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Air Transportation

German aviation company Lilium promises its future fleet of air taxis will be inaudible from the ground when flying above 400 meters.

Air & Space Magazine

A Fleet of Air Taxis Is Coming to Central Florida by 2025

For future trips from Orlando to Tampa, consider the high road

A new chemical process uses an iron-based catalyst to turn carbon dioxide into jet fuel. So far the process has only been proven effective in lab settings, but if researchers can scale it up it could lessen the climate impact of air travel.

New Research

Scientists Use Iron to Turn Carbon Dioxide Into Jet Fuel

If the chemical reaction at the heart of the process can be scaled up, it could help reduce the carbon footprint of air travel

U.S. Air Force Captain Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager became the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound in this airplane, the Bell X-1, on October 14, 1947. The aircraft is currently housed at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

Remember Chuck Yeager by Exploring the Plane He Flew to Break the Sound Barrier

In 1947, the pilot—who died Monday at age 97—made history by flying the Bell X-1 faster than the speed of sound

The planets in our solar system all orbit the Sun in one shared plane.

Ask Smithsonian

Why Do the Planets All Orbit the Sun in the Same Plane?

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

Caption via Getty: "The coronavirus sniffer dogs named Kössi (L) and Miina cuddle with trainer Susanna Paavilainen at the Helsinki airport in Vantaa, Finland where they are trained to detect the Covid-19 from the arriving passengers, on September 22, 2020."

Helsinki Airport Employs Dogs to Sniff Out Signs of Covid-19 in Travelers’ Sweat

Four dogs began work at Helsinki Airport on September 22, and six more may join them soon

US satellite SpaceX Starlink 5 is seen in the night passing above Denmark, on April 21, 2020.

How Will Amazon’s Planned Satellite Megaconstellation Impact the Night Sky?

The company plans to launch 3,236 satellites, but astronomers are worried about possible ramifications

Australia and New Zealand are determining when to implement a travel bubble that would allow residents to fly back and forth between the countries, sans quarantine..

Covid-19

Five Things to Know About Travel Bubbles

Neighboring countries are striking agreements that permit trips across their borders. Is this the future of travel?

This week's titles include Death By Shakespeare, Empires of the Sky and How to Feed a Dictator.

Books of the Month

Shakespearean Stabbings, How to Feed a Dictator and Other New Books to Read

The sixth installment in our weekly series spotlights titles that may have been lost in the news amid the COVID-19 crisis

In 2018, more than 40 million Americans traveled overseas.

Covid-19

What American Travel Looked Like Before COVID-19

Despite historic setbacks similar to today’s, Americans have become more dedicated travelers

The wingless Horten Ho 229 V3 on display with other Nazi aircraft.

Why the Experimental Nazi Aircraft Known as the Horten Never Took Off

The unique design of the flyer, held in the collections of the Smithsonian, has infatuated aviation enthusiasts for decades

(Clockwise from left) Michela Puddu, Elias Sime, Richard Yim and Miranda Wang

Eight Innovators to Watch in 2020

From plastic recycling pioneers to landmine foes, these dreamers have big plans for the coming year

Falling stars as seen on a balloon journey in pioneering aeronaut James Glaisher's book Travels in the Air. A record-setting balloon flight manned by Glaisher is the subject of the new movie The Aeronauts.

Based on a True Story

The True History of the Aeronauts Who Transformed Our View of the World Above

For early balloonists like James Glaisher, the sky was uncharted—and dangerous—territory

The Hindenburg disaster marked the end of the era of passenger-carrying airships.

Werner Doehner, Last Survivor of the Hindenburg Disaster, Dies at Age 90

The event “was definitely a repressed memory,” says Doehner’s son

Flight map of Air India destinations from 1962.

The Sleek History of Airline Maps

A new book explores the evolution of cartography throughout more than a century of commercial air travel

Trending Today

This Company Is Using Vintage Seaplanes in Their Quest to Become the First All-Electric Airline

Vancouver-based Harbour Air will soon outfit its classic seaplanes with battery-powered aviation motors

Trending Today

Archaeologists, Tour Operators, Locals Raise Alarm Over International Airport at Machu Picchu

They are petitioning the government to reconsider the project, which is planned to be completed by 2023

Specially-designed attachments make it possible for drones to balance on all kinds of surfaces.

These Drones Can Perch and Dangle Like Birds and Bats

Scientists have designed adaptable landing gear that enables UAVs to “rest” and save power

The “Human Organ Monitoring Apparatus for Long-distance Travel” (HOMAL) measures the biophyisiologic properties—temperature, pressure, vibration and altitude—of an organ.

Drones’ Newest Cargo Might Just Be Human Organs

Surgeon Joseph Scalea is developing a cooler, biosensors and an online platform with GPS to monitor organs in transport in real time

Trending Today

Magnetic North Is Cruising Toward Siberia, Puzzling Scientists

It has drifted so far that scientists made an emergency revision to the World Magnetic Model

The Nexus Air Taxi could have Uber airborne within a decade.

Seven Unforgettable Inventions Unveiled at This Year’s CES

From a self-driving suitcase to a flying taxi, these concepts made a splash at the huge trade show in Las Vegas

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