A Triumphant First Launch for Elon Musk's Giant Rocket: The Falcon Heavy

As reported by The Atlantic: CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—Seven years ago, the Falcon Heavy was a model rocket, sitting on a table in a conference room in Washington, D.C., in front of some reporters and a couple empty seats.

On Tuesday, the rocket dreamed up by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk stood 230 feet tall, on the famed launchpad at Kennedy Space Center where the Saturn V flew the first humans to the moon. An estimated 100,000 people traveled here to watch the Falcon Heavy power up and rise into the sky.

At about 3:45 p.m., the rocket’s 27 engines roared into life and thick plumes of white smoke unfurled from the pad. Within seconds, it was airborne and climbing against the backdrop of a clear blue sky over Florida’s Space Coast. Along for the ride was a cherry-red Tesla convertible, with a dummy called Starman wearing a SpaceX space suit sitting in the driver’s seat. David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” blasted from the speakers.

It was a perfect day for a rocket launch.

After the Heavy left the launchpad and pierced the upper reaches of the Earth’s atmosphere, the rocket’s boosters detached. In a complicated and delicate maneuver that SpaceX has nearly perfected in the last few years, the side boosters changed course and returned to Earth less than 10 minutes after liftoff, where they touched down at matching landing zones at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The center booster, which SpaceX planned to land on its drone ship off the coast in the Atlantic Ocean, didn’t make it, Musk confirmed Tuesday night a press conference with reporters at Kennedy Space Center. Musk said the booster struck the water at 300 miles per hour. It came close, though; Musk said the impact scattered debris over the ship. He said they will try to salvage some footage of the hit.

“If the cameras didn’t get blown up as well, then we’ll put that out,” he said.

The upper stage of the rocket, which carried the Tesla, meanwhile, is cruising along just fine. Here’s a video Musk shared about an hour after liftoff, thanks to cameras mounted around the car:

The successful maiden flight of the Falcon Heavy restored a capability the United States lost years ago. The last time a powerful heavy-lift launch vehicle left Cape Canaveral was in 2011, when the Space Shuttle made its final flight after 30 years of ferrying astronauts back and forth from low-Earth orbit. Before that, it was the Saturn V rocket, the massive vehicle nasa used to send Apollo astronauts to the moon.

In 2018, the year nasa marks its 60th anniversary, the U.S. government is no longer doing the heavy lifting. That business, at least for now, falls for the first time in American spaceflight history to a commercial rocket company.

nasa is currently building a heavy-lift rocket of its own, the Space Launch System, or SLS, that will surpass the Heavy in liftoff and payload capacity and is supposed to someday return humans to the moon. But the first flight of the SLS is expected in late 2019, and delays could push that even further, so SpaceX will enjoy, at least for a while, the perks of holding an American record.

A day before the launch, Musk said he wasn’t feeling nervous.

“What I find strange about this flight is, normally I feel super stressed out the day before,” Musk told reporters in a teleconference at Kennedy Space Center. “This time, I don’t. Maybe a bad sign. I’m not sure. But I feel quite confident and happy, actually. I’m really hopeful for this flight going as planned. We’ve done everything we can. I’m sure we’ve done everything we could do to maximize the chance of success in this mission.”

The Falcon Heavy’s successful flight means that the Heavy is now the most powerful rocket in operation, surpassing its nearest competitor, the Delta IV Heavy of the United Launch Alliance, when it comes to lifting payload. In the future, the rocket will be capable of lifting more weight than any other U.S.-made rocket since the Saturn V. At an estimated $90 million per launch, the Falcon Heavy makes the cheapest heavy-lift launch option for potential customers ranging from commercial satellite companies to nasa. Delta IV Heavy launches can run upward of $400 million, and SLS, an expendable rocket, is expected to cost $1 billion per launch.

The launch marked the first time SpaceX tested such a complicated booster separation and recovery sequence.

Here’s the flight path Musk shared on social media hours before the launch:

The center booster made a successful separation. The upper stage of the rocket—with the Tesla in tow—continued on. In orbit, the stage will coast for about six hours and then fire up its engine again to help put the Tesla in an elliptical orbit around the sun between Earth and Mars. That’s what Musk means when he says he’s sending his Tesla to the red planet.

“I’m not worried about the car,” Musk said Monday. “It’s gonna be fine.”

Musk said he expects the Tesla to zoom around in orbit for hundreds of millions of years. “At times it will come extremely close to Mars,” he said. “And there’s a tiny chance that it will hit Mars. Extremely tiny.”

Many, including Musk himself, thought the Heavy launch was as likely to go up in flames as it was to leave Earth. Musk told reporters on Monday that if the Heavy did explode, he hoped the rocket would travel far enough to avoid damaging the historic launchpad, which would be costly and take months to repair.

SpaceX is on a high right now. It ended 2017 with a company-record-breaking 18 launches of its smaller Falcon 9 rocket, accounting for most of the orbital launches on U.S. soil. The company’s failures, including explosions in 2015 and 2016 that destroyed rockets and payloads and damaged a launchpad, are quickly receding in the rearview mirrors. The focus now is on the increased cadence of launches the company has promised for 2018, and the far bigger BFR, the rocket previously known as the Interplanetary Transport System. Musk says the development of the BFR is “moving quickly.” He hopes the BFR will fast-track international travel, launch satellites and spacecraft, and carry astronauts to low-Earth orbit, the moon, and Mars.

When the Saturn V blasted off from the Earth in the 1960s with Apollo astronauts in tow, the idea of someone other than a nation’s esteemed federal space agency doing the work of launching stuff—any stuff, from communications satellites to humans, let alone an electric car—seemed impossible. No one had even thought to entertain the idea. In a short time—in the last few years, really—SpaceX took this prospect and turned into not only a reality, but a regular occurrence.

“A lot of people thought we couldn’t do it—a lot, actually,” Musk said in 2008 when, after three failed attempts, SpaceX launched the Falcon 1 rocket into orbit from an atoll in the Marshall Islands, becoming the first private rocket company to do it. “[Reaching orbit] is normally a country thing, not a company thing.”

A decade later, reaching orbit and beyond is very much a company thing.

Ford Wants to Patent a Driverless Police Car that Ambushes Lawbreakers using AI

As reported by The Washington Post: Imagine a police car that issues tickets without even pulling you over.

What if the same car could use artificial intelligence to find good hiding spots to catch traffic violators and identify drivers by scanning license plates, tapping into surveillance cameras and wirelessly accessing government records?

What if a police officer tapping on your car window asking for your license and registration became a relic of transportation’s past?

The details may sound far-fetched, as if they belong in the science-fiction action flick “Demolition Man” or a new dystopian novel inspired by Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World,” but these scenarios are grounded in a potential reality. They come from a patent developed by Ford and being reviewed by the U.S. government to create autonomous police cars. Ford’s patent application was published this month.

Although experts claim autonomous vehicles will make driving safer and more rule-bound, Ford argues in its application that in the future, traffic violations will never disappear entirely.

“While autonomous vehicles can and will be programmed to obey traffic laws, a human driver can override that programming to control and operate the vehicle at any time,” the patent’s application says. “When a vehicle is under the control of a human driver there is a possibility of violation of traffic laws. Thus, there will still be a need to police traffic.”

The patent application says that autonomous police vehicles don’t necessarily replace the need for human police officers for catching traffic scofflaws. Some “routine tasks,” such as issuing tickets for failure to stop at a stop sign, can be automated, the patent says, but other tasks that can’t be automated will be left to people.

The application, which was filed in July 2016 and includes elaborate diagrams depicting the autonomous police car interacting with its environment, says officers could be inside the vehicle at all times and reclaim control of the car when necessary.

But the application also shows how an autonomous police vehicle could be able to carry out many tasks we associate with human officers.

In one scenario, a surveillance camera or roadside sensor documents a speeding vehicle. A signal is relayed through a “central computing system” to the autonomous police vehicle, which is tasked with pursuing the vehicle, tracking its location and capturing video that can be used to analyze the fleeing vehicle’s movement.

In another, the police vehicle analyzes traffic patterns using machine learning — a type of artificial intelligence that gives computers the ability to learn without being programmed — to determine ideal spots for catching traffic violators. Once a hiding spot has been located, the vehicle uses sensors — lasers, cameras or some combination thereof — to monitor traffic in the most efficient way possible, according to the patent.

“Autonomous police vehicle may determine the threshold speed for a given section of road by searching a local traffic laws database for a legal speed limit for that section of road or by querying remote central computing system,” the patent says.

The vehicle would be able to communicate wirelessly with other vehicles on the road and determine whether a car is in self-driving mode or being controlled by a human driver, according to the patent. The patent says the offending vehicle would be able to communicate with the police car as well, providing  a driver’s license, for example.

Like traffic cameras already in use, tickets could be issued remotely, the application notes, and a record of the incident could be sent to a police station or a department of motor vehicles.

But Ford noted in a statement that even if the patent is approved, it does not ensure that a product will be produced.

“We submit patents on innovative ideas as a normal course of business,” the statement said. “Patent applications are intended to protect new ideas but aren’t necessarily an indication of new business or product plans.”

Elon Musk’s Boring Company Wants to Build a Second Giant Tunnel Under LA

As reported by Futurism: On Monday night, Elon Musk’s Boring Company presented a new plan to the Culver City city council. The company wants to build a 6.5-mile tunnel from Hawthorne, CA (where SpaceX Headquarters is located) to West Los Angeles. The tunnel would run beneath Culver City, and the company hopes this route would help diminish traffic at the surface level.

According to Wired, the Boring Company has already received the green light from the Hawthorne city council for an easement on the starting end of the tunnel. The company is also reportedly working with the city of Los Angeles to get permission to excavate.

The tunnels are of interest for more than providing alternate roadways to alleviate traffic, though. The company intends for them to be networks of electric-powered “skates” that would transport passenger pods, personal vehicles, and cargo.

An Electric Network
The system is intended to be both high-speed and autonomous, propelling pods at speeds up to 150 mph. If all authorities sign off on the initial construction and boring that has to be done, the project would serve as a “proof of process” tunnel. That said, there is still a lot standing between the initial design and a fully realized network of tunnels running under southern California.

The traffic in Los Angeles is a serious issue, though. One that the cities receiving the Boring Company’s proposals are likely eager to resolve. In 2016, LA was ranked as having the worst traffic in the world.

Musk’s vision has long been to take that troublesome traffic underground. As the Boring Company’s website states: “To solve the problem of soul-destroying traffic, roads must go 3D, which means either flying cars or tunnels. Unlike flying cars, tunnels are weatherproof, out of sight and won’t fall on your head.”

While there may be a vested interest in creative solutions to the city’s traffic woes, there has also been a fair amount of doubt surrounding the Boring Company’s ambitious plans. Bloomberg reported that an attendee of the city council meeting on Monday referred to Musk’s company as a “thinly capitalized company that has made money selling hats.” A representative at the meeting responded, saying the company and its projects are primarily funded by Musk, not hat sales.

The Boring Company will still need to apply for a permit in Culver City, so Monday night’s meeting was likely the first of many that will need to happen before any actual boring can begin.

A Tesla Semi Prototype Spotted in California is Swift, Sleek, and Silent

After Elon Musk's bombastic reveal of the company's new electric semi truck, Tesla
is putting it to the test.  A Tesla semi prototype caught on video in Sunnyvale,
California reveals that the truck is nearly silent when driving.

As reported by Futurism: Swift and Silent - Tesla’s electric semi-truck is not only more environmentally friendly than its competitors, but it is also quieter than the typical diesel-powered truck that barrels down the street. An eight-second YouTube video, first revealed by Inverse, shows a sleek Tesla Semi prototype gliding swiftly and almost silently through an intersection in Sunnyvale, California, near the company’s Palo Alto headquarters. Watch it below.

The prototype features impact-resistant glass, a streamlined cabin design, and the ability to accelerate from zero to 97 km/h (60 mph) in five seconds when not carrying cargo. After pushing back the unveiling date twice due to Tesla’s Model 3 production delays and the company’s humanitarian efforts in Puerto Rico, CEO Elon Musk finally unveiled the much-anticipated Tesla Semi prototype in November 2017.

Revolutionizing Hauling
Though the lowest-priced model costs a cool $150,000, the truck is supposed to travel 483 km (300 miles) on a single charge. The more expensive $180,000-model can go even farther, with a range of 805 km (500 miles). While those costs were higher than some analysts anticipated, Musk asserted that the electric semi costs less to operate than typical diesel rigs by about $0.16 per km ($0.25 per mile).

Though the vehicle isn’t scheduled for production until 2019, companies are already buying into Musk’s sales pitch of a cheaper, greener truck en masse. By the end of 2017, 18 companies — including Walmart and Pepsi Co. — had pre-ordered at least one truck. UPS topped the list, reserving 125 vehicles.

Hopefully, Tesla’s production team will be able to keep to Musk’s scheduling promises. But the odds could be slim, given that the company’s Model 3 electric car production fell well short of Musk’s 2017 goals. Delayed production or not, however, this new YouTube footage reveals that the new truck will be making our streets quieter whenever it does finally hit the road.

Norway Is Aiming for All of Its Short Flights to be Electric by 2040

As reported by Futurism: Every time an airplane rises into the sky, something else also rises: the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Air travel is responsible for an estimated 2 to 3 percent of global carbon emissions, a number expected to double in the next decade as fuel efficiency struggles to keep up with rising demand. The contribution is so huge that experts suggest the best way to reduce your carbon footprint is to quit traveling altogether.

But Norway may have another solution. Dag Falk-Petersen, the chief executive of Norway’s airport operator, Avinor, recently announced an ambitious new goal to run all of the country’s short-haul flights on electric planes by 2040.

Norway currently has more electric cars than any other country in the world. The country is a clear leader in the global revolution to push away from fossil fuels. With this latest aim, they set themselves apart in hopes of proving that it is possible to also reduce emissions from air travel.

If Norway is able to successfully electrify all of its short-haul flights, it will be the first country to do so.

“We think that all flights lasting up to 1.5 hours can be flown by aircraft that are entirely electric,” Falk-Petersen told The Guardian.  “When we will have reached our goal, air travel will no longer be a problem for the climate, it will be a solution.”

Changing Energy
According to The Guardian, air transport currently makes up 2.4% of Norway’s domestic traffic emissions. Airplanes that run off jet fuel produce a little over 53 pounds of carbon dioxide per mile.

Current battery technology doesn’t yet have the range to replace jet fuel entirely; batteries simply don’t have the same energy density, and electric planes will need to be recharged far sooner than a traditional airliner would need to be refueled. For this reason, several airlines are instead developing hybrid models for longer flights. 

Yet NASA scientist Sean Clarke told Ars Technica that improvements in battery technology and efficiency measures will go a long way towards increasing electric planes’ range.

“Electric propulsion systems may be relevant in the marketplace sooner than you might expect, because they can be much more efficient,” Clarke said.

In the mean time, Avinor plans to use hybrid technologies and biofuels to help Norway transition their short flights to zero-carbon. Besides curbing emissions, Norway’s effort will also cut noise levels and operating costs in half.

Norway has already proven itself a leader in making green transport more widely adapted. Perhaps as technologies improve, other nations will follow suit, creating an even larger impact.

Future Cars Might Be Mirrorless, Using Cameras and AI Tech To Navigate Instead

As reported by Futurism: Self-driving cars are already asking people to put AI systems in control of their vehicles. Now, Mitsubishi wants to rid its new cars of one of the last relics of the past: the rear-view mirror.

The automotive manufacturer announced this week that it has developed the industry’s highest performing automotive camera technology. When installed on a vehicle, it can detect objects up to 100 meters (328 feet) away, and boosts object detection accuracy from a previous 14 percent to 81 percent.

Mitsubishi explains their new cameras utilize their own Maisart AI, which has the ability to accurately differentiate between pedestrians, cars, and motorcycles. Ultimately, the cameras are expected to help prevent traffic accidents, such as those happening when drivers zig zag between lanes. This is only an early version of Mitsubishi’s technology, as the company explains it wants the cameras to perform better in bad weather, at night, and on winding roads.

Your Safety Matters
This isn’t the first effort aimed at improving the “sight” of cars. In December, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and NASA veteran Luis Dussan partnered to form AEye, a company hoping to create new sensors for driverless cars. And beyond camera technology, Mitsubishi proposed a new safety system that would project symbols on the ground to inform other drivers and pedestrians of the driver’s actions.

Mirrorless cars were approved for use in Japan and Europe in 2016, so Mitsubishi had plenty of time to develop and test the experimental cameras. The carmaker foresees mirrorless cars hitting the market in Japan in 2019.

Beyond improving their safety through an array of digital eyes keener than those of any human driver, Engadget notes that removing the side mirrors from cars would make them more aerodynamic and allow for greater speed and fuel efficiency. Depending on the success of  the new vehicles, other automakers may soon follow Mitsubishi’s lead, speeding up the development of their own mirrorless cars.

Boeing's Prototype Cargo Drone can Haul 500-Pound Loads

As reported by Engadget: In the future, autonomy won't just mean you can relax in the passenger seat on your drive home from work. Driverless vehicles of all kinds are set to revolutionize the cargo industry, too, from delivering a pizza or dropping off an Amazon package, to hauling much larger shipments across continents and the high seas. Naturally, Boeing is one of many companiesinvesting in cargo planes of tomorrow, and is keen to show off some of its early work in the form of a huge octocopter capable of carrying loads of up to 500 pounds (over 250kg). In less than three months, Boeing eggheads built and carried out successful test flights of the all-electric prototype, possibly (but unofficially) breaking a Guinness world record in the process.

The rough-and-ready concoction of metal and batteries measures 15 feet long, 18 feet wide and 4 feet tall, weighing in at 747 pounds (nearly 339kg). In other words, it dwarfs the consumer DJI drone you got for Christmas. Obviously Boeing's prototype is far from a commercial product, but the firm says it'll be used "as a flying test bed to mature the building blocks of autonomous technology for future applications."

Boeing's work in the realm of cargocopters is running alongside that of Aurora Flight Sciences, a company with a particular focus on autonomous drones and planes that Boeing announced it was buying last October. Aurora is working with DARPA to develop some zany vehicles and technologies, as well as with Uber on its flying taxi project. And most recently, Aurora demonstrated how unmanned resupply missions could support troops on the ground using a US Marine UH-1H helicopter retrofitted with autonomous systems.