Aerospace and Defense Review : News

With more than 190 independently owned and operated aviation repair stations, the Robotic Skies Service Center serves the global commercial UAS market. With fresh Investments Robotics Skies plans to enhance the company's ongoing growth and technology development Robotic Skies Inc., a global commercial unmanned aircraft system (UAS) network has raised a strategic investment from CerraCap Ventures to enhance it’s ongoing growth and technology development. Robotic Skies specializes in providing turnkey maintenance solutions that are designed to align with the requirements of the unmanned aircraft manufacturers and enterprise operators. With more than 190 independently owned and operated aviation repair stations, the Robotic Skies Service Center serves the global commercial UAS market. "A robust software platform is essential to aviation maintenance operations. As we continue to support the rapidly expanding unmanned market, a highly automated and data-driven technology stack becomes an even more vital element of our business," said Brad Hayden, Robotic Skies CEO and Founder. "The investment from CerraCap accelerates the development of this key enterprise technology for our company." CerraCap Ventures is a budding technology venture capital firm specializing in Artificial Intelligence , Cyber Security , Healthcare Technology, and Advanced Analytics investments. CerraCap also joined Robotics Skies' investment group, which also includes Thayer Ventures, Kickstart Seed Fund, HorizonX Ventures, and Sun Mountain Capital. "We are excited to expand our portfolio into commercial unmanned aircraft systems with our investment in Robotic Skies. There is exceptional value in what this company offers the unmanned aviation maintenance industry. With CerraCap investment, Robotic Skies is building a world-class, data-driven services platform to support the safe integration of unmanned aircraft technology," said Saurabh Ranjan, CEO and Managing Partner at CerraCap Ventures. Headquartered at California, CerraCap Ventures is a global fund dedicated to early-stage technology investments. It focuses on Enterprise (B2B) products and solutions in the promising technology areas of AI, Health-care, and Cyber Security. With a unique Sales and Scale model, CerraCap enthusiastically supports the portfolio in taking great ideas to commercial success. See Also :-  Top Space Technology Companies   ...Read more

Majority of smaller satellites don’t survive through the violent process of atmospheric re-entry. But, ESA believes that using cork for nose will help it survive through the extremities European Space Agency (ESA) is planning to test a different kind of spacecraft partially made from cork, hoping to find a safer way to re-enter the atmosphere. The vessel, called ‘QubeSat for Aerothermodynamic Research and Measurements on Ablation,’ is made up of a series of cubes heaped on top of each other and around a foot long. The main shaft is made of titanium coated with silicon carbide. According to a blog post on ESA’s website, the satellite is powered by four thin solar panel strips that stretch out behind it like a shuttlecock. On December 5th, QubeSat reached the ISS as a part of the cargo carried by SpaceX’s Dragon capsule , and recently it has been launched on an orbit that will have the capsule re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere within six months. Engeeniers designed QubeSat with a cork nose to help it survive while descending on Earth’s atmosphere. Most smaller satellites don’t survive through the violent process of atmospheric re-entry. A satellite the size of the QubeSat is likely to blast apart in temperatures that can exceed several thousand degrees Celsius. But, ESA believes that using cork for nose will help it survive through the extremities. The ESA highlights that the cork is a custom mix built by Amorim, a Portuguese company that specializes in the material’s industrial uses. The ESA engineers hope that the nose made of specially designed cork of QubeSat will keep the satellite in one piece by carrying the unwanted heat away from the main vessel, with materials first swelling and then burn off absorbing the heat. After that, the charred cork will chip away while leaving the main vessel unharmed. This process is called ablation. This approach has been used to help the larger capsule re-enter atmosphere but has rarely been used with a smaller capsule as QubeSat. See also:  Top Space Tech Solution Companies ...Read more

Although the structure is complete, the company will take some time before it starts production at the facility. Employees are expected to move into the new construction within the week, while tooling and other equipment are expected to arrive in the coming weeks Fremont, CA : Jeff Bezos owned Blue Origin opened a new factory in Huntsville, Alabama, which it will use to build engines for its vehicles as well as United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket. The formal inauguration of the 35,000 square foot factory was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The company plans to produce the BE-4 and BE-3U engines at the facility, which was constructed in little more than a year. The factory will house over 300 employees and is expected to produce up to 42 engines every year. “You can see we can get some things done really quickly,” said Bob Smith, chief executive of Blue Origin . “Twelve months to actually build this kind of facility is an amazing accomplishment for our team.” Although the structure is complete, the company will take some time before it starts production at the facility. Employees are expected to move into the new construction within the week, while tooling and other equipment are expected to arrive in the coming weeks. Blue Origin expects the facility will be operational and ready to build BE-4engines by this summer, initiating with a site certification engine that will be fired at both Blue Origin’s West Texas testing site and a test stand at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center which the company is currently refurbishing. Currently, the company is building BE-4 engines at its headquarters in Kent, Washington. The ongoing project at Kent includes a series of engines used in testing and two flight readiness engines, which will be delivered to the United Launch Alliance for integration with the Vulcan rocket or testing. The transition of engine production from Kent to Huntsville will be completed over the next couple of years. Once the BE-4 production line is stabilized at the Huntsville facility, the staff for the new facility will be trained at the Kent-based headquarters and then returned to ramp up the engine production at Huntsville. The company looks to achieve a balance between the output of BE-4 and BE-3U engines that will be used to power the upper stages of the New Glenn Rocket. Blue Origin believes it will be at least 3 to 4 years before the production line is stabilized and actual production targets are met. ...Read more