All articles by Dan Thisdell – Page 9
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News
Alcoa doubles aerospace forecast despite slow starts for A350, CSeries
Alcoa has dropped its 2015 aerospace sales forecast by a point in its second quarter report – to 8-9% compared with three months ago – on a slower-than-expected ramp-up of Airbus A350 and Bombardier CSeries production. However, “the ongoing strength of the sector” led the metals supplier to nearly double ...
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News
Solar Impulse reaches Hawaii on record-setting trans-Pacific journey
The Solar Impulse 2 round-the-world flight project scored its biggest triumph to date with the completion of a multiple record-setting leg from Nagoya to Hawaii – a five-day segment that pushed limits for the aircraft’s solar-only power system, its ground control team and its solo pilot.
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Analysis
ANALYSIS: Virgin Galactic thrusting ahead with satellite launch scheme
Virgin Galactic’s dream of personal spaceflight may be on hold, but its satellite-launching venture is bounding ahead.
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News
SpaceX mission failure ‘won't stop space station flights’
Flights to the International Space Station are expected to continue as scheduled despite the total loss of Sunday’s resupply mission, though it may be months before SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rockets can return to flight.
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News
Virgin Galactic wins first satellite launch contract
Virgin Galactic's bid to enter the rocket launching business got a boost today with its first contract for 39 flights of its LauncherOne system, starting as early as 2017.
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Analysis
ANALYSIS: Are reusable rockets a dream ticket to space?
A rocket flight to orbit costs many tens of millions of dollars, so engineers with an eye to cutting costs are hoping to reuse some launcher components
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News
PARIS: 3D printing 'set to change the paradigm'
Aerospace is poised for a “paradigm shift” in technology as 3D printing empowers engineers to “challenge the status quo” and create radical new designs.
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News
PARIS: Avio building new technology, layer by layer
Avio Aero came to the Paris air show with good news on the technology front, having just seen some of its 3D-printed low-pressure jet engine turbine blades through 2,800 test cycles on its Genx test bed at Naples.
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News
PARIS: Labinal Power Systems sparks onboard energy efficiency
At Labinal Power Systems, there's more than a spark of excitement – about power electronics computers that boast 99% electrical energy efficiency.
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News
PARIS: Woodward ready with new GE joint venture
For actuation and fuel systems supplier Woodward, a talking point of the Paris air show will be its evolving relationship with key customer GE Aviation, in the form of a joint venture the companies announced in May, that will design, develop, source, supply and service the fuel system for GE’s ...
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News
PARIS: Avio launches new identity in space
Rocket propulsion specialist Avio launched events at the Paris air show with an early-morning unveiling of a fresh corporate identity to mark a its new era as an independent business.
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News
PARIS: Airbus e-Fan is 'new way of flying'
Airbus is literally driving ahead with its e-Fan all-electric trainer project – unveiling at the Paris air show a full-scale mockup of the production “2.0” model that screams of automotive design influence in its sculpted fuselage and sportscar-style cockpit.
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News
PARIS: ESA set for another virtuoso performance
After a dozen years as head of the European Space Agency, Jean-Jacques Dordain made his last air show appearance as director general – and with replacement-in-waiting Johann-Dietrich “Jan” Wörner at his side the duo made it abundantly clear that the show will go on.
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News
Rosetta mission boost as comet lander wakes up
The European Space Agency's Rosetta comet-chasing mission has taken another dramatic turn with the awakening after seven months of hibernation of the lander it sent down to the surface of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko – which had operated for just 60hr before running out of power.
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News
PARIS 2015: GKN's Cummings heralds new era
GKN Aerospace chief executive Kevin Cummings has the luxury of talking about both continuity and change.
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News
PARIS: Boeing offers video preview of 787-9 display
This video just released by Boeing of a practice session at Everett gives a taste of the manufacturer's upcoming Paris air show flying display.
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News
Airbus and Aerospace Valley foster eco-innovation
A programme to foster innovation created by Airbus and the Aerospace Valley industry R&D cluster in France’s Aquitaine and Midi-Pyrénées regions has selected a group of four projects to support, following a 2014 call for ideas that attracted 59 applications.
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News
Italy's Cristoforetti sets space endurance records
A month later than planned, Samantha Cristoforetti (of Italy), Anton Shkaplerov (Russia) and Terry Virts (USA; pictured right to left) returned safely to Kazakhstan on 11 June, following a 3h ride from the International Space Station in their Soyuz capsule (pictured prior to undocking).
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News
Brussels approves Alcoa acquisition of titanium producer RTI
Brussels has approved Alcoa’s proposed $1.5 billion share swap takeover of Pittsburgh-based titanium supplier RTI International Metals.
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Analysis
ANALYSIS: Europe's space vision soars – out there and on the ground
By any standard, ESA enjoyed a glorious year in 2014 – but this year has not disappointed