September 24, 2018 - No. 075 In This Issue Southwest Airlines Plans Maintenance Facility at BWI Suresh Prabhu Orders Probe Into Jet Airways Incident US Navy pilots blockchain project to track aviation parts through their life cycles BBA Aviation Acquires Aftermarket Provider Firstmark For $97 Million West Star Aviation Highlights Features Of Fourth Full-Service MRO At PCD with Open House ICF Launches Next-Generation Aircraft Appraisal Platform El Othmani Inaugurates Aviation School to Reduce Pilot Shortage FAA Issues SAIB on Jet-A DEF Contamination Incident Power unit cable of China Airlines plane severed by cleaning worker at Taiwan Taoyuan Intl. Airport SpaceX gets into space tourism while the Department of Justice gets into Tesla Southwest Airlines Plans Maintenance Facility at BWI Southwest Airlines plans to build its first aircraft maintenance facility in the northeast in Maryland. CEO Gary Kelly made the announcement Thursday with Gov. Larry Hogan at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, where the facility is planned. The Hogan administration says the project is expected to create 450 construction and maintenance jobs over the next three years and support hundreds of additional maintenance jobs over the next two decades. It's expected to cost $130 million, with $80 million coming from Southwest to build it and $50 million from the Maryland Aviation Administration for infrastructure. The facility would include a 130,000 square-foot maintenance hangar, aircraft parking apron and offices. While it needs approval from the Federal Aviation Administration, construction could begin next year with a scheduled completion of late 2021. https://www.manufacturing.net/news/2018/09/southwest-airlines-plans-maintenance-facility-bwi-1 Back to Top Suresh Prabhu Orders Probe Into Jet Airways Incident Sept. 21--NEW DELHI -- A Jet Airways flight that took off from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai for Jaipur had to turn back as several passengers suffered nose and ear bleeding. Civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu has asked the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) to conduct a probe into the incident. The minister has also asked the air safety regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), to draw up a blueprint for the safety audits of all players in the aviation business to make air travel safer. This is the second incident in a span of a few days involving the safety of air passengers. On 11 September, Air India flight AI-101, which had taken off from the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi for New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, had to land at Newark instead because of multiple instrument failure. The flight landed safely largely because of the skill and presence of mind of the pilots and the air traffic controller. The nose and ear bleeding on the early morning flight Jet Airways flight 9W-697 on Thursday was a result of cabin pressure not being maintained, a DGCA official said on condition of anonymity. During the climb, the crew of the B737 aircraft forgot to select the bleed switch, which allows high pressure bleed air from the engine to be used for cabin pressurization. "As a result, oxygen masks were deployed. According to initial information, of the 166 passengers on board, 30 have been affected by nose and ear bleeding and some are complaining of headache," said the DGCA official. Jet Airways said that it regrets the inconvenience caused to its guests. "The flight's cockpit crew has been taken off scheduled duties pending investigation," said Jet Airways. All guests were deplaned safely, taken to the terminal and first aid was administered to a few guests who complained of ear pain, bleeding nose and other problems, the airline said. Alternative flight arrangements were made for the travellers, the company said. "In view of the incidents related to the safety of the passengers, civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu has directed officials concerned to prepare a comprehensive safety audit plan which involves assessment of safety parameters of all scheduled airlines, aerodromes, flying training schools and maintenance, repair and overhaul (agencies) immediately," said the civil aviation ministry. Prabu said the safety audit should start immediately and a report must be submitted within 30 days. Corrective action should be taken immediately on the deficiencies found, if any, during such audit, the ministry said. https://www.aviationpros.com/news/12430865/suresh-prabhu-orders-probe-into-jet-airways- incident Back to Top US Navy pilots blockchain project to track aviation parts through their life cycles The Naval Air Systems Command, the provisioner of material support for aircraft flown by the United States Navy known as NAVAIR, announced Thursday that it has started an experimental pilot using distributed ledger blockchain technology to track aviation components through the parts life cycle. To launch the pilot blockchain, NAVAIR partnered with Indiana Technology and Manufacturing Cos., the developers of Simba Chain. Simba Chain is a product of an Army-led Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency project for tracking secure messages using blockchain technology. The Navy will use this technology to secure information about the aircraft parts and the supply chain involved by using the tamperproof capabilities of the blockchain and inherent security. Rapidly determining the origin and lineage of flight-critical aircraft parts is an extremely important part of the maintenance life cycle of aircraft and airborne systems. But it's a resource-consuming process that drives up the cost to operate military aircraft. Currently, the U.S. Navy tracks the movement and history of parts using pen and paper on a piece of paperwork called a Scheduled Removal Component Card, which is then manually entered into a database. Using Simba Chain, NAVAIR hopes to automate parts of this process by using what is known as a secure permissioned blockchain, which is a privately hosted and secured blockchain system housed within a controlled network and access is managed by security roles. George Blackwood, logistics management specialist with the North Island Fleet Support Team, said he expects this blockchain system will help "improve visibility, anti-tampering, traceability and data transparency in the NAVAIR supply chain." The Feet Support Team believes that by automating and securing each action done to any part in the supply chain will help reduce costs. That's because it will become possible to ascertain at a glance the history of a part by pulling up an auditable transaction trail. That trail is automatically updated each time a part changes hands, sits on a shelf, gets repaired, gets installed or removed. One major hurdle that the Navy needs to overcome using such as system is moving away from a centralized database where all of the information on parts is stored. Because blockchains are distributed, there is no single system that it runs on that will be secured and accredited with information validity assurance. Providing a method of authenticating that information in a blockchain is valid and not tampered with is a fundamental function of blockchain systems. It will be part of ITAMCO's mission in this partnership to provide a working prototype that shows how such an auditable lineage trail for parts will work and what it will look like, including high-security aspects. The Navy already has a trusted network to run the permissioned blockchain on, and although it will loosely resemble a public blockchain - such as runs bitcoin or Ethereum - it will use less computing power in its "proof of work" consensus system to make the chain tamperproof. Because the Simba Chain permissioned blockchain will use less computing power, thus cost less to power, its overall integrity will be a potential challenge that NAVAIR and ITAMCO must overcome. Supply chain tracking efficiency is a common need that blockchains are well-positioned to help resolve. That's especially so because blockchains act to secure a timeline of transactions in a way that can be audited and trusted after the fact without the need to trust the ledger itself. As a result, numerous industries have launched pilots for blockchain-based supply chain management systems, some with critical security needs in mind. For example, IBM Corp. and Wal- Mart Stores Inc. launched a global supply chain for food safety tracking in conjunction with numerous retailers, distributors and producers. This year, IBM and A.P. Moller-Maersk Group launched TradeLens, a shipping blockchain for supply chain tracking while Microsoft Corp. and Adents International partnered up on Adents Novatrack, a product tracking blockchain. Other industries that have explored blockchain supply chain solutions include the diamond industry's De Beers, mineral exchange company Open Mineral and freight transport company FedEx Corp. The U.S. Navy has highly specialized security and confidentiality needs, but the underlying functions remain the same: Blockchain provides a point of trust to track the origin, movements and actions related during its life cycle. Ultimately, the various groups collaborating on the blockchain - NAVAIR, ITAMCO, the Fleet Readiness Center and others - will work together to architect a system that will meet these demands and test how such a distributed system could be put to use. https://siliconangle.com/2018/09/21/us-navy-looks-pilot-blockchain-project-track-aviation-parts- life-cycle/ Back to Top BBA Aviation Acquires Aftermarket Provider Firstmark For $97 Million BBA Aviation, the parent company of component OEM and MRO provider Ontic, has confirmed the acquisition of Firstmark, an aftermarket services provider of components and subsystems, for $97 million. The acquisition, subject to certain government and regulatory approvals, is expected to be finalized in late 2018 and will see the business become part of Ontic and be led by president and managing director Gareth Hall. In terms of financials, BBA Aviation says the $97m price consideration represents an expected year one earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization multiple of 11.1x before acquisition related expenses of $1.6m. In the first year of full ownership, it is estimated that Firstmark is expected to contribute revenue of around $27 million. "The acquisition enhances Ontic's exposure to the commercial and military aerospace markets, providing access to a range of growth opportunities across various established strategic platforms, with a significant installed base, high utilization rates and extended in-service live," BBA Aviation said in a statement released this week announcing the agreement. Firstmark, headquartered in Sewickley, Pennsylvania, provides parts and subsystems for the aerospace and defense industries. It employs more than 70 people across its sites in the U.S., which include locations in Creedmoor, North Carolina and Plainview, New York. Ontic, with its U.S. base located in Chatsworth, California, says the acquisition will expand its stateside presence to the East Coast and will place it in closer proximity to OEM partners and customers. Ontic also has sites in Cheltenham, U.K. and Singapore. Its existing partnership base includes products licensed or acquired from OEMs such as Honeywell, UTC Aerospace, Safran, Thales and GE Aviation. https://www.mro-network.com/maintenance-repair-overhaul/bba-aviation-acquires-aftermarket- provider-firstmark-97-million Back to Top West Star Aviation Highlights Features Of Fourth Full-Service MRO At PCD with Open House September 20, 2018 - West Star Aviation highlighted the features of its fourth full-service MRO at Perryville Regional Airport (PCD) on Wednesday, September 19, 2018 with an open house for customers, media and employees. West Star completed its Perryville expansion after closing on its fourth hangar at the airport in late June of 2018, expanding their PCD footprint to over 120,000 sq. ft. of hangar and shop space. West Star currently occupies four hangars at PCD, one of which includes a 28,800 sq. ft. paint facility with a downdraft filtration system. Employees and capabilities are continuously being added to PCD and will help to fully develop this facility into the fourth full-service MRO in the coming months. "We were thrilled to have our customers, employees and some media on-site to see the facility and plans for Perryville's future," said Kyle French, General Manager of West Star Aviation in Perryville. "The open house was a great way to assure our Midwest customers that we are continuing with our heritage of quality world-class service at this facility," French continued. For more information about West Star's Perryville facility, please visit the website at www.weststaraviation.com. Voted #1 Preferred MRO for five consecutive years from 2014-2018 in Professional Pilot Magazine's annual "Preferences Regarding Aviation Services and Equipment" (PRASE) Survey, West Star Aviation specializes in the repair and maintenance of airframes, windows, and engines, as well as major modifications, avionics installation and repair, interior refurbishment, surplus avionics sales, accessory services, paint and parts. In addition to its facilities in East Alton, IL; Grand Junction, CO; Chattanooga, TN; and Perryville, MO, West Star Aviation runs maintenance operations at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport in Aspen, CO; Chicago Executive Airport in Chicago, IL; Centennial Airport in Denver, CO, Conroe-North Houston Regional Airport in Houston, TX and Scottsdale Airport, in Scottsdale, AZ. The company also provides complete FBO services for transient aircraft at its newly remodeled East Alton and Grand Junction facilities. West Star Aviation is an industry leader in technical experience and expertise while providing world-class customer services in all the organization's divisions. For more information visit www.weststaraviation.com or call 800-922-2421. https://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12431028/west-star-aviation-highlights-features-of- fourth-full-service-mro-at-pcd-with-open-house Back to Top ICF Launches Next-Generation Aircraft Appraisal Platform FAIRFAX, Va., Sept. 21, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- ICF (NASDAQ :ICFI ), a global consulting and digital services provider, today announced the launch of Truebook, an online platform for aircraft valuation that uses proprietary appraisal methodologies to provide accurate and comprehensive assessments. Truebook integrates ICF's industry-leading appraisal methodology, enabling airline executives, investors and lessors to make informed decisions that strengthen their aircraft portfolios and transactions. Backed by multidisciplinary teams of former aviation industry executives and International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT)-certified appraisers, as well as a robust spare parts transaction database, Truebook provides more information to stakeholders throughout the transaction process. Its multi-user and mobile-friendly access enables end users to easily navigate the data and find values based on an aircraft's unique specifications. "The combination of our rigorous appraisal methodology with the accessibility, speed and cost- effectiveness of a digital platform offers stakeholders the information they need to make quicker and better informed financial decisions," said Stuart Rubin, Vice President at ICF. "Truebook brings more accuracy, certainty and confidence to aircraft portfolio management and purchasing." The online platform offers the insights of ICF appraisers, who examine the overall value of the aircraft as well as its major components including the engine and landing gear. This approach provides more integrated values over the lifespan of the aircraft, from delivery to disassembly. It also incorporates aircraft utilization and maintenance schedules to forecast value over time, and it will enable users to evaluate risk and model returns more precisely, which leads to more accurate value estimates. With Truebook, ICF adds another platform to its portfolio of proprietary, industry-leading technologies including Tally®,a loyalty and customer relationship management platform, and Sightline™, a customer data program that is currently used by utilities to monitor program performance and develop personalized energy communications that improve customer engagement. Truebook is powered in association with CAPA - Centre for Aviation and CAPA Fleets, a recognized provider of high-quality global commercial fleet data. Read more about ICF's aircraft management and technical services. Read more about CAPA's membership service and fleet database. About ICF ICF (NASDAQ :ICFI ) is a global consulting services company with over 5,500 specialized experts, but we are not your typical consultants. At ICF, business analysts and policy specialists work together with digital strategists, data scientists and creatives. We combine unmatched industry expertise with cutting-edge engagement capabilities to help organizations solve their most complex challenges. Since 1969, public and private sector clients have worked with ICF to navigate change and shape the future. Learn more at icf.com. Caution Concerning Forward-looking Statements Statements that are not historical facts and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may concern our current expectations about our future results, plans, operations and prospects and involve certain risks, including those related to the government contracting industry generally; our particular business, including our dependence on contracts with U.S. federal government agencies; and our ability to acquire and successfully integrate businesses. These and other factors that could cause our actual results to differ from those indicated in forward-looking statements are included in the "Risk Factors" section of our securities filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included herein are only made as of the date hereof, and we specifically disclaim any obligation to update these statements in the future. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/icf-launches-next-generation-aircraft-appraisal- platform-300716660.html Back to Top El Othmani Inaugurates Aviation School to Reduce Pilot Shortage The inauguration of the aviation school followed a wave of protests from pilots of the state-owned airline, Royal Air Maroc (RAM), in July. The pilots called for the reestablishment of a school of aviation in the country after the closure of RAM's training center for pilots in 2014. In his statement to the press, El Othmani said that the school will meet the growing needs of the aviation industry. The school, which is the work of a Moroccan-Jordanian partnership, will offer training to pilots and aviation maintenance technicians. According to El Othmani, Africa will need some 4,900 pilots in the coming years, as well as a large number of technicians. According to the head of government, 20 percent of the students in the first class are of foreign nationalities, mostly from African countries. The project falls within the framework of King Mohammed VI's recommendations to offer vocational training for youth. According to Maghreb Arab Press (MAP), the government will assist the academy "in the sense that this project is in harmony with the industrial acceleration plan that places the automotive and aeronautical center at the forefront." El Othmani also promised that the government will give the necessary aid to investors, "particulaty operators in promising sectors and integrating technologies of the future, in the light of the real needs of employment at the national, regional and international levels." The official also expressed satisfaction that MAPA received the national license for airline pilot training and the EASA European Approval for Aircraft Maintenance Technicians. For his part, Mohammed Fayyad Khawaldeh, managing director of the Royal Jordanian Air Academy (RJA), said his company's commitment to the project, launched in 2016, took into account Morocco's dire need for pilots and technicians "with regard to the extension of the activities of the national airline Royal Air Maroc." The school expects to attract 300 students from Arab and African countries annually and cost $6 million. In July, the Moroccan Association of Airline Pilots (AMPL) complained about the absence of training centers for pilots. AMPL President Amine Mkinsi suggested that RAM could have skipped its pilot crisis if it had opened a training center. "Its reopening is a necessity because even on the international market, pilots have become a rare commodity and therefore expensive. The proof is that in 2017, the RAM wanted to hire 86 foreigners and only 26 of them accepted the offer," he said. https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2018/09/253871/saad-eddine-el-othmani-morocco-aviation- school-pilots/ Back to Top FAA Issues SAIB on Jet-A DEF Contamination Incident The FAA has issued a special airworthiness Information bulletin (SAIB) regarding last month's incident where five aircraft were serviced with jet fuel contaminated with diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) at Miami Opa-Locka Executive Airport, while an additional nine aircraft were fueled using equipment that had been exposed to DEF. The agency identified the aircraft, including the Falcon 900EX that was forced to make an emergency return to base as its engines began failing due to clogged fuel systems, and noted that it has sent a copy of the SAIB to the registered owner of each. While the agency said the issue does not currently warrant issuance of a broader Airworthiness Directive, it is requesting that owners and operators of the aircraft involved report any service difficulties or anomalies. Further, it recommends they consult with the OEMs of the aircraft, engines, and APUs to determine the appropriate inspection and corrective maintenance actions required. When mixed with jet fuel, DEF will react and form crystalline deposits that can accumulate on filters and other fuel system components such as fuel nozzles. The deposits can also settle in the fuel tanks, where they might potentially later become dislodged and cause problems. "The crystalline deposits are not soluble in fuel, so they cannot be removed by flushing the airplane fuel system with jet fuel," the FAA added. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2018-09-21/faa-issues-saib-jet-def- contamination-incident Back to Top Power unit cable of China Airlines plane severed by cleaning worker at Taiwan Taoyuan Intl. Airport TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- A report concerning an incident at Taoyuan International Airport last month, has raised the possibility there may have been an attempt to sabotage a China Airlines aircraft. On Aug. 21, China Airlines reported to the Aviation Police Bureau that the power unit cable supplying electricity to an A-330 passenger aircraft undergoing maintenance had been inexplicably cut. After checking footage of the maintenance hangar, it was discovered that a 57 year old male employee of a cleaning company, surnamed Jian (?), had entered the hanger on the evening of Sept. 19 after maintenance staff had finished their shifts for the day. The cleaning crew of which Jian was a member was to start their shift at 10:00p.m., but Jian was seen entering the maintenance area at 9:00p.m., an hour before his shift was to start. Jian was questioned and subsequently arrested for severing the plane's power unit cable, an act which compromised the safety of the aircraft. Jian has been employed by the Hua-Hsia cleaning Company (??????) for six years, and reportedly had only minimal interaction with his colleagues. When asked by Aviation Bureau Police why he had cut the line, he initially denied any knowledge of the incident. After being shown the security footage, he claimed he had decided to enter the aircraft cabin to clean items stored onboard. CNA reports that China Airlines has already repaired the severed power unit cable. Every aircraft must pass a close inspection to meet safety standards before being allowed to fly. Jian has been suspended indefinitely from his employment with the cleaning company, and an investigation is ongoing by Aviation Police to determine a motive for the crime. The man has been charged with destruction of property, according to the CNA report. During the month of August Taiwanese pilots from major airlines, including China Airlines, were in the midst of a campaign protesting for better working conditions. The airlines successfully averted a pilot strike by extending negotiations for another year. https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3536847 Back to Top SpaceX gets into space tourism while the Department of Justice gets into Tesla So, last Thursday, SpaceX announced there would be an event to reveal the first private passenger it will send to the Moon, and I was headed to Los Angeles for it when the Vernon Unsworth thing broke. You may remember Unsworth as the cave diver who Elon Musk called a pedo. Musk apologized before doubling down a couple times and essentially daring Unsworth to sue for defamation. Unsworth's suing; he's filed in the US, and that filing suggests we have a UK suit to look forward to as well. There are tighter libel laws in the UK, so that suit will likely be punishing if it goes ahead. The TL;DR from a real lawyer, and not someone who plays one on Twitter, is that it's a defensible case in the US. (Hyperbole, insult, opinion - mostly fine in this country. The statements of fact that would be actionable all occur in, uh, emails to BuzzFeed.) Anyway, that was Monday morning. Monday evening was all about the Basquiat-collecting clotheshorse billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, the first passenger on the Big Fu- uh, Big FalconRocket (BFR). Maezawa, we found out, was one of the original two people who signed up to fly on the Falcon Heavy. (The Falcon Heavy trip isn't happening, Musk said in February.) The amount of money was undisclosed, but here's Musk: it's a "significant price, which will have a material effect on paying for cost and development of BFR. It's a nontrivial amount that is a material impact to the BFR." Maezawa wants to bring artists with him for a project he is calling #dearmoon. For the selected artists, the flight will be free.Maezawa wants to send great artists - like "painters, sculptors, photographers, musicians, film directors, fashion designers, architects" and not, I notice, writers, who were also excluded from his handy-dandy slide - to space for inspiration. Hey man, this newsletter only needs a little embellishment to be extremely trendy autofiction written in epistolary fashion, just saying. This newsletter isn't confusingly-written, it's avant-garde, okay. As a press event, it was pretty run-of-the-mill: TV news people kept yelling at me for getting in their shot, and the front of the event was filled with SpaceX employees (and, for some reason, Tesla's Franz von Holzhausen) who were there to applaud, I guess, and so I got precious few usable photos. I asked Maezawa what he most wanted to do in space, which he deflected: he is looking forward to the art from the mission most, I guess. Look, being in space that long is likely to be uncomfortable (vomiting, G-forces), but there are plenty of consolations! Besides looking out the window at the awesome - I mean that in the archaic sense of awe-inspiring - view, it's very fun to leave gravity behind. But whatever, wealthy patrons for art are a known quantity. (Shoutout to the de' Medicis!) The unknown quantity at this point is the BFR, as the design has changed again. I asked Musk how much it would cost to develop the BFR, and he said $5 billion (low end, $2 billion, high end $10 billion). Look, I'm a dilettante, but that seems low? The Space Launch System, NASA's similar rocket, has cost about $2 billion to develop, annually, since 2016. But SpaceX's whole deal is that it does things more cheaply than everyone else; Musk's estimate isn't out of whack with what Marco Cáceres, a senior space analyst at the Teal Group, told Business Insider. The thing that's likely to cost money is delays. Which brings us to the timetable. It was cute that Musk told Tesla shareholders in June that he has an "issue with time." (Here's Musk, in full: "My brother used to, like, when we were catching the bus to school, he would lie to me about the time. And he would always say it was earlier than it actually was, and then I would get there slightly after that - and then we would actually be able to catch the bus.") Anyway, the goal is to fly this bad boy with Maezawa and his cohort of artists as early as 2023, which... Okay, so even Musk is trying to temper expectations on that: "If I had some sort of crystal ball, I'd love to know how long something takes," he said on Monday. "You have to set some kind of date that's the 'things go right' date and then, of course, we have reality. And things do not go right in reality. There are many setbacks and issues... we will do everything humanly possible to bring it to flight as fast as we can and as safely as we can." No one has, as yet, flown on a SpaceX rocket anywhere. Sure, yes, plenty of stuff has gone to the International Space Station on SpaceX rockets, but no astronauts. The Crew Dragon won't have passengers until 2019 at the earliest; originally, astronauts were meant to fly as early as 2017. This is the latest delay for human crewmembers on SpaceX rockets. Musk said in 2011 that astronauts would fly on a SpaceX rocket three years later; also in 2011, Musk said his best-case scenario was to put people on Mars by 2021. (His worst-case scenario? 2026 to 2031 for the first human-Mars interfacing.) In 2016, he said he planned for a Mars trip for astronauts by 2025. This is just SpaceX! If we turn our attention to Tesla, well: the Model S was announced in 2008, and production was scheduled for 2010; production actually began in 2012. The Model X was introduced in February 2012, and it was initially scheduled for production in early 2014; deliveries started in September 2015. Oh, and at its 2017 launch, the Model 3 was supposed to be a $35,000 car for the masses. Right now, only the most expensive versions are available for purchase; the base model won't be for sale until 2019. So anyway, you and Maezawa and Musk and whoever else should feel free to believe the 2023 deadline if you want. But if Maezawa does fly that year, I will go full Werner Herzog and eat a shoe. If one were feeling paranoid, one might note that the big announcement of Maezawa's flight was the same day as the unveiling of Audi's first all-electric SUV, the E-tron. One might perhaps further note that should the flight's timetable change - for delays or redesigns - it will not alter the flurry of initial press. One might. I don't. I do view this announcement as a distraction, but not for us. It is a distraction for Musk! Look, SpaceX is Tesla's older, more competent sibling, and Tesla is clearly stressing out Musk right now. (SpaceX has even lent Tesla money; Tesla paid SpaceX $165 million in 2017 when SpaceX's Tesla bonds matured.) Doing this announcement gives Musk the opportunity to engage in the things he clearly enjoys: imagining a future, inspiring other engineers, and talking about rocket engine design. After several sour weeks, showcasing this side of his personality is probably an immense relief. I bet even the Unsworth lawsuit can't dim that. But the SpaceX peace didn't last. On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that Musk is the subject of a criminal investigation for his Tesla tweets from last month. (Yes, it was only last month! The "funding secured" tweet was on August 7th! There's some weird quantum thing where the more closely you watch Elon Musk, the more news he generates!) That probe probably won't go away quickly, though an expert told Business Insider that most DOJ probes don't end with criminal charges. Oh, also: the SEC has subpoenaed both Silver Lake and Goldman Sachs for materials on their Tesla encounter, since the two were involved in Musk's abortive effort, according to The New York Times. About 12 hours after the kumbaya atmosphere at SpaceX, the spotlight was once again on Tesla. https://www.theverge.com/2018/9/21/17883826/spacex-moon-tourism-doj-tesla-criminal- investigation-elon-musk Curt Lewis