When it comes to internet service providers, you pretty much have two options: AT&T or Comcast. In many places, you just have one option. Elon Musk is looking to turn that paradigm on its head.
In doing so he may turn SpaceX, the aerospace manufacturer and first-ever “space transportation services company,” into a $120 billion powerhouse worth more than the likes of Northrop Grumman Corp., Lockheed Martin Corp. and Raytheon Co.
So what’s the plan?
The goal is to surround the planet with affordable, high-speed, low latency internet access (and disrupt the telecommunications industry) with a constellation nearly 12,000 satellites called Starlink. In contrast to the larger, clunkier internet-providing satellites, which are an average 22,236 miles away, Starlink’s satellites would be just 1,000 miles away from Earth’s surface.
Just how crazy is this idea?
Crazy, but not so crazy that Musk can’t pull it off.
Sixty experimental Starlink satellites were launched in May, a proof of concept that promptly boosted the company’s valuation to over $33 billion. Government documents revealed that Starlink could reach 12,000 satellites by the end of 2027.
Never one to wait, Musk says the network will be up and running within the next couple of years.
What will all this cost?
To be economically viable, the company would need roughly 1,000 satellites in orbit to capture a few percent of the globe’s telecommunications market. That would net the company revenue in the tens of billions.
To cover the planet in service, and to have 12,000 satellites in orbit, would cost about 10 billion a year. But revenue would be between 30 billion and 50 billion on the low end of projections.
The concept isn’t unique to SpaceX — OneWeb and Amazon.com Inc.’s Project Kuiper have the same goal — but SpaceX is far ahead.
Procure Aerospace Fasteners from AMI
AMI is a vertically integrated manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace pins, bolts, threaded rods, studs, screws and built-to-print specials. Our clientele includes industry leading OEMs like Boeing, Bombardier, DLA, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, NASA, NAVICP, Sikorsky and the U.S. Navy.
We are an AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited Philips Screw licensee that specializes in both large and small runs. Whether you need a prototype or large runs for your assembly line, you can rely on AMI for rapid delivery and short lead-times.
The red, rocky planet has captivated the human imagination for centuries, and the more we learn about it the more interesting it becomes. Mars has similar geologic processes, and familiar geologic formations like volcanoes and canyons.
Convincing signs that Mars once held large quantities of liquid water have been shown by recent missions, from Mars Odyssey in 2001 to the Mars Exploration Rovers and the Mars Phoenix lander.
The next step is to determine whether or not Mars is currently suitable for life, if life ever existed there and if some lifeform exists there now. All remain unanswered.
We’re not ready
NASA’s next mission, the Mars 2020 Rover, which will launch next summer and land on the Red Planet’s Jezero Crater on Feb. 18, 2021, will be the first mission to collect samples of Martian material to send back to Earth.
If the biosignatures of life are discovered, Green says,”It will be revolutionary. It will start a whole new line of thinking. I don’t think we’re prepared for the results. We’re not.”
Among the deep questions that will gain sudden importance should life be discovered — what is our place in the universe? Is this new lifeform like us? How are we related?
If life is discovered, it will likely live below ground because the surface of Mars is believed to be radioactive. Researchers drilled miles into the Earth and were shocked to find more life there than on the surface. The same may be true on Mars.
In addition to searching for signs of life and looking for past habitable environments — irrefutable evidence of flowing water — the rover will also test oxygen production on the planet and monitor Martian weather to evaluate how future explorers would fare.
Learn more about the 2020 mission in the video below.
Procure Aerospace Fasteners from AMI
AMI is a vertically integrated manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace pins, bolts, threaded rods, studs, screws and built-to-print specials. Our clientele includes industry leading OEMs like Boeing, Bombardier, DLA, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, NASA, NAVICP, Sikorsky and the U.S. Navy.
We are an AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited Philips Screw licensee that specializes in both large and small runs. Whether you need a prototype or large runs for your assembly line, you can rely on AMI for rapid delivery and short lead-times.
Aerospace Manufacturing has been a Phillips screw licensee for nearly 20 years. One of the fastener systems we create is the Phillips Torq-Set® Offset Cruciform Drive System.
Phillips Torq-Set® Offset Cruciform Drive System
With its offset cruciform shape and straight wing walls for greater torque transfer and its compatibility with standard ACR® ribbed TORQ-SET® drivers, the Phillips Torq-Set® Offset Cruciform Drive System is ideal for numerous aerospace applications where safety and flexibility are the utmost concerns.
Nearly every aircraft in the skies today incorporates drive systems from the Phillips Screw Company thanks to innovative technology and engineering that allow for maximum torque and extremely reliable performance even under extreme conditions.
– ACR® Ribbed Torq-Set® Offset Cruciform Drive System
– ACR® Ribbed Phillips® Cruciform Drive System
Procure from a Trusted Phillips Screw Licensee
Aerospace Manufacturing is a AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace fasteners including standards such as AN, MIL, MS, NA, NAS, as well as custom specials made to print.
We have been meeting the needs of industry leading OEMs like Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin, Aerojet Rocketdyne, NAVICP and NASA since 1986.
We specialize in both large and small runs. Whether you need a prototype or large runs for your assembly line, you can rely on AMI for rapid delivery and short lead-times.
AMI is happy to announce that we have won contracts to create bolts in support of the H-IIA, Japan’s primary large-scale launch vehicle, which is operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
An expendable launch system, the H-IIA has one of the highest performance to cost ratios of any launch system in the world. A H-IIA launch costs roughly half that of comparable systems. Cost reduction is more significant now than ever thanks to the huge growth in satellite-based observation, data services, broadcasting and communication systems.
In the video below, you can see the recent successful launch of a H-IIA which carried the second iteration of “IBUKI“, the world’s first satellite dedicated to greenhouse-gas-monitoring, and KhalifaSat, a remote sensing Earth observation satellite that provides high-resolution imagery of Earth to be used for urban planning, meteorology and environmental monitoring.
The H-IIA is part of a revolution currently taking place in the field of aerospace. In the past, space programs were invariably large-scale and centered around high-cost projects. Today the focus is on lower-cost missions with more limited aims. These kinds of projects are possible because of the development of cost-effective launch systems like the H-IIA.
The H-IIA has an operational success rate of 97.4%, and the H-IIB has a 100% success rate, giving these systems the highest performance level in the world.
Procure Aerospace Fasteners from AMI
AMI is an AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, vertically integrated manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace pins, bolts, threaded rods, studs, screws and built-to-print specials.
Our clientele includes industry leading OEMs like Boeing, Bombardier, DLA, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, NASA, NAVICP, Sikorsky and the U.S. Navy.
We are a Philips Screw licensee that specializes in both large and small runs. Whether you need a prototype or large runs for your assembly line, you can rely on AMI for rapid delivery and short lead-times.
Nothing in the history of commercial aviation has been a part of so many horror stories, so many trials and tribulations, so many sleepless redeyes than the middle seat. And yet year after year, flight after flight, nothing changes. Until now.
Molon Labe has designed a middle seat that is set 2 inches lower and three inches back from the seats on either side. The result? The S1, as it’s called, provides a luxurious 23 inches of space for middle seaters rather than the standard 18. Thanks to the staggered design, the S1 would put an end to the silent “elbow wars” those in the middle seat must take part in by providing each seat with its own two arm rests.
Before you start writing your congressperson demand the S1 be available on all commercial jets, you should know that the staggered seating arrangement doesn’t increase legroom. The S1 also doesn’t recline…
Acknowledging that the S1 isn’t a panacea for all that ills economy seating, Molon Labe founder and CEO Hank Scott told Wired, “Flying sucks. We’re trying to make it suck less.”
When will the S1 be coming to a middle seat near you?
As with everything in aviation, getting the proper certifications from the FAA is the primary hurdle. Molon Labe cleared this hurdle in June after 15 S1s underwent testing at the National Institute of Aviation Research at Wichita State University.
Procure Aerospace Fasteners from AMI
AMI is an AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, vertically integrated manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace pins, bolts, threaded rods, studs, screws and built-to-print specials.
Our clientele includes industry leading OEMs like Boeing, Bombardier, DLA, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, NASA, NAVICP, Sikorsky and the U.S. Navy.
We are a Philips Screw licensee that specializes in both large and small runs. Whether you need a prototype or large runs for your assembly line, you can rely on AMI for rapid delivery and short lead-times.
Aerospace Manufacturing has been a Phillips screw licensee for nearly 20 years. One of the fastener systems we create is the Phillips Tri-Wing® Tamper Resistant System.
Phillips Tri-Wing® Tamper Resistant System
With its straight wing walls for greater torque transfer and unique tri-slot shape that provides outstanding resistance to vibration, the Phillips Tri-Wing® Tamper Resistant System is ideal for aerospace applications where screws and bolts must be torque-tight and completely resistant to tampering.
Since the beginning, the Phillips Screw Company has been a leader in creating the most innovative aviation fasteners and drive systems. Thanks to their numerous advantages in extreme environments and high performance applications, Phillips systems are found on virtually every aircraft flying today, from engines to cockpit interiors.
– ACR® Ribbed Torq-Set® Offset Cruciform Drive System
– ACR® Ribbed Phillips® Cruciform Drive System
Procure from a Trusted Phillips Screw Licensee
Aerospace Manufacturing is a AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace fasteners including standards such as AN, MIL, MS, NA, NAS, as well as custom specials made to print.
We have been meeting the needs of industry leading OEMs like Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin, Aerojet Rocketdyne, NAVICP and NASA since 1986.
We specialize in both large and small runs. Whether you need a prototype or large runs for your assembly line, you can rely on AMI for rapid delivery and short lead-times.
AMI is a manufacturer of landing gear fasteners that’s trusted by industry leading OEMs to create the most challenging fasteners — bolts, screws, pins, studs, threaded rods and built-to-print specials. That’s why we thought we would take a look at the most common types of landing gear used today.
Types of Landing Gear
The landing gear supports the entire weight of the aircraft during landing and ground operations. The type of landing gear used depends on the two things, the design of the aircraft and its intended use. There are three main types of landing gear:
– Tail Wheel
Also called “conventional” or “traditional” landing gear because it was the status quo for the majority of aviation history, tail wheel landing gear include a main gear that’s located forward of the airplane’s center of gravity, which necessitates support via a third wheel assembly in the tail of the aircraft. Tail wheel landing gear were ideal for operating in and out of unpaved runways because of the increased clearance they provided between the forward section of the fuselage and the ground.
The Supermarine Spitfire (above) and the other legendary fighters of WWII — Mitsubishi A6M Zero, North American P-51 Mustang and Messerschmitt Bf 109 — all used retractable tail wheel landing gear.
– Tandem
A less common landing gear system is the tandem arrangement, where both the main and secondary gears are situated along the longitudinal axis or spine of the fuselage.
The most well-known aircraft using tandem landing gear are military planes — the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress (above), the Lockheed U-2 spy plane, and most famously the Hawker Siddeley Harrier.
The primary advantage of the tandem landing gear design is its reduced drag when deployed.
– Tricycle
Consisting of a nose gear and a main gear attached to the reinforced wing structure or to the fuselage, the tricycle arrangement is the most common among large and small aircraft today.
Why? It allows for more forceful application of the brakes and therefore higher landing speeds. It provides better visibility from the flight deck during ground maneuvering. And because it spreads the weight of the aircraft over a larger area, it also provides a better safety margin than any other configuration.
The number of wheels on the main gear depends on the design weight of the aircraft. As you can see above, the 777 has 12 wheels in the main gear.
Procure Fasteners from AMI
AMI is an AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, vertically integrated manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace fasteners. We are a Philips Screw licensee whose clientele includes Boeing, Bombardier, DLA, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, NASA, NAVICP, Sikorsky and the U.S. Navy. We specialize in both large and small runs. Whether you need a prototype or large runs for your assembly line, you can rely on AMI for rapid delivery and short lead-times.
As an approved manufacturer of Sikorsky fasteners, AMI currently creates Sikorsky Part Number – SS5213 in several diameter sizes and carries a large inventory of finished Sikorsky bolts and screws in stock.
We also play a critical role in supporting the fleet of Japanese Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King helicopters for the Japanese Ministry of Defense and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (which manufactures the SH-3 under license) by creating complex and hard-to-find items and delivering them with short lead times. The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King The Sea King is a twin-engined anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter that was originally designed to hunt Soviet subs. Today it is one of the most popular search-and-rescue helicopters in the world.
The SH-3 was the first helicopter in the United States capable of both hunting and killing submarines — roles previously held by two separate helicopters. As a sub-hunter, the SH-3 is crewed by a pilot and a rear team operating and interpreting data from the aircraft’s many sensors. On search and rescue details, the SH-3’s cabin can hold 22 survivors. As a troop transport, it can carry 28 fully equipped soldiers. In a medical application, it can accommodate nine stretchers and two medical officers.
Though the SH-3 was formally retired by the U.S. Navy in 2006 in favor of the Sikorsky SH-60 Sea Hawk, the SH-3 remains in widespread military and civilian use. In addition to the Japanese Sikorsky SH-3, there is an Italian variant manufactured under license by Agusta and a British variant manufactured under license Westland.
The civilian variants S-61L and S-61N are used across the globe by heads of state, industries and corporations. Procure Fasteners from AMI
AMI is an AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, vertically integrated manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace pins, bolts, threaded rods, studs, screws and built-to-print specials.
Our clientele includes industry leading OEMs like Boeing, Bombardier, DLA, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, NASA, NAVICP, Sikorsky and the U.S. Navy.
We are a Philips Screw licensee that specializes in both large and small runs. Whether you need a prototype or large runs for your assembly line, you can rely on AMI for rapid delivery and short lead-times.
AMI is proud to have been selected to manufacture custom Aerojet bolts for our partners that will be put into an assembly by Lockheed Martin for Orion, a deep-space exploration vehicle created by NASA and Lockheed Martin that will carry a crew of four to destinations beyond low Earth orbit like Mars. Orion will make its first unmanned test launch in 2020 atop the massive Space Launch System. In 2023, the next mission will carry astronauts far behind the moon’s dark side, making two close passes of its surface. The Orion will play a role in the NASA plan to establish a permanent lunar outpost from which explorations to Mars and the outer solar system can depart.
AMI also creates a large bolt for the American-made AR1 Aerojet Booster Engine, which is critical in ending the U.S. dependence on foreign engine suppliers to launch payloads into space.
Procure Fasteners from AMI
AMI is an AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, vertically integrated manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace pins, bolts, threaded rods, studs, screws and built-to-print specials. Our clientele includes industry leading OEMs like Boeing, Bombardier, DLA, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, NASA, NAVICP, Sikorsky and the U.S. Navy. We are a Philips Screw licensee that specializes in both large and small runs. Whether you need a prototype or large runs for your assembly line, you can rely on AMI for rapid delivery and short lead-times.
It’s armed with just a pair of .50-caliber machine guns. Instead of rockets and missiles, you’ll find extra gallons of fuel tucked away in a tank behind the cabin. The collapsible seats can be stowed on the ceiling in seconds to make room for rescue crews as they work on patients.
The USAF’s new Combat Rescue Helicopter, the Sikorsky’s HH-60W, knows exactly what it is: a search-and-rescue helicopter that prioritizes saving lives.
The HH-60W marks a huge improvement over the HH-60 Pave Hawk that it’s replacing.
It has roughly two times the fuel capacity and double the flight time, five hours as opposed to 2.5. It also has improved armor plating and detection capabilities for missiles and rockets, better optical and infrared cameras and more advanced tools to protect against cyber-attack.
These features will make the HH-60W ideal for its primary mission: locating and rescuing pilots shot down in hostile territory. The HH-60W’s unique mix of range, light armament and heavy defensive features are seen as ideal for the kind of conflict expected in the 21st Century: conventional conflict between large, technologically advanced combatants rather than small-scale, asymmetric conflicts.
The HH-60W came about after the USAF awarded Lockheed Martin, the parent company of Sikorsky Aircraft, with a $1.3 billion contract to develop the aircraft. Development began in 2012, and its first flight took place this May.
It’s expected to enter service as soon as 2020. Earlier this month, the USAF conducted its first pilot tests of the HH-60W at West Palm Beach, Florida. The USAF expects to order 113 HH-60Ws by 2029.
Procure Sikorsky Bolts and Screws from AMI
As an approved manufacturer of Sikorsky fasteners, we currently create Sikorsky Part Number – SS5213 in several diameter sizes. We also carry a large inventory of finished Sikorsky bolts and screws in stock.
AMI is an AS9100 and ISO:9001 accredited, vertically integrated manufacturer of high strength, close tolerance aerospace bolts, screws, pins, studs, threaded rods and built-to-print specials. Our clientele includes industry leading OEMs like Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky, Bombardier, General Electric, DLA, NAVICP, NASA, and the U.S. Navy.
