December 20, 2018 - No. 100 In This Issue Honeywell launches aviation parts trading platform Lufthansa Group installed Collins Aerospace data link solution on 700 aircraft. American Airlines grant to help support CCBC aviation program AAR Takes Another Step In Building An MRO Workforce Pipeline. Pratt & Whitney's Geared Turbofan Engine Has Had A Very Good Year First Digital Tower in the UK Goes Active Embry-Riddle meeting with Atlantic County schools to build aviation STEM program This startup's new passenger drone is 'like a flight simulator that you can ride in,' CEO says The UK prepares to take lead in Urban Air Mobility. SpaceX And Blue Origin Scrub Rocket Launches, Dashing Hopes Of A 4-Launch Day Honeywell launches aviation parts trading platform Honeywell has launched GoDirect Trade to streamline the purchasing of airplane parts and improve fulfilment times. The new e-commerce platform will improve access to new and used aircraft parts for airlines, air transport and business aviation customers by offering transparent pricing and the option to buy inventory directly from its website. "GoDirect Trade represents an evolution in our market, and being backed by a major equipment manufacturer brings the confidence we need to be one of the early adopters," said Thomas Noonan, director of material and part sales, StandardAero Total Aircraft Spares. "This technology will help propel the aviation industry forward into the realm of other e-commerce sites that many of us use each day without a second thought." On GoDirect Trade uses blockchain technology to ensure every listing includes images and quality documents for the exact part being offered for sale, giving the buyer confidence about purchasing the part. In addition, every part on GoDirect Trade is immediately available for sale and shipping. "We are the first marketplace to enable customised seller storefronts, and we are the first to leverage blockchain technology to build trust between the buyer and seller," said Lisa Butters, who is leading the new Honeywell Aerospace venture. "All of these firsts will bring us into a new era focused on the buyer's experience while enabling sellers to grow globally. Our platform and mindset will change the way the industry does business." https://www.hmgaerospace.com/news/inflight/honeywell-launches-aviation-parts-trading-platform/ Back to Top Lufthansa Group installed Collins Aerospace data link solution on 700 aircraft ANNAPOLIS, Md., Dec. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Lufthansa Group has selected Collins Aerospace ARINC GLOBALinkSM to implement an advanced air-to-ground aviation communications network in support of its worldwide passenger communication requirements. This group includes Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Luftfahrtgesellschaft Walter, SWISS and Lufthansa German Airlines. The ARINC GLOBALink service delivers highly secure and reliable voice and data communications between the aircraft and ground operations over a private aviation network that features 99.999 percent availability. The solution enables Lufthansa to use data link messages to improve departure control and turnaround, send and receive real-time aircraft and engine data to improve maintenance operations, and upload gate connection information to aircraft inflight entertainment displays. "We selected Collins Aerospace as our new data link provider because of its comprehensive approach to flight deck communications," said Andreas Ritter, head of Flight Operations Procedures & Technology Group Airlines for Lufthansa Group. "The fact that we can now work with one company for our software, hardware and service needs is a major benefit to our airline." As part of the agreement, Collins Aerospace also provided Lufthansa with Collins' data radios to ensure the cockpit hardware can communicate with the ground as efficiently as possible via enhanced network performance. "Transitioning a fleet of 700 aircraft to a new network service is no small feat," said Michael DiGeorge, vice president of Commercial Aviation and Network Services for Collins Aerospace. "Working in collaboration with Lufthansa we were able to complete the migration without any service disruptions in just over three months. We believe a migration of this size in this short of a timeframe is an industry first." Lufthansa is using Collins' entire suite of ARINC GLOBALink services, including Very High Frequency, SATCOM, and High Frequency Data Link to meet the airline's diverse range of aviation communication needs. About Collins Aerospace Collins Aerospace, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), is a leader in technologically advanced and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defense industry. Created in 2018 by bringing together UTC Aerospace Systems and Rockwell Collins, Collins Aerospace has the capabilities, comprehensive portfolio and expertise to solve customers' toughest challenges and to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global market. For more information, visit CollinsAerospace.com. About United Technologies Corporation United Technologies Corp., based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology systems and services to the building and aerospace industries. By combining a passion for science with precision engineering, the company is creating smart, sustainable solutions the world needs. For more information about the company, visit our website at www.utc.com or follow us on Twitter: @UTC https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lufthansa-group-installed-collins-aerospace-data-link-solution-on-700-aircraft-300769189.html Back to Top American Airlines grant to help support CCBC aviation program CENTER TWP. - The Community College of Beaver County continues to soar when it comes to its aviation program. American Airlines recognized CCBC's School of Aviation as one of its top aviation-focused schools and as a top innovative aviation organization for the second consecutive year with a $25,000 grant. CCBC is one of 17 aviation schools nationwide to receive the grant. "We believe we're making the pilot profession more visible, accessible and obtainable to a broader range of people than ever before," said Capt. David Tatum, director of Pilot Recruiting and Development for American. The college plans to use the money to help support its WINGS - Widening Interest for the Next Generation of Students - in Aviation program, which is designed to attract more students to CCBC's high school aviation program. It will enable the school to buy several desktop flight simulators that can be taken to local schools to give students a hands-on experience and awareness of a career in professional piloting. The aviation program is among the college's most profitable and nationally recognized, attracting students from across the country. This fall, 331 students were enrolled in the aviation sciences program, including 249 students in the professional pilot program. CCBC also offers its Aviation Academy to high school students across the region that enables them to attend classes at CCBC and earn college credits toward an aviation degree while still in high school. Students can pursue classes in the professional pilot, air traffic control and unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, programs. Classes are offered at the Parkway West Career and Technology Center near Pittsburgh International Airport and at the CCBC Aviation Sciences Center at the Beaver County Airport in Chippewa Township. "CCBC's Aviation Academy is providing western Pennsylvania's high school students with high-impact, high-tech education experiences, preparing them for available aviation careers after graduation," said CCBC interim President Dr. Roger Davis. "We thank American Airlines for their continued partnership and support." http://www.timesonline.com/news/20181219/american-airlines-grant-to-help-support-ccbc-aviation-program Back to Top AAR Takes Another Step In Building An MRO Workforce Pipeline As part of AAR's proactive efforts to build a pipeline of technical talent by working with colleges nears its five bases in the U.S., it is partnering with a Chicago college to launch an aviation sheet metalworking course. The course, set to launch in March, will be taught at Olive-Harvey College, one of seven schools that are part of City Colleges of Chicago. After students complete the 300-hour sheet metal course, which includes hands-on training with sheet metal from aircraft, they will be qualified for entry-level jobs in aviation or manufacturing. "Or they can continue their education at Olive-Harvey and earn stackable, portable skills in avionics and aviation electronics that will be added as part of AAR's EAGLE (ethics, airworthiness, greatness, leadership, engagement) Career Pathway program," says John Holmes, AAR CEO. The MRO's pathway program is designed to provide a systematic way for students to build the skills they will need for MRO careers by working with schools to provide maintenance training that exceeds the FAA requirements. "The pathway shows students how they can increase their earnings with each skill, earning up to $80,000 within five years, without college debt. Olive-Harvey graduates can also go on to pursue their FAA aircraft mechanics certification. In which case, AAR can offer up to $15,000 in tuition reimbursement," says Holmes. All program graduates will be able to interview with AAR, which also will offer apprenticeships. He says the initiative with Olive-Harvey started after he met with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who asked him "what keeps you up at night?" Holmes said labor, because "AAR desperately needs more aviation mechanics to continue to grow." After connecting with the City Colleges of Chicago's chancellor, Juan Salgado, "AAR agreed to create the curriculum for a 300-hour aviation sheet metal course. Our investment is a combination of technical resources, in-kind contributions of tooling and equipment assets; a financial commitment; scholarships and apprenticeships, and securing a donation of three aircraft," says Holmes. AAR also is working with the school to hire a training director/lead instructor. Because AAR already had developed a sheet metal class for an aviation training school in Oklahoma, where the MRO also has a facility, creating the one for Olive-Harvey only took a few months. AAR hopes to enroll 15 students in the first course this spring, but once it's up to capacity, it should be able to accommodate 80 students. To find students interested in the sheet metal class, the City Colleges of Chicago strongly recruits Chicago Public School students, who can attend the colleges for free. AAR also is working with AeroStar, "an aviation education program through the CPS that targets students of color, created by Tammera Holmes, and another local high school, Perspectives Charters Schools, where AAR has mentored students and taken them on tours to our aircraft repair hangar in Indianapolis," says the AAR CEO. It also reaches out to local YMCAs. AAR hopes to add a composites course at Olive-Harvey within two years. The program with the Chicago schools follows one that AAR announced with Western Michigan University in October. In 2019, AAR plans to launch a program called Choose Aerospace with the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC) "to raise awareness of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers in aviation that don't require a four-year degree. We're especially targeting students that are younger, diverse and female. We believe students will choose aviation if they know about these careers and can see a clear pathway to advancement and middle-class wages," says Holmes. https://www.mro-network.com/maintenance-repair-overhaul/aar-takes-another-step-building-mro-workforce-pipeline Back to Top Pratt & Whitney's Geared Turbofan Engine Has Had A Very Good Year In the long and complex history of United Technologies, 2018 will likely be remembered as the year that Rockwell Collins was acquired and the company announced it would return to its roots as an aviation enterprise by separating from its non-aerospace units. No doubt about it, the transformation of United Technologies from a major supplier of aircraft engines, electronics and mechanical equipment into the biggest such supplier in the world ($50 billion in revenues) is a significant development. However, it may be that the most important development shaping the company's future success in 2018 was barely noticed by many outsiders. The Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine that its Pratt & Whitney unit spent 20 years and $10 billion developing has won broad acceptance among carriers around the world by demonstrating it can deliver all the promised benefits in fuel efficiency, noise reduction and emissions abatement while sustaining high rates of reliability. There's been plenty of coverage of the Geared Turbofan this year, but few writers seem to grasp that the engine's success in 2018 represents a watershed in the history of aircraft propulsion. Every turbofan up to this point has run its front end and back end at the same speed - even though optimum efficiency dictates running the fan at the front much slower than the compressor and turbine elements in the back. The GTF changes all that by introducing 3:1 reduction gears between front and back, allowing each part of the engine to operate at the most efficient speed. It's a breakthrough, but like many other revolutionary technologies, GTF's introduction was accompanied by challenges. Much of the coverage following its introduction in 2016 focused on those challenges. The early challenges have now been resolved, and Pratt is poised to take market share from its competitors. This seems like a good time to recap what Pratt & Whitney - a contributor to my think tank - has accomplished, because it is going to change the face of aviation. Strong demand. In the twelve months ending November 30, Pratt received 2,000 orders and commitments for Geared Turbofans, raising the total to 10,000. During 2018 ten more carriers joined the community of users, raising the total number of airlines adopting the new propulsion system to over 30. Major recent orders have been received from Delta, Jet Blue and Swiss, mainly to equip Airbus A320neo aircraft and the recently renamed Airbus A220 (formerly Bombardier's CSeries). The GTF has also been adopted by regional jet makers Embraer, Irkut and Mitsubishi. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2018/12/19/pratt-whitneys-geared-turbofan-engine-has-had-a-very-good-year/#69f249bb7e94 Back to Top First Digital Tower in the UK Goes Active On December 13, the UK's aviation minister, Baroness Liz Sugg, formally opened the digital air traffic control center at Cranfield University airfield in Bedfordshire. In the early afternoon, the center handled its first live air traffic, marking the first time in the UK that an aircraft had been controlled from an all-digital "tower." Saab Digital Air Traffic Solutions installed Cranfield's new tower in a jointly funded partnership with the university. Implementation has been swift: the contract was signed in October 2017, with construction beginning in March. Completion of the installation permitted air traffic control officers (ATCOs) to "shadow" the operations of the existing traditional visual tower for six weeks while Saab technicians fine-tuned the system. The "opening" of the control center was made possible under a temporary approval to gain live experience with limited traffic. Now the stakeholders are embarking on a phase of working closely with the UK CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) to clear the system for unrestricted use. Cranfield hopes to complete the transition in around six months, at which time its aging visual tower can be closed. The system installed at Cranfield comprises two elements: a sensor "tower" and the control center. The former mounts 14 cameras that are arranged to provide 360-degree surveillance of the entire airfield and surrounding airspace. The cameras are fitted with compressed air blowers to clean moisture from the lenses. The tower also has cameras that can be panned, zoomed (up to 30 times) and elevated to the vertical to provide controllers with the ability to examine targets of interest in detail, effectively replacing the binoculars in a traditional tower. The 360-degree imagery from the cameras is displayed in real time on a 225-degree arc of screens around the operator consoles. This provides the ATCOs with a measure of directional awareness, but without the need to turn all the way around to see behind. Each controller can operate the pan/zoom function, imagery from which appears in a picture-in-picture box on the main screens. Security and safety are of paramount concern, and the system features high levels of redundancy, with digital data handled through two independent networks and powered by three independent sources. There is a spare TV screen available in the control center should there be any issues with the "live" screens. All imagery is automatically recorded, along with ATC voice communications, making it readily available for investigation in the case of an incident. The system automatically handles varying light conditions, with four preset settings that cater to seasonal differences in the environment, such as sun elevation and vegetation color. Manual control permits the controllers to adjust for specific conditions; for instance, an individual screen can be dimmed to reduce the effects of sun glare in a particular sector. There is also a geo-referenced graphic overlay function that can present various data to the ATCOs that is not possible with a traditional tower, such as the exact location of taxiway/runway boundaries. This can be very useful in poor visibility or snowy conditions. Cranfield's ATCOs, who are employed directly by the university, have found the transition easier than expected, and have adapted quickly to the new working environment, which has been designed with input from controllers at every stage. DIGITAL TOWER RESEARCH For Saab-a pioneer in digital towers-the Cranfield installation represents a good investment to showcase the company's technology. The company began digital tower operations in Sweden in 2015 as part of a joint venture with air navigation services provider LFV. The first installation was a control center at Sundsvall airport that also controls operations at Örnsköldsvik remotely. In this case, the center has two separate "cabs" for the two airfields, but Saab could configure one screen array to handle two airfields on an active-inactive sequential basis. While one airfield is active the screen array shows that airfield, with possibly a separate small display to permit secondary monitoring of the inactive field. Saab is now installing digital systems at Linköping and at the new-build Scandinavian Mountains Airport at Sälen-Trysil. The company is also providing digital systems to the Irish CAA, and at London City Airport. As well as replicating the view from a traditional tower, the Saab system allows advanced augmented reality functions, some of which will be researched in the Cranfield center. An automatic tracking function can be added to the zoom camera, allowing it to alert ATCOs to drones and other potential hazards, while the graphic overlay function permits the display of numerous other data, such as radar and secondary surveillance information as provided by wide area multilateration and other technologies. The control center can also be expanded to monitor and control the operations of ground vehicles, especially those that operate autonomously. Research into these fields, and especially into the integration of manned and unmanned systems, is the primary reason that Cranfield has adopted the digital tower as part of its Cranfield Global Research Airport vision. The University-which grew out of the College of Aeronautics that was founded in 1946 as a post-graduate research center, and which is situated at the heart of the Oxford-Cambridge "innovation arc"-is globally unique in owning and operating its own airfield and research/flying classroom aircraft (two Jetstream 31s, one of which is shortly to be replaced by a Saab 340, plus a British Airways-donated Boeing 737 ground trainer). It has the ability to completely shut down the airfield to conduct trials of new innovations on behalf of both industry and academia. The new digital tower is an integral part of the future activities of the University's DARTeC (Digital Aviation Research and Technology Centre), a venture part-funded by industry that will open in 2020. DARTeC is tasked with exploring areas such as drone and unmanned vehicle integration, secure data communications, increased aircraft reliability and availability through self-sensing and self-aware technologies, and to the harnessing of digital technologies to enhance airport efficiencies. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-12-18/first-digital-tower-uk-goes-active Back to Top Embry-Riddle meeting with Atlantic County schools to build aviation STEM program Atlantic County officials are looking to establish aviation STEM programs in area high schools through a partnership with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University that would build on the importance of the industry to the region. "The initial meeting with Embry-Riddle generated a lot of excitement and interest," said Robert Bumpus, executive Atlantic County superintendent of schools. "We plan to hold our next meeting of county superintendents in early January to begin fleshing out the details." Earlier this month, the county announced that Embry-Riddle agreed to serve as an academic partner in the development of an operational plan for an Atlantic County Aviation Maintenance and Technical Academy through a $120,000 grant from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. The recent meeting, which included superintendents and educators, was arranged by the Atlantic County Economic Alliance and Atlantic County government as part of their workforce development efforts. Superintendents and educators met in the new, 56,000-square-foot building in the National Aviation Research and Technology Park in Egg Harbor Township located adjacent to the William J. Hughes FAA Technical Center and Atlantic City International Airport. The Economic Alliance has worked with state and local officials to establish an aviation innovation hub in the county. Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School Superintendent John Keenan said that through Embry-Riddle, area high schools have an opportunity to build a program that complements the county's initiative. "They are offering students programs to learn and directly enter the workforce even before high school graduation as well as a dual enrollment program for college bound students. I applaud Mr. (Dennis) Levinson and county leaders for laying the ground work with this prestigious university in providing Atlantic County students these opportunities," said Keenan who attended the meeting. County Executive Dennis Levinson said students have the potential to earn up to 12 college credits through the STEM program. "Coming from an education background, we need an educated workforce. This is why we have a comprehensive vocational school and we also have to interest our area high schools to get involved," Levinson said. He said that while tourism is a large part of the local economy, the aviation industry has the ability to provide long-term, high-paying jobs for the future. https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/business/embry-riddle-meeting-with-atlantic-county-schools-to-build-aviation/article_966a8bed-bfe9-570d-a62d-5e6470850ceb.html Back to Top This startup's new passenger drone is 'like a flight simulator that you can ride in,' CEO says If Matt Chasen gets his way, there will be a time - in the not-so-distant future - when commuters are able to order an air taxi that whisks them across town in minutes, bypassing traffic-clogged streets below. For now, however, the chief executive of LIFT Aircraft will have to use his start-up's electric-powered vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft, the Hexa, for something else: 15-minute flights across a lake outside Austin, for $249 a pop. Though the flights will target a recreational crowd, Chasen sees them as a steppingstone to a new form of convenient urban transportation. "Today's regulatory environment does not allow for a transportation use of these aircraft - yet," said Chasen, a former Boeing engineer with a background in mechanical and aerospace engineering. "We'll build public trust in the technology. Once that happens, it's inevitable that people will want to use it for certain types of commuting flights." It may take years, Chasen said, but the payoff could be immense, as the race to create autonomous flying vehicles begins, with companies such as Uber, Airbus and Volocopter already developing them. Unlike with conventional aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration does not require a pilot's license to operate a "powered ultralight" craft. The agency's rules require instead that ultralights operate during daylight hours in open areas and limit their use to sport and recreation. To operate the Hexa, Chasen said, customers will undergo an orientation that includes watching safety videos and training in a virtual-reality simulator for up to an hour. A basic proficiency test will follow, then preflight checks with ground support. The drone-like aircraft - which is controlled using a joystick in the cockpit and stabilized by a flight computer - weighs 432 pounds, seats one person, and has 18 sets of propellers, motors and batteries. Prospective pilots have to weigh less than 250 pounds. During flight, Chasen said, pilots can see safety information on an augmented-reality display inside the aircraft. In the event of an emergency, he said, flight controllers can take over the aircraft and fly it remotely like a drone. Chasen compared the flying experience to "a flight simulator that you can ride in." The aircraft can travel just over 60 mph at top speed and includes air-cushioned floats, allowing it to land on water if necessary. "Unlike traditional helicopters, you don't need great skill to fly the Hexa," he said. "If you completely let go of the joystick, the aircraft just hovers in GPS position hold. It's programmed so that if battery levels get down to a certain level, the aircraft will automatically return to the launch site." LIFT hopes to begin offering flights over a popular lake outside Austin next year. The company announced last week that it is also considering 25 cities across the country for other "aircraft hubs," which would be located near tourist destinations and entertainment areas. Though the cities have yet to be named, the company is already accepting reservations. "I could envision a Lift location right from a pier on the Seattle waterfront," Chasen told GeekWire. Chasen said he doesn't think the FAA will certify vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft for commercial transportation until they're proved safe. Once that happens, he said, a new wave of alternative transportation is likely to quickly emerge. In five to 10 years, he predicts, aircraft like the Hexa will play a very different role in urban environments, becoming an "alternative to driving" for certain types of trips. "I think we will be one option among many if it's rush hour, and you can fly for 10 minutes as opposed to driving for 90 minutes," Chasen said. "It think it'll be a niche thing to start out, but at some point, it won't be surprising to see aircraft taking off from rooftops in cities on a regular basis." LIFT Aircraft https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2018/12/19/this-startups-new-passenger-drone-is-like-flight-simulator-that-you-can-ride-in-ceo-says/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.078187b17016 Back to Top The UK prepares to take lead in Urban Air Mobility The CAA is preparing to launch a new 'Innovation in Aviation' capability in April 2019, offering innovators the chance to discuss, explore, trial and test emerging concepts and technologies in aviation, where there are no current precedents or clear frameworks. One example is Urban Air Mobility (UAM), more commonly known as 'flying taxis'. These types of vehicles are intended to operate with 'Vertical Take Off and Landing' (VTOL), carrying passengers over short distances. UAM is an aviation phenomenon that is attracting increasing developer, investor, public, governmental and regulatory interest. Due to the cross-cutting and global nature of its challenges and the potential for long-term development, it's a perfect example of something we should approach in a new way. As the UK starts to consider what may be required to enable such a technology, we hold a pivotal role in considering the aspects of public safety, security and consumer protection. Around the world there have already been several test flights of UAM vehicles. Dubai (Ehang and Volocopter) and New Zealand (Cora) have already demonstrated systems with more reportedly scheduled in Singapore (Volocopter) and San Francisco (Joby Aviation). As the UK's aviation regulator we're interested in these developments- particularly the regulatory implications, and have contributed to work with the European Aviation Safety Agency, EASA in the area. These systems are attracting increasing investment. Reaching an early peak with Lilium's $90M Series B Early Stage funding in September 2017. Some industry estimates suggest that with such investment, the provision of commercial aerial mobility services can be expected by 2025, and within a decade passenger carrying drones could already be servicing their own elaborate passenger network with about 23,000 aircraft plying major routes and creating a market worth $32 billion. The UK's Industrial Strategy sets an ambition to remain at the cutting-edge of technological development in transport through its Grand Challenge on the Future of Mobility As a result we have been approached by a number of companies to discuss what role UAM could play in UK aviation. So we're keen to expand our engagement in the UAM space, and are inviting people working in the field and considering bringing their technology to the UK to engage with us. While it will principally be industry and the public that shape the future of aero-mobility we must ensure that we don't act as a barrier to those technological developments which have the potential to deliver significant benefits, including strengthening the already high standards of safety that consumers and the public expect. Our new innovation team will engage with companies earlier than we normally would, reducing regulatory friction later by ensuring that innovators are better prepared to seek any regulatory approvals required. As these vehicles will be using electric propulsion, be remotely piloted and, eventually, be autonomous and have business models using ride sharing and digital hailing, our existing capabilities and frameworks may not be applicable. We want to be ready to deal with these new technologies now by working closely with all involved... This marks a significant cultural shift for us in how we consider the challenges of regulating emerging technologies. This new approach will be up and running later in 2019, in the interim please contact us at innovation@caa.co.uk. Further information is also available at https://www.caa.co.uk/Our-work/About-us/Innovation/ We are happy to engage in discussions regarding a range of UAM related topics including business models, regulatory challenges and possible testing and trialling in the UK. https://www.suasnews.com/2018/12/the-uk-prepares-to-take-lead-in-urban-air-mobility/ Back to Top SpaceX And Blue Origin Scrub Rocket Launches, Dashing Hopes Of A 4-Launch Day Weather and other delays marred what had been anticipated as a banner day for space launches Tuesday, as both SpaceX and Blue Origin were forced to postpone launches that had been scheduled to take place within minutes of each other. Both companies say they will look at moving their launches to Wednesday morning. Blue Origin says its launch was scrubbed due to what the company calls a "ground infrastructure issue." Blue Origin says the rocket remains ready. SpaceX says an abort order was triggered by the flight computer onboard the Falcon 9 rocket. Paired with an earlier delay due to unfavorable upper-level winds, the slowdown pushed the rocket past its launch window. "Vehicle and payload remain healthy," SpaceX said via Twitter, adding, "next launch attempt is tomorrow" at 9:07 a.m. ET. In addition to those missions from two of America's top private space companies, two other space launches had been planned for Tuesday - but only one of them is now still scheduled. The delays threw cold water on a day that had left some space aficionados giddy with excitement. "If you're a space fan, Christmas comes a week early this year," Space.com wrote of the four planned launches. SpaceX was poised to send its Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, with a live webcast that started streaming about 15 minutes before the intended liftoff. SpaceX plans to carry the first GPS III satellite into medium Earth orbit; it comes from Lockheed Martin, which says the new system will "launch the next generation of connection." Because of the satellite's weight and flight plan, the Falcon 9 will not return for a landing. Instead, it will be sent into the atmosphere to prevent space junk from accumulating in orbit. The new GPS III satellites are designed to be three times more accurate than the current system, which went into civilian operation in the 1990s. As for how it might affect regular GPS users, the firm says, "our phones will receive an upgraded GPS signal from this satellite by the end of 2019." Vice President Mike Pence was in Florida for the now-delayed SpaceX launch. Blue Origin had targeted 9:30 a.m. ET to launch its New Shepard rocket for a suborbital flight from its facility in West Texas, in the tenth mission for the reusable rocket system. The New Shepard (named for astronaut Alan Shepard) will carry nine different NASA-sponsored research and experimental projects that have come from five colleges and several agencies and engineering firm Controlled Dynamics. The day had promised four potential launches - but then the delays took hold. The final launch of the day is planned to take place in California, where the United Launch Alliance will send a Delta IV Heavy rocket up from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 8:57 p.m. ET. It will carry a U.S. National Reconnaissance Office satellite called the NROL- 71, which the Air Force says will help to give "innovative overhead intelligence systems for national security." Around midday Tuesday, Arianespace had planned to launch a Soyuz rocket from the spaceport in French Guiana to carry a French defense and intelligence imaging satellite designated CSO-1 into orbit. That's now scheduled for Wednesday at 11:37 a.m. ET. https://www.npr.org/2018/12/18/677711014/spacex-and-blue-origin-to-launch-rockets-within-minutes-of-each-other-tuesday-mo Curt Lewis