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Articles on Airplanes

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Extreme heat can affect how well machines function, and the fact that many machines give off their own heat doesn’t help. AP Photo/Abdeljalil Bounhar

Machines can’t always take the heat − two engineers explain the physics behind how heat waves threaten everything from cars to computers

People aren’t the only ones harmed by heat waves. The hotter it gets, the harder it is for machines to keep their cool.
Iranian pilgrims pose for a selfie during the hajj pilgrimage in 2022. AP Photo/Amr Nabil

Technology remains at the heart of the hajj

The Saudi government is using digital technology to help the hajj run smoothly and safely – the latest updates in a 200-year history of technology and the hajj.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink satellites launches on Aug. 19, 2022. The Falcon 9 is a reusable rocket and its re-entry is controlled after launch, reducing debris. (Malcolm Denemark/Florida Today via AP)

Airplanes face a growing risk of being hit by uncontrolled re-entries of rockets used to launch satellites

Rockets used to launch satellites fall back to Earth, and as their number grows, the risk faced by people living on the ground — or flying in airplanes — increases.
Philip Myrtorp / Unsplash

What is air turbulence?

When something disrupts the smooth, laminar flow of high-altitude winds, your flight might get a little bumpy.
The FAA raised concerns that new, full-speed 5G cellphone services near airports could interfere with aircraft operations. Bernal Saborio/Flickr

How 5G puts airplanes at risk – an electrical engineer explains

Airplanes use radio waves to determine how far off the ground they are. New 5G cellphone services come close to the same frequencies the airplanes use. Here’s how that can be a problem.
The jet stream can have a big impact on how long a plane ride will last. Aeroprints via Wikimedia Commons

Why does it take longer to fly from east to west on an airplane?

When planes fly from east to west, they are flying against a river of air called a jet stream. These air currents can make your flight longer or shorter, depending on which way you are going.

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