FAA Certifies First Air Taxi

Daily Upsider on June 16, 2024

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted Archer Aviation a crucial certification, moving the electric air taxi maker closer to flying travelers.

Archer is developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs, and won orders and backing from United Airlines in 2021.

Airlines have been investing in or ordering eVTOL aircraft, which take off and land vertically like helicopters. For instance, United Airlines envisions passengers using them for trips to and from airports in major cities, such as between Manhattan and United’s hub in Newark, New Jersey.

Related article: Flying Cars… Sort Of

“Today we have received the Part 135 certification, which allows us to effectively become an airline so we can carry passengers,” Archer CEO Adam Goldstein told CNBC.

The certification process took Archer about two years, during which they submitted over 2,000 pages of documents and 14 manuals outlining operational procedures, training, and maintenance.

Archer now needs to get its four-passenger aircraft, called “Midnight,” certified by the FAA. Goldstein mentioned that the company is currently working on this, with the possibility of air taxis entering service as early as next year. While he couldn’t provide an exact timeframe, he noted that Archer’s aircraft are much simpler with far fewer components than commercial jets, which might expedite the certification process.

Related: The Future of Flying

Archer’s demonstrator aircraft, Maker, can fly up to 60 miles at top speeds of 150 mph. The company’s Midnight aircraft, the bigger of the two, has a range of 100 miles, although Archer plans to use it primarily for shorter distances.

Here are two videos showing off their two models:

Boeing Starliner First Launch Carrying NASA Astronauts

Daily Upsider on June 15, 2024

Boeing launched its first Starliner flight with astronauts last week, marking a critical final flight test of the long-delayed spacecraft.

The launch occurred at 10:52 a.m. ET from Cape Canaveral, Florida, with two NASA astronauts on board. The Starliner was carried by a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket, destined for the International Space Station (ISS).

Approximately 15 minutes after liftoff, the rocket successfully released the Starliner capsule into orbit, with the flight proceeding as expected, according to mission control.

Although Starliner is equipped with cameras to capture views inside and outside the cabin, NASA’s broadcast indicated that Boeing would not be able to relay video footage back to Earth until the spacecraft reaches the ISS.

Starliner is set to travel in space for about 25 hours before docking with the ISS at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday. The astronauts will spend about a week on the ISS, focusing on testing Starliner, before returning to Earth.

Boeing’s crew flight test aims to certify the Starliner system as capable of transporting NASA astronauts to and from the ISS.

Wednesday’s liftoff followed a series of previous launch attempts. On Saturday, a launch was aborted in the final minutes of the countdown due to an issue with one of the ground support computers. Earlier in May, another attempt was canceled due to a detected problem with the rocket itself.

United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, replaced the rocket’s faulty valve after the May attempt and fixed a faulty part in the ground infrastructure computer after the Saturday attempt.

The Starliner capsule is designed to carry up to four NASA astronauts per flight, along with more than 200 pounds of research and cargo. The spacecraft lands using a parachute and airbag system and is reusable, with each capsule capable of flying up to 10 missions.

The Starliner capsule successfully docked with the International Space Station the next day, achieving a significant milestone for the company’s crew spacecraft in a crucial test flight.

Below is the video of the liftoff. The fun part starts around the 1 hour 10 minute mark.

I’m just glad all the doors were securely bolted on! 😬

Wearable Infusion Pumps

Daily Upsider on June 13, 2024

Infuzamed, a medical equipment company, recently introduced a new mobile infusion pump that you can wear, and it’s a game-changer. This small device does away with the bulky wires and poles of traditional pumps, giving patients more freedom to move around.

What sets Infuzamed apart from other portable pumps is its precise control over how much medicine it delivers and the different ways it can be used. Plus, it uses WiFi to keep track of patients’ vital signs in real-time, sending that info to the doctors.

The Infuzamed Wearable Patient Care Modules include:

  • Blood Pressure monitors, including ones that check occasionally and ones that record and send data.
  • A Holter monitor to track heart rhythms and send updates instantly.
  • Monitoring of breathing rate and oxygen levels.

Infuzamed can attach to most pre-filled syringes easily, making sure the medicine goes in just right, whether it’s through an IV or under the skin. Worn on the forearm, it lets patients move more and uses standard disposable syringes.

Sand Batteries

Daily Upsider on June 11, 2024

Sand batteries are emerging as an effective way to store energy from intermittent sources like solar and wind. The physical properties of sand, particularly its ability to store heat at high temperatures, make it ideal for energy retention. Technologies leveraging these properties aim to create a more stable and reliable energy supply, with sand efficiently accumulating and releasing heat as needed.

The science behind sand batteries involves heating sand to high temperatures using surplus energy from renewable sources. This stored heat can then be converted back into energy when required. This system uses the thermal properties of sand to create a natural battery, offering both heating and electricity generation.

Patrick Davenport from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) notes, “Sand and concrete silos with refractory insulation are very inexpensive materials that can lead to low-cost energy storage.”

Key players in this technology include Polar Night Energy in Finland, which has implemented a sand battery for residential and commercial heating, and EnergyNest in Norway, specializing in thermal energy storage. Sand’s abundance, low cost, eco-friendliness, and long-term heat storage capabilities make it an attractive option for stabilizing renewable energy systems and providing a reliable energy supply during low sunlight or wind.

Sand battery technology is being tested and used in various projects worldwide, demonstrating its viability and potential scalability. Despite this potential, there are still challenges. Large-scale development and deployment of sand batteries require significant research and investment.

5 Year Old, First to Receive Bionic Arms

Daily Upsider on June 8, 2024

A five-year-old boy, born with one hand, has become the youngest person ever fitted with a bionic arm.

Jordan Marotta experienced “pure joy” when he received his Iron Man-themed ‘Hero Arm’ prosthetic last week. Hours after getting the arm, footage showed him riding his scooter, gripping the handlebars with the prosthetic.

“It’s really fun and it’s cool,” said Jordan. “I like to play with the hand and make it open and close.”

His mother, Ashley Marotta, contacted Open Bionics, the company that makes the prosthetics, when Jordan started asking why his hand hadn’t ‘grown back’. Despite being told he was likely too young for a mechanical limb, they let Jordan try one. Following a successful trial, they agreed to fit him with the arm at their New York City office, two years earlier than usual.

“As soon as we left with Jordan’s Hero Arm, he was running around with so much confidence, trying to hail New York taxis,” said Ashley.

“You can’t even put a number on how amazing that is. It is worth its weight in gold.”

The first thing Jordan wanted to do when he got home was ride his scooter, now able to hold on with both hands. His advice in a video: “Don’t give up. Just don’t give up.”

Ashley was fortunate that her health insurance covered the cost of the arm. Jordan quickly adapted to using it in his daily life.

Watch the first moments below…