by Christy Sarkis (SimpliFlying) Gregory Constantine, Co-Founder and CEO of Air Company in Conversation with Shashank Nigam — Welcome to Season 3 of Sustainability in the Air, the world’s first podcast dedicated to sustainable aviation. Through in-depth conversations with top aviation leaders, we break through the clutter and provide a clear roadmap
Rocket/Missile Fuel
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) JBEI’s been working hard on jet fuels. Why? Biological routes are advantaged in their ability to produce naphthenes (approximately one third of jet fuel, 45% of diesel fuel), whereas most other alternative jet fuel processes produce paraffins. Also, Cycloalkanes increase energy density and are essential
(Orbex) A Scottish rocket manufacturer and orbital launch services provider is to build and operate the first vertical launch site for satellites on the UK mainland. Orbex, based in Forres, Moray, has signed a lease with development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) for the spaceport location on community-owned land on the
(Repsol) – The alliance of these two Spanish companies, unprecedented in the space segment, combines technology and sustainability. -The main challenge of the agreement is to formulate new renewable rocket fuels and reduce the carbon footprint by 90% or even go negative. Repsol and PLD Space, the leading European company
(Orbex) … The innovative Prime rocket will be the first orbital rocket to be powered by a renewable bio-fuel, Calor’s Futuria Liquid Gas, a form of bio-propane which will play a part in reducing the carbon footprint of space launches by up to 96 per cent when compared with similarly-sized launch
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Simulation data from Sandia suggests “that POP fuel candidates are safe and stable at room temperature and will have energy density values of more than 50 megajoules per liter after chemical processing. That’s 56 percent more energy than gasoline, per gallon. 43 percent better than
by Aliyah Kovner (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) … Well aware of the advantages biology has to offer, a group of biofuel experts led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) took inspiration from an extraordinary antifungal molecule made by Streptomyces bacteria to develop a totally new type of fuel that has projected
by Trenton Doyle (NZ Herald) New research has found a way to make explosive compounds using bacteria commonly found soil – which could pave the way for cleaner alternatives to jet fuel. And with fuel prices at record highs, some scientists think now is the time to grow the biofuel
(Orbex) World’s most environmentally friendly rocket seen in its complete form for first time; UK is the first European nation to unveil an innovative, lightweight re-usable launcher — Uniquely, Orbex Prime is powered by a renewable bio-fuel, bio-propane, supplied by Calor UK. This fuel allows the rocket to reduce carbon
(Aerospace Testing International) aine, USA-based rocket developer bluShift has performed the first full-scale test of its hybrid, biofuel rocket engine. As shown in the video …, the test of the Modular Adaptable Rocket Engine for Vehicle Launch (MAREVL 2.0) fired the engine at partial power for five seconds. Future tests will
by Leigh Collins (ReCharge) The 60GW Hydrogen City project, announced by local start-up Green Hydrogen International, will be powered by wind and solar, with an on-site salt cavern for H2 storage — US start-up Green Hydrogen International (GHI) has announced a 60GW renewable H2 project in a sparsely populated area of South Texas,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Did you know the Naval Air Systems Command is working on high-performance sustainable aviation fuels from biobased terpenes? Check out this illuminating slide guide from Dr. Benjamin G. Harvey at the Naval Air Warfare Center on why terpenes, RJ-4 from cellulosic feedstocks, biosynthetic terpenes in
by Evan Harp (ETF Trends) Even though space flight involves leaving the Earth, like every other sector, it is contending with its environmental impact. Two British rocket startups are claiming that their technology can reduce spaceflight’s carbon footprint through renewable fuel. Both Skyrora and Orbex have unique solutions to the carbon emissions problem. Skyrora plans to utilize
by Ron Kotrba (Biobased Diesel Daily) The carbon footprint of launching the new Orbex Prime space rocket will be up to 96 percent lower than comparable space launch programs, according to Orbex’s citation of a recent assessment by Xiaoyu Yan from the University of Exeter, titled, “Orbex Holistic Launch Carbon Impact
(Georgia Institute of Technology/Phys.Org) Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a concept that would make Martian rocket fuel, on Mars, that could be used to launch future astronauts back to Earth. The bioproduction process would use three resources native to the red planet: carbon dioxide, sunlight, and frozen
(Orbex/SpaceRef) The carbon footprint of launching the new Orbex Prime space rocket will be up to 96 per cent lower than comparable space launch programmes, a new scientific study has revealed. Prime is poised to become one of the most environmentally friendly orbital launch vehicles ever built, benefiting from the use of
(CNN) Vodka is usually made from fermented grains, like rye. But Air Company’s spirit is made out of captured carbon dioxide emissions. READ MORE/WATCH VIDEO From CO2 To Vodka: Air Company Launches World’s First Carbon-Negative Spirit (Forbes) This carbon-negative vodka comes from captured CO2 — Air Company—a winner of Fast
by Natasha Lasky (Our Daily Planet) … While space-bound rockets emit less than the aircraft industry, their emissions have been increasing at nearly 5.6% a year. Why This Matters: When rockets launch into space, they require a vast amount of propellants to make it out, and these fuels excrete carbon dioxide, water,
by Hannah DelSordo* (Advanced Biofuels USA) Take yourself back to an earlier time, when we relied on horses, oxen and other renewably fueled animals for mobility and work. (They ate corn, wheat, oats and other bio-plants, didn’t they?) Now move ahead a few years. In the early days of cars and
by C. Thatcher Carter (Times Record/Press Herald) Despite technical setbacks early on, the Brunswick-based company successfully launched its first rocket around Sunday afternoon. — Despite frigid weather and early technical difficulties, Brunswick’s bluShift Aerospace Inc., made history Sunday afternoon when it launched its prototype rocket, Stardust 1.0. The company became the
(Reuters) … “Am donating $100M towards a prize for best carbon capture technology,” Musk wrote in a tweet, followed by a second tweet that promised “Details next week.” Tesla officials did not immediately respond to a request for additional information. READ MORE There’s a lot more than Elon Musk’s $100 million
by Alice Keefe (WMTW) … BluShift had planned to launch the rocket from the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, but the launch was scrubbed Friday afternoon. The rocket launch will likely be rescheduled to Tuesday or Wednesday. WMTW spoke with bluShift about its unique rocket on Thursday. “This
(India Times Energy World) ISRO Chairman said that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is looking at green propulsion through hydrogen peroxide in its rocket that would take Indians into the space under its ‘Gaganyaan’ mission. The Indian space rockets are set to go green as ISRO is working to replace its
by David Verbeek and Helene Fouquet (Bloomberg/Los Angeles Times) When a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket blasts off on a plume of white smoke, hot gases shoot out of its 27 engines, creating a thrust equal to 18 Boeing 747 aircraft. Upon reaching orbit, the world’s heaviest operational rocket will have burned
by Kelsey D. Atherton (Forbes) … The process patented by Los Alamos uses a byproduct of ethanol production, letting America’s love of fueling vehicles with corn fuel even more dangerous vehicles. … The U.S. Navy pursued a cheaper, biofuel alternative for JP-10 for years, looking to see if it can harness
by Kyle Mizokami (Popular Mechanics) The new fuel blend uses feedstocks instead of petroleum in an effort to limit the military’s dependence on fossil fuels. — Modern cruise missiles are powered by turbine engines running off JP-10. -Scientists at Los Alamos National Labs have created a new formulation of JP-10
by Brian Wang (Next BIG Future) NASA NIAC fund work to use bioorganisms to perform atmospheric in-situ resource utilization (ISRU). Utilizing 100% ISRU for propellant production, they aim to reduce the Entry Descent Landing (EDL) mass of a crewed mission to Mars by approximately 7 tons. This technology will enable long-term human
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) …Couple of good trends to point to: 1. Lot more emphasis on farms and farming these days. It’s still an industry dominated by people in white coats, but there are some more overalls around the ABS than we’ve ever seen before. 2. A little more emphasis
(ABS-CBN News) A group of Filipino scientists say they found a way to convert algae into biofuel for rockets. In an interview with ANC’s Early Edition, Orbital Exploration Technologies founder Dexter Baño also weighs in on the benefits of creating a Philippine Space Agency. WATCH VIDEO
(Michigan Technological University/Science Codex) What is the genetic basis for eucalyptus trees to produce that fragrant oil many of us associate with trips to the spa? Carsten Külheim, associate professor in Michigan Technological University’s School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, has spent the past 10 years of his career studying eucalyptus.
(Tass) CosmoCourse plans to engage in space tourism starting from 2025 — A projected rocket for commercial suborbital spaceflights, to be launched from a private space center to be built in Central Russia, will use ethyl alcohol as a fuel, the project’s head told TASS on Thursday. Pavel Pushkin, the CEO of
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) We have word bubbling up simultaneously from Pennsylvania and Colorado that Gevo and Renmatix inked a joint development agreement to evaluate the commercial feasibility of creating renewable jet fuel by integrating Renmatix’s Plantrose Process with Gevo’s GIFT technology and alcohol to jet process. The key word
by Beth Brogan (Bangor Daily News) … Eventually, that rocket, powered by a proprietary bio-derived, carbon neutral rocket fuel formulation, will leave Earth, carrying small satellites — “cube sats” — into space. Eventually, the rocket would be able to carry 50 kilograms of satellites. Founded by Maine native Sascha Deri, bluShift
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) From Portugal comes the news that SilicoLife was awarded with a SME instrument phase 1 grant for the commercial evaluation of its BUTANOVA technology, a new biological process to produce n-butanol. BUTANOVA technology consists on a novel and proprietary metabolic pathway designed computationally by SilicoLife and
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Imagine, for example, a Boeing 777 flying non-stop between any two cities in the world. Or F-18A/F Superhornets adding significant weapon loads, or up to 30% to flight range. It’s like getting a new generation of aircraft without the multi-billion price tag. Gevo and Los Alamos
(Nikkei Asian Review) A startup founded by maverick Japanese entrepreneur Takafumi Horie is poised to launch a test rocket as early as January. If successful, it will be Japan’s first private rocket to reach an altitude of 100km. Interstellar Technologies, based in the country’s northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, aims to
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Much has been written about terpenes in the area of flavors and fragrances. But they have astonishing properties for super high-density jet fuels in the 130,000-140,000 BTU range. Think valencene, premnaspirodiene, and b-caryophyllene. Now, we get into an interesting range of molecules, which Allylix and
by Robert E. Kozak* (Advanced Biofuels USA) In looking at ways to jump-start this country’s bogged down production of biomass based jetfuel (Jet-A, JP-5, JP-8) and rocket fuel (RP-1/2), the early history of the US space program should serve as a guide. Walter McDougall’s 1986 Pulitzer Prize winning book “the Heaven
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … Develop high energy rocket propellants for the private companies under NASA contracts to fly missions to the space station. Develop endothermic fuels for hypersonic vehicles for the military. READ MORE
Brad Buck (University of Florida) Buck Rogers surely couldn’t have seen this one coming, but at NASA’s request, University of Florida researchers have figured out how to turn human waste — yes, that kind — into rocket fuel. Adolescent jokes aside, the process finally makes useful something that until now has
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … But in the meantime, it appears to be an open-and-shut case that “new sugars” are the new sugar — and specifically that stevia might be the new sugar. Supporters of the idea that synthetic stevia might be the big winner in the multi-billion
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) … SkyNRG is undertaking its first major feedstock project in South Africa, featuring a nicotine-free energy tobacco crop that’s developed by Sunchem under the name of Solaris. Which is an excellent reminder of how much activity is going on in aviation biofuels to solve the
(Navigant Research) Viewed as a game changer in the race to commercialize advanced biofuels, aviation and marine biofuels represent a very significant opportunity for emerging producers in the advanced biofuels industry. Demand for advanced biofuels produced from sustainable, non-food feedstocks is largely driven by a need to hedge against increases
(RT.com) Scientists have scored a breakthrough in high-energy biofuels by producing a bacterium that synthesizes highly-efficient pinene, a hydrocarbon made by trees. It could soon replace existing alternatives and usher in a new era of rocket engines. Researchers have struggled for years with the problem of cheaper options to the