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Report: Boeing's crucial 737 Max safety analysis was flawed
Boeing's original 737 Max safety analysis, used by the FAA to certify the aircraft, may have had several serious flaws, according to a report from the Seattle Times. The problems revolved around a software system called MCAS, suspected to have contributed to the Lion Air and Air Ethiopia crashes that killed 346 people in total. Investigators are also looking at possible maintenance lapses and potential pilot error. The situation may have been compounded by FAA rules that allow aircraft manufacturers to do some of the certification themselves.
US grounds all Boeing 737 Max planes
Less than one day after expressing confidence in Boeing's 737 Max fleet, the US government has decided to ground the plane involved in two recent crashes. According to CNBC, President Trump told reporters that the US was issuing an emergency order to ground both Boeing's 737 Max 8 and 737 Max 9 aircraft, following similar prohibitions in the UK, France, Germany, Australia, Indonesia, China and elsewhere. Trump made the decision in concert with FAA acting director Daniel Elwell and US transportation secretary Elaine Chao and had spoke with Boeing CEO about the move as well. "They are all in agreement with the action," he said. "Any plane currently in the air will go to its destination and thereafter be grounded until further notice."
Boeing will release software updates for 737 Max jets by April
Following two air disasters months apart, Boeing has promised to release software updates for all of its Boeing 737 Max aircraft by next month at the latest. The updates were developed in the aftermath of the Lion Air Flight 610 disaster that killed 189 people, the company said, and include changes to flight control systems, pilot displays, operation manuals and crew training.
Boeing’s autonomous fighter jet could arrive next year
Boeing has unveiled an autonomous fighter jet which is expected to take to the skies in 2020. The aircraft is designed to fly alongside crewed jets during combat, performing early warning tests, intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Boeing's self-flying taxi completes its first flight
Multiple companies have outlined plans for flying taxis, but Boeing just took an important step toward making them a practical reality. The aircraft maker has completed the first test flight of its autonomous electric VTOL aircraft, verifying that the machine can take off, hover and land. It's a modest start, to put it mildly -- the taxi has yet to fly forward, let alone transition from vertical to forward flight modes. That still puts it ahead of competitors, though, and it's no mean feat when the aircraft existed as little more than a concept roughly one year ago.
NASA launching safety review of SpaceX because Elon Musk smoked pot
When NASA tapped SpaceX and Boeing to fly astronauts to the International Space Station, the companies likely expected the government agency would keep a close eye on things. But they probably didn't expect a probe prompted by a podcast. According to the Washington Post, NASA is conducting a safety review of both companies because some officials were annoyed when they found out SpaceX CEO Elon Musk smoked weed with Joe Rogan.
Boeing's solar-powered climate research drone takes flight in 2019
Aurora Flight Sciences, a subsidiary of Boeing that specializes in unmanned aerial vehicles, is gearing up to launch a solar-powered autonomous aircraft. The vehicle, called Odysseus, is designed for persistent flight at high-altitudes and will be used to perform climate and atmospheric research. Its first voyage is scheduled for the spring of 2019.
Japan teams up with Uber, Airbus and 19 others on flying taxi plan
Japan wants to bring flying taxis into the mainstream over the next decade and it's putting together a government-led group in order to do so, Bloomberg reports. The country's trade ministry said to today that the group will bring together at least 21 businesses including Uber, Boeing, Airbus, Japan Airlines and Toyota-backed Cartivator, which will meet next week to discuss plans going forward. For its part, the government will work on ways to regulate these sorts of vehicles. "The Japanese government will provide appropriate support to help realize the concept of flying cars, such as creation of acceptable rules," the ministry said.
NASA announces astronauts for first Commercial Crew missions
Today, NASA announced the astronaut selection for the first Commercial Crew flights, which will finally restore the ability to launch astronauts from American soil. Boeing's first test flight, which is scheduled for mid-2019, will have Eric Boe, social media-savvy astronaut Chris Ferguson and rookie Nicole Aunapu Mann on board. SpaceX's inaugural Crew Dragon voyage, called Demo-2 and targeting April 2019, will have Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on board.
Boeing delays first crewed spacecraft test to mid-2019
On a media phone call this week, John Mulholland, who oversees NASA's commercial crew program at Boeing, revised the dates for the first uncrewed and crewed tests of the Starliner capsule, according to Ars Technica. The uncrewed test will be sometime in late 2018. The crewed test won't take place until mid-2019. It was previously scheduled for the end of this year.
Boeing’s spacecraft faces even longer delays after propellant leak
The road to NASA's Commercial Crew -- restoring human spaceflight capabilities to the US -- has been bumpy, to say the least. And now, it appears that there has been another setback. Ars Technica uncovered a previously undisclosed issue that Boeing's spacecraft, the Starliner, suffered during a test of its launch abort engines.
Boeing gave $20,000 to these ten wacky personal flyer designs
Last year, Boeing announced the GoFly Prize, a new competition that will award one winner $1 million for a successful personal flying device prototype. It has to take off and land vertically, carry a human 20 miles without the need for refueling or recharging and be quiet, safe and compact, but otherwise, the design is completely up to those building it. Phase I of the competition just wrapped up and GoFly has announced the top 10 designs, each of which will be awarded $20,000.
Boeing's folding wingtips get the FAA green light
Passengers on Boeing's new line of 777 planes might not have to take a bus from the gate across the tarmac, despite much larger wings potentially making it difficult for the aircraft to navigate terminals. That's because the company received Federal Aviation Administration approval today for its folding wingtips -- those will let the planes stop at airport gates big enough to accommodate typical 777 models.
Autonomous helicopter makes first operational delivery to Marines
Drones are coming to the battlefield faster than you think. Aurora Flight Sciences recently unveiled an autonomous, LiDAR equipped helicopter called AACUS, which was already an impressive feat, considering a helicopter's complexity. Now, for the first time, it has completed an autonomous, closed-loop cargo mission, delivering gas, water and medical supplies to US Marines during an integrated training exercise in California.
Uber has five partners working on its flying taxi project
We've already had a glimpse at what Uber's proposed air taxi might look like, and after the first day at Elevate Summit (Uber's "flying taxi" conference), we're closer to understanding how the whole service might work – and importantly, who else is involved. Five aerospace companies -- Embraer, Pipistrel, Karem, Aurora Flight and Bell -- are working with Uber on the service that CEO Dara Khosrowshahi believes will revolutionize the way we get around.
NASA may extend ISS stays following crew vehicle delays
SpaceX and Boeing are both contracted to develop vehicles to carry US astronauts to and from low Earth orbit, a capability we've lacked since the retirement of the Space Shuttle fleet in 2011. However, these efforts have been plagued by constant delays, which has required NASA to get creative in figuring out how to continue normal space operations without an operational crew vehicle. Robert Lightfoot, the acting administrator of NASA, has suggested a new option: longer stays on the ISS for US astronauts.
Boeing's first crewed space flight may be more than just a test
This week, NASA announced that it has updated its commercial crew contract with Boeing. Specifically, Boeing is one of two contractors that is building a crew vehicle that will eventually be able to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station. The change surrounds its first test flight -- including the option to extend the flight (from two weeks up to six months) and potentially adding a third crewmember. In other words, the first test flight wouldn't be a test anymore.
Boeing: Reports of WannaCry outbreak 'overstated and inaccurate'
This afternoon a report by the Seattle Times cited internal messages showing that aircraft builder Boeing had been hit by the WannaCry ransomware and there were fears it could affect production. Boeing VP Linda Mills tells Engadget in a statement that its network security "detected a limited intrusion of malware that affected a small number of systems," and it shouldn't affect deliveries. Issues with ransomware have not tailed off since last year's worldwide outbreak of WannaCry/NotPetya, and the city of Atlanta's government is still recovering after "SamSam" ransomware locked down some systems last week. Even if this occurrence is as controllable as Boeing believes, it's surely not the last time we'll hear about a large organization suddenly locked out of its own computers.
SpaceX and Boeing inch closer toward crewed space missions
NASA's Commercial Crew Program is making "significant progress" according to the space agency, which has outlined upcoming missions for both Boeing and SpaceX. The race between the two companies to be the first to provide commercial transportation services in space appears to be neck-and-neck. Boeing has a crewless orbital flight test scheduled for August this year, while SpaceX plans to complete a crewless flight to the International Space Station in the same month. Crewed missions are then slated to take place in November and December, respectively.
GE test-flies the world's largest jet engine
Airliners are growing ever bigger to haul more people per flight, which means they need appropriately massive engines -- and GE Aviation is happy to oblige. It recently conducted the first test flight of the GE9X, widely billed as the world's largest jet engine. It's easy to believe the claim from a glimpse (it's as wide as a Boeing 737), but the specs back it up as well: it has a whopping 11.2ft diameter front fan that, combined with carbon fiber blades, a next-gen high-pressure compressor and a new combustor, puts out over 100,000 pounds of thrust. For comparison, some of the earliest GE90 engines aboard Boeing 777s kicked out 'just' 74,000 pounds.
