1. Aerospace

Category Archives: Aerospace

Google buys drone maker Titan Aerospace; Facebook had shown interest

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Google said it has acquired Titan Aerospace, a New Mexico startup specializing in drones capable of flying for years. (Associated Press / March 27, 2013)

April 14, 2014, 11:39 a.m.

Google has acquired New Mexico-based drone maker Titan Aerospace, the company said on Monday.

The Mountain View tech giant did not say how much it paid for the start-up, which specializes in building drones capable of staying in sky for years on end.

Titan Aerospace and Google share a profound optimism about the potential for technology to improve the world," a Google spokesman said. "Its still early days, but atmospheric satellites could help bring Internet access to millions of people, and help solve other problems, including disaster relief and environmental damage like deforestation."

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The team from Titan Aerospace will work closely with Google's Project Loon, the Wall Street Journal reported. Project Loon has been building high-altitude balloons capable of beaming Internet connectivity to those below it.

Earlier this year, reports said Facebook was interested in acquiring Titan Aerospace for as much as $60 million. Instead, Facebook wound up paying $20 million to acquire Ascenta, another aerospace company that specializes in drones capable of flying for extended periods.

Like Google, Facebook is also working on a project to provide users in emerging and remote parts of the world with Internet connectivity through the sky. Facebook's effort is called Internet.org.

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Google buys drone maker Titan Aerospace; Facebook had shown interest

Google To Buy Titan Aerospace In Internet Push

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Updated from 2:36 p.m. ET to include Google confirmation of acquisition and comment.

NEW YORK (TheStreet) - Google (GOOG) will buy drone-maker Titan Aerospace as the web-search giant continues to work on improving its popular imaging and mapping capabilities.Previously, Titan Aerospace had been rumored to be a target of Facebook (FB) until the social network bought Ascenta for $20 million.

Google will use Titan Aerospace to bring internet access to regions of the world that continue to lack access and said that its efforts may also be used to help with global issues such as disaster relief and deforestation.

"Titan Aerospace and Google share a profound optimism about the potential for technology to improve the world. It's still early days, but atmospheric satellites could help bring internet access to millions of people, and help solve other problems, including disaster relief and environmental damage like deforestation," a Google spokesperson said via email to TheStreet.

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Google To Buy Titan Aerospace In Internet Push

Boeing plans to increase workforce in Long Beach, Seal Beach

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After years of eliminating jobs in Southern California, aerospace giant Boeing Co. announced plans to increase its engineering workforce in Long Beach and Seal Beach by 1,000 positions.

It is a rare and welcome development for the Southland's beleaguered aerospace industry, which has been stung by layoffs and assembly line closures for decades.

"I couldn't be happier for the region," Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster said. "We want to continue to carry on our aviation tradition here."

On Thursday, Boeing signaled its intentions to reinforce its presence in the region. The company said it will slowly add employees over the next two years as part of expansion of a new engineering design center for commercial aircraft that was established last year.

The addition of highly skilled engineering jobs is expected to provide an economic boost to the Southland and Long Beach, which was left reeling when Boeing announced massive layoffs resulting from next year's closure of its C-17 production line.

Employees at the center will provide engineering support and solve technical problems for airlines worldwide that fly Boeing jetliners. This new work in Long Beach would help rekindle the city's long legacy of commercial airplane development that all but dried up when the last Boeing 717 rolled off assembly lines there in 2006.

The Long Beach site was built by Douglas Aircraft Co. and still has a large "Fly DC Jets" sign in front. It thrived for decades, employing thousands and producing some of the world's most popular airliners, including the DC-3, DC-8 and MD-80.

Boeing currently builds the C-17 cargo jet for the Air Force on the site. On Monday, the company said it would close production by mid-2015 three months earlier than originally planned. About 2,200 employees support the program in California.

Boeing began C-17 workforce reductions this year and plans to continue the cuts through next year's closure.

The incoming engineers will be spread among Boeing's engineering offices near Long Beach Airport and on the firm's 45-acre campus near Seal Beach Boulevard and Westminster Avenue in Seal Beach.

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Boeing plans to increase workforce in Long Beach, Seal Beach


  1. Aerospace