The U.S. Coast Guard has made progress in responding to most congressional investigators' recommendations for underpinning the massive Deepwater recapitalization program, but overall program management and oversight "remain problematic," the Government Accountability Office said.
A conservative Oklahoma senator on May 2 took on Mississippi's two high-profile Republican senators and lost over insurance-related appropriations to Northrop Grumman Corp.'s shipyards damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
During a frank discussion with the National Academies' Space Science Board in Washington May 2, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin defended his decision to slow science programs at the agency to address short-term budget needs in human spaceflight. NASA's FY '07 budget proposes to reduce science programs at NASA by $3.1 billion through FY '10 as compared to projections in the FY '06 budget to fund a shortfall in the space shuttle budget and complete construction of the International Space Station (ISS).
Unable so far to informally agree on a price for its 20 percent stake in Airbus with EADS, BAE Systems is setting in motion the formal valuation process, the first part of the so-called Put Option. BAE on May 2 confirmed it had "issued a Put Option Intention Notice to EADS." EADS holds the majority share in Airbus, with BAE as the junior partner. The BAE move sets in motion a 30-day notification period.
James Kennedy, who directs the NASA Kennedy Space Center, will retire in January, 2007, but stay on to run the center for the next one or two shuttle missions. Kennedy leaves after 35 years of government service, 31 of them with NASA in various assignments. He has overseen nearly 15,000 NASA and contractor employees involved in the return-to-flight effort at the shuttle launch site since taking over the director slot in early 2003.
HISPASAT EARNINGS UP: Hispasat has reported a 20 percent increase in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, to 69.9 million euros ($83.9 million), on revenues of 99.7 million euros, an 18 percent increase, and a quadrupling of its net, to 9.8 million euros. The Spanish operator said it had filled 66 percent of transponders on its new Amazonas satellite, launched in 2004 with Telemar of Brazil.
The U.S. Navy has ordered new EA-6B Prowler Improved Capability (ICAP) III systems from manufacturer Northrop Grumman, the company announced May 2. The Navy has made an initial $73 million purchase for four complete systems under the new indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract. These first kits will be delivered in 2008. Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector will perform the work at its Bethpage, N.Y., facility.
SATCOM BUY: Two-way satellite broadband venture Satlynx has acquired the satcom division of Hewlett-Packard for an undisclosed amount. Together with the purchase of Xantic businesses last year, the buy will further reinforce Satlynx's position in emerging markets of Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The SES affiliate recently concluded a deal to offer high-speed IP services to Talia Satellite & Telecom, a U.K. provider specialized in the Middle East.
The Boeing Co. announced May 1 that it has reached a definitive agreement to buy aircraft parts distributor Aviall Inc. for $48 per share, or $1.7 billion, and assume around $350 million of net debt. In a statement, Boeing chief executive W. James McNerney said the acquisition "leverages" the services units of their commercial and military businesses. "The aviation services market offers us tremendous opportunities to profitably grow our business, internally and externally, to better serve our commercial and military customers," he said.
PILOT TRAINING: EADS has been awarded a 10-year contract to provide screening and basic pilot training for French fixed-wing air force, army and navy pilots. Under the award, which could be worth up to 175 million euros ($210 million), EADS will supply 15,000-32,000 flying hours a year at the air force's flight school at Cognac, in southwestern France, using 24 existing EADS Socata TB 30 Epsilon trainers and 18 new Grob 120As.
NO SHIFT: Arianespace CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall says there are currently no plans for a follow-up capital infusion or a shift in the current shareholder structure. French space agency Cnes has said it is ready to reopen discussions on the sale of all or part of its 32.3 percent share.
LUNAR MISSION: The Indian Space Research Organization is set to sign a memorandum of understanding with NASA on May 9 concerning the U.S payload for a future lunar mission on India's Chandrayaan satellite. The 1,500-kilogram (3,306-pound) satellite is set to be launched by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in 2007-08. NASA will provide a Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar and Moon Mineralogy Mapper operating in a 0.7-3 micrometer band. Chandrayaan will do chemical mapping of the entire lunar surface.
SAT CONSTELLATION: Globalstar has closed a deal for $400 million to finance the launch of eight spare spacecraft for its existing low Earth orbit mobile satellite constellation, upgrade of the ground system and development of a next-generation hybrid terrestrial/satellite network. The package includes $200 million in debt from Watchovia Securities and $200 million in equity capital from the Thermo Companies.
The Huntsville, Ala., Chamber of Commerce is calling on the area's delegation in Washington to seek an additional $2 million in defense appropriations for the Joint Single Integrated Air Picture Organization and is tying the earmark to domestic cruise missile defense (CMD). "The Chamber believes special attention must be given to development of an effective Single Integrated Air Picture, Integrated Fire Control and Joint Combat Identification System for an integrated CMD program to succeed," according to the group's 2006 federal agenda.
