Important Innovations Collection

   DAILY INNOVATION BRIEF                                                                                                          By Journalists Edward Kane & Maryanne Kane TOP TECH LEADERS WARN OF AI'S POTENTIAL RISKS                                                                         Source: Stock Images Dozens of the worlds leading technologists, including Elon Musk, are calling for a 6-month pause by AI labs in the development of large, powerful AI systems Th...

Stratolaunch's Roc Carries a Hypersonic Vehicle to 23,000 Feet                                                  Source:  Stratolaunch Major Moves Toward Hypersonic Commercial Flying at Mach 6 The world's largest airplane, California-based Stratolaunch's Roc, with a wingspan longer than a football field, just aced a major test flight while carrying a hypersonic prototype plane.  The success is important on a number of levels.  It moves Stratolaunch, whose mission is to launch small, autonomous, rocket powered hypersonic vehicles from altitudes of 35,000 feet, closer to test flying its Talon A hypersonic vehicle.  And it moves the world closer to hypersonic flying at speeds of Mach 6 and more.  This will eventually include commercial passenger planes traveling at six times the speed of sound or 4,570 mph.  That would...

Venus Aerospace's Mach 9 Space Plane Stargazer                                               Source:  Venus Aerospace Hypersonic Air Travel For Passengers Texas-based aerospace startup Venus Aerospace has unveiled the first conceptual design of its hypersonic space plane Stargazer that is capable of Mach 9 or 6,905 mph.  The hypersonic space plane is designed to take passengers anyplace in the world in an hour or less. The vehicle will take off from and land in any conventional airport and travel to the edges of space for fast, long-distance flights. The new concept is a look at the future of warp-speed global travel for passengers by hypersonic aircraft. The company is also working on a Mach 9 hypersonic drone. Well-Funded Startup, Technology and Business Plan Stargazer will initially be able to carry 12 passengers.  It will tak...

Stratolaunch's Hypersonic Vehicles                                             Source:  Stratolaunch Big Aviation Technology Breakthroughs Mojave, California based, aerospace company Stratolaunch just unveiled its hypersonic vehicle Talon-A, known as TA-O. TA-O prototypes are designed to fly at speeds of Mach 5 or 3,705 mph.  In the very near future, the company intends to launch TA-O from its huge aircraft carrier Roc. Roc is the world's largest plane with a wingspan of 385 feet. It is 238 feet long and 50 feet tall.  It has successfully completed its fifth flight.  Founded by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the company is setting the pace for huge aviation technology breakthroughs. First Flight The first TA-O prototype vehicle will initially be carried into flight by Roc this year to access how the vehicle impacts Roc's flight ...

Hypersonic Hyperplane Destinus from Switzerland                                                  Source:  Destinus Future of Global Travel in Hyperplanes Switzerland-based Destinus SA is developing a hypersonic, hydrogen powered jet/rocket capable of reaching any destination in the world in one to two hours. The founder and CEO of the company is Mikhail Kokorich, who is a highly successful entrepreneur and called the "Elon Musk of Russia".  The vehicle is a hybrid rocket and jet aircraft, that combines a hydrogen, air breathing jet engine with a rocket engine.  The Chairman of the Advisory Board of Directors of Destinus is Philipp Rosler, who is the former German Minister of Economics and Technology and former Vice Chancellor of Germany.  He believes Destinus will help provide Europe with leadership in aerospace technologies...

Briefings on Exciting Flying Concepts                                  Source:  Amazon Kindle  ASIN : B093J89VF5 Now Available on Amazon and Kindle My latest book "The Future of Flying" has just been published by Amazon and Kindle.  It provides journalistic briefings on the most exciting flying concepts under development including hypersonic and supersonic passengers planes, zero emissions aircraft, flying cars, wing suits, jet packs and more.  To take a look go to  https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B093J89VF5&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_SNQCDFM84D9D40FAZ5PJ ... ...

Air Force One at Mach 5                                      Source:  Hermeus Hypersonic Jet Flying 5 Times The Speed of Sound Atlanta, Georgia based Hermeus Corporation is developing a hypersonic Mach 5 passenger jet.  The jet will be capable of flying from New York City to London in 90 minutes.  Hermeus has established a partnership with the US Air Force and with the Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate (PE) to develop the 20 passenger vehicle for the President of the United States and his executive staff as a hypersonic Air Force One. NASA Onboard Very recently, NASA joined with Hermeus, the USAF and PE in a concerted effort to develop the jet.  Hermeus has successfully tested a prototype engine capable of powering an aircraft to travel at five times the speed of sound.  Another US company, Exosonic of California, is simultaneously part...

Interceptor to Neutralize Hypersonic Nuclear Warheads                                       Source:  DARPA Glide Breaker DARPA's Glide Breaker Project The US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency DARPA is developing a hypersonic interceptor vehicle, which experts are calling a potential gamechanger.  It's called Glide Breaker. The vehicle would travel at extremely high, hypersonic speeds while flying at such a low altitude that it evades early warning radar systems that track ballistic missiles.  The technology is extraordinary and straight out of science fiction. Twenty Times The Speed of Sound The technology is designed to take down a nuclear warhead travelling at 20 times the speed of sound.  It's the equivalent of hitting a bullet with a bullet.  And, the enemy "bullet" is capable of evasive maneuvers.  The interceptor, tha...

Mid-November Hypersonic Test in Russian Arctic "Unbeatable" According to President Putin The Russian news agency Tass, citing military sources, reports that Russia tested a hypersonic missile over the Russian Arctic within the past two weeks.  A MIG 31 Intercept jet performed the testing of the Kinjal Dagger hypersonic missile. Ground Target The missile was fired against a ground target at the Pemboi training grounds in Russia's Arctic Komi region.  No other details were provided.  Russian President Vladimir Putin has bragged that the Dagger missile is unbeatable and capable of evading any enemy defenses.  The Kinjal Dagger is said to be capable of hitting targets 1,250 miles away with conventional or nuclear warheads travelling at hypersonic speeds.  Average hypersonic speeds range from Mach 5-10. Danish Defense Warning Meanwhile in its annual risk assessment report, the Danish Defense Intelligence Service warned of a "great power play" s...

Understanding Air Flows Around Hypersonic and Supersonic Vehicles Source:  University of Buffalo 3D computer simulation of turbulence at high speed air flow Eliminating Turbulence The future holds the promise of hypersonic flights taking you from New York to London in a hour.  But getting from here to there is still a big aerospace engineering challenge.  There is a lot engineers still don't know about how the air flows when vehicles hit hypersonic speeds of 3.836 mph plus. That understanding is critical concerning turbulence, which affects how the aircraft can maneuver through the atmosphere. University of Buffalo Research A team at the University of Buffalo is attempting to solve this long standing problem associated with high speed aerodynamics. They're taking an innovative approach rather than using traditional wind tunnels.  They're using direct numerical simulations (DNS) with high performance computing to generate 3D computer simulations of turbulence...

 Hypersonic Vehicle Cool Down Essential For Mach 5 ++ Source:  DARPA DARPA's New MACH Program For successful hypersonic vehicle flight acceleration to Mach 5 and beyond, new hypersonic architecture, materials and designs need to be innovated.  Quite simply, there's a big challenge with hypersonic aircraft that scientists have been working on for decades.  It's how to keep them cooler in their hot, leading edges in order to withstand Mach 5 plus speeds. Hypersonic Flights Takeoff The US Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency - DARPA - has declared 2019 the year of the hypersonics.  DARPA is pursuing new materials, architecture and designs for cooling the hot, leading edges of hypersonic vehicles as they accelerate to Mach 5 and beyond. The program kicks off in late January 2019.  It's a great example of US innovation leadership.  For a news blog on it, go to my journalist colleague Maryanne Kane at https://www.importantinnovat...