Why there is so much excitement over M3 and Lcross “discoveries?” It has been known for a long time that the solar wind included protons—the common isotopes of hydrogen—and solar wind has impacted the Moon since it formed. Is anyone surprised that as a result, there is interaction with oxygen in the regolith—a ubiquitous element in lunar minerals—resulting in H2O? To get excited over the fact that processing a ton of lunar regolith may yield a pint or two of water seems unrealistic, considering the investment.
Defense technology company Qinetiq is reflecting uncertainty in its two key markets, the U.K .and the U.S., warning it is unlikely to meet its financial expectations for the year. Announcing first-half results, Qinetiq cautions that its “main geographic markets are experiencing short-term uncertainties in specific areas.
Gen. Xu Qiliang, head of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, caused a stir in November with his declaration that “competition between military forces [in space] is a historical inevitability and cannot be undone.” Picked up by news outlets worldwide, Xu’s remarks in an interview with the Xinhua news agency did not sit well with the mandarins at China’s foreign ministry, who were getting ready to host President Barack Obama in Beijing. “I want to point out China has all along upheld the peaceful uses of outer space,” said Ma Zhaoxu, the ministry spokesman.
Michael A. Taverna (Paris), Douglas Barrie (London)
France and the U.K. are working on a deal that would make it easier for them to acquire each other’s military equipment and to undertake joint procurements. Under the agreement, which is to be signed in the next few months, the two nations will be able to exchange information and use each other’s procedures in meeting urgent operating requests (UOR), according to Vice Adm. Bernard Rogel, assistant chief of defense for operations within the French defense ministry.
The FAA, following a review of icing accidents and incidents, has proposed a rule that would require Part 121 scheduled carriers to retrofit existing fleets with ice detection equipment, or make changes in an airplane’s flight manual to ensure timely activation of an existing system. The rule applies only to in-service aircraft with a takeoff weight less than 60,000 lb. The FAA anticipates the rule to become final in December 2010. Comments on the proposed rule are to be made by Feb. 22, 2010.
France and Italy are expected to sign off on contracts for two new military communications satellites by year-end. A go-ahead for the Sicral 2 secure satcom and Athena-Fidus dual-use broadband spacecraft has been held up for more than a year by discussion about technical requirements and other issues. Thales Alenia Space is the expected prime contractor.
Retiring labor-intensive air transport aircraft, such as the Airbus A300, DC-9, and Boeing 737 and 747 Classics, will help decrease maintenance labor hours per aircraft by 12% for narrowbodies and 25% for widebodies, according to AeroStrategy.
EADS CEO Louis Gallois has set a goal of growing the company’s North American revenues eight-fold during the next decade, to $10 billion annually. But to make the big acquisitions he will need to achieve that target. Gallois will first have to find a way around a major roadblock: his own board.
After billions of dollars spent over nearly 50 years of hypersonic propulsion research and development, what does the U.S. have to show for it? NASP, the National AeroSpace Plane that President Ronald Reagan once promised would lead to a commercial “Orient Express” to whisk passengers from New York to Tokyo in less than 2 hr., is all but forgotten. The best space launchers still must haul their own oxidizer as well as the fuel for their engines as they climb to orbit, and they throw away pieces of the vehicle as they go.
ESA’s science program committee has approved a rescoping of the BepiColombo mission to Mercury and €970 million ($1.45 billion) for Europe’s share of the program, being undertaken with the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency. Mass and technology problems, in particular related to solar arrays, had led agency heads to push back launch to mid-2014 and consider scuttling the project altogether. Agency managers are now confident technology issues can be resolved and the mission completed within the revised budget.
The Aerospace Industries Assn.’s executive committee has approved the Global Principles of Business Ethics for the Aerospace and Defense Industry already endorsed by the Aerospace and Defense Industries Assn. of Europe. In a statement, the AIA said the rules address conduct relating to “zero tolerance of corruption, use of advisers, management of conflicts of interest and respect for proprietary information.”
United Aircraft Corp. (UAC) is aiming to merge the combat aircraft businesses—Sukhoi and MiG—under its control into a single unit in 2012. Control of MiG was achieved following an additional share issue in October. According to the restructuring strategy approved by the UAC board in late November, the 2010-12 period will see it establish separate business units for commercial, special mission and combat aircraft. The first two will be set up in 2010, but the combat aircraft unit will not be established until 2012 due in part to the poor financial state of MiG.
With reference to possible changes to accident inquiries in Europe (AW&ST Nov. 9, p. 52), it is vital that any investigation authority is completely separate from the safety regulator to ensure impartial investigations and recommendations. It would be very concerning if the European Union, in a desire to centralize, created a body that inevitably is unduly influenced by politicians or the regulating authoritiy, and aircraft and equipment manufacturers, particularly if the aircraft was built in Europe.
NASA Ames Research Center has licensed a design for a photo-bioreactor that grows algae in municipal wastewater to produce biofuels and other products. Called the Offshore Membrane Enclosure for Growing Algae (Omega), the bioreactor will not compete with agriculture for land, fertilizer or freshwater. Algae Systems of Carson City, Nev., plans to use the technology as the basis for biorefineries to produce diesel and jet fuels, among other products.
Italian air force investigators have recovered recorders from a C-130J belonging to the 46th Aerobrigade that crashed at 2:10 p.m. local time on Nov. 23 near Pisa, killing all five on board. The aircraft was scheduled to support paratrooper training, but wind conditions were above limits so the mission focus changed to crew training. Just prior to theaccident, the crew completed a touch and go when eyewitnesses said the C-130J turned right before losing altitude and impacting. It is Italy’s first fatal C-130J accident.
Two moves in South Asia could provide Astrium with a launch customer for a new small communications spacecraft, while reinforcing the company’s lock on the remote-sensing satellite market. On Nov. 16, Sri Lanka signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to acquire a small telecom satellite from U.K.-based Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., which Astrium acquired at the beginning of the year to bolster its small-sat know-how. SSTL CEO Matt Perkins says he hopes to conclude a contract by mid-2010.
The Jasons—highly regarded independent science advisers to the Defense Dept.—are stirring the pot with a report about whether and how to maintain or overhaul the U.S. nuclear stockpile. Word of the Jasons report comes in a National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) technical review of the Lifetime Extension Programs sent to Capitol Hill.
Edward W. Stimpson, one of general aviation’s most respected advocates in Washington and founding head of the General Aviation Manufacturers Assn. (GAMA), died Nov. 25 at home in Boise, Idaho, from cancer. Stimpson is credited, along with former Cessna Chairman and CEO Russ Meyer, with championing the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994, which helped reinvigorate an industry by capping manufacturers’ product liability to 18 years. He went on to become chairman of the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), resigning this past Nov. 2.
The Airbus Corporate Jet Center has created a quick-conversion kit that makes it possible for A320 passenger transports to be readily transformed into VIP configuration. The kit allows the forward area in the A320 to be converted for luxury use by installing two double and two club-four VIP seats, along with tables to match. Leather upholstery, woolen carpets and curtains for added ambiance and privacy are part of the deal.
The U.S. Air Force faces growing and “unacceptable” sustainment and supportability issues with its nuclear weapons even as the newly established Global Strike Command readies to assume control of the nation’s ICBM missile force this week.
The maintenance joint venture among Shanghai Airlines, Boeing and Shanghai Airport Authorities—Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services—received broader FAA maintenance approval for Boeing 737 and 767 aircraft in mid-November. This enables Boeing Shanghai to perform D checks on 737 NGs, C checks and structural C checks on 767s, as well as associated repairs and alterations. The joint venture services domestic Chinese, regional and international airlines.
Airbus and Turkish Airlines have completed negotiations for the purchase of two A330-200F cargo aircraft. The airline has selected Rolls-Royce to provide Trent 700s to power the aircraft. Turkish is the first new customer for the A330 freighter this year, bringing the total order book to 10 buyers and 69 units. Although Turkish is late to the program, it is taking an early delivery, with a handover planned for the fall of next year—an indication that other buyers have slipped their delivery positions. Etihad is the lead customer, with delivery due in August.
A former Airbus warehouse near Filton, England, is to become a high-tech manufacturing facility for advanced composite components. GKN Aerospace bought the building from Airbus in January and has since been preparing it to make composite wing spars for the A350. To date, GKN Aerospace has committed £190 million ($315 million) to the A350 program, including £60 million of repayable launch aid from the U.K. government. The company says it is investing in extra capacity to support its long-term strategy to win work from customers other than Airbus.
Australian military forces have marked the end of the Army’s fixed-wing aircraft fleet. A ceremony at Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Base Townsville on Nov. 20 noted the handover of three King Air 350s from Army to Air Force. The King Air will be an interim solution until a new Light Tactical Fixed-Wing transport aircraft is selected under Project AIR 8000 Phase Two.
Bettina H. Chavanne (Washington), Graham Warwick (Washington)
After years of meeting Pentagon demand via upgrades and remanufacturing, and being rewarded with profitable production contracts, the U.S. rotorcraft industry stands accused by its customer of being stagnant, no longer able to innovate rapidly in technology or execute reliably on programs.
