Jan 22, 2018  -  As liberal adopters of new technology, New Zealand is a great spot to trial new products and bring emerging technologies to market, but there are opportunities to do more, write Liz Blythe of Russell McVeagh and Timothy Wixon of BNZ for CIO New Zealand.

Jan 12, 2018  -  After failing to launch last month, US spaceflight startup Rocket Lab will try again at the end of January to get its experimental rocket to orbit. The company plans to launch the vehicle, called the Electron, from its New Zealand facility sometime during a nine-day window that begins on January 20th. If all goes well, it could be the last test flight before Rocket Lab begins commercial flights in the coming year.

Dec 19, 2017  - The challenges of high pressure have kept metal 3D printing from gaining widespread application in hydraulics technology, but we may begin seeing 3D-printed components in specialized applications.

One advantage of hydraulics technology is its high power density. Hydraulic pumps are typically a small fraction the size of the electric motors that drive them, and the size and weight differential between pumps and gas or diesel engines is even more pronounced. An even bigger advantage is with actuators. Hydraulic cylinders only a few inches in diameter can generate forces to lift thousands of pounds, crush rock and concrete, or form high-strength steel into rugged components.

Of course, another advantage of hydraulics is its ability to control direction, speed, torque, and force using anything from simple manually operated valves to sophisticated electronic controls to command valves automatically. And even though electronic control of hydraulic valves continues to advance, processes improvements for manufacturing the valves themselves have not been as dramatic. But that has started to change.

Where We Are and May Be Going

Cartridge valve technology is widely used to integrate several control functions into a single manifold. Centrally locating multiple valves within a manifold can dramatically reduce

Continue here to read the full article written by Alan Hitchcox for Hydraulics & Pneumatics Hydraulics & Pneumatics  ||  December 14, 2017   |||

Dec 19, 2017  -  New Zealand’s education system for providing trained tech graduates is insufficient and the country is over reliant on importing advanced digital skills, a leading Kiwi tech expert says.  NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says while the geo-political situation is currently working to New Zealand’s advantage - making it attractive for digital talent to consider a role in New Zealand - it will be risky to continue to rely on immigration for the bulk of the talent pool. He was commenting today about key insights from the digital skills report released by the New Zealand Digital Skills Forum, which is a collaborative group of leading tech industry and government agencies working together to address digital skills shortages. The report is designed to help government, industries and tertiary institutions tweak their systems to meet the substantial tech demand.

Muller says every advanced economy is facing similar demand for digital skills and global competition means that if it isn’t already, it will become a financial drain on our businesses to rely too heavily on immigration for digital skills. “Consequently, we should lift efforts to increase the number and type of students throughout New Zealand that are learning advanced digital skills. Overall numbers need to increase, as do the number of females, Maori and Pacific youth,” he says. “We must also ensure that as we work to increase numbers, they are learning digital skills that are in demand. Analysis of which skills are in demand and short to medium term forecasted needs should be completed on a regular basis to inform the education system. “The critical question is: are we producing the right students? With the demand for software developers so high, if most domestic students are not gaining these skills then this will create a noticeable skills shortage. “Immigration is critical for the development of the New Zealand digital skills profile. Not only does it help to fill the gap between the digital jobs created and the locally educated digital workers, it also provides valuable access to unique skills, experiences and diversity. “Alongside the direct to employment immigration pathway, the international education pathway also provides an excellent opportunity. Last year there were 4,248 international tech students studying in New Zealand, which accounted for just under 30 percent of all tech students. “As global demand keeps building for digital talent, New Zealand will still need to compete internationally and import people. However, in the long term, we need to better balance our reliance on immigration and develop additional pathways to increase the flow of local skills into the market. “Not all tech employees have tertiary qualifications, or even need them. The range of possible digital technology roles across the economy is vast, as are the variety of pathways into tech roles.” To better prepare students for a digital world, the Ministry of Education is from next year introducing a new digital technologies curriculum for students from year one to year thirteen. The ministry aims to have all schools teaching digital technologies across all year groups by 2020. Currently, there are only a small number of students learning computer sciences or information technology at secondary school and this needs to change, and change fast, Muller says.

|  A MakeLemonade release  ||  December 19, 2017   |||

Dec 13, 2017  - : Rocket Lab has completed analysis of the Electron test flight abort that occurred during the company’s ‘Still Testing’ launch attempt yesterday. The analysis determined the launch was aborted due to rising liquid oxygen (LOx) temperatures feeding into one of the Electron’s nine Rutherford engines on the vehicle’s first stage. Rocket Lab has implemented corrective actions ahead of the next launch attempt, which is currently targeted for no earlier than 2.30 pm, Thursday 14 December NZDT.

The slight LOx temperature increase was a result of a LOx chilldown bleed schedule that was not compatible with the warm conditions of the day at Launch Complex-1. Rocket Lab has modified the bleed schedule to ensure components are sufficiently chilled ahead of a new launch attempt tomorrow.

While the temperatures were within safe parameters for launch, Rocket Lab had set conservative parameters for the test flight campaign that led to the vehicle performing a safe auto-sequence abort at T-2 seconds prior to a lift-off. The abort caused no damage to the vehicle or launch pad infrastructure, with the vehicle performing exactly as expected in accordance with the launch criteria.

Rocket Lab CEO and founder Peter Beck said the rapid and safe abort was yet another advantage of Rocket Lab’s advanced electric-turbopump engine technology, which can shutdown significantly faster than traditional turbopump engines.

“Electron performed as it should if it detects anything off-nominal during the auto-sequence and the electric turbopumps shut down in milliseconds. Our team developed very advanced systems to prevent launch if any one of thousands of factors isn’t perfectly aligned, and yesterday we proved those systems are performing well,” he said.

“We quickly identified the cause, put corrective actions in place and are looking forward to another launch attempt soon.”

For real-time updates from Rocket Lab, follow us on Twitter @RocketLab

| A RocketLab release  ||  December 13, 2017   |||

Dec 11, 2017  -  The NEM.io Foundation, the organisation behind the NEM blockchain technology, is setting up shop in New Zealand as part of what it says is $US40 million global expansion plan, and has been in New Zealand promoting a $US90 million ($130m) global development fund that it says will help kick start local blockchain companies.

The NEM.io Foundation is a Singapore based not-for-profit organisation whose purpose is “to introduce, educate, and promote the use of the NEM blockchain technology platform on an international scale to all industries and institutions.”

NEM has its own cryptocurrency, XEM, that is says is “recognised as one of the top ten cryptocurrency by market capitalisation.”

A NEM.io Foundation team, led by Jason Lee, global director, partnerships and strategic alliances is hosting a series of introductory events in Auckland, Wellington and Tauranga throughout December. The team also presented at the Blockchain Summit Auckland 2017.

A spokesman said that, in addition, the NEM.io Fondation team had been engaging with the Blockchain Association of New Zealand, universities and various blockchain companies and startups interested in the building on the NEM blockchain via the global development fund.

The head of the NEM.io Foundation in Australia and New Zealand, and a council member of the NEM.io Foundation, Nelson Valero, said the global development fund would help businesses, academics and developers feel empowered about the NEM blockchain technology and its potential to disrupt the way they manage information and data.

Lee said all applicants for funding had to be active members of the NEM community, but that this meant, “simply getting involved in conversations on our online forums.”

However, “If you are new to the community, you must have an endorser whom you think will be able to help you quality and contribute to your blockchain project,” he said.

The Foundation’s New Zealand initiative follows the opening of a NEM Blockchain centre in Kuala Lumpur as a joint initiative with the Australia-based Blockchain Centre (a not-for-profit sponsored by Blockchain Global and IBM). It says the centre will be a knowledge and innovation hub that will serve as an accelerator, incubator and co-working space.

The foundation claims to have a unique implementation of blockchain technology. “NEM is built from scratch as a powerful and streamlined platform for application developers of all kinds, not just as a digital currency,” it claims.

“Using NEM in your application is as simple as making RESTful JSON API calls allowing you to configure your own ‘Smart Assets’ and make use of NEM’s powerful blockchain platform as your fast, secure and scalable.

“Configured for your use, NEM is suitable for an amazing variety of solution classes, such as direct public transactions via streamlined smartphone app, efficient cloud services that connect client or web applications, or a high-performance permissioned enterprise back-end for business-critical record keeping.”

A technical whitepaper on NEM is available here.

| A COMPUTERWORLD RELEASE ||  DECEMBER 8, 2017   |||

Dec 11, 2017  -  In the coming days we will attempt to launch the second Rocket Lab Electron rocket, Still Testing. As the name suggests, we are still very much in a test phase, but this flight is a significant milestone for our team and the next step in our mission to democratize space.

The potential of space to help us better understand our planet and improve life on it yet to be realised. The benefits of more satellites in low Earth orbit are almost endless, including crucial applications such as improved weather monitoring and natural disaster prediction, to internet from space. This increased and improved data will give companies and organisations better insights into our world, enabling them to make better decisions.

The main barrier to this future is frequency and cost of launch. With this flight we take a step towards changing that. We’re excited to share this step with the world by offering our first livestreamed launch attempt, viewable via our website.

I’d like to thank our customers Planet and Spire Global, for flying with us on Still Testing. Rocket Lab shares a strong ethos with them and it is my belief that by accelerating these companies’ access to orbit, we are initiating a paradigm shift in the use of space.

We’re at this milestone just months after our first test flight, which is a huge testament to the dedicated and innovative team working on the Electron program. They have achieved what many said was impossible, and in record time. I know they will continue to pour drive, dedication and passion into opening access to space.

Let’s get Electron on its way.

Cheers,

Pete

| a RocketLab release  ||  December 11, 2017   |||

Dec 8, 2017  -  Rocket Lab plans to roll out the company’s second light-class Electron rocket to its launch pad in New Zealand on Thursday for final countdown preparations, but officials have delayed liftoff to no earlier than Friday night, U.S. time.  The Electron booster, standing roughly 55 feet (17 meters) tall, could blast off from Rocket Lab’s commercial launch pad as soon as 0130 GMT Saturday (8:30 p.m. EST Friday) at the opening of a four-hour launch window. The launch opportunity opens at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in New Zealand.

Rocket Lab says it has a wider window to launch the rocket, with four hours each day through Dec. 17.

Liftoff with three commercial CubeSat payloads was planned as soon as Thursday night, U.S. time, but officials said they needed more time.

The company transported the Electron vehicle to its launch base last month, after completing full-up hotfire testing. The launch team rehearsed countdown procedures last week, and practiced loading kerosene and liquid oxygen propellants into the rocket.

“We did a hotfire campaign as a big preparatory test, so all that was done over a month ago,” said Shaun O’Donnell, Rocket Lab’s vice president of global operations. “The wet dress rehearsal went really well. It went really smooth, especially for our first run at it, so we’re really confident.”

Ground crews at the launch site on Mahia Peninsula, on the east coast of New Zealand’s southern island, planned to transfer the two-stage rocket from its assembly hangar to Launch Complex 1 overlooking the Pacific Ocean Thursday, U.S. time, a Rocket Lab spokesperson told Spaceflight Now.

The rocket will be raised vertically on its launch mount, and Rocket Lab officials will assess the launcher’s readiness and weather conditions before proceeding with the countdown Friday.

The Electron rocket’s second launch comes more than six months after Rocket Lab’s first orbital launch attempt, which ended prematurely May 25 when a ground tracking computer feeding data to the range safety team stopped receiving signals from the launcher around four minutes after liftoff.

The flight safety officer inside Rocket Lab’s launch control center followed established procedures and sent the command to shut down the Electron’s second stage engine after the data dropout.

Investigators traced the mishap’s cause to a software programming error in a tracking system provided by a third-party contractor, and Rocket Lab’s own ground systems — operating in a shadow mode on the maiden flight — did not suffer the same problem.

With a launch base, control center and factory in New Zealand, Rocket Lab also has a headquarters in Southern California, where it is outfitting a second rocket assembly plant. Eventually aiming to launch as often as once per week, the U.S.-New Zealand company operates under the regulatory umbrella of the FAA.

The FAA announced earlier this week it issued a commercial launch license for the Electron rocket’s second flight.The second Electron rocket is pictured on its side at Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. Credit: Rocket Lab

The May 25 test flight, dubbed “It’s a Test,” demonstrated good performance of the Electron rocket’s first stage, and the launcher’s second stage engine ignited and payload fairing jettisoned as designed before the mission was terminated.

The results raised hopes the second Electron launch, christened “Still Testing” by Rocket Lab, could successfully reach orbit. Engineers also minimized changes to the rocket, with the most significant upgrade in the second stage, which will debut stretched propellant tanks to accommodate more fuel, O’Donnell told Spaceflight Now.

“The performance we saw from the vehicle was really good,” he said in a phone interview Tuesday from Rocket Lab’s development facility in Auckland. “It was actually in the upper bounds of the performance we expected, so that was really positive.

“The vehicle this time around is slightly longer,” O’Donnell said. “That’s really just a tank stretch. It doesn’t relate to any changes with the engines or other functional parts of the vehicle. From the good data that we got from that first launch, we’re confident that the majority of those systems are fine, which was really reassuring.”

But the upcoming mission is still considered a demonstration, and Rocket Lab has a third Electron vehicle built that could launch in early 2018 on a third test flight — if necessary — before the company begins operational launches. Rocket Lab officials said commercial service could be accelerated to begin on the third Electron launch if the second flight goes well.

Rocket Lab said the weather outlook for Sunday does not look favorable, so the launch could slip to Monday (Sunday night in the United States) if officials order a further delay.

“Our weather limits are pretty generous for the vehicle,” O’Donnell said in an interview with Spaceflight Now. “We’ve got pretty decent ground level winds.

“One of our biggest issues is triboelectrification in the high clouds,” O’Donnell said, referring to the potentially dangerous build-up of static electricity on the rocket as it soars through high-level clouds. “It’s one of those things that could happen any time of year, and that can cause potential issues.”

A dedicated team will monitor real-time conditions during the countdown in case weather takes a negative turn.

Refined kerosene fuel and liquid oxygen will be loaded into both stages of the Electron rocket in the final hours of the countdown, and a final automated launch sequence will commence at T-minus 2 minutes to oversee the last steps before liftoff

The Electron’s nine Rutherford main engines, mounted in a circular web-like configuration at the base of the first stage, will ignite at T-minus 2 seconds.File photo of the Electron rocket’s nine Rutherford first stage main engines on a previous vehicle. Credit: Rocket Lab

The Rutherford main engines, developed in-house by Rocket Lab, will generate around 34,500 pounds of thrust at liftoff and power up to 41,500 pounds of thrust as the rocket climbs into the upper atmosphere. The Rutherford engines use electric turbopumps, an innovation in the launch industry that first flew on the Electron rocket.

The first stage engines are scheduled to shut down around two-and-a-half minutes into the flight, and the booster will release to fall into the Pacific Ocean four seconds later. Ignition of the second stage’s single Rutherford engine is slated for T+plus 2 minutes, 36 seconds.

Separation of the Electron’s nose shroud, which covers the three shoebox-sized CubeSats riding on the launch, is planned at T+plus 3 minutes, 4 seconds.

The second stage engine is programmed to fire more than five-and-a-half minutes until T+plus 8 minutes, 14 seconds. The second stage burn will be around 50 seconds longer than the firing planned on the Electron’s first test launch, thanks to enlarged propellant tanks that extend about a half-meter (1.6 feet) longer than the tanks on the inaugural flight, O’Donnell said.

“It just gives us more payload, essentially, thanks to a longer burn time,” O’Donnell said of the bigger second stage.

The three CubeSats — one from Planet and two from Spire Global — will release out of Rocket Lab’s Maxwell deployers at T+plus 8 minutes, 31 seconds.

Planet’s CubeSat, named “Dove Pioneer,” will join the company’s fleet of Earth-imaging satellites. Spire’s Lemur-2 CubeSats are used to track ship traffic and collect atmospheric measurements to aid weather forecasters.

Rocket Lab says it charges $4.9 million per Electron flight, significantly less than any other launch provider flying today, and offer a dedicated ride for payloads that currently must ride piggyback with a larger payload.

The company has a launch contract to place several CubeSats in orbit for NASA next year, along with future launch agreements with Planet, Moon Express and Spaceflight, which books launches of small satellites from various commercial and scientific customers.

With money from venture capital funds in Silicon Valley and New Zealand, along with a strategic investment from Lockheed Martin, Rocket Lab completed the design and qualification of the Electron rocket with less than $100 million since the company was established in 2006, according to Peter Beck, the company’s CEO and founder.

Rocket Lab’s progress was marked with test launches of more than 80 sounding rockets since the company’s formation. If the second Electron mission reaches orbit, it will mark the first orbital launch from New Zealand.

“What we’re looking for (on the second launch) is just to close off that final few minutes that we didn’t see on the first flight, where we’re getting into orbit, we’re completing the burn of the second stage and we’re releasing some payloads, which would really be the cherry on top,” O’Donnell said.

“It is still a test,” he said. “We had originally planned for three test flights, so we’re fully prepared to run that third test as well if we don’t get everything we need from this one.”

| A Spaceflight Now release  ||  December 8, 2017   |||

Dec 7, 2017  - The government is right to raise this concern that there is a growing digital divide, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says in response to a digital report released yesterday.  Muller says the opportunities emerging from the rapid exponential growth of technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous vehicles and augmented reality are fantastic for all Kiwis. Communications Minister Clare Curran yesterday released a report - Digital New Zealanders: The Pulse of our Nation - outlining the digital divide in New Zealand. She says the government will, with the assistance of a soon to be established advisory group, help determine what tech skills Kiwis need to be ready for the jobs of the future. “The Minister is right to raise this concern that there is a growing digital divide,” Muller says. “These technologies have the potential to make New Zealand more prosperous by improving access to services, helping businesses be more efficient and creating economic growth throughout the country. “Those that don’t have access to the right technologies or the skills or motivation to make the most of them are being left behind. Left unaddressed this digital divide will exacerbate the social divide. “However, if we move faster to address the growing digital divide as a country we will find that the technology will also help reduce the social divide. “Giving people the understanding, confidence and skills to use digital tools will help New Zealand prosper. “The introduction of digital technologies into the New Zealand curriculum in 2018 is a great step in ensuring all Kiwis understand digital technology and how to make the most of it. “Next week the New Zealand Digital Skills Forum group is releasing a landmark and detailed analysis of the digital skills needed by New Zealand over the coming years and the opportunities for all New Zealanders,” Muller says.

| An NZTech release  ||  December 6, 2017   |||

Dec 5, 2017  -  New Zealand based health and safety technology start up Safe365 has confirmed entry into the Canadian market on the back of a strong initial 12 months in New Zealand since launch. Canadian businesses of all sizes and industries will be able to access Safe365’s ground breaking web application that assesses, diagnoses and supports continuous improvement in health and safety capability from 5 December 2017. For Safe365, it means entry into the lucrative North American market and the capacity to scale product uptake rapidly.

Safe365’s Country Director – Canada, Michael Matthews said “as an experienced health and safety professional, having reviewed a large number of solutions in the market internationally, when I came across Safe365 I just wanted to get involved and make it available to Canadian businesses.” Mr Matthews is a well-known figure in the Canadian health and safety sector having performed executive roles in the energy sector, Coca-Cola and founded the HSE Job Hunter group on LinkedIN with over 130,000 members. “It was great being down-under with the Safe365 team in New Zealand recently and seeing first hand the impact the product is having with their clients there. I’m really excited to be able to bring the product to Canada and support improvements in our health and safety performance as a country” says Matthews.

Safe365’s kiwi co-founders Nathan Hight and Mark Kidd are very pleased their solution will add value beyond New Zealand’s shores. “We have users in 8 countries now using the NZ edition of Safe365, however this is our first targeted offshore market with a product specifically aligned to meet the needs of the Canadian market” says Kidd. “This is a really significant step forward in the journey we are on with Safe365 to take a world class solution to the global market that saves lives and improves business” says Hight.

Safe365’s early stage success has been built on the back of its innovative diagnostic platform that allows businesses to purchase the product online, use it “out of the box” and within 60 minutes have clarity on the status of the businesses health and safety capability. The product then provides nearly 300 specific solutions to support continuous improvement through a simple, easy and intuitive interface. “These philosophies and features are very strong differentiators from other tech based health and safety solutions currently in market” says Hight.

Customers purchase a Safe365 subscription for the business ($999 annually or $99 monthly) which enables them to access the software through their web browser on any internet enabled device. With minimal barriers to entry, the product is proving extremely popular with businesses wanting to do the right thing when it comes to workforce health and safety.

Safe365’s customers range from small contracting businesses and farming operations through to some of New Zealand’s largest entities and government departments. The product enables businesses to share their health and safety capability at the click of a button reflecting the modern work environment where multiple entities are responsible for worker health and safety.

“Over 500 businesses in New Zealand have benefited from the power of Safe365 in our first year being live, so we are thrilled that we are able to extend this significantly through our partnership with Mr Matthews in Canada” says Kidd.

| A safe365 release  ||  December 5, 2017   |||