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The Boeing-built X-37B came back to Earth after 908 days in space. New world record. 

Boeing-Built X-37B Completes Sixth Mission, Sets New Endurance Record

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., Nov. 12, 2022— The Boeing [NYSE: BA] built X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) set a new endurance record after spending 908 days in orbit before landing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:22 a.m. ET, November 12, 2022. This surpasses its previous record of 780 days in orbit.

With the successful completion of its sixth mission, the reusable spaceplane has now flown over 1.3 billion miles and spent a total of 3,774 days in space where it conducts experiments for government and industry partners with the ability to return them to Earth for evaluation.

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For the first time, the vehicle carried a service module to augment the number of payloads it can haul. The module separated from the OTV prior to de-orbiting ensuring a safe and successful landing.

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“This mission highlights the Space Force’s focus on collaboration in space exploration and expanding low-cost access to space for our partners, within and outside of the Department of the Air Force (DAF),” said Gen. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations.

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The sixth mission was launched atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in May 2020. Hosted experiments included a solar energy experiment designed by the Naval Research Lab, as well as a satellite designed and built by cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory. The satellite, dubbed FalconSat-8, was successfully deployed in October 2021 and remains on orbit today.

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This mission also hosted multiple NASA experiments including the Materials Exposure and Technology Innovation in Space (METIS-2), which evaluated the effects of space exposure on various materials to validate and improve the precision of space environment models. This was the second flight for this type of experiment. Mission 6 also hosted a NASA experiment to evaluate the effects of long-duration space exposure on seeds. This experiment informs research aimed at future interplanetary missions and the establishment of permanent bases in space.

“Since the X-37B’s first launch in 2010, it has shattered records and provided our nation with an unrivaled capability to rapidly test and integrate new space technologies,” said Jim Chilton, senior vice president, Boeing Space and Launch. “With the service module added, this was the most we’ve ever carried to orbit on the X-37B and we’re proud to have been able to prove out this new and flexible capability for the government and its industry partners.”

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The X-37B program is a partnership between the U.S Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office and the U.S. Space Force. Boeing designed and manufactured the spaceplane and continues to provide program management, engineering, test and mission support from sites in Southern California, Florida and Virginia.

In 2020, the X-37B received the Robert J. Collier Trophy for advancing the performance, efficiency and safety of air and space vehicles.

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Austrian Ministry of Defense selects the C-390 Millennium as its new military transport aircraft

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Embraer Concludes Flight Tests for Firefighting Capability for the C-390 Millennium

The Austrian Ministry of Defense announced today the decision to select the C-390 Millennium aircraft as its new tactical transport solution. Embraer is honored to be chosen to support this important Air Force in Europe.

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Austria joins Brazil, Portugal, Hungary, and the Netherlands as the future operators of the C-390 Millennium multi-mission platform, an aircraft that is rapidly redefining the standards of tactical transport in the world defense market.

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Embraer is ready to support the Austrian Ministry of Defense and Air Force in order to meet the demanding requirements of their acquisition process and is prepared to further strengthen the relationship with this nation.

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U.S. F-35 Fighter Jet Missing in South Carolina, and Asks Public for Help

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U.S. F-35 Fighter Jet Missing in South Carolina, and Asks Public for Help

A US fighter jet went missing in South Carolina during a training mishap. According to US military officials, the search for his missing aircraft was centered on two lakes north of North Charleston.

At around 2 p.m. (local time), the pilot evacuated and safely parachuted into a North Charleston neighborhood. He was transferred to a nearby hospital, where he was in stable condition.

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Military officials appealed to the public for assistance with finding the aircraft on Twitter.

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Authorities stated that they are currently looking into the cause of the pilot’s ejection. According to Salinas, the pilot of a second F-35 made a safe landing at Joint Base Charleston. The pilots and their aircraft were part of the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, which is stationed in Beaufort, which is close to the Atlantic coast of South Carolina.

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According to base authorities, they were conducting a search over two lakes to the north of Charleston in collaboration with federal aviation authorities. Each of the aircraft, made by Lockheed Martin, cost about USD 80 million.

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A Flight to Freedom: How Qatar Airways Helped Save a Lion’s Life

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Reuben’s Second Chance: From a Cage in Romania to African Wilderness

Imagine sitting in a small cage for 6 years. Would you rather enjoy life or give it up? One of the Lions was living alone in Romania and stopped roaring after being left alone in the cage with no other animals nearby.

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Qatar Airways assists this lion in living its second life by transporting it from Romania to an African forest where he can enjoy the rest of his life with other lions.

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The CEO of ADI (Animal Defender International) Wildlife Sanctuary, John Kramer, in South Africa, took the initiative to bring these lions back from Romania. The entire purpose of this Sanctuary is to give back to these animals from circuses, animals who have never seen their native land, animals who have never walked on grass, lived in tiny cages bare balls, never had the sun on their backs, and all they’ve done is sit in a box to entertain humans and have never experienced anything of their natural life.

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The goal of ADI Wildlife Sanctuary is to give them back as close to the life they lost as possible, which is why they have such large habitats. The reason is that he was born in a privately owned zoo in Armenia, and the family decided to close the zoo and have the animals removed, leaving him behind. He’s been alone for 6 years, and he’s actually stopped roaring.

Qatar Airways’ Compassion Soars: Lion Rescued and Rehomed in Africa

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They were out of options for a flight out of Armenia for Reuben due to the size of the crate and they didn’t know what they were going to do until Qatar Airways cargo stepped in and not only said that they would arrange the flights and bring in the special aircraft, but their We Care Programme paid for Ruben’s flight. They’ve been able to begin moving out and are so happy to get up Airways cargo for allowing Reuben to live the life he lost.

What they hope to accomplish for Ruben today in the habitat here is for him to hear the voices of other lions, and he will hear a lot of lion voices here, which will give him a second shot at life. The team is overjoyed because this battered Old Lion King will be walking on African soil for the first time, and the magic of him being back where he belongs, where his forefathers came from, and with his own kind again, but he will see them, hear them, smell them, he will literally be home, and he will spend the rest of his life in Freedom.

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