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Commercial Space Stations Approach Launch Phase

Cars That Think

Blue Origin is one of a number of private sector actors aiming to harbor commercial activities in low Earth orbit (LEO) as the creaking and leaking International Space Station (ISS) approaches its drawdown. Such endeavors may also end up slowed and controlled by regulation so far absent from many new, commercial areas of space.

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DOE awarding >$24M to 77 projects through Technology Commercialization Fund

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced more than $24 million in funding for 77 projects supported by the Office of Technology Transitions (OTT) Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF). Louisville, Colo. Commercializing 3D Printable Feedstocks for the Advanced Manufacturing of Energy Products, $300,000 MilliporeSigma, St.

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DOE Clean Energy Smart Manufacturing Innovation Institute awards ~$10M to 10 projects

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The aim of this project is to develop Smart Manufacturing Platform-ready tools for the reliable, profitable, and energy-efficient operation of a cryogenic air-separation unit, rigorously test these tools in cyber-physical environment, and deploy some of them to efficiently operate in a commercial air-separation plant.

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Q&A: Inside DARPA’s Subterranean Challenge

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Deep below the Louisville, Ky., By the time teams reached the SubT Final Event in the Louisville Mega Cavern, the focus was on autonomy rather than communications. Shipping containers connected end-to-end formed complex networks, and many of them were carefully sculpted and decorated to resemble mining tunnels and natural caves.

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President Obama announces two new public-private manufacturing innovation institutes; new manufacturing innovation institute competition

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There are significant challenges for new lightweight and modern metals to reach widespread commercial production. The integrated design, development, and production of highly complex systems, leveraging software, can speed ideas from the lab into commercial production, reduce costs, and shorten production lifecycles. New competition.

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NAMII awarding $9M to 15 additive manufacturing projects

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This project will address the need for the development of a commercially available, platform-independent Quality Assurance technology for high-volume AM production of aerospace components, which is currently lacking within the industry. Byrd Institute; TE Connectivity Ltd.; GE Global Research (3DSim, Inc.; and The Timken Company).

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Ford Investing $550M to Retool SUV Plant to Produce Focus Small Car and EV

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To produce the vehicles, Ford is converting three truck and SUV plants to car plants—Michigan Assembly, Cuautitlan Assembly in Mexico, which begins building the new Fiesta subcompact early next year; and Louisville (Ky.) Assembly, which will be converted to produce small vehicles from Ford’s global Focus platform beginning in 2011.

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