A decision by Eutelsat to issue an initial public offering could, paradoxically, confirm predictions of a near-term downturn in satellite orders, and suggests the satellite operator is positioning itself to take part in the new round of consolidation shaking the industry.
A 37-ft.-long scaled supersonic transport from Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has completed a 15-min., 22-sec. test of its aerodynamics that reached Mach 1.9-2, at Australia's Woomera Test Range. The $10-million test of the National Experimental Supersonic Transport on Oct. 10 involved a solid-rocket launcher boost to 12 mi. altitude before its glide descent. Landing was by parachute drop. JAXA's goal is development of an SST that can travel 2.5 times faster than today's Mach 8.2-8.5 commercial aircraft. The prototype's shape resembles that of the Concorde.
The first of France's new generation Syracuse 3 military communications satellites has been launched successfully on an Ariane 5 booster from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Also launched on the same mission on Oct. 13 was Galaxy 15, an Orbital Sciences Corp. spacecraft that will provide spare in-orbit capacity for PanAmSat's U.S. network.
Safran is looking to stronger commercial engine deliveries and some key defense activities in the second half of the year so it can meet full-year performance targets after a disappointing first half.
Judy F. Marks has become president of the Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Rockville, Md.-based Transportation and Security Solutions (TSS) business. She was executive vice president of TSS and had been president of Lockheed Martin Distribution Technologies.
Pilots for fractional ownership operator NetJets have reached a tentative agreement with management that would increase wages 40-60% based on years of service and types of airplanes flown. Contract negotiations with the Teamsters have been ongoing since 2001. More than 2,000 pilots fly for NetJets.
I am appalled that NASA's "best" plan for our next step "forward" in space is to reinvent Apollo, taking twice as long and spending several times the money as the original. A better plan would be to give 10% of the Apollo II budget to Burt Rutan to see what he can do with it. (NASA's plan actually will cost about 55% of the Apollo expense, in real terms--Ed.)
The first round of stealth testing of Northrop Grumman's X-47B unmanned combat aircraft has been completed at Lockheed Martin's Helendale, Calif., radar cross-section measurement facility. A key feature of the pole model is a full-scale, S-shaped inner exhaust module designed and built by Pratt & Whitney that cools the exhaust and prevents radar signals from being reflected by the engine. A simpler version of the angled exhaust is carried by the B-2 bomber.
Christopher G. Cook has been appointed vice president-financial planning and analysis and Jennifer L. Ryan an associate at The SMR Group Ltd., Wadsworth, Ohio. Cook was managing director of the Cleveland offices of American Express.
Eurofly plans a December stock issue, offering private and institutional investors a 30-40% share in the airline aimed at financing fleet expansion beyond the current 13 aircraft. Eurofly has had a difficult year, a result of tsunami in the Pacific and terrorist attacks at Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, which combined to depress revenue. Management hopes it can improve performance next year and return to 2004 levels, when the carrier recorded 252 million euros in revenue and a 6.8-million-euro profit.
David Castelveter has become vice president-communications for the Washington-based Air Transport Assn. He has been director of corporate communications for US Airways.
Looking around the corner or on the other side of a wall is increasingly high priority as urban street fighting becomes the norm for much of the fighting in Iraq. Even as the U.S. Army finished a week of showing off its latest weapons in Washington, the Pentagon had just completed demonstration of a system that uses several low-flying UAVs to provide front-line soldiers with real-time pictures over hand-held computers. Israel has developed a similar system that uses a wrist-mounted video for infantrymen.
Alaska Airlines is enhancing maintenance procedures for its MD-80s' horizontal-stablizer-trim jackscrew assemblies. They include use of digital cameras to document proper jackscrew lubrication and use of new end-play test equipment. The decision was prompted following the airline's inspection of its 26 MD-80s. Alaska ordered the check after maintenance workers reported finding insufficiently lubricated jackscrews on two aircraft (AW&ST Oct. 10, p. 34). The airline found one jackscrew assembly without sufficient lubrication.
Airbus CEO Gustav Humbert expects to open an engineering center in India in the next 12-18 months with operations similar to those the aircraft maker has in Russia, China and the U.S. Some of the work in India could focus on the A350, he indicated.
Departments 6 Correspondence 8-9 Who's Where 10 Market Focus 13 Industry Outlook 15 Airline Outlook 17 In Orbit 18-20 News Breaks 23 Washington Outlook 48 Inside Business Aviation 49 A European Perspective 63 Classified 64 Contact Us 65 Aerospace Calendar
World News Roundup 18 JAXA flight-tests prototype of supersonic transport 19 Ariane 5 launches first Syracuse 3 military communications satellite World News & Analysis 24 Airbus wants to use A350 to advance elements of supply chain strategy 26 Technology enhancements on agenda for Rolls-Royce Trent 1700 26 French seek to retain public backing for commercial aircraft systems 28 Airline woes may hinder Bombardier plan to launch C-Series
Chile's LAN Airlines has contracted to buy 25 Airbus A320-series aircraft, with 15 options. The deal includes A318s powered for the first time by Pratt & Whitney's PW6000 engine, which is expected to receive its certification before year-end.
More evidence of global warming comes from combined satellite data collected over the Arctic from a variety of orbiting platforms. The composite data show a dramatic decline in the sea ice surrounding the North Pole since 1979, which researchers attribute to a steady warming trend over the period. Loss of Europe's Cyrosat to a launch failure Oct. 8 will hamper scientists' ability to study the phenomenon in detail (see story p. 30). But the data from U.S.
The Bell Helicopter Textron/Boeing team, the most aggressive and vocal competitor for the U.S. Air Force's Combat-Search-and-Rescue mission, is showing signs it may back out of the competition to replace aging HH-60Gs, primarily because of the high cost.
Phillippe Willekens has been named executive director of the Paris-based International Aeronautics Federation. He was manager of the European Space Agency's Hands-on Education Projects for Students and was chairman of the IAF's Space and Education Committee.
Menashe Sagiv has become acting chief financial officer for Israel Aircraft Industries. He has been deputy corporate vice president-finance. Sagiv succeeds Abraham Knobel, who has resigned.
The Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (Jassm ER) will begin captive-carriage flight testing this month following wind tunnel tests with its new Williams International F107-WR-105 engines. Meanwhile, Senate appropriators have come to the program's rescue after a series of testing problems prompted House lawmakers to recommend termination.
Japan Airlines will be Boeing's first licensed customer for its Maintenance Performance Toolbox, an MRO troubleshooting software offered as an option for customers of MyBoeingFleet.com (AW&ST July 4, p. 58).
The Bush administration is hammering out the details of a U.S. response if an outbreak of an avian influenza pandemic occurs. While the Homeland Security Dept. "will be the overarching agency in charge," says Brian Doyle, a department spokesman, the Health and Human Services Dept. "will take the lead on anything health related." Specific roles for other entities such as the Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection are still being worked on, Doyle says.
