Archive For June, 2017

Policy tweak to speed up defence purchases

Under a proposed change to defence procurement policy in select areas, acquisition will continue even if only one foreign original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is shortlisted after competitive evaluation, resulting in a single vendor situation. Under existing rules, the procurement process has to be cancelled and started afresh in such cases, which has considerably delayed critical procurements. […]

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The next billion-dollar startup will be in aerospace

Late last month, 500 people from around the world gathered in Dallas at Uber’s inaugural Elevate Summit. The invite-only conference was the next actionable step forward, post-Uber’s white paper published last fall, “Fast-Forwarding to a Future of On-Demand Urban Air Transportation,” to catalyze the emerging ecosystem around what Uber, along with partners in aerospace, aviation, and […]

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NAL’s airboat could help de-weed Bengaluru’s lakes

The National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) has developed an airboat that can be deployed for the cleaning up of polluted water bodies, including the Bellandur Lake. The city-based laboratory involved in the research and development of civilian aerospace sector has developed the boat as part of its societal applications mission. “The airboat will have an air propulsion system which will […]

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ISRO demonstrates solar hybrid electric car made of in-house resources

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently demonstrated a solar hybrid electric car at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram. ISRO said this car was developed using in-house expertise and resources within the organization. The demonstration of the car including the uphill drive was held during the last week of March 2017. VSSC is ISRO’s lead […]

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Bengaluru chops for South Asia Satellite

The GSAT-9 satellite, projected as India’s gift to South Asian countries, was developed and integrated to the launcher in cityThirty-one years after it played host to the first South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit to be held in India in 1986, Bengaluru will now contribute to India’s space diplomacy for the region with the launch […]

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GSAT-9 heralds cost-saving electric propulsion

This week’s space mission, GSAT-9 or the South Asia Satellite, will carry a new feature that will eventually make advanced Indian spacecraft far lighter. It will even lower the cost of launches tangibly in the near future. The 2,195-kg GSAT-9, due to take off on a GSLV rocket on May 5, carries an electric propulsion […]

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Defence Minister inaugurates Rs 1,300 crore Aeronautical Test Range in Karnataka

Defence minister Mr Arun Jaitely said the country’s defence preparedness needs to be at the optimal level in view of the security threat posed by the neighbour. Referring to the frequent security breaches by Pakistan and its sponsored terrorists along the border, he said, “Due to India’s geographical location, our country cannot be free from […]

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World’s most powerful aerospace gearbox starts high power testing

Rolls-Royce has started power runs of the world’s most powerful aerospace gearbox for the first time, marking another significant step in the development of its new UltraFan® engine design. UltraFan, which will be available from 2025, will offer a 25% fuel efficiency improvement over the first generation of Rolls-Royce Trent engine, with power scalable for widebody […]

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NASA names bacteria after Abdul Kalam

Scientists at NASA have named a new organism discovered by them after the much-loved Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Till date, the new organism — a form of bacteria — has been found only on the International Space Station (ISS) and has not been found on earth! Researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the foremost […]

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CAN HAL AIRPORT FLY AGAIN UNDER CENTRE’S UDAN?

AAI officials visit facilities to check feasibility for commercial ops, which can start in 15 days if all-clear is given The recently launched Ude Desh Ka Aam Aadmi (UDAN) scheme has offered hope for the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) airport to once again start commercial flight operations. The airport has stayed closed for commercial operations […]

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