Flight Safety Information - August 30, 2021 No. 174 In This Issue : Incident: Cargojet B763 at Tokyo on Aug 29th 2021, tail strike on departure : Incident: Belgium A332 near New York on Aug 28th 2021, hydraulic failure : Incident: Rossiya A319 at Krasnodar on Aug 27th 2021, rejected takeoff due to electrical problems : Spirit Airlines crew were asked to change out of their uniforms for their safety to avoid angry passengers, report says : Afghan Air Force Pilots Escape In Caravan, Ask For Asylum In Canada : Pilot’s licence suspended for a year over crash-landing at Gwalior airport (India) : Man Trespasses Into Secure Area At LAX And Accesses Aircraft : Delta’s Propel Program For Future Pilots Grows With Two More Universities : Chemistry Breakthrough: Faster and Cheaper Ethanol-to-Jet-Fuel on the Horizon : Virgin Orbit receives FAA's environmental green-light for launch operations from Guam : SpaceX launches Dragon cargo capsule to space station, nails rocket landing at sea : POSITION AVAILABLE: FOQA Specialist Incident: Cargojet B763 at Tokyo on Aug 29th 2021, tail strike on departure A Cargojet Airways Boeing 767-300 freighter, registration C-GUAJ performing freight flight W8-1328 from Tokyo Narita (Japan) to Vancouver,BC (Canada) with 2 crew, was departing Narita's runway 16R at 11:32L (02:32Z) when during rotation for takeoff the tail of the aircraft contacted the runway surface emitting a puff of smoke. The aircraft climbed out and continued to Vancouver, where the aircraft landed about 8:15 hours later. Japan's Ministry of Transport reported the ATC controller noticed the tail strike, a runway inspection revealed contact marks of about 31 meters length, width about 15cm and depth of 1-2cm, one of the runway center line lights was also damaged. The crew, assuming nothing was wrong, continued to destination. The runway was closed for about 90 minutes to replace the light and return the runway to a safe condition. A detailed investigation into the occurrence was opened. The aircraft remained on the ground in Vancouver for about 2.5 hours, then continued for the next sector of W8-1328 to Chicago O'Hare,IL (USA). https://avherald.com/h?article=4ec7496b&opt=0 Incident: Belgium A332 near New York on Aug 28th 2021, hydraulic failure An Air Belgium Airbus A330-200 freighter, registration OO-AIR performing flight KF-132 from Atlanta,GA (USA) to Liege (Belgium), was enroute at FL350 about 110nm southwest of New York's JFK Airport,NY (USA) when the crew requested to divert to JFK advising ATC they had lost one of their hydraulic systems with two still remaining. The crew requested to hold to burn off fuel and subsequently landed on JFK's runway 04R about 2:10 hours after requesting to divert and leaving FL350. The aircraft is still on the ground at JFK about 12.5 hours after landing. https://avherald.com/h?article=4ec73001&opt=0 Incident: Rossiya A319 at Krasnodar on Aug 27th 2021, rejected takeoff due to electrical problems A Rossiya Airbus A319-100 on behalf of Aeroflot, registration VQ-BAQ performing flight SU-6316 from Krasnodar to St. Petersburg (Russia) with 128 passengers and 5 crew, was accelerating for takeoff from Krasnodar's runway 23L when the crew rejected takeoff at just about low speed (about 82 knots over ground) due to electrical problems. The aircraft slowed safely. Rosaviatsia reported ATC decided to have the aircraft towed to the apron to have the cause of the failure investigated. The passengers disembarked to a sterile area. The aircraft was able to depart about 5:15 hours later and reached St. Petersburg with a delay of 5 hours. https://avherald.com/h?article=4ec66f02&opt=0 Spirit Airlines crew were asked to change out of their uniforms for their safety to avoid angry passengers, report says A Spirit Airlines crew had to be escorted to safety after facing angry travelers earlier this month, The New York Times reported. An unnamed crew member said they were asked to change their uniforms to conceal who they worked for. Spirit Airlines caused an uproar earlier this month after canceling hundreds of flights. More than 30 Spirit Airlines employees were asked to change out of their uniforms for safety reasons after travelers became infuriated by flight cancellations earlier this month, according to a report by The New York Times. An unnamed 28-year-old flight attendant told the Times that police officers at San Juan Airport in Puerto Rico rounded up at least 35 crew members to hide them after travelers started banging on a gate door and yelling at staff. The crew member said they were rushed behind a secure metal door and ushered to an office on the tarmac, where a manager reportedly asked everyone to change out of their uniforms for their own safety. "We were scared," the attendant told the Times. "I've seen some crazy stuff, but this moved into number one." Insider has reached out to Spirit Airlines for further comment. The low-cost airlines caused an uproar earlier this month after canceling thousands of flights due to a combination of staffing shortages, bad weather, and technology problems. The melt-down left thousands of angry passengers stranded at airports in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Houston, and San Juan in Puerto Rico. Ted Christie, Spirit's CEO, previously apologized for the cancellations on CNBC and promised to fix the airline's staffing and scheduling issues. Spirit canceled nearly 2,500 flights between August 1 and 15, according to the Times. "There's definitely some angry people," Christie told CNBC. "Right now, all I can say is we're very sorry for what happened." Flight attendants across the country are grappling with the rise in passenger aggression and violence over the last few months. Since January 2021, the Federal Aviation Administration has received 2,500 reports of unruly behavior by passengers, most of which involve travelers refusing to comply with the federal mask mandate. https://www.yahoo.com/news/spirit-airlines-crew-were-asked-145303303.html Afghan Air Force Pilots Escape In Caravan, Ask For Asylum In Canada Twelve combat-hardened Afghan air force pilots and one of their crew chiefs are holed up in Tajikistan asking Canada to come and get them. The pilots, who flew attack helicopters and aircraft against the Taliban, grabbed a “Hellfire Caravan,” a Cessna 208 that carries Hellfire air-to-ground missiles, as the Taliban closed in on the airport in Kabul a couple of weeks ago and flew to the neighboring country. They have made contact with the Canadian government, pleading for the country to take them and their families in. “They will kill us,” one of the pilots told CBC News. “We are sure they will kill us because we are fighter pilots.” Although some of the pilots trained in the U.S., they are asking Canada for asylum because of comments made by President Joe Biden in the early days of the collapse of the Afghan government that “the Afghan military gave up, sometimes without trying to fight.” The pilot who flew the Hellfire said the air force ran out of ammunition for its aircraft weeks before the Taliban takeover and their only option was to fly to the relative safety of neighboring Tajikistan. “I killed them,” one pilot told the CBC. “I rocketed them. I shot them. I am sure if I killed someone they would take their revenge and kill us.” Although the pilots are safe for now, they said they were worried that they might become diplomatic pawns if the Tajik government tries to curry favor with the Taliban. https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/afghan-air-force-pilots-escape-in-caravan-ask-for-asylum-in-canada/ Pilot’s licence suspended for a year over crash-landing at Gwalior airport (India) Aviation safety regulator DGCA has suspended the flying licence of a senior pilot of the Madhya Pradesh Government for a period of one year for the crash landing of an aircraft at Gwalior airport in May this year. The plane was bringing supplies of Remdesivir, an antiviral drug, from Gujarat to Gwalior via Indore in the state-owned plane when it crash landed around 9 pm on May 6 at the Gwalior airport, which has an Air Force base. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), which carried out a probe into the incident, has suspended the flying licence of the plane’s pilot, Captain Sayyed Majid Akhtar (56), for a year, as per a letter issued last week. The incident had resulted in major damage to the cockpit front, propeller blades, propeller hub and wheels of the newly bought plane. The aircraft had skidded and overturned on one side. Akhtar, his co-pilot Shiv Jaiswal and another officer were injured in the incident. As per the suspension letter, Akhtar “flew the aircraft very low and failed to sight the arrester barrier” before the runway. Besides, “the approach profile of the aircraft was not appropriate for landing in the touchdown zone and resulted in hitting the arrester barrier”. The DGCA had issued a show-cause notice to Akhtar on July 1, but the explanation given by him was found to be “not satisfactory”, the letter said. The accident had occurred due to a manual error and the DGCA noted that his actions not only jeopardised the safety of the aircraft, but were also in violation of the aircraft rules. The Madhya Pradesh government had bought the aircraft, a seven-seater Beechcraft King Air B-200GT VT MPQ, from American company ‘Textron Aviation’ for more than Rs 65 crore last year only, sources in the state aviation department said. Following the crash, the plane was reduced to scrap. It has been kept at the Gwalior airbase for over three months now, allegedly due to lack of maintenance and repair, as it was not insured at the time of the incident, they added. — PTI Aircraft owned by MP Govt damaged • DGCA suspended the flying licence of pilot for crash landing a plane owned by MP Government in May • The plane was bringing supplies of Remdesivir from Gujarat to Gwalior • The incident had resulted in major damage to the plane https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/pilots-licence-suspended-for-a-year-over-crash-landing-at-gwalior-airport-302950 Man Trespasses Into Secure Area At LAX And Accesses Aircraft A man breached security at Los Angeles International Airport in the early hours of Sunday morning. He reportedly walked into a parked American Airlines aircraft. Employees servicing the plane notified police, who promptly arrested the intruder. Intruder targets parked American Airlines 787-9 According to Skift’s Brian Sumers, the man breached the perimeter fence at LAX at 04:44 on Sunday morning and “walked into the parked AA aircraft.” “Early this morning, cleaning crews alerted local law enforcement after noticing a suspicious individual attempting to gain access to a parked aircraft. The individual was taken into custody, and the aircraft has since been reinspected by security teams,” American Airlines told Simple Flying. “We appreciate our cleaning partner’s quick reaction.” Sumers identifies the aircraft as N826AN, an American Airlines Boeing 787-9. That plane landed in LAX on Friday morning, having operated AA72 from Sydney. After a weekend at LAX, N826AN is slated to head back to Sydney on Sunday evening. “Wonder what his intention was in cutting through the perimeter fence and accessing an aircraft? This was not the typical incident where a person wanders by accident onto the AOA,” one person posted in response to the incident. A series of perimeter fence incidents at LAX Sunday’s incident isn’t the first and won’t be the last trespassing event at LAX. Around 10 years ago, one man made a name for himself by scaling the fence at LAX eight times in an eleven-month period in his quest to board a plane. He ended up in a medical lockup. In 2015, a sharp-eyed airline employee spotted a man walking along a service road in the airfield operations area. The airline employee called the police, who arrested the man. He was thought to have scaled a perimeter fence to gain access to the off-limits zone. In August 2018, a man was arrested on the apron after climbing a fence and running onto the runway. According to The Los Angeles Times, the man ventured near a Delta Air Lines aircraft before security officials nabbed him. But not before some passengers on that Delta plane got a ringside seat of the unfolding drama. What’s going on with perimeter security at LAX? More recently, a potentially more serious security incident occurred when a man drove his vehicle through the perimeter fence at the airport. According to Fox 11, the man crashed through the fence near the FedEx terminal on June 24, 2021. He then continued driving along internal roads at the airport. The driver eventually stopped, and police arrested him. However, the intrusion forced the airport to close the two south runways temporarily. Going through the fence breaches at LAX over the years, a recurring theme is mental illness. These people are frequently a safety hazard rather than a danger. But using tools to crack through a security fence, as happened on Sunday morning, suggests a darker motive than a quixotic quest to board a flight to Mexico. It is now 20 years since 9/11 put a fresh focus on airport security. You got to ask why it is up to aircraft cleaners to call in the calvary when the perimeter fences at LAX continue to be compromised. https://simpleflying.com/lax-aircraft-trespass-access/ Delta’s Propel Program For Future Pilots Grows With Two More Universities Delta Air Lines began hiring pilots as it expanded its capacity to Europe this summer. The Atlanta-based carrier is also preparing well to have a talented crop of crew members in later years. The company launched its Propel Pilot Career Path Program in 2018 to support hiring requirements with a quicker path to the cockpit. Now, the airline is expanding the initiative with two additional universities on board. The window is currently open and students can apply to take part in the Propel program through September 17th. Two to join the dozen Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIU) and Southeastern Oklahoma State University (Southern) have now joined the fold. They join 12 other institutions partnering with the airline with its pilot program. Students that apply will go through a robust interview and evaluation procedure. If successful, they will receive a qualified job offer from Delta that details a defined path and catalyzed route to becoming a pilot. SIU and Southern join the following universities that have partnered with the Propel program. Arizona State University Auburn University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Daytona Beach Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Prescott Inter American University of Puerto Rico Jacksonville University Kent State University Middle Georgia State University Middle Tennessee State University Minnesota State University, Mankato University of North Dakota Western Michigan University Opening up opportunities It won’t be too long for those partaking in the program to start seeing the fruits of their labor. The first pilot trained by it is expected to enter the flight deck by next year. First Officer and Propel liaison Courtney Copping shared the following in a Delta statement: “This is the beginning of two new partnerships committed to ensuring the success of the students at outstanding institutions and providing Delta with quality candidates. Seeing is believing, and the Propel program shows students a defined path of how to achieve their dreams of flying for Delta.” Meanwhile, First Officer and Propel liaison Will Weiss added the following: “As a Southeastern alumni and Delta pilot, I’m very excited that Delta is adding Southeastern to the Propel program. The opportunities for current students are amazing, unlike any opportunities I had offered to me. Having a guaranteed job offer from Delta is an incredible opportunity. I hope to see many more Southeastern graduates here soon.” The recruitment drive is on US airlines are keen to support the next generation pilots well in the coming years. Delta is joined by other carriers ramping up their efforts. For Instance, United Airlines shared in April that it plans on training 5,000 new pilots by the end of this decade via its Aviate Academy. The Chicago-based carrier aims for at least half of the new students to be women or people of color. It’s not just US airlines preparing for the future. European outfits are also as determined to hire a pool of talent. For instance, Ryanair is recruiting 2,000 pilots amid a partnership with the Airline Flight Academy. Moreover, Wizz Air plans to hire 4,600 pilots by the time the 2030s roll around. Altogether, there could be a shortage of 60,000 pilots by the next decade. Even though flight operations have been presently rocked by the global health crisis, and many crew members have sadly lost their jobs, airlines also need to be ready for the strong demand expected from the second half of the 2020s. https://simpleflying.com/delta-propel-program-growth/ Chemistry Breakthrough: Faster and Cheaper Ethanol-to-Jet-Fuel on the Horizon New catalyst and microchannel reactors improve efficiency and cost. A patented process for converting alcohol sourced from renewable or industrial waste gases into jet or diesel fuel is being scaled up at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory with the help of partners at Oregon State University and the carbon-recycling experts at LanzaTech. Two key technologies power the energy-efficient fuel production units. A single-step chemical conversion streamlines what is currently a multi-step process. The new PNNL-patented catalyst converts biofuel (ethanol) directly into a versatile “platform” chemical called n-butene. A microchannel reactor design further reduces costs while delivering a scalable modular processing system. The new process would provide a more efficient route for converting renewable and waste-derived ethanol to useful chemicals. Currently, n-butene is produced from fossil-based feedstocks using the energy-intensive cracking—or breaking down—of large molecules. The new technology reduces emissions of carbon dioxide by using renewable or recycled carbon feedstocks. Using sustainably derived n-butene as a starting point, existing processes can further refine the chemical for multiple commercial uses, including diesel and jet fuels, and industrial lubricants. “Biomass is a challenging source of renewable energy because of its high cost. Additionally, the scale of biomass drives the need for smaller, distributed processing plants,” said Vanessa Dagle, co-primary investigator of the initial research study, which was published in the journal ACS Catalysis. “We have reduced the complexity and improved efficiency of the process, while simultaneously reducing capital costs. Once modular, scaled processing has been demonstrated, this approach offers a realistic option for localized, distributed energy production.” Micro-to-macro jet fuel In a leap toward commercialization, PNNL is partnering with long-time collaborators at Oregon State University to integrate the patented chemical conversion process into microchannel reactors built using newly developed 3D printing technology. Also called additive manufacturing, 3D printing allows the research team to create a pleated honeycomb of mini-reactors that greatly increase the effective surface-area-to-volume ratio available for the reaction. “The ability to use new multi-material additive manufacturing technologies to combine the manufacturing of microchannels with high-surface-area catalyst supports in one process step, has the potential to significantly reduce the costs of these reactors,” says OSU lead researcher Brian Paul. “We are excited to be partners with PNNL and LanzaTech in this endeavor.” “Due to recent advances in microchannel manufacturing methods and associated cost reductions, we believe the time is right to adapt this technology toward new commercial bioconversion applications,” said Robert Dagle, co-primary investigator of the research. The microchannel technology would allow commercial-scale bioreactors to be built near agricultural centers where most biomass is produced. One of the biggest impediments to using biomass for fuel is the need to transport it long distances to large, centralized production plants. “The modular design reduces the amount of time and risk necessary to deploy a reactor,” said Robert Dagle. “Modules could be added over time as demand grows. We call this scale up by numbering up.” The one-fourth commercial-scale test reactor will be produced by 3D printing using methods developed in partnership with OSU and will be operated on the Richland, Wash. campus of PNNL. Microchannel Technology Microchannel mini-reactors greatly increase the efficiency of biofuel chemical conversion. Credit: Photo courtesy of Oregon State University Once the test reactor is completed, PNNL commercial partner LanzaTech will supply ethanol to feed the process. LanzaTech’s patented process converts carbon-rich wastes and residues produced by industries, such as steel manufacturing, oil refining and chemical production, as well as gases generated by gasification of forestry and agricultural residues and municipal waste into ethanol. The test reactor will consume ethanol equivalent to up to one-half dry ton biomass per day. LanzaTech has already scaled up the first generation of PNNL technology for jet fuel production from ethanol and formed a new company, LanzaJet, to commercialize LanzaJet™ Alcohol-to-Jet. The current project represents the next step in streamlining that process while providing additional product streams from n-butene. “PNNL has been a strong partner in developing ethanol-to-jet technology that LanzaTech spin-off company, LanzaJet, is employing in multiple plants under development,” said Jennifer Holmgren, LanzaTech CEO. “Ethanol can come from a variety of sustainable sources and as such is an increasingly important raw material for sustainable aviation fuel. This project shows great promise for alternate reactor technology which could have benefits for this key pathway to decarbonization of the aviation sector.” A tunable process Since their early experiments, the team has continued perfecting the process. When ethanol is passed over a solid silver-zirconia-based catalyst supported on a silica, it performs the essential chemical reactions that convert ethanol to either n-butene or, with some modifications to the reaction conditions, butadiene. But even more importantly, after prolonged-duration studies, the catalyst remains stable. In a follow-up study, the research team showed that if the catalyst loses activity, it can be regenerated by a simple procedure to remove coke―a hard carbon-based coating that can build up over time. An even more efficient, updated catalyst formulation will be used for scale-up. “We discovered the concept for this catalyzed system that is highly active, selective, and stable,” said Vanessa Dagle. “By adjusting the pressure and other variables, we can also tune the system to generate either butadiene, a building block for synthetic plastic or rubber or an n-butene, which is suitable for making jet fuels or products such as synthetic lubricant. Since our initial discovery, other research institutions have also begun exploring this new process.” In addition to Vanessa Dagle and Robert Dagle, the catalyst development team included PNNL researchers Austin Winkelman, Nicholas Jaegers, Johnny Saavedra-Lopez, Jianzhi Hu, Mark Engelhard, Sneha Akhade, Libor Kovarik, Vassilliki-Alexandra Glezakou, Roger Rousseau and Yong Wang. Senior scientist Susan Habas from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory also contributed. PNNL staff scientists Ward TeGrotenhuis, Richard Zheng and Johnny Saavedra-Lopez contributed to the development of the microchannel technology. The chemical conversation research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, within the Chemical Catalysis for Bioenergy (ChemCatBio) Consortium sponsored by the Bioenergy Technology Office (BETO). ChemCatBio is a DOE national-lab-led research and development consortium dedicated to identifying and overcoming catalysis challenges for the conversion of biomass and waste resources into fuels, chemicals, and materials. The public-private, scale-up partnership is being supported by DOE-BETO and the State of Oregon’s University Innovation Research Fund. https://scitechdaily.com/chemistry-breakthrough-faster-and-cheaper-ethanol-to-jet-fuel-on-the-horizon/ Virgin Orbit receives FAA's environmental green-light for launch operations from Guam Virgin Orbit has received the Federal Aviation Administration's go-signal to begin operations to launch rockets using Boeing 747 aircraft from Andersen Air Force Base following a review of its environmental impact on humans and endangered species. "After reviewing and analyzing available data and information on existing conditions and potential impacts, the FAA has determined the proposed action would not significantly affect the quality of the human environment. Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement is not required, and the FAA is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact. The FAA has made this determination in accordance with applicable environmental laws and FAA regulations," according to the FAA decision issued Aug. 23. Daniel Murray executive director, Office of Operational Safety for the FAA, signed the decision. The company's plan to begin operations on Guam was first announced in 2019. Virgin Orbit plans to conduct launches using a 747 carrier aircraft from Andersen, including LauncherOne rocket operations over the Pacific Ocean east of Guam. The company proposed it would conduct a maximum of 25 launches over five years with a maximum of 10 launches in any one year starting as soon as this year. "The proposed action would not result in any ground-disturbing activities and would not require any construction or modification of facilities at Andersen AFB. Proposed carrier vehicle operations would occur on existing apron, taxiway, and runway surfaces and there would be no changes to these areas. Carrier vehicle operations would be similar to military activities currently conducted on the same aprons, taxiways, and runways. The Proposed Action represents a very small percentage of existing military operations at Andersen AFB. Given the above, the FAA is making a finding of 'no historic properties affected' for the proposed action," according to the FAA. Sonic boom The carrier aircraft would take off from Andersen and fly south to the drop point. Once at the drop point, the rocket would be released at an altitude of 35,000-40,000 feet. Within 20 seconds of releasing the rocket, it would be flying at supersonic speeds. Impulse sounds may include a sonic boom from the LauncherOne rocket, according to the FAA. "The Launcher One rocket would be released from the carrier aircraft over the ocean away from populated areas south of Guam, at an altitude of 35,000 to 40,000 feet above mean sea level. No sonic boom would intersect with land or human-sensitive receptors. The closest sonic boom to the coast with a magnitude of 1.0 pounds per square foot (PSF) or greater is located approximately 75 nautical miles south-southwest of Guam," according to the FAA. "Based on the estimated sound levels, the frequency with which the sonic booms may occur over the course of a year, and the relative infrequency with which (Endangered Species Act-) listed marine mammals, sea turtles, and fish may be in the immediate vicinity during those times, sonic booms associated with LauncherOne operations may affect, but are not likely to adversely affect ESA-listed marine mammal, sea turtle, and fish species beneath the LauncherOne flight trajectory," according to the FAA. https://www.postguam.com/news/local/virgin-orbit-receives-faas-environmental-green-light-for-launch-operations-from-guam/article_f1531710-0938-11ec-8a37-8345222b9629.html SpaceX launches Dragon cargo capsule to space station, nails rocket landing at sea • The robotic Dragon will arrive at the station on Monday morning (Aug. 30). CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX launched its 21st rocket of the year today (Aug 29), sending a robotic Dragon cargo capsule toward the International Space Station (ISS) before nailing a landing at sea. A two-stage Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Launch Complex 39A here at NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 3:14 a.m. EDT (0714 GMT), kicking off the company's 23rd cargo resupply mission to the orbiting lab for NASA. The Dragon is packed with more than 4,800 pounds (2,200 kilograms) of supplies, scientific experiments and hardware, including a new robotic arm that will be tested inside the space station's Bishop Airlock. A little less than eight minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage returned to Earth, landing on one of SpaceX's drone ships in the Atlantic Ocean in a smooth touchdown. The massive ship, called "A Shortfall of Gravitas," is the newest of three drone ships in the company's fleet of recovery vessels that catch falling boosters and return them to port for later reuse. "That is the 90th successful landing of an orbital class rocket and the very first for our newest drone ship, 'A Shortfall of Gravitas,'" Andy Tran of SpaceX said during a webcast of this morning's launch. "What a great way to start today's mission." Launch details Dragon is scheduled to arrive at the station and dock at the Harmony module's space-facing port on Monday (Aug. 30) around 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT). There's already another SpaceX vehicle at the orbiting lab: the Crew Dragon "Endeavour," which launched on April 23, carrying a crew of four astronauts. (It's not the first time that two Dragons have been parked at the same time; in fact, there's been at least one Dragon docked to the space station every day so far in 2021.) Weather officials at the Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron predicted iffy weather for the mission’s first launch attempt, scheduled for Aug. 28. Unfortunately, poor weather at the launch site prompted a 24-hour delay. Luckily, the forecast improved dramatically overnight, and Falcon 9 was able to get off the ground as expected. The first-stage booster featured in today's flight, known as B1061, was a three-time flier. The launcher now has four missions under its belt, after lofting its third Dragon spacecraft. The landing today marked the 90th recovery of a Falcon first stage since SpaceX recovered its first booster in 2015. Cargo haul The newly launched cargo Dragon is carrying a treasure trove of science investigations to the orbital outpost, including a new robotic arm that will be tested out inside the station's newest airlock. As part of a technology demonstration, the robotic arm will flip switches and push buttons in an attempt to prove it has what it takes to carry out routine astronaut tasks. Also on board are a variety of medical payloads that will help benefit astronauts as well as people on Earth. One such payload, called the Nanofluidic Implant Communication Experiment (NICE), will test out a new drug-delivery device. The tiny implant could change the way people receive their medication and manage chronic illnesses. Traditional means of drug delivery include bulky pumps, but that could soon change. The device would be implanted in a patient's arm and would deliver drugs at set intervals, thus allowing the patient to go about their lives, the researchers have said. This type of device would be incredibly helpful for patients like those with rheumatoid arthritis, and those who need to take medicine at all times of the day. Another experiment, called MISSE-15, will look at different materials and how they respond to the space environment. Samples of things like concrete, solar panels and more will be exposed to the harsh environment of outer space to test out potential materials for new spacecraft and much more. But that's not all. According to Joel Montalbano, ISS program manager for NASA, the crew will also be receiving some special treats in the form of fresh foods and even ice cream. "We're sending up a good amount of fruit," Montalbano said during a prelaunch news conference on Friday (Aug. 27). "We have lemons, onions, some avocados, some cherry tomatoes, and also some ice cream. That's a big hit with our crew." In total, there are more than 4,800 pounds (2,200 kg) of cargo that will help the astronauts perform a variety of research experiments as well as help to restock the station. It's been a busy summer on station, with the arrival and installation of new solar arrays, a new Russian science module, and a Northrop Grumman Cygnus cargo ship. "Working with SpaceX and working with our other commercial providers has been just an outstanding partnership that we've established between NASA and the commercial industry," Montalbano said. "We are excited to launch this mission and get this incredible science to the station." A new generation of Dragons The gumdrop-shaped capsule is the third upgraded Dragon cargo craft to launch to the station after SpaceX retired its previous iteration of cargo Dragon in 2020. It's also the third to launch on this particular Falcon 9. Designed to hold about 20% more cargo, the current model is nearly identical to its crew-toting counterpart and is bigger on the inside than its predecessor. The craft can even store powered payloads while on orbit and can stay on station twice as long as the previous cargo Dragons. Another key upgrade is that the cargo ships will now splash down in the Atlantic Ocean (versus the Pacific splashdowns of past flights), providing a faster return on science. That means researchers can get their samples and data back faster — in as little as four to nine hours after splashdown. And SpaceX can get the vehicle back more quickly and start performing inspections and maintenance before the Dragon's next flight. Because the newer version of Dragon is better equipped to handle the stresses of a water landing, the teams at SpaceX are able to inspect and refurbish it faster, with less downtime between flights. The Dragon flying today first launched on CRS-21 last year and now has two flights under its belt. When it docks with the orbital outpost on Monday morning, there will be two previously flown Dragons parked at the same time. SpaceX's Sarah Walker, who leads the company's Dragon program, says that this is the fourth Dragon to launch this year, with at least one more expected to launch before the end of 2021. In fact, this will be the third year in a row that at least four Dragon spacecraft have launched, Walker said. She also said that at least one Dragon spacecraft has been parked at the ISS every day so far this year. Falcon ferry This flight is the 21st for SpaceX's workhorse Falcon 9 so far this year and marks 105 consecutive successful missions since the company's launch failure in 2015. (A second anomaly occurred on the pad in 2016.) It also marks the 90th successful recovery of a first-stage booster for the company. Today's flight featured a veteran Falcon 9 rocket. The booster, known as B1061, now has four successful flights under its belt, three of which ferried different Dragon spacecraft to the space station. It marks the first SpaceX flight in nearly two months from the Cape. The company's last flight, which blasted off on June 30, delivered more than 80 small satellites into space, on a rideshare mission called Transporter-2. The lull in launches could put a damper on SpaceX's plan to launch an estimated 40 rockets in 2021, most of which would ferry its own Starlink satellites into space. Unfortunately, necessary upgrades to the satellites took longer than expected, leading to a temporary launch hiatus. But now the company is back in business with a busy fall ahead, including the launch of the Crew-3 mission to the space station as well as Inspiration4, which will send four private citizens to orbit. SpaceX relies on a fleet of reusable rockets in order to keep up a high launch cadence. This means that instead of using a brand-new rocket each time, the company can refly its recovered boosters many times over. That's thanks to a set of upgrades the Falcon 9 received in 2018, as well as a fleet of drone ships to catch the returning boosters. SpaceX now has three of these massive ships: "Of Course I Still Love You," "Just Read the Instructions" and the newest ship on the block, "A Shortfall of Gravitas." The company recently sent "Of Course I Still Love You" on a journey to the West Coast, where the boat will facilitate recovery operations for missions that launch from SpaceX's California-based launch pad at Vandenberg Space Force Base. After years of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk promising the arrival of a new drone ship, "A Shortfall of Gravitas" arrived at Port Canaveral on July 15. The massive ship is fully autonomous and even capable of driving itself out to the recovery zone where it will await returning boosters. (The company's other two ships have to be pulled by a tug.) For its first mission, ASOG was pulled by tug to the landing zone, where it made its first successful catch less than eight minutes after liftoff. https://www.space.com/spacex-dragon-crs-23-nasa-cargo-launch-success FOQA Specialist (NJUS) Purpose of Position The FOQA Specialist processes day-to-day Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) data using the Ground Data Replay Analysis System (GDRAS) and performs routine data analysis. The FOQA Specialist creates weekly and monthly deliverables in addition to working with Gatekeepers and other members of Safety and FOQA Management Team (FMT). Tasks and Responsibilities · Supports the FOQA Program Manager with daily administration of the FOQA efforts to ensure analysis of flight data for improved flight safety including validation of FOQA events, identification of events for Gatekeeper contacts and identification of events for Maintenance reporting. · Performs data analysis, root cause analysis and determines corrective actions of digital flight data to determine adverse events, trends in flight and maintenance operations. Coordinates and validates aircraft specific event definitions. Maintains and identifies new FOQA events, and manages documentation supporting these functions. · Prepares flight operations trending analysis charts and reports. Compiles and presents FOQA data summaries to enhance training, maintenance, flight operations. Performs specialized studies and fulfills special data requests. Assists in the creation of safety and FOQA department publications. Prepares reports, presentations, and statistical data required to identify trends for safety enhancement. · Oversees data collection process of aircraft fleet in conjunction with Maintenance. Education Bachelor's in Aviation or Engineering Certifications and Licenses Years of Experience 0-2 years of experience Core Competencies Adaptability Collaboration Curiosity Service-Oriented Strives for Positive Results Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other (KSAOs) · Basic computer programming and statistical methods experience · Strong work ethic, ability to work in a fast-paced environment and a positive attitude toward teamwork · Previous experience maintaining and enhancing corporate safety standards and safe operation practices · Extensive working knowledge of Microsoft Office Programs, including spreadsheet and database applications · Travel up to 10% of the time, including overnight stays · FAA Commercial Pilot License or higher preferred · Prior experience with Austin Digital or equivalent GDRAS platforms preferred · Knowledge of aircraft flight data recorders preferred · Previous work experience, preferably in 14 CFR Part 121 or 135 air carrier operations; quality control, maintenance, operations, safety or a combination of these areas. APPLY HERE Curt Lewis