Analysis of a Disaster
Planning for the event had been going on for two and a half months, and because of the unsettled weather in the Cape at that time of year, senior officers had worked out five complex plans to put on the safest and best display possible. These ranged from a magnificant clear-weather displayvin which more than two hundred SAAF aircraft- Impalas, Mirages, Vampires, Canberras, Buccaneers, Skymasters, Shackletons, helicopters, Cessnas, Albatrosses and Dakotas- would fly past at different altitudes in ten action-packed minutes, to a display in thickly overcast weather of helicopters only, flying at five hundred feet. Three hundred and fifty pilots and crew were backed up by five hundred and fifty ground crew and communications staff.
The Operation had been planned with great precision. For the various aircraft to arrive over the dais at the right times, bearing in mind the great differences in their speeds, timing had to be calculated to split seconds.
There could be no overlaps, nor could there be large gaps between the formations. Precautions had even been made in the event of engine trouble, and pilots were instructed to head for the open sea where lifeboats and rescue squads were standing by.
Several plans had been worked out to make provision for variable weather. However all the plans were subject to the requirement that all flying was to be carried out in visual conditions, that is, the pilots would be able to see the ground at all times.
Electronic navigation aids were sited for the safe routing of aircraft, and all these were tested in practice. All pilots received written orders as well as detailed verbal pre-flight briefing, and were shown key points along the routes, from the air and on the ground.
The planners worked out holding areas for various types of aircraft, the routes they would take to the dais, the fly-past routes, the heights and speeds, the turning points and the routes from south of the saluting-base back to their bases, DF Malan Airport, the SAAF base at Ysterplaat and the Flying Training School at Langebaanweg. Summersfield was designated a reserve airfield.
Planners also made sure that routes, turns and altitudes would prevent collisions between aircraft and, if the weather should turn nasty, they would keep the aircraft away from high ground.
To make sure that the various groups of aircraft passed the saluting base within a certain number of seconds, aircraft with different speeds were grouped in blocks and instructed to fly at certain speeds and heights.
There were seven speed blocks, and the Mercurius aircraft were grouped with the Vampires and Impalas in the sixth block with a stipulated speed of 250 knots.
After the fly-past there was always the danger that the different aircraft might catch up with one another or collide on their return to base. To avoid that, formations were instructed either to fly straight on or turn to the left or right after the completion of the fly-past.
Aircraft with longer endurances, such as the Shackletons, Hercules, Dakotas, Skymasters, Albatrosses, Canberras and Buccaneers, were to fly straight ahead. Aircraft with short endurances- Vampires and Mirages- were to turn left and return to DF Malan Airport.
Turning right to return to their base at Langebaanweg, the Mercurius jets and Impalas took a breakaway route from south of the saluting base over low ground over the Swart River area. This was the safest route, for if they had turned left to return to base they would have had to fly over high ground, which would have been dangerous in bad weather.
The right turn for the Mercurius and Impala aircraft was calculated mathematically at a rate of one turn, that is, three degrees a second.
This at 250 knots, from a point thirty seconds flying time, also at 250 knots, south of the saluting-base would have given the aircraft a safe distance of two miles east of Devils Peak.
This calculation was tested in practice and found correct by the control staff. Leaders of formations were also given the opportunity to practice the turn and to comment on the practicability of this manoeuvre.
The leaders of the Mercurius and Impala teams flew the route and turned twice, once on the day of the accident, but neither made any comments to the control staff about the plan.
An extensive communications centre at Goodwood kept formation leaders and control staff under strict supervision, and the positions of formations could be ascertained and correlated with planned positions at all times. The communications system also allowed liaison between leaders of formations and enabled them to report changes in the weather and to receive new instructions from the control centre. There were no breakdowns in this communications system, and it worked perfectly.
At the various bases and over the saluting dais the weather was suitable for the rehearsal. However, during the fly-past, the base of a broken layer of cloud south of the dais was down to eight hundred feet, and approval was given by control center for formation leaders to reduce height to maintain visual flight. This was in accordance with instructions to formation leaders, including the leader of the Mercurius jets.
While flying towards the dais, the leader of the Vampires radioed to the leader of the Mercurius jets. He was thirty seconds behind the Mercurius jets, but he wanted confirmation that they were not behind time according to the tight schedule.
When the Mercurius leader confirmed that they were ten seconds late, the Vampire leader increased speed to 280 knots, at which speed he flew over the saluting dais. The distance between the Vampire and Mercurius formations at first decreased, then remained constant, which meant that the Mercurius leader also probably increased speed.
When the Mercurius formation flew into the broken cloud soon after flying over the dais, it maintained its planned height of a thousand feet. In doing so, the formation leader chose to ignore the overriding instruction that visual flight was to be maintained at all times.
Why did he do that? We can only suppose, as the board of inquiry did, that the leader regarded the flight in cloud as a common occurrence, for as a transport pilot he had complete confidence in his own ability and his instruments.
The Impalas, however, which were following the Mercurius formation, were taken by their leader below the clouds where they were able to maintain visual flight as ordered.
And what about instrument flying? The Mercurius had weather radar, but even if it was switched on, it is doubtful whether the leader would have had time to pay much attention to it.
The board of inquiry ran through the fatal flight in every detail. It flew the identical course in an identical aircraft. Then, together with evidence from eyewitnesses, it was able to reproduce the exact flight path of the Mercurius formation.
It showed that the principal cause of the accident was simply that the formation turned much wider than had been planned and which the leader had been instructed to do in his briefing before the flight.
The formation was flying faster than had been stipulated in its attempt to make up the few seconds that it had lost in the fly-past.
The Mercurius formation had to break to the right thirty seconds after flying over the saluting base and then fly back along the same bearing to Langebaanweg. Thirty seconds was adhered to, but the turn began farther south than the point planned. Again, the higher speed also resulted in a wider turn than had been planned, and the leader had not made allowance for that by turning more steeply.
The last, fatal error was in not maintaining visual contact with the ground. That would almost certainly have warned the leader that he was two miles west of his planned flight path and on a collision course with the mountain.
The board of inquiry found that the disaster was caused by the leader of the Mercurius formation not maintaining visual contact with the ground, and during the flight in the clouds, making an error of judgement by turning too wide, which resulted in a collision with the slopes of Devils Peak.


India has offered to sell 18 Tejas light combat aircraft to Malaysia, the Indian Defense Ministry said on Friday, adding that Argentina, Australia, Egypt, the United States, Indonesia and the Philippines are also interested in the single engine. Jet.
The Indian government last year awarded a $6 billion contract to state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd to buy 83 domestically produced Tejas jets for delivery starting around 2023 — four decades after they were first approved in 1983.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which is keen to reduce India’s dependence on foreign defense equipment, is also making diplomatic efforts to export aircraft. The Tejas have struggled with design and other challenges, and were once dismissed by the Indian Navy as being too heavy.
The Ministry of Defense informed Parliament that Hindustan Aeronautics in October last year responded to a request for proposal from the Royal Malaysian Air Force for 18 aircraft, and offered to sell the two-seater Tejas version.
“The other countries that have shown interest in the LCAs are: Argentina, Australia, Egypt, the United States, Indonesia and the Philippines,” Indian Defense Minister Ajay Bhatt told MPs in a written response.
He said the country was also working on a stealth fighter jet, but declined to give a timeline citing national security concerns.
Britain said in April it would support India’s goal of building its own combat aircraft. India currently has a mix of Russian, British and French combat aircraft.
The Times of India daily reported last month that India is looking to ground all of its Soviet-era Russian combat aircraft, the MiG-21, by 2025, after a number of fatal crashes.


Captain Rameshwar Thapa is one of the leading personalities in aviation sector of Nepal. He is currently chairman & principal owner of Simrik airlines, The Annapurna post, Chitwan river side resort, Yeti Development Bank, Airlines Operators Association of Nepal (AOAN). Mr. Thapa’s experience in aviation started with Deputy Managing Director – Space Air Pvt. Ltd. (Nov. 2000 to May 2001), Deputy Director- Helicopter Department – Cosmic Air Pvt. Ltd. (Dec. 1999 to Oct. 2000), In-Charge Helicopter Department – Cosmic Air Pvt. Ltd. (Sept. 01, 1997 to Dec. 1999), Superintendent and Coordinator of Helicopter Department – Everest Air Pvt. Ltd. (Dec. 01, 1994 to Aug. 30, 1997). He is one of the icon and versatile personality of Nepal who was appreciated from national and international agencies such as Manakamana Darshan Pvt. Ltd. for the erection and installation of tower for the cable car system.


Court of Victoria County Commissioners selects airport marketer | New
Victoria County Commissioners selected a marketing agency for Victoria Regional Airport on Monday.
The Court of Commissioners approved the use of ArkStar to advertise the airport. Three companies that submitted a proposal were Building Brands Marketing, ArkStar and BQR Advertising. Based on ratings from five staff raters, ArkStar earned the highest score, 96. Building Brands scored 87.8, and BQR scored 79.
County Judge Ben Zeller said the company would receive $60,000 a year to market the airport. ArkStar is one company that does such specialized marketing for airline service.
“I think that will play a big role in making this a success,” Zeller told the commissioners court.
SkyWest began air service to Victoria in November 2020, with its contract due to end on October 31, 2023. It originally offered 12 return flights per week to George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. On February 1, the early morning flight was halted in a cost-cutting move, leaving two daily flights from Victoria to Houston and two flights back to Victoria.
Zeller said the early morning flight returned to the airport.
SkyWest gave 90 days notice in March to end flights to Victoria and 30 other airports it serves under the federal Essential Air Service program. SkyWest said it was unable to provide service due to continued pilot shortages. The Ministry of Transport prevented the withdrawal.
The Essential Air Service program subsidizes flights to small communities to provide at least a minimum amount of air service. SkyWest, which operates a codeshare agreement with United Airlines as United Express in Victoria, had to submit the notice of intent as it is required of airlines serving Essential Air Service communities. The DOT, which had the authority to approve or reject the advisory, rejected it and is looking for a new service to replace SkyWest.
SkyWest Airlines operates through partnerships with United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines and carried more than 36 million passengers in 2021. Based in St. George, Utah, SkyWest has a fleet of more than 500 aircraft. SkyWest connects passengers to 255 destinations across North America.
A lifelong journalist, George loves ’60s musclecars and guns.


A small quad-copter does not have the speed or range to complete the entire 2018 mission and a large fixed wing aircraft cannot land at the remote landing site. One concept is to carry a small quad-copter on a larger fixed wing aircraft and deploy it at the remote landing site to land, collect the blood sample, take-off and then re-dock in flight to be carried home to the lab for testing of the sample.
This is one of several approaches we are evaluating and testing and we will post more information on this and others as our development progresses.
Early experimentation has shown that we can carry a small drone on the back of a larger fixed-wing and deploy it in flight.
Once we can deploy the small quad-copter, the key challenge is re-docking. The first stage of developing a method for this is rendezvous of two aircraft in flight which was achieved during our most recent testing.
The challenge for this test was to see if we could write software that used the GPS signals from both aircraft to adjust the relative speed and position for each to get them flying in close formation which was achieved in the most recent test flights. Once we can use GPS signals to get them close we will need to switch to a camera and computer vision based system to close the gap and dock as GPS is too inaccurate for a hard-connection of the aircraft in-flight.
This is an exciting approach and while many things need to be developed for it to work we are keen to crack it as it opens up many more options.


High School EMT Class Gains Valuable Experience at MPTC
Last week, the Kewaskum and West Bend High School Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) class, held at Moraine Park’s West Bend campus, participated in a combined educational opportunity with the West Bend Fire Department and Flight for Life, a critical care air medical transport program out of Waukesha.
During the class, students were able to observe the Flight for Life helicopter landing and the appropriate setup of the landing zone. Students were taught the different aeromedical needs for patients and were provided time to inspect the aircraft and ask the flight crew questions about operations and patient care.
“These educational opportunities enhance the students learning with field observation,” Moraine Park Paramedic Instructor, Andrew Novak, said. “Educational opportunities like this would not exist without our strong partnerships with our local departments.”


I had a great time filming these Spitfire planes for Formidable Media. As always with video production, no two days are the same and
The Spitfire was designed as a fighter plane for the Royal Air Force. It wrote history during the Battle of Britain. But thanks to its characteristic, elliptically shaped wings, it is also a genuine design icon.
The shoot was a big crew with 6 cameras on the ground and one helicopter for aerial photography. All the pictures were lived streamed via social media.
This event was filmed for IWC watches. They are taking the “Silver Spitfire” on its longest flight ever. The aircraft has been painstakingly restored over a period of 2 years by 14 specialists. An unusual polishing process has given it a high-gloss finish whilst preserving the patina that history has left behind on the metal fuselage of the plane, built-in 1943.
The big adventure gets started at Goodwood, in the south of England where I was filming. To cover the more than 43,000 kilometres around the world, they will need to divide the flight into about 150 legs. In the course of its journey, the Spitfire will have to cope with a gamut of extreme conditions.
The flight route has not yet been finalised. The details will depend on
You can see a video of the Live Stream of this very cool event below:
More information about this incredible journey can be found if you click here.
David is a Freelance Video Producer & Director based in London. Creating inspiring and professional visual content for companies, brands, events and organisations.


Many of us follow the ISS cameras’ live feeds on the internet and YouTube. A YouTuber recently discovered 7-minute footage. The video shows a collision between two spacecraft near the International Space Station. NASA did not close the channel immediately after this video was broadcast by the ISS cameras.
Previously, Nasa would cut the stream if there was anything unusual in video captured by ISS cameras. NASA might have wanted us all to see these ships.
Are alien spaceships and trash in space made of alien material?
The first image shows the objects as transparent. You could argue that they reflect something from the ISS. But after four minutes, the objects become more solid and you can see that the Sun shines through the objects.
The object at the top right of the video is most fascinating. It’s clearly a spaceship with two connected spheres. The second object isn’t a solid, clear object.
Many observers claim that the two objects are just space junk left over from satellites or rockets. But I disagree. Any debris would travel at a faster speed than the ISS. These two spacecraft, however, have the same speed.
Another possibility is that they could be lens flares from ISS cameras that captured the two objects. This is the most absurd argument, since the lenses attached at ISS cameras are very high-end lenses with excellent performance that prevent such flares.
Did the ISS crew know about the existence of such objects, or was it just a coincidence?
It is also possible that the ISS crew knew about these items. I believe so since such unexpected events must be reported to NASA’s mission control room.


Specifically, NASA is hosting Earth Day activities for three days in Washington D.C. and two days in Long Beach, Calif., but its physical presence is only the beginning of its efforts in support of Earth Day. Portions of the program will take advantage of real-time communication and engagement.
How NASA Communicates On Earth Day.
• National Mall in Washington D.C. The main location will be held in Washington D.C., with three days of displays and presentations open to the public at the "NASA Village," mostly held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. On Friday, there will also be live presentations hosted on the Earth Day Network stage (12th Street and Jefferson Drive SW).
• Live Webcast And Scientist Chat. Focusing on A High-Tech Checkup of Earth's Vital Signs on Saturday, NASA scientists will take people on a world tour from the vantage point of space, providing insights that can only be made possible from orbiting sensors. The webcast is scheduled to air 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 21. It will be viewed online at the NASA Village.
• NASA Earth Day Video Contest. Independent of these efforts, NASA is asking people to share their vision of what NASA's exploration of Earth means by creating a short 15-second to 2-minute video. The contest is being hosted by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., and participants are invited to draw from NASA's image gallery. Submissions will be accepted April 22 to May 31.
• NASA Center Activities, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Other than being mentioned via NASA's Twitter and Facebook accounts, there will be another location-based event on Saturday and Sunday. Held at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif., attendees will share science research about our ocean planet, using exhibits and hands-on learning demonstrations for all ages.
How NASA Could Have Communicated Earth Day.
All of the above efforts are admirable and certainly a step in the right direction, especially because they employ both physical locations and social media. But I cannot help wondering how NASA could have created a campaign with a greater national or global scope, something that could have captivated the world. Such a campaign might have included:
• YouTube video contest leading up to the Earth Day event (as opposed to after the fact).
• A social media campaign encouraging the media and bloggers to support an event.
• Ten physical locations supporting three days of featured events at staggered times (plus exhibits).
• The eleventh location would naturally be held on the International Space Station.
• A dedicated Ustream program that cuts into main events at each location on a rotating basis.
• Social media support for all of those rotating activities over the course of three days.
The concept is only a thumbnail, but NASA has enough locations around the United States to tighten its proximity to the public across the country — Texas, New Mexico, and Florida not withstanding. Such an effort could possibly bring the nation together on the successes of NASA not just in space, but on planet Earth as well.
Then again, I've never understood why this country hasn't made an effort to declare a national Space Day (of observance) on July 20, enabling NASA to make Earth Day a minor practice run for a much bigger event. After all, July 20 remains one of humankind's greatest accomplishments, underscoring that our destiny points to the stars if we ever want to gain a better perspective about the planet we call home. It seems to me, we don't think about space exploration enough.


Asteroid to pass close to Earth safely, NASA tracking to test warning network
A small asteroid thought to be only 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30 meters) in size will pass close to Earth on Thursday, zooming by at a distance of approximately 26,000 miles (42,000 kilometers) with no risk of impact with Earth, according to NASA scientists.
The asteroid's distance from Earth when it safely passes by on Thursday will be a little over one tenth of the distance to the moon, just above the orbital altitude of communications satellites, NASA said on Wednesday .
The asteroid, called 2012 TC4, is being used by asteroid trackers around the world to test a coordinated international asteroid warning system designed to locate a real "asteroid-impact threat" one day, NASA said.
It said amateur astronomers may contribute more observations of TC4 but that the asteroid will be very difficult for backyard astronomers to see because it will not appear very bright and will be moving very fast across the sky.
TC4 was discovered in 2012 but asteroid-tracking telescopes lost track of it when it traveled beyond their range shortly after it was discovered. Scientists were able to predict from its initial sighting that it would come back into full view in the fall of 2017.
Its closest approach to Earth will be over Antarctica at 5:42 AM GMT, according to NASA, which added that no known asteroid is currently predicted to impact Earth for the next 100 years.
PostedOn: 12 Oct 2017
Total Views: 137


I'm a little late with this considering the space shuttle has already landed, but it's pretty cool nonetheless:
The seven astronauts aboard the shuttle Discovery are up and eager a few hours to themselves today as they prepare for a Saturday landing.
NASA’s Mission Control here at the Johnson Space Center roused the astronauts at 3:32 a.m. EDT (0732 GMT) with the song “Crystal Frontier” by the band Calexico, a tune chosen for shuttle commander Mark Kelly by his wife Gabrielle Giffords, a U.S. Congresswoman from Arizona, and his two daughters.
Also, if, like me, you're a fan of the band, you'll be happy to know that their new album, Carried to Dust, will be out on September 9th. Gives you something to look forward to beyond the long, grueling summer months.


Based on the simulation results, steady-state tracking faults are improved. Control of indeterminate systems, despite the actuator and sensor bias, has been and remains a major challenge. Sensor fault can cause process fault. Among the cases where sensor bias is common, air velocity measurements and gyroscope rates can be mentioned. Although considerable research efforts have previously focused on adapting the fault, the bias correction of the sensor appears to be relatively limited. However, the cause of several crashes was the sensor fault (due to radio altimeter fault, angle of attack sensor fault, airspeed speed sensor fault). Also, finding a way to fix the sensor bias problem is of the utmost importance. The direct model reference adaptive control (MRAC) method is used to control uncertain systems using controllers that are adapted to achieve a performance close to a reference model. However, these controllers maintain system stability and provide close tracking of the reference model response. In this paper, we intend to address the problem of unknown fault bias matching by adjusting the direct reference model adaptive control for state-feedback for state-tracking (SFST). Also, to obtain an asymptotic stable bias fault estimator, we use the Kalman filter to estimate the bias sensor fault. Based on the simulation results, steady-state tracking faults are improved.


Wednesday, 23 July 2008
Air Vietnam will not be arriving at Phan Thiet today.
The military airfield in Phan Thiet where I was based also served Air Vietnam.
The only time I took a flight Air Vietnam from Saigon instead of on a military one I was arrested for not having a weapons permit. Most irritating and time consuming. We used to refer to it as Air Nuoc Mam.
I usually flew up on Australian Caribous. Those Aussie pilots would fly at tree top height with the rear cargo doors open. I loved flying in the Caribous which I felt very safe despite the pilot’s best efforts to shatter my nerves.
The Vietnamese would come out to the airfield and then sit on their haunches and wait patiently for an aircraft to arrive. Mostly venerable old DC3s. I remember when I arrived in South Vietnam in July 1965 there had just been a crash of one of these aircraft with no survivors. There was a photo of an air hostess who had been aboard. A princess of which dynasty I forget. Very beautiful and oh, so sad.
Every time an aircraft appeared on the horizon their interest would quicken a little. When it turned out to be the inevitable military plane they would return to their waiting. At the end of the day they would get up and go back home. The patience of the east.
The end of the runway was at a cliff edge so it did not do to overshoot.
During the first part of 1968 the airfield was subject to many attacks by the Viet Cong.


It has been a long time since humans left their footprints on the moon, and technology has changed a lot since then. In the past, space exploration has mainly focused on human-crewed missions in low Earth orbit. A lot of attention has also been paid to unmanned scientific research.
Today, many space technologies, including satellites, are used for many other activities, providing access to valuable data. For example, by visiting the EOS DA website, you can learn how satellite technology is helping to create useful products for agriculture, forestry, and other industries. It is also important to note that private funding, government support, and innovative technologies awaken even more interest in the space industry. Many investors are watching space companies’ upcoming projects and shares.
Exploring the space economy
The space economy consists of several branches. The space-to-Earth economy contains goods and services intended for Earth but produced in space. These services and goods include human space travel, cellular broadband, space infrastructure, and rocket launchers.
The direction of the space economy includes goods and services produced in space and intended for it. This area is not yet too developed, but it will become more important with the help of innovative technologies. The main sectors of the space economy today are energy, tourism, mining, real estate, and hospitality.
Ways to invest in space
Space communication. This industry is one of the oldest in the space economy. Although satellite technology has been around for a long time, it continues to evolve and open up new opportunities. Companies using satellite technology and data bring innovation to the media, internet, and mobile networks. In addition, these companies provide services to government agencies, ensure the safety of the maritime industry and provide tools to improve air traffic management.
A restructured space constructor. NASA will send astronauts to the moon in 2024 through Project Artemis. The agency will need help to achieve its goals and gain, leading to potentially lucrative contracts. Maxar Technologies is one of the active companies that manufactures space components.
The financial position of Maxar is somewhat tricky at the moment. Still, everything will change after selling the robotics division for space to a group of private investors and canceling part of the company’s debt. As a result of the deal, the shares go up, so it’s worth keeping an eye on the company’s affairs. Perhaps soon, it will begin to receive positive dynamics in terms of net profit.
Taking non-astronauts into orbit. According to Morgan Stanley analysts, space tourism is the best industry to invest in. Morgan Stanley is a subsidiary of the Virgin Group, which is preparing to launch a space tourism project that has been pushed back from 2020 to 2022.
Seats on the first space trip could be purchased for $250,000. According to the company’s plan, these trips will also help to develop hypersonic commercial flights. Analysts estimate the space travel market could be worth $800 billion in the future. Even though this still sounds like plans for the ultra-distant future, the Virgin Group enjoys great investors’ interest. The company receives funding from Boeing and government support, such as the state of New Mexico.
Opportunities beyond the infinity
Rocket technology innovations open up many new possibilities. Today, planes and trucks are delivering packages, but with the help of a rocket, delivery could be even faster. Innovations in rocketry can also make space travel more accessible. In addition, the development of this sector may also make delivery of mining equipment to asteroids possible, which are a rich source of minerals.
The stocks of companies in satellite technology and other space industries can be volatile, as evidenced by the failures of many such companies at the end of the last century. However, today, many public and private firms believe that the space industry will continue to grow and bring significant benefits to the various fields of activity, including cybersecurity, AI technology, Earth observation, and more.
SpaceTech industry trends
Small satellites have remained one of the main trends for several years. They have become widely used as their design is cheaper than large satellites. In addition, manufacturing advances open up opportunities for mass production. Thanks to the development of startups, small satellites allow companies to carry out various missions at a lower cost. Small satellites are suitable for private wireless networks, data collection, and GPS tracking of the Earth. They also allow scientific observation.
Space manufacturing is applying various innovations to expand the range of space products and services. In addition, the development of manufacturing processes has made it possible to create launch vehicles and large space structures, space shuttles, and satellite sensors. Special attention is also paid to the automation of space technology.
Many of the LEO satellites have since become space debris. Rocket engines, parts of satellites and the abandoned satellites, and so on, also become trash. All this garbage does not just float in zero gravity or spoil the view. It is dangerous for future space travel. For this reason, many startups have focused their efforts on creating traffic management solutions in space.
The space economy continues to develop and translate new ideas into reality, attracting support and investment from private companies and government agencies. Investors can find many exciting projects and technologies to watch in 2022. They are associated with producing goods for space, communications, space travel, including tourism and scientific missions.


4th ECATS International Conference on “Making aviation environmentally sustainable
This event will give the opportunity to scientists and researchers worldwide to present state-of-the-art research, review recent achievements, and at the same time will provide a strategic perspective on future directions in environmentally sustainable aviation. The conference program covers seven key areas of multi-disciplinary expertise related to sustainable aviation topics.
The conference will include keynote talks by distinguished personalities from academia, industry, the research community, and policymakers. Furthermore, a series of thematic sessions will be organized allowing in-depth discussions.


With “The First” TV series the viewer is teleported to the near bleak future where in 2033 our planet is languishing with overpopulation. The great minds of mankind are working hard on a solution of colonizing other space objects. One of the most realistic targets is Mars, but the very first manned mission to the Red Planet suffers a tragic failure: the entire crew dies already at the launch stage.
Now NASA is preparing another expedition, and a former astronaut Tom Hagerty, who has already lost all hope to travel in space, is offered to head the mission. Recruiting a new team, Tom realizes that he is about to make the most responsible step not only in his life, but also in the history of mankind. Eight billion people are going to be the witnesses of the new space mission, and Hagerty has no margin for error.
- “The First” TV series was filmed for the streaming service “Hulu” where the very first episode of the sci-fi drama was released on September 14, 2018. The first season consisted of eight episodes, although few months after the premiere the “Hulu” decided to finish with “The First”, and viewers would not wait for the second season.
- Showrunner of “The First” is a TV producer Beau Willimon previously worked on “The House of Cards”, the iconic series that became the hallmark of ‘Netflix’ streaming service in the early 2010s.
- “The First” was the first series in Sean Penn’s career to have a regular role. Curiously, Penn got a taste of it in the end, and soon we will see another two TV shows with him. The upcoming TV series “American Lion” will be dedicated to the seventh US President Andrew Jackson, and “Gaslit” will be about the Watergate scandal. In both series, Sean Penn plays lead roles.
American-made television series, filmed in the genre of science-fiction drama. The premiere of the 1st season of “The First” TV series took place on September 14, 2018 on the “Hulu” service.
Related TV Series
- For All Mankind
Tags: drama, science-fiction, space exploration, near future, Mars, Sean Penn


The 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron (4477th TES) was a squadron in the United
States Air Force under the clemency of the Tactical Air Command (TAC). It is currently
inactive. The product of Project Constant Peg, the unit was created to train USAF pilots and
weapon systems officers, and USN and USMC Naval Aviators and Naval Flight Officers to
better fight the aircraft of the Soviet Union. Some 69 pilots, nicknamed Bandits, served in the
squadron between 1979 and 1988, flying MiG-17s, MiG-21s and MiG-23s.
Air Force Declassifies Elite Aggressor Program
(American Forces Press Service)
WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2006 – After decades of secrecy,the Air Force today acknow-
ledged that it flew Communist-built fighters at the Tonopah Test Range north-west of Las
Vegas, from 1977 through 1988, the program, known as Constant Peg, saw U.S. Air Force,
Navy, and Marine aircrews flying against Soviet-designed MiG fighters as part of a training
program where American pilots could better learn how to defeat or evade the communist bloc's
fighters of the day.
Brig. Gen. Hawk Carlisle , commander of the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base,
Alaska, is a former member of the 4477th Test and Evaluation Squadron who remembers the
valuable training the unit provided.
"Constant Peg afforded pilots an opportunity to learn how to fight enemy aircraft in a
controlled, safe environment, without having to endure the risks of actual air combat," Carlisle
said. "Typically a pilot would start with a basic familiarization flight to observe the enemy
airplane and study its characteristics, practising one-on-one defensive and offensive
maneuvers against it, and finally, experience multi-bogey engagements high over the desert
scrubland of the Nellis Air Force Base ranges.”
As a result of marginal performance of American fighter forces in the skies over North
Vietnam, Constant Peg complemented other revolutionary training programs such as Red Flag,
Top Gun and the Air Force and Navy-Marine aggressor squadrons. The program also was
intended to eliminate the "buck fever" or nervous excitement many pilots experience on their
first few combat missions. Historical experience indicated that pilots who survived their first 10
missions were much more likely to survive a complete combat tour, and Constant Peg was
intended to teach them the right "moves" to enable them to come out on top of any
The end of Constant Peg nearly coincided with the end of the Cold War, by which time some
of its "graduates" had already proven themselves in actual air combat.
Threat aircraft flown by the Red Eagles spanned several decades and technical generations
of capability. There was the MiG-17 Fresco, a small, agile single-seat transonic fighter placed
in service just after the Korean War and used extensively over Vietnam and the Middle East;
the MiG-21 Fishbed, a high supersonic fighter used worldwide in large numbers; and the swing-
wing MiG-23 Flogger, likewise in global service, an attempt by the Soviets to match the
sophisticated capabilities of the F-4 Phantom.
“Although it came too late to influence Vietnam, Constant Peg training greatly influenced the
success of American airmen in Operation Desert Storm, who shot down 40 Iraqi fighters, many
of which were Fishbeds and Floggers," Carlisle said.
(From a U.S. Air Force news release)
 After this article was written Brig. Gen. Hawk Carlisle was promoted to General and is now the Commander of Air
Combat Command at Langley Field Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia.


ESI Inc has grown into the market leader in pressure measurement over the last 25 years.
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In 2010 ESI Inc was acquired by Suco. Suco (www.suco-tech.com) is a leading producer of mechanical pressure and vacuum switches, and electronic pressure switches. Both companies combined make up nearly 80 years of experience in pressure monitoring.
OUR CERTIFICATIONS AND REGISTRATIONS
ESI has an extensive range of intrinsically safe transmitters, all ATEX and IECEx approved.


Flight is the process of moving through space, either within the atmosphere or in outer space. Various factors make flying possible, including aerodynamic lift, buoyancy, and ballistic movement. Animal aviators include birds, bats, and insects, as well as natural parachuters. Human inventions include airplanes, helicopters, airships, and rockets, which can propel spacecraft. If you’re wondering how flights are achieved, read on! Good Men Project
Table of Contents
A bird’s flight is not just for showing off. It helps them catch prey on the wing, commute between feeding grounds, and migrate during different seasons. Some birds even use flight to display during breeding season, and others fly to find a safe nesting place. Although flight is more energy-intensive than swimming or running, many large bird species use gliding or soaring to fly. Several physiological adaptations to help birds fly have enabled them to achieve such efficiency.
When birds fly, they often form a coordinated formation called an “echelon.” This is especially true of long-distance flights. Birds are believed to form echelon formations to conserve energy and maximize aerodynamic efficiency. Birds would alternate between positions at the front and tips of their wings to distribute flight fatigue evenly. During long flights, birds may also migrate in a circular fashion, flying north and south. This enables them to get to and from the same place in as little time as possible.
Different types of birds use different wing shapes for different types of flight. While some species remain on the wing for long periods of time, others only make short flights. This also affects their aerodynamic properties, as different wing shapes correspond to different trade-offs in weight and lift. For example, the budgerigar has a long, narrow wing that allows for excellent manoeuvrability. This means that birds of similar wing shapes have different wing loads, which is a ratio of body mass to wing area.
Spaceflight is an extreme form of ballistic flight
The first human spaceflight was a ballistic flight, in which humans were carried high into the air and then landed in a low orbit. It was not the first attempt at spaceflight, but it was the first attempt to travel beyond Earth’s atmosphere. A ballistic flight can reach altitudes of 17 nautical miles or 31.5 km and is often considered the most extreme form of ballistic flight. In addition to humans, a rocket can carry large objects such as a human.
In contrast to ballistic flight, spaceflight is a very precise and complex process. The first manned spaceflight took place on April 16, 1961, when astronauts and their crew flew to the Moon. Then, NASA launched its first space probe, Pioneer 1, and it returned to Earth 43 hours after launch. In addition, there are many unmanned spacecraft, which have been launched into space and are used for various purposes.
The vision for human spaceflight started in science fiction literature decades ago, but it took a few decades to become a reality. The momentum of war enabled advances in technology. After the Cold War, the United States and Soviet Union repurposed the V-2 rocket program to make spaceflight a reality. Now, several vehicles have been developed for suborbital flight, including crewed spacecraft, sounding rockets, and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Direct flight is a type of commercial flight
The term “direct flight” came into use during the early days of commercial air travel. Propeller aircraft, which were used to carry people and freight, had to hopscotch from city to city. These flights were marketed as “direct” because they flew directly between major destinations. The only difference between direct flights and stopovers was that passengers were not required to buy separate tickets to board and disembark from the aircraft.
Another name for a direct flight is “connecting flight,” because you don’t have to change planes in between flights. This flight type typically costs less than a nonstop flight, and doesn’t include any stops along the way. Often, however, direct flights are shorter, and you will be able to save money by not stopping in any cities along the way. A direct flight will cost you less than a nonstop flight.
Commercial flights operate from commercial airports in various countries and carry people and goods. They can also be chartered or hired by a single person. Most commercial airlines offer better service onboard these flights, including more spacious cabin classes. However, they are also more expensive. Fortunately, many people opt for commercial flights because they are more convenient and affordable. When you travel on a commercial flight, it is important to choose the right airline for your needs.
Domestic flights are cheaper than international flights
You may have heard that domestic flights are cheaper than international flights, but do you really know why? In many cases, domestic flights are cheaper than international flights, largely because the costs involved in handling an international flight are much lower. This is especially true if you plan to fly within the United States rather than across the world. However, not all US airports are equipped to handle international flights. For example, an international flight requires a presence of Customs and Border Patrol agents, more infrastructure, and more expensive food. However, smaller regional airports tend to be more cost-efficient, so they can charge less for flights. In addition to cheaper flight prices, these smaller airports often offer cheaper food and parking as well.
Another important advantage of domestic flights is that they are usually shorter. This makes it easier to fit more destinations into your itinerary and save money. In addition to being cheaper, domestic flights are also more convenient, especially if you are planning a trip within a large country. For example, if you are planning a vacation in the USA, you might want to fly from New York to Los Angeles, or vice versa. Because they are shorter, domestic flights are typically cheaper than international flights. Many airlines offer domestic flights, including Delta, Spirit, and American Airlines.
Variables that affect flight prices
The cheapest flight tickets can be found by purchasing them early. Prices rise significantly after the first week of travel. Likewise, the longer the flight, the higher the ticket prices. Fuel prices affect ticket prices but not harshly. Airlines look at several factors before determining the cheapest ticket prices. These factors include airline demand, weather, and competitive promotions. Getting cheap airfares may be a challenge, but there are several ways to find the cheapest flights.
The cheapest flight tickets can only be found by purchasing them in advance, at least 14 days before departure. Low oil prices help passengers and airlines alike because they can reduce their jet fuel costs. Conversely, high jet fuel costs can add to the cost of a ticket. Low oil prices can also reduce the price of a ticket, though they can lead to higher surcharges. In addition to fuel prices, other variables such as season, destination, and demand can affect flight prices.
Airlines often use complex pricing strategies, resulting in significantly varying ticket prices for the same flights. Airlines also change the prices up to seven times per day. They want to maximize revenue and profits by selling as many tickets as possible. Often, there is mismatches between passenger demand and available seats. This can result in higher prices for the customer, and reduced revenue for the airline. To address these challenges, airlines use dynamic pricing.
Budget airlines drive down flight prices to Europe
There are many reasons why budget airlines are driving down the price of flights to Europe. For one, US law prohibits foreign airlines from operating on US soil. For another, competition between European low-cost carriers is fierce. With low-cost airlines, traditional airlines face stiff competition from low-cost carriers. The competition, combined with lower costs, pushes down flight prices. But the low-cost carriers’ success has also brought competition to Europe’s traditional airlines.
The competition has caused flight prices to fall to record lows. These new budget airlines have forced major carriers to compete on price, bringing flight prices to record lows. Some of the major carriers have pulled back on Eurowings flights, relegating their customers to short hop destinations. But there’s hope for budget carriers in Europe. These newcomers are starting a new wave of low-cost carriers.
However, the economy is not the only factor driving down flight prices. As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across Europe, more airlines may struggle to stay afloat. If this happens, the European airline industry could resemble the US airline landscape. The top four US airlines control 80 percent of the market, while only 40 percent of the European airline market is dominated by those four carriers. If the competition is cut, there’s a possibility that fewer airlines will be able to fly as much, putting off tourists just when airlines need them most. And if the airlines are forced to reduce their services, some might try to get back into the market by offering cheaper flight prices.
Changeover day is the busiest day for flights
If you want to fly on a quiet day, you should book a flight on a non-changeover day. This will ensure that you have the option of enjoying a weekend at your destination after you arrive. Airlines tend to be more busy during changeover days. If you’re planning to fly in the middle of the week, changeover days are not as busy. Many airlines have flexible changeover days, so you can arrive on a non-changeover day and still enjoy a weekend at your destination.
According to Cirium, a company that analyzes travel data, August 9 will be the busiest day of the year for flights. In addition to that, Cirium predicts that the year 2019 will be the busiest year for air travel. This is due to the increasing demand for air travel worldwide. As a result, airlines are faced with increasing pressure to accommodate growing passenger numbers. The best way to deal with this challenge is to book flights well in advance.
During the holiday season, the weekend after Thanksgiving is one of the busiest days for US air travel. Although the pandemic affected passengers across the world, the effect didn’t have a profound impact on this trend. Last year, Nov. 29 was the busiest day for outbound flights from US airports since the Transportation Security Administration began publishing daily counts of travelers. However, the TSA has yet to release figures for December.


50 years ago, the Apollo 13 mission was launched, leaving the Earth and returning after only 5 days, 22 hours, 54 minutes, 41 seconds, on an extremely perilous trip.
Commemorating this anniversary, we are working on the publication of the reprint of Apollo 13 LM Activation Checklist.
An 80-page A5 size (148 x 210mm) publication. It will be sent to print in December and will be printed in early February.
We will add some extra details to reproduce over the original pages the handwritten calculations by Commander James Lovell to determine the spacecraft’s angle of descent back to Earth and other notes.
The first print run will be for only 200 books. As always, future print runs depend on demand and availability. That means we are currently before an exclusive publication.
Guarantee your copy!


A new federal audit from the Office of the Inspector General suggests that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is likely to miss its own deadline for domestic drone rules. The deadline – September 30, 2015 is still over a year away but that may not be enough time.
As CivSource first reported, the FAA mandated six domestic test sites, mostly at universities to study how best to integrate drones into domestic airspace. Currently, drones are already in widespread use by law enforcement, but proponents of drones want them available for surveillance, commercial activity and scientific experiments among other uses.
More recently, the FAA has cracked down on the use of domestic drones outside of law enforcement until these rules are in place. US airspace is already crowded and states have gone ahead with a patchwork of laws and exceptions which will make things more difficult for regulators and operators of drones.
The report says “it is uncertain when and if full integration of UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) into the NAS (National Airspace System) will occur.” Not only is the FAA “significantly behind schedule” the report suggests that even the most basic study of how these rules would work in practice, isn’t moving forward in any real way. “Significant technological, regulatory, and management barriers exist,” when it comes to integrating drones in to the US airspace, the Inspector General says – and so far the test sites haven’t moved the needle.
In the meantime, drone supporters hoping for Amazon Air or a drone assisted selfie, are unlikely to have that before 2016.


NASA has named the four astronauts who will orbit the moon late next year, including the first woman and African-American to be assigned to a lunar mission.
The first crew to go to the moon in 50 years was introduced at a ceremony in Houston, which is home to both the country’s astronauts and Mission Control. The crew consisted of three Americans and one Canadian.
Bill Nelson, who runs NASA, said, “This is humanity’s crew.”
The four astronauts will be the first people to fly in NASA’s Orion capsule. They will leave from Kennedy Space Center on a Space Launch System rocket no sooner than late 2024. They won’t touch down or even enter lunar orbit; instead, they’ll circle the moon and return to Earth in preparation for two more astronauts to land on the moon the following year.
Reid Wiseman, the mission’s commander, will be joined by veteran astronaut Christina Koch, who currently holds the record for the longest spaceflight by a woman, and veteran fighter pilot Jeremy Hansen of Canada, who will be the crew’s lone space rookie. Three people have lived on the International Space Station: Wiseman, Glover, and Koch. They are all in their forties.
“This is a big day. We have a lot to celebrate, and it’s so much more than the four names that have been announced,” Glover said.
This is the first time someone from outside the U.S. has been on a moon crew. It is also the first crew in NASA’s new moon program to be named Artemis, after Apollo’s twin sister in Greek mythology. A practice mission to the moon and back in an empty Orion capsule was successfully completed late last year.
“Am I excited? Absolutely,” Koch said, and the crowd of school kids, politicians, and other people cheered. “But my real question is: ‘Are you excited?’” she asked to more cheers.
The Canadian Space Agency got a seat because it gave NASA and the International Space Station big robotic arms. The moon project also has plans for one.
Hansen said that he is glad Canada is on the flight.
“We’re all going to the moon. Let’s go! “he said.
During Apollo, from 1968 to 1972, NASA sent 24 astronauts to the moon. Twelve of them touched down. All of them were military-trained male test pilots, except for Harrison Schmitt, who was a geologist and flew on Apollo 17. He and the late Gene Cernan were the last people to land on the moon.
NASA hopes to put two people on the moon by 2025 or so if this next 10-day moonshot goes well.
NASA chose its first Artemis crew from 41 active astronauts. Canada had four candidates. Almost all of them took part in the ceremony on Monday at Johnson Space Center’s Ellington Field. It was kind of like a pep rally, and Wiseman led the crowd in a chant at the end.
On Sunday, President Joe Biden talked with the families of the four astronauts. Biden said in a tweet on Monday that the mission “will inspire the next generation of explorers and show every child – in America, in Canada, and across the world – that if they can dream it, they can be it.”


Taco Bell Mir Space Station raft – how a fast-food chain came up with a Mir Space Station PR stunt that might have cost them $10 million (5 min read)
Taco Bell Mir Space Station raft – a floating target, prepared by the US fast-food chain, Taco Bell, in reference to the de-orbiting of the Russian Mir Space Station in 2001. The company offered to give a free taco to every American if the falling space station had hit their 40x40 ft raft, floating in the Pacific Ocean. The estimated cost of the campaign if Mir had hit the bullseye, was about $10 M. However, the space station missed the raft.
Strategy & Tools
Taco Bell Mir Space Station Raft History Timeline
October 2000 - RSC Energia made the decision about bringing the Mir Space Station back to Earth. Its mission had become too expensive to be continued.
March 19, 2001 - the Russian officials made an official statement about the de-orbiting of the Mir Space Station.
March 19, 2001 - Taco Bell has made a press release to inform people about their plans related to the landing of the Mir’s debris.
March 23, 2001 - Mir finally ended its journey, but it didn’t hit the Taco Bell’s target in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
The Taco Bell raft stunt was well-timed with the event people observed massively. The Mir Space Station de-orbiting was a big event, and people's eyes were turned to it.
This is called real-time marketing, and it is effective. The more people talk about an actual event, the greater the reach of the marketing campaign focused on that event.
A lightning-fast campaign
The official statement about the de-orbiting of the Mir Space Station came in on March 19th. Taco Bell's press release appeared the same day. They were quick to act in the heat of action.
Also, the entire thing lasted only 4 days. When Mir's debris landed on March 23th, it was all over.
The Taco Bell raft was a floating target with the company's symbol at its bullseye and the “Free Tacos Here” text at the outer circle of that target. It was about 40 x 40 ft (or 12 x 12 square meters), and it was placed in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It was unique and made the event easier to remember.
The space station missed the Taco Bell raft, but the company came up with compensation. Instead of giving free tacos to all Americans, they offered two tacos at the price of $0.99. Basically, that was almost like free.
Taco Bell insuranced the entire action. In case the space station hit the Taco Bell raft, SCA Promotion, a brand promotion agency, and prize guarantor, took care of the risk. If Mir had hit the bullseye, Taco Bell would have needed about $10 million dollars to fulfill their promise (about 280 million Americans and about $0.60 for one taco was the situation then). The total value of the insurance remained unknown.
The media got on the trend pretty soon. A lot of people talked about the Taco Bell raft, and some have gone so far that they started making complex mathematical operations to calculate the probability of Mir hitting the raft.
We remember more things that stand out. Taco Bell raft was a noticeable, 40 x 40 ft floating target. It was placed right in the middle of the Pacific Ocean because that was the place the Mir space station was supposed to hit. The raft had the Taco Bell’s symbol in its bullseye and the “Free Taco Here” text on the outer circle of the target.
The campaign was focused on an important event nobody would like to miss. The Taco Bell’s press release about the Taco Bell raft appeared on the same day as the RKK’s official statement about the de-orbiting of the MIR. Quick action caused an even quicker reaction from the media.
People were curious where the de-orbited Mir space station would have hit. That curiosity turned up the hype around the Taco Bell raft. The company took advantage of those feelings and made their campaign on it.
Window of Opportunity
Taco Bell Mir Space Station campaign was a great example of real-time marketing (RTM). It shows us how to use the current situation to our advantage.
Every big event could a PR stunt opportunity!
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Nasa has had a long and storied history of breaking ground and barriers regarding space exploration. The Apollo series of missions were groundbreaking considering where they ended up landing, the moon. The shuttle program was very good as well despite a couple of setbacks. There is one glaring omission in all the places we and other countries have failed to explore, and that is until now. Or rather very recently like the last ten years. Good Night Oppy is a film depicting that journey. The journey to Mars and what is sent back to Nasa.
Good Night Oppy is a documentary with a lot of talking heads spanning a decade or so of Nasa scientists, astrophysicists, and robotics men and women who embark on a mission to build two identical robots that are dubbed Spirit and Opportunity. Two Mars rovers that will span hundreds of miles of the surface of the red planet sending back many images to earth. What was supposed to happen and what ended up happening were two separate things though. And that is part of what makes this film so amazing.
The time the rovers were supposed to be on Mars and the time they actually spent there were vastly different. This helped send back much more information than Nasa thought they were going to get. Along the way, the journey of ups and downs of building these rovers and getting this mission set up and working was quite an arduous process. Each moment of success was a moment of joy. Sometimes there were moments when things didn’t go as planned but that strengthened the entire team involved in this mission’s resolve.
The director of this documentary has assembled hours of footage from the Mars rovers that have been able to be turned into a film. That is basically a beautiful exploration of the surface of Mars. The footage is breathtaking. It’s like we are actually there on Mars. The description of events from narrator Angela Bassett was pretty cool as well. How all of this was edited down to this two-hour film was amazing to me. But there is a great narrative to follow along with which is the journey of creation to the last days of the rovers.
A nice touch the filmmakers added was a good morning song from various members of the Mars rover Nasa team. They each got to choose a song to get up to and see what the rovers sent back to them overnight. And what they got more often than not was pretty spectacular. Sometimes the rovers would get into a predicament that would get the members of the team stressed out but they would have to work extra hard to help these rovers get out of trouble. That’s all part of the journey though and what made this movie more engaging with each minute that went by.
Good Night Oppy is one of if not the best documentaries I’ve seen all year along with Fire of Love. It shows the journey from the beginning to the end of this team of how this mission got started, how these rovers were built, and their mission of arriving on and exploring the red planet Mars. The talking heads all we’re fascinating people with interesting stories to follow along with. They all were very invested in this journey of discovery and while watching the film so was I. I hope everyone has a chance to see this film in the area or on Amazon Prime Video.
Dan Skip Allen


AVIATION, history of civil aviation since 1927.
(1) Iranian Airways
(2) Persian Air Services
(3) United Iranian Airlines
The first time that a man was sent up into the air in Iran occurred in 1891, during the reign of Nāṣer-al-Din Shah (r. 1848-96). On two different occasions, foreigners, a French man (Ṭoluʾi, p. 24) and an American (ʿAyn-al-Salṭana, pp. 747, 786) went up in their own balloons in Tabriz and Tehran during an air show. At the end of 1913, the people of Tehran saw for the first time an airplane flying over the city. The residents were taken to the streets to have a closer look at the strange bird flying overhead. The airplane landed on the Meydān-e Mašq, the army exercise field in the city center. Upon landing, it collided with a parked canon in the field, knocked its barrel, and was badly damaged. The airplane had been built in France, and was named Bleriot XI, but a Russian pilot had flewn the aircraft from Russia to Tehran. Iranian technicians repaired the aircraft in the army repair shop, and the plane was later flown back to Russia (Ṭoluʾi, p. 55-56).
The Iranian Air Force has its own specific history, and deserves special attention beyond this entry. A few years after its foundation it was named the Imperial Irainan Air Force. From humble beginnings in 1921 the air force grew to become an outstanding, strong and technologically advanced air force, whose pilots were highly educated and showed exceptional bravery and heroism.
Due to the political situation during early1920s, military airplanes were deemed highly valuable in chasing the mutinous groups in different parts of the country. After the coup d’état of 1921, Reżā Khan (d. 1944), as the supreme commander of the armed forces, contemplated the foundation of an Iranian Air Force. He appointed Reżā Mizāni and an aide to conduct a feasibility study of the creation of an air force, and in 1922, the Iranian government purchased its first aircraft from Germany.
Originally the Iranian government had approached the U.S. administration to negotiate the purchase of American military aircrafts and to organize the training of pilots and technicians. But the Americans rejected the request, arguing that such an agreement would violate the disarmement clauses of the post-World War I peace treaties. Other countries, however, did not share the U.S. position. The first Iranian purchase was a German Junkers F13, and in 1923, two additional Junkers F13 airplanes were acquired with revenues of the provinces of Gilān and Māzandarān, due to a shortage of government funds. These the two airplanes were named after these two provinces. Until 1925, an array of diverse types of Russian, French, and British aircraft was added to the Iranian fleet.
In June of 1923, the first group of officers was dispatched to France for training. Colonel Aḥmad Ḵan Naḵjavān was selected for pilot training. After the completion of flight school Naḵjavān left Paris on a Breguet 19 airplane, which was marked with an Iranian flag and logo, to land on the Ḡala Morḡi airfield on 5 Esfand 1304/25 February 1925. This officer earned the title of Iran’s first military pilot, and was later appointed the commander-in-chief of the Iranian air force. In June of 1924 ten more officers were sent to the Soviet Union for flight training. Three were later commissioned to fly three newly purchased DeHaviland DH 9A aircraft to Iran, though only ʿIsā Eštodaḵ reached Tehran on 27 February 1925.
Junkers was one of the Germany’s largest airplane manufacturers, and in 1926 it signed a five-year agreement with the Iranian government to organize an airmail service in Iran. The new company was registered as Junkers Airline in Iran (Junkers Luftverkehr Persien / Hawāpeymāʾi Yunkers dar Irān). In May 1927, the company rented at Dušān Tappa a piece of land as its base airport. The company used Junkers F13 aircraft, which could accommodate two pilots and four passengers.
The first scheduled air services officially commenced on 8 February 1927, which marked a milestone in the history of Iranian commercial aviation. Junkers offered bi-weekly passenger air services from Tehran to Bandar-e Pahlavi (see ANZALI) and two-weekly flights to Qaṣr-e Širin via Hamadān and Kermanshah (Aṭrvaš, p. 86). The northbound route was later extended to Baku in Soviet Azerbaijan in February 1928, while the westbound route was continued to Baghdad. Subsequently, more routes were added: a southwest route to Bušehr via Isfahan and Shiraz; a northeast service to Mashad; and northwest service to Tabriz via Qazvin.
Between 1927 and 1932, Junkers effectively provided the services of a small domestic and regional airline. It served approximately 10 cities in Iran, as well as Baku, Baghdad, and Kabul, with scheduled flights, carrying a considerable number of passengers, as well as cargo and mail. Junkers also organized the first Iranian airmail service with Europe, via Baku and Moscow. Junkers ceased its operations in 1932, and until the government founded a state airline in 1938, there was not any civilian and commercial airline services offered in Iran.
The Ministry of Post and Telegram embarked on a plan to acquire its own airplanes to organize airmail in 1938, and purchased two De Havilland DH 89 (also known as Dragon Rapide). This fleet later increased to four aircraft, and air force personnel handled, maintained, and flew these airplanes. Internationally, this airline was known as Iranian State Airlines, and it carried passengers on airmail flights (Alai’i, p. 650). This government service offered weekly flights from Tehran to Kermanshah and Baghdad, and added later services from Tehran to Isfahan, Shiraz, and Bušehr.
(1) Iranian Airways
In December 1944, a group of influential and affluent Iranian dignitaries and investors established Iranian Airways, the first Iranian commercial airline that was privately owned. Some its partners had also been involved in the foundation of Irantour, the first Iranian travel and tourism organization, which had started doing business prior to Iranian Airways. The start-up capital of Iranian Airways was 50 million rial, and Reżā Afšār was the driving force behind the project. It took about 18 months, from December 1944 until May 1946, for the company to be ready for operations.
In 1945, Iranian Airways signed an agreement for technical assistance with Trans World Airlines (TWA), which acquired a 10 percent share in Iranian Airways. In March 1945, Iranian Airways purchased three C-47 airplanes (also known as DC-3 and Dakota) which the U.S. military were selling as surplus equipment, and these airplanes, who had been converted into passenger carriers, arrived in Tehran on 17 May 1947 (Iseman, p. 72). The new airline systematically enlarged its fleet by buying more DC-3 airplanes, and at one point the fleet comprised 20 airplanes. The first scheduled services covered flights from Tehran to Mashad, and services were later extended to flights from Tehran to Isfahan, Shiraz, Bušehr, Ābādān, and Ahvāz, as well as a few limited flights to Zāhedān. At the time, only the airports in Tehran and Ābādān were adequately operational.
At the outset, most pilots and the technical personnel, who were employed by the TWA, were Americans. But at the end of 1946, the air force assigned Colonel Moṣṭafawi, Major Ḵādemi (please see below) and Lieutenant Rafʿat to serve as pilots in Iranian Airways, while Dāryuš Temsār joined the company after having received his pilot training at the Iranian Aero Club. This club also trained women pilots, and granted at this time pilot licences to ʿEffat Tejārači, Enāʾ Āvšid and Ṣadiqa Dowlatšāhi, and Iranian Airways later authorized one of them to fly as first officer (co-pilot) on a DC-3.
When Iranian Airways started its operations, they faced for quite some time illegal competition with the Soviet airline Aeroflot. The Soviet airline used inside Iran D-3 airplanes, which they had received from their U.S. allies during World War II in order to defend themselvs against the Nazi occupation. When the Iranian Airways employees arrived at Tehran’s Mehrābād Airport to start the check-in procedure of the inaugural flight to Mashad, all booked passengers had been lured away by Aeroflot’s lower prices.
In 1953, Trans Ocean Airlines, one of the lesser known U.S. carriers, leased two Convair aircraft to Iranian Airways, and assisted Iranian Airways in various ways with its day to day operations. In 1958, the Iranian government bought three modern turboprop Vickers Viscounts aircraft, which were considered luxury airliners, and put them at the service of Iranian Airways. Iranian Airways operated to 14 domestic and 10 regional destinations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, as well as in Dubai and Kuwait in the Persian Gulf. The company also conducted cargo flights to its international destinations in Ankara, Milan, Zurich, and Frankfurt.
In 1949, Reżā Afšar acquired 70 percent of the Iranian Airways ownership, and assumed the responsibilites of the company’s managing director, in addition to serving as the chairman of the board. But because of its chronic financial difficulties the company was unable to modernize its fleet and improve the quality of its service to the satisfaction and expectations of its Iranian customers. Moreover, the company’s chronic lack of adequate safety led to a number of unfortunate accidents that jeopardized human lives. The most serious accident occurred in 1952 at Tehran’s Mehrābād Airport, when 27 people died. These problems informed in the late 1950s the decision of the Iranian government to nationalize the airline industry.
(2) Persian Air Services
In 1954 Aḥmad Šafiq founded Persian Air Service (PAS) as a cargo airline, and served as its managing director. The company started its operations with the technical support from Skyways, a British aviation company, and focused on a Europea cargo service from Tehran via Ābādān to Beirut, Brindisi and Basle. PAS also offered some Tehran-Geneva flights by Avro York under the charter with Trans Mediterranean Airway (TMA), a successful Lebanese all cargo airline. Later PAS became associated with SABENA, the Belgian national airline, which leased a DC-7C aircraft to PAS so that PAS could provide direct passenger service to Geneva, Paris, Brussels, and London.
(3) United Iranian Airlines
In August 1961 the Iranian government decided to found United Iranian Airlines as a publicly traded company. The Iranian government held 51 percent of its shares, and Iranian Airways and PAS each received 20 percent, while the remaining 9 percent of shares were to be sold to the public. The company collapsed almost immediately, but the concept paved the way for the nationalization of Iran’s airline industry with the establishment of the Iranian National Airline.
The Iran National Airline Corporation (Havāpeymā’i Melli Irān, also known as HOMA, the acronym of its first two letters, and Iran Air) was founded in February 1962. The Iranian parliament passed a decree that allowed the new company to acquire all assets and liabilities of Iranian Airways and Persian Air Services in order to take over both companies. The start-up capital was 170 million rial, 50 million cash investment and 120 million in airplanes. Major General ʿAli Moḥammad Ḵādemi (1913-78; see KHADEMI) who at that time was the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Air Force, was appointed as the company’s managing director because he was very familiar with commercial aviation. Ḵādemi, who in 1966 was promoted to Lieutenant General in the Air Force, managed Iran Air for 17 years, and succeeded at making it a worldclass airline of undisputed international standing.
Iran Air’s managing director (1962-78). Ḵādemi was a gifted, self-made, tireless, hard-working man and a management and leadership genius. He was an uncompromising fighter with unusual fortitude and self-confidence, who did not accept anything less than perfect. Utterly fair and honest, he possessed a strong human spirit, an extremely light heart and wonderful sense of humor. As a young man Ḵādemi was the first Iranian air force officer to obtain both a license from the British Aviation Authorities and the Commercial Pilot License no. 1 from the Iranian Civil Aviation Department. Afterwards Ḵādemi flew as captain airplanes of both the Iranian State Airlines and Iranian Airways (please see above), and developed the vision of building a national airline as the ultimate flag carrier. Since Ḵādemi hated favoritism, he hired his staff according to their qualifications and gave young men and women, particularly those who were not from or related to the privileged classes, unprecedented opportunities for growth. Although the Iran Air success story is attributed to a team of highly dedicated managers and staff, it was Ḵādemi who among many other things hand-picked and coached a group of capable men and women to build and run Iran Air. Ḵādemi was charged with infinite passion and stamina in the pursuit of his vision, but despite his selfless dedication to Iran’s aviation industry, his assassination prevented him from completing his 15-year plan of making Iran Air one of the world’s leading airlines.
Iran Air achieved international prestige in a relatively short time despite its undistinguished beginnings. Even though it was a small company, if compared to the mega airlines, Iran Air was soon considered one of the major players in the world of aviation. Known as the fastest growing airline in the world, Iran Air was an extremely well run and professionally managed national and international airline. Within a few years, its workforce grew from 700 to over 12,000 skilled personnel. Iran Air acquired and put into service one of the most advanced and well-maintained fleets of brand-new, all-jet aircraft, while holding an excellent safety record among its prominent worldwide competitors. In 1970, Ḵādemi was the first Asian manager to be elected president of the International Air Transportation Association (IATA), the most important regulating body of the commercial aviation industry. But most importantly, though Iran Air was a state-owned airline, it remained a profitable enterprise without receiving any subsidies until 1979. Its financial self-sufficiency was unprecedented inside and outside Iran, since in the 1960s and 1970s most airlines, large and small, were not only in debt, but on the verge of bankruptcy. Ḵādemi’s success was made possible because he managed to obtain special privileges from the Iranian government. He combined great authority with independence from government interference while abolishing bureaucratic barricades, and Iran Air could remain a purely commercial airline without being subjected to politics. During the 17 years of Ḵādemi’s stewardship Iran Air generated the highest amount of foreign currency revenue after the Iranian National Oil Company.
Fleet modernization. One of the company’s important priorities was to modernize its fleet. In the early 1960s, when the jet era had already begun, it was no longer feasible for an airline to operate obsolete propeller airplanes, and the transition from propeller airplane to jetliner was a complex process that demanded careful research and planning. Iran Air decided to acquire Boeing aircraft with Pratt & Whitney engines and to lease B727-100 from Boeing until the ordered airplanes were ready for delivery. The fleet was enlarged to comprise a family of 29 Boeing aircraft: short-range Boeing 737 with with two engines; medium to semi-long range tri-motor B727-100, B727-200 (FIGURE 1) and B707; and the long range B747-100, B747-200 and B747Special Performance (FIGURE 2). The B747SP was the latest version of the B747, and only Pan American Airways and Iran Air did immediately purchase this model. The Iran Air fleet grew to 35 all jet aircraft, when the comparny acquired 6 airbus. At this stage the company carried close to five million passengers a year. Under the company’s 15-year plan for the period 1975-90, most of its older aircraft were to be replaced.
The Concorde. Since Moḥammad Reżā Shah (r. 1941-79) was interested in the new supersonic aircraft, Iran Air had to express interest in ordering a Concorde for its fleet. In June 1972, the British flew a Concorde to Tehran during a 30 day demonstration tour in the Middle East, the Far East, and Australia. The experts of Iran Air concluded that the Concorde was not a suitable choice for their airline. Their reports to the shah advised against its purchase for economic and operational reasons while expressing doubts about the Concorde’s commercial future in general, and to everyone’s surprise the shah cancelled the order.
Safety. Ḵādemi was very concerned about the safety of passengers and crew, and made safety Iran Air’s highest priority. Accordingly, unrestricted human and financial resources were made available in order to achieve this goal. The international recognition of Iran Air’s exemplary safety standards was reflected in the safety certificate, granted to Iran Air by the U.S. Federal Aviation Agency. Iran Air’s international prestige was further enhanced in 1976, when Iran Air was considered one of the world’s safest airlines in a widely read study of airplane accidents (Eddy).
Pilot training. Initially Iran Air pilots were either Iranians who had received their pilot training in the Air Force, or foreigners. But the number of Iranian Air Force pilots was rather small, and foreign pilots were too expensive, so that the pilot shortage posed a serious challenge to the company’s successful operations. The management therefore decided to establish a pilot training program for Iranian men who were to work exclusively for Iran Air. This novel initiative was later imitated by a few other airlines. In the 1960s the first group of trainees who had been selected through a series of rigid exams received basic training in Iran, and were then dispatched for further training to American Flyers, one of the finest flight schools in the U.S.A.
International travel. Before Iran Air was launched as a national airline in 1962, air travel abroad was limited to a rather small group of wealthy people. Since Iran Air intended to make international air travel affordable for a much larger group of Iranians regardless of their social status, it convinced the government to permit a 40 percent discount on Iran Air tickets for students and for government employees, including family members, close relatives and dependants.
Foreign airlines took full advantage of Iran’s lucrative air travel market, because only with the launch of Iran Air could Iran establish its own competitive national carrier. But Iran Air did never fully exercise its domestic privileges, because it would have been necessary that the Iranian government had embarked on a series of bilateral negotations with foreign governments to change existing bilateral agreements. Nonetheless, in the 1970s, Iran Air began to decentralize its operations inside Iran in order to develop regional airports into independent hubs of international air travel. Before the Iranian Revolution, direct flights to Europe and countries in the Persian Gulf were already operated from Ābādān and Shiraz.
The above mentioned modernization of the fleet went hand in hand with the expansion of Iran Air’s flight frequencies and routes. Since European destinations were sufficiently covered, the development of Iran Air’s U.S. services was given priority. The first Iran Air flight to New York’s JFK Airport took off from Tehran on 15 May 1975, and Iran Air had also plans for offering flights to Los Angeles. But on 4 November 1979, when the U.S. embassy staff in Tehran were taken hostage, Iran Air operations in the U.S. were terminated. In the 1970s Iran Air offered flights to Beijing and Tokyo, and had opened offices in Bangkok, Manila, and Singapore to prepare for the establishment of future services. Under the company’s 15-year plan for the period 1975-90, Iran Air was also supposed to begin services to Australia and Africa.
Diversification and subsidiary. Iran Air diversified to a limited extent in 1970s and became involved into other aviation related businessesm such as the Homa Hotel Group. In addition, the company founded the airline subsidiary Iran Air Tours.
Sponsorship and promotion. The company sponsored Iranian sport teams and atheletic competitions to foster children’s physical education and to improve the health of the Iranian youth. Outside the country the company sponsored Iranian arts and culture to introduce foreigners to Iran and to promote tourism inside Iran.
After the revolution in 1978-79, the Iranian airline industry entered a new phase, which was marked by regression and extensive deterioration. From the beginning of the 1980s until the end of the Iran-Iraq war in 1988, domestic and international travel was considerably reduced since the Iranian government imposed severe restrictions on its citizens who wished to travel abroad.
A few months into the revolution, the national flag carrier Iran Air began to undergo a massive transformation. The company’s name was enlarged with “the Airline of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” and the airplanes’ livery was changed at large expense. It became impossible for knowledgeable and experienced executives to continue their work, and inexperienced, in many cases incompetent, outsiders were hired for important positions. The loss of qualified CEOs was accompanied by the devastating loss of experienced middle-managers and well-trained, specialized personnel. The collective dismassal of qualified employees for political reasons discouraged the remaining workforce, many of whom quit or took early retirement.
Since 1980 the turnover of CEOs has been high. Yet most CEOs were not professional managers with previous experience in the airline business, and so they were actually trained on the job. Usually they were replaced before they had had any real opportunity for applying their new knowledge to their company. Moreover, none of these CEOs ever introduced a strategic plan for the Iran Air’s long term growth and development, since all of them were only involved with the company’s day to day operations. Since Iran Air, like most of Iran’s industries, was dependant on access to the U.S. market for the maintenance of its technical equipment, the absence of a contingency plan ensured that the company’s operations were severely crippled by the economic sanctions which followed the collapse of Iran’s diplomatic relations with the U.S.A.
After the ceasefire agreement of 1988, the demand for air travel services enormously increased. Since the two state-owned airlines Iran Air and Āsemān (the former Pars Air) seemed incapable of meeting the abrupt demand, the Iranian government changed the law and established such low standards that interested parties could much more easily set up new commercial airlines. Since it was possible to obtain an airline license from the government for the investment of a mere 2 billion rial, many opportunist investors immediately applied for airline licenses and before long at least 14 new Iranian airlines had been founded. Iran has now an unprecendented large number of commercial airlines of both private and state ownership, though neither Iran Air nor most of the other airlines are profitable. Many are losing money, and they are creeping towards bankruptcy since their finances are in an alarming state.
The expansion of the domestic air travel ensured that more destinations were served and flight frequencies increased. In the long term, however, this hasty expansion produced chaos in Iran’s air transportation service because the new laws provided inadequate regulation and insufficient enforcement of industry standards. Every airline’s most important asset, the safety of its passengers, crew and aircraft, was jeopardized and so the overall quality of service has continually deteriorated. The number of passenger complaints is greater than ever because of the appallingly poor quality of the airport and in-flight services.
Most of the new airlines leased or purchased obsolete aircraft of the former Soviet republics, and travelers have become used not only to disarray and dissatisfaction but also to disasters and the loss of human life. Frequent accidents and human fatalities have given the Iranian airline industry one of the worst reputations in the world, although Iran Air was for many years recognized as the world’s safety champion. On 21 January 1980, the first fatal airplane accident after the revolution claimed 129 lives. The most disastrous accident occurred on 3 July 1988, when the Iran Air Airbus 655 was shot down over the Persian Gulf and 290 people perished. The inacceptable state of the civil aviation industry has become the subject of acute criticism by the Iranian public.
Nur-al-Din ʿAlā’i, Az mongolfira tā šāh, Tehran, 1952.
ʿAbbās Aṭrvaš, Tāriḵča-ye hawāpeymāʾi-e bāzagāni dar Irān, Tehran, 2007.
Qahramān Mirzā Sālur ʿAyn-al-Salṭana, Ruznāma-ye ḵāṭerāt, ed. Masʿud Sālur and Iraj Afšār, 10 vols., Tehran, 1995-2001; continuous pagination of vols. I-X.
Paul Eddy et al., Destination Disaster: From the Tri-Motor to the DC-10 – The Risk of Flying, New York, 1976.
Joseph S. Iseman, Nine Months on a Flying Carpet, New York, 1991.
Ḥosayn Maḥbubi Ardakāni, Tāriḵ-e moʾassasāt-e tamaddoni-e jadid dar Irān, 3 vols., Tehran, 1975-89; 2nd ed., 3 vols., Tehran, 1992-97.
Morteżā Ṭolūʾi, Tāriḵ-e niru-ye hawā’i šahanšahi-ye Irān, Tehran, 1976.
Originally Published: November 5, 2010
Last Updated: August 17, 2011


Gilat Satellite Networks has won a multi-year contract to provide equipment and services for broadband connectivity over ISRO’s GSAT-11 across India.
Larsen & Toubro (L&T), an Indian multinational company engaged in technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing and financial services, chose Gilat to supply the ground segment and operate four gateways.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched the multi-spot beam satellite GSAT-11 last month to provide broadband coverage over India’s mainland and islands, boosting connectivity to rural India. The organisation chose L&T to supply, install, commission, and maintain GSAT-11’s ground system network. The satellite will enhance public welfare systems like e-banking, e-health, e-governance as well as provide a platform to demonstrate new generation applications.
L&T chose Gilat’s multi-application SkyEdge II-c platform to deliver broadband services across the country. Gilat’s hubs will be placed and operated in the following main and diversity gateway sites in India: Ranchi, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Bangalore.


IngeniArs is an Italian SME company with expertise in digital electronics and embedded systems. IngeniArs portfolio includes:
- Intellectual properties (IP-core) implementable on ASIC and FPGA technologies including all the AMD FPGA families.
- Test-equipment/software in order to simplify systems verification during the development phase. Such test equipment are built on custom boards including the AMD Zynq FPGA System on a Chip family.
- Design services: FPGA and ASIC system design following customer specifications. Most of our customers are requesting AMD FPGA as a target
The company is particularly active in the aerospace business providing design services in several space missions funded by the European Space Agency such as, Meteosat Third, Generation, Copernicus Sentinel 3, FLEX, PLATO and EUCLID.
- IP-core: intellectual property microcells for the realization of high-speed reliable communication link (SpaceWire, SpaceFibre, CCSDS 131.2-B) on board of satellites
- Test Equipment:
- SpaceWire / SpaceFibre Analyser Real-Time (SpaceART) : standalone device driven by a PC for the functional verification of the interconnections, the standard compliance and the fault-tolerance of the communication subsystems on-board of satellite. SpaceART is available with Ethernet, cPCI, PCIe, PXI interfaces.
- SpaceWire / SpaceFibre Analyser PXI: devices with the same features of the SpaceART, completely embeddable into National Instruments PXI equipment, that represent the state of the art for the implementation of verification environment in the aerospace sector.
- Test Software:
- SpaceWire / SpaceFibre Network Simulator: this allows simulation of complex, mixed SpaceWire / SpaceFibre networks.
- SCCC SW EGSE: this is fully compliant with CCSDS 131.2-B standard and simulates the entire communication from the transmitter to the receiver


Currently on its way to rendezvous with the asteroid Bennu; pictured above by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is a view of how our planet and moon appear at around 3 million miles away.
The image shows us what we look like around 13 times the distance between us and the moon.
Should the mission be successful, the asteroid Bennu may provide scientists with samples that could contain organic materials. This would give us a glimpse of the early stages of life, as we continually strive to figure out where we came from. Asteroids are generally from the early formation of our universe, so there is no telling what could be found.
‘But while the spacecraft might tell us some things about where we have been and where we are headed, it also can remind us of where we are right now,’ said NASA.
Being the little spaceship that carries on giving; as the OSIRIS-REx first left Earth it took a fantastic image of our little spec of dust with impressive detail.
‘Visible in this image are the Pacific Ocean and several familiar landmasses, including Australia in the lower left, and Baja California and the southwestern United States in the upper right.’ Said a post by a NASA spokesperson.
I think we can all agree that working for NASA is one of the best jobs you could hope for. As a young boy didn’t we all play with rockets and dream of going into space?
With us already playing with rockets and hovering above the Earth in a space station, it can only be a matter of time before we get to fully explore our solar system, perhaps even discover long theorized life on Europa, Jupiter’s moon.
Should the OSIRIS-REx mission be a success, the spacecraft should return to Earth no later than 2023 with samples extracted from the asteroid.


Space systems are vital to U.S. national security and economic prosperity and adversaries are testing capabilities to destroy them. Panelists discuss space systems as critical infrastructure.
The Honorable Mike Rogers
Former Congressman and Chair
U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
Lt. Gen. Steven L. Kwast, USAF, Ret.
The Honorable Sue Gordon
Former Principal Deputy Director
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery
Senior Director, Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation
Foundation for Defense of Democracies
Director, McCrary Institute
The CSC 2.0 report, “Time to Designate Space Systems as Critical Infrastructure,” is available here.