Google's Self-Driving Tech May Go Into Chrysler Minivans This Year

As reported by Engadget: That rumored deal between Google and Fiat Chrysler for self-driving car technology? It's reportedly happening... if not quite in the way you'd expect. Bloomberg sources claim that the arrangement will put some of Google's autonomous tech into the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan sometime this year. Just how deep this integration would go isn't clear, but it's not believed to be an exclusive arrangement -- either side could cooperate with other partners. If the leak is accurate, the deal could be signed as soon as May 3rd (if you're reading this in time, today).

Once again, the partnership makes more sense than you might think. Google (or rather, Alphabet) already said that it wasn't going to mass-produce its own cars, so it was always going to need help -- this is its first major deal. Fiat Chrysler, meanwhile, has been hoping for a fast track to self-driving technology to help it compete against rivals that have already done a lot of legwork.

And minivans? They could make more sense than you think. While you're unlikely to see truly driverless Chryslers anytime soon, this would show that Google's know-how can improve one of the most mainstream vehicles you can find: a run-of-the-mill (if relatively high-end) family carrier. If Google and Fiat Chrysler succeed there, the technology could easily spread to other models and manufacturers.

SpaceX: Our Falcon Rockets Are More Powerful Than We Thought

As reported by Engadget: If you thought SpaceX was already making a fuss over the capabilities of both its existing Falcon 9 rocket and the upcoming Falcon Heavy, you haven't seen anything yet. The company has posted updated specs showing that both vehicles are more powerful than previously thought. A Falcon 9 is now known to be capable of hauling 50,265lbs to low Earth orbit, up from just shy of 29,000 pounds. The Falcon Heavy, meanwhile, will carry 119,930lbs instead of the previously promised 116,845lbs. Elon Musk chalks up the improved figures to more thorough testing -- SpaceX hasn't upgraded the hardware, at least not yet.

However, the private space firm is also raising expectations across the board. Musk plans to increase the Falcon 9's rated liftoff thrust to 1.71 million (up from 1.3 million), and the Falcon Heavy will now put out 5.1 million pounds on liftoff instead of the earlier 4.5 million. That's twice the thrust of any other rocket in service, the exec claims.



This is all good news for a company that wants to get to Mars in a hurry, but the proof will be in the pudding. After all, SpaceX has pushed back the Falcon Heavy's first launch multiple times (now due for sometime in November). Although development appears to be winding down for that rocket, you'll only know for sure what it and the up-rated Falcon 9 are truly capable of when they leave the launchpad.

Jet-Powered Hoverboard Shatters World Record

As reported by Engadget: When footage of a flying hoverboard first emerged last month, many thought it was fake, because the relatively tiny device appears to be breaking the laws of physics. But the "Flyboard Air" from inventor Franky Zapata is real, spectacular and just set a world record for the longest hoverboard flight of all time. It traveled 2,252 meters or about 7,388 feet, nearly ten times farther than the mark set last year by Catalin Alexandru Duru on a much larger device. The record has already been certified by Guinness, which attended the event.

Frenchman Zapata is the man behind the Flyboard, a watersports device that amounts to a firehose attached to boots. However, the Flyboard Air is completely untethered, and has mind-boggling specs -- it can supposedly fly up to 10,000 feet high and hit 93 miles per hour. Zapata makes it look pretty easy to maneuver, as shown in a test run video (below) made earlier, though he is a jet ski champ with a lot of experience on the original Flyboard. In fact, he says that it would be insane to try the Flyboard Air without at least 50 hours of experience on the water-powered model.

Given the performance, the Flyboard Air makes every jet pack out there obsolete, as it has better range, height, speed and maneuverability. It took Zapata four years to create the device, which runs on four 250-horsepower RC jet engines, according to The Verge. It's powered by Jet A1 kerosene held in a backpack, and engine power is controlled by a hand-held remote. There's no steering wheel, obviously -- the pilot turns by banking and shifting his body weight.

Zapata only flies the device above water, and was forced to deliberately splash down recently after the battery system failed. "It broke all the electronics on the board, so it will cost me money, but the rest of it is fine," he told the The Verge. He adds that the system can run on three of the four jet engines in case one fails, and that the sensors and WiFi control channels have triple redundancy.The company plans more demonstrations and will soon release additional footage. As for commercializing it, Zapata has already been approached by numerous companies, and thinks the Flyboard Air would be useful for government and security forces. He's even working on a more advanced design that would be easier for the general public to use. "If everybody wants a Flyboard Air, we have to work with the government, we have to work with liability, we have to work on a thousand things. But why not?"

Man Builds Working Homemade Hoverbike, Doesn't Die

As reported by The Verge: YouTube sensation and inventor Colin Furze is used to making insane things like retractable wolverine claws, working versions of the hidden blade and rope launcher featured in Assassin's Creed games, and even a homemade Iron Man suit. But this time he decided to do something even crazier and build a hoverbike, and surprisingly, he succeeded and didn't die in the process.

Although it's not getting too far off the ground, Furze's hoverbike does legitimately hover for short periods of time. Furze also made a few behind-the-scenes videos detailing how he built the hoverbike, but you probably shouldn't build one yourself — few things are worse than having your family explain how you "died doing something they saw on YouTube."

Formula E is Getting Electric Trucks From the Creator of Roborace

As reported by Engadget: Electric truck firm Charge will supply Formula E with several electric trucks, it revealed at last weekend's race in Paris. The trucks will help shuttle equipment around the track. Interestingly, the CEO of Charge is also the CEO of Roborace, a forthcoming driverless racing series. (Curiously enough, Denis Sverdlov is also the CEO behind YotaPhone -- but back to the trucks.) 

According to The Verge report, investment firm Kinetik has pumped $500 million dollars into Charge -- a firm also run by Sverdlov. While the trucks use some fuel to extend how far they can run on a single charge, the EVs will help to keep with the spirit behind the scenes of the electric-powered races.

With Sverdlov so heavily involved in several different companies, it seems likely that the Roborace cars could be manufactured at Charge's headquarters in Oxfordshire. At the very least, the two could share some basic technologies. There, the company reportedly has more than 50 automotive and software engineers on staff. It's also conveniently located in what's known as the "Oxford triangle," an area where a number of Formula One team factories are found.

NASA, FAA Complete Most Complex Drone Traffic Management Test to Date

As reported by Tech Times: NASA successfully flew 22 drones during a simultaneous testing at FAA test sites across the country.

The demonstration, which is the first and largest ever launched, is meant to assess NASA's Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) research platform used in rural operations.

"After so much preparation and practice, it was very rewarding to see all test sites have success with weather, platforms and connectivity," said Director of Operations at NUAIR Tony Basile and manager at New York test site."

The three-hour test involved a total of 24 drones, of which 22 were flying simultaneously at one point. NASA's UTM research platform checked for conflicts during the flight, gave approval or rejections to flight plans and delivered notifications on constraints to the users. Likewise, engineers at NASA's Ames Research Center were tasked with operations and system load monitoring as well as qualitative feedback gathering in order to identify capability gaps to further refine the UTM research.

The test also required hours of coordination and logistics to become successful. Weather conditions, such as strong winds and rain forecasts, also became a challenge since drones are not designed to fly in rain or high winds.

Additionally, NASA Ames launched dozens of virtual aircraft within the same airspace, allowing an interesting mix of live flights and virtual flights that can provide more insight to future demonstrations.

"We enjoyed working with the NASA UTM team to explore UAS air traffic management concepts through the UTM research platform," said Richard C. Kelley, chief engineer at the Nevada Advance Autonomous Systems Innovation Center.

Kelley also lauded how the software's performance provided much-needed data and generated open questions that address creating a safe integration of unmanned aircraft into the National Airspace System.

UTM research is still at a nascent stage. The recent testing involved its Technical Capability on the first level, which addressed UAS operations within line-of-site in the rural areas. This includes potentially using the operations for fire fighting, agriculture and power line monitoring.

SpaceX Secures $82 Million Military Contract To Launch GPS Navigation Satellite

As reported by TechTimes: Elon Musk makes history by breaking a military contract monopoly now that SpaceX won one to launch a global positioning system (GPS satellite).

Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) has just received a fixed-price military contract worth $82.7 million for a GPS satellite to be brought to space through Falcon 9 sometime in May 2018. The costs will be used to build the rocket and certification for spaceflight, along with operations launch.

"GPS 3 is the next generation of GPS satellites that will introduce new capabilities to meet the higher demands of both military and civilian users," read the air force's statement.

The satellite will perform a variety of security-related functions including preventing jamming and improving the precision or accuracy of both navy and air force navigations.

However, the awarding is currently overshadowed by what analysts call a break of the virtual monopoly by Lockheed Martin and Boeing, which together have formed United Launch Alliance (ULA).

ULA has basically been the leader of expandable launch systems including bringing national security satellites into space, with $70 billion worth of contracts until 2030. Although SpaceX has been in the aerospace business for about 14 years, it was primarily serving NASA. It was only in May 2015 when the air force certified for national security satellites.

To be fair, ULA didn't try to secure such contact because of accounting system issues, although it could also be because at the time of the bidding, the United States had imposed restrictions on Russian-made engines called RD-180, which are used in some of the ULA's rockets. It's currently unclear whether or not ULA will participate in at least eight more possible launch contracts.

Further, the government intends to conduct a "competitive" selection process to drive down launch costs. The objective fits well with the business model of SpaceX that desires to spend less on space travel and make it more affordable.

"This GPS III Launch Services contract award [also] achieves a balance between mission success [and] meeting operational needs," said Lieutenant General Samuel Greaves, air force space's program executive officer.

SpaceX is also planning to launch the first-ever Red Dragon mission to Mars by 2018 in preparation for possible human colonization in the planet.