Aerospace & Defence
Sailing to Alpha Centauri at 100 million mph
The Alpha Centauri star system is more than 25 trillion miles or 4.37 light years away. Even today's fastest spacecraft would take about 30,000 years to get there. However, renowned cosmologist Stephen Hawking, investor and philanthropist Yuri Milner and Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg have announced a new Breakthrough Initiative focusing on space exploration and the search for life in the Universe which aims to shorten the journey to just ...
Wind River Technology powers Airbus helicopters’ system
Airbus Helicopters, a division of Airbus Group, is utilising Wind River VxWorks 653 Platform for its Integrated Modular Avionics (IMA) system, Helionix. Helionix represents the latest technological evolution from the European helicopter manufacturer offering an unrivaled pilot assistance and intuitive human machine interface. The avionics system, which includes the certified H175 and H145 civilian rotorcrafts, significantly improves helicopter ma...
Enhancing turnkey or custom designs
Offering reduced size and weight using high permittivity, temperature stable materials, the new series of Directional Couplers from Knowles brand, DLI, are manufactured using DLI’s precision Thin Film technology and offer an option for microwave systems in commercial, military and space applications.
Microsemi enhances radiation-tolerant space product portfolio
Microsemi Corporation has announced a recent member of its high-reliability space product portfolio, the LX7710 radiation-tolerant diode array. The LX7710 is the industry’s first integrated solution of its kind offering eight diode pair channels designed specifically for satellites and other space applications. The company also announced its AAHS298B radiation-tolerant source driver has achieved Qualified Manufacturers List (QML) Class V an...
3U cPCI COTS SBC suits military & avionics platforms
Designed for military and avionics platforms requiring high density communications and performance in SWaP-constrained environments, a Quad Core Power PC, 3U cPCI COTS SBC has been introduced by North Atlantic Industries (NAI).
Data recorders help NASA assess splashdown impact
In the next phase of testing, Engineers at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, will conduct nine water-impact drop tests to evaluate the Orion spacecraft and crew safety when they return from deep-space missions and touch down on Earth's surface.
3D-printed pilotless aircraft navigates Antarctic ice
A tiny pilotless aircraft, built by the University of Southampton, has launched from the Royal Navy’s ice patrol ship HMS Protector for the first time to assist with navigating through the Antarctic. The 3D-printed aircraft, along with a quadcopter, scouted the way for the survey ship so she could find her way through the thick ice of frozen seas.
Embedded printing & colours bought to ultra thin AeroGlass Mirrors
AviationGlass & Technology has announced that it is enabling greater personalisation and branding opportunities in aircraft interiors by offering highly advanced printing and the option to apply different colours to its AeroGlassMirrors. The company has developed a unique, multi-colour printing technique that digitally embeds and seals both text and images inside its already highly resistant, laminated AeroGlass Mirror.
Perimeter Defender to secure Europe’s critical infrastructure
Axis Communications is demonstrating the AXIS Perimeter Defender, a solution for large-scale perimeter protection, at Security and Counter Terror Expo 2016 in Olympia, London. The system, which recently won the Video Analytics award at ISC West in Las Vegas, is a high-end video analytics application for intrusion detection for the enterprise market.
Aerospace communications boosted for defense systems
NXP Semiconductors N.V. has set a benchmark in RF power performance with four new LDMOS transistors. The new transistors aim to deliver best-in class performance for defense radar and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems operating between 900 and 1400MHz. Several defense contractors are currently developing and evaluating systems with these high capability transistors.