aerospace – Page 2 – DesignApplause

philae accomplishes mankind’s first landing on a comet.

Nov 12, 2014

comet 67p

today satellite ‘rosetta’ delivers and enables landing pod ‘philae’ a first for mankind: landing on a comet-comet 67p/churyumov-gerasimenko. the feat, landing in a precise preordained spot is akin to a bullet landing on another bullet. it launched in 2004 traveling four billion miles rocketing at 21,000 mph, the comet 83,889 mph.

“we are on the comet,” stephan ulamec, philae lander manager, announced wednesday 12 november 2014, marking a historic achievement.

above> philae landing pod – simulation | below> satellite rosetta philae landing pod – simulation

above> the first image the esa released from the philae lander shows the craft breaking away from the rosetta orbiter and heading toward 67p | below> rosetta’s camera catches philae descending towards 67p

above> the philae lander took this photo of its descent onto comet 67p wednesday, when it was about 3 kilometers from the surface. the landing site is seen with a resolution of about 3 meters per pixel | esa/rosetta/philae/rolis

above> a close-up view of philae’s landing site on the comet. the red circle is about 500 meters, or 1,640 feet, across for scale. credits: esa/rosetta/mps for osiris team mps/upd/lam/iaa/sso/inta/upm/dasp/ida

above> date> 02 january 2014 | satellite> rosetta | depicts> philae lander | copyright> esa/atg medialab
rosetta will deploy the philae lander to the surface of comet 67p/churyumov-gerasimenko for in situ analysis with its 10 instruments:
APXS: alpha proton x-ray spectrometer (studying the chemical composition of the landing site and its potential alteration during the comet’s approach to the sun)
CIVA: comet nucleus infrared and visible analyser (six cameras to take panoramic pictures of the comet surface)
CONSERT: comet nucleus sounding experiment by radiowave transmission (studying the internal structure of the comet nucleus with rosetta orbiter)
COSAC: the cometary sampling and composition experiment (detecting and identifying complex organic molecules)
PTOLEMY: using modulus protocol (methods of determining and understanding light elements from unequivocal stable isotope compositions) to understand the geochemistry of light elements, such as hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen and oxygen
MUPUS: multi-purpose sensors for surface and sub-surface science (studying the properties of the comet surface and immediate sub-surface)
ROLIS: rosetta lander imaging system (providing the first close-up images of the landing site)
ROMAP: rosetta lander magnetometer and plasma monitor (studying the magnetic field and plasma environment of the comet)
SD2: sampling, drilling and distribution subsystem (drilling up to 23 cm depth and delivering material to onboard instruments for analysis)
SESAME: surface electric sounding and acoustic monitoring experiment (probing the mechanical and electrical parameters of the comet), comprising: casse (comet acoustic surface sounding experiment), dim (dust impact monitor), and pp (permittivity probe).

with a cost of 200 million euros — or about $250 million — the lander will provide ground truth for groundbreaking observations already underway by rosetta. the chief goal of the $1.7 billion rosetta mission is to find out how comets work and whether they may have seeded earth with water and the building blocks for life — like organic molecules, amino acids, and other life-forming material. [ watch esa live stream ]
[ esa ][ esa top 10 at 10 km ][ npr ]

update> there were some problems upon landing: in an update from the lcc in esa’s live stream at 5:42 est, it was announced that analysis of telemetry indicated that the landing was softer than expected, that the harpoons had not fired upon landing, and that the thruster had not worked.

1> philae details
2> finding a landing spot is hard to do
3> size comparison: 67p and paris

experts think it costs apple $200 to build iphone 6.

Sep 24, 2014

experts think it costs apple $200 to build iphone 6. cheap memory means high margins. via forbes [RK]

Fed asks public for ideas to speedup airport check-ins.

Jul 29, 2014

Just heard on the radio: The Federal Transportation Safety Authority has asked members of the public to submit ideas to make airport check-in lines run more rapidly and smoothly. Process is also design. AND friends, there’s also a $15,000 prize [ details ]

<a href="about phil patton

Dronography and fireworks collaborate in 2014.

Jul 17, 2014

>above> new phantom 2 vision+ and hero 3

Last April a Phantom 2 quadracopter using a Hero3+ Black Edition was flown into fireworks. No one is sure how impactful this particular feat is however on the 4th of July quite a few drone videos were made.

video shot april 2014

One in particular went viral, shot by videographer Jos Stiglingh who was presented with a unique opportunity to film fireworks up close, also used a Phantom 2 and Hero3+ Silver. 2014 may become known as the year of dronography and fireworks credited with fully catching the public’s eye. [ the video ]

hero 3+ black edition | hero 4 to be released october 2014

Here are two companies seemingly designing products for each other. [ gopro ] manufactures high-definition personal cameras, often used in extreme action video photography. They are known for being compact, lightweight, rugged, wearable or mountable in unusual places such as outside planes, cars, boats, bicycle and motorcycle helmets, army tanks and drones. The cameras capture still photos and/or video in HD through a wide-angle lens and can be configured to work automatically with minimum intervention and/or remotely.

[ dji ] as of 2013, manufactures micro air vehicles (MAV)s for aerial survey / surveillance. With it’s relative ease of use and affordability, these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are also popular amongst aerial photographers for aerial photography and videography.

new phantom 2 vision+ and hero 3

GoPro lists the Phantom ‘for everyone’ on their website and also has an ‘expert’ product link which points to the new Spreading Wings S1000. A fully loaded Phantom 2 Vision+, $2,500 usd; Spreading Wings S1000, $6,000 usd.

[ drone perspective ] [ gopro goes public ] [ getting started in dronography ]

massimo vignelli. 1931>2014.

May 27, 2014

above> c 1976 | how i remember him

Massimo Vignelli leaves us with inspiring design legacy. He lived to the age of 83.

american airlines | 1967

new york city metro transportation system | 1966

knoll corporate identity | 1966

handkerchief chair | knoll | 1982

collection | heller | 1972

passionate in design and life

“If you can design one thing, you can design everything.” He leaves his wife, Lella; his children, Luca and Valentina. [ vignelli associates ] [ wikipedia ] [ tribute: michael bierut ]

about ron kovach

want to go to mars? the selection criteria.

Dec 30, 2013

want to go to mars? the selection criteria. once on mars, there are no means to return to earth. via mars one [RK]

Greetings from chuck: epic christmas split.

Dec 21, 2013

if you enjoyed the van damme/volvo ad you’re going to love this.

about nOnnIs

Shortest commercial flight ever?

Dec 7, 2013

shortest commercial flight ever? breathtaking one minute-13 seconds flight from one hilltop to another.

about cam2

Branding the new american airlines and us airways.

Nov 13, 2013

Ammerican Airlines. US Airways. The odd couple at first glance this is not. Here’s a safe bet: Red. White. And. Blue.

the first plane was painted in the new us airways livery in 2004

The American aircraft fleet overall needs a facelift and they are at the beginning of their fleet renewal vs. US which is nearly done. [ details ]

new american prototype was painted january 2013

[ overheard ]
15 feb 2013
US Airways CEO Doug Parker was non-committal when asked about American Airline’s new livery at an employee meeting Thursday regarding the merger, a transcript shows.

“I just don’t know. I think that’s the kind of thing you want to go spend some time on, talk about what’s the right branding for the combined airline,” Parker told employees Thursday.
The new American Airlines brand, unveiled just weeks before the merger, has drawn a lot of derision. So far, Parker and AMR Corp. chief executive Tom Horton have suggested in public that the new livery would stay with the new merged airline.

Horton was pretty firm on Thursday with my colleague Andrea Ahles in Fort Worth. Here’s what he said about keeping the livery:

[Horton] It looks like something you would design if you were going to put American and US Airways together. But it is a new look. We are rolling it out very quickly. In fact, we have 60 new airplanes coming this year that will be delivered with the new livery. … And I think it’s a great presentation of the new American going forward.

But with US Airways employees Thursday, a securities filing shows Parker isn’t so sure. Here’s what he told employees:

[John McDonald] Doug, lots of questions about that tail and that design right behind you.

[Parker] That is the American Airlines livery and that’s the US Airways livery. I got a lot of questions on this today and I don’t have a great answer, mainly because this is the kind of – kind of a detail we just don’t have answers to yet. I’m not suggesting by any means that we won’t be able to [inaudible]. I just don’t know. I think that’s the kind of thing you want to go spend some time on, talk about what’s the right branding for the combined airline. I haven’t seen the work they’ve done to come up with the branding they have, but I know they spent a lot of time on it and they’re proud of it, so I don’t want to prejudge one way or another. I just want to – that’s a detail that still needs to be worked out and one that we’ll work out together.

20 february 2013
US Airways’ latest employee update on its merger plans is out, and the company has some interesting things to say about maintaining its hubs and whether or not it will keep American Airlines’ new livery.

American and US Airways announced their merger last week, and plan to close on the deal in the third quarter. The new American livery has been a source of much derision, and people have wondered whether the merged airline will keep the tail design.

US Airways CEO Doug Parker will lead the merged airline, and it seems like the US Airways team could be open to a change. American adopted its new branding and livery while the carrier was in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Here’s the company’s response from a Q & A in the employee update:
Q> What will happen to the American Airlines and US Airways branding and livery?
A> American Airlines is one of the most iconic brands in the world, and we are excited to operate under that globally recognized brand name. More specific branding and livery decisions will be made in due course as we move forward in the integration-planning process

The company also reiterated its promises not to do major cutbacks – a crucial issue for both travelers and employees.

Q> Will you be downsizing any hubs, reservation centers or facilities?
A> This is a merger premised on growth . Our synergies are derived primarily from the revenue benefits of American Airlines’ and US Airways’ complementary networks . Importantly, we expect to maintain all hubs and service to all our current destinations

designed by massimo vignelli in 1967 | the eagle added a bit later

The design community will pay close attention to how the American brand will morph, if at all. American’s previous brand lasted 46 years.

see more at the kiwi club

5 november 2013. raymond loewy’s 120th.

Nov 7, 2013

above > homage to the prr s1 | 1939

My first Google on 5 November 2013, would begin a six-degrees-of-separation-like day. I recognized the the clever train doodle and its designer and correctly guessed it was Raymond Loewy’s birthday – the 120th! Image gathering would have to happen later in the day after my evening design course.

studebaker avanti | 1963

air force one (distinctive blue, white and chrome livery) at the behest of friend jackie kennedy | 1962

In my evening course I asked students if they knew who Raymond Loewy was and none did. They shouldn’t have known Loewy but most students don’t know many of their contemporaries either. It’s interesting that the work inspires them but not so much the designer. Loewy reminds me of the ‘I get it’ chain of events as a student who didn’t think much of what went on outside the classroom. I’m very grateful to my teacher and product design department head Timothy Trapp. He asked his class who wanted to go with him to NYC during Christmas break to visit the offices of George Nelson, Henry Dreyfuss and Raymond Loewy.

Six students and Tim made the trip in his VW microbus. Our tour at Loewy was given by head of engineering Walter Stern who would become a client of mine 16 years later. Hard to believe I hadn’t heard of Dreyfuss or Nelson. Stern brought up Braun designer Dieter Rams which inspired me to buy a Braun shaver while in New York. Later in the 90s Stern suggests that I ask Rams to be a guest speaker at The Art Institute of Chicago. Following the lecture and dinner I walk Dieter back to his hotel. As I’m about to leave he says wait, goes up to his room, and comes back with two Braun watches. I never met Dreyfus, Loewy or Nelson. But I got to know them and now looking for a job that research led to Jay Doblin at Unimark in Chicago, who introduced graphic designer Herb Pinske, who sat down with me and went through a 27 Chicago Designer book looking for offices that interested me. I picked six and one hired me.

time | 1949

above > loewy coupe | studebaker | 1953>4

above> logo and package | lucky strike | 1942

I concluded that Dreyfus was a sign, symbol and human factors guy, Nelson a writer, Loewy an innovator. Dreyfuss and Loewy went after similar projects: big companies, industrial, many technical moving parts, where function may have held more sway over form. Loewy was an articulate, persuasive creative force: what an amazing follow up from the PRR K4s to the S1 and T1. He thrived in transportation creating aerodynamic simplicity, not creating ‘artforms’, but many would fall into ‘classic’. Objects that could look speedy, even at rest. Though he didn’t produce much furniture he was skilled in interior design and maybe could have been an art deco architect. He dabbled in fashion and advertising when he was creating consumer goods where the fashion statement was clean and the ads evoked some attitude. He could talk design to the business world and was surnamed: ‘The Man Who Shaped America’ ‘The Father of Streamlining’ ‘The Father of Industrial Design’ and descriptions of his solutions included ‘ first’ ‘only’ ‘biggest’ ‘best’| Dreyfuss died in 1972, both Loewy and Nelson in 86

1893 > 1986