After a list of military technology news a few days ago. Now comes the roundup of the most exciting aeronautics and aerospace technologies of 2022. This list is filled with various firsts in human history that give hope that 2023 will be an even better year for this technology sector.
1. The Largest Cargo Plane Antonov An-225 Mriya Destroyed
The world's aerospace enthusiasts received sad news when the world's largest commercial cargo plane, the Antonov An-225 Mriya, was destroyed last March due to the conflict in Ukraine. Video taken at Antonov Airport that emerged today shows the front of the plane burning and crumpled with the nose section crashing to the surface of the hangar floor.
Only one An-225 was built in 1985 to transport the Buran spacecraft of the Soviet space program. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, this plane was modified to become the world's largest six-engine cargo plane. The world cargo record for an airplane is all held by Mriya Ukraine's national defense company, Ukroboronprom released a statement that the plane will be rebuilt at a cost of around $3 billion to be borne by Russia.
2. AX-1 – The First Mission of a Private Company to Send Astronauts to the ISS
Another piece of aerospace history was recorded with the successful launch of the Axiom Space 1 (AX-1) mission last April. Four astronauts from Axiom Space were sent to the International Space Station (ISS) on Space X's Falcon 9 rocket. This made AX-1 the first fully privately owned mission to the ISS.
The crew of four Michael López-AlegrÃa, Larry Connor, Mark Pathy and Eytan Stibbe are currently on their way to the ISS in the Crew Dragon space capsule. When it docks to the ISS later, the crew will perform a variety of scientific and commercial missions for a week before returning to earth around Florida waters.
Axiom Space wants to do a mission to the ISS at least once every two years and this private company will have its own module as a hotel on the space station.
3. Bombardier Global 8000 – Supersonic Private Aircraft
Business private jets were first offered in the 60s to cater to professionals who wanted to fly quickly to their destination. Learjet dominated this market before being challenged by companies such as Gulfstream, Cessna and Bombardier. Last May the Bombardier Global 8000 was launched which according to the manufacturer is the fastest private business jet in the world.
In the tests that have been done, the Global 8000 reached a speed of Mach 1.015 which is equivalent to 1253 km/h. This is above the supersonic minimum limit of 1,060km/h. With a full tank it can fly continuously as far as 8000 nautical miles (14816 km). The cabin has enough space to accommodate 19 passengers at a time. The aircraft is expected to begin operations as early as 2025 earlier than the Boom Overture supersonic commercial passenger aircraft.
4. NASA Officially Begins Study Of UFOs
NASA has now officially established a team studying the phenomenon of unidentified flying objects (UAPs) – another name for UFOs in June. The results of the study will be shared with the public. Data from previous incidents will be collected and recommendations on how new data will be processed will be made by this team. The opinion of aeronautical experts and scientists will be taken into account to find the real answer about UAP.
In addition, a team was formed to see if UAP might be a new branch of science and not something mysterious or paranormal. A total of 16 experts in the fields of science, aerospace, astronomy, oceanography, imaging, pilots, astronauts and artificial intelligence are involved in the study which will take nine months. The research report will be published in 2023 and it may answer whether UAP really exists or is just a natural phenomenon misunderstood by humans.
5. The James Webb Telescope Takes the First Picture
The James Webb space telescope was launched at the end of 2021. Last July it finally sent its first image. The image of the part of the space named SMACS0723 is only the size of a grain of sand placed on the tip of the hand. It was given the name Webb's First Deep Field showing the thousands of galaxies that exist in space in this small sector.
To take Webb's First Deep Field the telescope's infrared camera took several pictures over 12.5 hours before combining them into a single composite image. With higher resolution and brighter images than the Hubble telescope, scientists can see more clearly the still-mysterious space. After this success James Webb sent more pictures of space at a higher resolution and the most distant galaxy ever taken – 35 billion light years away.
6. MEASAT-3d Satellite Begins Commercial Operations
The MEASAT-3d satellite began commercial service in July after being officially handed over by Airbus Defense and Space. The delivery was made ahead of schedule after it successfully completed tests in orbit.
MEASAT-3d is a multi-functional satellite that is expected to operate for up to 18 years. It has C-band and Ku-band payload capabilities for video and Direct-to-Home (DTH) services and Ka-band payloads for high-speed broadband internet offerings. This is to support the National Digital Interconnection (JENDELA) target by the Malaysian Government to achieve 100% Internet coverage by 2025.
In addition, the satellite also provides the first Q/V band load of its kind in the Asia Pacific region, enabling MEASAT to study the effects of radio frequency propagation in areas experiencing heavy rains such as in Malaysia, which will help the process of designing the next generation of satellites.
Finally, MEASAT-3d also carries payloads for KTSAT that will be used to improve the accuracy of GPS signals for airplanes and further improve the safety of airplane flights in South Korea.
7. MAS Replaces Cabin Entertainment System With User Devices
In-flight entertainment systems have been common since the early 2000s. A small screen behind the seat offers a variety of in-flight entertainment. Malaysia Airlines unveiled a new cabin design for their Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft that replaced the entertainment system with passenger-owned devices in July.
No more screens built into every business and economy class passenger seat. Instead passengers use personal smartphone and tablet screens to access the in-flight entertainment (IFE) system that offers movies, TV series, music and podcasts. There are built-in device holders on every seat that can safely house large-sized phones and tablets throughout the flight.
According to Malaysia Airlines, the combination of thinner seats and no entertainment system will save up to 1029 liters of fuel per year.
8. Nancy Pelosi's flight from Malaysia to Taiwan is the most tracked in history
The flight of Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States, Nancy Pelosi from Subang International Airport to Taipei in August set the record for the highest tracking on Flightradar24. It is the first time since 1997 that a Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives has visited Taiwan, which is not recognized by China as an independent country.
The movement of the SPAR19 plane carrying Pelosi recorded up to 2.92 million followers during the flight of more than 7 hours. Over 700,00 trackers were recorded when the aircraft arrived at the destination. The plane took a long route through the airspace of Indonesia and the Philippines before turning north to arrive in Taiwan to avoid flying over the airspace of Chinese military bases in the South China Sea.
9. DART – Earth's Defense System Against Asteroid Attacks Successfully Tested
On September 27, the DART satellite crashed into the surface of the asteroid Dimorphos at a speed exceeding 22,000 km/h. The mission was to see if the technique of slamming a vending machine-sized DART into the stadium-sized surface of Dimorphos would change its direction.
After being hit, NASA scientists announced that the orbit of Dimorphos was successfully shortened by around 32 minutes compared to the previous 11 hours and 55 minutes. Scientists set a target if the orbit is successfully changed for at least 73 seconds, it can be seen as a success. So the DART mission proved that the direction of asteroids that may hit the earth in the future can be changed using the same technique.
The study is not over as scientists now want to analyze the extent to which the momentum from DART was transferred to the asteroid by looking at the dust debris released after the impact. With more complete data, scientists can see the true effectiveness of the Earth's defense system when needed in the future.
10. Artemis-1 Mission Successfully Launched – First Step Back to the Moon
After several delays due to rocket engine damage and hurricane winds, the Artemis 1 mission was finally successfully launched to carry out the mission of sending the Orion capsule around the moon. Artemis 1 is the most powerful space rocket developed to date, using the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and carrying the Orion capsule.
So far the mission has been going well with the Orion capsule now holding the record for the furthest man-made spacecraft from Earth last week. It is now on its way back to earth to land on the surface of the Atlantic Ocean next Sunday. Artemis 1 is the first mission towards returning humans to the lunar surface by 2025. After this the Artemis 2 mission will send a human crew around the moon using another Orion capsule.