Commercial

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Space Tango plans to place autonomous robotic factory in orbit

David Szondy November 21, 2018

Commercial spaceflight looks set to produce tangible products for use on Earth after Space Tango announced that it is developing an autonomous, robotic orbital platform called ST-42 that will take advantage of the microgravity environment to produce items for various industries.

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Automotive

Volkswagen shows the near future of electric commercial vans

Loz Blain September 19, 2018

​Volkswagen has released a silent flurry of new electrics, including a commercial version of its popular I.D. Buzz electric Kombi van. The I.D. Buzz Cargo concept is a mobile workshop with integrated laptops, level 4 autonomy, automated inventory and a whopping 550-km (342 mi) range.

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Space

Stratolaunch unveils new rocket booster fleet

David Szondy August 20, 2018

Stratolaunch has yet to send its first payload into orbit, but the company announced today that it is developing a new family of air-launched boosters that will enter service in 2020. The four rockets of various sizes will be carried by the world's largest aircraft, the Stratolaunch.

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Space

NASA looks beyond the tipping point with $44 million investment in private space tech

David Szondy August 9, 2018

NASA is giving commercial spaceflight a boost by awarding six American companies ten contracts worth a total of US$44 million to develop what the space agency calls "tipping point" technologies.

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Automotive

Toyota reveals Project Portal Beta fuel cell truck

Aaron Turpen July 31, 2018

Toyota has unveiled its second prototype of the Project Portal hydrogen fuel cell truck. This "Beta," as Toyota refers to it internally, is the second iteration of the truck, adding more range, more room in the cab, and better usability. This is a more commercially-viable truck, Toyota says.

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Automotive

Daimler unveils heavy-duty eCascadia and medium-duty eM2 electric trucks

Aaron Turpen June 7, 2018

Daimler Trucks is establishing a global organization for electric mobility called the E-Mobility Group. To kick that off, the company announced that its division in the US, Freightliner, will be adding two new electric commercial trucks to its offerings: the Freightliner eCascadia and the eM2 106.

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Automotive

Electric Winnebagos are coming, but they won't be road-tripping the American West just yet

C.C. Weiss May 7, 2018

Electric vehicles are becoming practical for more driving tasks, but electric tech has a ways to go before all-electric motorhome touring is common. One of the more famous purveyors of big motorhomes, Winnebago is taking a step in that direction with an all-electric Class A platform.

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Space

Aurora Station, the luxury space hotel slated to open by 2022

Rich Haridy April 8, 2018

Space tourism has been long touted as 'coming soon', but the only opportunity to buy your way into space were rare private trips to the International Space Station with price tags of US$20 million. Now Orion Span has revealed Aurora Station space hotel, promising an ambitious 2022 opening date.

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Space

First in-flight firing of Virgin Galactic spaceplane engine

David Szondy April 5, 2018

Virgin Galactic's tourist-carrying spaceplane has taken a step closer to entering service after its chemical rocket engine was fired for the first time. VSS Unity reached Mach 1.87 (1,424 mph, 2,290 km/h) within 30 seconds of igniting its engine.

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Space

Vodafone and Nokia to set up the first 4G network on the Moon

David Szondy February 27, 2018

Cell coverage on Earth may not be as comprehensive as it could be, but that isn't stopping Vodafone and Nokia from setting up the Moon's first 4G network. The data-streaming network will provide communications support for an unmanned lander/rover mission by PTScientists scheduled to launch in 2019.

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