May 01, 2017 - No. 035 In This Issue Suppliers say Boeing plans to accelerate 737 MAX production FAA Tests New Drone Detection Technology at D/FW Airport FlightSafety Announces New Aviation Maintenance Management Program Airbus Engineering Boosts Innovation, Competitiveness with Move to WSU Innovation Campus UZ introduces aviation degree programme First EASA, CAAC safety conference promotes aviation safety improvements Pro Star Aviation Receives FAA Approval for Citation SBAS Upgrades With Universal Avionics FMS ATR Renews and Expands Maintenance Agreements with Latin American and Caribbean Operators Flight risk: 2016 most unsafe year for Indian aviation, 40% spike in near-miss cases SpaceX launch scrubbed in final minute of countdown Suppliers say Boeing plans to accelerate 737 MAX production RENTON - In the next two years, the Boeing Co. plans to go from making about one 737 MAX a month to more than 50 a month. No company has ever turned up production of a new jetliner that quickly. And Boeing has a lot riding on successfully pulling off the feat. Company leaders are counting on the jump in 737 production to bolster Boeing's bottom line over the next few years as profits drop on its 777 program. So far, introducing the MAX has been smooth, and Boeing expects to hand over the first 737 MAX to launch customer Norwegian in May. The airplane maker says it has put time and money into ensuring plans stay on track. Still, it is early in the program, caution analysts. Introducing a new jetliner while cranking up production rate is like a daredevil "walking between the wings of an airplane at fairly high altitude and high speed," said Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst and vice president of the Teal Group in Washington, D.C. The last time Boeing revamped its 737 models, supply chain problems forced it to temporarily shut down production in the fall of 1997 and cost the company about $1 billion. The first big jump in production rate is coming in June, when Boeing's Renton plant will go from making about 1.5 737 MAXes a month to 10.5, according to several suppliers. At the same time, Boeing plans to increase overall 737 production - including MAX and Next Gen versions - from 42 a month now to 47. The increase in output means work for Boeing employees in Renton and Everett - where stow bins and other interior items are assembled - as well as for suppliers around Snohomish County. All 737 airplanes are assembled in Renton. Boeing declined to comment on specific production plans, typically a closely guarded secret by airplane makers. However, speaking to several suppliers, The Daily Herald pieced together the company's tentative production schedule for the 737 program. None of the suppliers is approved to publicly discuss the information and could face retribution for doing so. They agreed to speak only if they are not named. Based on tentative schedules Boeing has given to suppliers interviewed by The Herald, MAX output is scheduled to increase every few months over the next few years. At the same time, the company plans to wind down Next Gen production. Production of all 737 versions is slated to increase to 52.5 airplanes a month in January 2018 and to 57 a month around April 2019, the suppliers said. Those increases are driven by Boeing's plan to crank out MAX airplanes and make fewer of the current Next Gen models. Boeing plans to step up MAX output to 17 airplanes a month later this year and to 24 a month around April 2018. Production is slated to pick up that summer to 31.5 a month and then to 42 a month around the end of 2018. The final increase to 52.5 a month is slated for around March 2019, the suppliers said. So far, Boeing has made a handful of the 737 MAX 8, the first of the upgraded versions. Four of the aircraft have been used for flight tests. In March, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certified the MAX 8 for commercial service, and the first MAX 9 - a stretch of the MAX 8 - rolled out of Boeing's Renton plant. The test aircraft already are either back in the Renton plant or will return for tweaks and improvements. The work is a standard part of the test phase during development. It includes improvements to the airplanes' CFM Leap 1b engines. In addition to new engines, the MAX airplanes also include new avionics and modified winglets, among other changes over current production versions, a group dubbed 737 Next Generation models. The company relies heavily on the popular single-aisle airplanes for revenue. The equity investment firm RBC estimates that the 737 program made up about 35 percent of operating profit for Boeing Commercial Aircraft in 2015. The twin-aisle 777 brought in about as much profit that year, according to RBC. For more than a decade, the 777 program has been a spigot of cash for Boeing. Now, that is going away as Boeing winds down 777 production and starts making its successor, the 777X in Everett. Company leaders are counting on 737 production to make up much of the drop in 777 profits. The pace in the Renton plant is picking up, though. And if all goes to Boeing's plans, it will accelerate at dizzying speeds over the next couple of years. Some suppliers already are delivering parts at higher rates. Production delays plagued the 787 and the 747-8 programs. Boeing learned painful and costly lessons from its production problems in 1997. Those lessons have been applied to current 737 production plans, company spokesman Adam Tischler said. The MAX versions were designed to have as much similarity as possible with the NG models. That limits the number of new suppliers added to the program. The vast majority of MAX suppliers already make 737 parts. Even so, there are potential supply-chain bottlenecks, said Aboulafia, the analyst. In recent years, Boeing has squeezed cost out of its supply chain. That has some suppliers "starved for cash," which could make it harder to keep up with the increasing 737 production pace, he said. Boeing says it has stress-tested its supply chain and is working with suppliers to limit any delays. Of course, "the ramp up is only as good as the weakest link" in the supply chain, said Scott Hamilton, who runs the aerospace consulting firm Leeham Co. on Bainbridge Island. Even suppliers already on the 737 program face risks, he said. "You have to incorporate changes into production and do it at a record rate." There is little margin for error, said Tom Brosius, vice president at Orion Industries. The supplier provides parts for all Boeing aircraft programs from its plants in Auburn and Mukilteo. Brosius declined to comment on future 737 production rates. "The 737 is a very unforgiving production line," he said. "Those planes come out of the plant so fast that you can't have any delays or any quality problems. You've got to bring your A game on the 737 program." https://www.heraldnet.com/news/suppliers-say-boeing-plans-to-accelerate-737-max- production/ Back to Top FAA Tests New Drone Detection Technology at D/FW Airport As the popularity of drones continues to soar, so has the number of close calls between the devices and aircraft. The Federal Aviation Administration said it received approximately 1,800 reports about drones flying near airports in 2016 -- a figure that's expected to rise going forward. It's why the agency is now testing new technology that it hopes will help airports better detect drones -- and keep planes and passengers out of harm's way. Over the past week, the FAA has conducted some of those tests at D/FW International Airport. Officials said it was an ideal location because of its size and the amount of air traffic it sees daily. Coordinating with the airport, they flew a variety of drones over a secured section of the runway during nights and mornings. The system itself uses radio frequencies, radar, and cameras to locate the drones. The information is then sent to air traffic controllers, who can alert pilots and adjust flight paths. "We've had really good success," said Jim Patterson, a manager of the FAA's Airport Safety Research & Development Section. "I will say that a lot of the technologies are kind of in a research phase and we don't quite know that final specification is going to look like." Patterson said the next step is standardizing the technology so it can be used by airports across the country. D/FW was one of five testing locations the FAA used for this project. http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/tech/FAA-Tests-New-Drone-Detection-Technology-At-DFW- Airport-420760033.html Back to Top FlightSafety Announces New Aviation Maintenance Management Program NEW YORK (April 28, 2017) - FlightSafety International announces a new Aviation Maintenance Management Program developed and offered in conjunction with ServiceElements. This new three-day course is provided at FlightSafety's Maintenance Training Center in Dallas, Texas. It is designed to enhance the skills of current aircraft maintenance department managers and to help those who aspire to hold leadership positions in the future. "The Aviation Maintenance Management Program will help current and future managers to develop and remain current on the skills needed to effectively direct an aircraft maintenance organization," said Paul Kuchta, Director, Training Operations Maintenance. The course addresses management challenges and trends identified by experienced maintenance department leaders, instructors and other experts. The modules include leadership qualities, foundations of management, service culture, communications, accountability and delegation, finance, team building, and others. FlightSafety offers a wide variety of other professional development training courses through its Master Technician program. They are designed to provide aircraft maintenance personnel with the skills needed to interact effectively with Customers, managers and co- workers, and help them to prepare for additional responsibilities or a management position. The industry-leading FlightSafety Master Technician program provides in-depth instruction and real-world practical training. This innovative and unique program is designed to enable technicians to further enhance their contributions to the safety, reliability and operating efficiency of the aircraft or components they support and maintain. This program was developed in close collaboration with aircraft manufacturers and the experience and expertise of FlightSafety's highly qualified maintenance training professionals. There are currently more than 3,000 FlightSafety Master Technicians worldwide. FlightSafety International is the world's premier professional aviation training company and supplier of flight simulators, visual systems and displays to commercial, government and military organizations. The company provides more than 1.4 million hours of training each year to pilots, technicians and other aviation professionals from 167 countries and independent territories. FlightSafety operates the world's largest fleet of advanced full- flight simulators at Learning Centers and training locations in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa and the United Kingdom. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12330034/flightsafety-announces-new- aviation-maintenance-management-program Back to Top Airbus Engineering Boosts Innovation, Competitiveness with Move to WSU Innovation Campus WICHITA, Kan., April 27, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Airbus Americas Engineering today officially opened its new Engineering Center on the Wichita State University (WSU) Innovation Campus. In a ceremony attended by the approximately 300 Airbus employees who work at the center and special guests, including Lt. Governor Jeff Colyer, the company recognized the importance of locating academia and industry together to improve innovation and competitiveness. The company also relaunched the Airbus Foundation Flying Challenge in Wichita, which will see Maize USD 266's Maize High School and Maize South High School junior and senior students building an airplane in partnership with Airbus and Tango Flight. "Airbus employees are creative people," said Barry Eccleston, CEO of Airbus Americas, Inc. "As they develop engineering solutions they naturally discover new ideas and concepts that could potentially enhance products and business processes to create value for our customers. The question is, 'how do we support our employees as they transition good ideas into value?' Our presence on the Innovation Campus will help us do that. The campus provides an environment that fosters faster transition of innovative ideas into real-world uses and value for the company." Being a resident on the campus provides a support infrastructure to Airbus Engineering that would otherwise be cost prohibitive to duplicate in a stand-alone engineering center, including access to engineering labs, research faculty, conference facilities, educational opportunities, and easier collaboration with other members of the Innovation Campus. As a resident of the campus, Airbus is partnering with WSU within the university's Applied Learning Model, which engages students in real-world engineering projects, helps develop critical skills that are needed for engineering now and in the future, and helps produce graduates with experience, while also boosting Airbus' competitiveness. "Wichita's talent pool of aerospace and aviation experts is among the richest in the world," said John O'Leary, Vice President-Airbus Americas Engineering. "The aviation expertise here is recognized within Airbus and around the world. The Innovation Campus is only going to help Wichita's expertise grow. And with the relaunch of the Airbus Foundation Flying Challenge in partnership with Tango Flight and Maize Schools, we're investing in the future of that expertise." The Airbus Foundation Flying Challenge is a global program that leverages aviation to inspire young people to continue their education, find their professional vocation and realize their dreams through mentoring with Airbus employee volunteers. The program initially launched in Wichita in 2012 with a focus on middle school students. The 2017 challenge will focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education at the high school level through the construction of a flying aircraft. The program will build on the existing Aerospace Engineering curriculum at Maize USD 266, which incorporates Project Lead The Way (PLTW) in its curriculum. Airbus mentors will work with students to build an FAA Licensed RV-12 "kit plane". The students will be exposed to aircraft design, engineering and production activities, as well as project management, team work and finally, the freedom of flight. "Partnerships and opportunities like these are key as we continue to create ways to introduce our students to experiences, skills, mentors, and potential jobs that will help their college readiness and future careers take flight," Maize USD 266 Superintendent Dr. Chad Higgins said. "We welcome mutually beneficial relationships with businesses and other organizations that strengthen our students' learning environment while enriching the community." Tango Flight will provide the Airbus Foundation with a unique turnkey solution including an integrated aerospace engineering curriculum, aviation training, aircraft ownership, aircraft insurance and mentor program development. "We are very excited to work in partnership with Airbus and Maize High to expand this Program to the Air Capitol," said Dan Weyant President and Co-Founder of Tango Flight. About Airbus Americas Engineering in Wichita: The company's first engineering and design facility outside of Europe, the Airbus Engineering Center in Wichita was opened in June 2002 as home to approximately 30 engineers dedicated to wing design for the Airbus A380 aircraft. Today, Airbus Engineering-Wichita has approximately 300 employees who are engaged on all Airbus commercial products. Airbus utilizes an extensive supply chain of U.S.-based companies, including significant work with companies in South Central Kansas. About Airbus Foundation: The Airbus Foundation, chaired by Tom Enders, CEO of Airbus, includes Airbus, Airbus Helicopters and Airbus Defence & Space as founding and contributing members. It is the company's vehicle for corporate philanthropy, using the group's resources, aeronautic and space products, competencies, diverse workforce and culture for driving innovation to address societal issues. The Foundation supports the global humanitarian community and inspires and prepares young people for the challenges of tomorrow. Since its launch in 2008, the Airbus Foundation has facilitated more than 50 relief or goodwill flights to numerous destinations around the globe. More information can be found at www.airbusgroup.com/foundation. Follow us on Twitter: @AirbusFdn. About Tango Flight: Tango Flight is a 501(c)3 non-profit Texas corporation created to support the construction and operation of experimental Light Sport Aircraft (eLSA) by high school students for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) programs. www.tangoflight.org. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12329839/airbus-engineering-boosts- innovation-competitiveness-with-move-to-wsu-innovation-campus Back to Top UZ introduces aviation degree programme The Air Force of Zimbabwe and other stakeholders in the aviation industry have partnered the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) in the introduction of an aviation maintenance degree programme tailor made for those in the aviation industry. The aviation maintenance degree programme commenced a few months ago at UZ. Air Vice Marshal Shebba Shumbayaonda disclosed this milestone development at the passout parade for 81 graduands from Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Namibia held at Manyame Airbase and expressed satisfaction that more than 3 quarters of the pioneers are air force personnel. The degree programme is expected to develop those in the aviation industry to be more proficient in developing global trends for the air craft industry. http://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-education-byo-109409.html Back to Top First EASA, CAAC safety conference promotes aviation safety improvements The executive director of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), Patrick Ky, and the vice administrator of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), Li Jian, opened the joined safety conference organized by the two organizations on April 27, 2017, bringing together leading CEOs from the European and Chinese aviation industry. The conference marks a new high in aviation ties between Europe and China. These have steadily grown closer over recent years. In the presence of CAAC administrator Feng Zhenglin and the European commission director general for mobility and transport Henrik Hololei, leading members of the aviation community discussed progress on establishing a future Bilateral Air Safety Agreement (BASA). More uniform standards, agreed through the BASA, will make it easier for companies to sell their aviation products in China and Europe, while maintaining the high safety record that both regions benefit from. Trends defining the future of aviation safety were discussed in the different panels of the conference taking place in Shanghai. Topics included implementing efficient safety management systems for maintenance, new technologies and developments in the field of aircraft navigation systems and efforts to promote the use of rotorcraft more widely in China for essential emergency medical services for example. Successful joint cooperation initiatives include the bi-annual airworthiness management meeting, a newly established flight standards dialogue between CAAC and EASA that took place for the first time in the same week of the conference and the EU-China Aviation Partnership Project that supports the ongoing dialogues between the authorities and industry with concrete technical cooperation activities. The conference brought all these efforts together by signing a joint declaration to promote international aviation safety, a letter of intent supporting the implementation of the EU- China Aviation Partnership Project for its second year and the memorandum of cooperation for the newly established flight standards dialogue. https://www.verticalmag.com/press-releases/first-easa-caac-safety-conference- promotes-aviation-safety-improvements/ Back to Top Pro Star Aviation Receives FAA Approval for Citation SBAS Upgrades With Universal Avionics FMS April 27, 2017 - Pro Star Aviation has received FAA approval for the amendment to STC ST00158BO, which adds upgraded single or dual Universal Avionics Flight Management Systems (FMS) for Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS)-capability. The newly amended STC applies to Cessna Citations; 550, 550 Bravo, 560, 560XL and 560XLS series aircraft. The certified installation includes either Universal Avionics single UNS-1Espw FMS and LP/LPV Monitor, or dual UNS-1Lw FMSs; both with the company's latest software version, SCN 1001.X. "To complement this STC, Pro Star has two AML STCs available for purchase which utilize Universal Avionics SBAS-FMS and Rockwell Collins TDR-94(D) Mode S Transponder, which together provide equipage requirements to meet the upcoming FAA ADS-B Out mandate," said Robert Randall, U.S. Senior Sales Manager for Universal Avionics. "We are excited to be able to offer this solution for Cessna Citations and we have multiple incentive programs to help these operators equip today," he added. SCN 1001.X is Universal's latest FMS software version and in addition to enhanced ADS-B Out functionality, it offers significant upgrades from previous software versions; improved user interface, upgraded comm radio tuning, improved lateral guidance/steering, upgraded precision approach (SBAS) and non-precision approach performance, as well as newly revised maintenance and configuration sections. "This new software offers the latest operational upgrade to one of the most successful and well-liked standalone FMSs in the Business Aircraft Marketplace," said Jeffrey Shaw, Director of Business and Development for Pro Star Aviation. "Approval for this STC came from Pro Star Aviation's in-house FAA STC Organization Designation Authorization (ODA)," he added. The STC can be purchased by contacting Pro Star Aviation directly, or any Universal Avionics Authorized Dealer; either are authorized to perform this upgrade. For an added convenience, Pro Star's installation teams can perform this service on-site in Londonderry, NH or off-site at an operator's home facility via the company's ON-THE-FLY Service option. To learn more about Universal Avionics SBAS-FMS, visit uasc.com or contact your Regional Sales Representative. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12330018/pro-star-aviation-receives-faa- approval-for-citation-sbas-upgrades-with-universal-avionics-fms Back to Top ATR Renews and Expands Maintenance Agreements with Latin American and Caribbean Operators Regional aircraft manufacturer ATR has announced the signing of maintenance agreements with three operators from Latin America and the Caribbean. Firstly, ATR and Avianca Holdings have extended the scope of their Global Maintenance Agreements (GMAs) covering the 15 ATR 72-600s operated under different brands of Avianca in Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras. The GMA now includes services for the maintenance of the propellers of the ATR fleet. In addition, two stocks of propellers will also be available at the airline's facilities. Avianca will also benefit from a specific training program developed by the service provider APS (Aircraft Propeller Service). In early 2015, APS was awarded an OEM license to service the propeller systems deployed on ATR aircraft in the Americas and Asia and became a GMA MRO supplier shortly thereafter. APS is headquartered in Illinois and has opened MRO facilities in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to support the global ATR fleet. ATR has also renewed its GMA with the Colombian airline Easyfly for a period of five years, covering their fleet of five ATRs. The GMA includes lease stock, standard exchange, repairs of LRUs (Line Replaceable Units) and propeller repairs, along with availability services. In addition to the renewal of the GMA, ATR and Easyfly have also signed an agreement for lease and overhaul services of the landing gears of two of the airline's ATRs. Finally, Trinidad and Tobago's national flag carrier Caribbean Airlines, which has been covered by a GMA since 2011, has also signed an agreement with ATR for lease and overhaul services of the landing gears of their current fleet of ATR 72-600s. Tom Anderson, Senior Vice-President Programs and Customer Services of ATR, said: "Renewing and expanding the scope of our maintenance support to our operators is the best proof they can give us of the quality of our after-sales activities. Our fleet in Latin America and the Caribbean has doubled in the last decade, and we must keep expanding the offer we provide our customers to ensure they match their operational goals". With a team of customer support experts in Miami, USA, ATR is able to provide its operators in the Americas with 24/7 assistance and service. With proximity to customers being one of ATR's core values, the turboprop leader has an effective network of Customer Support Centers all over the world. http://aviationtribune.com/airlines/south-america-and-caribbean/atr-renews-expands- maintenance-agreements-latin-american-caribbean-operators/ Back to Top Flight risk: 2016 most unsafe year for Indian aviation, 40% spike in near-miss cases On August 22 last year, an air traffic controller saw Indigo flight IGO258 and Air India's AIC995 approaching the same altitude over New Delhi. Flight AIC995 was asked to turn left to avoid a collision, but that put the plane on the path of another Indigo aircraft, IGO528. It was a close shave, and in the end the three flights landed safely after the AI plane again made changes to its altitude, a source at the civil aviation ministry told HT. The incident was among 32 cases of 'near miss' in 2016, highest for any year in the history of the country's civil aviation, according to government data obtained by HT through the Right to Information law. The year beat the previous maximum seen in 2013 by 40%. Experts say that recent initiatives to boost the aviation sector will only weaken air safety standards, beset at present by a shortage of manpower, training and airspace for civilian traffic. "While safety requires maximum separation, increasing traffic has brought aircraft closer to each other's boundaries, so the chances of transgression are high," said SS Singh, a retired executive director of air traffic monitoring. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off last week a scheme to make flying cheaper, aiming to put air travel in reach for the country's middle class with more flights to smaller towns. The year also saw the highest number - 151 - of pilots being suspended for violating safety protocols, a 38% increase from the previous high of 109 suspensions in 2012. A majority of them were found to have consumed too much alcohol in either pre- or post- flight medical checks. HT had, on the basis of figures for the 2016 January-May period, reported in August that the year was shaping up to be the worst in terms of air safety. Indiscipline and attitude issues were found as major reasons for pilots violating protocol. But a bulk of last year's mid-air scares, 22 of 32, were due to errors by the air traffic control (ATC). ATCs in India, sources there and in the directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA) said, are overwhelmed by widespread issues of bad infrastructure and few staff. "Under pressure from the International civil aviation organisation (a United Nations specialised agency set up to recommend air safety standards to its member countries), the airport authority of India recruited 1,000 air traffic controllers in 2016 but its three training colleges in Allahabad, Hyderabad and Gondia don't have the capacity to train all of them at one go," an official working in the ATC told HT on the condition of anonymity. He said after training, when new recruits reach control towers for on-the-job training, many have to wait for their turn since there are not enough terminals. Some end up waiting for months, he added. ATC job is considered to be one of the most stressful jobs in the world. And, according to the source, the mass recruitment has compromised on quality. "Out of the 1,000 BTech graduates, less than 1% come from reputed colleges such as NITs." Another ATC official, who too did not want to be identified, said the profession is full of "downsides". "Unattractive salary structure is one of them. To control high attrition, AAI introduced new job conditions that include a 5-year bond. If candidates leave within five years, they will have to pay Rs 5 lakh to AAI. This further discourages the best minds to take the ATC job," he said. In addition to manpower woes, the ATC sources said, controllers have to make do with very limited airspace despite the increasing flight volumes. "Delhi's 65% airspace is with the air force. We have 1,300 daily take-offs and landings of aircraft only in 35% of airspace," one of the sources said. PH Singh, former general secretary of the ATC Guild, said developed nations "have a system of need-based optimisation of airspace, but that's not here in India." "Before any enhancement in traffic, there must be a matching enhancement in infrastructure like airspace, technology, number of trained controllers and ground infrastructure. Surveillance and advanced warning and communication systems should be adequate. There should be honest, continued safety assessment," said Singh. ATCs, he added, should have the complete authority to say "no", when they feel they do not have the handling capacity. Emails to the secretary of civil aviation asking about the safety measures being taken to meet increased flight operations and address near-miss incidents received no response. http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/flight-risk-2016-most-unsafe-year-for-indian- aviation-40-spike-in-near-miss-cases/story-UVDLabjT8xQUEcjMyuKxHO.html Back to Top SpaceX launch scrubbed in final minute of countdown SpaceX scrubbed an attempt to launch a commercial Falcon 9 rocket Sunday less than a minute before liftoff, blaming a sensor issue on the vehicle's first stage and pushing back the company's first national security mission for the U.S. government at least 24 hours. The Falcon 9 launch director called a hold at T-minus 52 seconds as the countdown ticked toward a planned blastoff from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:15 a.m. EDT (1115 GMT) Sunday, immediately ordering the launch team to ready for another try Monday. "Hold hold hold! This is the launch director calling a hold on the countdown net. We have an issue with the TOTO sensor on the first stage. Launch conductor, please put us into a 24-hour recycle," the launch director said. "Copy, launch abort is running," the launch conductor replied on SpaceX's countdown loop. No details on the nature of the instrumentation problem were provided by SpaceX. "The team was looking into a sensor issue on the first stage that was a bit out of family with what we were expecting, and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to scrub today's launch," said John Federspiel, a mechanical design engineer who provided commentary on Sunday's countdown during SpaceX's live webcast. SpaceX's backup launch opportunity, already reserved on the U.S. Air Force's Eastern Range, opens at 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT) Monday. The launch window extends for two hours. Weather conditions should be favorable for a launch Monday, with Air Force meteorologists calling for a 70 percent chance the weather will meet the Falcon 9's flight rules. "The southeasterly low-level winds will become stronger through the day today as a frontal boundary moves into the Gulf Coast states," the Air Force weather team wrote in an updated forecast issued Sunday morning. "By Monday morning, the front will make its way into the Florida Panhandle, adding the potential for upper-level cloudiness over the spaceport. "The main weather concerns for a Monday morning attempt will be liftoff winds and thick layer clouds associated with instability ahead of the frontal boundary. Maximum upper- level winds will be from the northwest at 50 knots near 45,000 feet," forecasters wrote. The launch will mark the 33rd flight of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, and the company's first mission dedicated to the National Reconnaissance Office, a U.S. government agency responsible for developing and operating clandestine intelligence-gathering satellites. Most NRO missions over the last decade have flown into space aboard Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rockets provided by United Launch Alliance, SpaceX's chief competitor in the domestic launch market. But more NRO and Air Force satellites could soon launch on SpaceX rockets. The Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center, responsible for military launch procurement, plans to hold competitions between ULA and SpaceX for the rights to send future sensitive national security payloads into orbit. The competitions have already started, with SpaceX winning two contracts to deploy GPS navigation spacecraft for the Air Force. At least six top secret NRO satellite missions are up for grabs by SpaceX and ULA over the next couple of years. The launch contract for this mission, codenamed NROL-76, was arranged differently. An NRO spokesperson said Sunday that a commercial company, Ball Aerospace, booked the launch with SpaceX as part of a "delivery in orbit" contract with the NRO. Delivery in orbit typically describes an arrangement where a spacecraft manufacturer - in this case, apparently Boulder, Colorado-based Ball Aerospace - is in charge of all satellite preparations, the launch and in-orbit testing, before handing over control of the payload to the end user once it is operational in space. The satellite's purpose has not been disclosed. Hazard notices released to pilots and sailors in the days leading up to the NROL-76 launch indicated the Falcon 9 rocket will head northeast from Cape Canaveral, a hint that the payload will go into a high-inclination orbit that passes over most of the world's population. The altitude of the spaceraft's target orbit is also unknown. https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/04/30/spacex-launch-scrubbed-in-final-minute-of- countdown/ Curt Lewis