India has completed qualification of the indigenous cryogenic upper stage engine it has developed for the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), and is expected to flight test the engine soon. Intended to replace the Russian-supplied cryogenic stage on the GSLV, the new upper stage was designed to deliver about 7.5 tons of thrust. Ground qualification included some 4,000 sec. of cumulative hot-fire tests. India hopes to use the new engine to garner some commercial business for its big satellite-launching rocket.
I've been watching and reading a plethora of information on the Bush administration's decision to go back to the Moon. In "Moon-Bound, Again" and "Space Race Redux" (AW&ST Sept. 26, p. 22; Oct. 3, p. 24), there are no specific goals listed that America is to achieve by going back to the Moon.
Rolls-Royce's advanced concepts shop, now named Liberty Works, is focusing its efforts on a few key defense areas, say officials visiting in Washington. Researchers are looking at low-speed engines for week-long surveillance flights, expendable and cheap Mach 3+ engines for high-speed reconnaissance, and stealth propulsion systems for persistence in enemy territory, as well as engines that produce huge electrical power output--into the low-single-digit megawatts--for directed-energy weapons and long-range sensors.
An international team working on new flight demonstrations in Sweden believes it's possible to boost runway capacity by 30% by downlinking "4D" trajectories and coordinating arrivals up to an hour in advance.
Nicolas Brun (see photo) has been named vice president-communications for Paris-based Alcatel Alenia Space. He was vice president-corporate and marketing communications for the Carlson Wagonlit Travel Group.
Damage from Hurricane Wilma in late October is forcing Lockheed Martin to replace a 200,000-lb.-thrust Aerojet solid rocket motor on the Atlas V set to launch the New Horizons spacecraft to Pluto from Cape Canaveral Jan. 11. The Atlas was not on its launch pad, but inside the 300-ft. Atlas Vertical Integration Facility (VIF) when the storm struck. Part of the structure's large high-strength fabric door tore under 75-mph. winds, and some door or other storm debris struck the solid motor attached to the launcher.
Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have spotted two bodies that may be the second and third moons of Pluto. Designated S/2005 P1 and S/2005 P2, the objects are some 27,000 mi. from Pluto and roughly 5,000 times fainter than the planet (see image). Although they appeared to have moved in orbit around Pluto in separate observations three days apart in May, more Hubble observations in February 2006 are planned to confirm that they are actually moons.
ATA Airlines, in a major tweaking of its developing operating plan, is suspending all flights at Denver, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and to and from its headquarters city, Indianapolis. In all, 11 unprofitable daily nonstop flights will be suspended as of Jan. 10. The carrier, in reorganization under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, will continue to keep its headquarters in Indianapolis. Officials say they have signed an agreement with Indianapolis International Airport to retain for five years its lease of corporate office space.
This year's distinguished panel includes aerospace experts from the civil, military, academic and research sectors. Dan Griffith, a senior certification test pilot for the U.K. CAA, has logged more than 5,200 hr. in nearly 300 aircraft types and has participated in JAA certification for Boeing and Airbus aircraft. USAF Col. (ret.) Pedro (Pete) Rustan, Jr., former director of small satellite development for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office, is chief technical officer of Tellaire Corp.
Regarding Dale Gibby's letter on the V-22 (AW&ST Oct. 24, p. 6): I have similar concerns regarding the wisdom of placing the means of sustentation at the ends of the wings. They, of course, are not usable wings when rotated above the horizontal position. Much thought and planning have gone into mitigating the potential risks of this configuration, and I suppose the project managers are now to the point of letting the project run in actual use and seeing if their contingency systems are adequate.
Stratasys has launched RedEye RPM, the world's largest rapid prototype and part-building service, according to the company. RedEyeRPM.com is an online extension of the BuildFDM service, which constructs prototypes and parts using the FDM process for customers in North America. RedEye augments this by allowing automated, instant quoting and round-the-clock ordering. A proprietary, secure quoting/ordering engine preserves user confidentiality by analyzing design-file data without uploading it.
While the improvement in body screening will be effective for preflight procedures, here is an account of a recent experience that defies current security practices.
Meanwhile, 1,500 machinists have struck Boeing's space facilities at Decatur, Ala.; Huntington Beach, Calif.; Vandenberg AFB, Calif.; and Cape Canaveral. The strike is affecting the timing of a classified Delta IV National Reconnaissance Office mission and a NASA/CNES Delta II CloudSat/Calipso mission at Vandenberg. It also could affect a Delta IV launch of the first Goes-N weather satellite from Cape Canaveral.
David L. Aschenbach has been named vice president-sales and customer service of the Aircraft Service International Group, Orlando, Fla. He succeeds Leif Andersson, who plans to retire later this year. Aschenbach was vice president-airport services for ATA Airlines.
Sadly, it seems little has changed since the editorial "NASA's Future: It's a Vision Thing" (AW&ST Dec. 17, 2001, p. 116). At that time, the benefits of NASA extravagance were international cooperation and the opportunity for children to name robots. Thankfully, the more recent editorial "Shuttle Choices Long Overdue" (AW&ST Oct. 17, p. 66) dropped the asserted benefits to children from the rationale. Only international cooperation remains as the raison d'etre.
Jarvi also assesses Global Hawk high-altitude UAV engine "anomalies" in July that caused flameouts and unscheduled landings, one in Afghanistan, the other in California. In each case the AE 3007H engine shut down at around 65,000 ft. and the UAV glided to a safe engine-out landing. "Very unique things happen when the air gets very thin, and they cause any anomaly to be magnified," Jarvi says.
Engineers, technicians and managers on NASA's space shuttle program soon will be working on the shuttle-replacement effort too, as the agency struggles to cover expected but unrealized shuttle-retirement savings. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin estimates it will cost $3-5 billion more to finish flying the shuttle than originally estimated. The money isn't there, and Griffin wants more time to figure out how to make ends meet on his sweeping effort to redirect the U.S. space program beyond low Earth orbit.
Airbus is sending the A380 MSN 001 on its first intercontinental trip this week, showcasing it at various hubs in the Asia-Pacific, while the third aircraft, MSN 002, made its first flight late last week.
Former astronaut John B. Herrington has become vice president/director of flight systems/chief test pilot for the XP Spaceplane for Rocketplane Limited Inc. of Oklahoma City.
Safran's Labinal will supply electrical harnesses for the interior of Dassault's Falcon 7X business jet. The first installation is planned for next spring at Dassault Falcon's facility in Little Rock, Ark., and represents Labinal's first installation work in the U.S.
The FAA has decided to deploy Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) systems nationwide and eventually decommission hundreds of radars, breaking from more than 50 years of dependence on World War II-era technology.
News Breaks 26 Sikorsky buying Keystone helicopter completion and service companies 27 TSA to launch nationwide Registered Traveler program 28 AW&ST writer heads Indian aviation media group World News & Analysis 32 U.S. adds urgency to developing solution for electromagnetic confusion in Iraq 33 EA-6B to provide info warfare tactical, airborne, combat weapon 35 Top USAF scientist sheds light on weapons effects of AESA radars
USN Vice Adm. (ret.) Phillip M. Balisle has been named senior vice president-maritime strategic plans and programs for DRS Technologies Inc. in its Washington-area office. He was commander of the Naval Sea Systems Command.
The board of management of Brazil's financially struggling airline, Varig, has opted for a rescue plan presented by TAP Air Portugal. It calls for Varig to sell stakes in the VEM engineering and maintenance and VariLog logistics and cargo operations to TAP, to generate $62 million that can be used to satisfy immediate cash demands and continue operations. Moreover, Brazil's National Economic and Social Development Bank, in addition to external investors, will inject capital to the airline.
Canada's busiest airport, Toronto Pearson International, on Nov. 1 opened 10 additional gates at the new Terminal One. They will help "significantly reduce" the numbers of passengers who now require busing to gates at the infield terminal, according to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, the Pearson operator. The airport handled almost 29 million passengers in 2004, and forecasters predict that number will grow to 50 million by 2020. In 1998, Toronto Pearson launched a massive 10-year redevelopment program.
