Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) teams at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., and at Lockheed Martin near Denver have shifted into final "approach phase" operations as they prepare for the spacecraft to enter Mars orbit Mar. 10. Launched from Cape Canaveral last summer, the NASA orbiter is about 75% of the distance from Earth to Mars, with the planet now looming much larger ahead. Spacecraft and instrument checkout is largely complete, and trajectory data indicate MRO is well positioned in its approach corridor to intercept the planet for orbit insertion.
Thales' revenue dropped slightly in 2005 to 10.26 billion euros from 10.28 billion the year before. The decline comes from a drop in naval activity, associated with a December 2004 billing that increased the results for that year. Overall, Thales achieved 9% growth in its aerospace sector and 7% for air systems. Sales in North America grew 19%, while those in France grew merely 1% and fell by 7% in the U.K.
Don Osmundson has been appointed vice president-flight operations and Mark Reed vice president-maintenance operations at DayJet, Daytona Beach, Fla. Osmundson was an executive at Comair, while Reed was vice president of NetJets.
The FAA deserves kudos for its Required Navigation Performance (RNP) program. In his letter (AW&ST Jan. 30, p. 6) retired Capt. Jim Gombold criticizes the FAA for being 20 years late with terminal RNP procedures.
The Torkdisc compact rotary torque sensor system from the force/torque div. of PCB is an in-line sensor suited for spindle qualification testing of machining center and other torque measurement applications that require a robust torque transducer where axial space is at a premium. It can aid in selecting proper spindle sizes by comparing rated power to actual torque delivered to cutting tools.
Bill M. Williams has become director of initial phase procurement of materials for the Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., Savannah, Ga. He was vice president-supply chain for GKN Aerostructures of St. Louis.
An article on the Joint Planning and Development Office, a group of federal agencies planning the next-generation air transportation system for the U.S. (AW&ST Jan. 30, p. 48), should have said the following: The lower the Required Navigation Performance rating the more precise the sensors on the aircraft must be in maintaining accuracy within a certain distance of centerline.
John M. Doyle (Washington), Douglas Barrie (London), Robert Wall (Paris)
China's military development continues at a pace that has Pentagon planners and some members of Congress concerned to such an extent that legislation could follow in an attempt to curtail the export of militarily-sensitive technology overseas.
With little headway made between the U.S. and European Union on resolving their spat on aircraft subsidies, EADS Co-CEO Noel Forgeard says it is more likely Airbus will call on government-approved launch aid for the A350 widebody. Airbus decided not to draw down the loan support offered by France, Germany, Spain and the U.K. this year, to try to entice the U.S. to negotiate. The partner countries kept the option open of doing so, though, if no negotiations were taking place. U.S.
The Boeing/Lockheed Martin space-launch merger logjam may be clearing. Air Force Undersecretary Ronald Sega says he's "hopeful" the Defense Dept. can get its formal recommendation on the proposed United Launch Alliance to the Federal Trade Commission within a month. If it's a yes, FTC can then make its final decision (probably a yes) on the two companies' plans to merge production of their Delta IV and Atlas V Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles.
Lawmakers who follow NASA and the civil space program closely probably won't propose major changes in the agency's Fiscal 2007 budget request, even though at its first airing on Capitol Hill, they clearly were unhappy with the funding profile it outlines.
Spain's largest airline, Iberia, is hoping to double the number of daily flights from its Madrid hub in the medium term, after the airport unveiled a new terminal building and two new runways earlier this month.
Trek Inc. has introduced Infinitron, a ultra-high impedance voltmeter. Its hand-held probe enables contacting voltage measurements to be made with virtually no transfer of electric charge to or from the measured object, unlike other products in the market that transfer charge upon contact, according to the company.
BAE Systems has been test flying an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator, called Raven, as part of a classified research program since late 2003 (see p. 34). Flight trials of the blended wing-body design were conducted at the Woomera Range in Australia. BAE also is involved with Rolls-Royce in further risk-reduction work on UCAV technology for the U.K. Defense Ministry. In addition, the engine manufacturer is examining novel lift-fan configuration under a U.S. research program. BAE Systems photo, with inset from SonicBlue Aerospace.
Penny Young has become chief financial officer of the Alexandria, Va.-based Flight Safety Foundation. She was CFO of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contactors National Assn.
Airbus will increase the inspection intervals of its A330/A340 long-range products starting next year. What started out as a 500-hr. interval between A checks has already been extended to 600 hr., and will now increase to 700 hr., says Roger Lecomte, senior vice president for programs and technical support at Airbus. In the case of C checks, inspection periods are being extended to 24 months, from 18. Heavy checks will have intervals of 12 rather than 10 years.
Ultra Motion's redesigned series of Bug linear actuators offers improved strength, precision and reliability while keeping the same compact footprint, according to the company. The small footprint, low weight and high performance make the series a well-suited alternative to pneumatic or hydraulic systems. New features include: ABEC-7 angular contact bearings and interchangeable motor mounting plates. A Kevlar drive belt and pulleys provides 1:1, 2:1, 3:1, 4:1 and 5:1 drive ratios with low backlash and low audible noise by eliminating gears between motor and drive screw.
Airbus has established its "Airbus Middle East" subsidiary based in the Dubai Airport Free Zone, headed by Habib Fekih, former CEO of Dubai-based Total Airline Services Co. The aircraft manufacturer is also opening a new spare parts center there; it is to become operational in April 2007.
BAE Systems has begun flight testing the small, unmanned aerial vehicle designed to disperse the WolfPack signals intelligence unattended ground system. BAE performed the demonstration at Ft. Benning, Ga., to both its Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency customer and U.S. Army representatives, who are expected to be the ultimate users. During the trial, the system detected a mock threat. The system has a 1-hr. endurance and can carry one 22-lb. WolfPack unit for original placement or repositioning.
Talks between SAS Scandinavian Airlines and its pilots have broken down over how to negotiate future labor agreements, creating the possibility of a strike when the current contract expires Apr. 1. SAS wants pilot contracts to be negotiated through its national airline units, while pilots want to continue collective bargaining. SAS says it sees no legal obstacles to forcing its will on the pilots.
I am pleased to announce that the Aviation Week Group has initiated a strategic rebranding program to reflect our expanded coverage across all sectors of the global aerospace and defense industry. The organization, under the new name McGraw-Hill Aerospace & Defense, will provide the same award-winning editorial coverage and titles while accelerating electronic, event and print initiatives that expand its footprint into the broader A&D sector.
Arianespace and the Russian space agency Roscosmos executives last week signed a contract for the first four Russian Soyuzes to be launched from Europe's space center near Kourou, French Guiana. November 2008 was set as the date for the first launch. Arianespace is spending 121 million euros of the 344-million-euro cost of building a Soyuz pad at Kourou.
The prospect of a moderate and steady rise in aircraft deliveries from the large backlog created by a record-breaking 2,250 new aircraft orders in 2005 places Airbus and Boeing in an advantageous position "to behave like the oligopoly they really are," says consultant Edmund Greenslet. The first step down that path, he says in his Airline Monitor, is "managing production, at the margin, in their best interests rather than in the interests of the customer." If that occurs, aircraft prices will rise and discounts will decline off list prices.
