Emerging Technologies

NASA’s electric plans; Xwing secures funds; GKN joins Eviation; eVTOL seats; X-59 challenges.

China has conducted its first remote tower operation at Xinyuan Nalati Airport (NLT) with a China Express Airlines flight controlled remotely from the Xinjiang Airport Group’s center in Urumqi, 385 km away.

Local controllers and Eurocontrol experts build complex air traffic architecture as the project advances.

Special Forces looking for low-cost options to support ground troops in remote areas.

Ask the Editors: Instead of the mature horizontal model of today’s engine market, electric propulsion has been vertically integrated.

Four launches will reduce risk for key technologies behind DARPA’s Blackjack autonomous LEO constellation demonstration.

The latest internet entrepreneurs to put money into UAM hope to set their company apart with a safe, quiet low-cost vehicle.

SITA has stepped up its commitment to developing a permanent digital identity for air travel by becoming a Premium Donor of the Sovrin Foundation, the international non-profit organisation focused on the advancement of self-sovereign digital identity.

Lockheed Martin will again accelerate payments of US$300m to small critical suppliers. Nicolas Jouan, Aerospace and Defence Analyst at GlobalData offers his view on Lockheed’s decision.

Ethiopian Airlines is investing heavily in information and communications technology (ICT) development to boost its sales revenue. Kaleyesus Bekele reports.

Lufthansa Group is to cooperate with Swiss technology institute ETH Zurich to accelerate the availability of aviation fuel produced using carbon dioxide and water extracted from the atmosphere using concentrated sunlight.

Thales Alenia Space and ASECNA have confirmed their expertise in the development and operation of complex satellite navigation systems for Africa.

SITA has stepped up its commitment to developing a permanent digital identity for air travel by becoming a Premium Donor of the Sovrin Foundation, the international non-profit organisation focused on the advancement of self-sovereign digital identity.

Ask the Editors: Available evidence does not give specific clues, but the B-52 ceiling and U-2 operating altitude provide reference.

The 160th Special Operations Regiment is eager to shed hand-me-down fleets, but will Army decisions let them?

Germany is leading on taking an ethical and responsible approach to the technologies in FCAS. When will its partners follow?

The coronavirus pandemic accelerates demonstration of BVLOS drone flights as the UK pushes for wider use of the technology.

Reaffirming current protocols and developing new ones are both in the cards.

U.S. Senate hearing fails to resolve why the FCC approved access to spectrum near GPS frequencies, with conditions.

UK future flight vision; sandbox for UAVs; making LEO safer; augmented-reality landings; connected by balloon.

The U.S. military continues to expand the operational envelope of its X-37B robotic spaceplanes amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.

Startups look set to keep up the pace of electric propulsion development as aviation recovers from COVID-19.

Ask the Editors: Low-energy nuclear reactions, compact fusion reactors and advanced small modular reactors are among concepts being tested.

The Senate Armed Services Committee recently met to consider a bewildering decision by the FCC to OK the building of a low-power, ground-based network for 5G cellular and Internet of Things data services that opponents say could interfere with GPS receivers.