AIR TRANSPORT
Archer | December 02, 2022
Archer Aviation Inc. today announced that Maker successfully completed its first transition to full wing-borne flight on November 29, 2022. Maker has 12 propellers attached to six booms on a fixed wing. All 12 propellers provide vertical lift during take-off and landing. The forward 6 propellers tilt forward to cruise position to provide propulsion during forward flight, with the wing providing aerodynamic lift like a conventional airplane. During this flight, Maker’s tilt propellers were locked in cruise position for the first time and the aircraft flew at a calibrated airspeed of 91 knots (105 mph). Achieving this full transition milestone is critical to validating the flight physics of Archer’s proprietary 12-tilt-6 propeller configuration that it uses on Maker as well as Midnight, which is the aircraft Archer recently unveiled at its Open House on November 16th and is working to certify with the FAA in late 2024. The success of the Maker flight testing program also demonstrates a number of the key enabling technologies for Midnight, such as the aircraft’s flight control system. The Maker flight test program has generated invaluable data that Archer has leveraged in the development and certification process for Midnight. Archer has made rapid progress on Maker’s flight testing program, completing this transition to fully wing-borne flight in less than 12 months after its first hover flight.
“From day one, Archer’s strategy has always been about finding the most efficient path to commercializing eVTOL aircraft, The data and experience we’ve gathered from Maker’s rigorous flight testing program has been invaluable to the development and certification path of Midnight, and lends further confidence to our belief that Archer will be the first company to certify an eVTOL aircraft in the US with the FAA.”
Adam Goldstein, Archer’s Founder and CEO.
This significant achievement is a testament to the countless hours of design, simulation and wind tunnel testing that our team has conducted behind-the-scenes,” said Dr. Geoff Bower, Archer’s Chief Engineer responsible for overseeing Maker’s flight test campaign. Dr. Bower has over a decade of experience in the eVTOL aircraft industry, during which he has helped design and build four full-scale eVTOL aircraft that have successfully completed flight test campaigns. More technical details from the flight can be found in his recent blog here. “Looking forward to the commercialization of Midnight, we’ll continue to draw upon the incredible findings and lessons learned from Maker’s flight testing program.
About Archer
Archer is designing and developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for use in urban air mobility networks. Archer’s mission is to unlock the skies, freeing everyone to reimagine how they move and spend time. Archer's team is based in Santa Clara, CA.
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AEROSPACE
United Airlines | December 01, 2022
United Airlines today announced a strategic equity investment in Natron Energy, a battery manufacturer whose sodium-ion batteries have the potential to help United electrify its airport ground equipment like pushback tractors and operations at the gate. United has made substantial investments in companies developing technology to reduce aircraft emissions, but Natron is the first that has the potential to reduce the greenhouse gas footprint from United's ground operations. United Airlines Ventures was created to identify companies spearheading the next generation of innovative and emissions-reducing technology,Out of the gate, we primarily focused on technology designed to help reduce carbon emissions from our airplanes. Natron's cutting-edge sodium-ion batteries presented an ideal opportunity to both potentially expand our sustainability investment portfolio to our ground operations, and to help make our airport operations more resilient. United is looking forward to future opportunities to work with our airport partners on sustainable technology initiatives. Michael Leskinen, President of United Airline Ventures.
United has more than 12,000 pieces of motorized ground equipment across its operations, of which about one third are currently electric. Natron's batteries could potentially be deployed in support of a number of uses, including:
Charging electric ground equipment
Charging anticipated future electric aircraft such as electric air taxis
Allowing airport operations to manage electricity demand
Greatly improving resiliency related to inclement weather
"Natron's sodium-ion batteries will help the aviation industry achieve its decarbonization and EV goals,Our batteries provide the high power over short distances that ground service equipment needs, and unlike lithium-ion, Natron's batteries are completely nonflammable and can be safely deployed into ground service operations."
Colin Wessells, CEO of Natron Energy.
The sodium-ion batteries contain several features that distinguish them from existing battery technology. In addition to better output and cycle life than their lithium counterparts, testing performed by an independent testing service has shown these batteries to be nonflammable, a critical safeguard for the high usage and power that would be required for certain operations. The minerals used in sodium-ion batteries are abundant worldwide and are easily sourced, unlike lithium which is in short supply with demand expected to triple by 2025. Natron plans to use the funds to accelerate production at its manufacturing facility in Holland, Michigan, where it will scale operations to begin mass production of UL-listed sodium-ion batteries in 2023. Launched in 2021, UAV is a first-of-its-kind sustainability-focused ventures fund that targets startups, upcoming technologies, and concepts that will complement United's goal of net zero emissions by 2050 – without relying on traditional carbon offsets such as planting trees. UAV's portfolio now includes SAF producers and other technologies including carbon utilization, hydrogen-electric engines, electric regional aircraft, and urban air mobility.
About United
United's shared purpose is "Connecting People. Uniting the World." From our U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., United operates the most comprehensive global route network among North American carriers. United is bringing back our customers' favorite destinations and adding new ones on its way to becoming the world's best airline. For more about how to join the United team, please visit www.united.com/careers and more information about the company is at www.united.com. United Airlines Holdings, Inc., the parent company of United Airlines, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol "UAL". For further information about our environmental impact, review United's Corporate Responsibility Report and Annual Report on Form 10-K, available at crreport.united.com and ir.united.com.
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AEROSPACE
Jacobs | November 18, 2022
Jacobs congratulates NASA on the successful launch of the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I mission, which lifted off Nov. 16 from historic Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Artemis I is the first test flight in a series of increasingly complex missions under Artemis, NASA's deep space human exploration endeavor, which aims to land the first woman and the first person of color on the moon and establish a sustainable human future in deep space. Powered by the SLS rocket, the uncrewed test flight will send Orion on a trajectory to orbit the moon, returning to earth and culminating in a Pacific Ocean splashdown. As the prime contractor at KSC for NASA's Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) program, Jacobs is responsible for receiving all SLS and Orion flight hardware, assembling and integrating all the components, developing the launch control software, conducting final test and checkout, transporting the vehicle to the pad, supporting the launch and helping conclude the mission with the recovery of Orion.
"NASA's Artemis I launch is a major milestone in the agency's new era of human spaceflight in deep space, and the first phase for humanity's return to the lunar surface, Jacobs teams across multiple NASA centers, contracts and programs are committed to providing innovative solutions and technologies in support of NASA's quest to explore deep space."
Jacobs Critical Mission Solutions EVP and President Steve Arnette.
Jacobs is also supporting the SLS and Orion development at multiple NASA centers. That work includes extensive verification and validation testing of Artemis I flight components. At Marshall Space Flight Center, Jacobs supported NASA in completing the SLS rocket's structural testing campaign, a nearly three-year structural test series that qualified the structural design of multiple hardware elements for the rocket. At Johnson Space Center (JSC), a team of engineers developed and tested the Orion re-entry parachute system that will slow down the capsule for splashdown. Jacobs also worked across five NASA centers to help develop and successfully test the reliability of NASA's Orion launch abort system. To enable the journey to the moon and beyond, trajectory models will play an important role in Artemis missions from launch through lunar surface operations. At JSC, a NASA and Jacobs team developed the trajectory plan for the orbital flight path of Artemis I. As NASA's largest services contractor, Jacobs is a provider and integrator of full lifecycle aerospace capabilities, including design and construction; base, mission and launch operations; sustaining capital maintenance; secure and intelligent asset management; and development, modification, and testing processes for fixed assets supporting national government, military, defense and NASA, as well as commercial space companies. At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $14 billion in revenue and a talent force of more than 55,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. Visit jacobs.com and connect with Jacobs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. When used herein, words such as "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "plans," "intends," "future," "will," "would," "could," "can," "may," and similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements. including, but not limited to, the timing of the award of projects and funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, as well as general economic conditions, including inflation and the actions taken by monetary authorities in response to inflation, changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, changes in capital markets, geopolitical events and conflicts, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the related reaction of governments on global and regional market conditions and the company's business, among others. For a description of some additional factors that may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements, see the discussions contained under Item 1 - Business; Item 1A - Risk Factors; Item 3 - Legal Proceedings; and Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, ,and Item 2 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations; Item 1 - Legal Proceedings; and Item 1A - Risk Factors in our most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as well as the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company is not under any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results, except as required by applicable law.
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AEROSPACE
Archer Aviation Inc | November 16, 2022
Archer Aviation Inc. , a leader in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and Garmin , a leading provider of aviation technologies and solutions, today announced they have entered into an agreement for Garmin to supply the G3000® integrated flight deck for Midnight. The Garmin G3000 integrated flight deck offers an ideal solution for the Midnight cockpit. The compact and lightweight system offers both an extensive certification pedigree and the configurability needed for Archer to bring its aircraft to market. The large format displays and intuitive controls will provide pilots with the situational awareness needed to operate Midnight. The extensive reach of Garmin avionics will make the Midnight aircraft familiar to a large swath of pilots. Part of Archer’s commercialization strategy is to focus its in-house development on only the key enabling technologies that cannot be sourced from the existing aerospace supply base. The Garmin relationship further advances Archer’s approach of establishing strategic relationships for supply of components already being used on certified aircraft today. Archer now has more than 64% of our suppliers for Midnight’s bill-of-materials selected.
“By aligning Archer’s product sourcing needs with the experience and capabilities of well-established leaders in the aviation industry, we can help reduce our certification risk, as well as development timelines and costs, We’re excited to be adding Garmin to our growing base of world-class suppliers as we pave the way towards commercialization.”
Adam Goldstein, Archer’s CEO
We are proud of this strategic relationship with Archer Aviation to provide the advanced Garmin G3000 integrated flight deck for their new Midnight aircraft,” said Phil Straub, Garmin Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Aviation. “It is an honor to be selected and trusted by Archer and we are confident the G3000 will help them to provide advanced and efficient air taxi services for years to come. Garmin maintains an exceptional reputation for delivering high-quality avionic technologies to general aviation, business aviation, rotorcraft, advanced air mobility, government and defense, and commercial air carrier customers. Their extensive experience in the aviation space and demonstrated ability to reliably source flight deck avionic systems was a significant factor in Archer’s decision to enter into this relationship.
About Archer
Archer is designing and developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for use in urban air mobility networks. Archer’s mission is to unlock the skies, freeing everyone to reimagine how they move and spend time. Archer's team is based in Santa Clara, CA. To learn more, visit www.archer.com.
About Garmin International, Inc.
Garmin International, Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (NYSE: GRMN). Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Garmin and G3000 are registered trademarks.
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