Le Monde and Open AI sign partnership agreement on artificial intelligence – Le Monde

As part of its discussions with major players in the field of artificial intelligence, Le Monde has just signed a multi-year agreement with OpenAI, the company known for its ChatGPT tool. This agreement is historic as it is the first signed between a French media organization and a major player in this nascent industry. It covers both the training of artificial intelligence models developed by the American company and answer engine services such as ChatGPT. It will benefit users of this tool by improving its relevance thanks to recent, authoritative content on a wide range of current topics, while explicitly highlighting our news organization's contribution to OpenAI's services.

This is a long-term agreement, designed as a true partnership. Under the terms of the agreement, our teams will be able to draw on OpenAI technologies to develop projects and functionalities using AI. Within the framework of this partnership, and for the duration of the agreement, the two parties will collaborate on a privileged and recurring basis. A dialogue between the teams of both parties will ensure the monitoring of products and technologies developed by OpenAI.

For the general public, the effects of this agreement will be visible on ChatGPT, which can be described, in simple terms, as an answer engine using established facts or comments expressed by a limited number of references. The engine generates the most plausible and predictive synthetic answer to a given question.

The agreement between Le Monde and OpenAI allows the latter to use Le Monde's corpus, for the duration of the agreement, as one of the major references to establish its answers and make them reliable. It provides for references to Le Monde articles to be highlighted and systematically accompanied by a logo, a hyperlink, and the titles of the articles used as references. Content supplied to us by news agencies and photographs published by Le Monde are expressly excluded.

For Le Monde, this agreement is further recognition of the reliability of the work of our editorial teams, often considered a reference. It is also a first step toward protecting our work and our rights, at a time when we are still at the very beginning of the AI revolution, a wave predicted by many observers to be even more imposing than the digital one. We were among the very first signatories in France of the "neighboring rights" agreements, with Facebook and then Google. Here too, we had to ensure that the rights of press publishers applied to the use of Le Monde content referenced in answers generated by the services developed by OpenAI.

This point is crucial to us. We hope this agreement will set a precedent for our industry. With this first signature, it will be more difficult for other AI platforms to evade or refuse to negotiate. From this point of view, we are convinced that the agreement is beneficial for the entire profession.

Lastly, this partnership enables the Socit Editrice du Monde, Le Monde's holding company, to work with OpenAI to explore advances in this technology, anticipating as far as possible any consequences, negative or favorable. It also has the advantage of consolidating our business model by providing a significant source of additional, multi-year revenue, including a share of neighboring rights. An "appropriate and equitable" portion of these rights, as defined by law, will be paid back to the newsroom.

These discussions with AI players, punctuated by this first signature, are born of our belief that, faced with the scale of the transformations that lie ahead, we need, more than ever, to remain mobile in order to avoid the perils that are taking shape and seize the opportunities for development. The dangers have already been widely identified: the plundering or counterfeiting of our content, the industrial and immediate fabrication of false information that flouts all journalistic rules, the re-routing of our audiences towards platforms likely to provide undocumented answers to every question. Simply put, the end of our uniqueness and the disappearance of an economic model based on revenues from paid distribution.

These risks, which are probably fatal for our industry, do not prevent the existence of historic opportunities: putting the computing power of artificial intelligence at the service of journalism, making it easier to work with data in a shorter timeframe as part of large-scale investigations, translating our written content into foreign languages or producing audio versions to expand our readership and disseminate our information and editorial formats to new audiences.

To take the measure of these challenges, we decided to act in steps. The first was devoted to protecting our content and strengthening our procedures. Last year, we first activated an opt-out clause on our sites, following the example of several other media organizations, prohibiting AI platforms from accessing our data to train their generative intelligence models without our agreement. We also collectively discussed and drew up an appendix to our ethics and deontology charter, devoted specifically to the use of AI within our group. In particular, this text states that generative artificial intelligence cannot be used in our publications to produce editorial content ex-nihilo. Nor can it replace the editorial teams that form the core of our business and our value. Our charter does, however, authorize the use of generative AI as a tool to assist editorial production, under strictly defined conditions.

With this in mind, another phase was opened, dedicated to experimenting with artificial intelligence tools in very specific sectors of our business. Using DeepL, we were able to launch our Le Monde in English website and app, whose articles are initially translated by this AI tool, before being re-read by professional translators and then edited and published by a team of English-speaking journalists. At the same time, we signed an agreement with Microsoft to test the audio version of our articles. This feature, now available on almost all our French-language articles published in our app, opens us up to new audiences, often younger, as well as to new uses, particularly for people on the move. The third step is the one that led us to sign the agreement with OpenAI, which we hope will create a dynamic favorable to independent journalism in the new technological landscape that is taking shape.

At each of these stages, Le Monde has remained true to the spirit that has driven it since the advent of the Internet, and during the major changes in our industry: We have sought to reconcile the desire to discover new territories, while taking care to protect our editorial identity and the high standards of our content. In recent years, this approach has paid off. As the first French media organization to rely on digital subscriptions without ever having recourse to online kiosks, we have for several years been able to claim a significant lead in the hierarchy of national general-interest dailies, thanks to an unprecedented number of over 600,000 subscribers. In the same way, our determination to be a pioneer on numerous social media platforms has given us a highly visible place on all of them, helping to rejuvenate our audience.

The agreement with OpenAI is a continuation of this strategy of reasoned innovation. And we continue to guarantee the total independence of our newsroom: It goes without saying that this new agreement, like the previous ones we have signed, will in no way hinder our journalists' freedom to investigate the artificial intelligence sector in general, and OpenAI in particular. In fact, over the coming months, we will be stepping up our reporting and investigative capabilities in this key area of technological innovation.

This is the very first condition of our editorial independence, and therefore of your trust. As we move forward into the new world of artificial intelligence, we have close to our hearts an ambition that goes back to the very first day of our history, whose 80th anniversary we are celebrating this year: deserving your loyalty.

Le Monde

Louis Dreyfus(Chief Executive Officer of Le Monde) and Jrme Fenoglio(Director of Le Monde)

Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.

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Le Monde and Open AI sign partnership agreement on artificial intelligence - Le Monde

Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, Open AI’s Anna Makanju, Senators Mark Warner and Todd Young, and other power players … – The Washington Post

Washington Post Live, The Posts award-winning live journalism platform, is unveiling its speakers for The Futurist Summit: The New Age of Tech, its second recent major convening focused on technology.

An all-star lineup of Post journalists will moderate interviews with influential business leaders and policy-makers about the promise and risks posed by emerging technologies. The event will be held on Thursday, March 21 at The Post Live Center in The Washington Posts D.C. headquarters.

Notable interviews include:

The summit will also feature an interactive session about the challenge of deepfakes led by Post technology columnist Geoffrey Fowler and a drone demonstration during an interview with Skydio CEO Adam Bry by associate editor Jonathan Capehart.

Todays ever-changing technology presents unlimited opportunities to better co-pilot our lives, said Vineet Khosla, Chief Technology Officer for The Washington Post. The conversations at The Posts tech summit will highlight some of these solutions and explore the pressing questions facing the world. Khosla, a founding engineer of Siri, joined The Post in 2023 from Uber where he was responsible for its routing engine. He will kick off the summit with opening remarks.

View the program agenda and the full list of speakers here.

The Washington Posts Futurist Summit is hosted with presenting sponsor Mozilla.

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Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger, Open AI's Anna Makanju, Senators Mark Warner and Todd Young, and other power players ... - The Washington Post

Why is Elon Musk suing Open AI and Sam Altman? In a word: Microsoft. – Morningstar

By Jurica Dujmovic

Potential ramifications extend far beyond the courtroom

In a striking turn of events, Elon Musk, Tesla's (TSLA) CEO, has initiated legal action against OpenAI and its leadership, alleging that the organization he helped found has moved from its original altruistic mission toward a profit-driven approach, particularly after partnering with Microsoft (MSFT).

The lawsuit accentuates Musk's deep-seated concerns that OpenAI has deviated from its foundational manifesto of developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) for the betterment of humanity, choosing instead to prioritize financial gains. But is that really so, or is there something else at hand?

Musk was deeply involved with OpenAI since its inception in 2015, as his concerns about AI's potential risks and the vision to advance AI in a way that benefits humanity aligned with OpenAI's original ethos as a non-profit organization.

In 2018, however, Musk became disillusioned with OpenAI because, in his view, it no longer operated as a nonprofit and was building technology that took sides in political and social debates. The recent OpenAI drama that culminated with a series of significant changes in OpenAI's structure and ethos, as well as a what can only be seen as Microsoft's power grab, seems to have sparked Musk's discontent.

To understand his reasoning, it helps to remember that Microsoft is a company with a long history of litigation. Over the years, Microsoft has faced numerous high-profile legal battles related to its market practices.

Here are some prominent cases to illustrate the issue:

-- In the United States v. Microsoft Corp. case, which began in 1998, the U.S. Department of Justice accused Microsoft of holding a monopolistic position in the PC operating-systems market and taking actions to crush threats to that monopoly. In April 2000, the case resulted in a verdict that Microsoft had engaged in monopolization and attempted monopolization in violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

-- In Europe, Microsoft has faced significant fines for abusing its dominant market position. In 2004, the European Commission fined Microsoft 497.2 million euros, the largest sum it had ever imposed on a single company at the time??. In 2008, Microsoft was fined an additional 899 million euros for failing to comply with the 2004 antitrust order.

-- In 2013, the European Commission levied a 561 million euro fine against Microsoft for failing to comply with a 2009 settlement agreement to offer Windows users a choice of internet browsers instead of defaulting to Internet Explorer.

In light of these past litigations, it's much easier to understand why OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman's brief departure from the company and subsequent return late last year - which culminated in a significant shift in the organization's governance and its relationship with Microsoft - was the straw that likely broke Musk's back.

After Altman was reinstated, Microsoft solidified its influence over OpenAI by securing a permanent position on its board. Furthermore, the restructuring of OpenAI's board to include business-oriented members, rather than AI experts or ethicists, signaled a permanent shift in the organization's priorities and marked a pivotal turn toward a profit-driven model underpinned by corporate governance.

The consequences of this power grab are plain to see: Microsoft is already implementing various AI models designed by the company in its various products while none of the code is being released to the public. These models also include a specific political and ideological bias that makes them problematic from an ethical point of view. This too, is an issue that cannot be addressed due to the closed-source nature of AI models generated and shaped under the watchful eye of Microsoft.

Musk's own ventures, like xAI and Neuralink, suggest he's still deeply invested in the AI space, albeit in a way he has more control over, presumably to ensure that the technology develops according to his vision for the future of humanity.

On the other hand, proponents of Microsoft's partnership with OpenAI emphasize strategic and mutually-beneficial aspects. Microsoft's $1 billion investment in OpenAI is viewed as a significant step in advancing artificial-intelligence technology as it allows OpenAI to utilize Microsoft's Azure cloud services to train and run its AI software. Additionally, the collaboration is positioned as a way for Microsoft to stay competitive against other tech giants by integrating AI into its cloud services and developing more sophisticated AI models????.

Proponents say Microsoft's involvement with OpenAI is a strategic business decision aimed at promoting Azure's AI capabilities and securing a leading position in the industry. The partnership is framed as a move to democratize AI technology while ensuring AI safety, which aligns with broader industry goals of responsible and ethical AI development. It is also seen as a way for OpenAI to access necessary resources and expertise to further its research, emphasizing the collaborative nature of the partnership rather than a mere financial transaction??.

Hard truths and consequences

While many point out that Musk winning the case is extremely unlikely, it's still worth looking into potential consequences. Such a verdict could mandate that OpenAI returns to a non-profit status or open-source its technology, significantly impacting its business model, revenue generation and future collaborations. It could also affect Microsoft's investment in OpenAI, particularly if the court determines that the latter has strayed from its founding mission, influencing the tech giant's ability to protect its investment and realize expected returns.

The lawsuit's outcome might influence public and market perceptions of OpenAI and Microsoft, possibly affecting customer trust and market share, with Musk potentially seen as an advocate for ethical AI development. Additionally, the case could drive the direction of AI development, balancing between open-source and proprietary models, and possibly accelerating innovation while raising concerns about controlling and misusing advanced AI technologies.

The scrutiny from this lawsuit might lead to more cautious approaches in contractual relationships within the tech sector, focusing on partnerships and intellectual property. Furthermore, the case could draw regulatory attention, possibly leading to increased oversight or regulation of AI companies, particularly concerning transparency, data privacy and ethical considerations in AI development. While Musk's quest might seem like a longshot to some legal experts, the potential ramifications of this lawsuit extend far beyond the courtroom.

More: Here's what an AI chatbot thinks of Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman

Also read: Microsoft hasn't been worth this much more than Apple since 2003

-Jurica Dujmovic

This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

03-09-24 1003ET

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Why is Elon Musk suing Open AI and Sam Altman? In a word: Microsoft. - Morningstar

Quertaro to host the Aerospace Innovation and Entrepreneurship Congress – MEXICONOW

QUERETARO - The Aeronautical University of Queretaro (UNAQ) is organizing the First Aerospace Innovation and Entrepreneurship Congress (INNAE).

This event will bring together scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs and industry leaders with the objective of exploring the frontiers of knowledge and creating strategic alliances that will drive the advancement of aeronautics and space exploration.

Likewise, the first edition of the INNAE Congress is an opportunity for interaction and exchange of knowledge between different profiles in the aerospace field.

It is worth mentioning that participants will be able to contribute with academic articles, research posters or innovative projects in different thematic areas.

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Quertaro to host the Aerospace Innovation and Entrepreneurship Congress - MEXICONOW

3DEO partners with IHI Aerospace for AM in Japan’s aerospace sector – Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine

The partnership aims to integrate the advanced capabilities of Additive Manufacturing with the precision and tradition of Japans aerospace manufacturing sector (Courtesy 3DEO)

3DEO, headquartered in Los Angeles, California, USA, has announced a strategic partnership and investment with IHI Aerospace Co., Ltd. (IA), based in Koutou-ku, Japan. This multi-faceted, multi-phase deal is designed to enhance the adoption and application of Additive Manufacturing technologies within IA. It integrates advanced AM capabilities with the precision and tradition of Japans aerospace manufacturing sector.

We are deeply honoured to partner with IA, a company that shares our vision for the future of aerospace manufacturing, Matt Petros, CEO and Co-founder of 3DEO, commented. This partnership underscores the incredible progress and potential of Additive Manufacturing, especially when coupled with a highly collaborative design for additive approach.

By leveraging 3DEOs patented technology, its Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) knowledge and IAs engineering expertise, the partners expect to make a lasting impact on the aerospace industry, enhancing capabilities and setting heightened standards for manufacturing.

Payman Torabi, CTO and Co-founder of 3DEO, added, Working alongside IA presents an exceptional opportunity to apply our Additive Manufacturing technologies to the aerospace sector. Its a collaboration that stands to reduce time-to-market and drive innovation.

The announcement follows 3DEOs recent strategic investment from the Development Bank of Japan and Seiko Epson Corporation.

http://www.3deo.co

http://www.ihi.co.jp

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3DEO partners with IHI Aerospace for AM in Japan's aerospace sector - Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine

Jen Uchida (AeroEngr BS’05, MS’05) | Ann and H.J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences – University of Colorado Boulder

Jen Uchida graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2005 with a bachelors and masters degree in aerospace engineering sciences. Following graduation, she accepted a position with the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) as a civilian flight test engineer for the Marine Corps in Patuxent River, MD. There she supported the experimental flight testing of the V-22 Osprey, deploying several new and lifesaving capabilities to the fleet and logging over 100 flight hours of crew time.

Uchida is a graduate of the US Naval Test Pilot School, Class 140.In 2012, she applied to NASAs astronaut program and was one of the top 50 candidates for selection in 2013.

Following her time with NAVAIR, she spent a winter in Big Sky, MT as a ski instructor before heading to Gulfstream Aerospace to help lead the experimental test efforts for FAA type certification on the new G500 and G600 programs. Uchida moved to Seattle in 2020 to be the Manager of Test and Evaluation at AeroTEC where she directedthe work of Flight Test Engineers, Test Pilots, Flight Test Instrumentation Engineers and Software Engineers on various customer projects.

Uchida is now the Senior Test Program Manager for Product Development at Boeing Test and Evaluation. She is responsible for leading the planning and execution for all BCA Product Development test work statements for Lab and Flight Test.

Uchida is the founding president of the Coastal Empire chapter of the Society of Flight Test Engineers. She has also served as Vice President on its international board and in 2022 she was elected President. In addition to the volunteer work she does for SFTE, Uchida is also an executive mentor for the Brooke Owens Fellowship and serves on the External Advisory Board for CU Boulder's Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences.

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Jen Uchida (AeroEngr BS'05, MS'05) | Ann and H.J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences - University of Colorado Boulder

Perquimans wins going away against Northeast Academy For Aerospace and Advanced Tech – MaxPreps

The Perquimans Pirates entered their tilt with the Northeast Academy For Aerospace and Advanced Tech Griffins with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Perquimans blew past Northeast Academy For Aerospace and Advanced Tech 5-1. Tyler Sweitzer was a massive factor in the win, as she booted in three goals all by herself.

Perquimans' victory bumped their record up to 3-1. As for Northeast Academy For Aerospace and Advanced Tech, they now have a losing record at 1-2.

Perquimans didn't take long to hit the pitch again: they've already played their next contest, a 3-1 win vs. Lawrence Academy on the 14th. Northeast Academy For Aerospace and Advanced Tech will be staying on the road on Thursday to face off against Camden County at 5:00 p.m. on March 21st.

Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps

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Perquimans wins going away against Northeast Academy For Aerospace and Advanced Tech - MaxPreps

‘Digital twins’ project will help clean up space junk, repair and decommission spacecrafts – University of California

Imagine Earth from space: a blue marble, a pristine orb that is our one and only home. But like many other places on the planet itself, this view is littered with the evidence of humans: in the earths orbit floats more than 30,000 individual pieces of space debris larger than 10 cm, according to a 2023 report from the European Space Agency.

A new project led by Ricardo Sanfelice, UC Santa Cruz Professor and Department Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering, will develop technology for better spacecraft that use complex robotics to clean up space debris, as well as repair, refuel and decommission other spacecraft. A research team will create highly detailed digital twin models of spacecraft that can carry out these complex tasks in space and develop next-generation control algorithms to manipulate those models, enabling experimentation without the costs of testing on the physical system.

Sanfelice and his research team have been awarded $2.5 million from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Space University Research Initiative (SURI) for this three-year project. Co-principal investigators include UC Santa Cruz Professor of Applied Mathematics Daniele Venturi, UT Austin Professor of Aerospace Engineering Karen Wilcox, and University of Michigan Professor of Aerospace Engineering Ilya Kolmanovsk; and the team will collaborate with government and industry partners including the Air Force Research Lab Space Vehicles Directorate, The University of Arizona, Raytheon Technologies, Trusted Space, Inc., and Orbital Outpost X.

A digital twin is a computer model of a physical system, designed to perfectly mimic the properties of the real-world object, including all of the instruments, computers, sensors, surrounding environment, and anything else the system might include. Digital twins enable researchers to conduct experiments and run analysis in the digital world, testing what concepts might work in the real world to determine if they are worth building and manufacturing.

Unlike more traditional simulations, digital twins often incorporate machine learning that allows the system to improve itself through experimentations, providing valuable iteration to build a more accurate and detailed system.

Digital twins can be useful in a range of engineering disciplines, but are particularly relevant for aerospace engineering where the costs associated with building the real systems are so high.

You can accelerate your production, you can reduce time and costs and risk of spacecraft design because spacecraft technology is very expensive and requires a lot of certification and regulation before they can go into space, Sanfelice said. Rather than performing those experiments which take a lot of time in the real world, with a digital twin you can do conceptual analysis and initial validation in the computer environment. This same logic extends to other complex and costly systems its all about scale and reduction of production time, cost, and risk while maintaining system performance and safety.

Digital twins are also especially useful for aerospace engineering because they allow engineers to test complex scenarios and so-called corner cases, situations where multiple parameters are at their extreme, within the realm of the computer. Highly complex and extreme situations are more likely to occur in the harsh conditions of space, and cant be fully replicated for experimentation back on Earth.

The models will enable the researchers to deeply examine what is necessary to carry out the highly complex tasks of clearing up space debris and using a spacecraft to refuel, repair, or demission other spacecraft. Such tasks could include a situation where a robotic arm on one spacecraft is trained to grab another spacecraft that is malfunctioning and tumbling through space, potentially damaging one or both of the systems. The researchers need to teach the computers to handle the tumbling and steering, developing optimization-based techniques to quickly compute and solve unexpected problems as they arise while also allowing for possible human intervention.

Sanfelice and his Hybrid Systems Lab will focus on developing the control algorithms that allow for experimentation on the spacecraft digital twins. The digital twin models need to be so complex to fully encapsulate the physics and computing variables of the real-world systems they represent, and this in turn requires new methods to control the models that go beyond the current state-of-the-art.

I have this massive detailed model of my system, it keeps updating as the system evolves and I run experiments can I write an algorithm that makes the digital twin do what I want it to do, and as a consequence hopefully the real physical system will do the same? Sanfelice said.

Sanfelices work will center around developing model predictive control algorithms, a type of optimization-based control scheme, to control the digital twins, of which Wilcox will lead the creation. Sanfelices lab develops robotic manipulators for grasping and other tasks performed by robotics, which require hybrid control schemes to enable the robotic fingers to be able to transition between conditions of contact and no contact with the object they are manipulating.

While the model predictive control techniques they develop for this project will be highly relevant to aerospace applications, Sanfelice believes there is an opportunity to expand to other complex application areas and develop more advanced basic science for digital twins and their control.

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'Digital twins' project will help clean up space junk, repair and decommission spacecrafts - University of California

Dave Murrow (AeroEngr BS’84) | Ann and H.J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences – University of Colorado Boulder

Dave Murrow retired in 2023, capping a 36-year career serving the space exploration community. In retirement, he sits on NASAs Planetary Science Advisory committee, works with the Colorado state economic development office, and has established a consulting business, Space Connections.

Murrows most recent professional role was as the leader of Lockheed Martins Deep Space Exploration Business Development team. He worked with executives, communicators, and program execution teams to develop a multi-mission, 7-year backlog in the DSE market segment. He served in similar roles for the Lockheed Martin Human Spaceflight Advanced Programs team and for the Ball Aerospace Space Science and Exploration team.

At Lockheed Martin, he worked towards an expansive vision of exploration by designing human missions to the Moon, Mars, and asteroids. At Ball, he expanded the companys NASA footprint through pursuit of NASA science, technology, and human exploration missions.

Murrow joined industry after 13 years with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he began as an orbit determination analyst for the Galileo mission to Jupiter and served as the Cassini Mission Systems Engineer. Beckoned by Mars, he participated in the contract award, flight system development of the twin Mars '98 spacecraft. Adding the Stardust mission to Mars Climate Orbiter and Mars Polar lander, he managed the successful 3-peat launch campaign between December 1998 and February 1999.

His JPL role followed aerospace engineering degrees at the University of Texas at Austin (MS 87), and the University of Colorado Boulder (BS 84, Honors). In Austin, he worked at the Universitys Center for Space Research, supporting high precision Earth gravity field development for the Topex mission. In 2003, Murrow inaugurated a graduate semester class in Interplanetary Mission Design in CU Boulder Aerospace. Over the last decade, he has also lectured on Launch Vehicles for CU Boulders unique Space Minor program.

A native of Boulder, Colorado, Dave now lives in Highlands Ranch with his wife, and has two grown daughters. He spends his free time traveling, reading, skiing, and hiking in the mountains.

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Dave Murrow (AeroEngr BS'84) | Ann and H.J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences - University of Colorado Boulder

GE Aerospace to invest $22M locally as part of increased production goals – Port City Daily

General Electric Aerospace will make a $22 million investment to its Wilmington facility. (Port City Daily/File)

WILMINGTON General Electric Aerospace will make a $650 million investment in its manufacturing facilities and supply chain in 2024, with multi-millions coming to its local facility on Castle Hayne Road.

READ MORE: A big damn announcement: GE Hitachi to expand staff by 500, add joint-venture fuel plant

The money will fund increased production to support its commercial and defense customers. A spokesperson for GE Aerospace said its to help ramp up demand after the pandemic for customers looking for new, efficient engineswith greater range and capabilities.

GE Aerospace works toward modernizing jet and turboprop engines and other sustainable systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. This includes LEAP engine production, production preparation for the GE9X, and supporting U.S. military and its allies.

Roughly $400 million in the investment strategy will be put toward new machines, inspection equipment, building upgrades, and new test cells and safety enhancements at 22 of its facilities in 14 states.

The $22 million infused into Wilmington will be for machines and specialized tooling to increase capacity. It also will help with facility updates.

These investments allow us to build on the strong 40-year history we have here in Wilmington to meet our customers needs and ensure a bright future for GE Aerospace as we become an independent company, Jackson Autry, site leader for GE Aerospace Wilmington, said in a press release.

GE announced three years ago it would split into three companies, to center on aerospace, healthcare and energy. The aerospace division is to be finalized this spring.

In addition to aerospace, in Wilmington GE has fuel manufacturing and training facilities. The county and city approved incentives for its energy sector in 2022, signing off on $1.9 million, with the county forking over $1.25 million and the city contributing $250,000, to be paid over five years. The money was to be used for hiring staff for the rollout of GE Hitachis small nuclear reactor and building a new facility to produce fuel for a different reactor.

GE Aerospace is investing $46 million overall in North Carolina, with $11 million to go to Asheville, $7 million in Durham and $5 million in West Jefferson.

Alabama, Massachusetts, and Ohio are also cumulatively set to receive more than $200 million. Internationally, the company is investing another $100 million at facilities in in North America, India and Europe.

An additional $100 million will go to supplier partners based in the United States that make castings and forgings and early-stage parts for commercial and military engines.

In addition to investments, GE Aerospace is hiring more than 1,000 employees for external positions at its U.S. factories. Locally, its looking to hire 20 more people, with the facilitys job openings here.

These investments are part of the next chapter for GE Aerospace, supporting cutting-edge equipment and safety enhancements that will help us meet our customers growing needs, chairman and CEO, H. Lawrence Culp Jr. wrote in a press release.

Tips or comments? Emailinfo@localdailymedia.com.

Want to read more from PCD? Subscribenowand then sign up for our morning newsletter,Wilmington Wire, and get the headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.

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GE Aerospace to invest $22M locally as part of increased production goals - Port City Daily

Airbus launches OpenCargoLab to improve airfreight – Aerospace Testing International

Airbus has launched the OpenCargoLab consortium with airlines and cargo carriers to digitalize and improve airfreight processes.

The collaboration aims to improve efficiencies across the whole airfreight ecosystem and involves CHAMP Cargosystems, Fraport, KLM Cargo, Kuehne+Nagel and Swissport.

OpenCargoLab will evaluate technology such as augmented reality and robotics to optimize data connectivity in general and, for example, the transport of dangerous goods in particular.

It will also contribute to the A350Fs further design and application development.

The findings developed at the OpenCargoLab, will be tested at Airbus Cargo competence site in Bremen, Germany. Among others, a replica of the A350F fuselage with the large cargo door included will be installed at the sites new Cargo Test Center by the end of this year.

Marvin Ehrmann, Head of Airbus OpenCargoLab said, With OpenCargoLab we benefit from a holistic think tank for the dynamically growing cargo market and thus an agile environment for developing innovations connecting the airfreight market of today and tomorrow.

We are very excited to have established a thought leadership platform where experienced partners can drive the airfreight sector to become even more efficient, sustainable and connected.

According to Airbus the global freight market is expected to grow 50% by 2042. In Asia-Pacific, the regions continued rapid economic growth means this market remains highly promising for modern airfreight business with digital hubs. Airbus anticipates demand for around 400 widebody freighters, including new builds and conversions, in Asia-Pacific over the next 20 years. This represents more than 25% of global demand for 1,490 cargo aircraft in the above 40 tonne segment.

Airbus has 50 orders from nine customers for the A350F.

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Airbus launches OpenCargoLab to improve airfreight - Aerospace Testing International

Maryland: Building on an Aerospace Legacy: Maryland companies navigate the commercial space race. – Site Selection Magazine

A

n incubator of aerospace and aviation engineering going back nearly a century, the Lockheed Martin plant at Little River, Maryland, has a storied history. It was there that the Glenn L. Martin Companys developed the B-26, a medium-range bomber that flew more than 100,000 sorties during World War II. Parts of Gemini and Apollo spacecraft came out of the plant decades later. Shuttered last year as part of a corporate re-organization, the cavernous facility in fairly short order has received a new lease on life.

Literally. Rocket Lab, an agile player in the evolving commercial space game, agreed in November to rent and refurbish 113,000 sq. ft. from Lockheed Martin for a Space Structures Complex. To assist with project costs, the Maryland Department of Commerce is providing a $1.56 million repayable loan through its Advantage Maryland program. Slotted to create 65 new jobs, its a project the state government seemed eager to get.

With our states close proximity to several federal and defense agencies, combined with Marylands abundance of talented tech and engineering workers, said Commerce Secretary Kevin Anderson in a statement, this facility is sure to bring much success to both Rocket Lab and Marylands innovative space industry.

Founded in New Zealand in 2003 and headquartered now in Long Beach, California, Rocket Lab is what founder and CEO Peter Beck calls a one-stop space shop. It provides satellite design and manufacturing for both the U.S. government and private clients and launch services to customers that include NASA, the U.S. Space Force and the National Reconnaissance Office. Rocket Lab technology went into the James Webb Telescope, developed in part at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, just northwest of Washington, D.C.

Most aerospace companies, youre either a satellite guy or youre a rocket guy, Beck tells Site Selection. Were both, he says. So, when a customer comes to us, we can build a satellite, then we can launch the satellite and we can even operate the satellite with them.

Among recent, high-profile projects, a Rocket Lab Electron rocket sent NASAs CAPSTONE CubeSat on a path toward the moon from the companys Launch Pad 1 in New Zealand. CAPSTONE has settled into a pioneering lunar orbit, the same orbit planned for Gateway, a small space station from which NASA plans to return humans to the Moon.

We operated the spacecraft, says Beck, until it was time to turn it over to NASA.

Rocket Labs Middle River facility is to focus on composites and composite structures Were the only company, says Beck, thats building fully carbon composite launch vehicles with an eye toward building ever larger rockets.

For us to be able to pick up a facility of this size, one with large, open spaces and a hugely thick foundation, is incredibly rare, Beck says of the Lockheed Martin complex.

The facility offers other advantages, as well. Barge access will allow Rocket Lab to float spacecraft and rockets down Chesapeake Bay to its installation at NASAs Wallops Flight Facility at Wallops Island, Virginia. Wallops, says Beck, will be the exclusive launch platform for the companys Neutron rocket, now in development.

Having manufacturing capability so near the launch site is super, super helpful, he says.

The Space Structures Complex will expand Rocket Labs existing footprint in Maryland, where the company already operates a manufacturing facility for satellite separation systems and CubeSat dispensers in Silver Spring. Its experience in Maryland, Beck believes, bodes well for Rocket Labs expansion there.

Theres a deep aerospace community with lots of experience. Theres also a really deep composites industry. You can have a great building, but youre going to need to fill it with the best people to be successful, and what weve seen is a culture of getting stuff done that really aligns with our companys core values.

Were super lucky, Beck believes, because not just in Maryland but down the road at Wallops Island weve always been greeted with warmth and, quite frankly, excitement. Theyve really rolled out the red carpet, and its been a great experience for us.

Genesis: Beyond the Logo

Like Rocket Labs, Genesis Engineering has its fingers in numerous pies, opportunities being what they are in the new Wild West of space travel. Unlike Rocket Labs, Genesis is Maryland-born and bred. And Genesis, let it be known, engineered a singular coup in the history of product placement.

The Genesis logo, attached to Space Shuttle Discovery

Photo courtesy of Genesis Engineering

As astronaut Mike Massimino dangled outside Space Shuttle Discovery during a 2009 spacewalk, a NASA camera swung around to capture what looked like a bumper sticker. Blue letters on a white background, it read Genesis Engineering. Today, that memento hangs on a wall at a Genesis conference room at the companys headquarters in Lanham, near NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center.

That was the last time they allowed a contractor to fly their logo, says Robert Rashford, Genesis founder and CEO. We got free advertising for two days in space. Then they said, No more of that.

Rashford himself is an interesting story. The native of Kingson, Jamaica, emigrated to the U.S. in 1978, earning a degree in mechanical engineering from Temple University. After landing his first aerospace job with the space division of RCA in New Jersey, he moved to Maryland for a position with Fairchild Space and Defense, where he says he learned to build tools employed by spacewalking astronauts. Banking that experience, Rashford struck out on his own. He founded Genesis in 1993, seeding the new companys bank account with $350.

Today, Genesis employs about 200 people spread across four buildings in Lanham. The work that earned it that bumper sticker included supplying NASA with tools and tool lockers for stowing all manner of space gear packed to exacting specifications.

We also wrote scripts for the astronauts on the cadence of the spacewalk. That was our bread and butter for several years. Then, we designed and built hardware for the James Webb Telescope.

Having manufacturing capability so near the launch site is super, super helpful.

Peter Beck, Founder & CEO, Rocket Labs

The granular knowledge Genesis gathered from supporting shuttle spacewalks inspired one of the companys most ambitious projects to date. Who knew that spacesuits designed for EVAs (Extravehicular Activities), are essentially one-size-fits all? Ill-fitting suits, says Rashford, can cause skin abrasions and joint problems. Heating and cooling systems can leak water, cutting spacewalks short. The Genesis Single Person Spacecraft, (SPS) designed with the International Space Station, NASAs Gateway program and space tourism in mind, is a self-propelled module that a spacewalker would board to operate outside the mothership sans spacesuit and without the lengthy hours of pre-breathing required to prevent getting the outer space version of the bends.

You can eliminate all of that, says Rashford, because the pressure inside the vehicle is the same as inside the spacecraft.

Orbital Reef, conceived as a space-based business park, is a potential partner for SPS, although Rashford suggests that project led by Blue Origin is being slow-walked due to other Blue Origin priorities. Genesis, says Rashford, is looking for an investor to see SPS to the finish line.

In the meantime, Genesis is developing its first CubeSat, a miniaturized satellite for space research, creating a propulsion system for a private customer and bidding on a billion-dollar contract with Goddard to produce mass spectrometers for space applications.

We feel the time is right to do it, Rashford says. We have the staff, the confidence, the know-how and the partnerships. We think we stand a good chance of winning that contract because of what we have to offer.

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Maryland: Building on an Aerospace Legacy: Maryland companies navigate the commercial space race. - Site Selection Magazine

GE Aerospace announced $107M in manufacturing investments – The Cincinnati Enquirer

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GE Aerospace announced $107M in manufacturing investments - The Cincinnati Enquirer

Stratasys to test 3D printed material on Moon – Aerospace Manufacturing

Stratasys has announced that it will provide 3D printed materials for an upcoming lunar mission to test their performance on the surface of the Moon.

The experiments are part of Aegis Aerospace, Inc.s first Space Science & Technology Evaluation Facility mission (SSTEF-1). SSTEF is a commercial space testing service, developed by Aegis Aerospace in Houston, Texas under NASAs Tipping Point programme, to provide R&D services on the lunar surface. The SSTEF-1 project focuses on technology development for space infrastructure and capabilities for the Moon and near-earth space. The Stratasys experiments are sponsored by Northrop Grumman Corporation.

In this Moon mission, Stratasys will provide 3D printed samples that will be brought to the lunar surface by an unmanned lander in a carrier structure 3D printed by Stratasys. Three materials will be the focus of two different experiments led by Northrop Grumman.

The first experiment assesses the performance of a sample coupon part made with Stratasys Antero 800NA FDM filament filled with tungsten. Antero 800NA is a high-performance PEKK-based thermoplastic with excellent mechanical properties, chemical resistance, and low outgassing characteristics. Adding tungsten is intended to provide shielding against harmful radiation such as gamma rays or x-rays.

The second passive experiment is designed to see how 3D printed materials perform in space. It will include Antero 840CN03 FDM filament, which features ESD properties for use with electronics and was used on the Orion spacecraft. The experiment will also include a new ESD photopolymer manufactured by Stratasys partner Henkel for use with Stratasys Origin One 3D printers and designed for high-heat environments. This experiment will subject coupon samples of the 3D printed materials to Moon dust, low pressure that can lead to outgassing, and the rapid temperature swings that result from virtually no atmosphere on the Moon.

Additive manufacturing is an important technology for space missions where every ounce of weight matters and high performance is essential, said chief industrial business officer, Rich Garrity. This set of experiments will help us understand how to fully leverage 3D printing to keep people and equipment safe as we travel to the Moon and beyond.

Parts will be brought to the lunar surface by an unmanned lander in a Stratasys 3D printed carrier structure made from ULTEM 9085 thermoplastic, which is a material also commonly used in commercial aircraft interiors.

Stratasys is a leader in the global shift to additive manufacturing with innovative 3D printing solutions for industries such as aerospace, automotive, consumer products and healthcare. Through smart and connected 3D printers, polymer materials, a software ecosystem, and parts on demand, Stratasys solutions deliver competitive advantages at every stage in the product value chain. The worlds leading organisations turn to Stratasys to transform product design, bring agility to manufacturing and supply chains, and improve patient care.

http://www.stratasys.com

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Stratasys to test 3D printed material on Moon - Aerospace Manufacturing

GE Aerospace to invest $5.9 million in Lafayette production facilities – Journal & Courier

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GE Aerospace to invest $5.9 million in Lafayette production facilities - Journal & Courier

An automated solution for the aerospace industry – Engineer Live

Evaluating a complete automated solution for composite handling, assembly and inspection.

Composites have long been leveraged for aerospace applications to help with lightweighting, reinforcement and new part designs. Naturally, the demand for wholly automated solutions for composite handling, assembly and inspection has become a key focus for the industry, as it promises to lower the cost and speed up the process of aircraft manufacturing.

One company operating at the forefront of this area is Loop Technology, whose innovative composite automation and layup technologies, inspection and kitting systems are leveraged by multiple global aerospace manufacturers across the globe. Using a combination of precision gantry, robotics, vision and automation, Loops products are supporting several large-scale projects demanding tight tolerances and fast assembly times.

Ian Redman, Project Director at Loop Technology, discussed recent advances in high-rate composite deposition at Advanced Engineering last November. He explains: We all know the benefits of composites, the challenge is actually getting these composite parts at the volume we require. So, yes we can make composite parts, but without advanced automation we are never going to achieve the quality, repeatability and rate that is required. Loop Technology has developed a range of technologies to level that challenge, and we have been working for a decade in this area on various R&D projects with industrial partners. Were now at a really exciting point where the maturity of these technological solutions is ready to deliver on the demands of todays projects.

Loops composite products are modular, allowing the company to deliver a system tuned to the individual needs of a particular project or manufacturer. The company can design bespoke systems for preforming structures both large and small, such as wing skins, fan blades or small box structures. The system gantry or robotic configurations can be itemised depending on factory size and layup preference, from full gantry systems and dual robot fiberoll layouts to small deposition cell and track gantry configurations.

The risks involved in composite handling are significant, as damage or deformation of plies in any handling process cannot be tolerated in flight and safety critical aerospace engineering applications. To protect against this, Loop offers bespoke composite gripper designs that simultaneously improve manufacturing cell throughput and maintain industry quality standards. On the inspection side of things, Loop has developed systems to meet stringent quality standards capable of in-process monitoring and positional correction during composite layup.

When optimal ply utilisation is a priority, Loop can design, manufacture and install fully integrated composite kitting systems. These systems offer a comprehensive automated composite ply handling and management solution starting from automated carbon fibre ply feeding to a cutting table, through to the fully kitted stage where composite plies can be presented in prescribed order for immediate assembly.

Another part of Loops automated composites handling solution is trimming it can deliver high-precision ultrasonic cutting of composite materials, from tacks of dry fibre to 3D preforms. By combining the power of CAD and CAM software with the flexibility of six-axis robots, Loop can offer bespoke part trimming while also integrating various auxiliary processes that may be required, such as torque monitoring and particulate extraction.

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An automated solution for the aerospace industry - Engineer Live

GE Aerospace in Huntsville to receive $16.8M for upgrades – WZDX

$650 million total will be invested in manufacturing facilities and supply chains to increase production and quality for customers.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. GE Aerospace has plans to invest $650 million in its manufacturing facilities and supply chain this year. This move aims to ramp up production and enhance quality to better serve its commercial and defense customers. Of the $650 million investment, the Huntsville location is set to receive a significant boost. With an allocation of $16.8 million, the site will see upgrades in machinery for the production of narrowbody and widebody aircraft engines, as well as investments in quality testing equipment and facility enhancements.

As GE Aerospace prepares to become a standalone company this spring, we are making significant investments in the future of flight and in the dozens of communities and supplier partners helping us build it, said H. Lawrence Culp, Jr., Chairman and CEO of GE and CEO of GE Aerospace. These investments are part of the next chapter for GE Aerospace, supporting cutting-edge equipment and safety enhancements that will help us meet our customers growing needs.

Another Alabama site is set for upgrades with the investment. The Auburn facility will also get enhancements in manufacturing technology. This $54 million investment will introduce additional 3D printing machines and tooling to augment the production of military rotorcraft engine components, as well as engines for narrowbody and widebody commercial aircraft. It is expected to not only improve production but also create job opportunities.

This is an investment in the future of manufacturing, ensuring we can continue producing high-quality, cutting-edge engines and services while meeting customer demand,said Mike Kauffman, GE Aerospace Supply Chain Vice President.

The funds being sent to Huntsville is part of a larger investment plan that includes a plan for new machines, inspection equipment, building upgrades, and safety enhancements across GE Aerospace facilities nationwide.

"Materials changing the future of aviation start right here. GE Aerospace is investing significantly in Huntsville to produce more critical materials used in commercial and military engines and to build a strong future as we become a independent company," said Stephen French, site leader for GE Aerospace Huntsville.

In addition to these investments, GE Aerospace is actively recruiting over 1,000 employees for open positions at its U.S. factories.

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GE Aerospace in Huntsville to receive $16.8M for upgrades - WZDX

Calgary to further develop Aerospace Innovation Hub – Cities Today

13 March 2024

by Jonathan Andrews

A C$3.9 million investment will enable aerospace innovators to gain access to funding, business support and the ability to validate their technologies in real-world settings at Canadas Aerospace Innovation Hub (AIH) in Calgary.

The funding comes fromOpportunity Calgary Investment Fund, managed by Innovate Calgary, and the participation of industry partners WestJet, the Calgary Airport Authority and Chapter.ai Ventures.

The [hub] represents a significant opportunity not only for our airport but also for our region, Megan Gupton (pictured above), Chief Information Officer for the Calgary Airport Authority, told Cities Today. Innovation is crucial for the aviation sector, and by fostering innovators in the aerospace industry, directly in our terminal, we anticipate substantial benefits for our airport, and broader ecosystem.

Between 2024 and 2028, the AIH is expected to support incubator programming for up to 180 companies and create 150 net new skilled, indirect jobs. As part of this, the AIH will directly fund six companies through the accelerator programme aimed at upskilling and attracting talent to the province. Through the provision of resources available from OCIF funding, the hub is expected to generateC$1.5 millionof research and development and 40 patents supported through ElevateIP Alberta.

The Calgary Airport Authority will provide both a physical space for the hub as well as opportunities for innovators to apply their solutions to real-world airport scenarios.

While providing space is a key aspect of this initiative, our airports involvement extends beyond mere accommodation, said Gupton. Hosting groups that are focused on aerospace innovation holds promise for passengers, authority staff and our partners. We envision a space where new technologies can undergo real-world testing, facilitating quick feedback loops and ultimately leading to significant advancements that enhance the aerospace ecosystem.

The hub joins theUniversity of Calgarysnetwork of four themed innovation hubs managed byInnovateCalgary,including the Life Sciences Innovation Hub, the Energy Transition Centre and the Social Innovation Hub.

The AIH is currently accepting new companies looking to expand to or withinCalgary. Entrepreneurs, start-ups, scale-ups and large corporate partners from aerospace and advanced manufacturing sectors are invited to join the AIH, adding their ideas and expertise to build a world-renowned aerospace hub.

Image: Calgary Airport Authority

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Calgary to further develop Aerospace Innovation Hub - Cities Today

GE Aerospace to Allocate $650M for Manufacturing Facility Upgrades, Supply Chain Support – ExecutiveBiz

GE Aerospace intends to invest $650 million this year to upgrade its manufacturing facilities and strengthen its supply chain.

The General Electric operating unit said Tuesday that, of that total, $450 million will be allocated for the enhancement of 22 facilities across the U.S., an effort that includes the acquisition of additive manufacturing equipment and other machines and tools that will be used to assemble, test and produce engines for military and commercial aircraft.

Inspection equipment, building upgrades and safety enhancements will be covered as well.

The company will also invest in its international sites in North America, Europe and India. Approximately $100 million will be allocated for this purpose.

The remaining $100 million will be used to support company suppliers in the U.S.

Regarding the investment plan, GE Aerospace Supply Chain Vice President Mike Kauffman said the effort will help ensure the companys ability to deliver quality engines and services while meeting customer demand.

For his part, H. Lawrence Culp Jr., the CEO of GE Aerospace and chairman and CEO of parent company GE, placed the investment plan within the context of GE Aerospace becoming a standalone company in spring, saying, These investments are part of the next chapter for GE Aerospace, supporting cutting-edge equipment and safety enhancements that will help us meet our customers growing needs.

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GE Aerospace to Allocate $650M for Manufacturing Facility Upgrades, Supply Chain Support - ExecutiveBiz

Sixth Annual Aerospace Summit: Propelling innovation and exploration – Joint Base Andrews

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md.

Young innovators from local schools filled the bay area of hangar three Wednesday, for the sixth annual Aerospace Summit.

Sponsored by the Patriots Training Technology Center, the summit offered an opportunity for local students to explore facets of science, technology, engineering, art, and math and how the Air Force and the greater Department of Defense incorporate these skills into their day-to-day operations.

The biggest thing when it comes to STEM in terms of younger students, is I always say don't knock it till you try, said U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Brandon Garcia, 317th Recruiting Squadron Gold Bar Recruiter, about students who are unsure if STEAM careers are for them.

He then encouraged undecided students to talk to a military recruiter in their area or even a college administrator to get a better understanding of what STEAM careers have to offer.

It seems hard at first, Garcia said. In reality, almost every single person I've ever met who was in those career fields, at one point felt like they didn't know if it was for them. So don't get discouraged.

Andrews STEAM initiative has been presented to more than 20,000 K-12 students since its establishment in 2017, during activities such as airshow field trips, high school mentoring programs, Airmen judging local science fairs, and hosting the annual Aerospace Summit.

Students engaged with more than 14 workshop stations at this year's summit. Their hands-on experience with STEAM included constructing military-grade trucks, test-flying drones and exploring weather testing equipment.

I kind of already had an idea of where I wanted to go," said Edward Cardona, a student at Wise High School. "But I think this just helped me figure out more information about what the actual process is like.

Cordona, who also attended last years event, intends to go to the Air Force Academy after graduating high school. He then expressed how helpful the Summit was in starting the application process.

When I didn't really know much about this stuff, I got to learn more about my options, and about how I can do certain things, Cordona said. And that helps me plan going forward. And you know, you just get to learn a whole lot of new information. So, it's a really cool event.

The Andrews STEAM program's goal is to embody the "Accelerate Change or Lose" mindset and to prepare for future challenges.

"The program helps cultivate student interest in military STEAM career paths," said Kristofer Zimmerman, 316th Wing Community Planning Liaison and STEAM coordinator. "To address today's workforce development challenges and tomorrow's missions, proactive steps are necessary."

Following their participation in the workshops and engaging with summit instructors and volunteers about career paths in STEAM, students showcased their drone skills in the annual drone race competition.

U.S. Air Force Col. Todd E. Randolph, 316th Wing and installation commander, announced the competition winners to conclude the event.

In his closing remarks, Randolph thanked all volunteers for their contributions and students for attending. My hope for all of you today is that you enjoyed your time with us and that you remember something you learn from all of these aviation professionals.

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Sixth Annual Aerospace Summit: Propelling innovation and exploration - Joint Base Andrews