China has published a new white paper setting out a space road map for the next five years. One priority of China's second plan will involve developing and operating a high-resolution Earth-observation system, a polar and geostationary weather satellite network and a system of small disaster protection spacecraft--along with associated satellite, launcher and ground production and operating facilities.
Safran reported sales of €8.1 billion through the first nine months, an 8% increase over 2005 results. The aerospace propulsion and defense security operations drove growth, with 13.9% and 18.5% increases, respectively. The commercial cell phone business, whose future is now being debated, continued to lag with a decline in year-on-year sales of 5.4%. Safran also says its revenue this year and next will be affected by Airbus A380 delays, although some income from nacelles already delivered should be booked in mid-December upon certification of the aircraft.
USAF has received its first production award--$112.9 million--for the newest Amraam configuration. The AIM-120D is optimized for small targets, longer range and enhanced maneuvering when closing on targets. A second contract includes funding for the AIM-120C7 missile, which is designed to allow for maximized lethality when attacking small, stealth cruise missiles in head-on attacks. The two Lot 20 contracts are worth a combined $168 million.
Peter Jackson, who is CEO of the Hong Kong-based Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co., has been voted Satellite Executive of the Year by the Asia-Pacific Satellite Communications Council. He was cited for his "achievement and contribution to the advancement of the satellite and space-related industries in the Asia-Pacific region through leadership in satellite operation."
EADS is desperately looking for clear skies after weeks of A380-induced turbulence that has unnerved customers, shareholders and politicians. But several more months of uncertainty lie ahead before normalcy can return as industrial and product decisions are made.
J. Michael Sapienti has become group vice president-sales and marketing for the Vulcan Electric Co., Porter, Maine. He was director of sales and marketing for the Teledyne Corp. Sapienti succeeds Normand Sirois, who has been named group vice president-engineering and quality.
NASA has shut down one of the four big control moment gyros (CMGs) on the International Space Station (ISS) because of excessive vibration. The remaining three CMGs continue to perform their attitude-control task normally but if the problem with CMG-3 can't be fixed, it could mean trouble for future ISS-assembly missions when space shuttles are docked to the orbiting laboratory, NASA says. The station was down to only two of the 600-lb. reaction wheels when the shuttle Discovery delivered replacements for a failed CMG and CMG power supply last year (AW&ST Aug.
Although I am sure he believes he could have prevented the Comair tragedy, the Lexington, Ky., tower controller bears no responsibility. If he issued correct taxi instructions and heard a correct readback, he fulfilled FAA requirements. I can imagine how he feels. Many times, I interrupted nagging administrative routine to look out the window just once more --many times seeing something unexpected that needed immediate attention. It's a controller's instinct. It's not infallible.
USAFR Co. (ret.) T.C. Kenna (Incline Village, Nev.)
Your Washington Outlook item on microwave usage (AW&ST Sept. 18, p. 21) documents the ultimate in political correctness. It might also establish why the Pentagon has been called the "puzzle palace." Testing new weaponry on U.S. citizens before use on an "enemy" to avoid vilification "in the world press" has to be part of the next Jay Leno monologue on NBC's "Tonight Show."
Korean Air plans to rapidly expand its cargo operations in an effort to strengthen its position in key Asian markets. The airline has firm plans to grow its fleet by more than 30% in the next two years and is preparing to launch a new Chinese subsidiary next year that will give it a foothold in the lucrative China-Europe and China-U.S. markets.
Jay Groen, chairman of Groen Brothers Aviation Inc. of Salt Lake City, died at home in Washington on Oct. 9 of cancer. He was 62. Groen and his brother David, who was president and CEO, cofounded GBA in 1986 to develop modern auto-rotative aircraft. Together, they won key government and industry contracts such as a recent one from the U.S. Defense Dept. to advance rotary-wing technology. Jay Groen was a U.S. Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War who received a B.S. degree in economics from the University of Utah and an M.S. in economics from Virginia Tech.
The Rockot light launcher returned to service on July 28. The flight return of Dnepr, provisionally expected by late November, will be the third in four months for Russian boosters, after Rockot and Proton M (AW&ST Oct. 2, p. 70).
The first Australian C-17 has moved out of Boeing's paint hangar at Long Beach, Calif., to begin preparations for its first flight later this month. The Australian C-17 is a Block 17 aircraft that includes upgraded combat lighting, formation flying capability and flight-control software.The second C-17 for Australia is set for delivery in 2007 followed by two more in 2008.
Scott Berkey has become vice president-worldwide operations for the Abaqus division of Paris-based Dassault Systemes. He was CEO of Axentis Inc. and president/CEO of Proficiency Ltd.
Alenia Aermacchi is studying whether it may be able to edge into the U.S. market with its newest airborne trainer, the M-346. Congress has asked the Air Force and Navy to study the cost of refurbishing existing trainers or, possibly, to consider buying a new one. As this discussion continues, Alenia Aermacchi is studying what industrial alliances it could form in the U.S. to manufacture and sell the M-346. Giuseppe Giordo, president of Alenia North America, says his company would team with a U.S. prime contractor or form a joint venture with one.
Greek accident investigators have determined that human error led to the depressurization and crash of the Helios Airways Boeing 737-300 and the deaths of 121 people on board.
William R. Voss has become president/CEO of the Alexandria, Va.-based Flight Safety Foundation. He succeeds Stuart Matthews, who has retired. Voss was an official of both the FAA and International Civil Aviation Organization.
With an eye to opportunities expected from India's offset policy that commits sellers to invest 30% of the sale, New York-based Argosy International--a leading supplier of composite materials and specialty chemicals--has opened an office in Bangalore. "Argosy will help start the supply chain for materials required by aerospace customers," says Shrikant Awasthi, vice president of sales and marketing for East Asia.
The European Commission has put Russia's Pulkovo airline, Pakistan International Airways, Ghana's Johnsons Air and Cyprus's Ajet (formerly Helios Airways) on what amounts to a safety watch list, but it stopped short of adding the carriers to its no-fly blacklist. The move comes as part of the first update to the European Union-wide list. Additions to the blacklist itself include Kenya's DAS Air Cargo and Uganda's Dairo Air Services. All 27 Kyrgyzstan airlines are banned because the national supervisory authority is viewed as deficient.
A Gulfstream Aerospace G550 flies over scenic country near Astoria on the Oregon coast. The business aviation segment of the global general aviation industry is healthy (see p. 54). Operators are flying more hours, manufacturers are developing new, more efficient aircraft, and more people are discovering the advantages of business aviation. Challenges to the industry do exist, but the need for secure and private air transportation as an alternative to the airlines will be a key driver of future growth. John Dibbs photo.
Norway is seeking 31 billion Norwegian kroner ($4.6 billion) in defense spending for 2007. The budget request would fund ongoing structural reforms and many priority procurement items. Modernization funding has been increased by about $4.5 million to $1.12 billion. The navy would get the largest share of procurement, including a new frigate, helicopters and P-3 enhancements. Air force procurement would include a new air-to-air missile and F-16 upgrades. The request also would pay for increased F-16 flying hours.
A theater missile defense command post exercise between Russia and NATO will take place this week at the Russian Simulation Facility. It's the third drill in the series and sets the stage for a field training exercise in about a year. This week's trial will focus on command and control issues related to deployed theater missile defense units.
It was reported in the article "Orion Debrief" (AW&ST Sept. 11, p. 26) that Lockheed Martin has won the $8-billion shuttle replacement contract. I remember my early days, at Martin Marietta Denver. We had just won the space station contract--it was about $8 billion--in 1980. It would be illuminating if you would research the cost growth of the space station program since then. Based on our track record, I will be stunned if the eventual cost of the Orion is $8 billion.
Managers expect an easy repair to this tiny micrometeoroid orbital debris ding technicians found in the right-hand radiator on the space shuttle Atlantis after the STS-115 mission last month. But its discovery points up the importance of the pre-reentry thermal protection system (TPS) inspections NASA has laid on and the risk spacewalkers face every time they venture outside. The 0.1-in.-dia.
