Aviation updates you might have missed!
SpaceX catches Starship rocket booster for first time ever?
After a part of Elon Musk's Starship rocket was captured during its return to the launch pad, it completed a world first. During its fifth test flight, the lower half of the SpaceX spacecraft maneuvered back next to its launch tower, where it was caught in a massive pair of mechanical arms. It significantly advances SpaceX's goal of creating a rocket that is both entirely reusable and quickly deployed.
"A day for the history books," SpaceX engineers said after the booster made a successful landing. It seems unlikely that the Super Heavy booster, the rocket's bottom part, would be captured so successfully on the first try. The SpaceX team had stated before the launch that it would not be shocked if the booster was instead instructed to land in the Gulf of Mexico.
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Nordic seaplanes and Elfly unveil 'Noemi' for emission-free air travel
Recently, two Nordic companies have advanced their steps to make the dream of electric seaplanes a reality. Companies worldwide are trying to use electrification to revive seaplane technology as part of their efforts to expand the number of aviation-related options available to travelers.
Nordic Seaplanes, Europe's sole scheduled seaplane operator, will be the debut client for Norway's Elfly's Noemi (meaning "no emissions") electric aircraft, with an order of five and an option for ten more, the company said at a press conference in Copenhagen on September 24.
Since Elfly’s founding in 2018, it has advanced quickly; in 2019, it successfully piloted a twin-seat electric aircraft prototype constructed of the same material as the Noemi. In addition to having 20 employees, Elfly has purchased a former Norwegian military airfield in Sandefjord south of Oslo called Torp, from where it will carry out testing and production activities.
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Bengaluru's new air taxi cuts airport commute to 5 minutes with eVTOL launch
The annoying traffic bottlenecks on the way to the airport will soon be a thing of the past for Bengaluru residents. Bangalore International Airport Limited and Sarla Aviation have partnered to launch eVTOL aircraft, which will revolutionize public transportation from the city to Kempegowda International Airport.
Sarla Aviation claims that its cutting-edge electric aircraft will reduce the typical 1.5-hour travel time to just five minutes. This means that instead of taking the usual 152 minutes by road, commuters can board an eVTOL and go to the airport from major hotspots like Electronic City in less than 20 minutes.
Similar to a helicopter, it is an electrically driven aircraft with seven seats that can hover, take off, and land vertically. The advanced air mobility movement, which aims to offer urban air transportation options such as air taxis, cargo delivery, and medical services, includes these aircraft. It is expected that eVTOLs will contribute to the reduction of traffic jams and the development of more efficient city transportation systems.
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Airbus unveils new thermoplastic aircraft fuselage design
As part of the Clean Sky 2 initiative, Airbus has introduced a novel fuselage design as a step towards sustainable aviation. The consortium led by Airbus has put together a thermoplastic fuselage demonstrator that is assisting specialists in researching disruptive materials and production techniques. In the end, the goal is to reduce aerospace's carbon emissions by increasing aircraft production.
The European Green Deal's objective of attaining climate neutrality by 2050 is supported by this EU-backed public-private partnership that seeks to cut aircraft CO2, nitrous oxide, and noise emissions by up to 30%.
The MFFD, an 8-meter-long by 4-meter-wide fuselage section composed mainly of thermoplastic composites that are undergoing testing for their potential as structural materials, is the focal point of this innovation. The MFFD, which was created under Clean Sky 2's Large Passenger Aircraft platform, is expected to boost the competitiveness of the European aerospace sector and speed up aircraft production.
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Saudi eyes electric jets to reach Mecca, New Resorts
Saudi Arabia's flag carrier is looking to a financially strapped German company for electric jets to serve routes to new upscale resorts and the holy city of Mecca. According to Saudia communications affairs manager Razan Shaker, the aircraft from Munich-based Lilium would offer direct connections to inaccessible roads along the Red Sea coast and transport Muslim pilgrims straight from Jeddah to Mecca, which lacks an airport.
"Our strategy is that it will help bridge the locations and the cities that don't have an airport or that are hard to go to. The plans include flying pilgrims to the iconic Fairmont Makkah Clock Royal Tower hotel, near Mecca's Grand Mosque, where we're working on creating a helipad," she said. Saudia declared in July that it would purchase 50 Lilium eVTOL jets, with the possibility of acquiring a further 50.