http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/aviation/ Aviation news. Read the latest in aviation, from bird-sized airplanes with shape-shifting wings and thinking mini-helicopters to liquid fuel-powered scramjets and more. en-us Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:05:02 EST Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:05:02 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/matter_energy/aviation/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215100256.htm A new NASA satellite instrument that makes a quantum leap forward in detector technology has arrived at Orbital Sciences Corp. in Gilbert, Ariz. There it will be integrated into the next Landsat satellite, the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM). Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:02:02 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215100256.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215095945.htm More than 70 teachers had an opportunity to experience what it feels like to float in space as they participated in the Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston last week. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:59:59 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120215095945.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213145618.htm New and improved ways for future space travelers to communicate will be tested on the International Space Station after a launch later this year from Japan. The SCaN Testbed, or Space Communications and Navigation Testbed, was designed and built at NASA's Glenn Research Center over the last three years. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:56:56 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213145618.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210133220.htm Top-heavy structures are more likely to maintain their balance while hovering in the air than are those that bear a lower center of gravity, researchers have found. Their findings are counter to common perceptions that flight stability can be achieved only through a relatively even distribution of weight—and may offer new design principles for hovering aircraft. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210133220.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206145903.htm NASA's solar-powered Juno spacecraft successfully refined its flight path Feb. 1 with the mission's first trajectory correction maneuver. The maneuver is the first of a dozen planned rocket firings that, over the next five years, will keep Juno on course for its rendezvous with Jupiter. Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:59:59 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120206145903.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202151608.htm By figuring out how butterflies flutter among flowers with amazing grace and agility, researchers hope to help build small airborne robots that can mimic those maneuvers. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:16:16 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202151608.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127173712.htm Leaner, greener flying machines for the year 2025 are on the drawing boards of three industry teams under contract to the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate's Environmentally Responsible Aviation Project. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127173712.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127172327.htm NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, mission arrived at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California Jan. 27 after a cross-country trip by truck from the Orbital Sciences Corporation's manufacturing plant in Dulles, Va. The mission is scheduled to launch from Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean on March 14. Fri, 27 Jan 2012 17:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120127172327.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125160405.htm NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array, or NuSTAR, shipped to Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on Jan. 24, 2012, to be mated to its Pegasus launch vehicle. The observatory will detect X-rays from objects ranging from our sun to giant black holes billions of light-years away. It is scheduled to launch March 14 from an aircraft operating out of Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:04:04 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125160405.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120116095525.htm Researchers have developed a system that, in a laboratory test bench, reproduces the pressure and temperature conditions at high altitude of the air that is sucked into a reciprocating internal combustion engine, and evaluates the engine’s performance in a comfortable, safe and controlled environment. Mon, 16 Jan 2012 09:55:55 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120116095525.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111228085603.htm NASA successfully conducted a drop test of the Orion crew vehicle's parachutes high above the Arizona desert Tuesday, Dec. 20, in preparation for its orbital flight test in 2014. Orion will carry astronauts deeper into space than ever before, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel and ensure a safe re-entry and landing. Wed, 28 Dec 2011 08:56:56 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111228085603.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220133938.htm Engineers have developed a self-healing system that restores electrical conductivity to a cracked circuit in less time than it takes to blink. As a crack propagates, microcapsules filled with liquid metal break open and the liquid fills the gap, restoring electrical flow. The technology is especially attractive for applications where repair is impossible, such as a battery, or finding the source of a failure is difficult, such as an air- or spacecraft. Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:39:39 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220133938.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215113516.htm Researchers have developed the Smart Connector, a new sensor that once installed in the connecting units of coaxial cables can provide information about equipment damage and pinpoint the exact location through self-diagnosing technologies -- some of the most advanced in the field today. Thu, 15 Dec 2011 11:35:35 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111215113516.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205101520.htm The expression goes, "Necessity is the mother of invention." And right now there is a need for NASA and the United States to have reliable access to low Earth orbit from homegrown sources. So, NASA's Commercial Crew Program and a number of American-led private companies are working together on new and innovative plans to do just that. Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205101520.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205101355.htm Testing continues at NASA Langley Research Center as the 18,000-pound (8,164.6 kg) Orion test article took its seventh splash into the Hydro Impact Basin Dec. 1. Orion, NASA's next deep space exploration vehicle, will carry astronauts into space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during space travel, and ensure safe re-entry and landing. Mon, 05 Dec 2011 10:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111205101355.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111201221131.htm NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center recently completed NASA's latest quiet sonic boom research study at Edwards Air Force Base. The Waveforms and Sonic boom Perception and Response, or WSPR, project gathered data from a select group of more than 100 volunteer Edwards Air Force Base residents on their individual attitudes toward sonic booms produced by aircraft in supersonic flight over Edwards. Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:11:11 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111201221131.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111129183126.htm After spending more than 240 days "sailing" around Earth, NASA's NanoSail-D -- a nanosatellite that deployed NASA's first-ever solar sail in low-Earth orbit -- has successfully completed its Earth orbiting mission. Launched to space Nov. 19, 2010 as a payload on NASA's FASTSAT, a small satellite, NanoSail-D's sail deployed on Jan. 20. The flight phase of the mission successfully demonstrated a deorbit capability that could potentially be used to bring down decommissioned satellites and space debris by re-entering and totally burning up in Earth's atmosphere. The team continues to analyze the orbital data to determine how future satellites can use this new technology. Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:31:31 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111129183126.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111123133510.htm New developments may lead to insects monitoring hazardous situations before humans are sent in. The principal idea is to harvest the insect's biological energy from either its body heat or movements. The device converts the kinetic energy from wing movements of the insect into electricity, thus prolonging the battery life. The battery can be used to power small sensors implanted on the insect (such as a small camera, a microphone or a gas sensor) in order to gather vital information from hazardous environments. Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:35:35 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111123133510.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121192410.htm NASA successfully completed the final flight in a series of tests of a new robotic lander prototype at the Redstone Test Center's propulsion test facility on the U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. Data from this test series will aid in the design and development of a new generation of small, smart, versatile robotic landers capable of performing science and exploration research on the surface of the moon or other airless bodies in the solar system, such as asteroids or the planet Mercury. Mon, 21 Nov 2011 19:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121192410.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121150457.htm After inviting the particle physics community to scrutinize their surprising neutrino time-of-flight measurements, a collaboration of physicists has rechecked many aspects of its analysis and taken into account valuable suggestions from a wide range of sources. One key test was to repeat the measurement with very short beam pulses from CERN. This allowed the extraction time of the protons, which ultimately lead to the neutrino beam, to be measured more precisely. The beam sent from CERN consisted of pulses three nanoseconds long separated by up to 524 nanoseconds. Some 20 clean neutrino events were measured at the Gran Sasso Laboratory, and precisely associated with the pulse leaving CERN. This test confirms the accuracy of OPERA's timing measurement, ruling out one potential source of systematic error. Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:04:04 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121150457.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121135804.htm Two NASA California centers have been selected to develop new space-aged technologies that could be game-changers in the way we look at planets from above and how we safely transport robots or humans through space and bring them safely back to Earth. Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:58:58 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121135804.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117081341.htm Flies are real flight artists, although they only have small wings compared to their body size. Scientists have recently identified the genetic switch that regulates the formation of flight muscles. Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:13:13 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117081341.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111109111530.htm A new system built around an unmanned aerial vehicle has faced a real-world test in a West Virginia controlled forest burn, and proved its usefulness. Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111109111530.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111108213256.htm NASA plans to add an unmanned flight test of the Orion spacecraft in early 2014 to its contract with Lockheed Martin Space Systems for the multi-purpose crew vehicle's design, development, test and evaluation. This test supports the new Space Launch System that will take astronauts farther into space than ever before. Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:32:32 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111108213256.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111108213055.htm NASA engineers have produced a material that absorbs on average more than 99 percent of the ultraviolet, visible, infrared, and far-infrared light that hits it -- a development that promises to open new frontiers in space technology. Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:30:30 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111108213055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103155104.htm NASA will conduct a 100-foot robotic lander altitude test flight Friday, Nov. 4, to mature the technology needed to develop a new generation of small, smart, versatile robotic landers capable of achieving scientific and exploration goals on the surface of the moon, asteroids or other airless bodies. Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:51:51 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111103155104.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111101171054.htm The Thermal Infrared Sensor that will fly on the next Landsat satellite came out of its first round of thermal vacuum testing recently at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:10:10 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111101171054.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111101132257.htm The Boeing Co. will set up Orbiter Processing Facility-3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to manufacture and assemble its CST-100 spacecraft for launches to the International Space Station under a newly signed agreement with NASA and Space Florida. And that deal could provide a glimpse of how Kennedy's unique facilities will be used in the future. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:22:22 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111101132257.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111019104537.htm Scientists are utilizing a superfast computer system for simulating lightning strikes. Their objectives are arriving at better understandings of the effects of lightning strikes on humans and machinery and better predictions of those effects. Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:45:45 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111019104537.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111017214919.htm When engineers outfitted a six-legged robotic bug with wings in an effort to improve its mobility, they unexpectedly shed some light on the evolution of flight. The wings nearly doubled the running speed of the 25-gram robot, but was that good enough for takeoff? Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:49:49 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111017214919.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006084023.htm Electric propulsion (EP) is the future of astronautics. It can already compete successfully with chemical thrusters, especially for attitude control, orbit transfer and/or orbital station-keeping as well as for the main propulsion system for deep space missions. However, xenon, the propellant of choice in most EP devices, has a substantial drawback: its cost is very high. On the basis of the experience with plasma jet accelerators, a team of scientists and engineers from Poland has designed the Hall effect thruster optimised to work with krypton, a much more affordable noble gas. Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:40:40 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111006084023.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929122802.htm Waste heat is a byproduct of nearly all electrical devices and industrial processes, from driving a car to flying an aircraft or operating a power plant. Engineering researchers have developed new nanomaterials that could lead to techniques for better capturing and putting this waste heat to work. The key ingredients for making marble-sized pellets of the new material are aluminum and a common, everyday microwave oven. Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:28:28 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929122802.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110921074747.htm According to a theory advanced by a materials scientist in Norway, a mixture of water from sprinkler systems and molten aluminum from melted aircraft hulls created explosions that led to the collapse of the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001. Wed, 21 Sep 2011 07:47:47 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110921074747.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919123930.htm NASA is testing an element of the sunshield that will protect the James Webb Space Telescope's mirrors and instruments during its mission to observe the most distant objects in the universe. The sunshield will consist of five tennis court-sized layers to allow the Webb telescope to cool to its cryogenic operating temperature of minus 387.7 degrees Fahrenheit (40 Kelvin). Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919123930.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919123806.htm NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has reached a major milestone in its development. The mirrors that will fly aboard the telescope have completed the coating process at Quantum Coating Inc. in Moorestown, N.J. The telescope's mirrors have been coated with a microscopically thin layer of gold, selected for its ability to properly reflect infrared light from the mirrors into the observatory's science instruments. The coating allows the Webb telescope's "infrared eyes" to observe extremely faint objects in infrared light. Mon, 19 Sep 2011 12:38:38 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919123806.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919113641.htm Up to now, aircraft have been put together in huge assembly cells, but to build the necessary facilities is expensive and time-consuming. That is why researchers have come up with a flexible assembly-line concept that features robots working in the same way they do in automotive production. One of this future assembly line's elements is a versatile component gripper made of lightweight CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic). Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:36:36 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110919113641.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915083706.htm A pioneering technology to study volcanic ash will help advise the aircraft industry as to whether it is safe to fly following an explosive volcanic eruption. Thu, 15 Sep 2011 08:37:37 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110915083706.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110914101922.htm NASA has selected the design of a new Space Launch System that will take the agency's astronauts farther into space than ever before, create high-quality jobs here at home, and provide the cornerstone for America's future human space exploration efforts. This new heavy-lift rocket-in combination with a crew capsule already under development, increased support for the commercialization of astronaut travel to low Earth orbit, an extension of activities on the International Space Station until at least 2020. Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:19:19 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110914101922.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110912144242.htm A new study finds that helicopters that service the drilling platforms and vessels in the Gulf of Mexico crash on average more than six times per year resulting in an average of five deaths per year. Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:42:42 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110912144242.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110912095127.htm Scientists have created a new tool that analyzes black-box data for flight anomalies. An airplane's digital flight-data recorder, or "black box," holds massive amounts of data, documenting the performance of engines, cockpit controls, hydraulic equipment and GPS systems, typically at regular one-second intervals throughout a flight. Inspectors use such data to reconstruct the final moments of an accident, looking for telltale defects that may explain a crash. More recently, analysts have probed black-box data in an effort to prevent such accidents from ever occurring. Using software tools that can rapidly search data, operators can flag problem areas and determine whether a plane needs to be pulled off the line to be physically inspected, or if there are problems with flight procedures. Mon, 12 Sep 2011 09:51:51 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110912095127.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907131112.htm Engineers have successfully completed the first of a series of acoustic tests on the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) ground test vehicle, which consists of two major components of the Orion spacecraft: the crew module and the launch abort system. Built to spaceflight specifications, the Orion MPCV ground test vehicle is the first full-scale spacecraft built to support the development of the final human space flight vehicle, which is slated for its first orbital flight test in about two years. Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:11:11 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907131112.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907130957.htm Engineers have successfully completed the first of a series of acoustic tests on the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) ground test vehicle, which consists of two major components of the Orion spacecraft: the crew module and the launch abort system. Built to spaceflight specifications, the Orion MPCV ground test vehicle is the first full-scale spacecraft built to support the development of the final human space flight vehicle, which is slated for its first orbital flight test in about two years. Wed, 07 Sep 2011 13:09:09 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907130957.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110824133711.htm A pioneering camera and spectrometer that will fly aboard NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has completed cryogenic testing designed to mimic the harsh conditions it will experience in space. Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:37:37 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110824133711.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110824133156.htm NASA has selected three proposals, including one from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., as Technology Demonstration Missions to transform space communications, deep space navigation and in-space propulsion capabilities. The projects will develop and fly a space solar sail, deep space atomic clock, and space-based optical communications system. Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:31:31 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110824133156.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110817122124.htm NASA's groundbreaking Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM) will reach a key milestone in September when the International Space Station (ISS) robots transfer the module to its permanent home on space station's ExPRESS Logistics Carrier-4. Robotic operations for the technology demonstration are currently slated to begin soon afterwards. Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:21:21 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110817122124.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110817094918.htm Researchers have shown an autonomous multi-sensor motion-tracking and interrogation system that reduces the workload for analysts by automatically finding moving objects, then presenting high-resolution images of those objects with no human input. Wed, 17 Aug 2011 09:49:49 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110817094918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110804081740.htm Airplanes undergo significant stresses during take-off and landing, and parts often become detached, putting subsequent runway users at risk. Until now, airport staff have had to monitor runways without technical assistance -- an activity that is prone to errors. A new radar system is set to increase safety at airports. Thu, 04 Aug 2011 08:17:17 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110804081740.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110803084121.htm Chemists have discovered a technique to track urban atmospheric plumes, thanks to a unique isotopic signature found in vehicle emissions. Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:41:41 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110803084121.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110728082326.htm Engineers have designed and flown the world's first 'printed' aircraft, which could revolutionize the economics of aircraft design. Thu, 28 Jul 2011 08:23:23 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110728082326.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110726092952.htm Materials scientists in Germany have developed an extremely sensitive explosives sensor that is capable of detecting even slight traces of the high-explosive chemical compound pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). Terrorists had employed PETN in several attacks on commercial aircraft. Tue, 26 Jul 2011 09:29:29 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110726092952.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110713161857.htm New research has examined how aircraft carrier flight deck crews will manage manned and unmanned air vehicles. Wed, 13 Jul 2011 16:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110713161857.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110708084008.htm Climate researchers have turned to the Allied bombing raids of the Second World War for a unique opportunity to study the effect thousands of aircraft had on the English climate at a time when civilian aviation remained rare. The study reveals how civilian and military records can help assess the impact of modern aviation on the climate today. Fri, 08 Jul 2011 08:40:40 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110708084008.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110706113453.htm Commuting practices among airline pilots could potentially contribute to their fatigue, and because fatigue can reduce performance, pilots, airlines, and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration should take steps to reduce the likelihood that commuting will pose a safety risk, according to a new report. Wed, 06 Jul 2011 11:34:34 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110706113453.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110705183918.htm The University of Colorado Boulder is involved with five different space science payloads ranging from antibody tests that may lead to new bone-loss treatments to an experiment to improve vaccine effectiveness for combating salmonella when Atlantis thunders skyward July 8 on the last of NASA's 135 space shuttle missions. Tue, 05 Jul 2011 18:39:39 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110705183918.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110705123627.htm The FAA has mandated that by 2020, all aircrafts must be equipped with a new tracking system that broadcasts GPS data, providing more accurate location information than ground-based radar. Researchers now have early result of an investigation, a new algorithm that uses data from the tracking system to predict and prevent collisions between small aircraft. Tue, 05 Jul 2011 12:36:36 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110705123627.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110701203725.htm A new design of micro air vehicle (MAV) will be able to flap, glide and hover. Researchers have been inspired by birds to design a MAV that combines flapping wings, which will allow it to fly at slow speeds and hover, with the ability to glide, ensuring good quality images from any on-board camera. Fri, 01 Jul 2011 20:37:37 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110701203725.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110701121623.htm Under certain conditions, private and commercial propeller planes and jet aircraft may induce odd-shaped holes or canals into clouds as they fly through them. These holes and canals have long fascinated the public and now new research shows they may affect precipitation in and around airports with frequent cloud cover in the wintertime. Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:16:16 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110701121623.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630161839.htm Thanks to technological advances,scientists hope to provide a picture of how the cosmos developed into the kind of place that could support life like that found on Earth. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630161839.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630142847.htm Researchers have found that areas near commercial airports sometimes experience a small but measurable increase in rain and snow when aircraft take off and land under certain atmospheric conditions. The new study is part of ongoing research that focuses on so-called hole punch and canal clouds that form when planes fly through certain mid-level clouds, forcing nearby air to rapidly expand and cool. Thu, 30 Jun 2011 14:28:28 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110630142847.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110624083510.htm In the automotive industry, combustion engines are still assembled mostly manually. Researchers from Germany are developing procedures and methods to automate assembly processes to continuously improve the quality of the engines. The use of the latest technologies helps to eliminate uncertainties during engine assembly. Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:35:35 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110624083510.htm