Welcome to the first J&K Connectors aviation news spotlight! In this continuing and occasional series, we’ll be touching on some of our favorite and most notable news in and around the aviation community. Let’s get started!
SpaceX Delivers First Espresso Machine to ISS
A SpaceX Dragon cargo craft made a successful connection with the International Space Station on Friday, delivering groceries, supplies, and a long-needed espresso machine they call “the ISSpresso.”
In a live stream online, astronauts operating the station’s robotic arm made successful contact and linked up with the Dragon 257 miles above the Pacific Ocean. Aerospace engineers worked with coffee company Lavazza to create a customized, cafe-quality machine about the size of a microwave that will give astronauts the strong coffee they’ve been asking about for years. The Dragon will return to Earth in May with return cargo and trash from the space station.
Florida Mailman Lands Gyrocopter on US Capitol Lawn
Maybe the biggest news of this week is 61-year old Doug Hughes and his gyrocopter landing on the United States Capitol lawn. Employed by the USPS as a mailman, Hughes flew into restricted airspace, landing on the lawn near the Capitol building with 535 letters – one for each member of Congress. Friends say Hughes has been planning the stunt for 2 1/2 years.
Hughes said he wanted to raise the attention of the media toward campaign finance reform, but the larger question right now seems to be how a manned aircraft could enter protected airspace without raising the attention of Homeland Security.
That’s it for this time! Thanks for visiting J&K Connectors. When you’re in the market for industrial or aerospace connectors, be sure to check out our vast inventory or drop us a line to place a custom order or get more information!