Aero News : A Weekly Newsletter

एयरो यूसü : सााहक समाचारü

Vol. 15 No. 20 / जद 15 स.ं 20 Oct / अू बर 19 - 31, 2013

Coverage: Aerospace, Aeronautical Engineering, Aviation, Atmospheric and Space Sciences, S&T, NAL, CSIR आवृ वषय ेऽ : वांतर, वैमािनक, इंजिनयरंग, वमानन, वायुमंडलीय तथा अंतर वान, व व ूौ, एनएएल, सीएसआईआर

Sources: Newspapers, Journals, Internet, Institutional Newsletters, etc. ॐोत: समाचार-पऽ, पऽकाएंÓ, इंटरनेट, संःथागत समाचार-पऽ आद

Daily News: 2000 onwards, Web-based, Searchable using words in title, any word in text, keywords, etc. Archive by date retrospectively from 1995 (www.icast.org.in/news/newsclips.php) दैिनक समाचार : 2000 से आगे वेब-आधारत, शीष म ूयोग हो रहे खोजयोय शद, पाठ म कसी शद, मुय शद आद 1995 से पूव ूभावी तारख तक आरकाईव (www.icast.org.in/news/newsclips.php)

Weekly Newsletter: 2005 onwards, both in print form and online, News briefs with hyperlinks to full stories (www.icast.org.in/news/newsclips.php) सााहक समाचार ü ü: 2005 से आगे, मुित प तथा ऑनलाईन दोन म, पणू जानकार हेतु हाइपिलक के साथ समाचार संेप (www.icast.org.in/news/newsclips.php)

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Information Centre for Aerospace Science and Technology वांतर वान एवंü ूौोिगक सूचना क ि

National Aerospace Laboratories राीय वांतर ूयोगशालाएं NAL, INDIA HAL Airport Road, Kodihalli ISO 9001-2008 एचएएल एयरपोट रोड, कोडहली Bangalore/ बगलूर - 560 017

Contents / वषय - वःतु

¾ NAL / एनएएल 1 ¾ Defence Technology / रा ूौोिगक 5 ¾ Aerospace / वांतर 1 ¾ HAL / एचएएल 6 ¾ Aircraft / वायुयान 3 ¾ Helicopters / हेिलकाटर 7 - Unmanned / मानवरहत 4 ¾ ISRO / इसरो 7 ¾ Airlines / एयरलाइंस 4 ¾ Planetary Exploration / महय पूवण 9 ¾ Airshows / वायु ूदशनी 5

¾ Aviation / वमानन 5 -

™ NAL

• CMTI, NAL ink pacts The Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI) signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in order to strengthen existing Research and Development (R&D) work at the government‐ funded centre. The pact with CSIR‐National Aerospace Laboratories will focus on development and manufacturing of wind tunnel models for National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), which are essential in aero‐modelling or evolving designs of aeroplane launch vehicles. This MoU aims at developing indigenous product development capabilities for aerospace applications, and lowering cost and time taken for improving product design, a CMTI official said.

Hindu(20/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct20ha.pdf

™ Aerospace

• Aerospace facility of Mahindras goes on stream near Bangalore Mahindra Aerospace, a venture of the Mahindra Group, inaugurated its aerostructures facility at Narsapura, about 50 km from Bangalore. "The facility is aimed at positioning the Indian footprint in the global aero‐structures supply chain," said Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group. Mr. Mahindra also announced that Mahindra Aerospace had entered into a "strategic" technology partnership with the Spanish Tier‐I aero‐structures supplier, the Aernnova Group. Mr. Mahindra said the company had invested about Rs.150 crore in the facility, which could generate an initial turnover of Rs.200 crore per annum. The facility, spread over 25,000 sq. metres, will employ about 400 personnel. Gippsland is now developing a 10‐seater turboprop, targeting a launch in 2014. Also under development was a five‐ seater, in association with the National Aerospace Laboratories, Mr. Luthra said. It is also developing an 18‐seater turboprop at its Australian facility.

Hindu(22/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct22ha.pdf

• PPG Aerospace designs glass windshields, side cockpit windows for Dassault Falcon 5X business jet PPG Aerospace, a division of PPG Industries, has designed glass windshields and side cockpit windows for France's Dassault Falcon 5X business jet, which will cost $45 million and take its first flight in the first quarter of 2015. PPG Aerospace has a contract with Dassault Aviation to provide both production and spare windshields and cockpit windows for the company, said Mark Hood, PPG global market director for general aviation transparencies. "Dassault Aviation wanted curved glass transparencies having the

1 lightest weight possible, and our unique bending and materials expertise enabled us to propose designs exceeding their expectations," he said.

All Alabama(25/10/13) http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2013/10/ppg_aerospace_designs_innovati.html http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct25aa.pdf

• Solid Concepts 3-D Printed Components Take Flight Solid Concepts has produced multiple 3‐D printed components for aerospace applications that it is highlighting at NBAA 2013 (Booth No. N2011). The company, based in Valencia, Calif., provides rapid prototyping, digital manufacturing, tooling and injection molding to the aerospace, automotive, industrial design and medical industries. It has more than two decades of experience in 3‐D printing, or additive manufacturing technologies, producing parts from prototypes to production components by accurately "printing" layers of material until a 3 ‐D form is created.

AINonline(20/10/13) http://www.ainonline.com/aviation‐news/nbaa‐convention‐news/2013‐10‐20/solid‐concepts‐3‐d‐ printed‐components‐take‐flight http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct20ain.pdf

• Soundcoat Introduces New, Lightweight ML HY Soundfoam® for Aviation and Aerospace Industries Soundcoat is pleased to announce the launch of its newest product, Soundfoam ML HY, a light‐weight, flexible, open‐cell, Basotect G and UL based foam with excellent acoustic and thermal qualities. This new foam has been specifically developed for the aviation industry and is on the Boeing Qualified Product List (QPL), meeting the stringent BMS8‐385c (Grade 1 and 2, Type 1 and 6) standards. The primary use of Soundfoam ML HY is aviation acoustic and thermal insulation and soft interior padding. Current designs utilize glass‐fiber based acoustic and thermal products. These materials tend to settle over time from vibration and absorb moisture causing weight increases over the life of the aircraft. Soundfoam ML HY has hydrophobic/water repellent properties. The combination of low density and water resistance make it ideal for installation in aircraft reducing overall weight helping manufacturers deliver fuel efficiencies.

PRWeb(19/10/13) http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/10/prweb11243085.htm http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct19pr.pdf

• Weight Reduction and Space Savings in Wire and Cable Design and Their Contribution to Aerospace Like every other military and aerospace component, wire and cable is under increased scrutiny as engineers look for weight and space savings in their designs. This is particularly true given the increasing

2 amounts of data and coaxial cable needed to support advanced electronic systems. This white paper discusses how material and design innovations are resulting in smaller, lighter‐weight cables that meet exacting military and aerospace standards for electrical, mechanical and environmental performance, while also providing appreciable size and weight advantages over conventional cable designs. avionics Intelligence(19/10/13) http://www.avionics‐intelligence.com/whitepapers/2013/07/weight‐reduction‐and‐space‐savings‐in‐ wire‐and‐cable‐design‐and‐their‐contribution‐to‐aerospace‐design‐and‐operational‐ efficiency.html?adid=email http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct19ai.pdf

™ Aircraft

• Solar plane on a clean energy mission The Solar Impulse ‐ a revolutionary solar‐powered airplane that had completed its first cross‐country journey in the US in July ‐ will make New Delhi and Varanasi its landing and departing destinations in 2015 as part of its round‐the‐world mission. The Swiss‐made airplane, which had completed its US mission without using a drop of fossil fuel on board, aims to demonstrate the capabilities of clean technology and renewable energy. The move comes at a time when governments across the world are looking for alternatives to fossil fuel to not only fight the climate change menace by drastically cutting greenhouse gas emissions but also to pull themselves out of the vicious trap of oil economy.

Times of India(29/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct29ta.pdf

• No safety issues with Dreamliner, says Boeing Putting on a brave face amid a series of technical faults marring its showpiece product, Dreamliner, Boeing insisted that the aircraft has not created any safety issue for passengers. Even as the two aircraft bought by faced technical glitches in the past fortnight, Boeing said it will deliver the 10th of the 27 Dreamliners ‐ Boeing 787‐8 ‐ to the national carrier in the first week of November. Air India Express is also among the three targeted customers in India for its 737 MAX aircraft, Boeing's answer to rival Airbus' A‐320 New Engine Option. The B 737 MAX is expected to enter the service in 2017.

Deccan Herald(31/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct31db.pdf

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™ Aircraft-Unmanned

• Business Photography Takes the Aerial Route A project that began on a lark on a college campus has turned into a commercial venture for a team of three 22‐year‐old engineers. Intrigued by the idea of a small flying machine that could buzz around snapping photos, Aniket Tatipamula began tooling around in his college lab in an attempt to build a prototype. "But his drones wouldn't fly for the first two years," says Rajesh Mane, a junior who would often work in the same laboratory at the Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute in Mumbai. It was only after they finished college and started corporate jobs that Tatipamula realised that the quadcopters he was experimenting with, also colloquially referred to as drone cameras, had immense commercial potential.

Economic Times(25/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct25eb.pdf

™ Airlines

• Tata-SIA Airlines now needs to fly past at least two more hurdles It has been a smooth flight so far for Tata‐SIA Airlines. Just over a month after submitting its proposal to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board . the first‐stage clearance ‐ it got the board's approval. But the new airline still has some ground to cover if it wants to launch services by June next year, as planned. The new airline will now have to get a No Objection Certificate from the Civil Aviation Ministry. Armed with this certificate, the airline has to approach the Directorate‐General of Civil Aviation for an Air Operating Permit (AoP), a pre‐requisite for starting operations. Tata‐SIA is promoted by , with a 51 per cent stake, and Singapore Airlines, which holds the balance.

Hindu Business Line(26/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct26ha.pdf

• AirAsia India hopes to start flying by January AirAsia India is likely to commence flying by January. "We are working out everything possible from our end to ensure that we start operations by January," said AirAsia India's CEO Mittu Chandilya. The challenge is getting the fare so low that everybody gets an opportunity to fly. "We expect nearly 60 per cent of our travellers to be virgin travellers," he told newspersons on the sidelines of the 12th All India Management Students Convention. AirAsia has been rated the world's best low‐cost airline five years in a row by SkyTrax World Alliance, a UK‐based consultancy. "Indian operations are going to test us further," he said.

Hindu Business Line(26/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct26hb.pdf

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™ Airshows

• Over 50 business jets expected to be displayed at Dubai Airshow Dubai Airshow organisers F&E Aerospace are preparing for next month's event to be the largest in their 26 years of the show and are forecasting a great turnout from the business aviation community. The Dubai Airshow takes place 17 to 21 November 2013 and is moving to a new purpose built home at Dubai World Central (DWC), located in Jebel Ali, Dubai. As the 13th edition of the Dubai Airshow approaches organisers are expecting the biennial event to host up to 60,000 trade visitors and over 1,000 exhibitors ‐ which include over 220 business aviation focussed companies signed to date. Amongst some of the key business aviation exhibitors are: Aurora Aviation, Execujet Middle East, Jetex, Bombardier, Embraer and Royal Jet. The purpose built show site will offer a larger static park where over 50 business aircraft will be on display including family fleets from all the major OEMs including Gulfstream and Dassault Aviation.

Arabian Aerospace(21/10/13) http://www.arabianaerospace.aero/over‐50‐business‐jets‐expected‐to‐be‐displayed‐at‐dubai‐airshow http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct21aa.pdf

™ Aviation

• Mumbai gets India’s tallest ATC tower The new air traffic control (ATC) tower in Mumbai is India's tallest, at a height of 84 metres. It will hold this record till the 102 ‐metre tower of Indira Gandhi International Airport is commissioned in Delhi. The tower offers controllers clear visibility for up to 8 km, giving them a view of the entire operational area of the airport. The tower will be equipped with electronic flight controllers, again a first in India. This will reduce the workload of the controllers. Once the tower is fully operational, the GVK Power & Infrastructure‐promoted Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA) will be able to increase the number of aircraft movements per hour to 48 from a peak capacity of 46 at present.

Hindu Business Line(20/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct20hb.pdf

™ Defence Technology

• DRDO to roll out underwater vehicles With its Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), developed as a technology demonstrator, passing muster in extensive trials, the Naval Science and Technology Laboratory (NSTL) in Visakhapatnam will "make a few more of the same" for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions by the Navy

5 and agencies like the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited for safeguarding offshore installations. The NSTL is a facility of the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Hindu(27/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct27ha.pdf

• DRDO to export soon sonars to Myanmar Signalling the Defence Research and Development Organisation's (DRDO) strong intent to export military products to friendly nations, its chief and Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister Avinash Chander said DRDO made sonars would soon be exported to Myanmar in a groundbreaking initiative. "We've attained total indigenisation in sonars and radars. Our ship‐borne sonars are now being exported to Myanmar," Mr. Chander told journalists after inaugurating an international symposium on ocean electronics organised by the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat). The DRDO, in a major change in its outlook, was open to sale of its defence products to friendly nations, he said.

Hindu(25/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct25hb.pdf

™ HAL

• HAL signs MoU with IIT Kanpur Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Kanpur for setting up a faculty chair on the IIT campus in Kanpur. "This is being done to promote Research and Development and academic work in new and emerging technologies in aerospace industry," said HAL Chairman R.K. Tyagi. HAL, in a release, said the documents were signed by Z.A. Asif, General Manager, HAL and Prabhat Munshi, Dean Resources and Alumni IIT, Kanpur, in the presence of Gukul Chandra Pati, Secretary (Defence Production). As per the MoU, HAL and IIT(K) will hold an annual conference jointly, which will serve as a platform to defence industries and encourage new ideas in the aviation sector.

Hindu(26/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct26hc.pdf

• HAL rejects IAF proposal to produce Pilatus trainer aircraft Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has rejected a proposal of Air Force to produce Pilatus aircraft in its facilities against the backdrop of a tussle between the two on whether to procure an imported trainer aircraft or develop it indigenously. IAF has already placed an order for 75 Pilatus trainer aircraft and is planning to procure 106 more of them after the completion of the delivery of first lot by the end of 2017. HAL, however, is in favour of developing the aircraft indigenously. IAF had proposed that HAL

6 should licence produce the Pilatus aircraft in its facility but this was rejected by the aerospace giant saying it was working on a project of its own on the issue, senior IAF officials said.

Indian Express(19/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct19ia.pdf

™ Helicopters

• Tata Sikorsky delivers first indigenous S-92 copter cabin Technicians at work on Sikorsky S‐92 helicopter's cabin in Tata Advanced Systems manufacturing facility at Adibhatla in Ranga Reddy District near Hyderabad. Tata Sikorsky, the joint venture firm of Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Corporation of the U.S., announced the production of India's first 100 per cent indigenous S‐92 helicopter cabin at its Hyderabad facility. After three years of challenging effort, the joint venture could deliver 50 cabins at the facility, according to Tata Sikorsky Chairman S. Ramadorai. "We made history by delivering 100 per cent indigenous helicopter cabin for S‐92," he said.

Hindu(25/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct25ha.pdf

™ ISRO

• ‘Mars is part of India’s space vision’ In a few days from now, India may take its first and longest planetary leap to circle and peer at Mars, and join a premier club habited only by Russia, the U.S. and Europe. K. Radhakrishnan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), highlights the significance of the Mars Orbiter Mission and the trials of its short conception in an interview with The Hindu. Does India need a Mars mission at all? At Rs.450 crore, it has been criticised by some as a wasteful, rushed, "me‐too" venture. The Moon, Mars and the Sun were part of our country's long‐term space vision as laid out by the Advisory Committee on Space Sciences. Scientifically and technologically, we cannot afford to miss such missions. If you look at the overall priorities and expenditure of the Indian space programme, our thrust areas of societal applications through communication, remote‐sensing and navigation satellites have all been given due consideration.

Hindu(21/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct21ha.pdf

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• ISRO chief highly optimistic of its challenging Mars mission The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is highly optimistic of the success of the country's maiden inter‐planetary probe to Mars from Sriharikota on November 5. The mission will begin its odyssey at 2.36 pm, with a window of only five minutes. Each of the phases has its own challenges and problems as it is an inter‐planetary mission with a long navigational path of 300 days from earth to the Martian orbit. Speaking to Express, ISRO Chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan said: "This is a very complicated mission, but we have the capability to do it. We have developed new knowledge and we are very confident that we can achieve the navigation from earth to Mars accurately and properly. Although the influence of sun (varying solar pressure) and other planets have to be taken into account to make the mission a success, if we have done it for communication satellites, Chandrayaan and others, we can do it for this too.

Indian Express(24/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct24ia.pdf

• Mars mission delayed by a week India’s Mars Orbiter Mission, slated for a 4.15pm launch on October 28, has been postponed by a week due to bad weather and the new launch date will be decided on October 22. ‘Nalanda’, the ship which will track the movement of the satellite from the South Pacific Ocean, couldn’t reach its designated spot due to bad weather. Isro spokesperson Deviprasad Karnik told STOI: "Two ships, Yamuna and Nalanda were to reach Fiji Islands, the land closest to their designated spots in the Pacific Ocean, but Nalanda has been delayed due to bad weather. Our scientists and engineers have reached the island." He said ships will be used to track the ignition of the fourth stage and separation of the spacecraft. "Unlike previous missions, by the fourth stage ignition, the vehicle would have gone outside the range of our ground stations which is why we have to use ships," Karnik said.

Times of India(20/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct20ta.pdf

• Isro to set up rocket assembly centre With busy plans for over 50 missions during the next five years, country's premier space agency Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has got the Centre's nod to establish an high‐tech rocket assembly centre and also to setup third launch pad in Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota. Both are coming up in 3 square kilometres at a cost of about Rs 500 crore. At present Isro has two launch pads with rocket assembly centre in SDSC complex. "The Department of Space has recently issued sanction orders to first set up a new high‐tech vehicle assembly centre. We have identified the site in the SDSC complex itself. The preliminary activities including designing work have started", S V Subbarao, Deputy Director, Vehicle Assembly told.

Deccan Herald(01/11/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/nov13/nov01da.pdf

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• Countdown for Mars Orbiter Mission The final countdown for India's ambitious Rs.430 ‐crore Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) will begin Nov 3, morning, while the full launch rehearsal will be on Oct 31, a top official of the Indian space agency said. "The countdown for the Mars Orbiter Mission will begin Sunday at 6.08 a.m," K. Radhakrishnan, chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), told reporters. The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV‐C25) rocket carrying the MOM will blast off at 2.38 p.m Nov 5 from here around 80 km from Chennai. The launch rehearsal of the rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV‐C25) will begin Thursday and last over eight hours. According to PSLV‐C25 mission director P. Kunhikrishnan, during the launch rehearsal, except for pressing the ignition button, every other activity related to the rocket launch will be carried out.

Deccan Herald(31/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct31da.pdf

• 42-minute Mars probe launch on November 5, longest ever It will be a 42‐minute tense flight on November 5 2013, the longest for a PSLV launch and the watch between the third and fourth stages after blastoff will also be the longest for any space launch from India. But that's what it takes for a complex mission to planet Mars. The launch of India's first interplanetary probe, Mars Orbiter Spacecraft onboard PSLV‐C25 (in its XL version), is scheduled for lift‐ off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota at 2.36 pm. The 1,350 kg (2,980 pound) Mars orbiter, also known as ‘Mangalyaan’, will conduct search for potential signatures of Martian methane ‐ which could originate from both living and nonliving sources. The historic Mars bound probe is also a precursor to a robotic exploration.

Deccan Herald(23/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct23da.pdf

™ Planetary Exploration

• First mission to probe Martian atmosphere Nasa is set to launch its first mission to examine the upper atmosphere of Man in unprecedented detail. The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution mission (MAVEN), to be launched on November 18 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, will examine specific processes on Mars that led to the loss of much of its atmosphere. Data and analysis could tell planetary scientists the history of climate change on the Red Planet and provide further information on the history of planetary habitability. "The MAVEN mission is a significant step towards unravelling the planetary puzzle about Mars' past and present environments," said John Grunsfeld. The 5,410‐pound spacecraft will launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 rocket on a 10‐month journey to Mars.

Deccan Herald(30/10/13)

9 http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct30da.pdf

• Life As We Don’t Know It The intrepid and the restless are pushing the boundaries to make Mars liveable for humans, reports Hari Pulakkat. UR Rao, former chairman of ISRO, is also a cosmic ray physicist with broad intellectual interests. One of his passions is planetary exploration. Specifically, he has been thinking on ways to settle human beings on the red planet. "I am certain that human beings will one day settle on Mars," says Rao. "There are ways of transforming the planet to suit human life." Terraforming, as this technique is sometimes called, is not on anybody’s agenda at the moment. But considering that going to Mars has become the hottest topic in space engineering, it could well be attempted within a few decades. Or even less. As Rao imagines it, the first task is to increase the atmospheric density and the night temperature on Mars. On the earth, carbon dioxide works like a blanket to increase the atmospheric temperature. Without this greenhouse effect, the earth’s average temperature would be minus 18 degree centigrade instead of the current 15 degree centigrade. There are many ways to produce gases out of materials abundant on the planet’s surface. Bacteria could then work on these gases to produce oxygen, like they did on earth. Over long periods of time, they could thaw the planet and make it like earth.

Economic Times(31/10/13) http://www.icast.org.in/news/2013/oct13/oct31eb.pdf

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Acknowledgement: We acknowledge all sources including Newspapers, Magazines and other Websites.

Disclaimer: ICAST is not responsible for inaccuracies if any, in the original news reports in the source publications.

Compiled by Information Technology Applications Group, ICAST

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