MIT Museum/Book Store | née Boeing | 314 Main St. | Kendall Square

Equilibria said:
Boeing does a ton of different stuff - GE's issues cut to the heart of the company. Boeing's issues are pretty contained in the commercial airliner business. I don't know what they plan to house in Cambridge, but I doubt it's airliner development...
Click to expand...
It is primarily Aurora Flight Sciences, a Cambridge startup that Boeing acquired, working on projects related to autonomous flight.
 
Equilibria said:
Boeing does a ton of different stuff - GE's issues cut to the heart of the company. Boeing's issues are pretty contained in the commercial airliner business. I don't know what they plan to house in Cambridge, but I doubt it's airliner development...
Click to expand...
Equilib -- Boeing's Cambridge connection goes back many years to:
the MIT Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel
the Servomechanisms Lab @ MIT
and later to Doc Draper and the Instrumentation Lab [he flew the first inertially navigated flight across the country [Hanscom Field in Bedford to LA -- only the take off and landing was under human control) in a modified Boeing B-29 February 1953

SPIREinB29@510x642.jpg

SPIRE [2nd gen] being installed in B-29 @ Instrumentation Lab [Draper Lab] Flight Facility @ Hanscom]

{Doc Draper @ Eric Sevareid of CBS who accompanied the flight)
20110527150201-1_0.jpg


However -- the main reason for the Boeing @ MIT connection is that Boeing acquired Aurora Flight Sciences, an MIT initiated start-up working on autonomous drone aircraft with its R&D center located in Cambridge [Aurora HQ is in Manassas VA]

subsequent to acquiring Aurora and establishing it as an independent subsidiary -- Boeing and MIT decided to centralize a lot of the autonomous air vehicle R&D in Cambridge

Aurora_logo.png


Boeing, Aurora Break Ground on New Boeing Aerospace & Autonomy Center – Aurora Flight Sciences

www.aurora.aero www.aurora.aero
Boeing, Aurora Break Ground on New Boeing Aerospace & Autonomy Center
OCTOBER 9, 2018
Group-with-Shovels-Resized-800x400.jpg

100,000 square foot research facility will accelerate future mobility systems
Cambridge, MA, October 9, 2018 – Today, Boeing Chief Technology Officer Greg Hyslop and Aurora Flight Sciences President, Chief Executive Officer, and Founder John Langford joined MIT leaders, public officials, and students and residents of Kendall Square for the groundbreaking ceremony of 314 Main Street – the future home of the Boeing Aerospace & Autonomy Center.

The event took place during Greater Boston’s HUBweek, an annual ‘festival of the future’ that brings together attendees from around the world to celebrate leading ideas and innovations coming out of this region. Kendall Square – the most innovative square mile on the planet – served as the stage for this year’s 200+ events, including the groundbreaking of this new research facility.

“The mission of the Boeing Aerospace & Autonomy Center is to make autonomous flight a reality. We aim to make the future of travel safer and more efficient,” said John Langford, Aurora Flight Sciences Founder, CEO, and MIT alumnus. “By expanding Aurora’s 30-year relationship with MIT, and working with Boeing, we are creating a collaborative space where innovators across the globe will work together to define the next-century of air mobility.”

The new Boeing Aerospace & Autonomy Center advances the development of next-generation aircraft and the enabling technologies that allow for safe, autonomous flight. Boeing subsidiary, Aurora Flight Sciences, will operate the 100,000 square foot center. It will be located in a new 17-floor building in Kendall Square on the east side of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus. Currently, Aurora is working on aerospace autonomy at its existing research and development center in Kendall Square. Once complete, Boeing and Aurora engineers will move into the new facility in Cambridge, MA in 2020.

The investment in the new center follows the recent creation of Boeing NeXt. This new organization unites researchers and projects across the company to shape the future of travel and transport, including the development of a next-generation airspace management system to enable the safe coexistence of piloted and autonomous vehicles. Employees at the center will help develop new technologies in support of Boeing NeXt programs.
Click to expand...

New research and development facility brings together engineering teams to accelerate development of future mobility solutions
100,000 square foot facility scheduled to open in 2020

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced plans to open the new Boeing Aerospace & Autonomy Center in Cambridge, Mass., becoming the first major tenant of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) new mixed-use district in Kendall Square.

Under the agreement, Boeing will lease 100,000 square feet of research and lab space inside a new 17-floor building at 314 Main Street in Cambridge. The new center will house employees from Boeing and subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences, who will focus on designing, building and flying autonomous aircraft and developing enabling technologies.

The investment in the new center follows the recent creation of Boeing NeXt. This new organization unites researchers and projects across the company to shape the future of travel and transport, including the development of a next-generation airspace management system to enable the safe coexistence of piloted and autonomous vehicles. Employees at the center will help develop new technologies in support of Boeing NeXt programs.
“Boeing is leading the development of new autonomous vehicles and future transportation systems that will bring flight closer to home,” said Greg Hyslop, Boeing chief technology officer. “By investing in this new research facility, we are creating a hub where our engineers can collaborate with other Boeing engineers and research partners around the world and leverage the Cambridge innovation ecosystem.”
The construction of the new research facility is part of MIT’s broad strategy to foster vibrancy and diversity in Kendall Square, which is often referred to as the most innovative square mile in the world. Through its Kendall Square Initiative, the university will develop six buildings to house a blend of lab and research, office, housing and retail space.

“It’s fitting that Boeing will join the Kendall/MIT innovation family,” said MIT Provost Martin Schmidt. “Our research interests have been intertwined for over 100 years, and we’ve worked together to advance world-changing aerospace technologies and systems. MIT’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics is the oldest program of its kind in the United States, and excels at its mission of developing new air transportation concepts, autonomous systems and small satellites through an intensive focus on cutting-edge education and research. Boeing’s presence will create an unprecedented opportunity for new synergies in this industry.”

Employees from Aurora Flight Sciences’ existing research and development center in Kendall Square will move into the new center and operate it on behalf of Boeing once complete.

“Today, Aurora’s Kendall Square team is already building innovative autonomous systems,” said John Langford, Aurora Flight Sciences founder, chief executive officer and MIT alumnus. “By expanding Aurora’s 30-year relationship with MIT, and working with Boeing, we are creating a collaborative space where engineers, students and researchers can work together to create technologies that will define the next-century of air mobility.”
Financial terms of the new lease agreement and development of the new facility were not disclosed.
The new agreement builds on a century-long relationship between Boeing and MIT to advance aerospace innovation. Last year, the company announced its role as lead sponsor of an $18 million project to replace MIT’s Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The 747 has an upper deck. the 747-400 has an extended upper deck. The A-380 also has an upper deck, even longer than the one in the 747-400. The A-340s are gradually being retired.
 
Yup, all 4 engine planes are. Theyre speculating that most airlines are never going to put their a380s back in revenue service again after the virus goes away, because theyre sunning them down already anyways. Fun fact, most widebody jets can/will be converted to cargo after passenger service, the 747 was actually designed with this in mind so the whole first deck can hold cargo and the small upper deck holds the flight crew, the cargo 747s actually can open the nose and load through the front under the flight deck. The a380 though makes no sense as a cargo jet as the upper deck that is non flight deck/crew space is all wasted space and weight, so once theyre gone theyre gone.

Anyways I think thats enough of that. This is coming out wonderful and I never would have imagined this change taking place. Cant wait for google to close the canyon and volpe to close it on the other side. I wonder if all of this building will warm up Cambridge residents to taller buildings and maybe volpe will get a centerpiece in the 500-600ft range. Time will tell.
 
A lot of final stage action in progress (landscaping, sidewalks, window cleaning and lobby finishings). Also a company (catering?) was delivering a lot of chairs and a few tables when I walked by. Anyone hear of an opening date?

IMG_0989 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr

IMG_0993 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr

IMG_0995 by Bos Beeline, on Flickr
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top