Tag: Drones
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5 Benefits of Using Satellite Imagery Over Drones
According to Euroconsult, the global market for commercial Earth observation data and services will reach $8 billion by 2029, up from $4.6 billion in 2019. Understanding when to use satellite imagery over drones is key to making an informed decision when collecting this data type. Here are 5 benefits of using satellite imagery over drones…
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Whip it good! Amazon patents a launch system for snapping payloads into the air — or even into orbit
A diagram shows Amazon’s whip-based launch system in operation on a ship. (Amazon Illustration via USPTO) Never let it be said that Amazon Prime Air VP Gur Kimchi thinks small: His latest patent lays out a plan for a launch system that could theoretically send payloads into space on the end of a miles-long whip,…
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Video provides another look at Amazon delivery drone (and Blue Origin spaceship)
We already knew that Amazon provided a rare public demonstration of its delivery drone dropping off some sunscreen at this week’s MARS 2017 conference in Palm Springs, Calif. We also knew that Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital rocket ship, which went to space and back five times, was on display at the invitation-only event, organized by Amazon…
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Verizon acquires Portland startup Skyward, a maker of drone management software
Skyward photo Verizon is bolstering its efforts in drones with the acquisition of Skyward, a Portland-based startup whose software helps commercial drone operators in industries such as construction and film production more efficiently track, connect and manage drones. This includes the management of digital logbooks, pilot credentials and real-time air charts. Terms of the deal…
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Video: Jeff Bezos shares big ideas, from Amazon’s drone landing pads to a 10,000-year clock
Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos shows off a tortoise cufflink during the Pathfinder Awards banquet at Seattle’s Museum of Flight. The tortoise symbolizes the approach Bezos takes with his Blue Origin space venture. “We believe slow is smooth, and smooth is fast,” he says. (Credit: Tania Shepard / Azzura Photography) Someday, you’ll be printing out a…
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FAA puts key Amazon, UPS, Facebook and Google execs on Drone Advisory Committee
An Amazon delivery drone. Photo via Amazon. Gur Kimchi, the vice president of Amazon’s Prime Air drone delivery operation, has been named along with a variety of other tech executives to a Drone Advisory Committee that “will help the FAA prioritize its activities, including the development of future regulations and policies” for unmanned aircraft in U.S. airspace. Gur…
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The Year in Aerospace: New horizons in 2015, from drones to dwarf planets
The heart-shaped area that’s prominent in this New Horizons picture of Pluto is known as Tombaugh Regio. (Credit: NASA / JHUAPL / SwRI) New Horizons is the name of the Pluto mission that reached its climax in 2015, but the name also provides an apt two-word description for the year’s big news in aviation and…
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Boeing’s new CEO sees Amazon and Facebook as competitors (and potential partners)
Boeing President and CEO Dennis Muilenburg addresses the SAE 2015 AeroTech Congress in Seattle on Tuesday. (Credit: Alan Boyle for GeekWire) Two months into his job as the Boeing Co.’s president and CEO, Dennis Muilenburg says Amazon and Facebook are emerging as competitors in the aerospace industry, due to their plans to develop drones for…
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Boeing’s new laser gun incinerates drones in 15 seconds
Boeing’s new laser system is designed to disable drones. Drones are everywhere these days — straying onto the White House lawn and disrupting wildfire operations. Now, Boeing has developed a new laser technology designed to wipe out drones — especially those that could cause threats to military personnel. Photo via Boeing. “Silent, invisible and precise—Boeing’s…
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Drones meet planes: U.S. pilots encounter 650 UAVs so far this year, a 173% increase over 2014
Photo via Shutterstock Watch where you’re flying up there in the blue skies. A new report from the Federal Aviation Administration indicates that there were 650 cases where U.S. pilots encountered unmanned aerial aircraft through Aug. 9 of this year. Drone flying in the Space Needle’s shadow. That’s up from 238 cases in all of 2014.…