JUNE 20, 2019 - No. 049 In This Issue Expanding the Aviation Workforce: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Names Inaugural Cohort of Boeing Scholars Raytheon To Add AI to CV-22 Maintenance Scheduling CDB Aviation Places $1.3 Billion LEAP-1A Order Electric Planes to Debut for Airline Serving Nantucket, Vineyard GE Aviation and Lufthansa Technik Sign 777X MRO Cooperation Agreement Avia Solutions Group to acquire Chapman Freeborn Collins Aerospace Snags $1.5B in Maintenance Deals Boeing Weighs 777X Timing while GE Works Engine Fix Embraer Launches Predictive Maintenance System IKON with Big Data and Analytics Based on Amazon Web Services Cloud NASA Administrator Confirms SpaceX Explosion Will Delay Launches Expanding the Aviation Workforce: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Names Inaugural Cohort of Boeing Scholars Twenty-two highly accomplished students will receive generous scholarships as part of a strategic effort to expand and diversify the aviation workforce, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and The Boeing Company announced today at the Paris Air Show. The Boeing scholarships were established to help students interested in pursuing degrees in aviation science, aircraft maintenance and other fields at Embry-Riddle - the world's premier aviation and aerospace institution. Supported by a $3 million endowment from Boeing, the scholarships will be made available to all students -with a focus on increasing the number of women, underrepresented minorities and military veterans and their dependents enrolled at the University. The inaugural cohort of scholarship recipients were selected based on their academic achievements as well as demonstrated financial need. Each scholarship ranges from $5,000 to $7,500, to be awarded annually for two years. "The Boeing scholarships at Embry-Riddle will allow academically successful underrepresented students and veterans to pursue a university degree, gain critical aviation skills, and ultimately, help diversify the industry," said Dr. P. Barry Butler, president of Embry-Riddle. "At a time when we are facing a global shortage of aviation professionals, it is critically important to widen the talent pipeline. It is an honor to partner with Boeing to enrich and enhance the aviation workforce." "Different perspectives make our industry stronger. These scholarships will help address the need for aerospace talent, including pilots and maintenance technicians, by equipping students from diverse backgrounds with the skills they need to succeed," said Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Dennis Muilenburg. "We congratulate the first class of Boeing Scholars at Embry-Riddle and look forward to watching their futures unfold." Meet the First Boeing Scholars at Embry-Riddle All newly selected Boeing Scholars were high-performing high-school students with exceptional grade point averages. The Boeing Scholars at Embry-Riddle will attend both of the university's residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz. The Class of 2019 Boeing Embry-Riddle Scholars are as follows: ARIZONA Brennan Acevedo of Chandler, Ariz., and Perry High School Shannon Byrne of Avondale, Ariz., and Westview High School CALIFORNIA Adrian Baffigo of La Verne, Calif., and Bonita High School Joshua Lopez of Bakersfield, Calif., and Frontier High School FLORIDA Shaddi Abdala of Cooper City, Fla., and Cooper City High School Matthew Case of Riverview, Fla., and Richard Spoto High School Caitlin Hartsel of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., and South Walton High School Johan Rodriguez of Miami Lakes, Fla., and Mater Lakes Academy Charter High School Hunter Wise of Boynton Beach, Fla., and Boyton Beach Community High School ILLINOIS Liam Brennan of Oak Lawn, Ill., and Harold L. Richards High School IOWA Christopher Espino of Council Bluffs, Ia., and Iowa Western Community College MARYLAND Jing-Yu Tan of Ellicott City, Md., and Marriotts Ridge High School NEVADA Bailey Dostal of Reno, Nev., and Damonte Ranch High School Joshua Sandoval of Henderson, Nev., and Foothill High School Anna Scott of Henderson, Nev., and Nevada State High School OREGON Alanah Pluchos of Gresham, Ore., and Sam Barlow High School Eisel Zsoee of Beaverton, Ore., and Sunset High School SOUTH CAROLINA Irvin Espinoza of Ridgeland, S.C., and Ridgeland High School Alijiah McDonald of Little River, S.C., and the Academy for Arts, Science & Technology TEXAS Kylah Hailes of Killeen, Tex., and Killeen ISD Early College High School WASHINGTON Seth Smith of Lynnwood, Wash., and Cascadia Community College WISCONSIN Haley Scheunemann of Oconomowoc, Wis., and Oconomowoc High School https://news.erau.edu/headlines/expanding-the-aviation-workforce-boeing-scholars Back to Top Raytheon To Add AI to CV-22 Maintenance Scheduling The U.S. Department of Defense and Raytheon (Chalet 296) are working together to test the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) for smarter repairs of the U.S. Air Force's CV-22 tiltrotor fleet. Using performance data rather than predetermined timescales, this AI tool that is being trialed will be able to be more precise on when repairs and checks have to be made, which helps in avoiding unnecessary downtime. This is being carried out under a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) that will explore this predictive approach. While this is for the U.S. Air Force's fleet of V-22s, the U.S. Navy is the contracting authority. Raytheon is also discussing the potential of using this on various army and navy fleets. "The game is changing really quickly, and data is everywhere," Todd Probert, intelligence, information, and services lead at Raytheon, said Tuesday at the Paris Air Show. "The biggest challenge with AI is the confidence of the user." That is why the CRADA is for a six-month period to assess the possibility of eventually routinely including it in prognostics. Probert added that readiness is a challenge that militaries face, so using an approach like this that is more common in commercial aircraft maintenance could help them overcome this problem. The company and the USAF started working on this pilot program at the end of 2018 and expect that, through its planned concept testing over the coming years, it should be fully rolled out in 2020. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2019-06-18/raytheon-add-ai-cv-22- maintenance-scheduling Back to Top CDB Aviation Places $1.3 Billion LEAP-1A Order CDB Aviation, a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Limited ("CDB Leasing"), announced an order for CFM International's LEAP-1A engines to power 45 Airbus A320neo aircraft. The engine order is valued at more than $1.3 billion U.S. dollars at list price. This is the CDB Aviation's second LEAP-1A engine order. In November 2016, the company selected LEAP-1A engines to power 100 percent of its first batch of A320neo aircraft. Today's order takes its LEAP-1A/A320neo fleet to 90 aircraft. "With our commitment to continue to deepen our working relationships as we serve our customers and their evolving needs, the LEAP-1A engine delivers a multitude of benefits and operating advantages. We value our partnership with CFM and this agreement will support our airline customers' fleet operations," said Peter Chang, CDB Aviation Chief Executive Officer. "We are pleased to expand our great relationship with CDB Aviation," said Gaël Méheust, president and CEO of CFM International. "We are pleased that their customers are seeing the value that the LEAP engine brings to their operations." The LEAP-1A engine is providing operators with a 15 percent improvement in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, along with dramatic reductions in engine noise and exhaust gaseous emissions. All this technology is focused on providing better utilization, including CFM's legendary reliability out of the box; greater asset availability; enhanced time on wing margins to help keep maintenance costs low; and minimized maintenance actions, all supported by sophisticated analytics that enable CFM to provide tailored, predictive maintenance over the life of the product. https://www.aviationpros.com/engines-components/aircraft-engines/press-release/21085443/cdb- aviation-places-13-billion-leap1a-order Back to Top Electric Planes to Debut for Airline Serving Nantucket, Vineyard Electric-plane company Eviation Aircraft Ltd., which just signed up its first customer, predicts that in a few years it may not be able to keep up with orders. "We'll have a supply issue, not a demand issue," Chief Executive Officer Omer Bar-Yohay said in an interview at the Paris Air Show. The founder of the Israeli venture capital-backed developer said U.S. regional airline Cape Air has agreed to buy a "double-digit" number of planes. The carrier flies some 88 Cessna turbo-props on routes such as Boston to Martha's Vineyard and New York to Nantucket. Eviation was showcasing a prototype, transported in pieces to the biennial exhibition, and is "talking to everyone" about future sales, said Bar-Yohay. Prospective customers include major U.S. carriers like United Continental Holdings Inc. and JetBlue Airways Corp., which are interested in planes to feed hubs, he said. Eviation's plane, the Alice, is one of a host of electric models at the design stage, and its nine- passenger capacity and 650-mile range from a single charge could give it an edge in the commuter market, currently served by a variety of light aircraft. Interest in electric planes is growing as the aviation industry comes under criticism for increasing emissions of greenhouse gases. Eviation is planning a first flight later this year in the U.S., followed by the assembly of more planes in Arizona and Washington state and certification around 2021. "We're a bit ahead of the pack but I have no doubt others are coming," Bar-Yohay said, adding that taking on a customer like Cape Air will also entail developing charging and maintenance infrastructure. "The hurdles aren't just about getting the plane out the door, but everything else that goes with them," he said. "We need an environment to support the plane and trained engineers and mechanics." Aircraft Economics Eviation contends its plane makes economic sense: Running costs for the Alice will be about $200 per flight hour versus $1,000 for a turboprop. The Alice will be slower than some conventional craft, with a cruising speed of 240 knots (276 miles per hour), half the pace of modern business jets but not far short of some turboprop models. The company is targeting "middle mile" commutes like Paris to Toulouse, Oslo to Trondheim in Norway and San Jose to San Diego. Read: Airbus May Make the Next Version of Top-Selling Jet a Hybrid Based in Kadima, near Tel Aviv, Eviation was founded in 2015 by a team of aviation and technology specialists. It's one of about 100 different electric-aircraft programs in development worldwide, up 30% since 2017, according to Roland Berger, a consulting firm. Zunum Aero, backed by Boeing Co. and JetBlue, aims to bring a hybrid-electric commuter model to market by 2022, while MagniX Technologies Pty is developing a propulsion system for an all-electric plane with a similar date in mind. In September, it announced a successful ground test of a 350- horsepower motor attached to the nose section of a Cessna test rig. Joby Aviation Inc. is aiming smaller, targeting the air-taxi market with a plane that would carry four passengers, travel 150 miles and fly at a few thousand feet. Unlike the Alice, it wouldn't be pressurized. Uber Technologies Inc. has said it's also working on a flying taxi as an extension of its ride-sharing product that would take off and land vertically and reach the market by 2023. At the other end of the scale, Easyjet Plc has partnered with U.S.-based Wright Electric to develop a full-sized battery-powered airliner within a decade for flights of less than two hours, enough to link London with Paris or Amsterdam. Siemens AG, Airbus SE and Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc are working on a hybrid-electric propulsion system, the E-Fan X, that would also power a relatively large aircraft. Roland Berger predicts that the first 50-seat hybrid airliner will enter fare-paying service by 2032. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-18/electric-plane-maker-eviation-clinches- first-customer-cape-air Back to Top GE Aviation and Lufthansa Technik Sign 777X MRO Cooperation Agreement GE Aviation and Lufthansa Technik AG enlarge their collaboration on Boeing 777X MRO services. The companies have signed a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) agreement under which Lufthansa Technik will be GE's authorized service provider for the backup generator/converter (BUG and BUC) and for certain Electrical Load Management Systems (ELMS) components on the new Boeing 777X aircraft. This long-term cooperation will cover the maintenance service offerings, warranty support and 24/7 asset exchange/loan services to worldwide 777X operators. "We are pleased to enter into a long-term cooperation with Lufthansa Technik, a global world-class MRO and asset services provider. Lufthansa Technik is strategically positioned to support the 777X customers and our GE Power components with high-tech quality repairs and overhaul services. Lufthansa Technik also brings a breadth of engineering expertise and extensive experience in maintaining civil electrical generators along with their global logistics network to provide seamless support to our mutual customers," said Joe Krisciunas, General Manager, GE Aviation's Electrical Power Systems. Dr. Georg Fanta, Lufthansa Technik Vice President Aircraft Component Services stated, "This long- term agreement enhances Lufthansa Technik's position as a key MRO provider on 777X components. I am very pleased that we could further extend the long-standing relationship between GE and Lufthansa Technik. Together, we will generate additional customer value by combining GE's vast experience in design and product engineering with Lufthansa Technik's comprehensive strengths in repair development, MRO, and the management and handling of valuable assets." Lufthansa is currently one of the launch customers for the new Boeing 777X aircraft with 20 total aircraft ordered. Boeing offers the 777X in several passenger aircraft configurations all powered by the GE9X engine. Under the agreement, Lufthansa Technik will provide various 777X power component MRO services, including OEM approved repairs, warranty corrections and component modifications on behalf of GE. Lufthansa Technik will also provide and maintain a global pool of spares to support AOG services and offer customers exchanges or loans while their GE power components are being repaired. These serviceable spare components will be available to worldwide customers on a 24/7 support basis and be deployed in several stocking locations worldwide within Lufthansa Technik's vast global component supply network. GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of jet, turboprop and turboshaft engines, components and integrated systems for commercial, military, business and general aviation aircraft. GE Aviation has a global service network to support these offerings. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/maintenance-providers/mro/press- release/21085477/lufthansa-technik-ge-aviation-and-lufthansa-technik-sign-777x-mro- cooperation-agreement Back to Top Avia Solutions Group to acquire Chapman Freeborn Avia Solutions Group, a global multipurpose aviation holding, has entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of the shareholding in UK-headquartered Chapman Freeborn Group, aircraft charter company. The acquisition agreement was signed on June 14, 2019. The forecasted revenue of the new group is expected to reach €1 billion in 2019. The consolidated revenues of the two entities were €800 million for 2018 and are forecasted to reach €1 billion in 2019. With the addition of Chapman Freeborn's businesses, the number of businesses of Avia Solutions Group is to grow from 42 to 66. The group's current 42 subsidiaries are engaged in aircraft maintenance, pilot training, ground handling and fuelling, aviation IT solutions, and business aviation. Chapman Freeborn will maintain its existing product portfolio and continue to operate under Avia Solutions Group's existing brands, including subsidiaries Chapman Freeborn Airchartering, Chapman Freeborn OBC, Intradco Cargo Services, Logik Logistics, Magma Aviation, and Wings 24. "This acquisition is part of our strategic plan to expand our presence in key sectors, and significantly strengthens the capabilities of our group," Gediminas Ziemelis, Chairman of the Board at Avia Solutions Group is quoted in a statement as saying. "Chapman Freeborn's client portfolio and its outstanding level of expertise will greatly support our ambition to be the world's leading aviation services provider". The transaction is expected to be closed in Q3 2019. The acquisition is subject to customary approvals. Financial terms are not disclosed. https://www.aerotime.aero/aerotime.team/22754-avia-solutions-group-to-acquire-chapman- freeborn Back to Top Collins Aerospace Snags $1.5B in Maintenance Deals Collins Aerospace has captured more than $1.5 billion in new maintenance, support, and parts agreements crossing multiple platforms and customers, the global supplier and MRO provider announced Tuesday at the Paris Air Show. This includes a $500 million, long-term deal with Ethiopian Airlines that expands its presence in Africa. The 25-year agreement with Ethiopian Airlines enables the carrier to service components such as heat exchangers, air management systems, and fuel metering units on its fleet of 60 Q400 turboprops. While Collins Aerospace has long provided parts and components for Ethiopian Airlines aircraft, the agreement is the first such deal with the carrier. It also marks a strategic expansion in Africa. "The announcement speaks very loudly to our commitment to Africa," said Collins Aerospace aftermarket services president Ajay Agrawal. "It is a fast-growing market. Africa has the second- largest and youngest population, the company said, outlining its ambitions to expand its reach there. In addition, Collins Aerospace (Chalet 344) has reached agreements to provide its FlightSense support programs with two Asia-Pacific airlines, including one with Japan Airlines. Under the multi- fleet agreement with Japan Airlines, Collins Aerospace will manage the MRO supply chain, providing onsite inventory. An undisclosed airline signed up for Collins' FlightSense Predictable fixed-cost program, which includes advanced exchanges, for its Boeing 777 fleet. The bulk of the deals-which combine to total $900 million, including options-involve new long-term FlightSense 787 and A320 nacelle support programs for multiple operators over the next 25 years. For Collins, the combination of the $1.5 billion in agreements that have accumulated in the six months since UTC and Rockwell Collins merged is particularly satisfying. "When we launched Collins Aerospace, we set out with a strategy to clearly make customers our number-one priority," Agrawal said, adding the $1.5 billion in new business underscores that commitment. He also believes that the company's flexible and tailored programs are helping drive that new business. The FlightSense programs are offered in three tiers that include FlightSense Repair pay- as-you-go program and FlightSense Available asset management programs, along with FlightSense Predictable. The agreements come as Collins' MRO business is experiencing significant growth as airlines continue to expand and with a number of key new airliners reaching the market. "We are working very actively to project the needs for parts and MRO," Agrawal said, adding the growth has been global. This has been fueled in part by a growing number of clients turning to the manufacturer for support. A key differentiator, he said, is the company's ability to tap into vast data sources and extensive knowledge of the parts to develop a predictive approach to maintenance that reduces downtime and unforeseen events. Powering this is a sizeable global network that has resulted from the Rockwell Collins and UTC merger, encompassing 78 MRO shops around the world, 35 distribution centers, six 24/7 response centers, and 10,000 customer-support professionals. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2019-06-18/collins-aerospace-snags-15b- maintenance-deals Back to Top Boeing Weighs 777X Timing while GE Works Engine Fix An issue with a compressor component in the GE9X is pushing back flight-testing aboard the Boeing 777X by several months to possibly this fall. GE Aviation, in concert with Boeing, "hit the pause button" on GE9X testing while it redesigns a stator in the front part of the compressor that had shown more wear than anticipated during testing, GE Aviation president and CEO David Joyce said Monday at the Paris Air Show. Joyce added the company "feels confident" that the engine manufacturer will have the issue ironed out and the engine certified in time for flight aboard the 777X platform by year-end. Boeing (Chalets 332, 335) is monitoring the situation closely, said Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO Kevin McAllister, noting it is premature to discuss firm timing expectations for the 777X in light of the engine issue. "We need to get more findings from them to reassess the overall timing," McAllister said, but he also expressed the belief that, based on what the companies know, "we still expect the airplane to flight test this year with an entry into service next year." Boeing had anticipated beginning test flying of the 777X shortly, with certification in mid-2020. But Boeing and GE Aviation decided to wait for a certified engine before beginning the 777X campaign. Joyce, however, stressed that the engine certification program is mature with 2,700 test hours and 4,000 cycles on eight engines. GE Aviation brought the massive engine-the first-engine-to-test article-to the Paris Air Show this week to display (Chalet A144). The issue with the compressor component surfaced a little more than three weeks ago during what Joyce called "block testing" that is conducted near the end of the flight-test program. This testing brings the engine outside of the normal operating envelope, he added. During these trials, GE discovered a shift in the exhaust gas temperature while other metrics remained "on point." This prompted a closer look and the discovery of the prematurely worn stator. Once the problem began, GE Aviation and Boeing "together decided that we were going to redesign that component, go back and rerun the test that proves the durability...and then retrofit the engines." "We're working pretty aggressively to go after a new design and getting a fix," added GE Aviation v-p and general manager of commercial engine operations Bill Fitzgerald. Once a fix is in place, GE Aviation will need to swap out the component with a more "robust design" in eight test engines and 10 compliant engines. Joyce said the fix was important to GE Aviation and Boeing to ensure that the engine did not need to enter maintenance earlier, raising costs of both the customer and the manufacturer. In the meantime, McAllister said Boeing is making the most of the time "by continuing to get it right for first flight with this airplane. There is plenty of activity that we can pull to the left before our flight-test program to address any opportunities to advance the maturity of the airplane for its first flight." https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2019-06-18/boeing-weighs-777x-timing- while-ge-works-engine-fix Back to Top Embraer Launches Predictive Maintenance System IKON with Big Data and Analytics Based on Amazon Web Services Cloud Embraer announced today at the 53rd International Paris Air Show the launch of IKON, a cloud system for capturing, storing and analyzing high volume data for the predictive maintenance of the E-Jets family. The new system is totally based on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform and was developed by Embraer, with the support of the suppliers AWS ProServe and Claranet, using Big Data and Analytics technologies to deliver 96 percent productivity gains in the aircraft analysis and data processing, setting new standards in aeronautical services and support. Offering a high degree of scalability, elasticity, durability and analysis, the system delivers efficient management of processing and storage capacity, making possible for Embraer to optimize the data ingestion time of the E-Jets E2. Using AWS's set of analytics services, this new technology identifies data patterns, and is even able to pinpoint and solve potential aircraft issues before they occur. This ability to perform predictive maintenance will help deliver new feature enhancements to the E2 and accelerate the delivery of improvements to previous models. "Embraer constantly invests in new technologies. We see IKON as a totally agnostic tool that opens new horizons to deal with data and an evolution that recognizes possibilities for improvements, making us able to function as an aircraft health monitoring provider. Predictive maintenance translates into increased efficiency with reduced costs, higher aircraft competitiveness and availability," says Johann Bordais, President and CEO of Embraer Services & Support. In addition to this, the system is a step forward in the process of aeronautical industry digitalization. Today, Embraer's second-generation of commercial aircraft produces about 100GB of directly accessible information per year. Thanks to an expedited routing and analysis system, this high volume of data is able to be transmitted for prompt action. With IKON, the automatic data collection went from 12 days to an immediate process, guaranteeing data is ready to be analyzed 5 minutes after its generation in the aircraft. The high volume of data and the demand for faster and more accurate decisions require technologies to capture, store and connect information across a network. At the time the plane lands, this data is automatically transferred to IKON via a module installed on the aircraft, called Wireless Server Unit (WSU). To ensure that the information is received with assertiveness and agility, Embraer Ground Server (EGS) uses AWS to automatically connect to the aircraft and handle flight data downloads. After landing, the transmission to the platform is completed in about five minutes. Next, it is transferred to the IKON data lake, allowing engineers to analyze this information efficiently. "IKON and EGS put into practice Big Data and Analytics concepts, which gives Embraer a huge advantage in offering unique services towards customers' needs", explains Andre Doro, Chief Information Officer at Embraer. AWS is the provider of the entire cloud infrastructure, which offers security, agility, high processing power, analytical tools and cost management - a pay-per-use service, meaning that users only pay for what they use. The AWS ProServe team, the company's professional services division, joined forces with Claranet on the design and implementation of the IKON project and worked to ensure the quality and best practices of data analysis, providing state-of-the-art architecture in terms of efficiency, data quality and scalability. "IKON is a really innovative project, combining the power of the cloud with advanced big data and analytics services, which makes complex data simple and easy to analyze in a short time," says Cleber Morais, country manager of AWS Brazil. "This project matches one of the most modern pillars of corporate applications: making processes based on data insights a crucial part of business planning, execution and evolution." IKON is now available in the customized support packages for each customer offered by Embraer Services & Support. These programs are part of a range of products developed to serve Embraer jets fleet around the world through TechCare, the portfolio of products and solutions to deliver the best service and support experience. https://www.aviationpros.com/tools-equipment/maintenance-it/press-release/21085486/embraer- embraer-launches-predictive-maintenance-system-ikon-with-big-data-and-analytics-based-on- amazon-web-services-cloud Back to Top NASA Administrator Confirms SpaceX Explosion Will Delay Launches It has been almost two months since a SpaceX Dragon II capsule exploded during testing, and NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine has now confirmed publicly that the "anomaly" has pushed back the launch schedule. Boeing has also encountered issues with its CST-100 Starliner vehicle. At this rate, crewed launches with commercial rockets may not happen this year. SpaceX hasn't issued an official report on the April explosion, and the investigation could take months to complete. In the weeks before the incident, SpaceX launched that same spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS) without a crew. The vessel docked with the ISS on full autopilot, and then returned to Earth. The Dragon II used its parachutes to land gently in the ocean where it was picked up and transported to SpaceX's Cape Canaveral test facility. It's unclear if the explosion points to a design issue with the Dragon or if it was simply a case of damage from the landing. If it's the latter, NASA may not require any changes for the Commercial Crew Program - it won't be flying any reused vehicles on crewed missions. SpaceX might be a little concerned, though, as it plans to fly Dragon II missions with refurbished hardware. Some observers have speculated the problem may be with SpaceX's SuperDraco abort engines, which run on liquid rather than solid fuel like most spacecraft. Whatever the outcome, Jim Bridenstine concedes this has pushed back the Commercial Crew timeline. "There is no doubt the schedule will change," he said at a press event in Paris. SpaceX was in the lead as both it and Boeing work toward the goal of sending humans to the ISS. Boeing fell behind last year when a fuel leak on its CST-100 Starliner vehicle appeared during testing. The SpaceX crewed launch is still technically on the books for July, but it sounds like that won't happen. Boeing is currently on track to complete its uncrewed test flight in November with the crewed flight coming just a few weeks later. In the meantime, NASA uses Russian Soyuz capsules for transportation to and from the ISS. However, it's running low on seats, which could spell trouble if neither SpaceX nor Boeing can get things sorted out by the time NASA's Soyuz contracts run out next year. https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/293446-nasa-administrator-confirms-spacex-explosion- will-delay-launches Curt Lewis