European space scientists see the U.S. budget focus on lunar exploration, to the detriment of science, as a chance to enhance their role not only on Mars, but in other scientific disciplines (see p. 44). Michel Blanc, president of Europe's space research and exploration evaluation committee (Ceres), estimates a budget increase approved by the European Space Agency ministerial summit in December will make 3.5-4 billion euros ($4.2-4.8 billion) available for new projects in 2015-25.
IN HER NEW POST AS ACTING VICE PRESIDENT for operations planning at the FAA's Air Traffic Organization, Victoria Cox will be performing only one of the two jobs held by Charlie Keegan, who was also director of the Joint Planning and Development Office (AW&ST Jan. 2, p. 63). Robert Pearce of NASA is now acting JPDO director, and both he and Cox share the responsibility for planning ATC modernization. The ATO controls the 10-year plan, while JPDO is focused on 2025.
Pratt & Whitney and MTU are conducting a compressor technology demonstration that would feed engine development for the next-generation single-aisle aircraft. The compressor would support a 30,000-lb.-thrust geared turbofan design and will be followed by other technology demonstrations, including in the combustor arena. The new compressor is an eight-stage design with a 17-to-1 pressure ration module for increased efficiency. One feature is that the compressor blades are part of the compressor disk, to provide increased durability.
Though he's not forecasting another 1,000 orders, Boeing CEO James McNerney is confident the company's commercial aircraft backlog will continue to grow in 2006 despite a hefty ramp-up in production. But he waves off suggestions that Boeing would rush to introduce a more efficient replacement for its 737 workhorse, which has a strong order backlog that continues to grow with the introduction of derivatives. "We're in no rush," he says.
Connexion by Boeing is poised to start up a maritime broadband service, following an agreement with Intelsat for capacity on Intelsat 705 and 706, ensuring global satellite coverage. The additional capability will fill gaps over the Indian Ocean and mid-Atlantic regions. Connexion had previously secured capacity with Intelsat covering North America, the Northeast Atlantic and North Pacific. Agreements with SES Global, Eutelsat, Loral Skynet and other operators round out the network, which serves Connexion's inflight broadband service as well.
Russia has started to deploy a further generation of early-warning radars, with two Voronezh radars are under construction. Unlike older-generation Dnepr and Daryal radar systems, these do not require large permanent structures. But they do offer better locating and tracking of smaller targets. The first Voronezh radar, located near St. Petersburg, will start trials later this year. Entry into service is planned for 2007.
David Barnett (see photo) has been appointed vice president-product management for Real-Time Innovations Inc., Santa Clara, Calif. He was director of product marketing at Green Hills Software.
Virgin America, a nearly newcomer that promises to help transform the ailing airline industry, has named veteran North American airline executive Donald J. Carty to serve as chairman. Carty, who headed AMR Corp. before his resignation amid a flap over disclosure of an executive compensation agreement, only a week earlier assumed the chairman positions at another startup carrier, Canada's Porter Airlines and its holding company, Regco Holdings. He's also a board member for Hawaiian Airlines.
Airbus is putting the finishing touches on its A380F freighter design in anticipation of a first flight next year. But even before major components come together, one thing is clear: The aircraft will feature even more heavily in the perpetual Airbus-Boeing sparing match than its A380-800 passenger cousin.
Air Canada has become Boeing's first customer for the Class 3 Electronic Flight Bag in North America, ordering them for all 18 of the 777-300ER/ 200LRs/Freighters and 14 787s it agreed to buy last November. Class 3 EFBs are integrated with the aircraft avionics at time of manufacture.
Facing uncooperative winds and a repeat of serious fuel venting problems, pilot Steve Fossett's chances of setting a new "ultimate flight" distance record in the Scaled Composites/Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer remained very much in doubt, though not quite hopeless, late last week. Fossett survived a dangerously long takeoff run and twin bird strikes Feb. 8 at the space shuttle runway here departing on an attempt to set an aircraft nonstop, unrefueled distance record of more than 26,000 mi.
The Transportation Security Administration's computerized air passenger screening program is in trouble again. In the works since March 2003, Secure Flight, the oft-delayed system for matching passengers against names of known or suspected terrorists, is heading back to square one as the TSA conducts audits to make sure its information technology is actually protecting travelers and their privacy.
USAF Maj. Gen. (ret) Jimmy Morrell, who was a key architect of military space operations, died Feb. 8 of a stroke at a hospital near Cape Canaveral, Fla. He was 59 and had been battling cancer. Morrell was a senior analyst in the White House in the mid-1980s, res- ponsible for the first national policy on commercialization of expendable launch vehicles. He was director of operations for Air Force Space Command and then director of space systems and activities.
Cristian Ureta has become CEO and Steven Leonard the Florida sales director of Chile-based LAN Cargo. Ureta was chief operating officer. Leonard was sales director for Brazil.
Aviation Week & Space Technology is proud to present the 2006 Laurels--men and women from around the world whose accomplishments in 2005 are worthy of recognition. Laurels are compiled by the magazine's editors, based on a rigorous screening of many excellent candidates. Aviation Week will honor them on Apr. 7 at the 49th annual Laureate Awards event. The venue: The Smithsonian Institution's extraordinary National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington. The highlight of the evening will be Aviation Week's announcement of the 2006 Laureates.
Gulf Air is reorganizing its operations under a new three-year plan that was created after the United Arab Emirates' government of Abu Dhabi withdrew as a shareholder. Called "Smart Airline, Successful Business," it refocuses operations on a two-hub strategy and clears the way for Gulf Air to make decisions about renewing its fleet. The key hubs will be Manama in Bahrain and Muscat in Oman. In addition, board members from Bahrain and Oman have agreed on recapitalization of the airline.
The Airports Authority of India is trying to figure out how to keep jackals from straying into flight paths. Four incidents resulted in aircraft damage last year.The authority handles nocturnal birds, bats and owls with shooters, reflective tape on runways and high-intensity firecrackers, but they apparently don't alarm jackals.
The European Commission has OK'd MBDA's acquisition of EADS Deutschland's missile business. The EC determined that the heavy concentration of Europe's tactical missile businesses in MBDA didn't raise anti-trust concerns, as there are sufficient competitors in Germany and internationally.
EADS is shaking up its Military Air Systems operations, moving the headquarters from Ottobrunn to Manching, both in Germany. The move is to be concluded by the end of 2008. Stephen Zoller, head of EADS Defense Security Systems, says the company is making the move in part to foster closer ties with the German armed forces--the military already has operations at the site including a test center.
U.S. Air Force efforts to boost engine performance on the A-10 ground attack aircraft are due to start bearing fruit in Fiscal 2009. The service has earmarked about $190 million to upgrade the General Electric TF34 powerplants to improve the aircraft's takeoff performance at high-altitude airfields and in hot weather. A faster climb should boost survivability because the aircraft would be out of range of heat-seeking surface-to-air missiles more quickly. Moreover, it would allow for a continuous climb with one engine out.
The Transportation Research Board wants to fill three senior program officer positions in the area of airport management for its new Airport Cooperative Research Program that centers on studying problems facing airport operating agencies. These include design, construction, maintenance, operations, safety, security, policy planning and administration, which are not adequately addressed by existing federal research programs. For further information, see http://nationalacademies.wfrecruiter.com
Lufthansa Systems will offer its Lido eRouteManual on the Airbus A380, A320, A330 and A340. The software works with a digital database that stores the information needed to generate flight charts, terrain maps and airport diagrams on an electronic flight bag (EFB) display.
Low costs and high productivity don't necessarily result in a reliable operation, as Alaska Airlines, JetBlue and AirTran posted the worst on-time arrival rates among the top 20 U.S. airlines last year.
