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NASA officials are announcing the availability of eight disruptive NASA materials and coatings technologies ready for commercialization. NASA officials are looking for companies interested in using the organization’s high-temperature materials and coatings, including those designed to withstand high temperatures, to improve existing products or introduce new ones.

On the cybersecurity front, EASA has issued a new notice of proposed amendment (NPA) related to an earlier RTCA document, DO-326A, which came out in 2014. Because DO-326A wasn’t tied to any regulation, it hasn’t been widely implemented since its introduction. Recent incidents have increased a focus on DO-326A, including an incident last year, during which an airline passenger on board a major international carrier, unwisely thought it would be funny to rename his iPhone’s personal wi-fi hot-spot account, “Bomb Onboard.”

An amended NASA budget for fiscal year 2020 would add $1.6 billion to a $21 billion initial budget request and fund deep space exploration, science, and technology initiatives. An acquisition approach to various projects would present significant opportunities for commercial partners and, likely, the entire aerospace supply chain.

Through OFFSET, DARPA envisions swarms of 250 collaborative autonomous systems – including unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) – providing critical capabilities to ground units in urban areas where challenges such as tall buildings, tight spaces, and limited sight lines constrain essential communications, sensing, maneuverability, and autonomous operations.

According to the presentation, the cargo variant of the Blue Moon lander can carry 3.6 metric tons to the lunar surface. Another lander variant could potentially stretch to be capable of carrying a 6.5-metric-ton, human-rated ascent stage.

Four of these technologies – smart coatings for corrosion detection and protection, aluminum alloys for high temperature applications, particle contamination mitigation technologies, and thermal and environmental barrier coating systems – are among NASA’s most in-demand technologies and have been applied to mainstream engineering projects.

Rolls-Royce holds that hands-on, practical training will always be the main focus for maintainers; however, VR technology will help bolster training activities especially with the amount of new aircraft that will be needed to accommodate the additional air passengers (which is expected to almost double by 2036).

As outlined in the contract, Aitech Defense will supply an advanced, customized remote input/output (I/O) interface controller based on the company’s commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) modular, dual-core Ai-RIO remote interface.

The prototype project, named E-HAV1, will undergo ground testing and will be optimized for manufacturing as a directly application for future Airlander 10 airships – replacing the fuel-burning forward engines as the first step towards an all-electric variant.

JPL transferred the license to Apollo after the company was awarded a contract to produce three engineering model MaSMi-EM thrusters for JPL’s Ascendant Sub-kW Transcelestial Electric Propulsion System (ASTRAEUS). Apollo will deliver the three MaSMi-EM thrusters to JPL this summer.

Lockheed Martin Corporation successfully completed development and testing for the heatshield that will protect NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Mars 2020 rover during its descent to the Martian surface. After completing the flight hardware structure, Lockheed Martin tested the heatshield’s physical integrity by exposing it to ‘flight-like’ thermal conditions.

Automakers have invested heavily in developing advanced driver-assistance technologies to make driving more comfortable and safe. The most advanced of these systems are already offered as vehicle features that satisfy Level 2 automated driving as defined by SAE International in SAE J 3016-2018 Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to Driving Automation Systems for On-Road Motor Vehicles and incorporate capabilities, such as Lane Keep Assist (LKA), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB). These features can intervene in certain driving scenarios to control the vehicle’s movement; yet, to ensure safe operation, the driver must remain attentive and focused on the driving environment.

Bell Helicopter will partner with Rolls-Royce to develop an optimized propulsion system for the Bell V-280 Valor and unmanned V-247 Vigilant vertical lift tiltrotor aircraft – the company’s candidate platforms for the U.S. Army’s Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program.

According to Airbus, the CityAirbus UAM vehicle – or “air taxi” – will initially be operated by a pilot for certification and market entry purposes; however, the aircraft is designed for fully autonomous flight once regulations are established.