Week in review (5/10 to 5/16)

It's that time of year again. In just a little over two weeks you'll be able to grab a copy of the fifth annual edition of the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor book, either a free electronic PDF or you can order a printed book at cost, thanks to our underwriters.

As with previous issues, this book by  the Gulf Coast Reporters’ League has some updated chapters from last year's book along with new ones.

This year we have a chapter about the Airbus assembly line that opens this summer in Mobile, Ala., and a chapter about the activities of the top aerospace/defense companies in this region. And because the military is such a big part of this region, we have a chapter detailing all the military aircraft that call this region home. We also have a new section this year, a library that will help you find past chapters and articles we’ve written about this aerospace region.

Drop me a line if you want to get the free book PDF delivered to your inbox once it's available. Or remember to visit www.gulfcoastaerospacecorridor.com next month and download it from there.

Now for your week in review:


Space
Engineers at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans began welding together the first pieces of the structure of the Orion crew module pathfinder. This pathfinder is a full-scale version of the current spacecraft design. It's used to demonstrate the manufacturing and assembly procedures that will be used to produce the actual flight hardware.

Using a pathfinder allows engineers to make sure those procedures work correctly and to improve the process before producing the flight article. This pathfinder will help NASA prepare for Orion's next mission to deep space atop the agency's Space Launch System rocket. (Post)

Speaking of Michoud, NASA, Michoud and the State of Louisiana honored their long partnership in support of the nation's space goals during Thursday's 2015 NASA Louisiana Aerospace Day at the capitol. NASA's economic, educational and cultural contributions to the state were recognized by proclamations in the House and Senate, while displays in the rotunda and on the lawn gave visitors a look at work underway on the Space Launch System, Orion and other NASA projects. (Post)


Aircraft
Back in 2013 four Navy SEALS were wounded when a CV-22 was hit with rounds of AK-47 and .50 caliber fire. It happened when three CV-22s tried to land in South Sudan to evacuate U.S. citizens from a civil war.

The military wanted a solution, so a Florida company came up with a composite armor kit that can be installed in the back cabin to protect passengers. The Protective Group’s kit has 66 armor plates sized to fit along the Osprey’s interior bulkheads and deck. Sixteen of the Advanced Ballistic Stopping System kits have been delivered to the Air Force. (Post)

-- The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters from Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., flew its WC-130J Hercules to check out the first storm of the 2015 hurricane season, Tropical Storm Ana, earlier this month. Ana made landfall May 11 near Myrtle Beach, S.C., and was quickly downgraded to a tropical depression. The Hurricane Hunters flew six sorties into the storm. Hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. (Post)


Contracts
Jacobs Technology Inc., of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was among a host of companies awarded a $634 million contract for research and development services to include services for the purpose of creating and developing new processes or products. Funding and work location will be determined with each order with an estimated completion date of May 13, 2023. … Army Fleet Support LLC, Fort Rucker, Ala., and Jacobs Technology Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., were among a host of companies were awarded a $1.1 billion order-dependent multiple award task order contract for equipment related services. Funding and work location will be determined with each order with an estimated completion date of May 13, 2023. … Jacobs Technology Inc., of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was among a host of companies awarded a $1.8 billion order dependent contract for knowledge based service-type requirements. Funding and work location will be determined with each order with an estimated completion date of May 13, 2023. ... Leebcor Services LLC, Williamsburg, Va., was awarded a $7.1 million task order under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract for renovation and repairs to buildings 3701 and 3706 at Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Fla. Work is expected to be completed by May 2017. … M7 Aerospace LLC, San Antonio, Texas, was awarded a $13.4 million modification to a previously awarded contract to exercise an option for logistics support for 12 Navy/Marine Corps UC-35 aircraft and seven Navy C-26 aircraft at nine global locations. Ten percent of the work will be at Fleet Marine Reserve Detachment, Belle Chase, La.