June 21, 2018 - No. 049 In This Issue Report Shows Aviation Maintenance Connects U.S. Workers to Global Economy Airlines Could Save $15 Billion Per Year By Offering Better Wi-Fi Dream Aviation Flight School hopes to spread its wings with plans for bigger school in Westminster ATEC Joins the STEM Coalition; Meets with Federal Leaders on Aviation Workforce Issues Swiss MRO provider approved for Russian-registered civil rotorcraft and props FAA faces scrutiny over how it handled concerns about Southwest operations before Flight 1380 tragedy Jet East Aviation Is Actively Hiring Experienced A&P and Avionics Technicians in the Greater New York Area The CEO of Europe's largest airline reveals how his company is thriving in the world's toughest airline market Sterling Aviation Launches New Version of QuickBoard Technology to Manage the Aviation Supply Chain EASA Proposes Changes to Part 25 Certification Rules SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship marches towards launch with vacuum chamber test Report Shows Aviation Maintenance Connects U.S. Workers to Global Economy WASHINGTON - Global trade in aviation maintenance creates jobs and business opportunities in every corner of the United States, a new analysis by the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) shows. Florida, California and Texas top the list of states with the most maintenance companies serving European customers, ARSA found. Arizona, Connecticut, Kansas, New York, Washington, Georgia and Oklahoma round out the top ten. ARSA analyzed the list of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-certificated repair stations in the United States authorized by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to work on European- registered aircraft and components. The association then correlated the data with industry employment figuresdeveloped by Oliver Wyman's CAVOK Division. ARSA conducted a similar analysis of EASA approval holders in 2017. The association determined there are 1,437 repair stations with EASA approval across 47 of the 50 states. Overall, roughly one out of every three U.S. repair stations holds European certification. There are five states - including Connecticut, Florida, Kansas and Delaware - in which 50 percent or more of maintenance facilities can perform work on European-registered aircraft or components. West Virginia, the fifth state, has a smaller aircraft maintenance industry but the highest percentage (73 percent) of EASA approval holders. Nationwide, repair stations employ more than 184,000 workers. When those numbers are added to the roughly 27,000 mechanics working for airlines and the 66,000 employed in aviation parts manufacturing and distribution, the maintenance industry's total workforce is approximately 279,000. More than 110,000 Americans are employed at maintenance companies in the top 10 states for EASA approvals. "Just as the aviation industry connects the world, the maintenance sector connects companies and workers throughout the United States to the global economy," ARSA Executive Vice President Christian Klein said. "This analysis demonstrates the interconnectedness between American aviation business and European air operations. It shows us one of the many ways U.S. industry is well positioned to benefit from the expected growth in demand for maintenance. At the same time, the impact of any trade disruptions - for example, due to retaliation by foreign governments because of new U.S. laws or regulations targeting foreign repair stations - would be felt in all corners of the country." To review the ARSA-generated data, click here. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12417711/report-shows-aviation-maintenance- connects-us-workers-to-global-economy Back to Top Airlines Could Save $15 Billion Per Year By Offering Better Wi-Fi Airline connectivity suppliers released new studies this week which highlight opportunities for airlines to profit from offering passengers better Wi-Fi. Honeywell and Inmarsat each released reports on how an Internet-of-Planes, with Connected Aircraft applications, could save airlines billions each year. Honeywell predicts that airlines are "on the cusp" of major investments in aircraft connectivity, with benefits beyond offering passengers access to the internet. Inmarsat published a study conducted on its behalf by the London School of Economics (LSE) which looks into the cost savings of a connected fleet improving flight management, operations, and aircraft maintenance. "The airline industry is beginning to seriously invest in Connected Aircraft technology to proactively improve daily operations. The result is airline employees performing their daily roles more effectively, while also delivering the kind of service that passengers expect, including increased safety and on-time arrivals," said Kristin Slyker, vice president, Connected Aircraft, Honeywell Aerospace . "With the massive potential for cost savings and improved operations, predictive maintenance is the number one area in which airlines are looking to invest. Our research revealed nearly 60 percent of airlines are looking to purchase predictive maintenance technologies over the next year, and even more are expected to invest down the road." The LSE Sky High Economics study projects that connected aircraft could save airlines $15 billion per year in operating costs. One significant area for cost-savings is aircraft self-reporting applications which would support predictive maintenance and reduce the likelihood of "aircraft on ground" (AOG) situations. These maintenance events keep planes stranded on the tarmac waiting for replacement parts that can only be ordered once maintenance operations become aware of the fault. By some estimates, each AOG instance can cost an airline up to $150,000 per hour. A connected aircraft could communicate parts diagnostics in-flight alerting fleet managers and maintenance crews of necessary repair parts and maintenance resources while the plane is still in the air. Other benefits would include real-time weather tracking which could help pilots adjust flight paths to avoid turbulence, as well as flight path optimization with more accurate aircraft tracking making airspace management more efficient. These connected aircraft applications will also be critical to aviation over the coming decades as global fleet size grows to accommodate growing passenger demand. Dr Alexander Grous (B. Ec, MBA, [M.Com], MA, PhD.), Department of Media and Communications, LSE and author of Sky High Economics said: "The forecast doubling of aircraft in the skies by 2035 will create both challenges and opportunities for the global aviation industry. IP-enabled aircraft are an essential step in facilitating growing demand for air travel while meeting vital safety requirements. The study's findings highlight not only the powerful commercial efficiencies for airline operations but crucially, the resulting advantages for safety and environmental impact." More efficient flight paths will also help airlines cut CO2 emissions, benefiting the environment. LSE predicts that connected aircraft could reduce airline CO2 emissions by 21.3 million tons by 2035. A focus on operations applications will also benefit passengers. In 2016, Olyver Wyman estimated that the annual data generated by the connected fleet by 2026 may reach 98 billion gigabytes. "The newest generation aircraft by then will be spewing out between five and eight terabytes per flight, up to 80 times what older planes today generate," according to Oliver Wyman analysts. The data processing requirements will encourage airlines to invest in better satellite connections, including access to high-throughput satellites, which will, in turn, result in faster and more reliable Wi-Fi for passengers onboard. In a study conducted for Inmarsat last year, LSE projected that airlines could earn as much as $30 billion in revenue per year from their in-flight connectivity offering to passengers by 2035. Potential revenue sources include sales of internet access, targeted advertising, e-commerce and destination services sales, as well as premium content and entertainment streaming. LSE valued the in-flight connectivity market at $130 billion by 2035. https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisagarcia/2018/06/20/airlines-could-save-15-billion-per-year-by- offering-better-wi-fi/#f0fd06b7792d Back to Top Dream Aviation Flight School hopes to spread its wings with plans for bigger school in Westminster The Planning and Zoning Commission agreed to move forward with Dream Aviation's proposal for a new building on Airport Drive in Westminster after a concept review on Tuesday morning. Developers proposed a 28,500-square-foot, two-story building at the western end of Airport Drive near the Carroll County Regional Airport and Md. 97 to add to the company's flight school and maintenance facilities. "We are primarily a flight training center," said Dream Aviation Director of Marketing and Relations Brad Wantz at the meeting. "We also provide aircraft maintenance on our own planes, as well as transient planes that [Skytech - the primary operator that refuels and works on newer aircraft at the airport] is not able to handle, as well as customer planes who have their aircraft stored at Carroll County Regional Airport." The new building would have a footprint of about 21,750 square feet, with about 15,000 square feet reserved as hangar space to store planes and about 6,500 square feet each for first- and second-floor office space, according to Development Review Coordinator III Laura Matyas of the Carroll County Bureau of Development. Also, a chain-link fence would be reinforced for security purposes and the parking lot would be repainted - removing and replacing about 13 parking spaces and adding an ADA-compliant space for handicap use. Developers estimate the building would require about 28 parking spaces and there are 52 already available, so there is "plenty of parking on site," Matyas said. Currently the company has about 10,000 square feet of property a short distance from the proposed site and Wantz said Tuesday it's just not enough. "This [new building] is allowing our business to grow," he said in an interview after the meeting. "We have been at a point of controlled growth for quite some time - because of facility limitations we can only store so many airplanes in our current hangar, we have a limited number of classrooms. "I have four instructors and only two classrooms," he said. "People end up teaching out in the hangar or things like that. But to be able to expand, add additional aircraft, have enough space for teachers, students and renters [will really help us]. Also, our maintenance part is the most important so we can grow the business properly." But, he said the company has no intentions of growing too big. "This [proposal] is built around our goal to have a Pilatus PC-12," said Wantz, "which is a single- engine, large turboprop aircraft." The Pilatus PC-12 has a wingspan of 53 feet and a height of about 47 feet, he said. "Nothing we have right now is close to that size," said Wantz. "[That's our goal] ultimately, down the road. The first intention for growth is to add additional aircraft for the flight training side. But ... we have no intentions of getting into jets and stuff like that." The main concern of the Planning and Zoning Commission members was how the proposal would be consistent with the Carroll County Bicycle-Pedestrian Master Plan. Airport Drive is listed as a location for the county to eventually add sidewalks and bike lanes on and around Md. 97. "Should we be saying we definitely want sidewalks there or should we not be?" asked commission member Dan Hoff. "The planning for this area has them," said commission member Alec Yeo. "I think we are boxed in more so with this [county commissioner-owned] property than if it were on a private property." But because the property is owned by the county, it can decide to put in the sidewalks at any time, Wantz explained. "That's something we need to hash out with the county a little bit better," he said after the meeting. "They didn't give a clear signal. "What's interesting is we don't have authority to give them an easement to their own property," said Wantz. "It almost seemed like they were going to be expecting us to put a sidewalk where we don't actually front that area the sidewalk is anticipated to be on. We are only leasing the ground we are building on [so] there needs to be a discussion with the county requiring us to put a sidewalk there." Wantz also said the building would become county property in about 20 years anyway and putting a sidewalk and bike path in proximity to the area of Md. 97 near Airport Drive could be dangerous with the density of traffic on the highway daily. "There's still some further discussion that needs to happen," he said. Although the project has been in the works for more than a year, Dream Aviation took it to the county for the first time in January for its technical review where no citizens came to express public comment. After this week's meeting, in order to make Dream Aviation's plan reality developers must next submit the final site plan for review and approval. Dream Aviation has not yet scheduled its return to the commission to discuss the final site plan. http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/news/local/cc-planning-and-zoning-june-19-story.html Back to Top ATEC Joins the STEM Coalition; Meets with Federal Leaders on Aviation Workforce Issues On June 13, representatives from ATEC and the STEM Education Coalition met with policy staff from the Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). ATEC is a longstanding member of the Coalition's leadership council and represents aviation employers, vendors, and educational institutions with maintenance technician programs. Crystal Macquire, Executive Director of ATEC and Ryan Goertzen, Past ATEC President and Chief Aviation and Academic Officer at Spartan College, discussed the shortage of aviation technicians and pilots in the U.S. workforce. The group specifically voiced concerns with Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) part 147, which governs aviation maintenance technician schools that hold a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certificate. The prescriptive regulation governs the curriculum for these schools and hasn't been significantly updated since 1962. The council has been actively working to update the regulation for years. It highlighted the long- standing issue as one that exacerbates ever-growing workforce shortage concerns. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12417646/atec-joins-the-stem-coalition-meets-with- federal-leaders-on-aviation-workforce-issues Back to Top Swiss MRO provider approved for Russian-registered civil rotorcraft and props RUAG Aviation, the aeronautics arm of Swiss technology company RUAG, has been approved for the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of civil helicopters and propeller aircraft registered in Russia. The latest endorsement is an extension to the existing 2016 approvals awarded to RUAG by the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) for business jets, and includes helicopters and propeller aircraft within the standard RUAG type ratings portfolio. RUAG holds Authorised Service Centre status from the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for all of the newly approved types. Other services provided by the company include component MRO, avionics and cockpit upgrades and cabin refurbishment, as well as airframe services for helicopters. Dedicated facilities for the newly included aircraft platforms are maintained at the RUAG Aviation Switzerland sites at Sion, Lugano-Agno and Locarno. "This certification allows us to offer our Russia-based customers full MRO and engineering support across their aircraft portfolios," states Markus Mayer, RUAG Aviation's regional sales director, Europe. "At the same time, it also confirms to our current business jet customers that they can continue to rely on prompt aircraft availability and optimised downtimes for their helicopter and propeller aircraft as well." Servicing aircraft and helicopters throughout their entire life cycle, the Swiss company's core competencies include maintenance, repair and overhaul services, upgrades and the development, manufacturing and integration of subsystems. RUAG Aviation describes itself as a supplier, support provider, systems and components integrator for aviation. It is a noted authorised service centre for such OEMs as Airbus Helicopters, Bell, Cirrus, Dassault Aviation, Diamond, Embraer, Leonardo, Piaggio, Sikorsky, Textron Aviation and Piper, as well as a service centre for Bombardier, 328 Support Services, Viking and MD Helicopters. The company is also the manufacturer (OEM) of the Dornier 228 aircraft. RUAG Aviation is an approved Part 21/J EASA Design Organisation, Part 21/G EASA Production Organisation, and Part 145 EASA Maintenance Organisation. http://www.rusaviainsider.com/swiss-mro-provider-approved-russian-registered-civil-rotorcraft- props/ Back to Top FAA faces scrutiny over how it handled concerns about Southwest operations before Flight 1380 tragedy A federal watchdog is investigating the Federal Aviation Administration's oversight of Southwest Airlines after a hotline complaint about operational issues at the airline and the engine failure incident on Flight 1380 which led to a passenger's death. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of the Inspector General issued a memorandum on Wednesday announcing the audit. The DOT received a complaint alleging a number of operational issues at Southwest, including alleged pilot training deficiencies. The DOT's audit will focus on the FAA's oversight of Southwest's systems for managing risk. The FAA established requirements in March 2015 for the airlines to establish formal safety management systems to identify hazards and take preemptive action to mitigate risk. The audit will also explore reports that the Flight 1380 engine failure was similar to an engine incident on a 2016 flight. The memorandum states that it is unclear what actions the airline took to address the concerns raised by the 2016 incident, in which a flight had to make an emergency landing in Pensacola, Fla., after its left engine failed when a fan blade broke off. The FAA said in a statement that it continually works to ensure passenger safety and welcomes the investigation. "The FAA's oversight system is designed to identify potential risks before they become serious problems and ensure that corrective action is taken," the FAA said. "The process is dynamic and requires that the FAA, and the airlines we oversee, constantly strive for safety improvements. We welcome any opportunity to improve upon what is already the safest aerospace system in the world." Southwest said in a statement that it has a "very transparent and professional relationship" with the FAA, which includes an FAA-approved Safety Management System. "Our absolute goal at Southwest is to meet or exceed every requirement of our Safety Management System, and we believe we are held accountable to that goal by the FAA," the airline said. "That said, we are always seeking new ways to strengthen our practices, and any additional enhancements or oversights into our Safety Management System that result from this audit by the Department of Transportation are welcome additions to our safety culture." Since 2000, Southwest has been fined a total of $11.6 million from the FAA in 41 reported maintenance violations, according to data compiled by Good Jobs First, a nonprofit focused on corporate responsibility. Fifteen of those fines, totaling $167,000, were against AirTran Airways, which Southwest acquired in 2011. The FAA fined Southwest $7.5 million in 2009 for flying 46 planes after they were due for mandatory safety inspections. The airline paid $2.8 million in 2017 to settle allegations from 2009 that a third-party contractor had not properly repaired fuselage on 44 aircraft. The watchdog agency is also auditing the FAA's oversight of aircraft maintenance programs at American Airlines and Allegiant Air. That audit started as an industry-wide audit in summer 2017 and narrowed its focus to American and Allegiant in May. The DOT plans on beginning the audit later in June. https://pilotonline.com/business/article_6f385959-fa8e-5e5c-832c-1141a78b136c.html Back to Top Jet East Aviation Is Actively Hiring Experienced A&P and Avionics Technicians in the Greater New York Area Trenton, NJ, June 20, 2018 - Jet East Aviation is actively seeking A&P and Avionics Technicians in the greater New York Area. Due to expansion and growth in the White Plains Area (KHPN) the company is actively looking for highly qualified technicians. These positions are for seasoned technicians that have a professional demeanor, and work with minimal supervision in a high demand environment. This position will provide Jet East customers with the exceptional service they are accustomed to receiving when being supported by Jet East Aviation. The company will be on-site in White Plains, New York at the NBAA Regional Forum, Booth #14, with more information and accepting applications. "We are experiencing significant growth in the New York metropolitan area and expect that it will continue to grow, so Jet East Aviation is pursuing additional qualified aviation professionals," said Michael Hamilton, Vice President of Operations and Fleet Accounts, Jet East Aviation. "The two roles we are hiring for will be associated with upcoming growth in the New York Area, so the White Plains NBAA Regional Forum seemed like a great place to announce this news," Hamilton continued. The positions both require a minimum of three years experience working on aircraft, preferably working on Challenger, Global, Phenom, Citation, Gulfstream, Falcon and Hawker airframes. Jet East offers a comprehensive benefit and compensation package. Jet East Aviation is headquartered in Trenton, NJ, and has built a reputation in the industry as a leading MRO and AOG maintenance provider in the Northeast United States. The company offers scheduled maintenance, NDT inspections, avionics installation, interior refurbishment, touch-up paint and part sales on Citation, Falcon, Hawker, Phenom and other various airframes. For specific models or ratings by location call 215.937.9020. Additionally, the company is expanding its parts business following the trend of demand for parts support in the Northeast region. Jet East can provide parts to clients quickly with their on-staff couriers. For more information about Jet East Aviation or to schedule maintenance visit www.jeteastaviation.com. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12417712/jet-east-aviation-is-actively-hiring- experienced-ap-and-avionics-technicians-in-the-greater-new-york-area Back to Top The CEO of Europe's largest airline reveals how his company is thriving in the world's toughest airline market Lufthansa Group had a historic year in 2017. The German aviation conglomerate saw profits surge more than 33% to $2.74 billion year over year, and its operating cash flow increased more than 55% to $5.8 billion. "Costs down, quality up, and efficiency increased in balance with the interests of our customers, staff, and shareholders," Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr told us in an interview when asked how his company has managed such a dramatic increase in profitability. "This is not just the best year in history for our shareholders, but the best Lufthansa ever for our customers and the highest level of happiness for our staff." This is in stark contrast to the years of painful labor disputes the company faced between 2014 and 2017 "We had three and half years of labor conflict with pilots of our core airline which brought us to the limits of what the Lufthansa family could deal with," Spohr said. According to the Spohr, who has been the company's chief executive since 2014, Lufthansa's previous trajectory of contracting down to its most profitable routes was not acceptable for an airline of its size and market position. Even though the labor dispute was financially and emotionally taxing for everyone involved, Spohr believes it was necessary to put the company in a better position to succeed. Lufthansa is one company with many airlines While the German airline and its iconic flying crane logo are well known amongst the flying public, Lufthansa the company is a much more complex organism with nearly 130,000 employees. Lufthansa Group is a conglomerate consisting of several hundred subsidiaries that range from catering to aircraft maintenance. The company also operates more than half a dozen separate airlines including Austrian, Swiss, Edelweiss, Eurowings, Brussels Airlines, Air Dolomiti, and Lufthansa. Complicating the situation even further is the fact that the Lufthansa Group's various brands operate using drastically different business models. For example, Lufthansa, Swiss, and Austrian are premium, mainline network carriers using a hub and spoke business model. These full-service airlines are designed to funnel passengers through major airport hubs in Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, and Vienna. On the other hand, Eurowings and Brussels Airlines are point-to-point low-cost carriers that operate without a hub network. Edelweiss, a subsidiary of Swiss, is a leisure travel airline, while Air Dolomiti is a regional airline that focuses on flights between Germany and Italy. So how is Lufthansa able to successfully operate all of these brands alongside one another without becoming bogged down in the complexity of the setup or cannibalizing business? To make the strategy work, the Group consciously pushed its core brands - Lufthansa, Austrian, and Swiss -upmarket. "In our dual-brand strategy, we were able to position our premium brands as premium," Spohr explained. "It was important to keep Eurowings far away enough from the core brands." At the same time, Lufthansa invested heavily in Eurowings and its products to make sure it develops its own personality and brand value. This way, the low-cost carrier won't have to subsist by feeding off of its more established siblings, but rather be able to stand on its own two feet. But the brands also take advantage of the financial and operational synergies created by the scale of the Lufthansa Group. "We buy aircraft together, we buy fuel together, we buy insurance together, and we sell (tickets) in the US together," the Lufthansa Group CEO said. "It's the best of both worlds." How to sustain success In addition, one of the secrets to his company's sustained success is the flexibility with which the multi-brand strategy is run. For example, the close geographic proximity of its major hubs allows Lufthansa Group to modulate any overlapping traffic flows based on demand. And then there's the matter of being able to react quickly in an increasingly competitive environment. "Can you bring your cost down fast enough? Can you pull out of markets? Can you grow fast enough?" Spohr said. http://www.businessinsider.com/lufthansa-ceo-explains-how-swiss-austrian-eurowings-airlines- can-thrive-as-one-company-2018-6?r=UK&IR=T Back to Top Sterling Aviation Launches New Version of QuickBoard Technology to Manage the Aviation Supply Chain NEW YORK (PRWEB) June 21, 2018 Sterling has launched a new version of QuickBoard Technology, an online logistics tool built specifically for the aviation industry. QuickBoard is a digital signage system that monitors key milestones of incoming and outgoing shipments, for quicker decision-making in the aviation logistics planning process. QuickBoard is a market-leading digital signage system that provides actionable information to help manage shipment activity. It enables aviation clients the ability to view and process their most critical shipments first, and proactively plan staffing and scheduling at each of their facilities, based upon real-time information. The system provides shippers and consignees a high level overview of multiple shipments on one screen. Unique reference numbers can be used for tracking, with color-coding for easier viewing. Information can be customized to each client's specific needs, and can assist with supply chain planning for: * Scheduling maintenance * Dealing with hard-grounded aircraft * AOG/CRC departments * Stores receiving areas * Order desks in hangers "Sterling's latest version of QuickBoard software is a key tool for managing the aviation logistics supply chain, whether dealing with critical AOGs, ordering parts for inventory, or scheduling maintenance checks," says Paul White, Corporate Executive Vice President, The Quick Group. About Sterling Global Aviation Logistics Since 1981, Sterling has been helping aviation clients with their worldwide priority shipping, transporting valuable aircraft parts swiftly and efficiently. Sterling specializes in shipping AOG aircraft parts, heavy weight or oversized freight, and dangerous goods, while keeping down time to a minimum. Sterling is at the forefront of innovations, offering precision, individualized service and dependability. http://virtual-strategy.com/2018/06/21/sterling-aviation-launches-new-version-of-quickboard- technology-to/ Back to Top EASA Proposes Changes to Part 25 Certification Rules As a result of its routine periodic review, EASA has proposed several updates to its Part CS-25 large airplane certification regulations. They include proposed changes to cockpit controls, ventilation operation, oxygen quantity, and a correction to a flap and slat interconnection advisory circular reference. While some manufacturers and airworthiness authorities, including EASA, already interpret control movement rules as requiring that pilots of different stature "be able to adequately and simultaneously command full differential brakes and full rudder in the same direction," this interpretation is not universal. Consequently, EASA has proposed wording to clarify the rule's intent. The agency also proposed to make amendments that would add an acceptable means of compliance for operating ventilation systems with the air conditioning off. Regarding the quantity of available oxygen, EASA wants to amend requirements by introducing an exception applicable to oxygen chemical generators or small sealed, one-time use, gaseous oxygen bottles. Additionally, a new acceptable means of compliance is also proposed regarding the design and maintenance of these sources of oxygen supply to ensure that oxygen is available. The proposed amendments reflect the state of the art in technology and are expected to improve the harmonization of CS-25 with FAA's Part 25. Comments on the notice of proposed amendments are due by September 18. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-06-20/easa-proposes-changes- part-25-certification-rules Back to Top SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship marches towards launch with vacuum chamber test SpaceX has published the latest photo of its next-generation Crew Dragon spacecraft, showing the crewed vehicle preparing to be put through its paces inside a NASA thermal vacuum chamber located in Cleveland, Ohio. If the tests are completed without issue, the Dragon's next destination will be Cape Canaveral, Florida, where it will prepare for an inaugural launch targeted for the fourth quarter of 2018. In the photo released on June 20th, SpaceX's DM-1 Crew Dragon capsule (C202 in shorthand: [C]apsule, Dragon [2], serial number [02]) is seen being craned by SpaceX technicians into the thermal vacuum chamber at NASA's Plum Brook testing facilities. Located in Ohio, Plum Brook's vacuum chamber is unique because of both its size and its ability to fairly accurate replicate the actual environment faced by satellites and spacecraft once in space. Most importantly, this includes the extreme thermal conditions those vehicles are subjected to by constant ~90-minute day-night cycles in low Earth orbit (LEO). Without Earth's cozy atmosphere to act as both a heat sink and insulating blanket once on orbit, there is simply nothing there to protect spacecraft like Crew Dragon from the absolute extremes of direct solar radiation (sunlight), total darkness, and a complete lack of cooling by conduction and convection. In order to avoid overheating, Crew Dragon thus needs to bring along its own means of cooling in the form of onboard radiators to shed excess heat. The use of white paint on spacecraft further aids this process by selectively preventing the absorption of solar radiation while simultaneously efficiently emitting in infrared wavelengths. HOW TO PREP YOUR DRAGON Crew Dragon's primary radiators are elegantly integrated into vertical panels installed on the cylindrical bottom segment, known as the trunk, while the craft's power source - solar panels in this case - are installed in a curved array on the opposite side of the trunk. Intriguingly, the trunks displayed in the two most recent photos of the DM-1 Crew Dragon appear to be almost completely different, and the trunk at Plum Brook does not appear to have its solar arrays or radiators installed. Nominally, SpaceX would use the thermal vacuum capabilities of the Ohio facility to fully vet Crew Dragon's ability to maintain optimal temperatures on orbit, but the particularly tests planned for the DM-1 capsule and trunk may be of a slightly different type. Regardless, after testing at Plum Brook is completed, the DM-1 Crew Dragon capsule will be shipped to a newly-constructed processing facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida, while it's understood that the trunk installed in SpaceX's June 20th photo will be returned to the Hawthorne, CA factory to be outfitted with flight hardware (presumably including cameras, radiators, solar arrays, and a healthy amount of insulation). It's unclear when the two segments of DM-1 will part ways and head on to their next destinations, but it's likely that testing at Plum Brook will last for at least a handful of weeks. BIRDS OF A FEATHER In the meantime, several additional Crew Dragon capsules/trunks and the Falcon 9 Block 5 rockets that will launch them are in a variety of states of fabrication and assembly at SpaceX's Hawthorne factory. B1051, the Block 5 booster assigned to the first uncrewed Demo-1 launch of Crew Dragon, was reported by NASA to be undergoing propellant tank integration in March 2018, implying that the rocket should be at or near the final stages of integration, and will likely ship to McGregor, Texas for static fire testing late this summer. As of June 15th, SpaceX's third Falcon 9 Block 5 booster was vertical on the Texas test stand, likely nearing its own static fire test before being shipped to SpaceX's Vandenberg Air Force Base launch facilities for the July 20th launch of Iridium-7. While possible that a booster slipped past the watchful eyes and ears of SpaceX enthusiast observers, it's probable that the rocket currently in McGregor is B1048, implying that a minimum of two additional booster shipments and Texas test programs remain before B1051 can be prepped to launch SpaceX's first Crew Dragon mission. At the current marginally accelerated booster production and shipment schedule (~ 30-day cadence), B1051 would be expected to leave Hawthorne for Texas no earlier than (NET) late August or early September. This meshes with a recent comment from Commercial Crew astronaut Suni Williams: "I think we're going to get the [uncrewed[ demo flights probably by the end of the year, maybe a little after that . . . and then the crew demo missions next year." Anticipating acceptance and prelaunch testing that is far more extensive and time-consuming than typically seen with SpaceX's commercial missions, it's safe to bet that the first uncrewed Crew Dragon mission - DM-1 - will launch from Kennedy Space Center in November or December 2018. While those operations proceed over the course of the rest of this year, SpaceX expects roughly 10 additional Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches to occur. It's gonna be a busy H2. https://www.teslarati.com/spacex-crew-dragon-spaceship-vacuum-chamber-test/ Curt Lewis