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Boeing's CST-100 to shoot non-NASA astronauts into space by 2015
Day job just too darn terrestrial? Maybe you should score a gig at Boeing, which'll apparently sling two of its very own into space come 2015. What'll be their chariot? The company's CST-100 -- you know that spiffy capsule that can hurtle a lucky seven humans 100km into the dark abyss. Strapped to ULA's Atlas V, the crew will follow two unmanned missions, eventually reaching the International Space Station. If that all goes to plan, commercial service will start in 2016. Now about those extra five seats...
Visualized: Boeing 747-8 makes its longest flight to date, writes name in the sky
It's always fun to write your name on things -- chalkboards, diplomas, speeding tickets, yellow snow... you know, the usual. The folks at Boeing couldn't agree more, which is why they tasked 747-8 pilots with writing the jet's name in the sky on a flight test across the US. What could be called the "747-8 wuz here" mission is designed to test the outer limits of the jumbo jet in a max endurance operations test. Taking off yesterday morning from Seattle's Paine Field, the jet flew across 18 states in a 747 pattern until it landed on the west coast a little after midnight -- 17 total hours of mayhem. It seems like everything went swimmingly, which means the brand spanking new jet will be sold to Cargolux, a ginormous cargo airline, later this year. The jet writing does somewhat resemble a drunken righty's attempt at left-handed writing, but hey, who are we to judge?
American Airlines rolls out in-flight Entertainment On Demand, lets you continue watching after you land
American Airlines gives its Boeing 767-200 fleet all the love -- first it sends some 10.1-inch Galaxy Tabs through the gate, and now in-flight streaming videos get the all-clear to board. If you'll recall, AA's been testing Aircell (Gogo) in-flight video streaming, and now the service has gone live on 15 of the transcontinental wide-bodies flying New York to San Francisco or Los Angeles. You won't need to purchase in-flight WiFi to access Entertainment On Demand, but it currently only works on "select laptops," with rentals for television shows priced at $0.99 and movies at $3.99. You'll also be able to access your purchased TV and movie content on your device for 72 or 24 hours, respectively, if your flight soars into its destination ahead of time -- pickins' are quite slim, though, with only around 100 vids to choose from presently. The airline plans to add the service to all of its WiFi-enabled aircraft -- while also expanding device support -- beginning later this year. Fly on for a demo video and press release, parked just past the break.
Boeing and BAE partner to put a laser on a machine gun, make the world a better place
Automated, computer-targeting machine guns are okay in a pinch, but sometimes putting 180 25mm slugs down range every minute just isn't enough. Sometimes you need a little more energy, and that's when you strap a laser on the thing. Boeing and BAE are partnering up to take the existing Mk 38 Mod 2 Machine Gun System, which offers a 25mm M242 barrel, and pair it with Boeing's directed energy system. The resulting beautiful machine is called the Mk 38 Mod 2 Tactical Laser System, offering the ability to fling both hot metal and even hotter photons against whatever targets would dare come in range. This integration is said to allow for these upgraded turrets to be easily installed and controlled on our naval vessels, vessels that are, for now, still stuck on the water. Apparently we're still a few years away from the Wave Motion Engine and FTL battleship travel.
Man builds turbine-powered Batmobile, brags about having the only one (video)
So you think you're a huge fan of the Dark Knight, huh? Not so fast. Do you own a full-sized Batmobile? Yeah... we didn't think so. But, auto restoration guru Casey Putsch does, and to launch himself further into super-fanboy status, he upgraded the engine with a Boeing turboshaft -- snatched out of a naval drone helicopter. According to him, this makes his collector's item one of a kind, in true Bruce Wayne fashion. Sure, these discarded movie props are usually powered by a standard 350 (especially the older models), but that wasn't enough for a dude's dude who appraises and designs all types of vehicles for a living. Mods were also made to the interior, including an iPad in the dash which serves as the avionics system and keeps track of the important GPS coordinates -- you know, stuff you'd expect Lucious Fox to toss in to track villains and such. For a look at this beast in action, check out the video after the break; meanwhile we'll try to figure out how to cram a jet engine into a Tesla Roadster.
Boeing's Phantom Ray soars like a terrifying, unmanned eagle
Boeing's new Phantom Ray aircraft made a covert first flight last week, taking to the skies above California's Edwards Air Force Base. The unmanned airborne system (UAS) reached 7,500 feet, hitting a maximum speed of 178 knots and flying for a total of 17 minutes -- sure, it won't outlast the Phantom Eye anytime soon, but hey, we've all gotta start somewhere. What the 36-foot long vehicle lacks in relative endurance, it makes up stealth, designed to be undetectable on radar, and thanks to a deeply embedded engine, giving off a minimal amount of heat. Boeing will be running additional tests on the autonomous vehicle in the coming weeks, in attempt to prep it for possible future surveillance and attack missions. No word on when this might actually be hitting an airspace near you, but in the meantime, it's probably best to refrain from ticking off any deep pocketed governments.
Apache's new infrared targeting system spots foes when they fire, doesn't wait for the smoke
It just keeps getting harder for America's enemies to hide from the technological marvel that is the modern US military. A new ground fire acquisition system (GFAS), coming to Apache Attack helicopters next spring, uses infrared sensors to detect muzzle flashes from small arms fire and pinpoint enemy positions to within five meters. Before the sound would have a chance to reach current acoustics-based sensors the source of the shot pops up on the targeting computer, is sent back to commanders in the Operations Center, relayed to ground troops, and fed to other aircraft -- by the time they're able to pull the trigger again combatants may already be on the wrong side of a Hellfire missile. The new system will make spotting opposing forces easier and keep pilots as safe as they can be -- at least until missions can be flown from the comfort of their couch.
NASA awards $270 million to SpaceX and other commercial spaceflight ventures
NASA has given its seal of approval (and a lot of money) to SpaceX and three other private companies, as part of its Commercial Crew Development (CCDev2) initiative -- a program designed to spur the development of U.S. commercial spaceflight. The agency awarded a total of $270 million to the four lucky winners, with Boeing receiving $92.3 million to help develop its CST-100 capsule design, and the Sierra Nevada Corporation garnering $80 million, which will go toward its shuttle-like Dream Chaser craft. The smallest prize ($22 million) went to Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, which is reportedly looking to create a cone-shaped craft capable of carrying crew members into the abyss. And then, of course, there's SpaceX, the proud recipient of a cool $75 million in NASA funds. The California-based company has already successfully launched its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule, and is currently working on the Falcon Heavy -- a 22-story craft heralded as the "world's most powerful rocket." NASA's extra dough should give a little boost to SpaceX's projects, but the funds are contingent upon improvements in Dragon's crew-carrying capacities, to be carried out over the next year. If all goes well, we may see one of these companies launch an intergalactic 'taxi' service by the middle of the decade. Saddle up!
Boeing's biggest jet takes flight, promises lowest 'seat mile' cost of any commercial airliner
Boeing took a huge -- both literally and figuratively -- step in the development of the largest commercial jet in its history when the 747-8 took to the skies for the first time. Granted, the airframe's cargo version has already logged over 1,600 hours up in the air, but putting the 250-foot passenger plane with a 224-foot wingspan -- 19 feet longer and 13 feet wider than the gargantuan 747-400 -- through its first few paces without incident is no small feat. The 747-8 borrows some of the 787 Dreamliner's weight-trimming tech for better fuel efficiency and lower operational costs than older 747s and jumbo jet competition from Airbus. We just hope it didn't inherit the 787's penchant for delays as well. If all goes according to plan, the new jetliner should complete the 600 test flight hours needed for FAA certification in time to deliver the first 747-8s to customers by the end of the year. We doubt airlines will use the plane's extra space to give us shlubs riding coach any more legroom, but at least its improved all-around efficiency should make flying a little cheaper. PR's after the break.
Boeing's new unmanned X-37B launches into orbit, won't come home until it finds Major Tom
Model X-37B might look familiar to you -- it was the name of an autonomous space vehicle that took flight just about a year ago, orbited for a whopping eight months, and then successfully returned to our planet all by itself. Now a new version of the X-37B has blasted off to hang outside of the atmosphere for a while. The spacecraft left Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 41 down in Florida and hurtled to a low-Earth orbit with help of a Atlas V rocket. Boeing isn't saying exactly what it's doing up there, but we suspect this spaceship knows which way to go.
US Navy's free-electron laser breaks another record, takes aim at missiles next
The US Navy's free-electron laser has broken a few records already, but it's just plowed through another fairly big one -- one that its creators say could put it on the fast track to actually being used to shoot down missiles. That particular record involved running the system for eight hours at 500 kilovolts, which is a level they've been trying to achieve for the past six years and, according to the researchers, "definitely shortens" the time frame for getting to their ultimate goal of 100 kilowatts. What's more, while this particular test didn't actually involve blowing anything up, the Navy seems confident that the laser will eventually be able to do just that, as it's just recently awarded Boeing a $163 million contract to package the laser in a weapons system that would be deployed on ships and be able to detect, track, and destroy missiles (or presumably anything else ). According the Office of Naval Research, the Navy hopes to meet that goal by 2015. [Image: Wired / Danger Room]
Boeing 787 Dreamliner delayed again, expectations still sky high
That's right, the 787 Dreamliner, which has airlines all aflutter over promises of increased fuel efficiency, has been delayed yet again. Boeing announced yesterday that customers can expect to see the plane in the third quarter of 2011: one in a long line of setbacks that have put it three years behind schedule. However, despite delays, it seems customer confidence hasn't waned. In fact, the New York Times reported that 787 buyers still find a summer release perfectly practical, leading to a three percent rise in Boeing stock. Trouble for the 787 started back in 2008, with the FAA warning of hacker vulnerability, followed by a 2009 discovery of structural weakness, and an on-board fire last November. Even with delays, and cancellation of at least 60 orders, the 787 still has about 850 pre-orders: more than any other mid-size commercial liner in history. So what's keeping the 787 Dreamliner afloat? Well, mostly promises of a 20 percent increase in fuel efficiency, thanks to a design that's 50 percent composite materials. Clearly, testing the 787 hasn't been a dream, but it seems nothing can keep this plane grounded for good.
US opts to derez virtual fence along Mexico border, replacing it with more affordable measures
Remember that hugely ambitious "virtual fence" that the US Homeland Security department was so keen on blowing a few billion dollars on? Well, following a bunch of setbacks and delays in its development, it's now been determined to be too darn expensive and is being scrapped. That's not without splashing some cash, however, as it's estimated that a billion dollars has already been spent on installing sensor towers along a 53-mile stretch of the Arizona border with Mexico. The plan now is to redirect funds to more conventional (and commercially available) surveillance measures, such as thermal imaging and unmanned aerial drones, which is estimated to cost $750 million to cover the remaining 323 miles of Arizona's border. Whatever happens, keeping illegal immigration and contraband smuggling to a minimum isn't going to be a cheap task. Almost makes you wonder if this isn't a problem better solved by non-technological means.
Spilled coffee in 777 cockpit leads to inadvertent hijack warning, FAA-mandated sippy cups look likely
If you've ever spilled coffee on a piece of electronics, maybe a keyboard or even a laptop, spare a thought for the pilot of United Airlines flight 940, outbound from Chicago and heading to Frankfurt. Not long after takeoff the pilot apparently dumped a cup of Joe onto the communications panel in the cockpit and things rapidly went downhill from there. The crew inadvertently sent a code 7500, which indicates that the plane is being hijacked and, as you can imagine, that led to a lot of unwanted attention. It's not clear whether the equipment malfunctioned and sent the code or the pilot, likely struggling with a scalded lap, fat-fingered things on the panel. Either way, the flight diverted to Toronto and, rather tragically, the passengers were all sent back to Chicago to try again the next day.
Boeing's Spectrolab subsidiary set to mass produce 39.2 percent efficient solar cells
Boeing's Spectrolab subsidiary has been working on making solar cells more and more efficient for years now, and it looks like it's now set to put its latest record-breaking cells into mass production. Those come in the form of the company's new C3MJ+ solar cells, which boast an average conversion efficiency of 39.2 percent, making them the most efficient mass produced cells to date. What's more, Spectrolab says that since the new cells are so similar to its current C3MJ production cells, it should be relatively easy for customers already using those to upgrade to the new cells. Still no word on a price, it seems, but the new cells should be available in January. And, yes, Spectrolab is also hard at work on breaking its own record -- it hopes to crack the 40 percent mark later in 2011.
Boeing installs 50Mbps eXConnect broadband on 737
Cathay Pacific has already promised that it would bring 50Mbps in-flight broadband to some of its fleet by 2012, but it looks like Boeing has beat it to the punch to become the first to actually take the service to the skies. The company has just announced the first certification and installation of Panasonic Avionics' eXConnect in-flight internet service in one of its Boeing Business Jet 737 aircraft, which will initially be used by Panasonic itself for ongoing testing and demonstrations. That's the same system that will be used by Cathay Pacific, and consists a fuselage-mounted antenna that communicates with a network of satellites to deliver speeds of up to 50Mbps, or about a hundred times faster than most competing in-flight WiFi. Unfortunately, there's still no word on any further expansion to commercial aircraft, so Cathay Pacific may well still wind up being the first in that respect. Full press release is after the break.
SolarEagle will soar in the stratosphere for five years, kinda looks like a coathanger
We like airplanes, but we've always felt really boxed in by the short flight times fossil fuels force us into. Apparently DARPA was feeling the crunch too, so they've slid Boeing a cool $89 mil to develop a plane that stays in the air for five years. The 435-foot-wingspan'd SolarEagle will, unsurprisingly, use photovoltaics to help keep it at 65,000 feet, where Boeing spokesman Pat O'Neil says it will "perform persistent communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions," which we hope means it will just be hanging around doing "how's the weather down there" tweets all day long. SolarEagle's first demo flight is slated for 2014.
Visualized: Boeing's CST-100 gets you and six friends to space... for cheap!
It's not expected to make its first jaunt to outer space before 2014, but Boeing's "low-cost" Crew Space Transportation-100 (CST-100) will allow up to seven Earthlings to travel up to 100 kilometers above the Earth's surface. The best part? Once you spend up to seven months docked at the International Space Station, you'll rely on "the aid of parachutes [as you head] to an airbag-cushioned landing on dry ground." Something tells us the crew of Jackass will be all over this in just a few years.
ANA's Gundam Jet embarks on maiden voyage (video)
In case you weren't already aware, the island nation of Japan regards the thirtieth anniversary of their imaginary anime robot warriors as kind of a big deal, and so it seems fitting that they'd deck out a similarly gigantic flying object to match: the Boeing 777. All Nippon Airways (ANA) decked out the plus-size 777-300 model with full-size Gundam decals on either side, and the jumbojet made its first Tokyo-Osaka trip this weekend after a thorough photo shoot by reporters. We'd advise you to watch the skilled pilots take off and land after the break, but we'll warn you that you're in for mild disappointment -- at no point does a giant beam-saber-wielding robot burst out of the aluminum alloy frame.
Boeing Phantom Eye unmanned spy plane stays aloft four days, sort of bums us out
Sometimes, in the seat of our despair (which almost always corresponds with a viewing of The Real Housewives of New Jersey), we reflect on the sorry state of the world and note that the one thing we don't have to doubt is that history is marching us towards a mechanized slaughter that will make World War I look like Burning Man (the rave, not the actual burning people). Sure, it never occurred to anyone to maybe figure out how to cap an undersea oil well, but at least we are making headway in our development of autonomous, long range aircraft (you know, for shooting people and eavesdropping and whatnot). Our latest example of a world gone mad comes courtesy of Boeing, and it's called Phantom Eye. The unmanned aircraft system looks something like a bowling pin with wings and can spend up to four days at 65,000 feet. Also featured on the craft is a hydrogen propulsion system that promises great fuel economy, and whose only byproduct is water. At the unveiling ceremony in St. Louis, Boeing Phantom Works president Darryl Davis noted that the "capabilities inherent" in its design "will offer game-changing opportunities for our military, civil and commercial customers." Awesome! Look for the device later this summer, when it begins a series of ground and taxi tests in preparation for its first flight early next year.
