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The CEZERİ Flying Car, developed by Baykar as the ‘transportation concept of the future’, is designed to reduce traffic congestion in urban transportation, minimize the time spent in traffic, and reduce air pollution caused by transportation. Further, the CEZERI’s characteristic design is optimized to reduce traffic accidents, provide a faster cargo transportation service, and respond quickly to the urgent needs of health institutions (blood, organ transport, etc.).

Photo Credit // defenceturk

Unveiled at Teknofest in 2019, the original CEZERI prototype is one seater quadcopter with a target flight ceiling of 2000 meters and a maximum speed of 100 kph. The craft’s name is inspired by Ismail al-Jazari, a renowned Muslim engineer who lived between 1136 and 1206. The company already produces drones for both armed and non-armed forces as well as control systems, simulators, and avionics systems.

Since 2019’s Teknofest, Baykar Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems  has executed various flight test sorties with its prototype. Just following CEZERI’s first successful hover test in September of 2020, Baykar Chief Technology Officer Selcuk Bayraktar claimed that “we will make more advanced prototypes in the upcoming process, and perform flights with a human [on board].”

The Cezeri flying car was on display at Teknofest in Turkey, from Sept. 17-22, 2019

The latest iteration of the CEZERI is designed to be flown with minimum technical and aviation knowledge and high-level security. As safety has also been highly prioritized in its design, the flight deck is equipped with a joystick, altitude control lever, touch command screen, two physical buttons (Emergency In, Stop) and two switches (Engine Battery Switch, Avionic System Switch). The aircraft is powered by rechargeable batteries with 8 electric motors and propellers and flies under 100% electric power, all while featuring a three-times redundant intelligent flight system. As battery technology improves, Baykar strives to achieve a maximum range of 70 km.

Why it’s important: According to Baykar, within the scope of urban air transportation, the prototype is aimed to give life to the reliable passenger and cargo transportation ecosystem that covers city centers and suburbs. In addition, studies are underway to be used for logistic support in the health sector and military fields. Progress continues to be made on the development of the CEZERI air taxi, yet it appears that regulatory and certification discussions have not been initiated. If Baykar proceeds with manufacturing a certifiable vehicle in Turkey, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation will likely be tasked with establishing new guidelines for safe operational protocols as are currently under development by larger regulators including the FAA and EASA.

Pipistrel, the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of multiple commercially-available electric aircraft, has now launched a maintenance school exclusively for electric aircraft.

Pipistrel conducts its first electric aircraft maintenance training session.

Pipistrel has been creating electric aircraft for several years already. In fact, they are a market leader for electric aircraft, having already broken world records for distance and performance. In addition to producing all-electric trainer and recreational aircraft, the company has certified its aviation electric motor, worked on developing electric aviation charging infrastructure, partnered with Uber Elevate for its air taxi project, and even begun taking orders for its Nuuva V300 cargo eVTOL.

Now, Pipistrel has further extended its reach into the electric aviation industry by founding the world’s first school for electric aircraft maintenance. The course is five days long, and designed for traditional aircraft mechanics who wish to expand their expertise. Pipistrel’s goal with this program is to train technicians who can then bring their knowledge to other parts of the world where electric aircraft like the Pipistrel Velis Electro and electric VTOL aircraft may soon become more common.

Students in Pipistrel’s new program learn to work on an electric motor.

Pipistrel said in a press release, “Organizing a seminar of this kind is a great achievement and honor for Pipistrel. The road to this point was very long and required cooperation of many individuals and institutions.” The company has already conducted two courses with a third slated for February.

Why it’s important: As electric aircraft become more prevalent, and the age of urban eVTOL aircraft begins to emerge, experts in maintaining and repairing electric air vehicles and their components will become increasingly valuable and sought after. By launching this school now, Pipistrel will put itself ahead of the game for providing electric aircraft maintenance expertise and training.

Source // AVWeb

Volocopter announced on January 15th that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has accepted their application for concurrent Type Certificate validation which they submitted earlier in December. This sets the basis for Volocopter to bring their electric air taxi services to the American market.

Volocopter is the first and only electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) company in the world with Design Organization Approval (DOA), which gives them license to develop and build certified aircraft from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The company is currently in the process of receiving EASA Type Certification for their multi passenger VoloCity aircraft, and is now concurrently seeking FAA approval to enter the U.S. market with its EASA type certificate in order to accelerate its worldwide expansion.

Volocopter stated in a press release that they’re focused on promoting seamless, 100% electric mobility within congested cities, and have engaged in partnerships with Singapore, Paris, and Dubai as global pioneer cities for the aerial mobility industry.

Volocopter’s Initial 2X Prototype (depicted) was replaced with the next design iteration, the VoloCity, the company’s prime aircraft for future air taxi use. Image // Volocopter

“By focusing on a collaborative approach to success, we are bringing excellence, expertise, and experience to the table together with our partners, and with that, we are leading the way to bring urban air mobility to life in cities around the globe,” said Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter. He added that certification was a primary consideration for Volocopter while creating their aircraft, and that design considerations took into account requirements of certification. Ideally, this will allow a quicker timeline to certification once flight testing and data collection efforts become required.

The VoloCity, Volocopter’s electric air taxi, is designed to meet the highest aircraft safety standards and features the lowest noise development in the industry. Volocopter developed the VoloCity specifically to meet growing demand for better intra-city mobility in large cities like Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. among others. Volocopter added that these types of aircraft would promote job creation in deployment cities and that the ultimate target is on-demand air taxi services that are of comparable costs to a traditional taxi.

The Volocopter VoloCity, which will be Volocopter’s featured aircraft for air taxi use.

Volocopter is currently working with EASA on certification for commercial launch planned in the next 2-3 years. When Volocopter receives type certification approval from EASA, immediately followed by the FAA validation in this timeframe, they will be positioned to enter the electric air taxi market and pave the way for the UAM industry to expand services globally.

Another component of this certification announcement from the FAA is the availability of concurrent type certificate validation. Concurrent type certification validation allows Volocopter to show compliance to their regulatory governing board, EASA, whereby the FAA would then claim concurrent credit for these activities. What’s not known is how the FAA will either honor or create additional requirements to the Special Conditions for eVTOL certification that EASA has created, given VoloCity will be an aircraft of novel configuration without an similar comparator that has previously been certified.

Why it’s important: The FAA’s agreement to allow for concurrent type certificate validation reduces a huge amount of certification workload for Volocopter and will pave the way towards an FAA certified aircraft in the coming years. The industry should now expect many European eVTOL makers to follow a similar path, though EASA concurrent type certification of FAA natively certified aircraft has not yet come to fruition.

Jaunt Air Mobility and Walle announced that they have formed a partnership to provide advanced aerial mobility transit services in Italy. Furthermore, Walle plans to implement and operate this service by 2026, focusing on routes within 50 km. 

“Walle is a perfect strategic partner; our mission at Jaunt is to produce the safest and most efficient eVTOL on the market and work with operators around the world,” says Martin Peryea, CEO of Jaunt Air Mobility. “We feel confident in our ability to commercialize our aircraft by 2026. The unique configuration of combining a fixed-wing airplane and single slow-rotor technology gives us revolutionary performance and the highest level of safety amongst all the eVTOL contenders.”

Currently, Walle is working with the regulatory authorities and mapping out its first key routes for their aerial mobility service, including a route from Milan Airport to the city center of Milan, as well as one connecting the Port of Naples to Capri’s Island. Walle will also intends on providing their services for the Milano Cortina XXV Winter Olympics in 2026. 

Photograph: Jaunt Air Mobility

“Our goal is to change the future of mobility,” says Domenico Gagliardi, founder and CEO of Walle. “Italy, as in much of Europe, is challenged by the time it takes to travel from outside a city to an urban center, often costing two or more hours one way, and the problem is only growing. ‘Going Vertical’, – to the sky is the obvious answer. We believe the Jaunt Journey by Jaunt Air Mobility offers a solution that meets with our core values of providing a safe, comfortable, and ultra-quiet ride for passengers.”

“We see business travelers and tourists utilizing our services. Our focus is entirely on the customer experience and, we believe safety will be a key in the adoption of this form of transit. Because Jaunt offers patented safety features and the ability to meet commercial, regulatory requirements, success is just around the corner,” stated Marco Pugliese, COO at Walle.

Why it’s important: Walle Mobility is the first Italian startup focused on the aerial mobility market. By partnering with Jaunt Air Mobility, both companies gain a competitive advantage in their respective markets. 

Source // Jaunt Air Mobility and Walle Mobility Press Release

GM has announced its entry into the aerial mobility space at this year’s CES conference highlighting the latest in consumer technology. The prototype was unveiled at GM’s Exhibit Zero.

Source: General Motors

GM stated the vehicle will be Cadillac-branded and will feature a four-rotor design offering speeds up to 56mph and powered by a 90-kWh battery. While no significant project timelines nor technical details were unveiled at this week’s conference, GM joins the likes of Fiat-Chrysler which also announced a partnership this week to develop an eVTOL vehicle.

As EV platforms evolve and become commonplace in society, GM sees eVTOL as the next logical step in revolutionizing transportation. Over the next several years, GM will be investing heavily into its Ultium EV hardware program. Early applications will focus on revolutionizing the automotive industry and providing EV’s for a wide variety of customers’ needs.

The preliminary prototype appears to be 1-passenger configuration, although the company hinted at future models which can hold an additional passenger. Both models would likely be autonomous, not requiring any pilot inputs by passengers. Not much else is known about the prototype or when it can be expected to take flight.

Why it matters: GM joins the ranks of automakers piling into aerial mobility either through direct investments/programs or financial backing of existing eVTOL makers. Advancements in electric vehicle technologies such as unit costs and energy density are disrupting the automotive industry and it will be only a matter of time before these technologies enable commercial aerial mobility services. The continual buy-in for an aerial mobility focused world by bluechip companies will certainly reduce the barriers to making UAM a reality.

Source: CNET.com

EHang Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: EH) , a leading autonomous aerial vehicle (“AAV”) technology platform company, has announced strategic partnerships with Zhuhai Da Heng Qin Pan-Tourism Development Co., Ltd., Zhuhai Huafa Sports Operations Management Co., Ltd. and Flying World (Zhuhai) Technology Co., Ltd. to jointly initiate Urban Air Mobility (“UAM”) operations for aerial sightseeing and other air mobility services in the Hengqin New Area, the largest island and a Free Trade Zone in southeast Zhuhai in Guangdong Province of China. By establishing AAV experience centers and a suite of supporting service systems, EHang seeks to integrate its AAVs into the daily life of the local population.

The EHang 216 passenger AAV (Autonomous Aerial Vehicle)

During a signing ceremony held on January 8, a fleet of EHang 216 AAVs made passenger-carrying flights in Tianqin Park in Hengqin. The flights were observed by local government officials, enterprise representatives, media outlets, and local residents. A total of 36 passengers flew in the autonomous EHang 216, enjoying safe and comfortable aerial sightseeing trips. Through this event, EHang fully demonstrated its cutting-edge technology for the centralized management of multiple simultaneous flights of AAVs in distributed operations under command-and-control systems.

Li Weihui, Deputy Secretary of the Hengqin New Area, said, “We warmly welcome the arrival of EHang passenger-grade AAVs to Hengqin. We believe this new style of intelligent air mobility will have more and better uses and will flourish in our beautiful Hengqin.”

Resting on the west bank of the Pearl River estuary, the Hengqin New Area is regarded as the core of Pearl River Delta and boasts a unique geographical location adjacent to Hong Kong and Macau. With an advantageous geographical location, pleasant natural scenery, and rich tourism resources, it boasts favorable conditions and market demand for the development of short- and medium-haul urban air transportation. According to the Outline of the Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Overall Development Plan of Hengqin issued by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, Hengqin will become a demonstration area for in-depth cooperation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao and an international leisure and tourism destination suitable for living, working and travel, accelerating the integrated development of tourism in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Lu Ting, CEO of Flying World (Zhuhai) Technology Co., Ltd., commented, “We are excited to cooperate with EHang and other strategic partners. By leveraging EHang’s world’s leading AAV technology and strong support from local government, we see promising market development potential and are confident that we can integrate air mobility services into the leisure and tourism industry in Hengqin. We believe this effort can gradually expand across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to form synergistic operations and development.”

Watch the video of EHang 216 AAVs conducting passenger-carrying flights in Hengqin below:

Why it’s important: With this announcement, EHang furthers its trend as a trailblazer for aerial mobility initiatives in China and internationally. While EHang’s eventual goal is for these aircraft to be used for commuting, tourism represents a very high-potential immediate use case for these aircraft, since they are more economical, less impactful on the environment, and much quieter than helicopters, which currently service the tourism segment. Additionally, Hengqin is being added to a list of many cities in which EHang has already launched operations, helping them lay the groundwork for their vision of urban air transport throughout China and internationally.

Related: 

• EHang Launches Aerial Tourism Program with Greenland Hong Kong
• Linz, Austria to be added to List of EHang’s Pilot Cities
• EHang 216 Makes its Korean Debut

Source // EHang

Aircraft such as Airbus’ Zephyr serve as great examples of how avionics technology for experimental aircraft can be applied to aerial mobility.

The Zephyr is a solar-electric, stratospheric UAS, meaning that it can fly high enough to avoid most weather, but while staying in enough atmosphere to remain aloft from lift only. The aircraft relies on solar energy, and has a wingspan of 25m. Batteries charge during the day from solar panels integrated into the wings of the aircraft, which allow the aircraft to remain in flight for a staggering 25 days, 23 hours, and 57 minutes. Such an airplane requires extremely light and efficient components to enable such long endurance figures, and the Zephyr team needed to include a certifiable transponder, ADS-B, and GPS package that met global airspace requirements all while having a having minimal size, weight, and power consumption.

Paul Beard, Founder and CEO of uAvionix, characterized the integrated ADS-B and GPS system: “every gram and milliwatt has to earn its way onto the platform for customers like Zephyr. The combined weight of the ping200X transponder and truFYX GPS is only around 70 grams and consumes less than 2 Watts of power while providing high power (54dBm), high integrity transmissions of ADS-B and transponder mode data to Air Traffic Control (ATC) and nearby, suitably equipped aircraft.”

Visualization from uAvionix of their lightweight ADS-B receiver. 

UASweekly.com shared a summary of the contextual integration of this sort of avionics technology on their website recently: “Earlier this year, the FAA published its Upper Class E Traffic Management (ETM) Concept of Operations (CONOPS).  Operations in upper Class E airspace have historically been limited due to the challenges faced by conventional fixed-wing aircraft in reduced atmospheric density.  However, recent advances in power and propulsion technology, aircraft structures, flight automation, and aerodynamics have increased the number of vehicles like Zephyr that can operate in this environment.  The utilization of traditional aviation technologies such as ADS-B and Mode S transponders are a key component of this CONOPS to allow for interoperability with existing Air Traffic Control (ATC) infrastructure and Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) avionics.’

Why it’s important: Companies like uAvionix, which are producing incredibly lightweight, capable ADS-B and GPS technology, are poised to fare well for plug-and-play avionics applications to a portion of aerial mobility aircraft that are currently in development. Of special consideration in this instance are these devices’ relatively high level of functionality for just a few grams of weight. While some aerial mobility companies are vertically integrating their avionics tech, precedent shows that a portion of companies approaching majority will elect to utilize already certified and flightworthy avionics packages, such as those being developed by uAvionix.

BLADE Urban Air Mobility and fixed base operator Ross Aviation have entered into a strategic partnership to further the roll-out of urban air mobility services in certain areas. These regions will include areas where Ross Aviation and Blade operations overlap.

Passengers disembark a BLADE helicopter arriving in Manhattan

BLADE is a market leader in modern urban air mobility, having already created a large network of on-demand, by-the seat helicopter transportation options within many of the world’s major cities. By partnering with Ross Aviation, a nationwide operator of fixed base operation terminals at seventeen different airports, BLADE will launch a pilot program offering daily helicopter flights between Ross Aviation’s West Terminal at the Westchester County Airport and Blade heliport terminals in Manhattan to serve commuters from the Westchester/Connecticut area.

In addition, the two companies will create blueprints for an eVTOL vertiport located at the Westchester airport, as BLADE eventually plans to phase out its helicopter fleet in favor of eVTOL aircraft. The plans will include the infrastructure required to hangar, charge, stage and deploy eVTOLs.

Vision of an urban eVTOL Vertiport, created by Volocopter

According to Rob Wiesenthal, CEO of BLADE: “Even with the expected increase of remote working post-pandemic, we believe that intermittent commuting of one to two times per week between the suburbs and New York City will be a reality. Congestion on tri-state area roads is now estimated at 90% of pre-pandemic levels. Given the combination of being near Uber Black pricing at $175, and the time savings of an approximately 12-minute flight, this service makes sense today and over the long term.”

A passenger on a BLADE Urban Air Mobility flight

A recent press release detailed the companies’ plan to launch a pilot program offering daily helicopter flights between Ross Aviation’s West Terminal at the Westchester County Airport (the “Airport”) and Blade heliport terminals in Manhattan. “In 2019 alone, these commuters took more than 40 million trips commuting to and from New York City, the majority driving alone in a car for 1-2 hours in each direction.
Blade expects the five-day-per-week service to begin as early as March 2021, transforming that 1-2 hour drive into a 10-15 minute flight.” Blade also has plans to offer commuter passes in an effort to reduce the per seat cost to $95.

Why it’s important: The collaboration of these two companies represents the beginning of the transition from traditional urban travel to the advent of eVTOL. Through this partnership, BLADE will utilize Ross Aviation’s operator expertise to first introduce its helicopter fleet to commuting, and then eventually, its eVTOL fleet.

Related: 

• BLADE Urban Air Mobility To be Listed on NASDAQ
• BLADE Announces Charters at Operating Cost for those affected by COVID-19

The United States Air Force (USAF) has selected Metawave Corporation to provide next-generation radar solutions for eVTOL aircraft. 

SPEKTRA can detect obstacles and road features up to 300m ahead of a vehicle. Metawave seeks to add 3D capability and increased range for eVTOL platforms.

The contract was awarded as a part of the USAF’s Agility Prime initiative, which seeks to advance the development of enabling technologies required to realize eVTOL platforms by 2023. The initial phase of the study will identify and improve upon the company’s current radar offering, SPEKTRA, for aerial operations. 

SPEKTRA is a compact analog antenna system which has been successful in the automotive industry in providing a high precision/resolution radar platform out to 330 meters (1082 ft). The platform currently is used for functions including cruise control, lane change assist, and automated emergency braking. Metawave can upgrade SPEKTRA to enable precision eVTOL navigation and obstacle avoidance. 

In the first phase, Metawave will parter with Arizona State University to modify SPEKTRA for longer ranges and navigation in three-dimensional space. 

“Both the automotive and eVTOL markets require the highest level of precision delivered by SPEKTRA,” Achour said. “For both applications, the ability to reliably distinguish between several objects close together in all weather and light conditions is an important capability for all phases of transport, including flight. The most significant difference is the operational range of the radar.”

Following the completion of Phase One, Metawave will apply for a Phase Two contract to bring operational radar hardware to USAF personnel. The Phase Two effort will include a series of field tests of the proposed design array under a variety of varied situations and environments.

Why it matters: The USAF has already awarded $38M to several contractors building the infrastructure and technologies required to realize the future of aerial mobility. Metawave’s work in developing radar solutions for the automotive industry can be complemented on eVTOL platforms with upgrades in range and 3D capability. The ability to use radar as a means of close-range navigation and obstacle avoidance will also be key in enabling autonomous operations of eVTOL air-vehicles. Expect similar studies and investments to surface as aerial mobility moves closer to reality.

While aerial mobility identifies as an environmentally responsible solution to the intracity and short to medium range intercity transportation for the future, those most familiar with the industry will also commonly cite tertiary applications (such as emergency medical response and logistical applications) which are already in use. These secondary applications may not be as immediately evident as passenger air transport – but the uniqueness of their operational requirements has actually allowed for their prevalence to outpace that of commercial on demand air travel.

Six Ways Drones Are Revolutionizing Agriculture – MIT Technology Review

Consider the agriculture industry of today and 50 years ago – similar to the jet revolution following WWII, today’s modern farms employ GPS guided equipment throughout fields for harvesting, grating, and planting. Additionally, crop dusting aircraft effectively cover huge swaths of land in short periods of time thanks to the advent of commercial grade fertilizer application methods. Additionally, farming equipment, seed, and other items must be transported between adjacent fields, farms, or counties, with many trips (less that of a final harvest) being shorter than 50 miles.

Accordingly, aerial mobility is well poised to address the mixed use case of today’s commercial farming requirements, with transportation of lighter cargo loads and individual passengers as a unique operational case that could reduce total time required for such trips since they could be accomplished in conjunction. It’s likely that aerial mobility aircraft won’t completely address the heavy agriculture portion of the farming industry as the weight of goods transported is too high – but similar to the advent of the crop dusting aircraft years ago, accomplishing similar local to medium range (less than 100 mile) trips would be feasible.

Flight testing of the Astro Aerospace Elroy, which could have future use in agricultural applications.

Other considerations for agro-tech applications for aerial mobility include maintenance and operation hubs for such aircraft, as well as ownership schema. It’s likely that large commercial farming companies would purchase and operate aerial mobility aircraft on their own, but for smaller farming operations a collective ownership agreement may be the more likely route towards ownership. In such an arrangement, a commonly equipped aerial mobility aircraft could be leveraged by multiple farms to allow for on-demand uses, whether they be for passenger, cargo, or mixed transport. These ‘air taxis’ might also feature interchangeable interior configurations (similar to swappable batteries in aerial mobility aircraft that reduce charging time) to quickly and easily alter configuration from passenger carrying to mixed to cargo use.

Why it’s important: While drones and small unmanned aerial systems are becoming increasingly prevalent in commercial and larger scale agricultural operations, aerial mobility aircraft may emerge as a larger and even more environmentally friendly option within 10 years, especially if mixed configuration aircraft are available and smaller agricultural operations can leverage the benefits of fractional ownership. While current agricultural applications of eVTOLs are sparse just as GPS guided fertilization and harvesting machinery were 20 years ago, continuing improvements to their design will likely close the gap to make aerial mobility operations successful and valuable within commercial agriculture.

Together, the Japan Aerospace Exploratory Agency (JAXA) and major Japanese transportation company Yamato Holdings have created a standardized cargo pod to be used on eVTOL platforms within Japan. The two organizations have worked together in designing and evaluating the aerodynamic shape of the pod concept, which they have named the PUPA8801.

The Yamato Holdings Cargo Pod, shown here with modules being loaded onto a truck from an eVTOL.

The PUPA8801 is capable of carrying up to 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of cargo, which would make any multi-copter to carry it extremely competitive in the growing aerial logistics market. JAXA and Yamato created the pod to be as useful for intermodal travel as possible, which meant the unit had to be both aerodynamic for flight, and as rectangular as possible for efficiency of storage on a truck or other ground-based transportation. In addition, the unit had to be easily detachable and attachable to a wide variety of transportation options. For this, JAXA and Yamato took inspiration from years of experience in the existing intermodal transportation industry.

The PUPA8801 Cargo Pod had to be both aerodynamic for flight, and as rectangular as possible for storage on ground-based transportation.

This partnership is by no means JAXA or Japan’s first effort to promote aerial mobility. As early as 2018, Japan has been forming key partnerships, creating government summits, and writing important reports to help lay the groundwork for aerial mobility in the country’s future. Several major international companies have also either invested in aerial mobility in Japan or collaborated with the Japanese government, such as Uber, Subaru, Boeing, Bell, Volocopter, and more.

Why it’s important: Aerial mobility in Japan will eventually transition from small UAS package delivery to larger cargo delivery, and then from there to multi-copter passenger operations. By creating this cargo pod concept and many other aerial mobility initiatives, Japan indicates both its understanding of the industry, and its commitment to developing its future. Additionally, with this announcement, Yamato Holdings has begun to make a name for itself within aerial logistics, placing itself as a market provider for an important component of large UAS cargo delivery.

Related: 

• Flying Cars to come to Japan Within a Decade
• Japan’s Flying Car Team now includes Subaru, Boeing, and More
• XTI Aircraft Receives Japanese Patent for TriFan 600 eVTOL

Source // JAXA