Blog

SSTL has distributed the first Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images taken by its NovaSAR-1 satellite from orbit. SAR is capable of seeing through clouds as well as monitoring the Earth at both day and night, making it a powerful tool for satellite imaging. These images from NovaSAR-1 have proven that the technology works as advertised with separate photos showing both the S...

MIT Researchers have successfully completed a test flight of an aircraft with no moving parts, generating thrust by “ionic wind”. Ionic wind occurs when charged molecules in the air are subjected to an electric field which causes them to accelerate. And when these charged molecules collide with neutral ones, they transfer part of their momentum and generate thrust. The MIT t...

Vortex generators are continuing their spread as JetBlue has announced that it will retrofit the company's A320 jets with the noise reduction apparatus. JetBlue has been following this course since 2015 by purchasing new aircraft with vortex generators already installed. Now, it has decided to retrofit the rest of its A320 fleet by 2021. Vortex generators help to reduce airc...

As you may be aware, I'm very passionate about promoting engineering as a career for our young people here in Dorset. KDC Group is part of the regional Technical Skills Development Group which aims to tackle the engineering sector's skills gap and I'm on a steering comittee that aims to equip our school leavers with the skills and knowledge that they'll need to thrive in ind...

The return of supersonic travel may have just got a little bit closer. Aerion, the company building a new breed of business aviation, confirmed that 2023 is the target for an initial crossing of the Atlantic at supersonic speeds. The company aims to cut transatlantic travel times by three hours and a journey across the Pacific Ocean might be reduced by five hours. Paying cus...

Thales UK’s new Maritime Autonomy Centre has officially opened in Turnchapel Wharf, Plymouth. Whilst still in its infancy, countries around the world are heavily increasing their investments in autonomous military systems which will likely be prominent in conflicts to come. This new maritime autonomy centre of excellence may enable the Royal Navy to be at the forefront of th...

Accion Systems, a Boston-based start-up developing scalable electric propulsion technology for satellites, has raised $3m from investors including Boeing’s HorizonX fund. The company develops an in-space propulsion system, Tiled Ionic Liquid Electrospray (TILE), which aims to increase the lifespan and maneuverability of satellites. Using non-toxic, ionic liquid propellant in...

The Airbus Board of Directors has chosen Guillaume Faury, currently President of Airbus Commercial Aircraft, as future Chief Executive Officer of the entire Airbus group. He will succeed current CEO Tom Enders in April 2019. After serving in various senior management roles at Eurocopter from 1998-2008, starting as an engineer before moving to Flight Test, he rose to EVP Comm...

Lockheed Martin have unveiled a new crewed lander concept at the at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Bremen that may eventually work with NASA’s lunar Gateway transporting astronauts to the Moon and potentially trips to Mars. The concept is a single stage, fully reusable system that leverages proven technologies from NASA’s Orion spacecraft. Capable of conve...

The Royal Navy’s new aircraft carrier, Queen Elizabeth, has seen the first Lightning II fighter jets land on her deck as well as complete their first night trials. The Queen Elizabeth is currently conducting flight tests with the F-35s near to the US east coast. The night trials in particular have been very impressive, with state of the art night-vision technology and traine...