Rugged Data Recorders

DTS’ (Seal Beach, CA) ultra-small SLICE MICRO and NANO data recorders are rugged and designed to embed directly in the test article – even small drones. The NANO has a footprint of just 26 × 31 mm. The standalone systems include a microprocessor, excitation, full signal conditioning, and sample up to 500,000 sps/channel.

Aircraft manufacturers face increasingly stringent standards for reducing community noise. Conventional aircraft development methods based on engineering experience, past designs and flight testing will not suffice to meet future noise reduction targets. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software based on so-called Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) methods has revolutionized aerodynamics engineering, but is insufficient for high-fidelity aeroacoustic simulation. However, the Lattice-Boltzmann-based technology of Exa Corporation’s PowerFLOW software provides aeroacoustic simulation accuracy comparable to wind tunnels and flight testing.

There are many places one can go to get an outline on the pros and cons of different methods for enclosure cooling. Although we will briefly touch on them here, this is really an in-depth article on how to choose a Peltier (thermoelectric) air conditioner, once you have committed to the technology.

Over the past decade, warfighters’ personal loads have increased, leading to more injuries, pain, and discomfort. To relieve the burden, the military is investigating performance-enhancing exoskeletons. But how does an exoskeleton impact the soldier wearing it?

Field artillery soldiers will soon be ready to test-fire the modernized Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. Bravo Battery, 2nd Battalion, 20th Field Artillery Regiment is undergoing intensive training on the latest versions of software before operational testing.

Taking inspiration from an unusual source, a Sandia National Laboratories team has dramatically improved the science of scintillators — objects that detect nuclear threats. According to the team, using organic glass scintillators could soon make it even harder to smuggle nuclear materials through America’s ports and borders.

The long range of airborne drones helps them perform critical tasks in the skies. Now MIT spinout Open Water Power (OWP) aims to greatly improve the range of unpiloted underwater vehicles (UUVs), helping them better perform in a range of applications under the sea.

To make the jobs of aircraft handlers easier, the Navy developed the Deployable Ship Integration Multi-touch System (DSIMS), a mobile software package that features a digital touchscreen image of a ship’s flight deck or hangar bay, and can be used on a laptop or desktop computer. It replaces the “Ouija board” replica of the flight deck.

When Malaysia Air Flight 370 disappeared somewhere over the Indian Ocean in 2014, it had flown far beyond radar range. Under a new space-based air tracking system, no plane would ever be off the grid that way — and it is possible thanks in part to a collaboration with NASA, starting with a reconfigurable radio NASA uses to communicate with its satellites, rovers, and astronauts.

The aerospace & defense industry is demanding more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft that keep passengers safe and comfortable. The defense sector must deliver the technological edge to the warfighter and ISR drones as quickly and affordably as possible. Space 2.0 and the New Space economy is driving accelerated innovation and disrupting the sector.