Joby Aviation says its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft successfully completed a 523-mile test flight, powered by hydrogen.
The only byproduct from the prototype, which has a liquid hydrogen fuel cell and hydrogen-electric propulsion system, was water vapor. The company suggested the test flight points to a future of emissions-free regional aviation in an industry that still relies heavily on fossil fuels. But it would say that.
This is apparently the first liquid hydrogen-powered eVTOL flight. Joby Aviation repurposed its existing battery-powered air taxi, installing a fuel tank that can store up to 40 kilograms of liquid hydrogen to reduce the battery load for the craft.
Joby is set to start commercial operations of its air taxi as soon as 2025.
— Mat Smith
The biggest stories you might have missed
How false nostalgia inspired noplace, a Myspace-like app for Gen Z
PS Plus members can try the Overwatch-like Concord this weekend
Ford revives the Capri after 30 years as a four-door EV
You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!
Say goodbye to Redbox
Yes, it still existed. Thank you.
It’s the end of the line for Redbox and its DVD rental kiosks. Its parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late June but has shifted its filing from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7, which means it intends to liquidate its business altogether. Redbox kiosks, typically in groceries and convenience stores, used to rent out movie DVDs and Blu-ray discs as well as video games.
German Navy to replace its frigate fleet’s outdated floppy disk system
Das Boot disk.
Further back in time, now. The German navy is taking a leaf from Japan’s government and … upgrading its floppy disk drives. The country’s fleet of submarine frigates has operated on old-fashioned 8-inch floppy disks (yeah — the big ones) since they were commissioned back in the 1990s. Replacing the floppy disk system won’t be an easy task. These disks pretty much control everything on the ships from airflow systems to power generation.
The backpack-sized Starlink Mini is now widely available
You can get the Mini with a $150 or a $50 roaming plan.
SpaceX started offering select users its new Starlink dish model, small enough to fit in a backpack, in late June. Despite its easy-to-carry size, the Mini used to require an existing $150 standard service plan — you could only tack on the Mini Roam service for an additional $30 a month. Now, you can get it on its own with a roaming service.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-hydrogen-powered-air-taxi-completes-523-mile-test-111557165.html?src=rss
Go Here to Read this Fast! The Morning After: Hydrogen-powered air taxi completes 523-mile test
Originally appeared here:
The Morning After: Hydrogen-powered air taxi completes 523-mile test