Our destiny takes a hand moment! Raytheon Technology is striving to achieve all these goals.

Collins Space Company made the current NASA spacesuit, and its official name is extravehicular mobility device.

space travel

When the news came that the United States planned to send a man to the moon, Sean mcleod and his colleagues at Raytheon Collins Aerospace Company began to work.

A think tank composed of engineers, business strategists, former astronauts and other creative thinkers began to outline what the new spacesuit needs to do, how it will work-and how to build it in time for the new mission to the moon in 2024.

"We locked a group of people in a room for a few days, and then we went over and said,' What's the life like for an astronaut on this mission?' Mcleod, business development director of civil space and marine system of Collins Company, said.

They work on a solid foundation; Collins made NASA's current spacesuit, officially named extravehicular mobility device, commonly known as "the smallest spacecraft in the world"

However, a new mission to the moon-especially one that will be used as a technical proving ground to achieve deeper space travel-needs a brand-new spacesuit. After a few days of brainstorming, the team's task list became clear: improve mobility so that astronauts can bend down to collect geological samples. This design is suitable for astronauts of all sizes, not just those of a certain size. Advanced carbon dioxide removal. Modern man-machine interface.

They have an Apollo 1 1 landing prototype ready for the 50th anniversary-this work has continued to this day, always focusing on how to help astronauts complete their work in the next few decades. In addition to spacesuits, Collins also produced many systems for manned and unmanned missions. They include the lens assembly of Perseverance Mars probe and the optical system of Mars reconnaissance orbiter, many life support systems and even a garbage compressor, which may eventually solve some of the most intractable problems in deep space travel.

Mcleod said: "We have been trying to find ways for people to work and live in space for a long time." . "So, when you look at spacesuits, spacesuits provide you with an opportunity to work and live in different ways in space."

From 500 miles of space, we can see that the infrared imaging radiometer suite is changing the way we look at the earth, and its value far exceeds the weather forecast. Its data are very important for agriculture, finance, transportation, insurance, energy and many other industries.

Climate science

The Atlantic hurricane season in 2020 is the most active on record. There are 30 named storms. 12 landing. According to the data of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this is the fifth consecutive above-normal season and the eighteenth season in 26 years.

"We have seen more intense events, and we have also seen more humid events, because hurricanes have more energy to strengthen and become monsters," said Sean Cochrane, a scientist and senior business development manager of Raytheon Intelligence and Space at Raytheon Technology Company.

For Cochrane and his colleagues, the challenge is obvious.

"We need to improve our ability to understand the atmosphere and its state," he said. "We need to shorten the time scale."

He believes that the key lies in the frequency of detection-the vertical measurement of temperature and humidity from the earth's surface to the top of the troposphere. Now, this happens about every six hours. Cochrane said that the problem is that bad weather will make big changes faster.

His goal is to detect every 15 minutes, so as to get high-fidelity forecast, and then have a better chance to reduce the loss of life and property.

Raytheon's meteorological observation system, including visible infrared imaging radiometer suite, is a development design scheme. For the high-resolution infrared detector of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States, this will provide clearer images than the current microwave and infrared detectors. This includes determining where bad weather may occur-that is, the "trunk line" between the humid air in the Gulf of Mexico and the dry air in the Great Plains.

The benefits of better weather forecast are not limited to daily life. They are also crucial for military planning, including optimizing fighter routes and deploying humanitarian missions, such as when aircraft carriers provide assistance to severely affected coastal areas.

"When you invest in technologies such as detectors or earth observation vision," Cochrane said, "you are positioned not only in the military or the government, but also in society to better cope with extreme weather."

See how our work in space can improve life on earth.

Intelligent space technology

"Contactless Passenger Travel" is a major initiative of Collins Airlines, aiming at optimizing every stage of air travel by using biometric technology and data analysis driven by real-time artificial intelligence.

New passenger experience

It existed long before COVID-19, but the epidemic actually made it a necessity: a way for passengers to pass through the airport without touching the boarding booth or anything else. Although this launch is a response to the current demand, it is now a glimpse of commercial flight in the coming decades.

"Contactless Passenger Travel" is a major initiative of Collins Airlines, which aims to optimize every stage of air travel by using biometric technology and real-time artificial intelligence data analysis. LeAnn Ridgeway, vice president of Collins Airlines and general manager of information management services, said that in addition to efficiency, the focus is on health.

Here is how she would like to see it serve passengers-including herself (she often flies). Start with the reservation. No matter what she uses to book flights-such as aviation applications-she will remember her travel habits and personal information, and lock all logistics services for her travel. It will choose the seat she usually likes. Considering the distance, traffic and boarding time, she will arrange her trip to the airport.

"She knows that if it's a flight within two hours, I won't bring my bag," she said.

At the airport, she can get on the plane without touching anything that no longer belongs to her-and without being with many people. On the way to the security check, she received a mobile phone alarm: because point C is a little crowded, switch to point B.

On the plane, she needs to touch much less things-even the toilet door will open itself-and everything she needs to touch, such as her seat, is made of antibacterial materials.

"You can see that in the near future, you can use your smartphone to order drinks or snacks without touching any overhead console or asking flight attendants to walk around asking everyone, thus eliminating the constant flow of people and interaction again," she said.

This concept can play an important role in reopening international travel, especially in confirming that passengers are vaccinated and subjected to necessary tests. The International Air Transport Association is advocating an idea called "One ID", which will use biometric technology to replace traditional travel and health documents.

"Even your health passport can be attached to your facial recognition-it is contactless and you don't need to show your old yellow (vaccine) card. If you want to go to some places in the world, you must show this card, "she said. "I think that in order to achieve this goal, we will see great speed and progress in the next few months."

Since 20 16 was put into use, customers have saved more than 330 million gallons of fuel. In order to support the goal of industrial climate change, GTF engines can reduce carbon emissions by more than one ton per flight hour.

Sustainable aviation

Cutting off power and carbon emissions can't wait any longer.

The aviation industry produces about 2% of global carbon dioxide emissions. As other industries strive to reduce their carbon footprint, engineers of Raytheon Pratt & Whitney are looking for short-term and long-term opportunities to take the lead in the air.

Innovation occurs in several aspects: improving engine performance and fuel economy, developing hybrid electric propulsion, using sustainable aviation fuel, and optimizing flight trajectory to improve fleet operation efficiency. Hunter said that this will happen in the long and short term, making small but still meaningful changes to the existing production fleet and aircraft.

Hunter said: "During this period, I have 65,438+00,000 planes to produce or more, and I have tens of thousands of planes already in use." . "So I have to figure out,' What are we going to do in the next 15 years before we master these new technologies?' "

The recent focus is on increasing the use of sustainable aviation fuels, or those made from raw materials rather than fossil fuels. At present, there are seven approved sustainable aviation fuel formulas that can be used in commercial engines, as long as they are mixed with kerosene, which is also called conventional jet A fuel. Pratt & Whitney is working hard to make these same sustainable fuels certified and can be used in its own engines without kerosene.

Hunter said that another key point is to improve one of Pratt & Whitney's iconic innovations, the geared turbofan engine, or GTF. By making the turbine and the fan rotate at their respective optimal speeds, the efficiency of the engine has made a huge leap. Since 20 16 was put into use, GTF has saved more than 450 million gallons of fuel, and its fleet's carbon dioxide emissions have also decreased by about 4.2 million metric tons.

Hunter said that there is still room for growth.

"We only made the first generation of such engines. We can continue to optimize, "Hunter said. "We can continue to gain efficiency from the gear system."

Hunter said that GTF has a longer-term prospect: it can be converted into a hybrid configuration.

"The design we are working on now will develop in this direction," he said.

Even further afield, it is possible to use hydrogen to drive an airplane. Getting the engine ready for this is not a problem; Pratt & Whitney used hydrogen to drive the engine in the 1950s. The biggest challenge is to produce, transport and store in a sustainable way. Hydrogen needs a pressurized container, so it can't enter the wing, which is usually where jet fuel is stored.

"This is a challenge from hydrogen," he said. "If all this is solved, I think the engine can arrive."

Explore what we are doing to promote the future of air travel.

Safer and more connected flight

At the Pacific Missile Range in Kauai, Hawaii, a standard three-missile interceptor IIA missile was launched from the Aegis Coast Missile Defense Test Center. (Department of Defense photo)

missile defence

Missile defense is to buy time. The sooner you find an attack or a precursor to an attack, the more options you have to intervene.

The best place to buy this kind of time is space.

Bryan Rosselli, vice president of strategic missile defense at Raytheon Missile Defense Company, said: "You want to know in advance whether people are preparing for some kind of test or actual launch, and I hope not." . "When this happens, you want to know that it is happening as soon as possible so that you have time to react. Space plays a huge role in this regard. "

Even the best sensor on earth has a blind spot: the horizon. Waiting for ranged attacks to come into their sight is not always the best.

"Space provides an unobstructed perspective for early missile warning and tracking," said Paul Meyer, vice president of space and C2 systems at Raytheon Information and Space Corporation. "The best method is the elastic method of crossing the orbit, from near-earth orbit to geosynchronous orbit and beyond."

Raytheon Technology Company produces gallium nitride itself, which is a powerful semiconductor, which can expand the range of its radar and improve its detection and identification capabilities.

The United States and its allies have used satellite systems to monitor the earth, and they are still developing further. For example, the 2 1 constellation of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency will speed up the missile defense response by networking multiple satellite sensors and sending data directly to military operators instead of ground stations. The business also includes the design of payload, that is, a system composed of flexible US Air Force missile early warning satellites, which is called the next generation OPIR Block 0. On land, the early warning radar built by Raytheon missile and defense system keeps alert above the earth's atmosphere, with a detection distance of more than 5,000 kilometers, that is, more than 3 100 miles.

Detecting and launching is only the first step. Successful interception in space also requires setting up the correct radar, tracking the target, distinguishing it from debris and anything else in the area, and guiding the interceptor until the impact time.

Rosselli said: "You should not only hit the right object in space, but also hit it accurately." . "When you are talking about a nuclear warhead, a short blow cannot cut it off."

Decades of missile defense work have prepared the company; Now, when engineers start to improve a system or design a new system, they have about 40 years of flight test data to use. Raytheon Technologies uses mature modeling and simulation techniques-essentially using computers to predict the performance of interceptors-to make it unique.

It is difficult to intercept missiles in any environment, especially in space. Too harsh. It's vacuum. No gravity means that even a slight pollution will seriously damage the function; For example, floating dust particles can interfere with the optical system or cause a short circuit. Of course, the next problem is to send the interceptor into space first. It must fly very high, very fast, on the route, against gravity until there is no gravity, and then stay on the way to the goal.

Rosselli said: "This is the cool thing we do." . "This is why the engineering challenges and miracles we have created are so great."