Topic: aviation safety
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Cosmic Rays From Another Galaxy Disrupt Air Travel
A JetBlue flight experienced a sudden descent likely due to a "bit flip," where a cosmic ray corrupted data in the aircraft's flight computer, triggering an uncommanded maneuver. Cosmic rays are a constant natural phenomenon, but Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere provide strong protection, ma...
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Birds' Quantum Sense Could Prevent GPS Disasters
GPS failures are increasingly disrupting aviation due to vulnerabilities like jamming, spoofing, and satellite congestion, creating risks for flight safety. Birds navigate using quantum mechanics in proteins like cryptochromes, which detect Earth's magnetic field and offer a blueprint for resilie...
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Airlines and Airports Rebound From Shutdown
The end of the longest US government shutdown has allowed aviation operations to resume, but airlines and airports face a challenging recovery with scattered delays and cancellations as they work to stabilize schedules and staffing. Lingering effects from the shutdown, including air traffic contr...
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GPS Jamming Is a Threat - Here's How to Stop It
GPS jamming and spoofing pose a growing threat to aviation, shipping, and infrastructure, as demonstrated by a 2025 incident where a Norwegian flight was forced to divert due to signal interference. The problem is exacerbated by cheap, accessible jamming technology, leading to civilian misuse—lik...
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