of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) into the NAS may pose unique hazards to manned aircraft. It is necessary to determine the potential severity of sUAS mid-air collisions with manned aircraft to define an Equivalent Level of Safety for UAS operations. Since sUAS are not similar to any other foreign body (e.g. bird, ice, volcanic ash) that the FAA currently regulates, understanding the severity of an ingestion is critical to being able to estimate the extent of potential damage.

The Ohio State University – Lead University
$340,000
Wichita State University
$100,000

Small UAS (sUAS) Mid-Air Collision (MAC) Likelihood
This research focuses on sUAS MAC likelihood analysis with general aviation (GA) and commercial aircraft. Because severity research varies based on where a collision occurred on a manned aircraft, this likelihood research will not only look at the probability of a MAC, but also the likelihood of colliding with different parts of a manned aircraft.

Wichita State University – Lead University
$464,000
Kansas State University
$220,000
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
$215,000
University of Kansas
$160,000

Mitigating GPS and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Risks for UAS

This research is necessary to enable safe and secure automated sUAS navigation and safe and secure automated sUAS Detect and Avoid operations. Unvalidated or unavailable GPS and “ADS-B In” data poses security and safety risks to automated UAS navigation and to Detect and Avoid operations. Erroneous, spoofed, jammed, or drop outs of GPS data may result in unmanned aircraft position and navigation being incorrect.

University of North Dakota – Lead University
$325,000
Kansas State University
$135,000
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
$135,000
Oregon State University
$100,000
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
$135,000

Shielded UAS Operations–Detect and Avoid (DAA)
This research is intended to identify risks and recommend solutions to the FAA that can enable shielded UAS operations such as a flight within close proximity to existing obstacles and not to exceed the height of the obstacle. This effort will identify risks, determine whether shielded operations can be made safe, to what degree UAS Detect and Avoid requirements can be reduced, and recommend UAS standoff distances from manned aircraft and ground obstacles, including buildings and air traffic control towers.

University of North Dakota – Lead University
$430,000
Kansas State University
$110,000
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
$150,000
New Mexico State University
$140,000
North Carolina State University
$95,000
 
https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/airport-aviation-security/faa-announces-5-8-million-in-33-unmanned-aircraft-system-research-grants/


 




Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration’s Failure to Cut Airplane Climate Pollution
 
First-ever Airplane Emissions Rule Fails to Reduce Greenhouse Gases
 
WASHINGTON— Environmental groups sued the Trump administration today over its finalization of the nation’s first-ever airplane climate emissions standards, which don’t actually reduce greenhouse gas pollution.
 
The Environmental Protection Agency standards finalized late last month lag behind existing technology by more than 10 years. Planes are already the third-largest source of transportation-related greenhouse emissions. Over the past decade, airplane emissions rose by 44% and were set to triple again by 2050 ahead of the coronavirus pandemic.
 
Based on the rule’s outdated, ineffective standard, the Center for Biological Diversity filed suit today, along with Friends of the Earth and Sierra Club, both of which are represented by Earthjustice, in the U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit to challenge its adoption.
 
The rule challenged today won’t apply to in-service airplanes and won’t apply to new in-production airplanes until 2028. At that point the EPA expects all airplanes to already comply with the standards or be phased out. As a result, the agency doesn’t project any emissions reductions from the rule.
 
“Even in its last days, this reckless administration persists in passing rules that allow unnecessary climate pollution to continue,” said Clare Lakewood, legal director of the Center’s Climate Law Institute. “We’re confident that we’ll stop this rule in court and we look forward to serious, science-based standards from the new Biden administration.”
 
Twelve states plus the District of Columbia are also petitioning for the court’s review of the rule.
 
“This lawsuit is a unified effort from states and allied NGOs against yet another polluting giveaway to industry from the Trump administration in its final disgraceful days,” said Joanne Spalding, chief climate counsel for the Sierra Club. “Strong federal action is necessary to curb emissions from aviation, a significant and growing source of pollution. We urge the Biden-Harris administration to restore the mission of the Environmental Protection Agency, protecting communities and climate, by setting strong emission standards for aircraft using existing technology.”
 
Earlier this year the Center released a report that explained how climate pollution from U.S. aviation could be cut by three-quarters or more in the next 20 years.
 
In 2010 the Center, Friends of the Earth and other organizations represented by Earthjustice sued the EPA to force the agency to set greenhouse pollution standards for airplanes. A judge ruled that the EPA is required to address aviation emissions under the Clean Air Act.
 
“This standard fails to reduce emissions from aircraft and represents a missed opportunity to address climate change,” said Sarah Burt, deputy managing attorney of Earthjustice’s International Program. “The Clean Air Act clearly establishes an obligation to reduce emissions of harmful pollutants that endanger public health and welfare. Our petition asks the D.C. Circuit to hold EPA to this obligation to work toward a future where our transportation systems no longer contribute to a warming world.”
 
“For over a decade, we’ve pushed the EPA to restrict greenhouse gas emissions from aircrafts,” said Hallie Templeton, deputy legal director for Friends of the Earth. “It’s unlawful and offensive that the EPA continues to endanger public health and the environment by failing to meaningfully regulate this significant source of air pollution.”
 
The EPA determined in 2016 that aircraft pollution drives climate change and endangers public health. The United States contributes about a quarter of worldwide aviation greenhouse gas emissions. The emissions from U.S. aircraft alone are higher than the total emissions of more than 150 countries.
 
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
 
The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.
 
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.8 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action.
 
Earthjustice, the nation’s premier nonprofit environmental law organization, wields the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people’s health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. Because the earth needs a good lawyer.
 
Friends of the Earth fights to protect our environment and create a healthy and just world. We speak truth to power and expose those who endanger people and the planet. Our campaigns work to hold politicians and corporations accountable, transform our economic systems, protect our forests and oceans, and revolutionize our food & agriculture systems.
 
https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/lawsuit-challenges-trump-administrations-failure-to-cut-airplane-climate-pollution-2021-01-15/


 




FAA Approves First Fully-Automated Commercial Drone Flights (With A Catch)
 
You can officially claim autonomous commercial drones for your 2021 bingo card. 
 
On Friday, Massachusetts-based industrial drone developer American Robotics announced it had received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate its fully-automated "Scout" drones without any humans on-site. 
 
It's the first waiver of its kind, as the FAA has previously approved the use of autonomous commercial drones exclusively under the condition that human observers be present along the flight path — or that risk of collision be mitigated through otherwise hyper-strict limitations. Advocates of drone technology say those restrictions have long held the industry back.
 
“Decades worth of promise and projection are finally coming to fruition,” CEO and co-founder of American Robotics Reese Mozer said in a press release. 
 
"With this set of approvals, American Robotics can begin safely operating our automated Scout platform for the benefit of the energy, infrastructure, agriculture, and security market verticals, helping unlock the projected $100 billion commercial drone market."
 
Although company operations will be limited to low altitudes in rural areas across American Robotics' properties in Massachusetts, Kansas, and Nevada, the regulatory development promises big things for the future of uncrewed aerial vehicles. 
 
Per American Robotics, the Scout system (tested over four years with FAA oversight) is equipped with "acoustic Detect-and-Avoid technology," designed so Scout drones will always maintain a safe distance from other aircraft. Safety checks are still required to be performed by a human through a remote web portal before every flight — and a "layered, redundant system of safety" is in place to address other concerns (presumably including the possibility of a robot uprising.)
 
"We are very grateful for the FAA’s willingness to work closely with American Robotics over the past four years on this precedent-setting authorization," Mozer added in the press release. 
 
You can see Scout in action in American Robotics' weirdly jazzy sizzle reel:
 
https://in.mashable.com/tech/19620/faa-approves-first-fully-automated-commercial-drone-flights-with-a-catch


 




These new flying taxis offer a glimpse at our future commutes
 
The annual Consumer Electronics Show is ground zero for showing off fancy new products and concepts that may or may not become a reality in your life in the near future. And nothing quite says “future” like an autonomous and electric flying pod that could whisk you through the skies. Of course, there’s never turbulence or a bumpy ride in any of these visions, which is certainly something to wonder about with a small flying machine.
 
Sometimes referred to as flying cars, these small aircraft are much closer to flying taxis, since they’d be shared. The more technical industry name for them is VTOL, or eVTOL: that stands for “vertical take off and landing,” with the optional “e” in front referring to “electric.”
 
A variety of companies, both startups and automakers, are working in this frontier-like aviation field. Here’s what we’ve seen so far at this year’s all-virtual CES, as well as a look back at an aspect of last year’s show, too.
 
The General Motors flying pod concept
One of the flashiest concepts to come out CES this year is a vision of a one-seater flying taxi from GM and Cadillac. Promising “premium craftsmanship inside,” the company boasts that the aircraft would be a luxurious way to jaunt from rooftop to rooftop in the future.
 
The video advertising the idea is completely simulated, meaning the aircraft it depicts may be just as realistic (or unrealistic) as any you see in a CGI-heavy movie set in the future. That being said, it does show some specific design choices. The small craft has eight ducted rotors to give it lift and thrust. From afar, it looks like it has just four, but the concept calls for stacked rotors in each duct. Inside each duct, the two rotors would counter-rotate, one above the other.
 
Enclosing spinning fans, or rotors, in a duct means that they could hypothetically be quieter and more efficient, and it’s a common choice in the VTOL space. For example, an electric aircraft from a company called Lilium uses many small ducted electric motors to provide lift and thrust, and another model from Bell uses four large ducted fans.
 
GM says that this concept could hit speeds of 56 mph, and fly autonomously, so the solo passenger inside would be free to stare out the window or, more likely, at their phone.
 
Fiat Chrysler and Archer’s plans for electric aircraft
A more concrete vision comes from a large carmaker plus a startup called Archer. Those two companies announced earlier this week that they’re going to start working together in the flying taxi space.
 
Archer, based in the San Francisco Bay area, has plans to create an electric aircraft that would be able to take off and land vertically. The plane hasn’t flown yet or even been publicly revealed, but the company says that it will indeed be shown off in the second quarter of the year, and that it could transport regular folks on flights in 2024. They aren’t revealing design details of the contraption yet, although a rendering shows a plane with six propellers and a V-shaped tail. The speed will be 150 mph, the range 60 miles, and it will hold multiple passengers.
 
As for the collaboration with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), an Archer blog post explains that the partnership will give them “access to FCA’s low-cost supply chain, advanced composite material capabilities, and engineering and design experience, driving Archer toward the capacity to volume manufacture eVTOL aircrafts in 2023.”
 
What about Uber Elevate and its flying taxis?
The Archer-FCA deal is not the first collaboration involving an automaker in the flying taxi space. Last year at CES, Uber and Hyundai said they’d be working together. But in December, Uber and a company called Joby announced that Joby was buying Uber Elevate, the ridesharing company’s flying taxi initiative.
 
Because of this, an Uber spokesperson explained via email that “we’ve ended our relationships with all Elevate vehicle partners, including Hyundai.” Joby, for its part, is working on an aircraft that can go quite fast—200 mph—and cover 150 miles. It needs a human pilot, can seat four people in addition to the aviator at the controls, and may even carry out flights for the U.S. Air Force.
 
Meanwhile, Hyundai says that it is working on its aircraft. “In addition to developing our vehicle, the Urban Air Mobility Division of Hyundai Motor Group is focused on ensuring the market is ready for UAM,” Pamela Cohn, the chief operating officer of the urban air mobility division of Hyundai Motor Group, said in a statement via a spokesperson. “We believe everything needs to align perfectly at the right time – from vehicle development to critical infrastructure networks and public acceptance – for this market to take flight.”
 
https://www.popsci.com/story/technology/ces-news-flying-taxis-vtol-gm-archer-hyundai/


 




SpaceX will launch its 1st Starlink satellites of 2021 on Tuesday. Here's how to watch.
 
Editor's note: SpaceX has postponed the launch of its first Starlink mission of 2021 until Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 8:23 a.m. EST (1323 GMT) due to bad weather conditions at sea for its Falcon 9 rocket's landing. 
 
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX will launch its first batch of Starlink satellites in 2021 on Monday (Jan. 18) to expand the company's growing megaconstellation and you can watch the action live online. 
 
The Hawthorne, California-based company will loft 60 Starlink internet satellites on its workhorse Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's historic Pad 39A here at Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 8:45 a.m. EDT (1422 GMT). 
 
You can watch the launch live here and on the Space.com homepage, courtesy of SpaceX, beginning about 15 minutes before liftoff. You can also watch the launch directly via SpaceX. 
 
SpaceX already has one launch under its belt this year and is looking to ramp up the pace. 2020 was a banner year for the private spaceflight company, which included two different astronaut missions to the International Space Station — the first for a commercial company. 
 
It was also the company's busiest launch year to date, with a record 26 flights, smashing the previous record of 18 set in 2018. This year SpaceX has even bigger ambitions, as the company plans to launch 40 rockets between its California and Florida launch sites. 
 
Following liftoff on Monday, the Falcon 9's first stage is expected to land on SpaceX's drone ship, "Just Read the Instructions" in the Atlantic Ocean. (SpaceX’s main drone ship, "Of Course I Still Love You," is undergoing maintenance before it returns to service following a busy year.) If successful, the landing will mark the 72nd recovery of a first stage booster for the California-based rocket manufacturer.  
 
The rocket featured in this launch will be another record-setting booster. Known as B1051, this flight proven booster will embark on its eighth flight — the first of SpaceX's fleet to do so. It will also mark one of SpaceX's shortest turnaround times between flights as this particular last flew just over a month ago.
 
To date, B1051 has carried an assortment of payloads, including an uncrewed Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of a 2019 flight test, followed by a trio of Earth-observing satellites for Canada as well as four different Starlink missions. Most recently, it carried a 15,432-lb. (7,000 kilograms) satellite into orbit for Sirius XM, that will beam down content to Sirius subscribers across the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean.
 
SpaceX created its Starlink internet program to connect users around the globe and provide reliable and affordable internet service, mainly to remote and rural areas. By using a small terminal (no larger than a laptop), users on the ground will be able to connect to the ever-growing network. SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk has said that the company needs to launch between 500 and 800 satellites in order to begin rolling out service. 
 
To date, SpaceX has launched more than 1,000 of the internet-beaming satellites into orbit, in an effort to fill out its planned initial constellation of 1,440 spacecraft. SpaceX has already begun beta-testing its space-based internet service, and the initial testing phase has shown that the service is reliable. 
 
The phase is going so well that SpaceX has even started to offer users in the U.K. to help in the beta-testing. The company received a license to start operating in the U.K. last year, thanks to local telecoms regulator Ofcom. 
 
Flight milestones 
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Monday's launch marks the 102nd flight overall for SpaceX’s workhorse two-stage Falcon 9 rocket, as well as the 51st reflight of a Falcon 9 rocket since the company began recovering boosters in 2015. 
 
Over the past five years, the company has honed its recovery efforts, while continuing to prove Falcon 9’s reliability. Flying previously flown boosters has now become commonplace for SpaceX, and has allowed the company to launch its rockets at a record pace.
 
To date, SpaceX has successfully landed its first-stage boosters 71 times. Now that the company has two fully operational drone-ship landing platforms — "Of Course I Still Love You" and "Just Read the Instructions" — in Florida, it’s able to launch (and land) more rockets. The newer drone ship on the block, "Just Read the Instructions," is already at the recovery zone waiting for its turn to catch B1051 when it returns to Earth on Monday.
 
SpaceX is expected to continue its tradition of recovering the Falcon 9's payload fairing, or nose cone, on this flight. The company has two net-equipped boats — called GO Ms. Tree and GO Ms. Chief — that it uses to snag the fairings as they fall back to Earth in two pieces.
 
Each piece of the clamshell-like hardware, which cost approximately $6 million combined, is outfitted with software that navigates it to the recovery zone, and a parachute system that lets them gently land in the ocean or the outstretched net of GO Ms. Tree and GO Ms. Chief.
 
The boats are also able to scoop the fairings up out of the water as making a midair catch is tricky and dependent upon several factors, like weather and winds. Typically the team decides whether it will catch or scoop the day of launch. And those recovery efforts take place roughly 45 minutes after liftoff. 
 
Currently, weather is 70% go for the launch opportunity on Monday, with the only weather concerns being the potential for cumulus clouds over the launch site. There is a backup launch time on Tuesday if need be. The launch weather that day looks even better, with a 90% chance of favorable launch conditions. 
 
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If everything goes as planned, this could mark the first of two SpaceX launches from Florida this week. The Hawthorne, California based company is planning to launch a rideshare mission on Thursday (Jan. 21). And could cap off the month with another Starlink mission. 
 
https://www.space.com/spacex-starlink-17-satellites-launch-webcast





Curt Lewis