INDUSTRY NEWS Pratt & Whitney to Open New CMC R&D Facility — Pratt & Whitney has revealed plans to open a new ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) R&D facility in Carlsbad, California. CMCs are lighter and resistant to higher temperatures when compared with other traditional materials used in a jet engine’s hot section. This capability helps improve thermal efficiency for gas turbine engines. Addition of the new 60,000 square-foot R&D facility will see several job opportunities in the region. Pratt & Whitney will use the facility for design, development, and production of CMCs for aerospace applications. The use of CMCs will allow Pratt & Whitney’s next-generation commercial and military engines to offer increased range and fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. Boeing CST-100 Starliner Takes Next Step for Orbital Flight Test —  Boeing announced that its Crew Space Transportation (CST)-00 Starliner was placed atop the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket for its first flight. The pre-launch processing was performed after the spacecraft was transported from NASA's Kennedy Space Center to a facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The spacecraft is being prepared for its uncrewed orbital flight test to the International Space Station on December 17. It will lift-off from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The first Starliner flight to the ISS will be equipped with cargo for its few-day docked stay. Back to 2019-11-27 issue of C.E. Weekly Back to Members Base Camp Back to CJHunter Home Page