Michigan Future Workforce

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Michigan Future Workforce and the Relationship to the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT): A Brief Overview or Recap of the Last 50 Years of Deception, Lies and Bullying, Still Going Strong

Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Summary, Recap or Brief Overview of the Last 50 Years of Deception, Lies and Bullying and Ongoing Abuse and the Relationship to the Michigan of the Workforce:

  • Ranging from gaffes, faux pas, clashes, to environmental & financial debacles and coverups across Michigan raises serious questions about MDOT’s so-called governance model
  • Zero strategy, no coherent plans, decades of neglect, conflict of interest, dereliction of duty, failure to implement anything beyond an MDOT bulletin board for Social “Fly-ins” & “Picnics” and ridiculous Industry “Boot Licker” Parties & Fancy “Business” Soirees on Mackinac Island and elsewhere, btw very good at this, complete with “Golf Outings” to discuss business & great “door prizes” too
  • Nothing to show other than many outdated dilapidated airstrips for outdated antique, collector & hobbyist Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) 100LL Leaded Aviation Fuel based technology (AKA Flying Junk Piles) focused on Hobby, Sport Recreational, Social Entertainment Venues for State of Michigan Registered “Pleasure, Recreational, or Social Clubs” AKA “Flying Clubs”, Special Interests & Industry Lobbyists. Considered “bare minimum” or setting “lowest possible bar” in other industries especially after wasting hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, certainly the largest waste in the history of Michigan
  • NONE of these airstrips have anything to do with real transportation needs, real jobs or real taxes, real prosperity or the future of anything in the entire state of Michigan!
  • NONE of these airstrips have anything remotely to do with “Critical Infrastructure” in any sense of the word.
  • There are ZERO, absolutely NO Mission Critical functions that any of these airstrips serve for the taxpayers of Michigan, period.
  • ALL these airstrips could instantly disappear and not be missed by anyone except Special Interest + Industry Lobbyists that use them all while laughing & giving taxpayers the middle finger for ‘whining’.
  • MDOT has ZERO to do with any STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics anywhere in Michigan for any purpose! Don’t be fooled by MDOT gibberish and lies.
  • MDOT 2022 doubled-down on “Brain Dead” investments in the “Past” with ZERO Taxpayer ROI without slowing down or even skipping a beat across the State of Michigan
  • Second Case in Point: The American Center for Mobility – Zero, Zip, Zilch, Nada, absolutely NOTHING to show after burning thru somewhere between $400 million and $750 million dollars other than a couple empty buildings and some nice concrete pavement that nobody gets to use. It’s not even clear that anyone knows or can accurately estimate the total amount of financial damage. This is actually more than a debacle or coverup, it is a complete and total abject failure, a complete embarrassment and stain on the State of Michigan. More to come on that subject …
  • MDOT has Zero ideas how best to transition to new technologies—which isn’t core to MDOTs’ expertise (if they actually have any), and requires completely different thinking, cost structures and skill sets.

Let’s be honest, MDOT is completely LOST & LEFT Behind in 21st Century Industrial challenges, e.g. shifting from pouring concrete and banging metal into crude transportation control devices (analog traffic signals) & old school vehicles to developing the skills, resources and vision to create software-defined modes of transportation that in many ways have more in common with an iPhone than any conventional modes of transportation. The State of Michigan CANNOT and SHOULD NOT EVER count on the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Clown Patrol, now or ever for any technology. This is NOT the MDOT Charter or ever has been. Independent, transparent and objective expertise needs to be developed and honed to secure the future of Michigan separate from MDOT buffoons & cronies stuck in the past. Let’s get Michigan to focus MDOT on administration of paving, road & runway maintenance tasks and try to at least get that right.

There is truly a proven need for the very small, actually miniscule, percentage of real airports that actually provide real demonstrable transportation needs, real jobs and real tax revenues, many others are simply self-perpetuating hobby, sport, recreational entertainment social venues that enable increased non-essential aircraft, including helicopter take-offs, landings, accidents & crashes, coupled with “disturbing the peace” and “public nuisance” revenge fly-bys intended to harass and intimidate leading to unnecessary:

  • Adverse Health, Safety and Welfare impacts
  • Environmental impacts of toxic pollution & noise pollution
  • Diminished quality of life
  • Wasted taxpayer money

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has nothing to do with: Clean Mobility. Renewable Mobility. Sustainable Mobility. Advanced Manufacturing. Anything based on Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM).

NOTE: Many say MDOT is practically, morally, ethically and professionally responsible for their actions however it appears to be impossible to make MDOT accountable, transparent or legally responsible in any way.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is the negation of the principles and commitments that protect us all, it is everyone’s business and in their own best interest to expose & stop MDOT immediately for future generations.

Michigan Future Workforce – Future Technologies

Here are just a few ideas for anyone entering now or will be entering the Michigan Future Workforce regarding some Future Technologies to learn about or pursue. Guess what? NONE of these technologies have anything to do with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) anywhere for any reason! None! Nothing to do with the Future of Transportation, Autonomous Vehicles, Drones or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) exploitation, aviation anywhere on the planet let alone in the State of Michigan, or any Innovation for that matter. MDOT is too busy fixated on hobby, sport recreational social entertainment “Flying Junk Piles” (FJPs)!

So Exactly What is a “Space System”?

In a nutshell “Space Systems” are vehicles and infrastructure working together to perform a task in a space environment. It’s so easy to forget, many of us take for granted the global dependence on Space Systems used every day across multiple domains including communication, navigation, weather prediction services as well as defense, national security, asteroid detection, remote sensing, education & research, etc.

One such domain that is a current relevant ‘hot’ topic is tracking ‘space debris’ (garbage) and for obvious reasons. Few people realize that there over 125 million pieces of debris that now orbit Earth. For more information see:

  • “Space Environment Statistics · Space Debris User Portal” (html)
  • “NASA’s Efforts to Mitigate the Risks Posed by Orbital Debris” (pdf). Report No. IG-21-01, January 21, 2021. Washington, DC: NASA Office of Inspector General (OIG)
  • “Reducing Risks to Space Systems: Recommendations for the UN Secretary-General (html) April 30, 2021 – Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (home)
  • European Space Agency (ESA) – “About space debris” (html)
  • “Artificial intelligence is learning how to dodge space junk in orbit” (html), 04-29-2021 | Space. The European Space Agency (ESA) is teaching AI to autonomously dodge space junk in orbit
  • NOTE: Updated References
  • Space Debris and Human Spacecraft (html) [September 26, 2013!]| NASA
  • Space Debris (html) | NASA Headquarters Library
  • Space Junk Removal Is Not Going Smoothly (html) April 14, 2021 – Scientific American
  • Space debris (html) – Wikipedia
  • What is space junk and why is it a problem? (html) | Natural History Museum, London
  • ESA – Space Debris (html)
  • Space Trash and Satellites Dataset (html) | Science On a Sphere NOAA
  • The Elusive Peril of Space Junk (html) 09-28-2020 | The New Yorker
  • It’s Finally Time to Take Out the Space Trash (html) 03-29-2021| WIRED
  • ESA – Space Debris (html)

Cubesat, Nanosat, Smallsat: Potential Addressable Market (PAM)

ESA cereal-box-sized GomX-4B is a 6U Cubesat testing inter-satellite links and micro-propulsion system. This is almost considered “old school” now. Sophisticated university classes build and deploy these as projects with partner agencies.

A growing part of the global Space System market, Small Satellites, whose size is projected to grow from USD 2.8 billion in 2020 to USD 7.1 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 20.5% from 2020 to 2025. The small satellite market includes major players like Sierra Nevada Corporation (US), L3Harris Technologies (US), Lockheed Martin Corporation (US), Northrop Grumman Corporation (US), Airbus Defense and Space (Netherlands), Boeing (Millennium Space Systems), Ball Aerospace (US) and many other current and potential customers too numerous to list.

For more information see:

  •  Nanosats Database EU (home) | Constellations, companies, technologies and more
  • “State of the Art of Small Spacecraft Technology” (html) (pdf) | NASA
  • “SmallSats by the Numbers: 2020″ (pdf). Bryce Space  and Technology
  • “SpaceWorks Nano/Microsatellite Market Forecast, 9th Edition, 2019” (pdf)
  • NEW: Modern Small Satellites – Changing the Economics of Space (html) (pdf) – University of Surrey
  • “Nanosatellites – The Tool for a New Economy of Space: Opening Space Frontiers to a Wider Audience”, 2017 (html) (pdf)
  • There are many commercially available Market Studies with expen$ive reports, some even share a few useful free details about the market :
  • “Small Satellite Market by Mass, Subsystem, Application, NGEO Orbit, End User, Frequency” (html) by MarketsandMarkets™
  • Small Satellite Market Size, Growth, Forecast 2021-2027 (html) | Allied Market Research.
  • CubeSats in a nutshell (html) | Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

[INSERT IMAGE]

CAPTION: Typical Cubesat Unit Sizes from 1U to 12U

Additional Cubesat, Nanosat, Smallsat Information

  • European Space Agency (ESA) – CubeSats (html), 31 March 2021
  • European Space Agency (ESA) – Getting CubeSats moving (html) , 04 February 2021
  • NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (html) | NASA
  • NASA Announces 12th Round of Candidates for CubeSat Space Missions, Apr 7, 2021 (html)
  • Japan budgets a record $4.14 billion for space activities, March 9, 2021 (html) – SpaceNews
  • CubeSat.org (home)
  • [1908.09501] “CubeSat Communications: Recent Advances and Future Challenges”, 23 April 2020 (html) (pdf)
  • “Towards the Thousandth CubeSat: A Statistical Overview”, 2019 (html) (pdf)
  • “BCP-100 On-Orbit Performance” (pdf), Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp
  • “Big Exoplanet Science with Small Satellites” (pdf), NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) / California Institute of Technology (home)
  • Satellite Evolution Global Magazines (home)
  • Via Satellite (home)
  • MilsatMagazine (home)
  • SatMagazine (home)
  • SmallSat.org – (Home) – Small Satellite Conference
  • Nanosatellites & CubeSats | NanoAvionics
  • MIT SSL – MIT Space Systems Laboratory
  • Space Acquisitions: DOD Faces Significant Challenges as it Seeks to Address Threats and Accelerate Space Programs (html). U.S. Government Accountability Office GAO-19-482T. Published: Apr 03, 2019. Publicly Released: Apr 03, 2019. Full report (pdf)
  • United States Space Force (USSF)
  • CubeSat Kit Home, with pricelist!
  • Flight Proven Subsystems & CubeSat Components | NanoAvionics
  • “Achieving Science with CubeSats: Thinking Inside the Box”, 2016 (html) | The National Academies Press
  • NASA Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Handbook (html) (pdf), January 2018

CubeSat.org

  • CubeSat.org | Cal Poly CubeSat Laboratory at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
  • CubeSat Developers Workshop (CDW). This Year:  April 26–28, 2022.
  • CubeSat Design Specification (pdf) 02-09-2022 (1U – 12U), REV 14.1, CP-CDS-R14.1.
  • CubeSat – YouTube.

US GAO: National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

U.S. GAO – Weapon Systems Annual Assessment: Knowledge Gaps Pose Risks to Sustaining Recent Positive Trends 04-25-2018 (html) (Highlights pdf) (Full Report pdf). We report annually on the programs DOD uses to buy its 86 major weapon systems— which are worth $1.66 trillion. We looked at changes to DOD’s weapon system portfolio since our 2017 report, including DOD’s progress implementing purchasing reforms.

U.S. GAO – Nuclear Weapons: NNSA Should Further Develop Cost, Schedule, and Risk Information for the W87-1 Warhead Program 09-23-2020 (html) (Highlights pdf) (Full Report pdf).  The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) plans to replace the W78—an older type of nuclear warhead used in intercontinental ballistic missiles—with the W87-1, starting in 2030. But it’s unclear if NNSA can produce enough of the W87-1’s fissile cores in time to meet its planned production schedule. The GAO recommendations address these and other concerns. See “Explore Related Key Issues” on bottom right.

Nuclear Enterprise: DOD and NNSA Could Further Enhance How They Manage Risk and Prioritize Efforts (html) | U.S. GAO.  GAO-22-104061, Published: Jan 20, 2022. Publicly Released: Jan 20, 2022. Highlights Page (1 page) (pdf), Full Report (59 pages) (pdf), Accessible PDF (68 pages) (pdf).

National Nuclear Security Administration: Actions Needed to Improve Usefulness of Common Financial Data (html) | U.S. GAO. GAO-22-104810 Published: Feb 17, 2022. Publicly Released: Feb 17, 2022. Highlights Page (1 page) (pdf), Full Report (49 pages) (pdf), Accessible PDF (55 pages) (pdf).

Nuclear Security Enterprise: NNSA Could Enhance Its Evaluation of Manufacturing-Related R&D Performance (html) | U.S. GAO. GAO-22-104506 Published: May 20, 2022. Publicly Released: May 20, 2022. Highlights Page (1 page) (pdf),  Full Report (47 pages) (pdf), Accessible PDF (51 pages) (pdf).

Nuclear Security Enterprise: NNSA Should Use Portfolio Management Leading Practices to Support Modernization Efforts (html) | U.S. GAO. GAO-21-398 Published: Jun 09, 2021. Publicly Released: Jun 09, 2021. Highlights Page (1 page) (pdf), Full Report (52 pages) (pdf), Accessible PDF (61 pages) (pdf).

Defining the Next Era of Mechanical CAD – Matière à Réflexion?

Every high-tech endeavor needs Computer Aided Design (CAD). Is it time to move forward from decades-old design? An interesting, if somewhat opinionated, perhaps biased or maybe narrow discourse that got many wondering about the future of mechanical CAD, and what are the issues, concerns and problems that need to be addressed?

A New Era for Mechanical CAD (html) (pdf)| Jessie Frazelle, October 2021, Vol. 64 No. 10, Pages 36-39 | 10.1145/3464909 | Communications of the ACM (CACM) | Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).

Oddly, maybe embarrassingly for ACM some of the links appear to be erroneous / useless, here is a slightly earlier version of the article with seemingly correct links:

A New Era for Mechanical CAD: Time to move forward from decades-old design (html) (pdf) | June 6, 2021, Volume 19, issue 2 March-April 2021| ACM Queue.

Some related topics / other info:

  • Jessie Frazelle (html) – Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer – Oxide Computer Company (html) | LinkedIn
  • Jessie Frazelle (@jessfraz) / Twitter
  • A New Era for Mechanical CAD (html) | Hacker News
  • The State of Product Development and Hardware Design 2021: The biggest challenges facing today’s engineering and manufacturing teams – and their top priorities for improving business agility 2021 (pdf), 2020 (pdf) | onshape | PTC 
  • [2105.02769] Computer-Aided Design as Language (html) (pdf)| Google [Research | AI | DeepMind], Onshape | arXiv.org
  • Teaching Experiments for Engineering Education Based on Cloud Cad Software (html) (pdf) 27 July 2021 | International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED), ICED21 16-20 August 2021, Gothenburg, Sweden | Proceedings of the Design Society (html) | Cambridge Core (html)
  • Comparative analysis of CAD software packages for engineering design (html) (pdf) | I A Magomedov et al 2021 IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng. 1155 012083
  • Investigating and Characterising Variability in CAD Modelling and its Potential Impact on Editability: An Exploratory Study (html) | Computer-Aided Design & Applications (html), 18(6), 2021, 1306-1326 (pdf)| University of Bristol (html)
  • CAD-Automation in Automotive Development – Potentials, Limits and Challenges (pdf), Computer-Aided Design & Applications (html), 18(4), 2021, 849-863
  • The Cost of Change in Parametric Modeling: A Roadmap (pdf) | Computer-Aided Design & Applications (html), 18(3), 2021, 634-643
  • A Conceptual Model for Joint Graphic Representation of Mechatronic Systems with Servomechanisms (html) (pdf) | Appl. Sci. 2021, 11, 2310.
  • PTC’s Cloud CAD Dilemma: A Mess to Get Through, or the Path to Success? (html) May 28, 2021 | Engineering.com
  • CIMdata eBook: Sponsored by Razorleaf and Aras: Achieving the Most from Model-Based Enterprise Implementations: The Razorleaf Approach (pdf) (pdf), 04-2021 
  • LOTAR – Long Term Archiving and Retrieval | LOTAR is an international consortium of Aerospace manufacturers, jointly facilitated by AIA, ASD-Stan, AFNeT, prostep ivip and PDES, Inc. The prime objective is the creation and deployment of the EN/NAS 9300 series of standards for long-term archiving and retrieval of digital data, based on standardized approaches and solutions. The integration of LOTAR requirements into software tools is ensured by close cooperation with the MBx Interoperability Forum and the PDM Implementor Forum.
  • BRL-CAD, the world’s oldest open-source software system (html) December 5, 2012 | The United States Army (Army.mil)
  • 60 Years of CAD Infographic: The History of CAD since 1957 (html) | CADENAS PARTsolutions
  • Preserving Computer-Aided Design (CAD) (pdf), DPC Technology Watch Report 13-02 April 2013, DPC Technology Watch Series, Alex Ball | Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC)

Aerospace & Defense industry – General

The vast Aerospace & Defense and High-Tech related industries that have much to offer for the future are briefly discussed in the following sections.

US Navy Has A Stealthy Solar Energy Electric Aircraft Up Its Sleeve (html) 04-22-2022 | CleanTechnica. The US Navy is eyeballing solar energy and a hydrogen fuel cell for infinite flight. The idea of an aircraft that can fly on solar energy is not new, but it looks like Skydweller USA, a subsidiary of the Spanish company Skydweller Aero Inc., is taking it to the next level. The US Department of Energy (DOE) and other agencies have been studying the feasibility of an “infinity” fuel cell that regenerates its own hydrogen such as the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) which is not the same as DARPA, the Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency. DARPA gets behind early-stage research that skittish private sector dollars won’t support. DIU focuses on commercial-ready technology that could be applied to national security sooner rather than later.

  • Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (html) | Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) | US Department of Energy (DOE).
  • Solar Energy Technologies Office (html) | Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) | US Department of Energy (DOE).
  • Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Commercial Technology for National Security. We’re a fast-moving Department of Defense organization that contracts with commercial companies to solve national security problems. We award scalable contracts to companies offering solutions to national security challenges across a variety of technology areas.
  • Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Creating Breakthrough Technologies and Capabilities for National Security.

Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Program and Related Programs

Army Aviation: There’s More to Future Vertical Lift Than the Airframes (html) 04-19-2022 | Forbes. U.S. Army will select the first of two new rotorcraft designed to replace much of the joint helicopter fleet. The first, provide a successor to the ubiquitous UH-60 Black Hawk. The Army operates 2,000 Black Hawks and hundreds more are operated by the Air Force, Navy and allies. The second new Army rotorcraft the is a smaller armed reconnaissance helicopter to replace the retired OH-58 Kiowa scout. The Future Vertical Lift (FVL), as the overall program is called, is a truly gamechanger for the domestic rotorcraft industry as other major programs and initiatives for Aviation, Aerospace & Defense modular reusable sustainable architectures and related technologies:

  • Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA)
  • Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA)
  • Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (FTUAS)
  • Joint All Domain Operations (JADO) Capable Mission Systems
  • Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL)
  • Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Consortium

Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Family of Systems (html) – USAASC United States Acquisition Support Center. Future Vertical Lift (FVL) is a family of vertical lift solutions that will deliver next generation capabilities at the tactical, operational and strategic levels. They will enable joint force mission effectiveness in the transregional multidomain and multifunctional threat environment. The FVL Family of Systems seeks to improve vertical lift dominance by improving performance and optimizing affordability, life cycle management, interoperability and supportability. The U.S. Army is the lead service for the development of Future Long Range Advanced Aircraft, a medium size Assault/Utility aircraft, and the first of five Capability Sets that will provide improved speed, range, agility, endurance and sustainability over current rotorcraft.

U.S. Air Force Doctrine > Home.  A Quick Introduction to Doctrine – The Air Force provides the United States with airpower. To achieve this, our Air Force doctrine provides Airmen with the historically proven best practices learned through experience. These foundational basics allow us to respond more quickly to operations in today’s changing world environment, freeing commanders and planners to think about larger issues such as strategy, operational art, and objectives. Doctrine Related Video Content on Air University’s YouTube Channel, Playlist USAFDoctrine. Frequently Asked Questions.

Department of Defense (DOD), March 2022, Summary Of The Joint All-Domain Command & Control (JADC2) Strategy (pdf).

Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) (pdf), Updated January 21, 2022 | Congressional Research Service (CRS) | U.S. Congress.

Air Force Doctrine Publication 3-99. Space Doctrine Publication 3-99. The Department of the Air Force Role in Joint All-Domain Operations (pdf), 19 November 2021.

Annex 3-99 Department of the Airforce Role in Joint All-Domain Operations (JADO).A framework For Air and Space Components Supporting Joint All-Domain Operations (JADO) (pdf) 10-08-2020.

Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE™) | The Open Group Website. The Open Group Future Airborne Capability Environment Consortium is a government and industry partnership to define an open avionics environment for all military airborne platform types.

Open Group Standard. Technical Standard for Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE™) (pdf), Edition 2.1.1. NAVAIR Public Release 2014-256.

Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) (html) – Wikipedia.

NAVAIR Employees Elected To Serve As Navy Representatives In Avionics Consortium (html) 07-14-2022 – The BayNet.

Open for Business: FACE™ Goes Live (html) | NAVAIR.

Technical Report RDMR-AD-16-01. Joint Common Architecture Demonstration (JCA Demo) Final Report (pdf). Aviation Development Directorate. Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center, July 2016 | Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC).

Special Report RDMR-AD-16-01. Background Information and User’s Guide (BIUG) For Handling Qualities Requirements for Military Rotorcraft (pdf).  Aviation Development Directorate-AFDD. Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035. Systems Technology, Inc., Hawthorne, CA 90250.  December 2015 | Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC).

Unmanned Vertical Take off and Landing (VTOL) Propulsion: Scalability of Quadcopter RotorMotor Configurations Outside the Small UAS (sUAS) Regime (html) (pdf) ARL-CR-0848 ● May 2020 | Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC).

The Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Program will reshape the US domestic rotorcraft industry and involve all of major players around the globe as well:

  • Future Vertical Lift: Revolutionizing Army Aviation (html) | Lockheed Martin Sikorsky. S-97 RAIDER X, Lockheed Martin Sikorsky-Boeing SB> DEFIANT, SB>1 DEFIANT, RAIDER DEFIANT, DEFIANT X.
  • Future Vertical Lift (html) – Northrop Grumman. Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (FTUAS), Joint All Domain Operations (JADO) Capable Mission Systems, Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL).
  • Future Vertical Lift – FVL (html) | Collins Aerospace.
  • Bell & the US Army Modernize with Future Vertical Lift (FVL) (html) | Bell Flight. BELL V-280 VALOR, Bell 360 Invictus.
  • Boeing: Future Vertical Lift (html).
  • Thales Group. Decision Dominance for Legacy and Future Vertical Lift (html). Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) Consortium.
  • BAE Systems. Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Solutions (html).
  • The Association of the United States Army (AUSA). vertical lift (html).
  • Vertical Flight Society () – Future Vertical Lift ().
  • Future Vertical Lift (html) – Wikipedia.
  • US, UK armies agree to share future vertical lift program info (html) 02-14-2022 | Article | The United States Army.
  • Army is nearing critical points on its path to fielding two Future Vertical Lift (FVL) aircraft, both a Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) and a Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) by 2030 – 2021 | Defense News.
  • Army Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Program (pdf) 07-13-2021, IF11367 | Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports.
  • Defense Primer: United States Airpower (pdf) 10-26-2021, IF10546 | Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports.

Airbus – Future Technologies

Solar flight | Airbus.

Airbus lays the foundations for future urban air mobility in Germany with the Air Mobility Initiative (html) (pdf) 05-04-2022 | Airbus. Development of advanced air mobility, leading companies, universities, and research institutions as well as municipalities are joining forces under the leadership of Airbus to form the Air Mobility Initiative (AMI). The members of the Air Mobility Initiative include Airbus, City of Ingolstadt, Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Flugsicherung, Diehl Aerospace, Droniq, Munich Airport, Red Cross, and Telekom.

Airbus lays foundations for Urban Air Mobility in Germany with the Air Mobility Initiative (html) – eVTOL Insights.  Airbus has created the Air Mobility Initiative (AMI), which will set up a series of research projects aimed at making Urban Air Mobility within and between cities in Germany a reality.

Amazon – Communities, Innovation and Sustainability:

  • Amazon, Alphabet and Others Are Quietly Rolling Out Drone Delivery Across America (html)  04-04-2022 – WSJ. Drone companies have been cleared to expand their operations across the U.S., in cities as well as rural areas, at the same time their tech has become faster and more reliable.
  • Amazon plans to deliver 500 million packages a year via drones – Latest Retail Technology News From Across The Globe (html) 03-31-2022 – Charged. Amazon is hoping to deliver 500 million packages a year via its drone delivery program Prime Air, leaked documents shared with Business Insider reveal.
  • It’s 2022: Where are the drone deliveries we were promised? (html) 03-17-2022 | TNW. We’re still waiting for the last mile dream.
  • Amazon, UPS, Domino’s & the Future of Drone Delivery Services (html) 01-06-2022 | Business Insider. Why Amazon, UPS and even Domino’s is investing in drone delivery services.
  • Introducing the $1 billion Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund (html) 04-21-2022 | About Amazon. Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund (AIIF). This new fund is one of the ways Amazon continues to invest, along with many other initiatives, such as the MARS and re:MARS conferences that Amazon hosts every year.
  • Amazon.com | Science | R&D: Amazon Prime Air Delivery (html).

EASA | European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

  • EASA | European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
  • EASA Overview.
  • Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) | EASA European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

Aircraft & aeronautical products covered:

  • medium & large jets
  • turboprop aircraft
  • light aircraft
  • rotary-wing aircraft (helicopters, gyroplanes)
  • light sport aircraft (balloons, gliders, airships, civilian drones)
  • engines, propellers, flight simulators
  • some military aircraft (e.g. the A400M airlifter)

European Space Agency (ESA)

  • European Space Agency (ESA).
  • ESA – ESA Academy’s CubeSat Summer School 2022 (html)
  • ESA – Call for applications for the ESA Academy’s CubeSat Hands-On Training Week 2022 (html).
  • ESA – CubeSats (html).
  • Home – Earth Online | ESA.
  • CubeSat – Launch 1 (html) – eoPortal Directory – Satellite Missions.

FAI – Fédération Aéronautique Internationale – World Air Sports Federation

FAI – Fédération Aéronautique Internationale – World Air Sports Federation.

Electrically- and Solar-powered Aircraft (html) | FAI Amateur-Built & Experimental Aircraft Commission (CIACA) | FAI – Fédération Aéronautique Internationale – World Air Sports Federation.

General Innovation, Technology, Aviation Work of the Future

General information related to Innovation, Technology, Aviation, Aerospace & Defense Future

  • Joby Aviation | Joby. Electric Aerial Ridesharing.
  • Supernal – Advanced Air Mobility. Supernal is reimagining mobility.
  • Eviation – Eviation Alice. Built to make flight the sustainable, affordable, quiet solution to regional travel.
  • Vertical Aerospace – Pioneering electric aviation – Vertical Aerospace. Vertical is pioneering electric aviation.
  • Home — Archer. Archer Takes to the Skies with First Hover Flight of Maker Aircraft
  • JetZero. Clear Skies Ahead. JetZero is currently working with NASA on plans for sustainable aircraft that will soon make zero emissions flight a reality.
  • Boom – Supersonic Passenger Airplanes. Supersonic is here.
  • FlySavion. The future is on-demand.
  • Universal Hydrogen | Fueling Carbon-Free Flight.
  • Volocopter brings urban air mobility to life. WE BRING URBAN Air mobility to your life.
  • Volansi – FLY ANYTHING ANYWHERE.
  • Zipline – Instant Logistics. Instantly anywhere.
  • Dash Systems. Air Cargo Deliveries Direct Anywhere in the World.
  • Airspace Link – Safer, Scalable Drone Solutions. For Pilots, Communities and Businesses. Detroit’s Airspace Link Announces $23.1M Series B Investment (html) 06-23-2022 – DBusiness Magazine.
  • Lilium Air Mobility – Lilium. Building radically better ways of moving.
  • Wingcopter GmbH – Technology with a Purpose.
  • Heart Aerospace | Electrifying regional air travel.
  • Aeromobil. Be. The. Experience. Be part of making history.
  • BETA Home – BETA. The Future of Flight. The ALIA electric vertical aircraft is just simple enough to be revolutionary.
  • Odys Aviation | Skip the Airport. Cut door-to-door travel times in half.
  • Skydweller – Perpetual flight was once considered impossible. That assumption only energizes us to Innovate Create Solve Prove Deliver.
  • Skydweller Aero | LinkedIn.
  • Skydweller Aero (@Skydweller_Aero) / Twitter.
  • Wisk – The Future of Tomorrow Begins Here. Sitting in traffic will soon be a thing of the past. With over a decade of piloted and autonomous flight experience, we’ve created the world’s first all-electric, self-flying, vertical takeoff and landing air taxi. From day one, we’ve employed a safety-first approach.
  • Kitty Hawk – Democratize the Skies. Kittyhawk is building a single-person, remotely-piloted electric aircraft with the goal of making airtaxis affordable, ubiquitous and eco-conscious. Currently flight testing three days a week, our R&D aircraft, called H2, has flown a hundred miles on a single charge and up to 180 mph. N243HV.
  • teTra – teTra aviation corp. teTra is an aircraft manufacturing start-up based in Tokyo, Japan. We are creating a truly valuable personal transportation service. (Mk-5 concept image, you can see an actual Mk-5 at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2021). teTra は東京に本拠地を置く航空機を製造しているスタートアップです. 私たちは真に価値のあるパーソナルな移動体験を開発しています.
  • Urban Aeronautics – A city culture of flight. Building seamless pathways to the sky with safe and eco-friendly city-scale aircraft. RIGOROUSLY TESTED. FOR SAFETY & EFFICIENCY. Full-scale autonomous vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) demonstrator with Fancraft™️ technology. Over 300 test flights.
  • AeroVironment, Inc. | Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), Tactical Missile Systems, Unmanned Ground Vehicles. Aerovironment Stands With the People of Ukraine and All of NATO. Makers of Switchblade Tactical Missile Systems used in Ukraine.
  • Daedalean / Home. Daedalean AI | LinkedIn. Daedalean AI (@DaedaleanAI) / Twitter.
  • EHang | Autonomous Aerial Vehicle (AAV) Innovator for Urban Air Mobility (UAM).
  • Merlin Labs | Home. All of the sky, none of the limits. Merlin Labs is building the autonomous infrastructure for the sky above us, enabling goods, and eventually people, to fly without a human pilot on board.
  • JetZero – Journal of Aircraft | Editors (html) | Aerospace Research Central (ARC) | American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). John C. Vassberg is the Chief Design Officer of JetZero, a new start-up focused on dramatically reducing aircraft emissions for the commercial transport industry. John C. Vassberg is the Chief Design Officer of JetZero, a new start-up focused on dramatically reducing aircraft emissions for the commercial transport industry.
  • Reliable Robotics. At Reliable Robotics we are working to expand everyone’s  access to air transportation. Reliable Robotics Corporation | LinkedIn. Reliable Robotics (@reliable_robot) / Twitter.
  • Skyryse. Safety through simplicity. Fly like a multi-pilot crew, without the crew.
  • Solar Flight Inc. – Solar powered aircraft.
  • Supernal – Advanced Air Mobility. Supernal is reimagining mobility.
  • Venus Aerospace :: A New Approach to Hypersonic Transportation.
  • Xwing – The Future of Aviation. Closer Than You Think.

An electric aircraft just flew from New York to Arkansas (html) 06-02-2022 | Popular Science. An electric aircraft just completed a journey of 1,403 miles. The plane from Beta Technologies began its travels in New York and flew all the way to Arkansas, making seven stops along the way and spanning six states.

The First Electric Airplane That You Can Fast-Charge Like Your Tesla Is Coming Soon (html) 05-05-2022 | yahoo!finance. Diamond Aircraft’s eDA40 is the result of several years’ worth of experimentation and testing of both hybrid and pure electric systems.

Would you fly in this electric airplane by yourself? (html) 09-23-2021 | Popular Science. Kitty Hawk’s electric airplane will fly you around—with no pilot. Check out Heaviside, an air taxi designed to someday transport just one brave soul from point A to B.

UCF to Lead $10M NASA Project to Develop Zero-Carbon Jet Engines (html) 01-27-2022| University of Central Florida (UCF) News. The innovation, which will run on ammonia, may revolutionize propulsion systems for commercial aviation and will help reach a carbon-free future.

What Is A Solar Powered Airplane? (html) 07-08-2022 | Science ABC.

Inside the First Solar-Powered Flight Around the World (html) 01-31-2018 | Innovation | Smithsonian Magazine.

History of Solar flight (pdf) André Noth, Autonomous Systems Lab, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich (ETHZ).

laszlo nemeth’s falcon solar plane concept is shaped like a bird of prey (html) 04-04-2022 | Designboom.

This solar-powered aircraft is an aerodynamic commercial flyer of the future (html) 04-01-2022 – Yanko Design.

SciELO – Brazil – Review of Power Device for Solar-Powered Aircraft Applications Review of Power Device for Solar-Powered Aircraft Applications (html) (pdf) | Journal of Aerospace Technology and Management (JATM).

Unmanned systems for air, land, sea applications | Leonardo – Unmanned Systems. Unmanned systems for air, land and sea applications across both civil and military sectors, used in Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions and for threat simulation training.

Denso, Honeywell Co-developing Motor for Lilium’s All-electric Jet (html) 06-06-2022 – DBusiness Magazine.

Alphabet – Google

Google – Communities, Innovation and Sustainability.

  • Alphabet | Google.
  • Cloud Computing Services | Google Cloud. Dream, build, and transform with Google Cloud. Build apps faster, make smarter business decisions, and connect people anywhere.
  • Solutions built for teachers and students | Google for Education. To help expand learning for everyone. Working to support education through our products, programs, and philanthropy.
  • Innovation Lab (iLab) | Google. Innovation Lab  2021-2022. “The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.”    ~Henry Ford.
  • Join our global startup community – Google for Startups. A thriving startup network. Connect with product experts, fellow founders and potential investors through Google’s startup community.
  • Google Research | Google | Alphabet. Advancing the state of the art. Google Research tackles challenges that define the technology of today and tomorrow.
  • Home – Waymo | Google. We’re building the World’s Most Experienced Driver.
  • Google Scholar. Stand on the shoulders of giants.
  • Research – Google AI. Advancing the state of the art. We work on computer science problems that define the technology of today and tomorrow.
  • Google AI Blog. The latest from Google AI Research.
  • Google Safety Center – Stay Safer Online. We keep more people safe online than anyone else in the world. Billions of people turn to Google for help in moments big and small. And it’s our responsibility to protect their privacy and security with products that are secure by default, private by design and keep you in control.
  • Philanthropy Programs for Underserved Communities – Google.org. We bring the best of Google to help solve some of humanity’s biggest challenges — combining funding, innovation, and technical expertise to support underserved communities and provide opportunity for everyone.
  • The Keyword (blog) | Google.
  • An Innovation Challenge for Europe (html) 04-27-2022. This new program follows the GNI’s previous initiative for the region, the Digital News Innovation Fund. The DNI Fund supported 662 ambitious projects.
  • X, the moonshot factory. Google. We create radical new technologies  to solve some of the world’s hardest problems.
  • Advanced Technology & Projects (ATAP) | Google. We’re inventing the future of hardware. Advanced Technology & Projects is Google’s hardware invention studio. We are a group of engineers, scientists, artists and designers working together to turn new ideas into finished products that change the way we relate to technology.
  • Google Open Source. We bring all the value of open source to Google and all the resources of Google to open source.
  • Ford and Google to Accelerate Auto Innovation, Reinvent Connected Vehicle Experience (html) 02-01-2021 | Ford Media Center | Ford Motor Company.
  • Google Sustainability. Carbon neutral since 2007. Carbon free by 2030. SUSTAINABLE WITH GOOGLE. Helping every day be more sustainable with Google.
  • Google’s Product Sustainability Approach (html) – Google Store.
  • Alphabet (Google | Google Research)| Wing. Drone delivery when you need it.
  • Alphabet’s Wing will begin drone deliveries in Dallas-Fort Worth on April 7th (html) 04-04-2022 | Engadget. Wing’s primary launch customer is Walgreens, which will deliver health and wellness products directly to customer’s homes. For that, it will use a new operational model where drones are staged at one of its own store parking lots, rather than a Wing facility.

Hydrogen Infrastructure

These countries could become world leaders in clean hydrogen (html) 02-14-2022 | World Economic Forum (WEF). The race is on to adopt hydrogen technologies, with some countries positioning to become tomorrow’s hydrogen superpowers.

Germany to spend $220 billion for industrial transformation by 2026 (html) 05-06-2022 | Reuters.

Germany leads pack of countries pouring finance into hydrogen (html) 03-24-2022 | IHS Markit.

Hydrogen General Assembly 2022 – development of the hydrogen economy takes off (html) 06-07-2022 – NOW GmbH.

Germany Can Lead a Green Hydrogen Revolution (html) 06-13-2022 – BRINK – Conversations and Insights on Global Business | Insights | Marsh McLennan.

Microsoft

Microsoft – Communities, Innovation and Sustainability:

National Aeronautics and Space (NASA)

Sunglider Builds on Legacy of Solar Aircraft (html) 03-23-2021 | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

NASA to Launch Capstone, a 55-Pound CubeSat to the Moon (html) 06-26-2022 – The New York Times.

NASA-Supported Advanced Laser Communications CubeSat Readies for Launch (html) 07-11-2022 | NASA.

CubeSats Overview (html) | NASA

NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative (html) | NASA

NASA – URBAN AIR MOBILITY (UAM) MARKET STUDY 2018 (pdf).

NASA Urban Air Mobility Market Study (html) (html) (pdf) 2018-11-21. The Booz Allen (html) Team explored market size and potential barriers to Urban Air Mobility (UAM) by focusing on three potential markets – Airport Shuttle, Air Taxi, and Air Ambulance. We found that the Airport Shuttle and Air Taxi markets are viable, with a significant total available market value in the U.S. of $500 billion, for a fully unconstrained scenario. In this unconstrained best-case scenario, passengers would have the ability to access and fly a UAM at any time, from any location to any destination, without being hindered by constraints such as weather, infrastructure, or traffic volume. Significant legal and regulatory, weather, certification, public perception, and infrastructure constraints exist, which reduce the market potential for these applications to only about 0.5% of the total available market, or $2.5 billion, in the near term. However, we determined that these constraints can be addressed through ongoing intra-governmental partnerships, government and industry collaboration, strong industry commitment, and existing legal and regulatory enablers. We found that the Air Ambulance market is not a viable market if served by electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles due to technology constraints but may potentially be viable if a hybrid VTOL aircraft are utilized.

  • Spinoff 2022 (pdf) NASA technology Transfer Program
  • NASA Spinoff 2022 Has Landed (html) | T2 Portal
  • Other Spinoff Resources (html) | NASA Spinoff.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Centers and Facilities

First 10 (1-10) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Centers and Facilities

Second 10 (11-20) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Centers and Facilities

Or Get Info on Visiting NASA

NASA – NASA Dryden Fact Sheets – Dryden Flight Research Center (html) | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Space Development Agency (SDA)

Space Development Agency (SDA) – Increasing Warfighters’ Lethality, Maneuverability, and Survivability. Speed. Delivery. Agility. Recognized as the Department of Defense’s constructive disruptor for space acquisition, the Space Development Agency (SDA) will quickly deliver needed space-based capabilities to the joint warfighter to support terrestrial missions through development, fielding, and operation of the National Defense Space Architecture. SDA capitalizes on a unique business model that values speed and lowers costs by harnessing commercial development to achieve a proliferated architecture and enhance resilience. SDA will deliver a minimum viable product – on time, every two years- by employing spiral development methods, adding capabilities to future generations as the threat evolves.

Space Development Agency (html) – Wikipedia.

Iridium and General Dynamics submit joint bid for Space Development Agency contract (html) 04-23-2022 – SpaceNews.

Toyota

Toyota Tsusho and Zipline launch autonomous deliveries of medicines in Japan (html) 04-23-2022 – Urban Air Mobility News.

Toyota and Joby Aviation are Flying to New Heights Together (html) 01-16-2020 | Corporate | Global Newsroom | Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website.

Urban Air Mobility – General

Urban Air Mobility Market Size & Share (html) | Industry Report, (2022-2030) | MarketsandMarkets™. The urban air mobility market is projected to grow from USD 2.6 billion in 2022 to USD 28.3 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 34.3% from 2022 to 2030.

Urban Air Mobility (html) | Roland Berger. How air taxis and freight drones are revolutionizing the future of transportation. Urban Air Mobility (UAM) stands for the expansion of urban mobility into the third dimension: the air. While we have only known taxis on the street up to now, (passenger) drones are tapping into the sky as a new mode of transport step by step. This could relieve the strain on many chronically overburdened infrastructures such as those in cities with a rapidly growing population. Cities such as Dubai, Singapore, Los Angeles, and Dallas have already been experimenting with Urban Air Mobility projects for some time.

Urban Air Mobility (pdf) 2019 | KPMG. Getting Mobility Off the Ground. Urban air mobility is poised to take off as a premium service option in the world’s largest most congested cities.

Urban Air Mobility (html) | Airbus. Taking urban transport into the sky. Urban air mobility leverages the sky to better link people to cities and regions, giving them more possibilities to connect. At Airbus, we believe urban air mobility can positively contribute to a multimodal mobility system. As urban transport heads into the sky, sustainable city development becomes possible and loved ones are no longer quite so far away. Urban air mobility: safe, sustainable and convenient.

Flying Car and Autonomous Aircraft Research 2019 (html) | Morgan Stanley. In a new BluePaper, Morgan Stanley Research says autonomous urban aircraft may no longer be the stuff of comic books. Accelerating tech advances and investment could create a $1.5 trillion market by 2040.

Urban air mobility: A comprehensive review and comparative analysis with autonomous and electric ground transportation for informing future research (html) (pdf) – ScienceDirect. Urban air mobility (UAM), if successful, will disrupt urban transportation. UAM is not the first disruptive technology in transportation, with recent examples including electric ground vehicles (EVs), autonomous ground vehicles (AVs), and sharing services. In this paper, we conduct a meta-analysis of about 800 articles in the UAM, EV, and AV areas that have been published from January 2015 to June 2020, and compare and contrast research thrusts in order to inform future UAM research.

Analysis of the definition of Urban Air Mobility – how its attributes impact on the development of the concept 2021 (html) (pdf) – ScienceDirect.

Urban Air Mobility Research and Technology 2020 (html) | National Academies. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will convene an ad hoc committee to assess the feasibility of a safe and efficient urban air mobility (UAM) system. Advancing Aerial Mobility: A National Blueprint (html). Advanced aerial mobility is a newly emerging industry that aims to develop and operate new air vehicles potentially capable of safe, reliable, and low-noise vertical flight. The world has seen a recent increase in the adoption of electric vertical lift aircraft for urban, suburban and rural operations. These new innovations and technologies change the way that we move cargo and people, affecting industries across the economy. These changes will challenge today’s airspace monitoring systems and regulatory environment. The U.S. government and its regulatory agencies need technical guidance to facilitate the development of these technologies, and to create the regulatory framework to foster the growth of this vertical flight industry to the benefit of the aviation industry.

Home – Innovative Mobility Research. Understanding the social and environmental impacts of transportation.

Competition heats up in urban air mobility market (html) 05-21-2022 | Korea Times.

Urban Air Mobility global market 2030 predicted at USD 28 billion (html) – Urban Air Mobility News.

A milestone year for future air mobility (html) 02-08-2022 | McKinsey & Company (html).

Total Addressable Market Size for Urban Air Mobility Industry is USD 15.54 Billion in 2030 (html) – EIN Presswire.

HFW | Future of Flight series: Urban air mobility (html) (pdf) – Future of Flight Series: Urban Air Mobility – Challenges and Change.

Urban Air Mobility (html) – Wikipedia.

Sustainability | Free Full-Text | Advanced Air Mobility: Demand Analysis and Market Potential of the Airport Shuttle and Air Taxi Markets (html) (pdf) 07-02-2021.

Assembling the Future of Urban Air Mobility (html) | 2022-02-14 | ASSEMBLY. Lightweight battery-powered aircraft are ready for take-off.

Hyundai Urban Air Mobility (UAM)

Hyundai gets $1.8B in aid to build electric cars in Georgia (html) 07-23-2022 | Detroit news. The state of Georgia and local governments are giving $1.8 billion in tax breaks and other incentives to Hyundai Motor Group in exchange for the automaker building its first U.S. plant dedicated to electric vehicles near Savannah, according to the signed agreement disclosed Friday.

Urban Air Mobility (html) | Hyundai. Human-Centered Urban Air Mobility Concept. Our vision for urban transportation. Based on three interconnected mobility solutions, Hyundai aims to free future cities and people from the constraints of time and distance and allow them to inject more opportunities into their day-to-day.

UAM – Hyundai Motor Group TECH. How will technology shape your future? The future mobility technology of Hyundai Motor Group is all about pursuing an innovative lifestyle that enables people to achieve more valuable objectives, breaking the limits of time and space. Connectivity is the core of future mobility solutions; people get to experience innovative mobility within the ecosystem that connects different types of mobility. One example would be Urban Air Mobility (UAM) that flies in the sky freely. In a future city, you can fly to the Hub through the city skyscrapers in an UAM, then transfer to an eco-friendly autonomous vehicle right away. Hyundai Motor Group is leading the way in developing safe and convenient UAM for urban uses.

Urban Air Mobility Division of Hyundai Motor Group and ANRA Technologies Launch Partnership to Develop Advanced Air Mobility Air Traffic Operating Environment (html) | Hyundai.

Hyundai Motor to Accelerate Urban Air Mobility Test Flights (html) | Hyundai.

Hyundai and Rolls-Royce team up to electrify air mobility (html) 07-18-2022 | electrek. Hyundai Motor Group and Rolls-Royce team up to help electrify the future of air mobility. Hyundai Motor Group and Rolls-Royce Holdings have announced the mutual signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to work together to integrate all-electric propulsion into the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) market. The parties look to combine Rolls-Royce’s expertise in aviation with Hyundai’s BEV and hydrogen fuel cell technology to develop and certify zero-emission vehicles for urban and regional air travel.

U.S. Space Force

U.S. Space Force (html) – Semper Supra (Always Above).

Workforce of the Future

  • Workforce of the Future initiative (html) | Brookings.
  • 5 traits of the workforce of the future (html) | MIT Sloan.
  • OECD Future of Work (html) – OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
  • Managing the Future of Work (html)  – Harvard Business School (HBS).
  • Building From the Bottom Up – Managing the Future of Work (html) (pdf) – Harvard Business School (HBS). What business can do to strengthen the bottom line by investing in front-line workers.
  • Future of Work Means Always Looking For Your Next Job (html)  04-11-2022 | TIME. When the Future of Work Means Always Looking For Your Next Job.
  • Future of Work (html) | Navigating the Future of Remote Working | BCG Boston Consulting Group.
  • What ‘upskilling’ means for the future of work (html)  04-18-2022 – BBC Worklife.
  • The Future of Work (html) – Harvard University.
  • Homepage – MIT Work of the Future.
  • Future of Work (html) | MIT Sloan Management Review (html).
  • Why ‘the future of AI is the future of work’ (html) 01-31-2022 | MIT Sloan Management Review (html).
  • Future of Work (html) | MIT Technology Review (html).

Department of the Air Force Vision – Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) Digital Campaign

Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) Digital Campaign (html). The Department of the Air Force Vision is, “A digitally-empowered Air Force equipped with an agile workforce, state-of-the-art technologies, and intuitive processes that drive model-based enterprise decision-making, enable automation, institutionalize open architectures, and leverage authoritative models and data to ensure seamless stakeholder collaboration across the acquisition lifecycle.”  The Space Force Digital Vision is, “An interconnected, innovative, digitally dominant force.” This includes all functions, from acquisition to sustainment and beyond, not just engineering.

The End Game:  To deliver capabilities to our Air and Space Force at ever increasing speed and efficiency by designing, sustaining, and modernizing them in an integrated digital environment.

  • Acquisition chief calls for disruptive agility, new digital paradigm (html)
  • AFMC Digital Campaign aims to modernize, streamline life cycle process (html)
  • Guide serves as digital campaign repository (html)
  • Part #1 – Information technology infrastructure provides foundation digital change (html)
  • Part #2 – Integrated Digital Environment provides glue for digital campaign (html)
  • Part #3 – Architecture models shorter production times (html
  • Part #4 – Processes, strategies track cradle-to-grave lifecycle (html)
  • Part #5 – Restructured guidance, policies drive digital transformation (html)
  • Part #6 – Campaign final push addresses cultural, resource changes (html)
  • AF Digital Campaign Virtual Industry Exchange Day (pdf). LOE #0 Integrated Environment – IT Infrastructure – summary

Describing Some “Pros” & “Cons” of the USAF Digital Air Force

There is No Spoon: _The New Digital Acquisition Reality (pdf), Dr. Will Roper, 7 Oct 2020.

Describing the “Pros” of the USAF Digital Air Force

United States Air Force White Paper, July 2019 The Digital Air Force (pdf). The National Defense Strategy is clear—we face a future of rapid technological change and an evolving character of war. To prevail over our competitors, we must confidently embrace the revolutionary power of the Information Age. This will require a fundamental change in how we manage and share information, and we will drive this change throughout the force. Ultimately, we must move beyond antiquated processes, systems, and mindsets. We will pursue new ways to leverage technology and institute a culture of innovation and informed risk taking. We will become a Digital Air Force.

Describing the “Cons” of the USAF Digital Air Force

Understanding and Challenging “The Digital Air Force” USAF White Paper (pdf) 07-06-2020. This short article is an examination, constructive critique, and epilogue to “The Digital Air Force” USAF White Paper. The article characterizes the white paper in terms of where it falls in a traditional stratification of guidance documents, categorizes the white paper in terms of international relations theory and philosophy, identifies and challenges four key assumptions, and concludes by suggesting that the paper’s most important contribution is in its implied meaning for global warning intelligence. The four key assumptions challenged are that the world can best be understood as entering into phases of technological advancement as a coherent whole; that the most effective way for a military to win over great-power adversaries is to evolve its own capabilities in lockstep with the changing character of the technological landscape; that the best way to attack or defend an increasingly digital entity is with increasingly digital weapons and defenses; and that government-sourced innovation is appropriately equivocal with military technological advances.

Additional DoD, USAF Resources

DoD Environment, Safety and Occupational Health Network and Information Exchange – (DENIX). Your Source for Environment, Safety & Occupational Health. Enhancing Readiness. Promoting Safety. Protecting the Environment. Creating Resilient Communities.

DoD SBIRSTTR – DCTO(S&T) (html). Small Business Innovation Research-Small Business Technology Transfer.

Hypersonic Future Technologies

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently released a report on the opportunities and challenges related to hypersonic weapons. Hypersonic weapons fly at least 3,800 miles per hour at lower altitudes than ballistic missiles and are highly maneuverable and may be able to change targets during flight.

“Advances in hypersonic technologies have significant implications for national security, as well as for transportation and space systems,” the GAO said. “Research and development of offensive and defensive capabilities in hypersonics is and will remain critically important.”

The advantages of using hypersonic weapons include the fact that it is extremely difficult for which adversaries to prepare; military officials would have more decision-making time since flight paths can be changed; piloted hypersonic vehicles would allow for very short travel times and might have commercial applications; mobile, high-value military targets and adversary weapons systems could be hit; and the ability to penetrate existing adversary anti-aircraft and anti-missile systems.

Challenges include the necessity to improve aircraft control and guidance to help ensure accuracy and avoid in-flight accidents or loss of control of hypersonic vehicles; limited places to perform ground tests and flight tests; the refinement of engine technology would be needed; and advanced materials need developed to protect interior electronics from extreme temperatures.

Atlas V rocket launches hypersonic-missile-tracking craft for US military (html)  07-01-2022 | Space. A pair of surveillance satellites are headed to orbit to help make sure you don’t get hypersonic-missiles in your sleep.

Hypersonic Weapons: Background and Issues for Congress (pdf) Updated July 20, 2022 | Congressional Research Service (CRS).

GAO calls for independent reviews of hypersonic missile interceptor program (html) 06-21-2022 | FedScoop.

GAO Report on Hypersonic Missile Defense (html) 06-22-2022 – USNI News.

Missile Defense: Better Oversight and Coordination Needed for Counter-Hypersonic Development (html) | U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). GAO-22-105075 Published: Jun 16, 2022. Publicly Released: Jun 16, 2022, Highlights Page (1 page) (pdf), Full Report (74 pages) (pdf), Accessible PDF (72 pages) (pdf).

Faster Than The Speed of Sound — U.S. Efforts to Develop Hypersonic Weapons (html) | U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Hypersonic Weapons: DOD Should Clarify Roles and Responsibilities to Ensure Coordination across Development Efforts | U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). GAO-21-378. Published: Mar 22, 2021. Publicly Released: Mar 22, 2021.Highlights Page (1 page) (pdf), Full Report (54 pages) (pdf), Accessible PDF (63 pages) (pdf).

Missile Defense: Better Oversight and Coordination Needed for Counter-Hypersonic Development (html) | U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). GAO-22-105075. Published: Jun 16, 2022. Publicly Released: Jun 16, 2022. Highlights Page (1 page) (pdf) , Full Report (74 pages) (pdf) , Accessible PDF (72 pages) (pdf).

GAO Audit Highlights Weaknesses In MDA’s Anti-Hypersonic Weapons Development (html) – Potomac Officers Club.

Northrop and Raytheon win key U.S. hypersonic defense contracts (html) 06-24-2022 | Reuters.

Fundamentals of Hypersonic Flow – Aerothermodynamics (pdf). D. G. Fletcher, The von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (html), Belgium.

Understanding Hypersonic Weapons: Managing the Allure and the Risks (pdf) An Arms Control Association Report September 2021 | Arms Control Association (ACA).

  • The Hypersonic Revolution: Case Studies in the History of Hypersonic Technology. Volume I (pdf). From Max Valier to Project PRIME. (1924-1967) 916 pages. Air Force History and Museums Program. Bolling AFB, DC 20332-1111, 1998.
  • The Hypersonic Revolution: Case Studies in the History of Hypersonic Technology. Volume II (pdf). From Scramjet to the Nation Aero-Space Plane. (1964-1986) 706 pages. Air Force History and Museums Program. Bolling AFB, DC 20332-1111, 1998.

Hypersonic Boost-glide Systems and Hypersonic Cruise Missiles: Challenges for the Missile Technology Control Regime (pdf) April 2022 | Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Defense Primer: Hypersonic Boost-Glide Weapons (pdf) Updated May 5, 2022 | Congressional Research Service (CRS).

Hypersonics: Past, Present, and Potential Future (pdf) 2021 | Technical Digest | Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Applied Physics Laboratory (APL).

Hypersonic weapons and strategic stability (html) | The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

Hypersonic Weapons and Strategic Stability (pdf). A Case Study of the People’s Republic of China PRC’s Hypersonic Systems Development (pdf) 08-25-2020. China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI). Air University (AU).

Slowing the Hypersonic Arms Race (html). A Rational Approach to an Emerging Missile Technology (pdf) May 2021 | Union of Concerned Scientists (UCSUSA).

Hypersonic Vehicles. Game Changers for Future Warfare? (pdf) |Joint Air Power Competence Center  JAPCC Journal | Journal Edition 24 | 2017 | Transformation & Capabilities | Homepage – Joint Air Power Competence Centre.

Hypersonic Missiles. The Extreme Need for Speed (pdf) | The Admiralty Trilogy (html).

The U.S. Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) (pdf) December 8, 2021 | Congressional Research Service (CRS).

The U.S. Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) (pdf) Updated May 23, 2022 | Congressional Research Service (CRS).

A study of Hypersonic Aircraft (pdf) 1964 | NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Hypersonic Missile Nonproliferation: Hindering the Spread of a New Class of Weapons (html) (pdf) 2017 | RAND.

Hypersonic Weapons: Who Has Them and Why It Matters (html) 04-06-2022 – The Washington Post.

Red Hypersonics Rising. Is China Accelerating Ahead In High-Speed Weaponry? (pdf). January 2022. The Aeronautical Journal (html) | Royal Aeronautical Society (RAS) | Cambridge Core (html)| Cambridge University Press & Assessment (html).

‘National pride is at stake.’ Russia, China, United States race to build hypersonic weapons (html) 01-08-2020 | Science | AAAS – American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Seeing Supersonic (pdf). X-Press Volume 64 Number 1 January 2022 | Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) |National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

A Comparison of Hypersonic Vehicle Flight and Prediction Results (pdf) 1995 |National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Flight Testing of Airbreathing Hypersonic Vehicles (pdf) 1993 | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Facing the Heat Barrier: A History of Hypersonics (pdf) | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

NASA Hypersonics Overview (pdf) November 2017 |  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS).

Space & Satellites

Space Innovation & Technology Company (html) | Satellite Applications Catapult. The Satellite Applications Catapult is one of a network of UK technology and innovation companies which aim to drive economic growth through the commercialization of research. Our aim is to support UK industry by accelerating the growth of satellite applications and to contribute to capturing a 10% share of the global space market predicted by 2030.

Small Satellite Market Intelligence Report (pdf) Q2 2021 | Space Innovation & Technology Company (html) | Satellite Applications Catapult.

Small Satellite Market Intelligence Report (pdf) Q1 2021 | Space Innovation & Technology Company (html) | Satellite Applications Catapult.

Prospects for Small Satellite markets (pdf) SMALLSAT SYMPOSIUM, SILICON VALLEY 2020.

SmallSat Symposium 2022 (html).

Small satellites: The implications for national security (html) (pdf) 05-22-2022 – Atlantic Council.

Space industry is on its way to $1 trillion in revenue by 2040: Citi (html) 05-21-2022 | CNBC.

Small Satellite Market Size, Share, Growth (2021-2026) (html) | Industry Report | Markets and Markets.

17,000 satellites to be built and launched by 2030: Euroconsult (html) – SatellitePro ME.

Large Constellations of Small Satellites: A Survey of Near Future Challenges and Missions (html) (pdf) 09-07-2022 | MDPI – Publisher of Open Access Journals.

Small Commercial Launch Vehicle Industry Analysis. An Insight into Representative Companies (html) (pdf) | Atlantis Press.

Status and Trends of Smallsats and their Launch Vehicles — An up-to-date Review (pdf) | Journal of Aerospace Technology and Management (JATM), São José dos Campos, Vol.7, No 3, pp.269-286, July-Sep., 2017.

SpaceWorks Nano/Microsatellite Market Forecast, 9th Edition (pdf) 2019| SpaceWorks.

Nano-Microsatellite Market Forecast, 10th Edition 2020 (pdf) | SpaceWorks.

Space Debris, Garbage, Refuse

ARES | Orbital Debris Program Office (html) | Astromaterials Research & Exploration Science | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ARES | Orbital Debris Program Office | Frequently Asked Questions (html) | Astromaterials Research & Exploration Science | National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Astroscale space junk removal satellite nearly catches target in orbital test (html) 05-06-2022 | Space.

To Catch a Falling Satellite (html) 02-14-2022 – IEEE Spectrum.

Firm planning 100,000 satellites claims it will “clean space” by capturing debris (html) 02-08-2022 | Ars Technica.

Mind that satellite! The mission to clean up dangerous space junk (html) | Space | The Guardian.

ESA – ESA’s Space Environment Report 2022 (html) 04-22-2022. But their orbits are churning with deadly fragments of the past – fast-moving pieces of defunct satellites and rockets trapped in orbit – that threaten our future in space.

ESA – Space debris by the numbers (html) 07-11-2022. The latest figures related to space debris, provided by ESA’s Space Debris Office at ESOC, Darmstadt, Germany.

2022 COPUOS STSC – U.S. on Space Debris (html) 02-10-2022- U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna (html).

2022 COPUOS LSC – U.S. on Space Debris (html) 04-01-2022 – U.S. Mission to International Organizations in Vienna (html).

SATVIEW – Forecast for reentry of space junk RED-EYE 1 (PINOT) (44364U) (html). Track it in Real time.

Latest News About Space Junk and Orbital Debris (html) | Space Debris Removal | Efforts to Reduce Threat of Orbital Collisions | Space.

Reference

References & Further reading.