NASA's Space Technology 5 spacecraft-constellation experiment was set to shut down June 30, after completing its nominal 90-day mission. Intended as a demonstration of the low-cost micro-satellite technology that could one day enable swarms of scientific satellites, the three 55-lb. spacecraft lined up along the same track, separated from each other by about 220 mi. In all, the "string-of-pearls" lineup required seven maneuvers using the single micro-thrusters on each satellite.
Thales expects to ship the first full-flight simulator for the Airbus A380 from its Crawley facility near London to Singapore Airlines this month. A company official expects it to be ready for training by the end of November, although it isn't clear if that schedule will be affected by the A380's delivery delay. Thales also has orders for simulators for the 555-seat jumbojet from Lufthansa and Malaysia Airlines.
Britain's Empire Test Pilots' School (ETPS) has completed its inaugural "Introduction to Unmanned Aerial Systems Trials and Evaluation" course. It was attended by 14 officials from the British Defense Ministry, and from technology company Qinetiq. The latter is also the owner of the ETPS. Classroom and simulation work, intended to provide insight into the tools and approaches required for UAV test and evaluation, were covered. The Ministry has had a checkered history with UAV acquisition.
Asian carriers account for four of the top six slots among scheduled airlines in the 2005 air cargo results accumulated by the International Air Transport Assn. As usual, Memphis, Tenn.-based Federal Express tops the list as the world's biggest cargo airline. But for the second year, Korean Air Cargo used its Incheon International Airport hub to rank first among scheduled air carriers. Korean, which operates a fleet of 19 dedicated freighters, recorded 7.98 billion metric ton kilometers of freight last year, edging out Lufthansa Cargo.
Europe's new Vega light booster is slowly but surely approaching its appointed late 2007 maiden launch with the first firing of its second-stage motor.
Spirit Airlines estimates a cost per available seat mile of less than 6 cents on its new Airbus A320 family fleet. The carrier is speeding up its transition to an all-Airbus fleet by shedding its MD-80s earlier than planned. It will fly only Airbus planes by September.
The Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency wants to set aside $45 million in Fiscal 2008 for early risk reduction and studies on the best way to test future missile defenses based in space. The proposal is part of the Defense Dept.'s out-year budget planning. USAF Lt. Gen. Henry (Trey) Obering, the MDA director, tells Congress that he plans to begin work on a space-based testbed for missile defenses that could include space-based interceptors.
The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (Catsa) anticipates about 14 million air travelers will pass through Canadian airports during the peak summer travel period between July 1 and Labor Day weekend (Sept. 2-4). That would be an increase of almost 400,000 passengers over last year. Catsa expects total passenger volume to rise by 4.7% over the next 12 months. The average wait time for passengers to complete the screening process is less than 8 min.
The U.S. Army is exploring what components of its massive $21-billion Future Combat System modernization program it can accelerate, with several unmanned surveillance systems high on the list.
Boeing says it will take "a series of near-term actions" to evaluate the future of Connexion, its high-speed broadband inflight communications service that a dozen long-distance carriers either have in service or have announced their intention of implementing. Connexion has been a technical success but a costly one, and commonly cited costs to Boeing for its development are about $1 billion.
Air Force Materiel Command Chief Gen. Bruce Carlson says the service and the Army have reached an agreement that will enable the Pentagon to potentially purchase the technical data and tooling information for the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA). USAF wants to perform in-house maintenance on the system, while the Army prefers to outsource the work for the small intratheater-resupply aircraft.
I worked at Boeing for 15 years and have been watching the discussions about very light jets in your letters column. Here is another way of looking at this new industry. I retired and now live in the heartland of America in a city no less than 3 hr. from the nearest major airport. Security measures killed commercial travel from our regional airport, which was only 15 min. from my front door. Even though we have installed the security measures, we have been unable to entice a carrier to provide ferry service as performed before 9/11.
Bell Helicopter Textron and United Aerospace Workers Local 218 have agreed to a three-year contract. The pact includes a 3% wage increase for the balance of this year as well as in 2007 and 2008. Pension payments will increase, and workers will have a choice of new health-care plans.
Chemring Group plc of London has recorded a 72% increase in sales for the first half of its fiscal year and a 69% increase in profit. The surge is partly due to repeated orders for its M211 infrared decoys for U.S. Army helicopters. The company's sales grew to $150 million in the first half of the fiscal year that ended Apr. 30, up from $87 million in the same period a year earlier. Operating profit rose to $26 million.
When it comes to its aerospace sector, Russia is drinking at the last-chance saloon. Commercial aircraft manufacturing is all but dead, though giant factories still trickle out inefficient and maintenance-heavy designs that most post-Soviet airlines don't want. Promising short- and medium-range programs such as the Tupolev Tu-334 and Tu-204 have stagnated from inadequate investment and therefore lack credibility--and customers. On the military front, the Su-27 and MiG-29 have provided platforms for substantial export sales for nearly two decades.
Sandia National Laboratories has patented a preemptive spark lasting for nanoseconds that helps find potentially dangerous short circuits in the miles of wiring behind the panels of aging commercial airliners. The Pulsed Arrested Spark Discharge (PASD) is expected to be marketed this fall by Redmond, Wash.-based Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems under the name ArcSafe. About the size of a small suitcase, it can be plugged into aircraft-installed wire harnesses, 40 wires at a time.
Normally rivals, JetBlue, Northwest and several other carriers are ramping up their lobbying machines to fight a proposal to repeal the Wright Amendment, the 1979 legislation that limits markets airlines can serve from Dallas Love Field. Last week, executives from Southwest and American, along with city officials from Dallas and Fort Worth, were working the halls of Congress seeking backers for their proposal, which would remove the restrictions but impose a 20-gate cap at the airport.
LOCKHEED MARTIN AND EMBRY RIDDLE Aeronautical University have agreed to form a partnership to prototype "airport of the future" systems. The project involves developing Daytona Beach (Fla.) International Airport into a model that demonstrates the latest in safety and security technology. Also involved are Transtech Airport Solutions Inc., Ensco Inc. and Mosaic ATM. The FAA is involved and the partners hope to win a federal grant of $7.5 million for the four-phase, $30-million project that will run for several years.
The Senate Appropriations Committee wants to spend homeland security money on airport security measures as well as aircraft and sensors for border operations. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) would get more than $3 billion for airport security under a Homeland Security Dept. funding bill recommended by the panel.
With the 10th anniversary of the crash of TWA Flight 800 fast approaching, acting Chairman Mark V. Rosenker of the National Transportation Safety Board is focusing on what his panel considers the urgent need to implement--and expand--the FAA's proposed rule aimed at mitigating fuel tank flammability.
Turkey has extended the source selection period for two acquisition programs. After initially establishing the request for proposal deadline for up to 52 utility helicopters last December, it was then pushed to mid-March and is now set for September. The program calls for 20 helos for land forces, six each for the navy and air force--the latter to be used for search-and-rescue--and 20 for firefighting by the forestry service. Moreover, bidders for the basic trainer aircraft program have until mid-month to respond.
Charles H. Scales has been appointed associate administrator for the NASA Office of Institutions and Management. He was deputy director in the Office of Center Operations at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. Marvin Christensen has been named deputy director of the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. He was acting director and a senior manager. Christensen succeeds Steven Zornetzer, who was acting deputy director and will remain deputy director for research.
