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ETC’s NASTAR® Center Awarded First FAA Safety Approval from Office of Commercial Space Transportation

Southampton, PA, April 12, 2010 — Environmental Tectonics Corporation’s (OTC Bulletin Board: ETCC) (“ETC” or the “Company”) The National AeroSpace Training and Research (NASTAR®) Center announced today that it is the first entity to receive a Safety Approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Commercial Space Transportation.
 
This approval, granted April 7, 2010, allows NASTAR Center to offer prospective space launch operators seeking a launch license, its pre-approved, NASTAR Space Training Programs using the Space Training Simulator (STS-400) to satisfy the Crew Qualification and Training Requirements outlined in the Code of Federal Regulations (14 C.F.R. § 460.5). These regulations require crew members to complete training on how to carry out his or her role on board or on the ground and to demonstrate the ability to withstand the stresses of space flight, which may include high acceleration or deceleration, microgravity, and vibration.
 
NASTAR Center has pursued this approval since the FAA announced the Safety Approval Program in 2008. Nearly two years and several meetings, documentation, and an FAA attended NASTAR Space Training Program (October 2009) later, the NASTAR Center received its Safety Approval Order (SA-10-001) signed by George Nield, Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation.
 
The FAA has determined that The NASTAR Center’s Space Training Simulator, STS-400 is capable of replicating the G forces associated with suborbital space flight for any manned flight profiles up to 12 Gz and 8 Gx with onset rates up to +/- 8 G per second and accuracy in the Gz and Gx axes of +/-0.1 G. To date, all space flight profiles that have been published fit within these limits.
 
The NASTAR Center Safety Approval carries a five-year term and is in effect until April 2015.
 
As explained by the FAA officials, “A safety approval enables launch and reentry vehicle operators to use an approved safety element within the scope specified in the safety approval without the FAA re-examining the element in a license or experimental permit application.” http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/media/08484wed.pdf
 
Dr. George C. Nield, Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation said, “The Safety Approval we have granted to NASTAR is the first safety approval issued by the FAA for a suborbital spaceflight training system. It marks a significant milestone for the commercial human spaceflight industry. I would like to salute NASTAR for their development of a very capable training system and for their continued focus on ways to improve the safety of commercial human spaceflight operations.”
 
William F. Mitchell, President and Chairman of ETC, stated “Being the first to receive the FAA Safety Approval designation is a significant accomplishment. We hope to further enable the commercial spaceflight industry as a result.”
 
The NASTAR Safety Approval Public Address and Acceptance video is viewable online at:
http://www.etcusa.com/faa/
 
The FAA Press Release is viewable online at:
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/safety_approval/

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