NASA to test booster for new Space Launch System

The largest, most powerful booster ever built for NASA's new rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS), will fire up for a ground test at 11:30 a.m. EDT March 11, at Orbital ATK Propulsion Systems' test facilities in Promontory, Utah.

The two-minute static test is a significant milestone for the SLS as part of NASA's journey to Mars, and follows years of development. It is one of two ground tests to qualify the booster for flight. A second test is planned for early 2016. Once qualification is complete, the hardware will be ready to help send the rocket, along with NASA's Orion spacecraft, on its first flight test.

A public viewing area is available along State Road 83 North approximately 20 miles west of Corinne, Utah. The gate to the public viewing area opens at 9 a.m. EDT March11. Overflow parking is available, if needed.

When completed, two solid-rocket boosters and four RS-25 main engines will power the SLS as it begins its deep space missions. The boosters operate in parallel with the main engines for the first two minutes of flight, providing more than 75 percent of the thrust needed for the rocket to escape Earth's gravitational pull.

The first flight test of the SLS will feature a configuration for a 70-metric-ton (77-ton) lift capacity and carry an uncrewed Orion spacecraft beyond low-Earth orbit to test the performance of the integrated system. As the SLS is updated, it will provide an unprecedented lift capability of 130 metric tons (143 tons) to enable missions even farther into the solar system.

Military C-130 'hard landing' reported, no injuries

A Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) aircraft under the control of U.S. Northern Command experienced a hard landing at 4:53 p.m. EDT on Sunday at Hill Air Force Base in Utah.

The aircraft was on a fire-fighting mission when the aircrew became aware of a potential malfunction of the nose landing gear. The crew executed an emergency landing at Hill AFB and the aircraft sustained damage upon landing which included a small fire. No one was injured.

The aircraft belongs to the Wyoming Air National Guard’s 153^rd Airlift Wing located in Cheyenne, Wyo.

Since July 20, Department of Defense aircraft have conducted 131 air drops and discharged more than 244,000 gallons of retardant.

Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard C-130 aircraft assigned to units in California, Colorado, North Carolina and Wyoming are capable of dropping fire retardant using C-130 aircraft and U.S. Forest Service supplied MAFFS units. Aircrews, maintenance crews and support personnel undergo special training and certification to perform these missions each year.

FAA alleges helicopter operator failed to conduct employee drug testing

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is proposing a $55,125 civil penalty against Whirlybird Helicopters, LLC of Ogden, Utah, for allegedly violating DOT’s drug and alcohol testing regulations.

The FAA alleges Whirlybird failed to conduct pre-employment drug tests on eight employees prior to their being hired to perform safety-sensitive functions on the company’s helicopters, which it uses in commercial air tour operations. Further, the agency alleges three of these employees were not in Whirlybird’s random testing pool as required by DOT regulations.

Whirlybird has 30 days from the receipt of the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the agency.

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