Rocket Lab today announces a new customer contract with Spaceflight, the launch services and mission management provider. Spaceflight has purchased an Electron rocket to increase the frequency of its dedicated rideshare missions.
Dedicated rideshare for smallsats is a launch where several payloads share the same vehicle to a specific destination. An an entirely carbon-composite vehicle, designed to carry payloads of 225kg to an elliptical orbit and up to 150kg to a nominal 500km sun synchronous low earth orbit, the Electron is ideal for dedicated rideshare missions. It is especially suited to those serving difficult-to-come-by launch destinations, such as mid-inclination orbits for remote sensing satellites.
Curt Blake, President of Spaceflight’s launch business, said, “There are numerous rideshare launches each year to Sun Synchronous Orbit, but getting to 45 to 60 degrees is hard to find, and can cost the equivalent of buying an entire rocket. We are thrilled to be working with Rocket Lab to enable our customers’ remote sensing missions that require high revisit time over North America, Europe, and the Middle East.”
Peter Beck, Rocket Lab CEO, added, “We are incredibly excited about the upcoming test launch of the Electron, which will take us one step closer towards the commercial phase of our program. We are delighted that Spaceflight has chosen to sign up as a customer ahead of testing, reflecting confidence in Electron and its ability to provide frequent launch opportunities to low Earth orbit.”
| A Rocket Lab release || May 18, 2017 |||
Balex Marine, the automatic boat loader maker, has been washed away after the high cost of manufacturing and slow sales saw the Tauranga-based company burn through the crowdfunded $330,000 it raised last October.
BDO's Kenneth Brown and Paul Manning were appointed liquidators of Balex and sister company Suelex on May 1 after events conspired to drain the companies coffers without an immediate lifeline. Balex raised $330,000 through 80 investments via equity crowdfunder Snowball Effect in October, just above its minimum target. However, Brown and Manning's first report says that was $700,000 below target, leaving it in a tight cash position until the end of March 2017 and prompting Balex's board to search for a new investor willing to inject between $2 million and $5 million.
The failure is the first by a company that's used Snowball's platform to raise funds, and while Snowball chief executive Simeon Burnett says it was surprising and disappointing how quickly liquidators were appointed after the capital raising, there were a number of "good reference points" such as the shareholdings of directors and management and the company's earlier funding rounds.
"Is there anything we would have done differently? Probably not," Burnett said. "Directors are responsible for the information they put out. The reference points were there and we got to the point of comfort and were clearly there for a number of investors as well."
Balex's local sales of its boat loader started in March 2016, six months later than scheduled due to design and manufacturing problems, and it later branched out into Australia, the UK and Europe and had planned to push into North Amerca this year.
Before hitting up the crowd, Balex had already raised $2.2 million since it was set up in 2013, with research, development and manufacturing needing "significant capital investment", the liquidators said. Its tight cash position got even worse through the tail end of last year with poor sales in New Zealand and Australia, the cancellation of a $180,000 order from a new Korean distributor, delays in European sales after the UK's vote to quit the European Union and limited opportunities to cut production costs in the foreseeable future.
The liquidators said Balex was spending about $100,000 a month, couldn't extend its funding line with Kiwibank and had no leads for a new investor by late January this year.
At that stage, the directors looked for a buyer of the business after seeking advice on the firm's financial position, and while there were a number of interested parties who got in touch, a deal hadn't been done by late April and the directors recommended a voluntary liquidation.
"The liquidators intend to advertise the business for sale and contact previously interested parties with the hope the business might sell and continue to market the product it has development," the report said. Due to the previous level of interest, the liquidators are hopeful a sale will be achieved."
BDO's Manning said the buyer interest had come from both domestic and international parties.
Balex's shareholders include managing director Paul Symes, Tauranga-based investor group Enterprise Angels, the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund's Seed Capital Investment Fund, and Auckland investors Ice Angels.
The liquidators didn't disclose the total amount owing or the value of group's assets. Balex had 28 creditors as at May 1. Suelex, which held the intellectual property, had two creditors. Of those, there were five secured creditors including Kiwibank. Callaghan Innovation had previously provided Balex a research grant and wasn't among the company's creditors.
| A Business Desk release || May 16, 2017 |||
A collaboration by scientists who drilled nearly 900 metres into the South Island’s Alpine Fault has revealed surprisingly high temperatures and the potential for large geothermal resources in the area.
The site was drilled by a team of more than 100 scientists from 12 countries, who were working to understand how earthquakes occur on geological faults.
The team identified the Whataroa site as the best place in the world to understand what a fault looks, feels, and sounds like just before an earthquake occurs. The Alpine Fault is known to rupture in magnitude 8 earthquakes approximately every 300 years, plus or minus 90 years.
The results of the project, published today in prestigious international journal Nature, discuss the site’s geothermal gradient—a measure of how fast the temperature increases going deeper beneath the Earth's surface.
The project team discovered water at 630 metres depth that was hot enough to boil. Similar geothermal temperatures are normally found at depths greater than three kilometres.
Lead scientist Victoria University’s Professor Rupert Sutherland says the geothermal conditions discovered are extreme by global standards and comparable to those in major volcanic centres like Taupo—but there are no volcanoes in Westland.
“The geothermal environment is created by a combination of tectonic movement and groundwater flow. Slippage during earthquakes has uplifted hot rocks from about 30 kilometres deep, and the rocks are coming up so fast that they don't get a chance to cool properly.
“Earthquakes fracture the rocks so extensively that water is able to infiltrate deep beneath the mountains and heat becomes concentrated in upwelling geothermal fluids beneath valleys. River gravels that are flushed by abundant West Coast rain and snow dilute this geothermal activity before it reaches the surface.
"Nobody on our team, or any of the scientists who reviewed our plans, predicted that it would be so hot down there. This geothermal activity may sound alarming but it is a wonderful scientific finding that could be commercially very significant for New Zealand."
The discovery could transform the economy and resilience of Westland, and provide a significant and sustainable clean energy resource that could be developed using local people and equipment, says Warren Gilbertson, Chief Operating Officer of Development West Coast.
"The location of geothermal activity and its possible benefit and association to the dairy and tourism sectors provide real opportunities from an economic perspective.”
It is still too early to say just how big and how hot the geothermal resource might be, says Professor Sutherland, and additional exploration and drilling will be needed to assess the economic potential.
Novel technologies were used to gather the data, including precise temperature and seismic measurements that were made using lasers and a fibre-optic cable installed in the borehole. Ongoing work, supported by the Marsden Fund managed by the Royal Society of New Zealand and led by Professor Neil Broderick from the University of Auckland, aims to develop these technologies and use the existing borehole to monitor subtle changes and search for new earthquake-related phenomena over coming years.
Overall, the Deep Fault Drilling Project fell short of achieving all of its technical goals as the fractured and strongly-layered rocks and extremely hot temperatures provided engineering challenges.
However, many scientific measurements were made and the borehole continues to provide interesting data, says Victoria’s Professor John Townend, a co-leader of the project.
"In scientific research, unexpected is just another word for really interesting. The findings reinforce the need for the international science community to better understand conditions that prevail around earthquake-generating geological faults."
| A Victoria University of Wellington release || May 18, 2017 |||
Prime Minister Bill English and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated their commitment to the Trans-Pacific-Partnership (TPP) in a meeting in Tokyo today.
“Both New Zealand and Japan remain committed to seeing the TPP Agreement come into force, while at the same time ensuring there are opportunities for other economies to join,” Mr English says.
“The TPP remains valuable both economically and strategically for New Zealand. It will improve access for our exporters and lower tariffs around the Asia-Pacific.”
Mr English and Prime Minister Abe also discussed a number of key bilateral issues, and shared their concerns on regional and international issues including North Korea, and the threat of international terrorism.
“We value Japan’s views on these issues,” Mr English says. “Japan and New Zealand are close friends and have partnerships in a number of areas including trade and investment, science and technology and security and defence.
“Today we agreed that renewable energy and agriculture will be two areas which we will focus on in the next few years,” Mr English says.
“Sport will also feature with Japan set to host Rugby World Cup in 2019, the Olympics and Paralympic Games in 2020 and the World Masters’ Games in 2021.
“I was pleased to announce that the All Blacks will play a test in Japan in November 2018,” Mr English says.
Mr English was accompanied on his visit to Japan by Minister of Trade Todd McClay, and a delegation of senior business leaders.
Japan is New Zealand’s fifth largest trading partner, with two-way trade totalling over $7 billion, and the fifth largest source of foreign investment. Over 100,000 Japanese visit New Zealand each year, including nearly 10,000 students.
“My visit recognises the strength of our long-standing relationship, and the important role that Japan plays in our region,” says Mr English.
| A Beehive release || May 18, 2017 |||
1. Prime Minister of New Zealand the Right Honourable Bill English and Prime Minister of Japan His Excellency Shinzo Abe held a productive meeting in Tokyo on 17th May 2017. The two leaders reiterated the Strategic Cooperative Partnership between New Zealand and Japan founded on common values, such as freedom, democracy, rule of law and human rights, as well as a strong commitment to peace and security, free trade and investment, and sustainable development.
2. The two leaders acknowledged the success and maturity of New Zealand –Japan relationship at all levels, reflecting strong cooperation over many years.
3. The two leaders reiterated their firm commitment to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Prime Minister Abe welcomed New Zealand’s recent ratification of the TPP Agreement, alongside Japan. The two leaders appreciated the value of the TPP in enhancing high-standard regional trade rules and architecture, and contributing to growth, competition, innovation, and productivity that creates jobs and lower costs to consumers, as well as its strategic benefits. The two leaders affirmed the importance of close cooperation in realising TPP’s strategic and economic benefits and remain committed to maintaining the unity among the signatories and early entry into force of the TPP Agreement, whilst bearing in mind opportunities for other economies to join if they accept the high standards of the TPP. They also confirmed that New Zealand and Japan continue to work together on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement negotiations to achieve a high-quality agreement, covering trade in goods, trade in services, and investment as well as rules such as trade facilitation, rules of origin, e-commerce, intellectual property and government procurement, reaffirming the RCEP Guiding Principles and the Joint Statements by RCEP Leaders. They shared the view that ambitious, comprehensive, balanced, and high-standard TPP and RCEP outcomes would contribute positively to the shared goal of regional economic integration.
4. The two leaders condemned in the strongest terms North Korea’s nuclear tests, repeated ballistic missile launches and proliferation activities. They strongly urged North Korea to cease its destabilising and provocative actions immediately and to fully comply with its international obligations and commitments, including those under relevant United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions. The two leaders welcomed the unanimous adoption of UN Security Council resolution 2321 and emphasised the importance of enhancing pressure on North Korea through full, thorough and sustained implementation by Member States of all relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including Resolutions 2270 and 2321. The two leaders strongly urged North Korea to resolve the abductions issue at the earliest time.
5. The two leaders underlined the importance of ensuring a stable, free and open rules-based order and of enhancing connectivity in our region and beyond. They confirmed that New Zealand and Japan will continue to work proactively in this regard, together with other like-minded partners. Prime Minister English appreciated the briefing by Prime Minister Abe on Japan’s “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy” and welcomed Japan’s greater engagement in the region.
6. The two leaders also re-emphasised the importance of upholding the rules-based regional and international order in the maritime domain, and called on all states to respect freedom of navigation and overflight, and unimpeded trade. They reaffirmed that any issues in the maritime domain should be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law and expressed their strong opposition to any use of force or actions that could increase tensions.
7. In this regard, the two leaders expressed concern over the situation in the South China Sea and called on the parties to settle disputes by peaceful means in accordance with United NationsConventions on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and in light of the award rendered by the Arbitral Tribunal on 12 July 2016. They called on all parties to uphold freedom of navigation and overflight and ensure unimpeded trade while avoiding provocative actions that could increase tensions and erode regional trust and confidence, including land reclamation, building of outposts, construction and militarisation.
8. The two leaders encouraged early finalisation of an effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) and full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in its entirety.
9. The two leaders welcomed the contribution of the East Asia Summit (EAS) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) as important elements of regional architecture that promote stability and prosperity and advance regional economic integration. Japan welcomed New Zealand’s hosting of APEC in 2021.
10. Recognising the unique and complex challenges in the Pacific region, the two leaders emphasised the importance of cooperation between Japan, New Zealand, and the Pacific island countries to build economic and environmental resilience and maintain regional peace and stability. The two leaders committed to continue practical cooperation and policy consultation.
11. The two leaders acknowledged the commitment to develop the security and defence relationship following the signing of a Memorandum of Intent on Defence Cooperation in 2013. They welcomed recent concrete progress on the unit-to-unit exchanges and underscored the importance to seek further exchange and cooperation opportunities. They encouraged their officials to continue work on a possible acquisition and cross-servicing agreement (ACSA) between the two countries.
12. The two leaders encouraged stronger business linkages between Japan and New Zealand in areas of complementary strengths. They reaffirmed the importance of strengthening the partnership in food and agriculture between the two countries, and a shared commitment to food quality and safety. They welcomed the recent growth in research and commercialisation partnerships in functional food, elderly care technologies, agri-business, and geothermal energy. The two leaders welcomed the ongoing discussion between their officials to explore a Japan-New Zealand partnership on renewable energy. Prime Minister English welcomed Japan’s upcoming role as Chair of the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (GRA). The two leaders instructed their officials to resume Joint Economic Consultations.
13. The two leaders welcomed enhanced bilateral cooperation in sport, culture and people-to- people linkages. They stated their intention to cooperate for the success of the Rugby World Cup 2019, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the World Masters Games 2021 to be hosted by Japan. They appreciated both initiatives; “Sport for Tomorrow” and “Game on English”. They also welcomed the signing of the bilateral Memorandum of Cooperation between the Japan Sports Agency and the Sport New Zealand. The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of sister city exchanges for promoting mutual understanding especially among young people.
14. With their past experiences of natural disasters in both countries, including great earthquakes, the two leaders shared the intention that both sides will seek further opportunities to work together to enhance recovery and resilience in the region.
15. The two leaders reaffirmed that Japan and New Zealand would continue to work closely together on global issues such as security, disarmament and non-proliferation, human rights, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, climate change, the UN Security Council reform, based on their shared commitment to common democratic values, peace and security, free trade and investment, and international law. "The information contained in this email message is intended only for the addressee and is not necessarily the official view or communication of the Ministry. It may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose, copy or distribute this message or the information in it as this may be unlawful. If you have received this message in error, please email or telephone the sender immediately."
Bill EnglishPrime Minister
| A Beehive rrelease || May 18, 2017 |||
Ξ NZManufacturer May 2017 Issue
Ξ Cadbury expands Hobart factory
Ξ Multiple complaints against engineering firm
Ξ Rakon full-year loss widens on 16% sales drop, impairment of Indian JV
Ξ Ngati Whatua wants to buy Ports of Auckland
Ξ Joyce's rocket: taxpayers should be allowed to see what they paid for
KiwiRail has moved to secure the future of the Cook Strait link by purchasing the Interislander ferry Kaitaki, the largest domestic passenger ferry operating in New Zealand. The ship had previously been leased.
“The Interislander fleet is the extension of SH1 across Cook Strait. Our ships are vital for tourism, and an important piece of the integrated transport network for freight, with road and rail working together to help drive New Zealand’s growth,” KiwiRail Chief Executive Peter Reidy says.
“We make up to 4000 sailings a year.
“Last financial year KiwiRail’s Interislander ferries carried more than 1 million net tonnes of freight, 83,000 commercial vehicles and 800,000 passengers.
“The ability to move large numbers of passengers across the strait is critical for KiwiRail’s tourism business, and for New Zealand’s tourism industry, which is the country’s largest earner of overseas funds.
“Nearly 190,000 people are directly employed in the tourism sector.
“Ensuring visitors are able to travel between the North Island and the South Island easily makes sure that the benefits – and the jobs – are spread through the country.
“The Kaitaki can carry up to 1350 passengers, more than the Aratere and the Kaiarahi combined.
“The ship had been leased from Irish Ferries, based in Dublin, but with the lease due to run out in 2020 there was no certainty that the ship would be available after that.
“There is a world-wide shortage of suitable secondhand ferries and heavy competition for those ships that are available, so the best option was to take up the opportunity to purchase the ferry.
“Interislander leased the Kaitaki in 2005, and it has proved itself on what can be a challenging route.
“KiwiRail has been working with the port companies to look at long-term plans for ships and terminals and this decision means that we have the time to make sure we get the best possible solution. Getting this right is important for both KiwiRail and New Zealand.
“Passengers and freight customers will not notice any change as a result of the purchase. The only difference is that the ship will be registered in New Zealand instead of Portsmouth.
“The Interislander team is dedicated to providing the very best of service both to our passengers and to those shipping freight across the strait. This purchase is an important part of doing that,” says Mr Reidy.
| A KIWI Rail release || May 17,2017 |||
Dematic has launched a new product in its ColbyRACK range that increases safety for forklift operators removing pallets from high storage levels in warehouses and distribution centres.
The new Retrofit Pallet Guide was designed by Dematic’s structural engineering specialists after calls from its customers, including a major retailer and 3PL, for a tool that would minimise incidents where pallets and cartons fall from heights.
The product is primarily intended for retrofitting pallet guides to single deep selective racking. While the use of pallet guides is common in double deep racking, they have rarely been used in single deep racking. However, their potential safety benefits are starting to be recognised, because pallet guides provide a visual cue that encourages forklift operators to slow down and align pallets more accurately.
The new Colby Retrofit Pallet Guide can be installed onto existing selective racking beams, avoiding the expense and inconvenience of changing over to new, cleated beams. The pallet guides are also a simple option for storing European pallets on Australian racking, and can be relocated within a warehouse as storage needs change.
“Worker safety is becoming more important for Australian businesses, particularly those that operate busy facilities with pickers and forklifts in close proximity,” said Dr Paul Berry, senior structural engineer at Dematic.
| A Dematic release || May 17,2017 |||
Qantas Freight has entered into a one year agreement with Sai Cheng Logistics International (Sai Cheng) to fly airmail weekly out of China to the United States.
Sai Cheng is a joint venture company between Australia Post and China Post, which provides an integrated logistics solution for Chinese customers to overseas markets including Australia, New Zealand, Asia, the US, Europe and South America. The new agreement builds on the longstanding Australia Post and Qantas relationship, which includes contracts for the transport of Australianinternational outbound mail as well as a dedicated domestic air freighter network.
The airmail from China Post will be airlifted from China Post’s hubs of Shanghai and Hong Kong to various points in the United States by Qantas Freight using our Boeing 747-400 freighter network from Shanghai and our belly capacity out of Hong Kong via Australia. Qantas Freight currently operates four freighter services per week from Shanghai to the USA, including stops in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago and Dallas Fort Worth.
Executive Manager Qantas Freight, Catering and Australia Airports, Alison Webster said the airline was excited to be working with Sai Cheng.
“We’ve been flying freight between China and the US for the past 14 years with a triangular freighter route that operates four times per week between Australia – China – the US – Australia.
“The variety of freight we carry on this freighter network is extensive – including medical equipment, fresh produce, online shopping, mining equipment, racehorses and even the occasional helicopter.
“The uplift of China Post airmail is a welcome addition to our network and reinforces that the routing we operate is aligned to our customer needs,” said Ms Webster.
General Manager of Sai Cheng Jonathan Qiao said he was really pleased to be partnering with Qantas Freight.
“We collect more than fifty tonnes of airmail each week across China bound for the US. Our customers seek a fast and reliable service and Qantas’ service frequency and freight network to the US allows us to deliver just that.
“With thirteen warehouses spread across eight cities in China, this partnership will strengthen our growing network, connecting Chinese consumers with the world.”
| A Cargo Trends release || May 17, 2017 |||
Chemistry has allowed humans to create a myriad of new inventions and improve on innumerable existing ones. Through research, we've created synthetic materials that are stronger than the metals we've used for centuries. One synthetic fiber invented in the last several decades is being implemented into many protective gear and vehicles because of its sheer strength and durability. Militaries, law enforcement and civilian industries are using the synthetic fiber called Dyneema to protect lives and equipment.
Dyneema is a high-strength synthetic fiber that is capable of protecting an individual or vehicle from threats like an improvised explosive device (IED) or shots from an AK47 [source: Dyneema ]. If you took a block of Dyneema and block of steel, on a weight-for-weight basis the block of Dyneema would be 15 times stronger than the steel block [source: Dyneema]. The lightweight fiber is strong and moldable, yet it can withstand significant explosions and extreme weather conditions. There are other synthetic fibers similar in characteristics, like Kevlar, but only Dyneema is trademarked as the world's strongest fiber [source: Dyneema].
By 2018, high-performance carbon-fiber bike builders will be useing Dyneema to build revolutionary frames that are stronger, lighter, and more impact resistant than ever before. The applications are limitless for a product that has Green attached to it's name.
| A How Stuff Works release || May 17,2017 |||
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242