GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Airbus continues to expand its portfolio of products supporting the future of space exploration with the delivery of two new H135 helicopters to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) from Airbus Helicopters' production facility in Columbus, Miss. The aircraft, along with a third scheduled for delivery early next year, will be based at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and operated for missions such as aerial security at rocket launches, emergency medical services, research, and qualified passenger transportation. One of the H135s will escort members of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon to the Launch Pad 39A later this month, where the crew will depart for a six-month expedition to the International Space Station. The helicopters will also support efforts to prepare for and execute Artemis, a planned expedition to land the first woman and the next man on the moon by 2024. “Working with NASA is something that many of us ... have dreamed of since we were kids, and we stand ready to fully support their new H135s as they support furthering space exploration,” said Romain Trapp, president of Airbus Helicopters Inc., and head of the North American region. The helicopters were acquired through the federal General Services Administration’s agreement with Davenport Aviation, a certified woman-owned small business in Ohio that is also a HUBZone contractor specializing in the supply of aerospace equipment to federal, state and local government agencies. NASA tecently signed a $15M support contract for up to 10 years, in which AHI will fully support NASA’s H135 fleet, including maintenance and flight operations with two pilots, two mechanics and one program manager onsite at Kennedy Space Center. AHI is the leading supplier of helicopters in the United States. (Source: Airbus Helicopters 10/01/20)
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