Mentor Blogs

Three out of four decommissioned NASA space shuttle orbiters have found new homes at museums in the United States. Endeavour, built as a replacement for Space Shuttle Challenger, recently arrived at its new home in Los Angeles, and the world was watching. This geek was impressed and moved by the thousands of people who shared in Endeavour’s journey, logging its path in real time (and even sharing photos) … Read More

Geek, Engineer, Hardware, Warfighters, Toyota, Milaero, CrewMax, Military, nasa, Aerospace, Software, Mentor, Embedded Systems, Mentor Graphics, Endeavour, Mentor.com, electrical, Mil-Aero, Electronic

Marking the end of an era, Space Shuttle Endeavor—the fifth and final NASA space shuttle constructed—arrived at Los Angeles Airport (LAX) on September 21, 2012 to begin its journey on the streets of LA to its final resting place at the California Science Center. NASA offered up three of its four decommissioned space shuttles as donations to museums; many museums competed for the honor of displaying … Read More

Geek, Engineer, Hardware, Warfighters, Toyota, Milaero, CrewMax, Military, nasa, Aerospace, Software, Mentor, Embedded Systems, Mentor Graphics, Endeavour, Mentor.com, electrical, Mil-Aero, Electronic

If you watched the live broadcast of NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover landing on the surface of Mars, you know it was a nail-biter. People all over the world—especially engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and technology firms the world over that had contributed systems and components to the mission—waited with baited breath for the successful completion of a number … Read More

Milaero, Mil-Aero, Mars, Atlas V, Mentor, Mentor Graphics, Mentor.com, Aerospace, Geek, Hardware, JPL, Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center, Computer, Embedded Systems, Electronic, Engineer, Military, Software, Technology, MSL, nasa

NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) spacecraft, housing the unmanned Curiosity rover, set upon a monumental, 9-month, 352-million-mile journey to its final destination–Gale Crater near the base of Mount Sharp on Mars–with help from a powerful Atlas V 541 launch vehicle. In fact, this November 2011 mission marked the first launch of United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V 541 configuration. Roughly … Read More

Military, Milaero, Mentor, Atlas V, aviation, Mentor Graphics, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Aerospace, Gale Crater, EDA, electrical, Geek, Hardware, Curiosity, design, Mars, Embedded Systems, Electronic, Engineer, Mount Sharp, Technology, zapping, rover, Software, MSL, nasa

On Saturday, 25 August 2012, the worldwide aerospace community lost one of its greatest heroes. “Neil Armstrong was a hero not just of his time, but of all time,” describes President Barack Obama in a statement released the day of Armstrong’s death. “Thank you, Neil, for showing us the power of one small step.” Neil Armstrong, commander of NASA’s historic Apollo 11 mission, … Read More

Mentor Graphics, Mentor, Mentor.com, USC, U.S. Navy, Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong, Perdue University, President Barack Obama, Aerospace, Technology, Mil-Aero, Geek, Milaero, Gemini 8, Military, Embedded Systems, nasa, Engineer

By World War II, remote-controlled aerial torpedoes, flying bombs, and pilotless planes (unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, as we know them today) were taking shape and undergoing testing by U.S. military forces. In early 1941, the conversion of popular military aircraft of the time, including Martin/Great Lakes Aircraft Company’s TG-2 torpedo bomber and Great Lakes’ BG-1 dive bomber, into remote-controlled … Read More

pilotless plane, Military, Mentor Graphics, Aerospace, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Milaero, aerial torpedoes, Great Lakes Aircraft Company, Embedded Systems, Engineer, Hardware, Martin, BG-1, Mentor, flying bombs, flight by television, Geek, remote controlled, WWII, Warfighters, WWI, TG-2, UAV

Forty-three years ago, on 20 July 1969, the United States Apollo 11 became the first manned mission to the moon. Were you aware, however, that it the first space vehicle to reach the vicinity of the moon was not manned at all? Intrigued? This geek hopes so. Fun fact: Unmanned spacecraft reached the vicinity of the moon a decade before the first manned mission landed on the lunar surface. The Soviet … Read More

Moon, Milaero, Mentor, Apollo, Mentor Graphics, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Aerospace, Electric, Geek, electrical, Hardware, Luna, Computer, Luna 1, COTS, Embedded Systems, Electronic, Engineer, nasa, spacecraft, unmanned, Sally Ride, Soviet Union

A popular children’s toy has been named the first domestic robot, the first robotic toy, and a threat to national security in the U.S. Can you guess which toy? It was the cute, lovable, and interactive Furby! The Furby was produced by Tiger Electronics from 1998 to 2001, and again by Hasbro between 2005 and 2007. In fact, it has just been announced that the Furby will again line store shelves; it will … Read More

Furby, Engineer, Geek, Tiger Electronics, COTS, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Milaero, Computer, NSA, Hardware, Electronic, Hasbro, Embedded Systems, Mentor, Electric, Mentor Graphics, electrical

Unmanned drones are likely coming to an air space near you. The eventual and unavoidable integration of myriad unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), both civil and defense, in the same airspace as commercial airliners and military aircraft is a hotly debated topic. Civilian and military communities are actively voicing a wealth of concerns—such as over safety, privacy, and security—about the prospect. Government … Read More

Mentor, Geek, Mentor Graphics, President Obama, COTS, UAV, unmanned, Aerospace, Warfighters, Mentor.com, Embedded Systems, Mil-Aero, FAA, Milaero, Drone, Military

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) continue to grow in use and popularity; yet, little attention is paid to UAV history, which contains some valuable, if not shocking (pun intended), insights. On November 8, 1898, Nikola Tesla was granted U.S. Patent Number 613809 for what was likely the first remote control and unmanned vehicle ever envisioned. The patent, entitled “Method of and Apparatus for Controlling … Read More

teleautomaton, remote-controlled robot, Milaero, Military, mind control, Nikola Tesla, Aerospace, electrical, Mentor, Mentor Graphics, Electronic, Mentor.com, Design Automation, Mil-Aero, Electric, Geek, Embedded Systems, Hardware, UAV, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Airbus delayed the availability of the A350-1000, intended to compete with The Boeing Company’s enhanced 777 twinjet; yet, customers continue to cancel early orders for the upcoming Airbus wide-body jet. This delay is giving Boeing the chance it needs to push its 777 successor (being called the Boeing 777X) forward, while utilizing all the lessons learned from its infamously delayed 787 Dreamliner. … Read More

Engineer, Embedded Systems, Geek, Aerospace, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Airbus, 777, Hardware, DoD, Jet, electrical, Mentor, Mentor Graphics, Boeing

It has become more and more challenging to deliver products–especially complex and intricate components, systems, and platforms–on time in this day and age. For many, the global economic recession brought with it reductions in personnel; and yet, military and aerospace (mil/aero) were still expected to (and needed to) deliver novel, high-tech products on time and on budget without the advent … Read More

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Military and aerospace (mil/aero) program performance, efficiency, and contract fulfillment—as well as the deliverables they provide—are of paramount importance not only to the customer running the program and awarding the contracts, but also the end user, who is often eagerly awaiting the innovation, technologies, and capabilities. Expenses are up, schedules are tight, and programs get cancelled, but … Read More

John Garrison, Geek, Mentor, Bell Helicopter, Military, One Bell, Aerospace, Mentor Graphics, Embedded Systems, Mentor.com, Engineer, Mil-Aero, Design Automation, Milaero

The military and aerospace (mil/aero) market relies on efficiency. This is true of myriad industries during a down economy, which requires organizations—including the U.S. Department of Defense and other military organizations, as well as prime contractors and subcontractors—to do more with less. Not only do engineering and manufacturing personnel need to be efficient, but also the tools they employ … Read More

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Engineers from Bell Helicopter, a Textron Company, and The Boeing Company have unleashed a unique aircraft that has been turning heads at recent air shows, and for good reason. The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey was designed from the ground up (a rarity in a downturned economy, it seems) to meet the needs of multiple armed services. In doing so, it combines the capabilities of a helicopter with those of fixed-wing … Read More

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