First A350 XWB delivered

Rolls-Royce joined Airbus and Qatar Airways today in celebrating delivery of the first Airbus A350 XWB to enter service. The jetliner is powered by Trent XWB engines, the sole power plant available for the A350 XWB. More than 1,500 engines have already been sold to 40 customers. Sales of the Trent XWB account for over half of the Rolls-Royce civil aerospace order book. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 12/22/14) Note: Trent engines, including the XWB, are tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Cray awarded computer contract

The Defense Department High Performance Computer Modernization Program has awarded Cray of Seattle a $30 million contract for two Cray XC40 supercomputers and two Cray Sonexion storage systems for the U.S. Navy DoD Supercomputing Resource Center at Stennis Space Center, Miss. The Navy DSRC provides high performance computing services and support to DoD scientists and engineers. The Navy's center at SSC is one of five supercomputing centers established by the HPCMP. The computers, which will be used to produce high-resolution coastal-ocean circulation and wave-model oceanography products, are expected to be installed in 2015. The contract was awarded by the U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, Ala. (Sources: GeekWire.com and Clarion Ledger, CNN Money, 12/15/14)

Trent engines chosen

Rolls-Royce has been selected by AirAsia X to power 10 Airbus A330ceo and 55 Airbus A330neo aircraft with engines and support worth $6.2 billion. The A330ceos will be powered by the Trent 700 and the A330neos will be powered by the Trent 7000 engine. In July this year, Rolls-Royce welcomed an initial AirAsia X decision to select 50 A330neo aircraft. The airline had previously ordered 25 A330ceos, powered by another provider, and this has now been altered to 10 aircraft, powered by the Trent 700. It's the largest order for the Trent 7000 engine since it was launched earlier this year. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 12/15/14) Note: Trent engines are tested at the Rolls-Royce outdoor test facility at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Contract: Lockheed, $12.5M

Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif., has been awarded a $12,463,696 modification (P00649) to previously awarded contract F04701-02-C-0002 for the Advanced Extremely High Frequency system. Contractor will provide protected key management architecture (KMA) for installation, integration and factory test of the replacement KMA system with the existing AEHF control and space segments. Work will be performed at Sunnyvale; Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.; and Valley Forge, Pa., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2017. Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 12/10/14) Note: Lockheed Martin does a core propulsion work on the AEHF at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Something new for Lunch and Learn

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The Mississippi Enterprise for Technology's monthly Lunch and Learn will take a new approach in January. Once every quarter the Lunch and Learn will be used by the Marine Industries Science and Technology cluster to help small businesses looking for opportunities with government agencies and large companies that have a maritime mission. The MIST Small Business Summit will replace the MSET Lunch and Learn on a quarterly basis and focus on different federal agency or group of agencies. The January even will focus on the Navy. (Source: MSET, 12/09/14)

NASA's Orion aces test

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA's Orion space capsule, designed to eventually carry astronauts into deep space, had a picture-perfect spashdown today in the Pacific Ocean, ending a successful first unmanned test flight. After two laps of Earth, Orion plunged through the atmosphere at 20,000 mph, enveloped in a fireball that scorched its heat shield. The capsule emerged intact from its 3,600-mile fall and deployed three orange-and-white parachutes to brake its speed to 20 mph as it hit the water at 11:29 a.m. EST, 270 miles west of Baja California. (Sources: multiple, including USA Today, NBC News, 12/05/14) Note: Lockheed Martin built the capsule at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans; the Delta IV, built in Decatur, Ala., is powered by RS-68 engines tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

ONR awarded for F-35 innovation

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Office of Naval Research received one of the nation's top manufacturing awards for an innovative, cost-saving method for making advanced cockpit canopies, for the F-35 program. Officials from ONR's Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) program accepted the Department of Defense's Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Achievement Award at the Defense Manufacturing Conference in San Antonio. The automated process will be used to make canopies for more than 2,000 aircraft, saving nearly $125 million over the life of the F-35 program.(Source: NNS, 12/03/14) Note: ONR's Naval Research Laboratory has a detachment at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Finnair getting more XWBs

Finnair has firmed up an order for eight further Airbus A350 XWB aircraft, a decision that means additional Trent XWB engine business worth $450 million at list prices. The aircraft are in addition to 11 Airbus A350 XWBs that the airline already has on order, powered by the same engine. Finnair was the first airline to select the A350 XWB and will be the first European airline to receive the aircraft. The Trent XWB is the fastest-selling widebody engine ever with more than 1,500 engines already sold. It will power the first A350 XWB into service later this year. (Sources: Rolls-Royce, Airbus, 12/03/14) Note: XWB engines are tested by Rolls-Royce at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

SSC research helps MRIs, fuel-cells

Could NASA research at Stennis Space Center help hospital MRI machines and fuel-cell cars of the future? Perhaps. Engineers are testing an innovative technology that could yield new sources of both expensive helium gas required for cooling MRI machines and purified, high-pressure hydrogen gas, the fuel for fuel-cells. SSC, which tests rocket engines in South Mississippi, produces a large quantity of hydrogen and helium gas mixture in its rocket tests which right now is just burned or vented into the air. But using Sustainable Innovations' electrochemical Hydrogen Recovery System (HRS), NASA will be able to extract hydrogen from rocket fuel line purge gas, leaving behind high-value helium, a purified stream compressed to commercial storage pressure. And with helium's price only expected to rise as global supplies plateau, the helium extraction technology will become more and more valuable to NASA in the coming years and provide a possible revenue stream. Sustainable Innovations, of East Hartford, Conn., developed HRS for NASA under a Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer program. The same technology on which HRS is based will also be useful for separating hydrogen from CO2 and CO in the life support technologies now being tested and developed for its manned spaceflight missions. (Source: PRNews, 12/02/14)

Orion set to launch Thursday

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA will launch an unmanned Orion space capsule Thursday, weather permitting, on two orbits of Earth in the first space test of the deep-space vehicle. The vehicle will be launched by a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket, which is substituting for the still-being-developed NASA Space Launch System. The flight, which will take the capsule 3,600 miles out into space, will splash down some four hours later in the Pacific off the California and Mexico's Baja coast. Orion will be recovered by Navy ships. (Sources: multiple, including al.com, Fox News, 12/02/14) Lockheed Martin built the capsule at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans; the Delta IV, built in Decatur, Ala., is powered by RS-68 engines tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

RR wins $5B order

Rolls-Royce won a $5 billion order for Trent engines to power 50 new Airbus planes ordered by Delta Air Lines. Trent XWB engines will power 25 Airbus A350s and Trent 7000 engines will power 25 Airbus A330neo aircraft. Rolls Royce is the only supplier of engines for both aircraft. The Trent XWB will power the first A350 XWB into service later this year. (Sources: Rolls-Royce, 11/20/14, Reuters, 11/21/14) Note: Rolls-Royce tests Trent engines at its outdoor test facility at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Airbus to supply Orion module

Airbus Group will develop and build a service module for the U.S. space capsule, Orion, the first marking the first time a European firm will provide system-critical elements for a U.S. space project. Airbus Defense and Space, Europe's largest aerospace group, said the contract signed with the European Space Agency is worth around $488 million. The service module will provide propulsion, power supply, thermal control and the central elements of the life support system of the capsule designed for deep space missions. The module is based on the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) developed and constructed by Airbus on behalf of ESA as a supply craft for the International Space Station. (Source: multiple, including Reuters, 11/17/14, Space Daily, 11/18/14) Note: The first space-bound Orion, slated to launch next month atop a Delta IV, was built at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans. The Delta IV's RS-68 engines were tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Future Orion launches will be aboard NASA's massive Space Launch System, being built in part at Michoud Assembly Facility. The SLS's RS-25 engines will be tested at Stennis Space Center; Airbus is building an A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Ala., where it also has an engineering center and an Airbus Military operation.

Consortium meeting set

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The next general meeting of the Stennis Business Consortium is scheduled for Nov. 18 at 1:00 p.m. in the auditorium of the StenniSphere, Building 1200, at Stennis Space Center. There is no cost for the event, but registration is required. The meeting will focus on resource business providers -- those nonprofit organizations that can help businesses take the next step. Contact Laurie Jugan 228-688-1192 or ssc-mset@mail.nasa.gov for more information. (Source: MSET, November 2014)

MSET leadership changes

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – Long-time CEO and president of Mississippi Enterprise for Technology, Charlie Beasley, is leaving the post to join the economic development team at Mississippi Power. Returning to MSET to take over as interim chief will be Greg Hinkebein, who headed the agency from February 1999 until his retirement in September 2008. Beasley began working at MSET in April 1999 and became CEO when Hinkebein retired. The change is effective next week. MSET is the business connection at NASA's Stennis Space Center and the SSC connection for the business community. It provides business and facilities services including a technology incubator, marine technology industry cluster program and technology transfer and contracting programs with federal agencies. (Source: MSET, 11/07/14)

Orbital: Antares ditching AJ26?

Orbital Sciences Corp. has decided it likely will discontinue using the Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ26 engine to power future Antares space launch vehicles. The company said today that preliminary review of the date from last week's explosion of an Antares rocket after liftoff from Wallops Island, Va., indicates a probable turbopump-related failure in one of the two AJ26 engine. Orbital said it still plans to fulfill its contract commitments to NASA to resupply the International Space Station through one or two non-Antares launches of the company's Cygnus cargo spacecraft to the ISS in 2015-2016. Orbital Sciences said it plans an early introduction of a previously selected Antares engine upgrade in 2016. (Source: Orbital Sciences via Business Wire, 11/05/14) Note: Aerojet tests the AJ26 engine at Stennis Space Center, Miss. Previous

RR shedding jobs, most in UK

Rolls-Royce will shed 2,600 jobs over the next 18 months, part of an intensified program to improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. The company said in a news release Tuesday that the cuts will come principally in the aerospace division and the majority of the reductions will be achieved in 2015, the company said. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 11/04/14) A company spokesman said through an email inquiry that he could not specify where cuts would occur, but said a union said it expects two-thirds of the cuts to be in the U.K. The company has 55,200 workers globally and 8,500 in the United States. Rolls-Royce has an engine test facility at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Antares blows up on liftoff

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. – An Orbital Science Antares rocket exploded just after liftoff Tuesday night, destroying the rocket, cargo and causing damage on the launch pad. The rocket, on a mission to bring supplies to the International Space Station, was unmanned and blew up about six seconds after leaving the launch pad at NASA’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport. The Cygnus spacecraft had some 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments aboard. (Sources: multiple, including WKMG-TV, CBS News, CNN, 10/28/14) The Antares first stage is powered by twin AJ26 engines tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss. In May 2014, an AJ26 engine being tested at the E-complex reportedly exploded halfway through a test. Previous

NASA partners with innovators

NASA selected four teams of agency technologists for participation in the Early Career Initiative (ECI) pilot program. The program encourages creativity and innovation among early career NASA technologists by engaging them in hands-on technology development opportunities needed for future missions. NASA created the ECI to enable a highly collaborative, joint-partnering work environment between the best and brightest NASA early career innovators and leading innovators in industry, academia and other government organizations. Among the teams selected was NASA’s Stennis Space Center, Miss., with partner Innovative Imaging and Research (I2R) of Mississippi. The team will develop and demonstrate a system for high-speed, 3-D, High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging. Video imaging will be performed at the chip level using computational photography, providing NASA with advanced visualization technologies to meet future needs. (Source: NASA via PRNewswire, 10/17/14)

NASA awards contract

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA awarded Affigent LLC of Herndon, Va., a firm-fixed price delivery order for NASA's Oracle Database Management Software license maintenance. The order has a period of performance consisting of a one-year base period with two, one-year option periods through Oct. 14, 2017. The total not-to-exceed value of the order is about $15 million. The contract is administered by the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) Enterprise License Management Team (ELMT) at Stennis Space Center. The NSSC performs selected business activities for all NASA centers. (Source: NSSC, 10/16/14)

CTi-equipped engine has test flight

Rolls-Royce has completed the first flight test of aircraft featuring its composite carbon/titanium (CTi) fan blade with advance and ultrafan engine design. The CTi fan blades were integrated into a Trent 1000 engine of the Rolls-Royce 747, which recently completed its successful flying test at Tucson, Ariz. The engine design provides a 20 percent fuel consumption savings. In September Rolls-Royce completed crosswind testing on this fan system at the company's outdoor jet engine test facility at Stennis Space Center, Miss. Established in 2007, the SSC test facility is one of three company testing sites worldwide. It conducts noise, crosswind, thrust reverse, cyclic and endurance testing on all current Rolls-Royce large engine types. (Source: Aerospace Technology, 10/16/14) Previous

Lunch and Learn slated

The next Mississippi Enterprise for Technology "Lunch and Learn" will feature Ingalls Shipbuilding. Hal Todd, manager supply chain integration and Joan Branson, manager socio-economic business program, will be guest speakers. The Lunch and Learn is 11:30 to 1 p.m. Oct. 16 at Infinity Science Center, Conference Room D. Register by noon Oct. 13. Call 228-688-3144 or e-mail for more information. (Source: MSET, 10/10/14)

Maritime cluster gets SBA funding

The U.S. Small Business Administration announced the Marine Industries Science and Technology (MIST) Cluster, centered at Stennis Space Center, is one of four new regional innovative clusters that will receive SBA funding. The MIST Cluster will cover an area that includes Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. According to Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), MIST will be administred by the non-profit Mississippi Enterprise for Technology, a business incubator and technology transfer office. SBA funding will range from $500,000 to $550,000 for each of the clusters. According to SBA, the MIST Cluster will "focus on the Stennis Space Center's ecosystem of world class marine technology research, the highest concentration of oceanographers in the world, and a broad consortium of federal and state partners to provide targeted support for the creation and growth of small businesses involved in 'blue technology.'" The MIST Cluster, along with three other new regional innovation clusters announced Tuesday, expands the SBA initiative to 11 clusters nationwide. (Sources: SBA, 09/30/14, Mississippi Business Journal, 10/01/14)

A350 XWB EASA certified

The Airbus A350 XWB received type certification for airworthiness from the European Aviation Safety Agency on Sept. 30. Federal Aviation Administration certification of the plane, also called the A350-900, will follow. The A350 XWB is Airbus' all-new mid-size long range product line and the newest member of the wide-body family. Launch customer Qatar Airlines is expected to begin flying the plane before the end of the year. (Sources: Airbus, Derby Telegraph, 09/30/14) Note: The jetliner is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Orion-boosting rocket assembled

CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Fla. – Assembly of the Delta IV rocket that will boost the Orion crew capsule on its maiden test flight in December has been completed. The Orion, without a crew, is slated to launch on Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) in December atop the United Launch Alliance Delta IV. Orion is NASA's spaceship designed to carry a crew further into space than ever before. Engineers from ULA recently completed the integration of the three primary core elements of the rockets first stage with the single engine upper stage. All of the rocket integration work and preflight processing took place inside ULA's Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The Delta IV will be rolled out to SLC-37 launch pad this week. Orion flights eventually will be boosted by NASA's Space Launch System. (Sources: NASA, 09/25/14, Universe Today, 09/28/14) The space-bound Orion was built at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, which is also building the core stage of the SLS; the RS-68 engines that will power the Delta IV core boosters are assembled and tested by Rocketdyne at Stennis Space Center, Miss., which will also test the RS-25 engines that will power the core stage of SLS.

SLS and deep space

The October issue of Air and Space Smithsonian magazine takes a close look at the Space Launch System and the role being played by Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Among the places visited by the writer was the room at SSC no larger than a convenience store that houses more than a billion dollars worth of irreplaceable RS-25 engines that will power the core stage of the largest rocket ever built. (Source: Air and Space Smithsonian, October 2014)

CSC awarded contract mod

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA exercised the fifth option year under its existing contract with Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) of Falls Church, Va. This is an 11-month option period for the continuation of financial management, human resources, procurement and information technology support services to NASA. The option increases the existing NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) support contract by more than $44 million and provides services through Aug. 31, 2015. The contract is administered by the NSSC at Stennis Space Center. The NSSC performs selected business activities for all NASA centers. (Source: NASA/NSSC, 09/19/14) Related

Blue Origin, ULA team up

Blue Origin is teaming up with United Launch Alliance to develop a rocket engine to replace the Russian-built RD-180, a workhorse that powers the ULA heavy-lift Atlas V rocket. Blue Origin is an often secretive space company run by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos. ULA is a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin that has an impressive track record for successful satellite launches. A scale model of the liquid natural gas and liquid oxygen BE-4 engine developed by Blue Origin was unveiled at a Washington news conference on Wednesday. ULA CEO Tory Bruno said a baseline Atlas would work just as well if not better with a pair of 550,000-pound thrust BE-4 engines than with the RD-180. ULA plans to invest in the BE-4 development. The engine could be ready in four years and would cost considerably less than the RD-180. (Sources: multiple, including NBC News, Reuters, Seattle Times, Space.com, 09/17/14) Note: Another ULA rocket, the Delta IV, uses RS-68 engines tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss., where Blue Origin has tested engine components for its BE-3 engine. Previous

Aerojet Rocketdyne opening office

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Aerojet Rocketdyne on Tuesday announced it would open a rocket propulsion development office in Cummings Research Park in Huntsville, with plans to deliver a new rocket engine to replace the RD-180. The office will be led by Dr. Jerrol Littles in coordination with Gene Goldman, former acting director of Huntsville's Marshall Space Flight Center and former director of Stennis Space Center, Miss. The company said the new AR 1 rocket it plans to develop will be the first advanced hydrocarbon liquid-fuel rocket engine made by Aerojet Rocketdyne since it was formed by the merger of Aerojet and Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne in 2013. Aerojet Rocketdyne also has an operation at Stennis Space Center. (Source: al.com, 09/17/14)

NASA picks space taxi teams

NASA announced today that it's picked Boeing and SpaceX to transport U.S. crews to and from the International Space Station using the CST-100 and Dragon spacecraft, respectively. The goal is to end in 2017 the nation's reliance on Russia for transportation to the ISS. The contracts include at least one crewed flight test per company with at least one NASA astronaut aboard to verify the fully integrated rocket and spacecraft system can launch, maneuver in orbit, and dock to the space station, as well as validate all its systems perform as expected. Once each company's test program has been completed successfully and its system achieves NASA certification, each contractor will conduct at least two, and as many as six, crewed missions to the space station. Boeing's contract is for $4.2 billion and SpaceX's is for $2.6 billion. The companies will own and operate the crew transportation systems and be able to sell human space transportation services to other customers in addition to NASA, thereby reducing the costs for all customers. (Source: NASA, 09/16/14) Note: Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, are both involved in NASA and commercial space programs.

SAIC awarded contract mod

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA awarded Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) of McLean, Va., a $12.7 million modification to the NASA Integrated Communications Services contract that provides and manages the majority of NASA’s information technology communications infrastructure services. It's a cost-plus award fee/cost-plus incentive fee contract that consists of a three-year base period, one two-year option, one three-year option and one two-year option. The NICS contract is administered by the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) at Stennis Space Center. The NSSC performs selected business activities for all NASA centers. (Source: NASA Shared Servides Center, 09/12/14)

EIGS announces awards

The Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions (EIGS) announced its key business metrics and business award winners for the 2014 U.S. Small Business Administration Geospatial Regional Innovative Cluster. EIGS is a non-profit program of the Magnolia Business Alliance (MBA). The EIGS presented awards in eight categories: New Member of the Year was Global Commerce and Services; Cluster Networking Award went to Melhcorp LLC, a graduate company of the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology (MSET); Exporter of the Year was Worldwinds Inc., an MSET corporate resident; Sponsor of the Year was The West End; Cluster Growth Award went to Geocent, an MSET corporate resident and graduate company; Cluster Partner Award went to NVision Solutions, an MSET corporate resident and graduate company; Large Business Partner of the Year was CSC, a former MSET corporate resident; and Member of the Year was Loglinear Group. (Source: GeoCommunity, EIGS, 09/09/14, Magnolia Business Alliance, 09/15/14)

Oceanography inks software deal

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NAVMETOCCOM) signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) Sept. 3 with California’s Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc. (Esri). The geographic information systems company's software and system allows detailed geospatial data to be analyzed with all its time and geographic references, part of the Navy's "Battlespace on Demand." The three-year CRADA establishes a working relationship between Esri and NAVMETOCCOM, which has been an Esri software customer for more than a decade. NAVMETOCCOM, headquartered at SSC, is part of the Navy's Information Dominance Corps, and has 2,500 personnel stationed worldwide. (Source: NNS, 09/09/14)

Lunch and learn scheduled

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – The next Mississippi Enterprise for Technology "Lunch and Learn" will feature Frank Henry, chief of the field service section of the U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic Instrumental Facility. Henry is responsible for the warehouse equipment sales and rental programs, customer service and technical procurement support. The HIF at Stennis Space Center has a staff of 55 and focuses on instruments and equipment used to collect hydrologic data at thousands of USGS monitoring locations across the U.S. It provides assurance testing, equipment evaluations and support. With an annual equipment and supplies budget of some $12 million, HIF procures a wide variety of sensors, cables, telemetry systems and more. Ten percent is procured through open competitions. The lunch and learn is 11:30 to 1 p.m. Sept. 18 in Building 1100, Logtown Conference Room 11161. For more information. (Source: MSET, 09/08/14)

NASA picks STTR projects

NASA picked 23 proposals from small business and research institution teams to continue the development of innovative technologies that will support future agency missions and may prove viable as commercial products and services. The Phase II selectees in NASA's Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program are permitted to enter negotiations for possible contract awards, worth a combined total of approximately $17.2 million. Two proposals involve technology being administered by the Office of the Chief Technologist at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss. Both projects focus on innovative means to harvest energy from various forms of "waste" energy and convert it into a different new usable form of energy. A third proposal originated with Stennis Space Center but now is being administered by Kennedy Space Center, Fla. But SSC will still benefit from its development of ultra-high temperature refractory materials that can be used on test stand flame trenches and other components. (Source: NASA, 09/08/14)

Bolden to visit region

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will be in New Orleans and South Mississippi for two events next week related to NASA's Space Launch System program. He'll be at Michoud Assembly Facility Sept. 12 for a ribbon cutting for the newly finished Vertical Assembly Center, or VAC. The 170-foot-high marvel will be used to join domes, rings and barrels segments to complete the SLS fuel tanks. The tool also will be used to perform evaluations of the completed welds. Towering more than 200 feet tall, with a diameter of 27.6 feet, the core stage is being built by prime contractor Boeing. It will store cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to feed the launch vehicle's RS-25 engines. Bolden will then go to NASA's Stennis Space Center, some 40 miles away in South Mississipp, to talk to the media at the base of the historic B-2 Test Stand. That stand was used to test the S-1C stage on the Saturn V moon rocket and the Main Propulsion Test Article, the configuration of three main engines flown on space shuttle missions. The stand will next be used to test the core stage of SLS and its configuration of four RS-25 engines. SLS will be used by NASA to send humans deeper into space than ever before. (Source: NASA, 09/05/14)

Contract: Lockheed, $42.9M

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, Calif., has been awarded a $42,880,040 modification (P00003) to previously awarded contract FA8810-13-C-0001 for dual band telemetry, tracking and communications capability for the Space-Based Infrared System Geosynchronous Earth Orbiting 5-6 space vehicles. Contractor will redesign the interfacing, software, power, thermal, and structures to accommodate the new dual band capable transponder box and cabling. This effort also adds a Unified S-Band uplink frequency and modulation scheme to the existing Space to Ground Link System L-Band uplink capability. Work will be performed at Sunnyvale and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2021. Space and Missile System Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 09/05/14) Work on the core propulsion system for the SBIRS is done by Lockheed Martin at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

SBC slated for next week

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The next general meeting of the Stennis Business Consortium is Sept. 9 at 1 p.m. in the auditorium of the StennisSphere, Building 1200 at Stennis Space Center. The meeting will feature an update of NASA Stennis contract activities, programs with the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission and Stennis Airport and more. Registration ends Friday. There is no fee for the event. Contact Laurie Jugan at 228-688-1192 or email for more information (Source: MSET, September 2014)

RR tests CTi fan system

The Rolls-Royce composite carbon/titanium (CTi) fan system for the Advance and UltraFan engine designs has completed its most recent phase of testing at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss. The fan system underwent crosswind testing on a Trent 1000 Advanced Low Pressure System technology engine, ahead of flight testing on the 747 flying test bed based in Tucson, Ariz. The CTi fan system includes carbon/titanium fan blades and a composite casing that reduce weight by up to 1,500 pounds per aircraft. Opened in 2007 and expanded in 2013 to include a second test stand, the 50-employee Rolls-Royce Outdoor Jet Engine Testing Facility at SSC is one of three Rolls-Royce test sites in the world. It conducts specialist development engine testing including noise, crosswind, thrust reverse, cyclic and endurance testing on all current Rolls-Royce large engine types. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 09/01/14) Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi is NASA's rocket engine test center.

B-to-B expo set for Jackson

Representatives from NASA centers will be on hand this week in Jackson, Miss., for the business-to-business expo "Launching Connections." Companies and industry groups will be able to connect with representatives from Stennis Space Center, Miss., Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Johnson Space Center, Texas, Marshall Space Flight Center, Ala., Michoud Assembly Center, La., and the Shared Services Center at SSC. Businesses and contractors will learn through networking about opportunities in NASA programs like rocket propulsion testing, ground system development and operations, Orion and the Space Launch System. There are also moderated panel discussions. The Aug. 27 expo is from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Jackson Convention Complex, 105 E. Pascagoula St. For more information, click here. (Source: multiple, 08/25/14)

NSSC presents awards

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) held its eighth annual Honor Awards ceremony at the Stennis Space Center auditorium Tuesday, honoring employees for exceptional performance. NSSC Executive Director Mark Glorioso and NASA Deputy Associate Administrator Lesa Roe presented three individual medals, 13 group achievement awards and six certificates of achievement. (Source: NSSC, 08/21/14)

SSC workers get NASA awards

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Stennis Space Center Director Rick Gilbrech and NASA Deputy Associate Administrator Lesa Roe presented annual NASA Honor Awards to center employees during an onsite ceremony today. In addition to presenting awards, Gilbrech, a resident of Slidell, La., also received NASA's Equal Employment Opportunity Medal for outstanding leadership qualities in promoting diversity and inclusion at Stennis. Three Stennis employees received NASA's Exceptional Service Medal, awarded to government employees for sustained performance that embodies multiple contributions to NASA projects, programs, or initiatives. (Source: SSC, Mississippi Press, 08/19/14)

Orbital completes cargo mission

DULLES, Va. -- Orbital Sciences today announced the successful completion of its third cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station in the past 10 months, including the initial demonstration flight completed in October 2013 and the first two operational missions under the company's $1.9 billion Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA. The Cygnus spacecraft was launched July 13 atop the company's Antares rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in east Virginia. (Source: Business Wire, 08/18/14) Note: The Antares rocket is powered by AJ-26 engines tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Ocean in Action workshop nears

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The fourth annual Oceans in Action workshop will be held Aug. 21 in Building 1200 at Stennis Space Center. Sponsored by the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology and Gulf Coast Section of the Marine Technology Society, the workshop highlights agencies at Stennis Space Center that support missions relying on marine technology. Business matchmaking meetings are also scheduled. For additional information, contact Laurie Jugan at 228-688-1192 or e-mail here. (Source: MSET, 08/14/14)

SBC quarterly meeting slated

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – The next general meeting of the Stennis Business Consortium (SBC) is scheduled for Sept. 9 at 1 p.m. in the auditorium of Building 1200 at Stennis Space Center. The meeting will feature and update of NASA Stennis contract activities, programs within the Hancock County Port and Harbor Commission, SAIC's work for the National Center for Critical Information Processing and Storage and more. SBC's mission is to provide a mechanism for federal and state agencies, local institutions, and businesses to exchange information on small business goals, needed and emerging technologies, upcoming procurement requirements and opportunities, and issues dealing with existing procurement regulations. For more information, contact Laurie Jugan at 228-688-1192 or email ssc-mset@mail.nasa.gov. (Source: MSET, 08/11/14)

Orion 'thinks' it has flown

NASA's Orion spacecraft is not ready for liftoff, but the spacecraft thinks it's already flown six missions. Since Orion's crew module was stacked on top of its service module in June, the vehicle has been put through a series of tests designed to verify all the individual systems work on their own in the new configuration and that they'll work together as a functional unit during flight. And the best way to do that is to trick the vehicle into thinking that it's flying, so that it will perform exactly the same functions it will be called upon to perform in December, when Orion launches into space for the first time. (Source: Space Travel, 08/01/14) The Orion capsule was built at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans; Stennis Space Center, Miss., will test the RS-25 engines that will be power the first stage of the Space Launch System, which will eventually be used to launch Orion.

Huge weld tool nearly complete

NEW ORLEANS -- The 170-foot Vertical Assembly Center (VAC) is near completion and will soon be ready to build the core stage of NASA's Space Launch System, the most powerful rocket in history and designed for deep space missions. VAC is the world's largest spacecraft welding tool, part of a family of tools at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility designed to build the core stage. The core stage will store cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen that will feed the vehicle's RS-25 engines, which will be tested at nearby Stennis Space Center, Miss. The core stage, comprised of the forward skirt, the liquid oxygen tank, the intertank, the liquid hydrogen tank and the engine section, recently passed its critical design review. (Source: Space Travel, 07/23/14) Previous

Airline picks Trent 7000

Hawaiian Airlines selected six Airbus A330-800neo aircraft powered by the newly-launched Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engine. The new aircraft will replace six A350-800 aircraft that the airline has on order. The Trent engine family has accumulated more than 75 million flight hours over the last 19 years. Each member of the Trent engine family has been either the market leader, aircraft launch engine, or both. Trent engines are tested at the Rolls-Royce outdoor test stand at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 07/23/14) Previous

RS-25 for SLS on test stand

RS-25 installed on A-1 stand. NASA photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – In a key milestone in NASA's Space Launch System program, an RS-25 engine was installed Thursday on the A-1 Test Stand. The team at NASA's Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi will perform developmental and flight certification testing of the engine, No. 0525, a modified version of the space shuttle main engine that powered missions into space from 1981 to 2011. The SLS core stage will be powered by four RS-25 engines. Early tests on the engine will collect data on the performance of its new advanced engine controller and other modifications. (Source: NASA, 07/17/14) The core stage of the SLS is being built at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans.

Hancock honors SpaceX

SpaceX will receive an economic development award from the Hancock County Port & Harbor Commission, the county’s economic development authority. Ashley Edwards, the commission's executive director, will present the Industrial Award of Excellence to officials from SpaceX during the Hancock Chamber Annual Awards Gala Aug. 21 at Hollywood Casino. SpaceX, one of the nation's commercial space companies, was the first to private company to successfully resupply the International Space Station. SpaceX, which wants to fly missions deeper into space, is testing subscale components at SSC, where it's also doing R&D on its next generation Raptor engine. (Source: Partners for Stennis, 07/16/14)

Cygnus heads to ISS

WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. – Fresh supplies and research experiments began a three-day journey to the International Space Station on Sunday after a successful launch atop an Antares rocket. The rocket took off from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at 12:52 p.m. EDT. The commercial Orbital Sciences Cygnus supply ship will complete the cargo delivery Wednesday with an automated approach to the space station. The Antares rocket is powered by twin Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ26 engines, which are tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Source: Spaceflight Now, 07/14/14)

Airbus picks Trent 7000

Rolls-Royce today announced that Airbus picked the new Trent 7000 as the exclusive engine for the Airbus A330neo. The Trent 7000, launched today, is the seventh member of the Trent engine family. Over the last 19 years, Rolls-Royce Trent engines have accumulated more than 75 million flight hours. The majority of modern widebody aircraft, either in service or on order, are powered by Trent engines. (Source: Rolls-Royce, 07/14/14) Rolls-Royce tests Trent engines at its outdoor facility at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Linde gets NASA contract

NASA has awarded a contract to Linde LLC to supply liquid nitrogen and liquid oxygen to six of its research/space flight centers, including Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans. The contract calls for Linde to supply over 360,000 tons of liquid nitrogen and some 64,000 tons of liquid oxygen to support operations. Other centers covered by the contract are Glenn Research Center, Ohio; Goddard Space Flight Center, Md.; Johnson Space Center, Texas; and Marshall Space Flight Center, Ala. Nitrogen is used by the agency for pneumatic actuation, purging and inerting, pressurization, and for its cooling value. Oxygen is used as an oxidizer in cryogenic rocket engines. (Source: Linde via PRNewswire, 07/07/14)

Geocent gets Tibbetts award

Geocent, an information technology and engineering firm headquartered in Metairie, La., has received a Tibbetts Award for its work done on Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) projects. The award recognizes an organization's contributions as a model of excellence for the SBIR program. Individuals and companies are selected for providing outstanding leadership in a state, across a region, or across the nation. Geocent has an office at Stennis Space Center, Miss., and is a tenant of the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology. (Source: Enterprise for Innovative Geospatial Solutions, 07/01/14)

Boeing, NASA sign SLS pact

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- Boeing finalized a contract with NASA to develop the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket ever built. The $2.8 billion contract validates Boeing's earlier selection as prime contractor on the SLS core stage, including avionics, under an undefinitized contract authorization. In addition, Boeing will study the SLS Exploration Upper Stage, which will further expand mission range and payload capabilities. The agreement comes as NASA and Boeing complete the Critical Design Review (CDR) on the core stage, the last major review before full production begins. During the CDR, experts examined and confirmed the final design of the rocket's cryogenic stages that will hold liquefied hydrogen and oxygen. It's NASA's first CDR on a deep-space human exploration launch vehicle since 1961, when the Saturn V rocket underwent a similar review. (Source: Boeing, 07/02/14) Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, is building the core stage and the Orion multi-purpose crew vehicle, part of the SLS program; Stennis Space Center, Miss., tests the SLS engines.

J-2X testing completed

Aerojet Rocketdyne recently completed its final J-2X test series at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss. Over three years Aerojet Rocketdyne teams manufactured, assembled, and tested four newly developed engine test articles that achieved an accumulated duration of nearly five hours firing time and demonstrated full power operation for twice its designed life service. The liquid-oxygen/liquid-hydrogen fueled engine is designed to start at altitude and re-start in space as part of a second or third stage of a large, multi-stage launch vehicle. With its full nozzle extension installed, the J-2X is more than 15 feet tall and 10 feet in diameter at its base and weighs 5,400 pounds. The engine is one of several options being considered to power the upper stage of NASA's future 130-metric-ton Space Launch System, designed to launch crew and cargo to deep space destinations. Aerojet Rocketdyne is a GenCorp company. (Source: Product Design and Development, 06/30/14)

Contract: Lockheed, $38.4M

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. Sunnyvale, Calif., has been awarded a $38,378,116 modification (P00645) to the cost-plus-incentive-fee contract F04701-02-C-0002 for Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) System Interim Contractor Sustainment Re-vector under cost line item number 0610. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $8,752,571,223. The contract modification is for critical software development for Mission Planning Development for initial operational capability in 2015. Work will be performed at Sunnyvale and El Segundo, Calif., and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2015. Space and Missile Systems Center/PKJ, AEHF, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 06/30/14) Gulf Coast note: Lockheed does core propulsion system work for AEHR at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Orion chuts hit no snags

Orion parachutes tested. NASA photo

NASA completed the most complex and flight-like test of the parachute system for the agency's Orion spacecraft on Wednesday. A test version of Orion touched down safely in the Arizona desert after being pulled out of a C-17 aircraft, 35,000 feet above the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Ground. It was the first time some parachutes in the system had been tested at such a high altitude. The test also marked the last time the entire parachute sequence will be tested before Orion launches into space in December on its first space flight test, EFT-1. During the flight, an uncrewed Orion launched by an Atlas V will travel 3,600 miles into space, farther than any spacecraft built to carry humans has been in more than 40 years. (Source: NASA, 06/25/14) The Orion for EFT-1 was built at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans. Stennis Space Center, Miss., is testing the engines that will be used in NASA's Space Launch System that will be used for future Orion launches.

Contract: Lockheed, $1.8B

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, Calif., has been awarded a $1,863,474,312 modification (P00001) to previously awarded contract (FA8810-13-C-0001) for Space-Based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) 5 and 6 satellites, including performance incentives and options for acoustic testing and launch operations. This contract modification will complete the production of the SBIRS GEO 5/6 satellites, which was started with the procurement of long lead parts, and also complete the associated ground operations and processing updates. The contract modification also includes adding options for acoustic testing, launch vehicle integration, launch and early on-orbit testing, and contractor operations support. Work will be performed at Sunnyvale and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2022. Space and Missile System Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base/El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 06/24/14) Work on the SBIRS core propulsion system is done at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Change of command held

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- Rear Adm. Timothy C. Gallaudet relieved Rear Adm. Brian B. Brown as commander of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NAVMETOCCOM) in a traditional change of command ceremony Wednesday at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. Gallaudet was promoted to the rank of rear admiral (lower half) just prior to the ceremony. (Source: NNS, 06/19/14)

NASA to show Orion progress

With six months until its first trip to space, NASA's Orion spacecraft is taking shape at the agency's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The media has been invited to a status update on Orion and to see the spacecraft Wednesday. Technicians began attaching the crew module on top of the completed service module on Monday. This is the first step in moving the three primary Orion elements, the crew module, service module and launch abort system, into the correct configuration for launch. This is all part of NASA's Space Launch System program, designed to carry astronauts deeper in space than ever before. Orion was built at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, and rocket engines for the SLS program are tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss. But Orion on this first flight will be lifted atop a Delta IV, which is powered by RS-68 engines tested at SSC. (Source: GCAC, 06/17/14, NASA release)

Command getting new leader

Capt. Timothy C. Gallaudet, selected for the rank of rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, Stennis Space Center, Miss. Gallaudet is currently serving as executive assistant to Oceanographer/Navigator of the Navy, N2/N6E, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. (Source: DoD, 06/02/14)

Engine failure delays mission

Orbital Sciences Corp. is delaying the launch of its second robotic resupply mission to the International Space Station to investigate the failure of a rocket engine during a test at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss. An Aerojet Rocketdyne AJ26, one of two used on Orbital's Antares launch vehicle, failed midway through a test. Orbital Sciences will postpone the June 10 launch of the company's unmanned Cygnus spacecraft. The mission will not launch to the space station before June 17. (Source: space.com, 05/28/14) Previous

Contract: Lockheed, $7.4M

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, Calif., has been awarded a $7,400,000 cost-plus-award-fee modification (P00788) to F04701-95-C-0017 to generate simulation scenarios in support of Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center's initial operational test and evaluation at Space-Based Infrared Systems Engineering and Manufacturing Development, Block 20. Work will be done in Sunnyvale and Azuza, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 30, 2016. Infrared Space Systems Contracts Division, Space and Missile Systems Center, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 05/27/14) Lockheed Martin at Stennis Space Center, Miss., does the core propulsion system work on the SBIRS satellites.

No one hurt in test failure

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- An AJ-26 rocket engine used to power Orbital Sciences' Antares launch vehicle failed during hot fire testing Thursday in South Mississippi. The Aerojet Rocketdyne engine, a modified version of the Russian-built NK-33, is fueled with a liquid oxygen kerosene. The publication NASAspaceflight quoted sources and saying the engine was being tested at the E-complex when it exploded halfway through the test, but nobody was injured. Orbital Sciences has already had multiple successful launches of the Antares, which lifts the cargo vehicle Cygnus on supply missions to the International Space Station. (Sources: NASAspaceflight, Sun Herald, Spaceflight Now, 05/23/14) Previous

Lockheed strike at SSC ends

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- A union strike against Lockheed Martin at Stennis Space Center ended Tuesday when the union agreed to a new three-year contract. Members of Local 2249 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union began the strike Friday over pensions. The union represents about 115 workers who support NASA rocket testing at SSC in South Mississippi. (Source: Sun Herald, 05/20/14) Previous

Contract: Lockheed, $20M

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, Calif., has been awarded a $20,000,000 contract modification for acceleration effort in support of the production of Space-Based Infrared Systems (SBIRS) Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) 5 and 6 satellites. The contract modification is for planning and production parts including hinges, valves, structures and special test equipment to support the SBIRS GEO 5/6 satellite production. Work will be done at Sunnyvale and is expected to be completed by June 19, 2016. Space and Missile System Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 05/20/14) Core propulsion system work for the SBIRS is done by Lockheed Martin at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Admiral gets new assignment

The Navy today announced today that Rear Adm. (lower half) Brian B. Brown, selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as deputy commander, Joint Functional Component Command Space, U.S. Strategic Command, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Brown is currently serving as commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Source: DoD, 05/16/14)

Lockheed union at SSC strikes

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – Lockheed Martin workers who operate NASA test stands went on strike today in the wake of negotiations over the company's plan to end pensions. Members of Local 2249 of the International Machinists and Aerospace workers started picketing outside the main gate after midnight. They will not picket over the weekend, but plan to return Monday. The strike affects 116 union members. Lockheed Martin and the union are at the end of a three-year contract. (Sources: WLOX-TV, Sun Herald, 05/16/14) The company also operates the Lockheed Martin Mississippi Space and Technology Center at SSC, which works on satellite systems. It is not involved in the strike.

Two B-2 upgrades nearly done

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA is nearing completion on two major structural restoration construction packages for the B-2 Test Stand that will be used to test the core stage of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS). SLS will carry astronauts deeper into space than ever before. Beginning in 2016 the core stage, powered by four RS-25 engines, will be tested on the B-2 stand. The SLS stage is 50 percent longer than the Saturn stages previously tested on B-2, so the main derrick crane atop the stand had to be upgraded. That work will be done this month. Work package No. 2, replacement of fixed and movable platforms, will be done in July. Packages 3 and 4 both are scheduled to be finished in 2015. (Source: NASA, 05/15/14)

Engine purchase ban lifted

An injunction that temporarily prevented the Air Force and United Launch Alliance from buying Russian-made RD-180 engines for launch vehicles has been lifted. The injunction was issued April 30 after SpaceX filed suit, saying purchase of the engines violated sanctions imposed on Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and 10 others. But letters submitted to the court by the departments of State, Treasury and Commerce said the maker of the engines, NPO Energomash, is not subject any of the sanctions. (Source: Space Travel, Space News, 05/09/14) Previous

SBIRS propulsion module done

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- Lockheed Martin completed the propulsion module for the fourth Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO-4) space vehicle and is now proceeding with satellite assembly, integration and test. SBIRS provide continuous early warning of ballistic missile launches and other tactical intelligence. Final assembly and test of the GEO-4 satellite’s propulsion module occurred earlier this year at Lockheed Martin's Mississippi Space & Technology Center at Stennis Space Center. The propulsion module maneuvers the satellite during transfer orbit to its final location and conducts on-orbit repositioning maneuvers throughout its mission life. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 05/06/14)

Contract awarded for test stands

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Birmingham's Brasfield & Gorrie won a $45 million contract to build two stands at Marshall Space Flight Center to test the fuel tanks and other key hardware of NASA's Space Launch System. One stand will be 215 feet tall and will test the SLS liquid hydrogen tank. The second stand will be 85 feet tall and will test the liquid oxygen tank of the new rocket. The stands will take about a year to build with construction will begin late this month. The core stage of the SLS is 200 feet tall, larger than the 75-foot tall Saturn V first stage of the past. The core is composed of two fuel tanks, a main engine compartment, an intertank ring to join the two tanks and a top ring to attach the core to the Orion upper stage. The tanks are being built at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. (Source: al.com, 05/06/14) Stennis Space Center, Miss., will test the RS-25 engines that will power the core stage of SLS.

Milestone on way to RS-25 testing

Cold-shock test at Stennis
SSC photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA engineers achieved a major milestone May 1 as they prepare to test RS-25 rocket engines that will help power the new Space Launch System (SLS) on missions to deep space destinations. A-1 Test Stand operators completed a cold-shock test of the new structural piping system needed for the RS-25 engine, setting the stage for engine installation in the coming weeks and hotfire testing this summer. Four RS-25 engines will power the core stage of the SLS, which is being built to carry humans to destinations including an asteroid and eventually Mars. Renovation of the A-1 Test Stand at Stennis has been under way since last fall with installation of new equipment and components needed to accommodate RS-25 engines, including the cryogenic piping system tested May 1. (Source: NASA/SSC, 05/06/14)

Weather sat module delivered

DENVER -- The two modules of the first GOES-R series weather satellite spacecraft have been delivered to a cleanroom at Lockheed Martin's Space Systems facility near Denver. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R series (GOES-R) is NOAA's next-generation geostationary weather satellites. With the delivery of the system module and the propulsion module, the weather satellite will now undergo integration and testing. It is slated to launch in early 2016. The system module of the A2100-based satellite, housing three major electrical subsystems, was built at Lockheed Martin’s Newtown, Pa. facility. The propulsion module recently underwent integration of its engines, fuel tanks and various propulsion components at the company's Mississippi Space and Technology Center at NASA's Stennis Space Center. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 05/01/14)

SpaceX gets injunction

A U.S. court issued an injunction blocking United Launch Alliance, a Lockheed Martin/Boeing joint venture, from buying Russian-made rocket engines after SpaceX filed a lawsuit protesting the contract. SpaceX, which sued Monday, said the contract should have been competitively bid. The preliminary injunction was issued late Wednesday by Judge Susan Braden of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. The ruling blocks payments to any entity subject to the control of Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, including the Russian state-owned company that makes the rocket engines. Rogozin heads Russia's defense industry and space program, and is on a sanctions list over the crisis in Ukraine. The injunction could be lifted if the U.S. Treasury, Commerce Department or State Department reviews the deal and finds it does not violate sanctions. (Source: AFP via Space Travel, Washington Post, AFP via Space Travel, 05/01/14) Note: SpaceX will be testing its deep-space rocket engine at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; United Launch Alliance's Delta IV rocket uses RS-68 engines tested at SSC; Lockheed Martin builds satellite core propulsion systems at SSC; Aerojet Rocketdyne tests AJ-26 engines, modified versions of the Russian-built NK-33 and NK-43 engines, at SSC. The AJ-26 powers Orbital Sciences Antares rocket, used to launch the Cygnus spacecraft on cargo missions to the International Space Station.

NASA picks proposals

NASA has selected 383 research and technology proposals for negotiations that may lead to contracts worth a combined $47.6 million. The proposals, from 257 U.S. small businesses and 29 research institutions, are part of NASA's Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program. Eight selected proposals involve technology being administered by the Office of the Chief Technologist at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Source: NASA, 05/01/14)

Orbital, ATK merging

Alliant Techsystems (ATK) of Arlington, Va., is merging its aerospace and defense segments with Orbital Sciences, the Dulles-Va.-based commercial space firm. The $5 billion transaction is expected to be completed later this year. The new company will be Orbital ATK, based in Dulles. ATK, a major ammunition maker, is spinning off its hunting gear segment into a separate company. ATK is looking to bolster its aerospace business and Orbital Sciences hopes to boost the scale of its existing operations and gain a foothold in the defense sector. Last year Orbital’s Cygnus spacecraft successfully docked with the International Space Station, the second commercial company to do so after SpaceX. ATK is also involved in space activities, building aerospace structures and rocket engines. This month it received a contract from United Launch Alliance (ULA) to deliver hardware for the Atlas V and Delta IV rockets. (Sources: multiple, including Washington Post, Reuters, GovConWire, 04/29/14) Orbital Sciences' Antares rocket is powered by AJ-26 engines tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; ULA's Delta IV is powered by RS-68 engines tested at SSC; ATK also has operations in Huntsville, Ala., and an aerospace structures business in Iuka, Miss.

Exercise involves SSC

The ninth annual Emerald Warrior military exercise got underway Monday in Northwest Florida. It's sponsored by the Special Operations Command and is an irregular warfare exercise. Last year about 1,900 service members from different branches participated, and organizers expect the number to be about the same this year. About 90 aircraft will participate in the exercise, which will run through May 9 at Hurlburt Field, Eglin Air Force Base, Apalachicola, all in Florida, Camp Shelby and Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, Pelham Range, Ala., and Melrose Range, N.M. Participants will interact using actual aircraft and personnel, as well as virtual simulators and computer-generated emulators that will interact in a live scenario. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 04/28/14)

SSC tech in Spinoff 2013

A host of products, including three with ties to Stennis Space Center, Miss., are featured in Spinoff 2013, an online publication that highlights commercial products created using NASA-developed technology. The SSC products include cloud based data sharing for emergency managers, an early warning system to identify potential threats to the nation's forests, and smart sensors to monitor components on rocket engine test stands in order to avert equipment failure. Also featured in the 2013 edition is an air purification system that can sustain miners in the event of a disaster, a solar-powered vaccine refrigerators saving lives in remote areas throughout the world, and a powerful heat shield used on the first commercial spacecraft to successfully achieve orbit and return to Earth. (Source: NASA, 04/28/14)

NASA, SSC top innovative list

For the fourth consecutive year NASA tops the list of most innovative large federal agencies, according to the Partnership for Public Service. The agency scored 76 out of 100 points on the innovation scale. It also accomplished a first in 2013: NASA is the parent agency to the top five most innovative sub-agencies on the list, with John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi ranking No. 1. The analysis, compiled by the Partnership for Public Service, Deloitte and the Hay Group, is based on the Office of Personnel Management's 2013 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. (Source: Government Executive, 04/24/14) Previous: SSC No. 2 in best places to work

QinetiQ selling U.S. services division

British defense technology firm QinetiQ agreed to sell its U.S. services division for up to $215 million. The former research arm of Britain's Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday the sale to U.S. engineering group The SI Organization would allow QinetiQ to focus on its core British defense and products business and on expanding in cybersecurity. QinetiQ expects the deal, which requires shareholder approval, to complete in the second quarter of 2014. (Source: Reuters, 04/22/14) Note: QinetiQ has an office at Stennis Space Center, Miss., supporting more than 50 personnel providing services to Naval Research Laboratory, Naval Oceanographic Office, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Expertise includes oceanography, acoustics, mapping and charting, the use of remote sensing in research, and scientific software development.

Raptor tests begin within month

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – Testing of a new, more powerful SpaceX engine will begin within a month at NASA's rocket engine test facility in South Mississippi. A ceremonial ribbon-cutting was held today marking the start of a partnership between SpaceX and Stennis Space Center. SpaceX, which has already successfully completed resupply missions to the International Space Station, plans to test its methane-fueled Raptor rocket engine on the E-2 test stand. The reuseable engine is being developed for a heavy-lift launch vehicle. "In partnership with NASA, SpaceX has helped create one of the most advanced engine testing facilities in the world, and we look forward to putting the stand to good use," said Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer of SpaceX. "These types of activities are opening new doors of commercial space exploration for companies," said Stennis Center Director Rick Gilbrech. SpaceX's Dragon space capsule successfully docked with the ISS Sunday in its third resupply mission. (Source: GCAC, 04/21/14)

NASA gears up for RS-25 tests

RS-25 tests begin this summer.
Aerojet Rocketdyne photo

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- With testing of the J-2X engine completed April 10, engineers at Stennis Space Center are now focusing their attention on preparing the RS-25 engine for the test stands. Four RS-25 engines, previously known as space shuttle main engines, will power the core stage of Space Launch System that will take astronauts deeper into space than ever before. More than 200 feet tall with a diameter of 27.6 feet, the core stage will store cryogenic liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen that will feed the RS-25s. Modifications to the engines, like higher thrust levels, were needed on the engines for the SLS. Gary Benton, J-2X and RS-25 test project manager at SSC, said the J-2X powerpack testing began in late 2007, and a wide range of full-engine developmental tests have been done. A number of J-2X tests benefit the upcoming RS-25 tests. (Source: NASA, 04/11/14) Background story: SSC does what's needed for stand

Orion powers through test

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. -- NASA's Orion spacecraft passed a test designed to determine readiness for its first flight test, Exploration Flight Test-1. EFT-1 later this year will send the spacecraft more than 3,600 miles from Earth then back. The spacecraft ran for 26 uninterrupted hours during the final phase of a major test series completed April 8 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The test verified the crew module can route power and send commands that enable the spacecraft to manage its computer system, software and data loads, propulsion valves, temperature sensors and other instrumentation. (Sources: Space Travel, 04/16/14, NASA, 04/11/14) Orion is built in part at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans. Engines that will power the Space Launch System are tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

SpaceX ribbon-cutting slated

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- There will be a ribbon-cutting Monday at NASA's Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi to mark the beginning of SpaceX's new engine component test operations. SpaceX, the first commercial company to successfully send supplies to the International Space Station, said in October 2013 that it would use SSC to test its new Raptor methane rocket engines. Another company that can send cargo to the ISS, Orbital Sciences, uses Aerojet AJ26 engines to power its Antares rocket. Those engines also are tested at SSC. Scheduled to attend the 3 p.m. CDT ribbon-cutting is SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell, SSC Director Rick Gilbrech, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, Sen. Thad Cochran and Rep. Steven Palazzo. (Source: GCAC, 04/16/14) Previous

Brown tapped for promotion

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced Tuesday that the president has nominated Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Brian B. Brown for appointment to the rank of rear admiral. Brown is currently serving as commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Source: DoD, 04/15/14)

Option exercised on NICS contract

NASA has exercised an option with Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) of McLean, Va., to provide and manage the majority of NASA's IT communications infrastructure services on the NASA Integrated Communications Services (NICS) Contract. The contract consists of a three-year base period, one two-year option, one three-year option and one two-year option. The option is a two-year option with a value more than $250 million. The NICS Contract is administered by the NASA Shared Services Center (NSSC) at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Source: NSSC, 04/14/14)

Scholegel honored for leadership

BAY ST. LOUIS -- More than 350 people gathered at the Hollywood Casino ballroom in Bay St. Louis to honor former Gulfport Mayor George A. Schloegel with the Roy S. Estess Public Service Leadership Award. "I am grateful to you for this recognition. I am humbled by it and I can promise you this will stay very close to my heart," said Schloegel. Al Watkins, of A2Research and former chairman of Partners for Stennis, said Schloegel "is a man of great character and integrity. He believes that science and innovation are critical to America's success in the 21st century." (Source: Sun Herald, 04/05/14)

NASA to extend contracts

Orbital Sciences and SpaceX could be hauling cargo to the international space station through 2017 under planned two-year contract extensions NASA announced March 31. NASA said it plans to extend the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contracts it gave Orbital and SpaceX in 2008 "for up to 24 months from December 2015 to December 2017." It was unclear whether NASA will be ordering additional missions. (Source: Space News, 03/31/14) Orbital's Antares launch vehicle uses Aerojet AJ26 engines tested at Stennis Space Center; SpaceX last year announced it will test its Raptor methane rocket engines at SSC.

Test begins on third AEHF

The third Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite has begun transmitting using its protected communications payload, joining two other satellites undergoing system test in orbit with a suite of user terminals. AEHF satellites are produced by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Air Force. Launched on Sept. 18, 2013, AEHF-3 arrived in its final orbit position and began transmissions in January. Core propulsion system work on the AEHF is done at Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Source: SpaceWar.com, 03/31/14) Previous

Engine tests brought to schools

LONG BEACH, Miss. – Stennis Space Center, NASA's premiere rocket engine test facility, launched a program Wednesday to beam engine tests into some schools in Mississippi and Louisiana. The program will use technology that will allow students to watch a live stream of engine testing at Stennis, including the J-2X, an engine that's part of NASA's Space Launch System program. Through the virtual visit, NASA scientists and engineers will also appear on the screen to answer student's questions. (Source: WLOX-TV, 03/26/14)

White House honors IMRI chief

IMRI President and CEO Martha Daniel and nine other female veterans were honored by the White House Tuesday as "champions of change." The event honored women veteran industry leaders, highlighting their contributions to the nation's business, public and community service sectors. Daniel started her career four decades ago as a Navy cryptologist, and in 1992 founded Information Management Resources Inc. (IMRI). She oversees more than 70 employees at four offices from Southern California to Mississippi's Stennis Space Center and Washington D.C. IMRI is a Mississippi Enterprise for Technology client company. (Sources: IMRI, 03/24/14, WKCAL-News, 03/23/14, MSET)

Orion test flight delayed

The first test flight of NASA's Orion crew exploration vehicle has been delayed to early December to accommodate a U.S. military payload in United Launch Alliance's Delta 4 launch manifest. The unmanned Orion test flight was scheduled for launch in September or October aboard a Delta 4-Heavy rocket, the most powerful launcher in the U.S. fleet. Orion is designed to carry astronauts on expeditions beyond low Earth orbit aboard the Space Launch System, a government-owned heavy-lift launcher set to debut by the end of 2017. The Orion test flight, known as Exploration Flight Test-1, will prove many of the spacecraft's key systems, including the capsule's 16.4-foot-diameter ablative heat shield. The first crewed Orion mission is scheduled for launch on the second Space Launch System flight in 2021. (Source: Spaceflight Now, 03/15/14) Stennis Space Center, Miss., tests engines for the SLS; Orion and the core stage of SLS are built at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans.

Cochran wants NCCIPS assurances

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., during a  heaering sought confirmation that the Department of Homeland Security is committed to programs that promote cost savings. Cochran specifically pointing to the data center consolidation project at Stennis Space Center (SSC), Miss. The Senate Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee was holding a hearing on the president's FY2015 budget request for the Homeland Security Department when the issue came up. Cochran said DHS has led the federal government in finding cost savings through the consolidation of data centers, notably the National Center for Critical Information Processing and Storage (NCCIPS) at SSC. He sought assurances DHS is committed to moving forward. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said he believes Congress has provided sufficient funding to complete the consolidation project at Stennis. Developed over the past decade, the NCCIPS is the primary DHS data center for the initial consolidation of federal data assets. The project is already resulting in annual savings of $17.0 million and could save an estimated $3.0 billion by 2030, according to Cochran. The U.S. Navy, the departments of Transportation and Veterans Affairs and other agencies have chosen to locate critical assets at NCCIPPS. (Source: Mississippi Business Journal, 03/14/14)

NGI partners with Mexico researchers

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- A research consortium led by Mississippi State University has partnered with a group of institutions in Mexico to advance the study of the Gulf of Mexico's ecosystem. The Northern Gulf Institute and the Consorcio de Instituciones de Investigación Marina del Golfo de México (CiiMar-GoM) signed a memorandum of agreement to support joint research activities of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and other organizations and governmental agencies with an interest in research and educational programs for the Gulf of Mexico region. Headquartered at the MSU Science and Technology Center at Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, NGI is a NOAA cooperative institute whose members include the University of Southern Mississippi, Louisiana State University, Florida State University, Dauphin Island Sea Laboratory and MSU. In addition, NGI has an agreement with the Harte Research Institute of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi to support joint research activities. (Source: NGI, 03/14/14)

NASA picks tech proposals

NASA has selected 108 research and technology proposals from U.S. small businesses that will enable NASA's future missions while benefiting America's high technology-driven economy on Earth. The selected proposals now will enter into negotiations for contract awards as part of Phase II of the agency's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. The selected aerospace technology and innovation projects have a total value of some $87 million, supporting 99 U.S. firms in 26 states. Two selected proposals involve technology being administered by the Office of the Chief Technologist at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, Miss. (Source: NASA/Stennis, 03/10/14)

NASA budget released

WASHINGTON — NASA's $17.5 billion proposed budget for fiscal 2015 released Tuesday provides funding for NASA's top priorities. It includes $2.8 billion for the Space Launch System rocket and the Orion multi-purpose vehicle; $848 million for the Commercial Crew Program that helps fund private efforts to sent astronauts to the International Space Station; and $3.05 billion to run the ISS, including money for continued cargo shipments by SpaceX and Orbital Science. Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, are involved in those programs. The budget also would ramp up funding to fly astronauts to an asteroid by 2025 as part of a steppingstone approach to Mars. The budget is some $190 million below the fiscal 2014 level. Fiscal 2015 begins Oct. 1 and ends Sept. 30, 2015. (Source: multiple, including USAToday, Space.com, 03/04/14)

QinetiQ wins ONR contract

RESTON, Va. -- QinetiQ North America announced it was awarded a prime contract to provide engineering, technical, programmatic and financial support services for the Office of Naval Research's Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare and Combating Terrorism Department. This cost-plus fixed fee contract is valued at about $16 million over five years. ONR's mission is coordinating, executing, and promoting science and technology programs for the Navy and Marine Corps. (Source: PRWEB, 03/04/14) Note: QinetiQ has an office at Stennis Space Center, Miss., which is also the location of one of the Office of Naval Research's Naval Research Labs.

Spec Ops a winner in Hagel budget

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's nearly half-trillion dollar defense budget proposes strengthening Special Operations and cyberwarfare capabilities, both key activities in South Mississippi. The Special Ops force would increase nearly 6 percent at a time when Hagel proposes to shrink the size of the Army overall. In South Mississippi, Navy Special Warfare personnel, including SEALS, train at Stennis Space Center. To the east, Mississippi's Keesler Air Force Base is the Air Force's cyber training center. The proposal also gives a nod to the Northrop Grumman-built Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance aircraft over the U-2 spyplane. Global Hawks are built in part in Moss Point, Miss. The budget has the endorsement of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, but is subject to Congressional approval. (Sources: compiled from multiple reports, including New York Times, Wall Street Journal, 02/24/14)

Orion test hits snag

The first full joint testing between NASA and the Navy of Orion recovery procedures off the coast of California was suspended last week after the team experienced issues with handling lines securing a test version of Orion inside the well deck of the USS San Diego. Orion, part of NASA's Space Launch System project, will take astronauts deeper into space than ever before. An unmanned test from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., is set for September 2014. (Source: NASA, 02/21/14) Note: Orion is built at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans; rocket engines for the Space Launch System will be tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.; the launch vehicle for Exploration Flight Test-1 will be a United Launch Alliance Delta IV, which uses Aerojet Rocketdyne RS-68 engines tested at Stennis Space Center.

Souping up a supercomputer

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The U.S. Navy DoD Supercomputing Resource Center, one of the top 20 supercomputing sites in the world, is adding more computer power. Starting in August, the new $21.8-million computers from Cray Inc. will be put to work performing large-scale scientific calculations for Department of Defense researchers around the county. The Navy DSRC is one of five supercomputing centers established by the DoD and has 55 employees. A portion of its workload is running mathematical models of the world’s oceans each day to keep the Navy’s fleet operating safely. (Source: Mississippi Business Journal, 02/21/14) Previous

RR test stands go nonstop

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – Engine testing at the Rolls-Royce Outdoor Jet Engine Testing Facility has been going nearly nonstop since the ceremonial ribbon was cut in October. The test stand, the company's second at this South Mississippi NASA facility, represents a $50 million investment, and Rolls-Royce is still filling the last of the 35 jobs the new test stand created. "Ever since the grand opening we've had one or two engines running pretty much nonstop," said Anthony Woodard, the facility's general manager. The site here is the company's only outdoor engine test site. The first stand opened in 2007. (Source: Mississippi Business Journal, 02/21/14)

Project to result in STEM roadmap

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- With high-tech science and technology jobs expected to grow at a faster pace nationwide than other occupations, South Mississippi is embarking on a key project that should help ensure it can satisfy the growing need. The Mississippi Enterprise for Technology is conducting a unique project that will result in a "roadmap" of STEM employment in South Mississippi, starting with a survey of Stennis Space Center in Hancock County. (Source: MSET, 02/20/14)

Orbital completes mission

The first of eight Cygnus operational cargo logistics spacecraft missions to the International Space Station has been successfully completed, according to Orbital Sciences. The Cygnus spacecraft unberthed from the ISS, completing a 37-day stay at the orbiting laboratory. Cygnus reentered Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean today. Orbital has a $1.9 billion Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. (Source: BusinessWire, 02/19/14) Previous. The company's Antares launch vehicles is powered by engines tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Pitt launches new lab

PITTSBURGH -- The University of Pittsburgh recently launched a Warrior Human Performance Research Center at Hurlburt Field, Fla., to conduct performance-optimization and injury-prevention research. The new site is with the Air Force Special Operations Command. The 8-year-old program already has labs with the Naval Special Warfare SEALs operations at Little Creek, Va., Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Coronado, Calif., as well as the Army Special Operations post at Fort Bragg, N.C. The research centers help design physical-training programs to improve individual performance and reduce injury. (Source: Gant Daily, 02/20/14)

USM project picked for ISS

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – A University of Southern Mississippi project hopes to get a step closer to seeing if an Earth-born organism can live on Mars. USM Professor Scott Milroy recently learned that his NASA-funded "Pioneering Mars" project was selected for payload integration aboard the International Space Station. Milroy's project is one of two chosen from the NASA ISS National Laboratory Education Project for transport to the ISS sometime in 2015. Milroy notes that while many of the physical, chemical, and climatic conditions of Mars can be simulated in an Earth-bound laboratory, the capability to maintain living cultures, like the blue-green algae in this experiment, in reduced gravity conditions can only be explored on the ISS. Milroy is an associate professor of marine science. (Source: Hattiesburg American, 02/17/14) Note: USM has a marine science operation at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

SSC global impact nears $1B

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. – NASA's Stennis Space Center in 2013 had a global impact of $940 million, up from last year's $882 million. It also had a direct impact of $619 million on the local economy in a 50-mile radius, down from the $682 million in 2012. SSC, best known for rocket engine testing, now has 41 resident agencies and 5,000 total employees at its sprawling site near the Mississippi/Louisiana state line. SSC Director Rick Gilbrech said Thursday at his annual community breakfast briefing that he expects 2014 to be as good or better than last. (Source: Sun Herald, 02/13/14)