NEW DIGS: International Space Station controllers at Johnson Space Center have moved into new digs created out of an Apollo-era control room. The new facility, known as Flight Control Room 1, was first used during Apollo 7 in October 1968. It replaces the original station control room opened in 1998, which the station program had outgrown. The remodeled facility also controlled the Skylab missions of the 1970s, and the first space shuttle flight in 1981. It last was used for flight control in March 1996.
LAUNCH EXPECTED: Arianespace expected to launch its fourth Ariane 5 mission of the year on Oct. 13. The launch, initially set for the night of Oct. 12, was delayed 24 hours to verify undisclosed launcher elements. The mission will carry Optus D1, a 2.3 metric ton TV/telecom satellite built for Australia's Optus by Orbital Sciences Corp.; DirecTV 9S, a Ku-/Ka-band spacecraft manufactured by Space Systems/Loral; and a half-scale experimental model of a future large-scale deployable reflector, built by NEC Toshiba Space Systems for Japanese space agency JAXA.
The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Northrop Grumman Corp. a $15.5 million contract modification to continue its work as the mission package integrator for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) mission modules program. In January, Northrop Grumman won the long-awaited 10-year contract, which has a potential worth of $159 million (DAILY, Jan. 9). The fiscal 2006 portion of the contract, for $4.5 million, was awarded on Jan. 4.
Pentagon insiders say L-3 Communications' much-anticipated Network Centric Collaborative Targeting (NCCT) system - for instantly identifying and locating enemy emitters - is on its way to operational units. With it comes a little-known capability, mapping and precisely registering the ways in and out of enemy computer and communications networks. "It provides the eyes and ears of the Suter [network invasion and exploitation] capability," says a military official with insight into the program.
BOND OFFERING: SES Global has successfully priced a two-tranche, 800 million euro ($1.04 billion), three-year bond offering - the second time this year it has ventured into the market to refinance drawn bilateral credit facilities. The bond, which includes a 300-million euro, three-year floating rate note and a 500-million euro fixed-rate note priced at the tight end of price guidance, was oversubscribed 2.6 times.
UAV MARKET: Teal Group predicts that worldwide spending on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will more than triple over the next decade, going from its current level of $2.7 billion annually to $8.3 billion and totaling nearly $55 billion over the next 10 years. The latest edition of Teal Group's worldwide UAV forecast projects that the United States will account for 77 percent of the worldwide UAV technology development spending during the decade and 64 percent of UAV procurement spending.
DFI GOVERNMENT SERVICES, Washington James Blackwell has been named vice president of defense programs Lt. Gen. James R. Clapper Jr. has been chief operating officer.
ICAP III Block 3: The U.S. Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman Corp. a $2.7 million contract to develop the EA-6B Prowler's Improved Capability (ICAP) III Block 3 software, the company said Oct. 16. ICAP III Block 3 will be delivered in 2007. The company has already delivered 10 Prowler aircraft modified with the new ICAP III system and is producing another lot of aircraft due to be delivered in 2008, all with ICAP III Block 3 software.
NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has completed its first week of science observations and all of its instruments are working normally, the agency announced Oct. 16. From Sept. 29 to Oct. 6, the spacecraft's science instruments surveyed dozens of sites that reflect different episodes in Mars' history. The orbiter will begin its primary science mission phase in early November when Mars re-emerges from conjunction, when it will pass nearly behind the sun.
Less than 2 percent of international terrorist attacks have hit maritime targets, according to a RAND Corp. review of more than 30 years of terrorist activity, and researchers there suggest there is no observable evidence that terrorists and piracy syndicates are collaborating to carry out attacks. Successful maritime terrorist attacks are difficult to carry out and they rarely cause the large loss of life or generate the heavy news coverage that terrorists seek, according to a RAND study released Oct. 16.
SPACE ROAD MAP: China has published a new white paper setting out a space road map for the next five years. One priority of the plan - China's second - will involve developing and operating a high-resolution Earth observation system, a polar and geostationary weather satellite network and a system of small disaster protection spacecraft, along with associated satellite, launcher, ground production and operating facilities.
KENYAN BOATS: The United States is selling six boats to the Kenyan navy to help patrol the African ally's waters against arms and drug traffickers. "This is particularly important in view of the deteriorating situation within Somalia, about which the Kenyan and U.S. governments share similar concerns," the State Department said Oct. 5. The $3 million deal covers 25-foot Defender boats and one 42-foot Arch-angel boat, as well as additional equipment, supplies and training. Naval intelligence, otherwise called Maritime Domain Awareness, is a major post-Sept.
JOINT VENTURE: Japan's Mitsui & Co. and Israel Aircraft Industries are expected to join a 50:50 joint venture in January to perform 767-300 conversions, according to the Nikkei business news service. IAI's Bedak unit is a major aircraft modification and conversion center but does not hold licenses from Boeing for such work. The announcement came as Boeing chose Italy's Alenia Aeronavali as its partner for the 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighter Program.
SLIRBM DEMO: GenCorp Inc.'s Aerojet announced Oct. 16 a $4.96 million contract award from the U.S. Navy's Strategic Systems Programs office to provide a boost motor demonstrator for the Submarine-Launched Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (SLIRBM) concept. During the 12-month program, Aerojet will design, develop and test an advanced boost motor that remains affordable (DAILY, Jan. 11).
CIT GROUP INC., New York, N.Y. David A. Davis has been appointed senior vice president and general manager of CIT Aerospace, Business Aircraft division.
