Military/Aerospace Electronics

NI has set out its stall for AI in the test industry. Following the announcement of LabView AI assistant at the end of last year (currently in beta testing), CTO of technology and innovation, Kevin Shultz spoke to Electronics Weekly about what will be the role of AI in test. He explained that the increasing complexity of products being tested ...

The Spaceport Company, which is developing a mobile sea-based spaceport for orbital launches, has received the first award for the U.S. government’s Novel Responsive Space Delivery (NRSD) project. The government – via its U.S. Defense Innovation Unit – is looking to commercial solutions for the responsive delivery of cargo to and from space. Space cargo The DIU highlights that the ...

Seraphim Space – the London-based, space-focused VC – has announced the nine companies selected for the latest iteration of its accelerator programme, which is aimed at space startups. Those chosen cover areas ranging from propulsion and cybersecurity to situational awareness and in-orbit biotechnology manufacturing. Space startups The firms selected, which include three from the UK (CarbonLaces, Frontier Space and Spaceflux), ...

The Airbus Zephyr HAPS (High Altitude Platform Station) is at the centre of an attempt to commercialise connectivity and earth observation services using HAPS, both in Japan and across Asia. A consortium of Japanese businesses – led by NTT DOCOMO and Space Compass Corporation Inc – are investing $100m in the Japanese company AALTO HAPS, which builds and operates the ...

Kontron is aiming at military radar with is latest 6U VPX plug-in computer card, based around Intel Xeon D-2800 or D-2700 processors. Called VX6096, it includes VITA48.8 through-flow air cooling to allow operation over -40 to +55°C or, on request, -40 to +70°C (FC3) or even -40 to +85°C (CC-4). “The VITA 48.2 Type 2 conduction-cooled version can withstand card edge temperatures ...

Twelve countries have signed up to the the Zero Debris Charter, an initiative of the ESA and EU Space Council. It is intended to solidify their commitment to long-term sustainability of human activities in Earth orbit. To improve space safety and and sustainability, the charter aims for signatories to stop generating space debris by 2030. As well as the UK, ...

The University of Leicester is working with ispace, the Japanese space transportation specialist, to develop lunar night survival technology. They will collaborate on different approaches that could benefit future ispace lunar lander and rover missions. For example, they will be investigating, the use of radioisotope heater units to provide enough heat for a spacecraft through a lunar night, which has ...

The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) has awarded BlueHalo a $95.4 million contract for advanced Directed Energy (DE) prototype development, aka laser weapon systems. The award is part of the country’s Laser technology Research Development and Optimization (LARDO) programme through the Aviation & Missile Technology Consortium (AMTC). The Arlington, Virginia-headquartered company says the contract enables it to ...

The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected a consortium for the Spanish component of the Atlantic Constellation, which is intended to be a flagship project for the development of small satellites for Ocean, Earth and Climate monitoring. The Spanish consortium – up to two will be selected by the European agency – will be lead by Madrid-based Elecnor Deimos with ...

Ubotica, the Irish space AI specialist, has been selected by the European Commission to participate in its ARCHYTAS project, a three-year initiative to develop AI accelerators for defence applications. It means the Dublin-based company has been awarded an undisclosed grant that will be funded by the European Defence Fund (EDF). “We are delighted to receive our first grant from the ...