Find out how Airbus’ payload hosting platform Bartolomeo allows customers and researchers to test space technologies 400 km above Earth. Named after Christopher Columbus’ younger brother, Bartolomeo offers the only unobstructed view from the International Space Station (ISS) towards our planet and into outer space. That’s why the platform is ideall…

In this special podcast Airbus announces the finalists for the Airbus Quantum Computing Challenge. Joining Rhys Phillips are external judges Elham Kashefi and Iordanis Kerenidis, Thierry Botter from Airbus Blue Sky and Lee-Ann Ramcherita from Airbus' Flight Physics department. Tune in now to find out more about the problem statements set for the ch…

In the first of two podcasts, Rhys Phillips presents a documentary around quantum computing technology and its applications within aerospace. Airbus' very own Lee-Ann Ramcherita and Thierry Botter, alongside external experts Iordanis Kerenidis and Elham Kashefi, discuss the benefits that quantum computing can provide to flight physics problems with…

The X3’s legacy lives on with today’s RACER demonstrator, part of the European Union's Clean Sky 2 research programme. RACER improves upon the X3’s simple, proven formula, marrying higher speed with cost efficiency and fuel savings. Flying 50% faster than a conventional helicopter by combining a main rotor with boxed wings and propellers, RACER cou…

Creating the X3 required exceptional secrecy and a unique team. Up until its first flight, only a small group knew of the X3’s existence. In this episode, X3 flight test engineer Dominique Fournier explains the tactics that made this possible; from isolating teams, to early-morning truck rides in the cover of darkness. This secrecy also helped crea…

When Randy Bresnik was a young child, all he wanted to do was fly. Fast-forward to 2020 and the retired U.S. Marine has surpassed even his wildest dreams – having distinguished himself both as a fighter pilot and test pilot before making two trips to space as a NASA astronaut. Bresnik discusses a broad range of topics in Airbus’ latest podcast, pro…

Over the course of its three-year journey, Airbus Helicopters' high-speed helicopter demonstrator, the X3, performed nearly 200 flights on two continents, while breaking a world record and pulling off incredible stunts – like racing a high-speed TGV train. Guiding the X3 each step of the way was test pilot Hervé Jammayrac. On the tenth anniversary …

In this episode, Jean-Brice Dumont, Executive Vice President Engineering at Airbus explains what HEPA (High-Efficiency-Particulate Arrestor) filters are, and why the air in the cabin is clean with its utilisation. As we take to the skies again, we will continue to provide you with the facts that reassure and dispel any myths around air travel in th…

The A400M is the “topic du jour” for Airbus’ latest podcast, including insights from someone who knows this advanced military aircraft inside and out: John Taylor, an experimental test pilot at Airbus Defence and Space. Based at the San Pablo site near Seville, Spain – where A400Ms are assembled – Taylor says it’s a privilege to fly the aircraft an…

In our society today, a world without satellite communications, navigation and Earth observation systems is unimaginable. Services provided by space-based systems have become omnipresent - simply think about navigation, TV broadcasts, weather forecasts, climate monitoring or military communications, even the Internet of Things stays connected throu…

Asteroids are not just an abstract danger out of blockbuster movies. They are very real. That’s why Airbus is developing new and innovative technologies to unlock the secrets of asteroids. In this podcast interview Albert Falke, Program and Project Manager of Asteroid detection at Airbus Defence and Space, explains what they are made of and how the…

Across nearly all major industries, many are looking toward a future of mass adoption of geospatial technologies. But what technical and commercial barriers do we need to break down to truly democratize access to geospatial data and analytics? Globally, institutions and companies have gathered more Earth observation (EO) data than can ever be analy…

700 km above us, Airbus-built Pléiades satellites are taking high-resolution images of areas affected by Covid-19. This imagery is vital for a project launched by the European Space Agency ESA. It is called RACE – short for Rapid Action on COVID-19 and Earth Observation – and aims at providing information on the state of European society and econom…

The Airbus-built Solar Orbiter (SolO) is on an epic journey to unlock the Sun’s secrets. Listen to our latest podcast, which includes insights from Ian Walters, the Solar Orbiter Project Manager. Podcast topics include SoIO’s testing prior to launch in February 2020 and protecting the deep space probe from temperatures exceeding 500°C when it reach…

Find out how Airbus’ wind-sensing satellite Aeolus supports meteorologists where aircraft can’t in Corona times. The recent drop in commercial flights has also affected measurements for weather forecasting. But thanks to an Airbus-built satellite launched two years ago for our ESA customer, meteorologists are still able to give reliable forecasts. …

Traditionally, 2020 would have been a busy airshow year. We were looking forward to updating you on the many new developments and business highlights at various trade shows. As of today, the significant meeting, travel and event restrictions have made physically hosting these shows impossible. In order to adapt to these changes, we will reach out t…

Airbus reaches beyond the skies and into space, and the technologies it builds and develops, keeps vital global communications that we all depend upon, working. Colin Paynter is the Managing Director of Airbus Defence and Space, based in the UK. Colin heads up a workforce of more than four thousand people, most of whom are involved in building comm…

We're delving into the fascinating world of Airbus Helicopters and our guide for this episode has been with the company for over 30 years. Didier Delsalle is an experimental test pilot, who spends his days pushing the limits of aviation technology. He is known for being the first and only person who landed a helicopter, the NH90 or Squirrel, on the…

For many people, Airbus is associated with aircraft, but it also does much more. In all that it does, the company always aims to reach beyond the clouds. Till Eisenberg is one of those who have helped Airbus make its mark in the final frontier of Space. He led an Airbus team that designed a floating electronic brain – called CIMON – that was sent t…

Being international is at the heart of Airbus – from its European beginnings to its current global reach. And its workforce is no exception! There are more than 130 thousand people working at Airbus, drawn from over 120 countries. Shashwath Vummidilakshman’s journey eventually led him to Airbus. But it wasn’t easy realising his dream, coming from t…

The introduction to this episode comes from Paris Air Show where aircraft are on display in the air and on the ground. But before they reach Le Bourget’s tarmac, or even go near any runway, they go through intensive testing procedures. “Safety first” is Airbus’s mantra in all it does. Fernando Alonso has been central to this process for three decad…

Jacques Rocca is Airbus’s History Man. He sees the company’s achievements as part of a heritage that should be preserved. His passion to ensure that the past can be put on display now, led him to join the ‘AIRitage Project’ that collects and preserves aviation history from documents to whole aircraft. For the past ten years, he has also been the di…

The Paris Air Show is the place where the industry and the public gather every two years to discover what’s new and exciting in the world of aviation. Airbus’s Chief Technology Officer is always in demand during the show, meeting with potential customers and others. The current CTO, Grazia Vittadini had a particularly busy week. Among other things,…

In this episode Barbara Kracht – one of Airbus’s original employees, number 007 – goes down memory lane, recalling how the company grew from a modest start-up to a global aviation giant. The daughter of Felix Kracht, who was one of the company’s founders, she spent almost 40 years with Airbus, notably as head of Media Relations. Barbara tells us ab…

Airbus is turning 50 this year! So join us as we launch a new podcast, We Make It Fly. At Airbus, we make commercial aircraft—you’ve probably been on one. But we also make helicopters, fighter jets, space rockets and even the Mars Rover. In this podcast, you will meet the people who have played a part in turning the company into a global giant in t…