If U.S. Air Force scientists and technologists fulfill service leaders' expectations, the day is fast approaching when combat forces will locate, track and engage a target in ways that immediately affect an enemy's actions--but without the adversary ever knowing.
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Starsem/PanAmSat says its Galaxy 14 communications satellite is set for launch atop Soyuz booster on the night of Aug. 12-13 from Baikonur, Kazakhstan, indicating that the Soyuz has been cleared for return to service by the Russian authorities. The rocket had been grounded following the June 21 failure of a Molniya-M, which uses the same first and second stages as Soyuz. In addition, the Russians authorized the shipment of the European Space Agency's Venus Express science spacecraft, which is also set to be launched on a Starsem/ Soyuz on Oct. 2.
Boeing has released BattleScape 3.4 Standard and BattleScape Developer Option--two new versions of its off-the-shelf visualization software that allows warfighters to track and monitor late-night skirmishes and view weather patterns. The program provides operators with model data of existing ground, air and space assets and simulates the addition of new assets into an environment. The tool also allows users to recognize and respond to risks as they develop.
U.S. Navy officials have unveiled plans to eliminate paper nautical charts throughout the fleet in favor of interactive electronic navigation systems under development by Northrop Grumman. The Electronic Chart Display and Information System operates using a global database of digital charts produced by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Early this summer, an Aegis-class guided missile cruiser became the first ship to navigate with the system, following its certification.
THE NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSN. is opposing a proposal in the highway spending bill that would change the tax rate on jet fuel. It would require business jet operators to pay taxes on diesel fuel and then apply for a refund for the difference between the highway rate and the tax rate for jet fuel. The proposal is intended to stop operators of diesel trucks from using jet fuel to avoid paying higher taxes, which the IRS says is a common practice. NBAA officials, however, say business aviation should not be included because it is not part of the problem.
"Welcome to Oshkosh, Red Cessna." Each year a large flock of migratory birds of all models and types fly into Wittman Regional Airport at Oshkosh, Wis., for a week-long airplane love fest, EAA AirVenture. And their safe arrival calls for air traffic control procedures unlike any in the world.
Astronomers estimate a large Kuiper Belt Object they've been studying is big enough to be a planet, and is probably bigger than Pluto. Based on brightness measurements, the object would be at least as big as the outermost named planet in the unlikely event that it is reflecting 100% of the sunlight that reaches it. But it is invisible to NASA's Spitzer infrared space telescope, which can see objects as small as about 2,000 mi. in diameter. The research team believes it is right at that limit, and larger than Pluto's 1,400-mi. diameter.
Michael A. Taverna (Paris), Douglas Barrie (London)
A U.K. row over extra development funding threatens to play further havoc with the Galileo satellite navigation system just as program leaders are moving to secure Chinese involvement in the undertaking.
Low-cost Canadian carrier WestJet Airlines is back in the black after two quarters of red ink, but investors aren't popping champagne corks. Its profit of C$2.3 million ($1.9 million), or 2 cents per share, for the quarter ended June 30 fell far short of analysts' consensus forecast of 14 cents per share. Quarterly revenues came in at C$325 million, a 27% increase from the same period a year earlier but lower than analysts had expected.
North Americans and Europeans are getting larger--well, fatter--a trend that might deprive one of them of a seat someday on a crowded, small aircraft. Carry-on items and checked luggage stored in aircraft cargo holds have grown heavier, too. The extra weights of people and baggage are increasing the payload and, in some cases, forcing operators to remove a seat or two from small aircraft to keep the weight within bounds. At times, because of the threat of excessive payload weight, cargo shipments are being held.
To the disappointment of the general aviation community and the surprise of no one, the FAA is moving to make permanent the full panoply of "temporary" flight restrictions it established in the Washington area after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Under a rulemaking set in motion last week, the agency would retain both the 15-mi.-radius Flight Restricted Zone (FRZ), generally inaccessible to private pilots, and the much larger Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), in which pre-cleared flight plans and transponder operations are required.
Among professional aviators, there's a well-worn saying: Flying is simply hours of boredom punctuated by moments of stark terror. And yet, I don't recall too many periods of boredom during my 30-year career with Lockheed, most of which was spent as a test pilot.
The U.S. Senate's aviation subcommittee recently held hearings on legislation (S-65) to change the rule requiring Part 121 airline pilots to retire at age 60. Pro and con arguments adapted from that testimony follow. The first by Dr. Jon L. Jordan, federal flight surgeon at the FAA, followed by Capt. Al Spain, senior vice president, operations, at JetBlue Airways.
Michael Mecham (San Francisco), Michael A. Dornheim (Los Angeles)
Boeing Phantom Works is encouraged by initial tests of an electric motor that can power a nosewheel for gate pushbacks and taxiing as a more efficient and less polluting way to move aircraft around airports.
Scientists are certain to want a closer look at an unnamed crater in the vast plains of northern Mars after Europe's Mars Express orbiter imaged what appears to be a glacial remnant there. Unlike Earthly glaciers, which tend to be found at higher elevations, the field of water ice at the bottom of a crater 2 km. (1.24 mi.) deep suggests the ice survives year-round because it receives some shade from the crater walls. Ice is also present on the southeast walls and rim of the crater, but not on the opposite side of the feature where the sunlight is more persistent.
The French defense ministry's accident bureau is investigating the crash of a Bombardier/Canadair CL-415 amphibian near Calvi, Corsica, on Aug. 1. The water bomber, which was fighting a major wildfire, lost its fuselage's aft section seconds before dropping its 1,412 gal. of water and fire retardant. Both pilots were killed. The pilots radioed no emergency message. Potential causes for the inflight breakup include proximity to burning trees or excessive airframe load. Civil security managers have grounded the remaining 10 CL-415s.
The Discovery crew's demonstration of two thermal protection techniques will advance materials technology development for a future shuttle in-orbit repair capability. There were specific chemistry-related vacuum, temperature and zero-g factors that had to be assessed with the materials.
Harris Corp. will replace 8,000 cathode ray tube displays used for voice communications by air traffic controllers in the U.S. with flat-panel displays under a $35-million contract modification with the FAA. The displays will improve voice communications management and cut life-cycle costs, Harris says. The systems will improve voice quality, enable controllers to easily reconfigure voice communications and provide operational availability greater than 0.9999999, Harris adds. The FAA agreement modifies an existing contract with Harris.
Dale P. Bennett (see photo) has been appointed president of Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training & Support, Orlando, Fla. He was head of the Integrated Coast Guard Systems joint venture responsible for the U.S. Coast Guard's Deepwater modernization program.
Surviving members of the Enola Gay crew, in observance of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, last week issued a joint statement reaffirming that none of them regret having dropped the world's first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, in hopes of expediting the end of the war. The second atomic bomb was dropped on Aug. 9. Brig. Gen. (ret.) Paul W.
