Early work by an engineering "tiger team" indicates that NASA is unlikely to find a quick fix for the remaining foam trouble spots on the space shuttle's external tank that would permit a September launch, according to Space Station Program Manager Bill Gerstenmaier.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency's Multiple Kill Vehicles (MKV) program is proceeding toward conducting a key experiment in 2007 now that it has successfully completed a critical design review (CDR), according to MDA officials. The CDR, which took place earlier this year at prime contractor Lockheed Martin's facilities in Dallas, "verified the maturation of key kill vehicle subsystems," namely the avionics, seeker, software and divert and attitude control system (DACS), an MDA official told The DAILY in a recent written response to questions.
Thaicom 4 has become the largest commercial communications satellite ever placed in orbit following its launch on an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana, on Aug. 11. Weighing 14,300 pounds (6,485 kilograms) at launch, Thaicom 4 takes the title away from the 13,118-pound (5,950-kilogram) Anik 2, which was launched on an Ariane 5 in October 2004.
The U.S. Air Force's new MQ-9 Predator B unmanned aerial vehicle is having a few developmental problems but is expected to overcome them, according to a top service official.
USAF CHIEF: Gen. T. Michael Moseley will formally succeed retiring Gen. John Jumper as U.S. Air Force chief of staff during a Sept. 2 ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Moseley, who has been the vice chief, received Senate confirmation July 1 to become the Air Force's 18th chief.
The U.S. Defense Department has given the Army's Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor (JLENS) aerostat program the go-ahead to begin the system's full-scale development. Pentagon acquisition chief Ken Krieg signed an acquisition decision memorandum (ADM) Aug. 5 that will allow JLENS to enter its system development and demonstration (SDD) phase, according to a three-paragraph "information paper" released by DOD Aug. 10. JLENS is intended to provide over-the-horizon detection and tracking of low-flying cruise missiles.
Facing extended use of aging aeronautical systems due in part to declining budgets, the U.S. Navy is eyeing a five-year "FastTrack" program, worth up to $450 million to industry participants, which would help the military services and defense agencies find or reverse-engineer increasingly obsolete parts and systems on legacy aircraft.
Higher sales of corporate jet and commercial aircraft components sparked a boost in sales and net income for St. Louis-based LMI Aerospace Inc. in the second quarter of 2005, the company said Aug. 10.
LIFT FAN THRUST: United Technologies will get $8 million more from the U.S. Navy to work on the Lift Fan Thrust Improvement Program. The program is supposed to "define an enhanced short take-off and vertical landing propulsion system with the ability of delivering additional thrust to support potential future growth" of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's air system. The Naval Air Systems Command announced the modification increase to the company's East Hartford, Conn., military engines unit late Aug. 9. Navair said the work should wrap up in December 2006.
James B. Comey has been named senior vice president and general counsel, effective Oct. 1. He will replace Frank H. Menaker Jr., who will retire at the end of January 2006. James M. Loy has been elected to the board of directors. Loy was a deputy secretary for the Department of Homeland Security; an administrator for the Transportation Security Administration; and commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.
The European Commission has cleared the creation of United Launch Alliance, the proposed Lockheed Martin/Boeing joint venture that would merge the operations of the two companies' Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle fleets, under European Union Merger regulations. The commission has decided that the creation of ULA does not increase the risk of a monopoly on launch services. Lockheed Martin and Boeing hope to secure U.S. approval for the merger by year's end (DAILY, May 4).
POSTED: President Bush on Aug. 9 appointed Eric Edelman to be undersecretary of defense for policy while Congress was in recess, a move that could raise the ire of Democrats. A spokeswoman for Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), the top minority member on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), told The DAILY that Levin favored Edelman continuing through the normal confirmation process. But Sen.
Gen. Donald J. Kutyna (USAF Ret.) has been named to the board of directors. Kutyna was commander in chief of North American Aerospace Command, U.S. Space Command and Air Force Space Command.
AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq - U.S. Marines have turned to civilian contractors for maintenance of helicopters on site in Iraq to save the time and money associated with sending them stateside for major overhauls. Boeing, Sikorsky and BellAero have set up shop with the Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron (MALS-26) at Al Asad Air Base in the heart of western Iraq to perform scheduled maintenance on CH-46s, CH-53s and H-1s, respectively.
