OHB affiliate Luxspace Sari is joining with NGO Sant'Egidio and the University of Padova in Italy to identify ways in which satellite communications and other space-based technologies can facilitate HIV/AIDS treatment in Africa. The program is sponsored by the European Space Agency.
MARKET FOCUS Wall Street awaits results of airline merger bidding 8 NEWS BREAKS Lockheed Martin completes taxi trials on F-35, plans to fly this month 10 Final assembly begins for Boeing's initial 737-700ER 14 German army takes delivery of the first NH90 helicopter 15 Former editor-in-chief wins AIA's Lyman Award for journalism excellence 15 EADS Astrium team begins flight testing two-way laser data link for UAVs 16 WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS
The Air Line Pilots Assn. unit at Comair reports that 93% of its 1,500 pilots supported a strike authorization, according to a Dec. 11 count. ALPA and Comair are in the midst of negotiating a consensual agreement at the request of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Comair has court-approved authority to impose a contract if no agreement is reached. "The pilots will not tolerate company-imposed pay and work conditions," said ALPA unit Chairman J.C. Lawson.
Northrop Grumman has received a $104-million contract to outfit the NATO E-3 AWACS aircraft with its Large-Aircraft Infrared Counter- measures self-protection system. Deliveries are to start next year and be completed in 2009.
The U.S. Navy's second RQ-4A Global Hawk Maritime Demonstra- tion (GHMD) unmanned reconnaissance aircraft has made an 11.1-hr. flight to its new duty station at NAS Patuxent River, Md., from Edwards AFB, Calif., where it underwent acceptance tests and supported Navy exercises in Hawaii. The demonstration program will involve the development of maritime endurance UAV sensors; concepts of operations; tactics, techniques and procedures; and integration with manned aircraft operations.
MARCEL MIVELAZ Molondin, Switzerland U.K. Royal Air Force Harrier GR.7 at low level in the valleys of nothern Wales. SIMON FITALL Chevy Chase, Md. Saab JAS 39 Gripen completes a spectacular takeoff at the Farnborough air show. MARCEL MIVELAZ Molondin, Switzerland Opening of Axalp flight demonstration by Swiss air force Super Puma. MARK FARMER Anchorage, Alaska
RON WEIL "No Place To Land" Acrylic 24 X 36 inches A de Havilland DH-4 mail plane flies through a pass in the Rocky Mountains. The Liberty Engine growls and the pilot knows if the growl ceases, there's no place to land.
Precision Castparts has announced a deal to acquire GSC Foundries, a privately held manufacturer of aluminum and steel structural investment castings that has operations in Utah and Mexico. JSA Research analyst Peter J. Arment estimates GSC will add $75 million to Precision Castparts' sales.
The Australian Defense Ministry has signed a contract with a team of Boeing Australia and Israel Aircraft Industries to supply I-View unmanned aircraft. The system will be used by the army's 132 Battery, 20th Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment. Service entry is planned for late 2009.
Airbus received type certification for the A380 powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines. The European Aviation Safety Agency and FAA issued the type certificate concurrently in a ceremony at Airbus's home base of Toulouse. Certification of the A380 with the Engine Alliance GP7200-powered aircraft was scheduled for the summer, but that could change as Airbus now reviews what's to come in the flight test program.
The American Society of Aviation Artists joins with Aviation Week & Space Technology for the seventh year in presenting the art in this annual special issue. Aviation Week has selected its "Best of the Best" award winner and top choices for honors in the categories of Military, Commercial, General Aviation and Space from ASAA's 2006 Annual International Aerospace Art Exhibition. ASAA's own annual prize winners also are identified, as selected by the organization's judges.
Telenor of Norway has issued a request for proposals for a spacecraft to replace Thor 3, a 15-transponder telecom satellite launched in 1998. The higher-capacity replacement unit is to be launched in 2009, a year before Thor 3 is due to be retired.
NorM Siegel "Blue Sunset" Oil on Canvas 30 X 40 inches Welcome to Mars, where the daytime sky is red(ish) and the sunsets are blue(ish). The rover Spirit rests for the night before resuming its uphill trek to the summit of the Columbia Hills. Looking back behind Spirit is the floor of Gusev Crater.
China expects to begin construction this month of its planned fourth major hub airport, at Kunming in the south of the country. The airport will have an annual capacity of 20 million passengers and 600,000 tons of freight, with provision to expand it to 60 million passengers and 1.2 million tons. Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing airports are the other hubs.
A Thales-led team has been selected to develop an integrated real-time crisis management service for Europe's new Global Monitoring for Environment and Security system. The service, known as Osiris, will be one of three fast-track services to become available in 2008 as a prelude to full-scale GMES operations. The €11-million ($14.5-million) project will cover accidental air pollution in urban areas, unexpected water pollution in drainage basins, and forest fires.
French police have searched the offices of EADS as part of an investigation into insider trading. The offices of EADS shareholder Lagardere also were raided. Paris prosecutors opened a formal investigation several weeks ago after company executives unloaded shares shortly before problems with the A380 mega-transport came to light.
The U.K.'s Office of Fair Trade will ask the Competition Commission to review in depth the supply of air services, specifically the situation surrounding BAA's control over the industry. OFT has found that BAA controls 90% of passenger traffic in the south of England without competition and that airport investments without competition could be inefficient.
HARRIS CORP. SAYS IT'S ON TRACK TO FINISH nearly all of the FAA's Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) contract by the original deadline of next December, even though the program has been given a new "official" deadline of December 2008. The FTI project, which started in 2002, initially developed more slowly than the FAA expected, and a new baseline was established in 2005.
Nearly three years ago, President Bush announced a policy decision by which NASA was to return astronauts to the Moon and, later, send them on to Mars. At the time, we noted that President Reagan had set the same course in 1988. We re-endorsed the decision but cautioned: "NASA can ill afford another false start on Moon-Mars."
Susan J. Thornton has been appointed director of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy Directorate, Kirtland AFB, N.M., effective Jan. 1. She has been director of engineering at the Airborne Laser Program System Program Office, also at Kirtland. Thornton will succeed L. Bruce Simpson, who is now at Eglin AFB, Fla.
