NASA has decided to proceed with a July 1 shuttle launch after a rigorous Flight Readiness Review in which the agency's chief engineer and lead safety manager noted in writing that although they support the decision, given several risk mitigation measures, they still have reservations. Relative to their more specific oversight responsibilities, without regard to those risk mitigation measures, they recommended against launch given the risk posed by falling debris from the current design of the external tank's ice/frost ramps.
The U.S. Marine Corps is expected to show off its MV-22 Osprey next month at the 2006 Farnborough air show in Britain after flying two of the tilt-rotor aircraft across the North Atlantic. Crews from Marine Tilt-rotor Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron (VMX-22) successfully completed two nonstop, transcontinental flights last week with a pair of Ospreys.
CONTRACTING ISSUES: The value of sole-source and other noncompetitive federal contracts awarded under the Bush administration has increased faster than overall procurement spending, up 115 percent from $67.5 billion in 2000 to $145 billion in 2005, according to a report by House Government Reform Committee Democrats. Almost 40 percent of federal dollars awarded last year were without full and open competition.
H-1 FUNDED: The U.S. Navy awarded Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. of Fort Worth, Texas, a potential three-year, $68.45 million contract for repair of various components of the AH-1W and UH-1N helicopters. The award comes after the company struggled with programmatic issues, but defense officials apparently decided to maintain the acquisition (DAILY, June 5). The contract, carried out in Fort Worth, runs through December 2008.
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratories awarded Synchrony Inc. a $9.9 million contract through June 2013 for late-stage development of "electric" technologies such as switched reluctance electrical machine technology, magnetic bearing technologies, temperature coil technology and related electronic components.
A British couple claim to have generated profits of 400,000 pounds ($736,000) by selling property on the moon. Francis and Sue Williams of Cornwall are selling lunar property at about $37 an acre, whether it is legal or not. They are also selling property on Mars and Venus, and people are buying to receive certificates of ownership.
House appropriators continue to push the Pentagon to follow through on the Joint Common Missile and are allocating $35 million in unrequested funds to keep the program alive. On schedule, on budget
The House Appropriations Committee, whose fiscal 2007 defense spending bill is expected to be passed by the full chamber as soon as June 20, has criticized and rebuffed Pentagon budget writers for trying to partially fund DD(X) destroyers and F-22A aircraft. The result has been additional pressure on Air Force accounts, appropriators said.
HELOS: Eurocopter has been awarded a $1.47 billion contract to produce 34 MRH 90 helicopters for Australia's military, the country's defense department said June 19. The aircraft will replace the navy's Sea King and army's Black Hawk helos. The aircraft will be built in Brisbane and based at RAAF base Townsville, Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney, and HMAS Albatross in Nowra, as well as a joint training facility at Oakey in Queensland. The Sea Kings will be retired in 2010. The Black Hawks will be phased out from 2011 to 2015.
SHUTTLE CREW: NASA has assigned six crew members to space shuttle flight STS-120, which will launch an Italian-built U.S. module for the International Space Station. Air Force Col. Pamela A. Melroy will be the commander. Marine Corps Col. George D. Zamka will be the pilot. Mission specialists will be Scott E. Parazynski, Army Col. Douglas H. Wheelock, Navy Capt. Michael J. Foreman and Paolo A. Nespoli, a European Space Agency astronaut from Italy.
Officials with the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program said June 19 that since the program's 2004 restructuring it has been performing on schedule, and currently is running about 1 percent under budget. "We continue to execute on plan and [meet] our schedule commitments," said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing's FCS program manager. Led by Boeing and Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC), the total FCS industry team now includes 630 suppliers spanning 40 states and 220 congressional districts.
JETTISON: On June 19 the crew of the International Space Station (ISS) will jettison Progress 20, the unmanned Russian resupply vehicle currently attached at the station's Pirs docking compartment port, to make room for the anticipated June 26 arrival of a new Progress stocked with fresh supplies. Old Progress vehicles are filled with trash before they are jettisoned and burn up in the Earth's atmosphere.
NEW FIGHTERS: Venezuela will buy 24 new Sukhoi fighter jets from Russia in 2006 to replace a fleet of U.S.-made F-16s, President Hugo Chavez says. Financial terms were not disclosed. Chavez made the announcement June 14 to soldiers at a Caracas military base, the Voice of America reported. Chavez also delivered some of the 100,000 new Russian-made AK-103 rifles set to be received by Venezuela's military in the next six month.
Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), an avowed Lockheed Martin Corp. military aircraft advocate, and several other senators are offering an amendment to the fiscal 2007 defense authorization measure that would protect the company's F-22A Raptor acquisition, an effort that was decried by a watchdog group.
HUSH HUSH: The White House and Pentagon's effort to crack down on open discussion of technologies and efforts to counter improvised explosives devices (IEDs) appears to be extending to Congress, according to President Bush's signing statement in enacting the $94.5 billion off-budget supplemental measure last week.
June 21 -- Wings Club Luncheon featuring Scott Donnelley, president & CEO of GE Aviation, Yale Club, New York City. For more information call (212) 867--1770 or email wingsclub @aol.com. June 26 -- Maritime Domain Awareness Force Requirements, Capabilities & Technology Forum, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Fla. For more information go to www.ndia.org. June 27 - 28 -- 2006 U.S. Coast Guard Innovation Expo, "Domain Awareness & Integration," Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Fla. For more information go to www.ndia.org.
SUPPLEMENTAL SIGNED: President Bush late June 15 signed the $94.5 billion supplemental funding bill, and the new director of the White House's Office of Management and Budget promised fiscal discipline in future budgets. "Spending restraint is absolutely essential if we are to meet the president's goal of cutting the deficit in half, and I will work with lawmakers - Democrats and Republicans - to tighten our budget belt," Rob Portman said June 15.
