Virgin Galactic sister company Virgin Orbit is one step closer to air-launching satellites. Their first-ever rocket drop test from a modified Boeing 747 carrier (named Cosmic Girl) was a notable success. The goal of the test was to enact and observe a clean, careful separation of a LauncherOne rocket payload and carrier craft. An orbital flight for the rocket is the next milestone they hope …
The newest plane in the Emirates fleet—the Boeing 777-300ER—has plenty of impressive features, but perhaps the most surprising is its virtual windows for the first-class cabin. Instead of peering out of the plane, passengers will see real-time projections filmed from outside of the aircraft with fibre-optic cameras. Emirates president Sir Tim Clark says the quality of footage is impeccable, and the move itself is a …
From Phantom Works—Boeing’s more-or-less secret design division—comes an entry for the US Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray unmanned tanker initiative, which tasked aviation companies with drone development. Boeing’s prototype is functional, though it hasn’t flown yet. There are planned engine test runs—on the ground—and deck handling demonstrations for early 2018. Boeing’s design does have some extraordinary stealth-enabling features, though it wasn’t not designed with that at the …
