F-35 courseware delivered

Northrop Grumman has delivered the first set of instructional materials needed to train pilots and aircraft maintainers for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. It was delivered to the Lockheed Martin F-35 Integrated Training Center, which will open this summer at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Called courseware, the electronic materials include all of the presentation materials that classroom instructors will use to teach pilots how to fly the F-35, and maintainers how to repair and support the aircraft. The courseware also includes students' self-study materials and pilot briefing materials used to support F-35 simulator and flight training events. Northrop Grumman is a principal subcontractor for the Lockheed Martin-built plane that will be used by the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and foreign nations. (Source: Globe Newswire, 06/30/10)

WTO issues expected ruling

In a ruling that could impact the current battle between Boeing and EADS over building Air Force tankers, the World Trade Organization ruled that aid European governments provided to Airbus violated global trade rules. The WTO ruled that four decades of government-backed loans to Airbus helped it gain foreign sales, harming Boeing. The ruling was anticipated by the U.S. aerospace industry. The U.S. filed the case in 2004, accusing the European Union of unfair trade practices by subsidizing Airbus with hundreds of millions of dollars in "launch-aid loans." Airbus officials said the EU would appeal the ruling. "There's not a single WTO case that hasn't been changed on appeal," said an Airbus official. The WTO is expected to rule next month on a countersuit accusing the U.S. of unfairly subsidizing Boeing. (Source: Multiple, including Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Reuters, Orlando Sentinel, 06/30/10) Gulf Coast note: EADS, owner of Airbus, wants to assemble its tankers in Mobile, Ala.

Panel sidesteps Constellation

WASHINGTON - A House panel agreed Tuesday to accept President Obama's proposed funding increase for NASA, but without taking a position on changing the agency's course. The House appropriations subcommittee governing NASA unanimously approved $19 billion for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1, a nearly $276 million increase from the current year. The panel opted to take to take no position on White House plans to scrap NASA's moon-rocket program and replace the space shuttle with commercial rockets. (Sources: Multiple, including Florida Today, Orlando Sentinel, 06/30/10) Gulf Coast note: Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans are both key NASA centers.

Tanker incentives to change

MOBILE, Ala. - The city council, county commission, airport authority and city industrial development board will be meeting to modify incentive agreements each made in 2006 in an attempt to lure refueling tanker assembly to Mobile. Officials have indicated that the deals are similar to those granted at that time, but it’s likely that details will remain under wraps. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 06/29/10) The Northrop Grumman/EADS team won the $40 million contract in February 2008, but it was overturned after a Boeing protest. Northrop dropped out after it determined the new requirements favored a smaller plane offered by Boeing. EADS is submitting a bid as the prime contractor.

Retired SSC chief dies

Roy Estess, long associated with NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, died Friday. He was 71. Estess, of Carriere, had an allergic reaction to an insect string while at his camp in Tylertown. His career at NASA spanned 37 years, with 25 of that at Stennis Space Center. He was a founding director of the board of Infinity Science Center, a science learning center being built along Interstate 10, just south of Stennis Space Center. (Source: Sun Herald, 06/26/10)

Contract: SURVICE, $67.8M

SURVICE Engineering Co., Belcamp, Md., was awarded a $67,800,000 contract which will provide support to the Air Force Seek Eagle Office for the purpose of augmenting its highly technical workforce with contracted skills and expertise to primarily provide modeling and simulation, and analysis and product development support. AAC/PKES, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 06/23/10)

Contract: Jacobs, $16.3M

Jacobs Technology Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn., was awarded a $16,254,943 contract modification which will provide technical, engineering and acquisition support at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla, and various other tenant originations. This contract will increase work requirement. AAC/PKES, Eglin Air Force Base is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 06/23/10)

F-35 drop test successful

FORT WORTH, Texas - A Lockheed Martin F-35C carrier variant successfully completed testing in which it was dropped from heights of more than 11 feet during a series of simulated aircraft-carrier landings. The tests validated predictions and will help confirm the F-35C's structural integrity for carrier operations. The jet, a ground-test article known as CG-1, underwent drop testing at Vought Aircraft Industries in Grand Prairie, Texas. This final drop test follows the recent first flight of the first F-35C. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 06/23/10) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., will be home to the Joint Strike Fighter training center.

Funds to stimulate aerospace jobs

The president submitted to Congress last week a fiscal year 2011 budget amendment that targets up to $100 million toward spurring regional economic growth and job creation in the aerospace industry. The amendment would provide up to $40 million in aid for Florida's Space Coast and a maximum of about $60 million for other affected regions. The funds would be made available from the Constellation Program transition element of the agency's exploration request. The amendment does not increase the total of the administration's fiscal year 2011 budget request. (Source: NASA, 06/21/10) Gulf Coast note: Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, are both involved in Constellation.

NASA may delay final shuttle flights

NASA is considering new target launch dates for its last two shuttle missions to give engineers more time to prepare equipment for the International Space Station. Launch of Discovery carrying a station warehouse module would be targeted for Oct. 29. Endeavour would aim for liftoff on Feb. 28, 2011. Senior managers are expected to approve the new dates at a meeting on July 1. (Source: Florida Today, 06/23/10) Gulf Coast note: Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, are both involved in the shuttle program.

F-35 course dry run set for July

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. - The first pilots and maintainers for the F-35 will start a training regimen this fall calling for airmen, naval officers, sailors and Marines to learn the ins and outs of the Joint Strike Fighter on laptops and full-motion simulators. Instructors will do a dry run of the course in July. Right now, the wing has about 200 instructors from the Air Force, Navy and Marines, but should hit full strength of 2,000 by 2014. By then, the wing will have at least 59 F-35s for training. The first one is scheduled to arrive in November. (Source: Air Force Times, 06/20/10)

Full-body scanner installed

GULFPORT, Miss. - The U.S. Transportation Security Administration unveiled a full-body X-ray scanner Friday at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport's security checkpoint. It's built by Rapiscan Systems' plant in Ocean Springs, Miss. Gulfport is the first airport in Mississippi, Alabama or Louisiana to use advanced imaging technology scanners before passengers board the airplanes. The scanner can detect metallic and non-metallic items including weapons and explosives, concealed beneath a passenger's clothes. Rapiscan is part of OSI Systems of Hawthorne, Calif. The federal government is buying a total of 450 advanced imaging systems with stimulus money, split between Rapiscan and a competing technology built by L-3 Communications. (Sources: Sun Herald, Mobile Press-Register, 06/18/10)

Tanker decision delayed

It will be mid-November before the Pentagon awards a contract for Air Force refueling tankers. That word came Friday from Lt. Gen. Mark Shackelford, the Air Force's top uniformed acquisition official, during a briefing with reporters. The Pentagon had earlier claimed the award date would not change from "early fall" despite granting a 60-day extension to EADS to prepare a bid. EADS needed the extra time after partner Northrop Grumman dropped out of the competition. The original deadline for EADS and rival Boeing to submit their bids was May 10, but is now July 9. EADS is offering a tanker version of its Airbus A330 jetliner and Boeing is offering the 767 jetliner. (Sources: Defense News, 06/18/10; HeraldNet, 06/19/10) Gulf Coast note: EADS wants to assemble the tankers in Mobile, Ala.

Water survival course moves

Because of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Air Force water survival courses have temporarily relocated to Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash. Training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., was suspended June 4 when oil was discovered inside the training area used by Detachment 2 of the 66th Training Squadron. The instructors at Det. 2 teach students how to survive in cases where the aircrew has to abandon their aircraft over water. The course covers a variety of open-water scenarios. Up to 55 students a week attend the three-day course, said Lt. Col. Christopher Tacheny, the 66th TRS commander. The Pensacola facility is just one of the locations the 66th TRS has used. Previously, water survival was taught off the coast of Tyndall Air Force Base in the Florida Panhandle and at Homestead Air Reserve Base, south of Miami. It's unclear how long training operations there will be suspended. (Source: 92nd Air Refueling Wing, 06/17/10) The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. Oil from the well has spewed into the Gulf of Mexico since then.

CNATTU command change set

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. - Cmdr. Cris Treharne turns over command of the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit to Cmdr. Angie Walker, 11 a.m. June 25 at Welch Auditorium, followed by a reception at Vandenberg Community Center. Walker is reporting from Stennis Space Center, Miss., where she served as the deputy assistant chief of staff for operations for the Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. (Source: 81st Training Wing, 06/17/10)

STS-132 crew visits SSC

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - The STS-132 Atlantis space shuttle crew visited NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center Thursday to thank personnel for their role in the May mission to the International Space Station. Crew members presented a video recap of their mission, scheduled as the last flight for the Atlantis shuttle. Since the 1960s, Stennis has tested every engine used in all crewed Apollo and space shuttle missions. Atlantis now is being prepared to serve as a backup craft should an emergency arise during the final two scheduled shuttle missions. (Source: NASA, 06/17/10) The crew also visited NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

Constellation gets new chief

Lawrence D. Thomas was appointed manager of NASA's Constellation Program, which manages the effort to take humans beyond low-Earth orbit and develop the next generation launch vehicle and spacecraft. Charles M. Stegemoeller was appointed deputy program manager. They’ll be based at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Thomas most recently served as the deputy program manager of the Constellation Program at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. (Source: NASA, 06/14/10) The Orlando Sentinel reported last month that lawmakers who support Constellation were upset the agency reassigned the former head of the program, Jeff Hanley, to a deputy position at Johnson Space Center. Hanley had opposed administration efforts to shut down the program. (Previous story) Gulf Coast note: Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, are both involved in the Constellation Program.

DoD vows to withhold payments

The Defense Department is threatening to withhold payments to Lockheed Martin starting as early as next month if it doesn't submit a suitable plan for fixing problems for tracking contract costs and schedules. The plan is due June 30 and a decision will come several weeks later on whether Lockheed has demonstrated it can fix the problems within six to nine months, according to Shay Assad, the Pentagon procurement director. It could impact payments on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. (Source: Bloomberg, 06/15/10) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., will be the JSF training center.

Orion spacecraft takes shape

NEW ORLEANS, La. - The Orion crew exploration vehicle took shape as the two halves of the crew module were fused together at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. The Lockheed Martin Orion team welded the forward cone assembly to the aft barrel assembly using the next generation friction stir weld process. The 445-inch long weld is the longest such weld of its kind. Prior to flight testing, this crew module will be tested on the ground in flight-like environments, including static vibration, acoustic, and water landing tests. The welds were done on a Universal Weld System II, which allows virtually unlimited five-axis welding on fixture-mounted hardware. The UWS II is part of the National Center for Advanced Manufacturing, managed by the University of New Orleans Foundation in partnership with NASA and the State of Louisiana. (Source: PRNewswire, 06/15/10)

F-35B goes supersonic

The short-takeoff and vertical-landing version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter broke the sound barrier June 10. It’s the first U.S. operational STOVL aircraft to exceed that milestone. A Marine pilot flew BF-2 to a speed of Mach 1.07 during a test at 30,000 feet over an off-shore range near Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. Two Air Force F-35A conventional takeoff-and-landing test aircraft also have broken the sound barrier. (Source: Defense News, 06/14/10) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., will be the home of the JSF training center.