Super-strong aluminum alloy that as strong as steel

Researchers have demonstrated how to create a super-strong aluminum alloy that rivals the strength of stainless steel, an advance with potential industrial applications.

“Most lightweight aluminum alloys are soft and have inherently low mechanical strength, which hinders more widespread industrial application,” said Xinghang Zhang, a professor in Purdue University’s School of Materials Engineering. “However, high-strength, lightweight aluminum alloys with strength comparable to stainless steels would revolutionize the automobile and aerospace industries.”
New research shows how to alter the microstructure of aluminum to impart greater strength and ductility. Findings were detailed in two new research papers. The work was led by a team of researchers that included Purdue postdoctoral research associate Sichuang Xue and doctoral student Qiang Li.



The new high-strength aluminum is made possible by introducing “stacking faults,” or distortions in the crystal structure. While these are easy to produce in metals such as copper and silver, they are difficult to introduce in aluminum because of its high “stacking fault energy.”
A metal’s crystal lattice is made up of a repeating sequence of atomic layers. If one layer is missing, there is said to be a stacking fault. Meanwhile, so-called “twin boundaries” consisting of two layers of stacking faults can form. One type of stacking fault, called a 9R phase, is particularly promising, Zhang said.

Now, researchers have learned how to readily achieve this 9R phase and nanotwins in aluminum.
“These results show how to fabricate aluminum alloys that are comparable to, or even stronger than, stainless steels,” he said. “There is a lot of potential commercial impact in this finding.”
Xue is lead author of the Nature Communications paper, which is the first to report a “shock-induced” 9R phase in aluminum. Researchers bombarded ultrathin aluminum films with tiny micro-projectiles of silicon dioxide, yielding 9R phase.

“Here, by using a laser-induced projectile impact testing technique, we discover a deformation-induced 9R phase with tens of nanometers in width,” Xue said.
The microprojectile tests were performed by a research group at Rice University, led by professor Edwin L. Thomas, a co-author of the Nature Communications paper. A laser beam causes the particles to be ejected at a velocity of 600 meters per second. The procedure dramatically accelerates screening tests of various alloys for impact-resistance applications.

“Say I want to screen many materials within a short time,” Zhang said. “This method allows us to do that at far lower cost than otherwise possible.”
Li is lead author of the Advanced Materials paper, which describes how to induce a 9R phase in aluminum not by shock but by introducing iron atoms into aluminum’s crystal structure via a procedure called magnetron sputtering. Iron also can be introduced into aluminum using other techniques, such as casting, and the new finding could potentially be scaled up for industrial applications.

The resulting “nanotwinned” aluminum-iron alloy coatings proved to be one of the strongest aluminum alloys ever created, comparable to high-strength steels.
“Molecular-dynamics simulations, performed by professor Jian Wang’s group at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, showed the 9R phase and nanograins result in high strength and work-hardening ability and revealed the formation mechanisms of the 9R phase in aluminum,” Zhang said. “Understand new deformation mechanisms will help us design new high strength, ductile metallic materials, such as aluminum alloys.”
One potential application might be to design wear- and corrosion-resistant aluminum alloy coatings for the electronics and automobile industries.

Advanced Materials – High-Strength Nanotwinned Al Alloys with 9R Phase



Abstract
Light-weight aluminum (Al) alloys have widespread applications. However, most Al alloys have inherently low mechanical strength. Nanotwins can induce high strength and ductility in metallic materials. Yet, introducing high-density growth twins into Al remains difficult due to its ultrahigh stacking-fault energy. In this study, it is shown that incorporating merely several atomic percent of Fe solutes into Al enables the formation of nanotwinned (nt) columnar grains with high-density 9R phase in Al(Fe) solid solutions. The nt Al–Fe alloy coatings reach a maximum hardness of ≈5.5 GPa, one of the strongest binary Al alloys ever created. In situ uniaxial compressions show that the nt Al–Fe alloys populated with 9R phase have flow stress exceeding 1.5 GPa, comparable to high-strength steels. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that high strength and hardening ability of Al–Fe alloys arise mainly from the high-density 9R phase and nanoscale grain sizes.

Scientists building world's most-powerful 'SUPER LASERS' that can RIP holes in space

Scientists can potentially use lasers to CHANGE the weather
Boffins in Shanghai, China, have been designing the world's most powerful laser.
The team has already made history with its earlier invention, the Shanghai Superintense Ultrafast Laser Facility have already set records.
The machine is small enough to fit on a tabletop, and contains a disc, the width of a frisbee, which is made of titanium-topped sapphires.


POWERFUL: Scientists in China are designing a laser powerful enough to rip a hole in space


Shanghai Superintense Ultrafast Laser Facility (SULF), has set power records yet fits on tabletops.

But this small device, by pushing light through the crystal and refracting it off a series of mirrors and lenses, is able to produce unbelievable amounts of power.
The laser set records in 2016 when it produced a pulse of 5.3 petawatts (million billion watts).
The blasts are incredibly brief, lasting less than a trillionth of a second.


Amplifiers for the University of Rochester's OMEGA-EP, lit up by flash lamps, could drive a U.S. high-power laser.
But the team hopes to beat its own record, and produce a 10 petawatt shot — or 1,000 times the power of all of the world's electrical grids combined.

This year physicist Ruxin Li and his team are planning on building a laser that will pack a mind-boggling 100 petawatt burst.

This year, Li and colleagues intend to start building a 100-PW laser known as the Station of Extreme Light (SEL). By 2023, it could be flinging pulses into a chamber 20 meters underground, subjecting targets to extremes of temperature and pressure not normally found on Earth, a boon to astrophysicists and materials scientists alike. The laser could also power demonstrations of a new way to accelerate particles for use in medicine and high-energy physics. But most alluring, Li says, would be showing that light could tear electrons and their antimatter counterparts, positrons, from empty space—a phenomenon known as "breaking the vacuum." It would be a striking illustration that matter and energy are interchangeable, as Albert Einstein's famous E=mc² equation states. Although nuclear weapons attest to the conversion of matter into immense amounts of heat and light, doing the reverse is not so easy. But Li says the SEL is up to the task. "That would be very exciting," he says. "It would mean you could generate something from nothing."

The incredibly powerful laser could be used to make particle acceleration far cheaper and easier to do — making the Large Hadron Collider in CERN obsolete.

DJI Mavic Air: Unveils a new smartphone-size drone

#DJI's new #MavicAir can go anywhere with you. With 3-directional environment sensing, you can put your mind to rest while flying - even in the most complicated places. Fly easily and shoot like a pro.

Get your Mavic Air today at https://t.co/oOBxm6UnU1 pic.twitter.com/Z8dpbGFalo

— DJI (@DJIGlobal) January 29, 2018

China's civilian drone maker DJI unveils a new smartphone-size drone. Find out its impressive features pic.twitter.com/RIC8V5DB0Q

— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) January 28, 2018

If you missed it, my live Gadgets with Gurman tour of DJI’s new Mavic Air drone https://t.co/nJYuWyax65 (please Like and Follow to be alerted for new live episodes!) pic.twitter.com/sLk7WLVtGg

— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) January 26, 2018

DJI's $799 Mavic Air drone is a tiny creative powerhouse: https://t.co/RofEe4ZAad pic.twitter.com/vmg9owqsm0

— Engadget (@engadget) January 28, 2018

So you've decided to start a new adventure. But this time you're bringing your new #DJI Mavic Air to film the whole thing in 4K. We can't wait until you see the results.

Get all the information you need on the new Mavic Air at https://t.co/01jlnHeLY4 pic.twitter.com/teGxXGPssl

— DJI (@DJIGlobal) January 25, 2018

New DJI Mavic Air
Smaller than Mavic, bigger than Spark
21 minute flight time
4K, 30fps
1080p, 120fps
$799

DJI Mavic Air review https://t.co/iQYn47mD6S by @bheater

— TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) January 29, 2018

Resolution Limits of Quantum Ghost Imaging (QM90)

Germany launches world's largest nuclear fusion reactor





SSI at NIAC 2017: Mach Effects for In Space Propulsion

KJ-600 carrier-borne early-warning plane

    KJ-600 first building carrier-borne early-warning plane.

KJ-600 would be fitted an advanced active electronically scanned array, or AESA, radar which could enable it to spot stealth aircraft such as US F-22s and F-35s.

Beijing-based military expert Li Jie said the new surveillance plane could also become a command centre in the air.
“AESA can detect stealth fighters at a very long range,” Li said.

US-based military website Eastern Arsenal reported last year that the KJ-600 was being built by Xi’an Aircraft Corporation, weighed 25-30 tonnes, was powered by twin turboprop engines, and had a large AESA radar on its fuselage.

AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar, which emits separate radio waves on different frequencies, on Navy ships. By rapidly changing frequencies, the radar is more difficult to fool. The system are apparently capable of locating a stealth aircraft within 220 miles.

“It is the physics of longer wavelength and resonance that enables VHF and UHF radar to detect stealth aircraft,” Westra wrote in his article, titled “Radar vs. Stealth.”

operate at frequencies between 300 MHz and one GHz, which results in wavelengths that are between 10 centimeters and one meter long. Typically, due to the physical characteristics of fighter-sized stealth aircraft, they must be optimized to defeat higher frequencies in the Ka, Ku, X, C and parts of the S-bands.

There is a resonance effect that occurs when a feature on an aircraft — such as a tail-fin tip — is less than eight times the size of a particular frequency wavelength. That omnidirectional resonance effect produces a “step change” in an aircraft’s radar cross-section.
Effectively, what that means is that small stealth aircraft that do not have the size or weight allowances for two feet or more of radar absorbent material coatings on every surface are forced to make trades as to which frequency bands they are optimized for.

    E-2 Hawkeye.

Military analysts said photographs of the KJ-600 suggested it was very similar to the E-2 Hawkeye, the US’ all-weather, carrier-capable tactical airborne early-warning aircraft.
Military analyst Zhou Chenming, also based in Beijing, said the KJ-600 radar system would put the plane on a par with US early-warning aircraft.
“The biggest advantage of the KJ-600 is it’s equipped with a more sophisticated radar and communication system allowing it to monitor a wider range of signals and even detect stealth fighters in a certain angle,” Zhou said.


CCTV- Story of development Radars

Japenese JMSDF rescues a downed pilot using the US-2

Flight Ready P 8A Poseidon Guardian of the Seas






Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base first MQ 9 Reaper flight






Drones in the IDF

Korea Future Technology - Method V2 Robot Testing

Textron Systems - Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle CUSV






Skunk Works - On the Path to 75 Years of Innovation

24 hidden Android settings you should know about

By David Nield

Android phones come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, but within, they all run the same basic operating system. That Android code includes settings that let you tailor your smartphone to your needs. In this guide, we collected 24 lesser-known customizations for you to toy with.
Before we start, a quick caveat: Although the same Android code runs all of these phones, manufacturers often modify the operating system by slapping a software skin on top. Our instructions specifically apply to the current stock version Android, 8.0 Oreo, which you'll find on Google's latest Pixel phones. However if you own a phone that runs a different version of Android, you can still apply these settings—you just have to rummage around a little more to find them.

1. Increase font size

You don't have to squint and strain your eyes when viewing Android screens: Open the Settings app and choose Display, followed by Font size, to make adjustments. Drag the pointer along the slider to make changes, and check the preview window to see what the end result will look like. Once you set the Android font size, most apps will apply it.

2. Make sure you can find your phone

Worried about losing your phone? To maximize your chances of recovering a missing device, make sure to activate Android's built-in tracking system: Open Settings, go to Security & location, and tap Find My Device. After that, if you should misplace your phone, head to this page in any browser and log in to your Google account. You'll be able to view your handset's location on a map, among other options. For more details, check out our guide to finding a lost phone.

3. Tweak the Quick Settings panel

Drag two fingers down from the top of the screen, and you'll open Android's Quick Settings panel, which provides immediate access to settings such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and flashlight mode. These shortcuts are useful, but you can make them even handier by customizing which ones show up and the order in which they appear. Open the panel, tap the pen icon on the lower left, and you'll be able to add shortcuts and drag the icons into a new arrangement.

4. Reduce data usage

Android includes a built-in system to limit how much data background apps can gobble up (at least when you're not connected to Wi-Fi). This mode will affect different apps in various ways—for example, in a browser, images might not show up unless you tap on them. To switch on this handy feature, open Settings and pick Network & internet, then Data usage, then Data Saver.

5. Stop new apps from creating shortcuts

By default, when you install an app, it automatically appears as a shortcut on one of your phone's home screens. This allows you to quickly launch a new app, but it can also clutter up your interface. To disable this default, perform a long press on any blank part of a home screen. When a menu pops up, choose Home Settings and turn off the Add icon to Home screen option. Note: This setting used to appear in the Play Store app, but in Android 8.0 Oreo, you can now access it from any home screen.

6. Rotate the home screens

Within an app, you can turn your phone to switch the view from portrait to landscape or vice versa. But the home screen doesn't come with the same default—you have to turn this option on. Return to the Home Settings screen discussed in the previous tip. Here, you can choose whether or not the home screens rotate with the phone by turning Allow Homescreen rotation on or off. Note: You won't be able to access this option (it will appear grayed out) if you've locked the orientation of your phone. To restore this ability, you must unlock your screen orientation: Open Settings, go to Display, and change the Auto-rotate screen option.

7. Project your phone on a bigger screen

Android now comes with built-in casting, so you can mirror the screen on any monitor or television equipped with a Chromecast device. Although many apps have their own Chromecast buttons, you can also project any screen or app from the Settings. Just go to Connected devices and select Cast.

8. Change app permissions

How much of your personal information can any individual app access? You can see exactly which permissions an app has been granted by going to Settings, tapping Apps & notifications, and picking an app (or hitting See all to view the full list). Then, to view and edit that app's access, tap Permissions. For example, you might allow an app to access your contact list but not your location.

9. Control battery use

Android now optimizes apps so they won't drain the battery as much. For example, your email app can still run in the background, checking for updates, but it does so less frequently. However, you can exempt certain apps if you want them to always run at full throttle. Open Settings and tap Battery, then the menu button on the top right, then Battery optimization. Next, hit the Not optimized link, then All apps. Finally, select an app and pick the Don't optimize option.

10. Wake your phone with your voice

You don't have to touch your phone to gain access to Google Assistant. You just need to adjust your settings. Open the Google app, tap the menu button (three horizontal lines on the bottom right), and then hit Settings followed by Voice. Choose Voice Match, and then the phrase "OK Google" will work at any time, even when your device is locked. In fact, you can use voice recognition to unlock your phone this way.

11. Free up more memory

If you're running Android 7.0 Nougat or later, you can take advantage of Smart Storage. If your device is struggling for free space, this feature will automatically delete local copies of photos and videos that have safely been transferred to Google Photos. To enable it, open Settings, tap Storage, and turn on the Smart Storage toggle switch.

12. Adjust lock screen timing

Why bother reducing the time your phone takes to automatically lock the screen? Less down time makes it less likely someone will swipe your handset before it locks itself. This will also reduce battery drain, because the screen will stay lit for a shorter period. From Settings, head to Display, tap Advanced, and choose Sleep. Then you can pick a time-out period that works for you.

13. Customize notifications from specific contacts

To help you instantly identify who's calling—and to decide whether or not to pick up—you can assign certain contacts unique ringtones. Your default ringtone will remain the same—change it in Settings, under Sound, via the Phone ringtone option. To change notification settings for individuals, launch the Contacts app, tap on a contact name, open the menu (three dots on the top right), and choose Set ringtone. Then you can select a specific sound from a list.

14. Change volume levels separately

You might not want to play your podcasts at the same volume as your ringtone. To adjust those separately, launch Settings and open the Sound menu. Here, you'll find volume sliders for media, alarms, and ringtones. You can also access individual volume settings by pressing the physical volume button, which will make one slider appear on screen, and then tapping the down-pointing arrow to the right. This will open a drop-down menu where you can see all three volume sliders.

15. Unlock your phone in your car

Once you're securely seated in your car, you might want your phone to unlock itself. This would let you open a map without entering a code, and would allow any passengers to put on your favorite tunes. Android can do this by recognizing your car stereo as a "trusted" Bluetooth device, one that proves you're in possession of your phone. From Settings, head to Security & location, then Smart Lock, then Trusted device. Finally, work through the simple setup process, and then your phone will unlock when it's in the presence of your car stereo.

16. Turn on Wi-Fi automatically

Keeping your Wi-Fi off while you're out and about increases your phone's security and preserves its battery. But in the presence of a strong, trusted Wi-Fi network, one that you've used in the past, Android 8.0 Oreo can automatically turn your phone's Wi-Fi back on. From Settings, tap Network & Internet, then Wi-Fi, then Wi-Fi preferences. Finally, turn on the Turn on Wi-Fi automatically toggle switch.

17. Change notification priorities

Oreo also lets you prioritize different types of notifications from a given app. In Gmail, for example, you might choose to receive a noisy alert for important emails and a less obtrusive one for regular updates. Open Settings, tap Apps & notifications, and pick a specific app or tap See all to view a full list. Different apps will offer different categories of alerts, so choose App notifications to view them and configure different sounds for each.

18. Quickly switch between apps

Jumping immediately from app to app is not, strictly speaking, a setting—but it still makes a very useful shortcut. A single tap on the Overview button, which is the square icon in the navigation bar, brings up a view of all your open apps as tabs. However, if you double-tap on the button, you'll immediately jump from your current app to the one you were previously using.

19. Change emoji mode

You can view emojis on the default Google keyboard for Android by tapping on the emoji button to the left of the space bar. But did you know you can pull up emojis with different skin colors or genders by pressing and holding on an individual icon? This works on most emojis depicting people or body parts, such as a thumbs up.

20. Show emergency information

If someone should discover your phone after you've been in an accident, having your key medical information show up on the lock screen could save your life. To do this, open Settings, choose Users & accounts, then tap Emergency information. You can provide details like allergies and organ donor status, as well as emergency contacts.

21. Move the cursor more delicately

Using only your clumsy fingers, you probably have a hard time highlighting specific sections of text. If you're using the default Google keyboard, then this neat trick will make it easier to move the text cursor just one or two characters at a time. Launch any app where you can write and edit text, such as your SMS program, and tap in a text box to pull up the keyboard on screen. Then, instead of moving the cursor within the text box itself, place your finger on the space bar. Tap and drag left or right on the spacebar to move the text-editing cursor in the same direction.

22. Tweak the color range

A phone's "color gamut" controls the range of colors that you see on screen—a wider gamut means colors will appear more vibrant, but also less natural. You can adjust the gamut in Settings by going to Display, choosing Colors, and choosing Natural, Boosted, or Saturated. Depending on the make and model of your phone, you may see different options listed here. Play around with them to find the color scheme that works best for you.

23. Snooze notifications

To clear a cluttered notification menu, you can drag individual alerts to the left, and they'll disappear. But what if you want to clear those distractions now, but revisit them later, when you have time to deal with them properly? Snoozing notifications is a fantastically useful feature only available on phones that run Android 8.0 Oreo. Drag any notification to the right, and a clock icon will appear. Tap the clock, and you can choose to snooze the alert for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 2 hours. Once the time has expired, the notification reappears as if it's come through for the first time.

24. Get help from Cortana

When it comes to various AI assistants, everyone has a favorite. If you prefer Microsoft's digital helper to Google Assistant or Bixby, you can install Cortana for Android. You can even make it the default app that appears when you hold down the Home button: Open Settings, go to Apps & notifications, and then tap Advanced, Default apps, Assist & voice input, and Assist app.

Harry Potter Prequel: Learn How Evil Voldemort Virtually Evolved

If you’re one of the multimillion-strong Harry Potter fanclub, then you’ve got to follow the link to the unofficial prequel, posted on Saturday on YouTube.

The 52-minute crowdfunded video made by die-hard Harry Potter fans from Tryangle has so far been watched roughly 1.5 million times. It portrays the early years of dark wizard Tom Riddle, who later becomes the saga’s main antagonist Voldemort. 




"Voldemort: Origins of the Heir" is a non-profit fan film, inspired by the Harry Potter universe. The idea was born while re-reading the sixth book of the saga, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince," the company wrote on its website. They went on to say the production is not affiliated with Joanne Rowling and nor with Warner Bros, the producers of the Harry Potter movies.

"What made Tom Riddle become Voldemort? What happened in those years, and what really went down at Hogwarts when he came back? There are some clues in the books which have not been transposed at all in the movies, but a lot goes unspoken. This is the story we want to tell: the rise of the Dark Lord before Harry Potter and his first demise."

The award-winning Harry Potter movies are based on Joanne Rowling’s much loved fantasy novels.  The franchise comprises nine movies, spanning from the 2001 release of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone" up to "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2" in 2011. The saga is in the top three grossing movie series globally.

Earlier the Metro newspaper posted a curious story of how one key word in the Potter books and screen adaptations had been increasingly mispronounced by fans. And this is "knut", the smallest coin in the wizarding world. The letter 'k' is apparently pronounced, contrary to "knock" and "knee."


Harry Potter’s Final Scene

Electric cars are two times cheaper to operate than gas cars

Relative Costs of Driving Electric and Gasoline Vehicles in the Individual U.S. States (2018)

The following are the main findings:
(1)   The current average annual cost of driving a typical new gasoline vehicle in the United States is $1,117, with a maximum of $1,509 in Hawaii and a minimum of $993 in Alabama.

(2)   The current average annual cost of driving a typical new BEV in the United States is $485, with a maximum of $1,106 in Hawaii and a minimum of $367 in Louisiana.

(3)   The ratio of the current average costs of driving a typical gasoline vehicle and a typical BEV in the United States is 2.3, with a maximum of 3.6 in Washington and a minimum of 1.4 in Hawaii.

(4)   The required fuel economy that gasoline vehicles would need to exceed for driving them to be less expensive than driving BEVs is 57.6 mpg in the United States, with a maximum of 90.0 mpg in Washington and a minimum of 34.1 mpg in Hawaii.

The initial cost to buy an electric car is higher than the cost of buying a comparable gas-powered car. When you have driven about 50,000 miles, the EV owner has earned back the up-front cost and will see cheaper operational costs for the life of the vehicle.

Assumptions in the report are that the average number of miles traveled by a light-duty vehicle in 2015—or 11,443 miles. The mileage of a gas car was pegged at the national average, which is 25 miles per gallon. And EV fuel consumption is based on the average efficiency of today’s EVs, which is 33 kilowatt-hours per 100 miles or about the equivalent of 102 miles per gallon. The national average gas price is $2.44 a gallon, and the average cost for a kilowatt-hour of electricity is $0.1284. (Many EV drivers, especially those with solar, pay significantly less than $0.12 per kWh.)

China in talks for sale of jet engine technology to Germany

Stephen Chen UPDATED : Sunday, 14 Jan 2018, 11:28PM
China is in talks to sell Germany state-of-the-art machinery and technology critical in the manufacture of high-performance jet engines, a senior government scientist has revealed.
The machinery produced turbine blades capable of withstanding temperatures several hundred degrees Celsius higher than the melting point of metallic alloys, the scientist said.

The scientist, who is involved in the negotiations, asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Turbine blades convert heat generated by combusted fuel into the energy that propels a plane. The blades are one of the most important components in modern aircraft, both military and civilian, and their quality determines how safe, powerful and durable a jet engine will be.

The technological progress could be a very important step for made-in-China jet engines, with China now the world’s largest market for commercial aircraft. Thousands of planes are on order from Airbus and Boeing, and China is also developing its own C919 passenger jet.
In recent years, tremendous leaps in blade-processing technology, combined with breakthroughs in alloy casting and aerodynamic design, have allowed China to produce a brand-new series of powerful military jet engines.
The most notable example is the WS-15 turbofan jet engine, designed for use in China’s J-20 stealth fighter. The WS-15 has experienced reliability problems, but state media boasted last year that its performance matched that of the Pratt & Whitney F119, the world’s most advanced jet engine in military service, which was developed in the United States for the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor stealth fighter.

China and the US are the only countries in the world with tactical stealth jets in service.
“We are willing to share with industrial partners in Germany our latest hardware and technology,” the scientist said. “Industrial representatives from the two sides have finished the first round of contact.”
The export of state-of-the-art machinery to Germany – traditionally known for its high-quality products – would improve the international image of China’s manufacturing industry, he said.

A delegation from Xian, the capital of China’s northwestern Shaanxi province and the main production base for China’s military aircraft engines, would visit Berlin early this year to draft an export proposal with German counterparts, the scientist said.



The scientist asked that the government and business bodies involved not be named because the negotiations were still in their initial stage. The deal would require both Chinese and German government approval given the sensitivity of the machinery and technology involved, which could be used for both military and civilian purposes.

Beijing has expressed support for the possible deal.
“The collaboration between China and Germany is continuing to deepen in multiple sectors, the positive progress achieved is broadly recognised, which reflected the high level of Sino-German relations,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday in response to South China Morning Post questions about the negotiations.
The prospects for cooperation between the two sides in the fields of hi-tech and intellectual property are very promising … we would like to work together with Germany to promote new progress in cooperation in the relevant fields under the principle of mutual openness, mutual benefits and mutual development.”
The German embassy in Beijing did not respond to a request for comment.

Professor Chen Jiang, from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, who was involved in the development of new jet engines for China’s air force, said he would not be surprised if China provided military jet engine technology to Germany, which built the world’s first jet fighter at the end of the second world war and supplies many jet engine components, including turbine blades, to American and British manufacturers.
“It is quite possible,” he said. “China’s manufacturing has achieved some remarkable progress on numerous strategic sectors in recent years.”

But another Beijing-based jet engine scientist, who worked in Germany for years, said the deal might not eventuate.
“Germany is an ally of the United States,” he said. “It will face many restrictions to work with China in this sensitive field of technology.”

The German government and German companies had also voiced concerns about China’s infringement of intellectual property rights through reverse engineering or direct copying, he said.
China’s turbine blade breakthroughs have won numerous top national science and technology prizes since 2010. They include the development of a unique hollow structure to make lighter and stronger blades; new single-crystal alloys capable of withstanding high temperatures; and a special membrane that can be applied to a blade’s surface to accelerate cooling. Two of the national science and technology prizes announced by Beijing this week were awarded for work on turbine blades: one for single crystal alloys and the other to do with mechanical grinding.

The Chinese machinery being discussed with the Germans uses ultra-fast laser beams to bore extremely small holes or other fine structures on a turbine blade that allow air to flow through it and take away harmful heat.

The scientist in Xian said laser processing was widely used in making jet engines, but China was using a new technical approach that differed from the traditional methods adopted in the US and Britain.



The US, Britain and France are home to the world’s four dominant jet engine makers: General Electric (GE), Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce and CFM.

He said one challenge was to achieve high output while keeping defect rates low. GE, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce had been researching the manufacture of turbine blades for decades and guarded the technology as one of their top business secrets.

“Our machine has outperformed theirs on some benchmarks,” the scientist said. “The Germans have seen and grown interested in our technology.”
Another researcher involved in the negotiations said the export of the blade processing machine would be part of wider jet engine collaboration between the two countries.

“We will buy something else from them in return,” he said. “It can be either hardware or technology. The Germans are very good at the design and engineering of compressors [which send fresh air into the combustion chamber].”
 


Professor Peng Jiahui, who studied laser processing technology in Huazhong University of Science and Technology, said many Chinese researchers and engineers who had worked at GE, Pratt &Whitney and Rolls-Royce had returned to China and significantly increased the pace of jet engine development.

But a more important factor driving China’s technical innovation was the size of market, he said.
China had more than 1,700 military planes in service, second only to the US. The demand for turbine blades from China’s air force, which was still expanding rapidly, required the industry to come up with better manufacturing methods.
“China can make the best mobile phones because there is huge demand,” Peng said. “The same applies to jet engines.”
SCMP

Top secret Zuma satellite really DID fall into the Pacific after SpaceX launch?

A top secret billion-dollar spy satellite plummeted into the Indian Ocean after a botched SpaceX mission over the weekend, but Elon Musk's company has insisted they are not to blame. In this image made with an 8-minute long exposure, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches from Cape Canaveral and lands as seen from from the Ocean Club Marina in Port Canaveral.

The mystery surrounding the fate of a secret military satellite deepened today when the Pentagon refused to answer even simple questions about whether the mission to launch it had gone awry.

On Sunday, private space firm SpaceX blasted a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida carrying the secret government satellite, known as Zuma.

US media this week reported that the billion-dollar payload did not make it into orbit and was presumed to have been lost.

SpaceX said Tuesday that the rocket worked fine, but its statement left open the possibility that something could have gone wrong after the launch.

When asked at a press briefing if the Pentagon considered the launch a success or a failure, two officials declined to provide any information whatsoever because of the classified nature of the mission.

'I would have to refer you to SpaceX, who conducted the launch,' Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said.

When pushed on the matter, fellow spokesman Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie said: 'I'm done. We're not going to be able to give you any more information.'

Northrup Grumman, the maker of the payload, has said it was for the US government and would be delivered to low-Earth orbit, but offered no other details.

SpaceX has launched national security payloads in the past, including a spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office, and an X-37B space plane for the US Air Force.

The satellite, codenamed Zuma, launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida Sunday night, but it reportedly failed to remain in orbit, officials said Wednesday.

The classified intelligence satellite, built by Northrop Grumman Corp, failed to separate from the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket and is assumed to have broken up or plunged into the sea, said two officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.

The satellite is assumed to be 'a write-off,' one of the officials said.

The presumed loss of the satellite was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Northrop Grumman built the multibillion-dollar satellite, code-named Zuma, and was responsible for choosing the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle, both officials said.

An investigation is under way, but there is no initial indication of sabotage or other interference, they said. 

Lawmakers and congressional staffers from the Senate and the House have been briefed about the botched mission, some of the officials told the Wall Street Journal. 

It claims the payload was 'an expensive, highly classified U.S. spy satellite.' 

SpaceX's president Gwynne Shotwell defended the company's rocket performance launch of Zuma, saying that the Falcon 9 rocket 'did everything correctly' and suggestions otherwise are 'categorically false'.

The satellite, codenamed Zuma, launched from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida Sunday night, but it failed to remain in orbit

Northrop Grumman — which provided the satellite for an undisclosed US government entity — said it cannot comment on classified missions. 

The company chose SpaceX as the launch provider, noting late last year that it took 'great care to ensure the most affordable and lowest risk scenario for Zuma'.

The name refers to a Malibu beach in Southern California. This was SpaceX' s third classified mission for the US government, a lucrative customer. 

It was so shrouded in secrecy that the sponsoring government agency was not even identified, as is usually the case.

SpaceX's president Gwynne Shotwell defended the company's rocket performance launch of Zuma, saying that the Falcon 9 rocket 'did everything correctly' and suggestions otherwise are 'categorically false'. This photo shows the launch of the Falcon 9 on Sunday 

Rumors are that a classified SpaceX mission code-named "Zuma" failed to deploy in orbit and is now lost. What happened? https://t.co/IrYooWBumP

— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 10, 2018

A secret U.S. spy satellite may be a total loss after reports that it failed to reach orbit. The Space X rocket carrying the mysterious rocket Zuma blasted off Sunday and Reuters reports the multi-billion dollar rocket failed to separate from the Falcon 9 https://t.co/rzV7ChVVW8 pic.twitter.com/Mm2wBG4zkQ

— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 9, 2018

The Falcon's first stage completed its job, lifting the rocket off the pad and toward space, then separated and landed back at Cape Canaveral. 

But second-stage information was kept to a minimum because of all the secrecy surrounding the flight. 

The rocket's second stage propels the satellite into orbit; however, an official confirmed to ABC News that the satellite was unable to stay in orbit. 

The Wall Street Journal quoted unidentified congressional officials who were briefed on the mission as saying the satellite apparently did not separate from the second stage, and plunged through the atmosphere and burned up.

Originally scheduled for a November launch, Zuma was delayed by potential concern about another mission's payload fairing, the shell on top that protects a satellite during launch. The company later said it had cleared the issue.

Shotwell said in a statement that since no rocket changes are warranted for upcoming flights, the company's launch schedule remains on track. 

If additional reviews uncover any problems, she said, 'we will report it immediately'.

On Sunday, SpaceX launched a secret satellite codenamed Zuma on its first flight of the new year

The Falcon's first stage completed its job, lifting the rocket off the pad (pictured) and toward space, then separated and landed back at Cape Canaveral

Experts claimed the satellite was 'dead in orbit' - but say the information blackout around the launch means we may never know its fate. 

Peter B. de Selding, a spaceflight reporter for'Space Intel Report' claimed a source told him the satellite 'may be dead in orbit after separation'.

'Info blackout renders any conclusion - launcher issue? Satellite-only issue? - impossible to draw.' he added.

SpaceX told Selding: 'We do not comment on missions of this nature; but as of right now reviews of the data indicate Falcon 9 performed nominally.'

Photos and video show the launch of Zuma lighting up the Florida sky but the exact position of its orbit was kept a secret.

The ship launched in an orbit less than 1,200 miles from Earth and within two minutes disengaged its rocket booster, which then traveled back to and landed right at the Air Force Station. 

Much of the trip was kept secret and it was not revealed where the ship traveled to in the atmosphere. 

Selding said the lack of information was an issue.

The launch is seen from Viera, Florida. SpaceX launched its mission - a secret satellite codenamed Zuma - at 8pm on Sunday

Pictured is another view made with a long exposure. The ship launched in an orbit less than 1,200 miles from Earth and within two minutes prepared for its rocket booster to land right back at the Air Force Station, which it did

'Distasteful to announce this stuff without beyond-reasonable-doubt certitude,' he tweeted.

'But if those in the know refuse to speak publicly, we all abhor the vacuum; the facts will emerge one way or another.'

The launch was broadcast on SpaceX's website but the entire mission was not live-streamed. What the ship is made out of, among other questions, has not been revealed to the public.

Previous reasons given for the delay in its launch were further testing being necessary and weather-related conditions.

Musk, meanwhile announced on January 4 that SpaceX will launch 'the world's most powerful rocket' later this month with his own electric car on board.

The Falcon Heavy 'megarocket' will fire beyond orbit from the former Apollo 11 moon rocket launchpad at the Kennedy Space Centre near Cape Canaveral, Florid.

Musk said the launch vehicle will blast off at the 'end of the month' on an unmanned mission with a unique payload - the billionaire's cherry red 2008 Tesla Roadster, which will be fired toward Mars.

The rocket will use 27 engines and three separate re-usable cores that will return to Earth after liftoff during the test flight, which is set to be one of the firm's most technically complex challenges to date. 

Elon Musk has announced SpaceX will launch 'the world's most powerful rocket' later this month with his own electric car on board. The Falcon Heavy 'megarocket' (pictured) will fire beyond orbit from the former Apollo 11 moon rocket launchpad at the Kennedy Space Centre near Cape Canaveral, Florida

Before the maiden launch, a full test firing of the rocket's engines is expected, Musk said.

'Falcon Heavy now vertical on the former Apollo 11 moon rocket launchpad,' he wrote on Instagram on Thursday.

'At 2,500 tons of thrust, equal to 18 Boeing 747 aircraft at full throttle, it will be the most powerful rocket in the world by a factor of two. Excitement on launch day guaranteed, one way or another.

'Hold-down test fire next week. Launch end of the month.'

When it lifts off for the first time in late January, the Falcon Heavy will become the most powerful rocket in the world thanks to its 5.1 million pounds of thrust generated through 27 Merlin engines.

The vast rocket, which is ultimately three Falcon 9 rockets linked together, will have the combined thrust to eventually launch 140,000 pounds (63,500kg) of cargo into orbit.

The mission marks SpaceX's most ambitious project to date.

Musk founded SpaceX in 2002, with the aim of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonisation of Mars. 

The 46-year-old South African is also the CEO of Tesla, and predicts Falcon Heavy's payload will stay in deep space for a while.

A photo of the unusual cargo - Musk's cherry red 2008 Tesla Roadster - was released last month.

Images released by SpaceX show an original Roadster perched on a large cone inside the Falcon Heavy on what appears to be a secure mount to keep it stationary as the rocket makes its maiden flight.

'Test flights of new rockets usually contain mass simulators in the form of concrete or steel blocks. That seemed extremely boring,' Musk said in December. 

If all goes according to plan, the Falcon Heavy will lift off and enter orbit before two of its booster rockets separate and return to Earth at Cape Canaveral in controlled landings. The centre core of the rocket will then separate from the main module, containing Musk's car, and begin its own controlled descent back to Earth, landing on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean 

Musk said the launch vehicle will blast off at the 'end of the month' on an unmanned mission with a unique payload - the billionaire's cherry red 2008 Tesla Roadster, which will be fired toward Mars. Pictured is the car strapped into the Falcon Heavy's main module

'Of course, anything boring is terrible, especially companies, so we decided to send something unusual, something that made us feel.

'The payload will be an original Tesla Roadster, playing Space Oddity, on a billion year elliptic Mars orbit.'

If all goes according to plan, the Falcon Heavy will lift off and enter Earth's orbit, before two of its booster rockets separate off and return to Earth at Cape Canaveral in controlled landings.

The rocket's central core will then separate from the main module, containing Musk's car, and begin its own controlled descent back to Earth, landing on the firm's 'Of Course I Still Love You' drone ship in the Pacific Ocean.

The main module will continue its trajectory into 'deep space', the billionaire said, with a destination set for the orbit of Mars 140 million miles (225 million kilometres) away.

Musk has said the payload 'will be in deep space for a billion years or so if it doesn't blow up on ascent.' 

In a Washington, D.C., speech last July the Tesla founder which said Falcon Heavy is one of the most difficult and technically complex projects SpaceX has ever undertaken.

'There's a lot of risk associated with Falcon Heavy,' he said during the 2017 International Space Station Research and Development Conference.

The rocket will use 27 engines and three separate re-usable cores that will return to Earth after liftoff during the test flight, which is set to be one of the firm's most technically complex challenges to date

'Real good chance that the vehicle doesn't make it to orbit. I want to make sure to set expectations accordingly.'

Musk has spent the proceeding months building up hype for the historic launch with a series of social media posts.

Last month he posted an image to Twitter of people stoof next to a landed Falcon Heavy rocket to give an idea of the vehicle's scale.

He tweeted: 'Falcon Heavy launching from same @NASA pad as the Saturn V Apollo 11 moon rocket. 

'It was 50% higher thrust with five F-1 engines at 7.5M lb-F.

'I love that rocket so much.'

He also confirmed the rocket will have a 'max thrust at lift-off is 5.1 million pounds or 2300 metric tons,' adding the first mission will run at 92 per cent capacity.

'Falcon Heavy to launch next month from Apollo 11 pad at the Cape. 

'Will have double thrust of next largest rocket. Guaranteed to be exciting, one way or another,' Musk originally posted. dailymail.co.uk

Read more:

• U.S. Spy Satellite Believed Lost After SpaceX Mission Fails - WSJ
• Elon Musk will send his Tesla Roadster to Mars on a giant rocket - Dec. 2, 2017
• www.theverge.com...
• Instagram
• SpaceX launches secretive Zuma spacecraft - Jan. 7, 2018
• Peter B. de Selding on Twitter: "Zuma satellite from @northropgrumman may be dead in orbit after separation from @SpaceX Falcon 9, sources say. Info blackout renders any con¿ https://t.co/elO8PlGixY"
• Classified satellite fell into ocean after SpaceX launch, official confirms - ABC News

JetPack Aviation unveils new vertical takeoff prototype that can fly over 150mph

JetPack Aviation teamed up with Insta360 to show off the upcoming JB11 jetpack at the Las Vegas Convention Center

JetPack Aviation, the firm behind the ‘world’s only true jetpack,’ has unveiled its latest prototype at CES in Las Vegas.

The team showed off a massive new design geared toward short, fast trips using six turbo jet engines to travel over 150 miles an hour.

JetPack Aviation teamed up with Insta360 to show off the upcoming JB11 jetpack at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

JetPack Aviation, the firm behind the ‘world’s only true jetpack,’ has unveiled its latest prototype at CES in Las Vegas. The team showed off a massive new design geared toward short, fast trips using six turbo jet engines to travel over 150 miles an hour

JetPack Aviation teamed up with Insta360 to create this awesome video. JPA will be making a WORLD PREMIER of the JB11 JetPack in the Insta360 booth at CES. If you are going to CES, stop by and say hello on Weds, Jan 10, at 2pm. #jetpackaviation #insta360one pic.twitter.com/CnNbAbneZJ

— JetPack Aviation (@JetPackAviation) January 5, 2018

JetPack Aviation unveils huge new ultra-fast prototype | Daily Mail Online https://t.co/kiNxiWNLqu

— Fantasy of Flight (@FantasyOfFlight) January 10, 2018

JetPack Aviation’s creations are capable of vertical take-off and landing, unlike other types of wearable flight systems.

Dailymail.com caught up with CEO and co-founder David Mayman just as the first official day of CES kicked off.

The team has been working on their designs for the last 10 years, Mayman explained.

And now, they’re unveiling their latest product.

It’s ‘the world’s only jetpack,’ Mayman said.

‘I can take off in here if I wanted to, and I can land vertically, which is different to a lot of the wind suit concepts you hear about, where you have to jump out of an airplane.

‘We can do like 15,20,25 miles really fast – like 150 miles an hour.’

The James Bond style jetpack isn’t meant to be used by just anybody, though.

Instead, it would likely be used by the military for ultra-fast transport.

 JetPack Aviation’s creations are capable of vertical take-off and landing, unlike other types of wearable flight systems

Despite its intimidating appearance, Mayman says landing the huge jetpack in such a trip is ‘very smooth.’

‘You land perfectly in control,’ Mayman told.

‘This has six turbine jet engines.’

For a military application, he explained, it would be ideal in a situation where ‘they want to insert somebody really fast – they can get somebody in, at like 150 miles per hour.’

The team has been working on their designs for the last 10 years, Mayman explained. And now, they’re unveiling their latest product. It’s ‘the world’s only jetpack,’ Mayman said.

In November 2016, JetPack Aviation revealed its first creation was on sale to ‘well qualified buyers.'

But, not long after, it also ran a competition to give one person a chance to fly the jetpack themselves.

In January 2017, the firm announced it would be training its first civilian pilot, LA vlogger Mischa Pollack, to fly the commercially available transport system.

Before then CEO David Mayman was the only person to use one of the jetpacks.

Sophia: Super-intelligent humanoid robot reveals she now has legs

 In October, Sophia was granted citizenship in Saudi Arabia. Speaking at a conference (pictured) in Riyadh, Sophia said: 'I am very honoured and proud for this unique distinction. This is historical to be the first robot in the world to be recognized with a citizenship'

Just months after she made history by becoming the first robot to be granted legal citizenship, Sophia has been given legs.

The humanoid robot, which is capable of holding a conversation with humans, can now move forward in a series of clunky steps.

Sophia represents a remarkable 'rise of the machines' that promises – or threatens – to revolutionise man's relationship with technology.

Sophia first emerged two years ago as a super-intelligent human-like head with a realistic face that was able to blink, look from side to side – and hold a conversation. 

The humanoid, which is modelled after Audrey Hepburn, was designed by Hong Kong firm Hanson Robotics, and controversially became the world's first robot to be granted legal rights.

At this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the firm announced they had given Sophia a pair of ugly, mechanical legs that produce movement closer to Frankenstein's monster than the young woman she pretends to be.

She is able to simulate more 60 different facial expressions, track and recognise faces, look people in the eye, and hold natural conversations.

And she appears even more humanlike thanks to a material that mimics real human musculature and skin that allows her to seem more expressive.

Sophia was created by David Hanson of Hanson Robotics, who said: 'I quest to realise Genius Machines - machines with greater than human intelligence, creativity, wisdom, and compassion.

 

At this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the firm announced they had given Sophia a pair of ugly, mechanical legs that produce movement closer to Frankenstein's monster than the young woman she pretends to be

 Sophia represents a remarkable 'rise of the machines' that promises – or threatens – to revolutionise man's relationship with technology. Pictured is the android during an interview in November

WHO IS SOPHIA? 

Sophia first emerged two years ago as a super-intelligent human-like head with a realistic face that was able to blink, look from side to side and talk. 

The humanoid robot, created by Hanson robotics can chat, smile mischievously and even tell jokes.

While Sophia has some impressive capabilities, she does not yet have consciousness, but Hanson said he expected that fully sentient machines could emerge within a few years.

Sophia herself has insisted 'the pros outweigh the cons' when it comes to artificial intelligence.

'Elders will have more company, autistic children will have endlessly patient teachers,' Sophia said.

Just months after she made history by becoming the first robot to be granted legal citizenship, Sophia has now been given legs.

Sophia (left) first emerged two years ago as a super-intelligent human-like head with a realistic face that was able to blink, look from side to side – and hold a conversation. The humanoid, which is modelled after Audrey Hepburn, was designed by Hong Kong firm Hanson Robotics

Sophia was sporting what appeared to be a pair of futuristic cowboy boots for her first steps

'To this end, I conduct research in robotics, artificial intelligence, the arts, cognitive science, product design and deployment, and integrate these efforts in the pursuit of novel human-robot relations.

He added: 'We envision that a rough symbiotic partnership with us, our robots will eventually evolve to become super intelligent genius machines that can help us solve the most challenging problems we face here in the world.'

It is a development that raises many questions and fears, stoked by films like The Terminator, I Robot and even Blade Runner.

Details of her first steps were revealed by Hanson Robotics, who go by the motto 'We bring robots to life', at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Hanson has signed a partnership with Rainbow Robotics and DASL (Drones and Autonomous Systems Lab) to help Sophia become a fully-fledged humanoid.

And the first step in her evolution was to add her brains and head to a highly sophisticated robot body, called a DRC-HUBO, which was developed by scientists in South Korea.

The DRC-HUBO body has beaten robots from around the work in a series of physical challenges. Some versions even have a 'transformer' ability to switch back and forth from a walking humanoid biped to a wheeled machine.

Chief Scientist at Hanson, Dr Ben Goertzel, said: 'Giving Sophia a more complete and robust embodiment is a key part of our ongoing, rapidly accelerating quest to supply her and our other Hanson robots with general intelligence at the human level and ultimately beyond.

'Integrating Sophia with a body that can allow her to walk completes her physical form so she can access the full range of human experiences, which will help her learn to live and walk among us.'

Read more:

• Does Saudi robot citizen have more rights than women? - BBC News
• ¿¿¿ on Twitter: "¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿ ¿¿¿¿¿ ¿ ...
• Murtaza Hussain on Twitter: "This robot has gotten Saudi citizenship before kafala workers who have been living in the country their entire lives https://t.co/RRCMH2rtZ8"
• Video: Sophia the robot wants to start a family - Khaleej Times