The Phoenix lander’s search for organic evidence of past or present life on Mars will begin in earnest around July 7 as the spacecraft’s organic chemistry instrument is fed a sample of 100 percent water ice. The Phoenix team also wants to do ice sampling as early as possible in the event an electrical short in the device prematurely halts organic oven operations. This marks a major shift in mission emphasis from the general characterization of the landing site to specific focused testing of ice and the soil/ice interface region.
Piasecki Aircraft is building a full-scale prototype of an unmanned air vehicle (UAV) designed to be launched from the weapons bay or under the wing of the U.S. Navy’s Lockheed Martin P-3 and Boeing P-8 maritime-patrol aircraft. The Turais UAV is being demonstrated under the Navy’s Wing and Bomb Bay Launched (WBBL) UAV small business research project. The aeromechanical demonstrator being built by Piasecki will be used for unpowered drop tests early in 2009, President and Chief Executive John Piasecki says.
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Pratt & Whitney have demonstrated near-instantaneous low-pressure (LP) spool power extraction from a JT15D turbofan as part of the Versatile Affordable Advanced Turbine Engine (VAATE) program.
Rolls-Royce is about to begin test runs of a new open rotor rig aimed at evaluating noise performance as a first step toward development of a full-scale demonstrator. The company’s “Rig 145” open rotor test rig is being installed in a low-speed wind tunnel run by DNW, a joint facility established by the German Aerospace Center DLR and the Dutch National Aerospace Laboratory NLR.
NEW BIRD: The U.S. Air Force’s 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., took delivery of the newest RQ-4 Global Hawk aircraft, a Block 20, on June 30. The new aircraft, which will join seven Block 10 models already assigned to Beale, has an increased wingspan, bigger airframe and additional payload capacity.
German-based Diehl Defence plans to stage a second live drop test of its HOPE (High Performance Penetrator) air-launched standoff weapon on the Vidsel missile test range in northern Sweden in September. The test will be performed by a Tornado IDS strike aircraft from the German flight test center at Manching near Munich, Germany, but flown out of the local Vidsel Air Base, according to Hans Peter Muller, head of test technology and system integration at Diehl BGT Defence.
The U.S. Navy plans to cut its use of oil by 1.14 million barrels in 2008 and pare $157 million out of its fuel budget with an ongoing energy conservation program that aims to cut fuel consumption aboard ships by 10 percent each year. The Incentives Energy Conservation (i-ENCON) Program, led by U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command, provides ship commanders and chief engineers with energy saving strategies along with procedures to cut fuel burn and provides quarterly awards for the most fuel efficient operations.
SEA TRIALS: In a collaboration between Northrop Grumman’s shipbuilding sector and the U.S. Navy, the amphibious dock ship Green Bay (LPD 20) successfully completed builder’s sea trials the last week of June 2008. Testing was performed on the ship’s main propulsion, communications, steering, navigational, radar and other systems. Other exercises included anchor handling, flight operations, compartment air balancing and ballasting/deballasting of the well deck, where amphibious landing craft will be launched.
The Netherlands defense ministry refuses to include Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in an evaluation of potential candidates for its next-generation fighter requirement. Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor also will not be considered, despite a direct request from the country’s Parliament to include both U.S. fighters in an evaluation of potential alternatives to the Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
RADIO DAYS: Northrop Grumman has received a 56-month, $240 million contract from Lockheed Martin to provide critical technologies for the Airborne and Maritime/Fixed Station (AMF) Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS). An initial $186.7 million subcontract has been awarded that focuses on the software-defined radio development for the AMF JTRS.
AMERICA: The Navy’s newest class of large-deck amphibious assault ship, LHA 6, will bear the name USS America – the fourth ship to be so named. The new ship will follow the Vietnam War-era Kitty Hawk class aircraft carrier (CV 66) which served from 1965 to 1996. Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter told members of the USS America Carrier Veterans Association about the decision at its reunion in Jacksonville, Fla., on June 27. The first America was a 74-gun ship-of-the-line built for the Continental Navy in the Revolutionary War.
Along with Raytheon’s announcement of the delivery of its 100th Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system for Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, Boeing announced plans for future upgrades to the Block II Hornet.
PODSEIDON ADVENTURES: The U.S. Navy’s first Boeing P-8A Poseidon followed up its wing-to-body join and “power on” milestones with the installation of two CFM56-7B. Initial engine runs will follow final functional checks, and the first test aircraft is expected to be delivered to the Navy in 2009. The service anticipates purchasing 108 P-8As to replace its aging P-3C fleet. Initial operating capability is slated for 2013.
Boeing has completed environmental testing of the first of 12 Global Positioning System (GPS) IIF satellites, confirming its ability to withstand the stresses of launch. Acoustic tests simulating the noise of launch were performed under the supervision of the U.S. Air Force, the Aerospace Corporation and the Boeing GPS IIF team at the company’s satellite factory in El Segundo, Calif. Boeing says it is on track to deliver the first satellite to the U.S. Air Force this year.
The U.K. is bolstering its AgustaWestland Merlin fleet with additional aircraft and capabilities as the triple-turbine medium helicopter continues to support coalition operations in southeast Iraq and the northern Arabian Gulf.
The U.S. Coast Guard would get $135 million above the Bush administration’s budget request for fiscal 2009, but the Deepwater recapitalization program would get $56.7 million less than requested, under a spending measure approved by the House Appropriations Committee. The Coast Guard funding was included in a $40 billion homeland security spending measure approved by the full committee June 24. That measure is $2.3 billion higher than the administration requested.
Smiths Detection has a new hand-held vapor detector that can screen for volatile chemicals like peroxide that are often used in homemade bombs, the Pine Brook, N.J. company says. The SABRE EXV (for explosives vapor detector) uses ion mobility spectrometry technology to detect and identify explosive substances – including peroxide-based chemicals – in as little as 10 seconds.
David Joyce, 51, a 28-year veteran of General Electric’s (GE) aviation business, has been named president and chief executive of GE Aviation. He succeeds Scott C. Donnelly, who was named June 30 as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Textron, effective immediately.
BAE Systems has completed its purchase of the defense business of Australia’s Tenix at an estimated price of A$775 million ($740 million). The sale more than doubles BAE’s business in Australia and makes it the country’s largest defense supplier. Tenix Defense brings one of Australia’s two main naval shipyards into BAE’s portfolio. The Australian government raised no objection to the transfer of the locally owned arms-making operation to BAE Systems. Defense Minister Joel Fitzgibbon went as far as congratulating BAE on the deal.
The Proton Breeze M rocket is slated to return to flight Aug. 14 carrying the Inmarsat-4 F3 satellite, following the vehicle’s recent recertification for operations by the Russian State Commission and a failure investigation board led by International Launch Services (ILS).
No C-5 missions have been lost due to a failure uncovered in May when a massive transport’s hydraulic accumulator ruptured due to internal abrasions, according to U.S. Air Mobility Command (AMC).
Israeli defense and aerospace contractor Elbit Systems is continuing its acquisition spree, with no end in sight. The company on June 30 announced the purchase of another small Israeli defense high-tech firm, Haifa-based Electro Optic Research and Development Company. The price for the purchase, from Technion Research & Development Foundation and Bynet Electronics, was not disclosed.
Work to refine concepts for a large cargo rotorcraft is moving ahead under the U.S. Army-led Joint Heavy Lift (JHL) technology effort. JHL is the vertical take-off and landing candidate for the U.S. Air Force/Army Joint Future Theater Lift (JFTL) requirement.The first of three contracts to extend previous concept definition and analysis (CDA) work for another two years has been awarded, with the others to follow over the next week or two, says the Army’s Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD).
