Bonnie Dalton, who is deputy director of the Science Directorate at the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., has received the 2005 Jeffries Aerospace Medicine and Life Sciences Research Award from the Reston, Va.-based American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). She was recognized for leadership of groundbreaking flight experiments and payloads in space biology for the past three decades. Ghanshyam P.
On June 29, for the second time in as many months, we forced lawmakers to scramble from the Capitol because pilots violated restricted airspace around Washington (AW&ST July 4, p. 20). In the meantime, with each violation our capital is disrupted, Homeland Security forces are risking their lives and spending precious resources, and everyone under the flight-path is at risk.
George H. Ebbs, Jr. (see photo), president of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla., has received the 2005 Gen. Lewis H. Brereton Award from the Florida state organization of the Air Force Assn. The award is presented annually to a Florida civilian for contributions to the aerospace defense of the U.S. Ebbs is an AFA patron and a recent presidential adviser to the group's Aerospace Education Foundation.
China is in line to buy even more defense equipment from Russia this year and could take other steps to significantly bolster its military capability, the Pentagon predicts in its annual, congressionally mandated report on Beijing's military activity.
The French military is expected to use an emerging space-based electronic intelligence technology demonstrator to help determine future operational requirements.
The U.S. military has begun shifting people and equipment to Kigali, Rwanda, to support the African Union's military mission in the Darfur region of Sudan. A C-17 has been deployed from Ramstein AB, Ger-many, to Rwanda to set help set up a logistics hub, from which three U.S. Air Forces Europe C-130s will move people and supplies into Darfur.
To suggest, as Roger T. Horrell does in his letter (AW&ST June 20, p. 6), that deregulation is in any way responsible for airline industry problems is pure folly. Since deregulation, the real cost of airline travel has plummeted, allowing huge numbers of Americans to travel who otherwise would be unable to afford to do so. Air travel in the U.S. has risen 250% since 1978, and that would not have happened if the government were still regulating the industry. Last year, U.S. airlines carried 635 million people with unprecedented safety and reliability.
A Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon broke the display altitude "floor" while being flown on the practice day of the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, England, on July 15. The Typhoon appeared to be within 30 ft. of the ground before beginning to climb out on full afterburner.
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Turkey has completed acquisition plans for 10 Alenia Aeronautica ATR 72ASW aircraft under a $219-million contract that calls for initial deliveries in 2010. Launch customer Turkey announced its intent to use the aircraft by the navy and coast guard for maritime patrol use earlier this year.
Boeing is receiving more positive feedback from airlines on the 747 Advanced, a stretched 747-400. Cargolux, Europe's biggest dedicated freight carrier, says it's ready to enter negotiations for the Advance, and British Airways says the Advanced is a contender against the Airbus A380 for future long-haul fleet upgrades, although BA won't complete the process for several years. Boeing is likely to launch the Advanced by the early fall.
The FAA has certified the Bell 210 helicopter. Initial deliveries are set to begin in November. The 210 uses a rotor system from the Bell 212 and is powered by a Honeywell T-53-517BCV turboshaft engine. In related activity, Bell has delivered the first of six 206L-4 LongRangers to Rotorcraft Leasing Co. for flight operations to and from oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.
Hong Kong-based AsiaSat has distributed requests for proposals for AsiaSat 5, intended as a "new generation" replacement for AsiaSat 2. AsiaSat 5 is to be launched for an entry into service in 2008 at the 100.5 deg. E. Long. orbital location now held by AsiaSat 2. AsiaSat CEO Peter Jackson says getting a three-year jump on AsiaSat 2's replacement will give the company a chance to launch early, should that satellite not achieve its 13-year life expectancy. AsiaSat also operates AsiaSat 3S and AsiaSat 4 for broadcast and telecommunications services.
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SES Astra has bought a Eurostar E3000 spacecraft from EADS Astrium as its planned Astra 1M replacement satellite for the 19.2 deg. E. Long. orbital slot. The EADS unit will also supply the payload, which will include 36 transponders for broadcasting services, including high-definition television and broadband. Positioning the spacecraft at 19.2 deg. E. will allow SES Astra to shift its Astra 2C bird to 28.2 from 19.2 deg. E. Long., where it will support the growing HDTV market in the U.K. and Ireland.
Edmund (Kip) Hawley is a step closer to confirmation as the fourth head of the Transportation Security Administration since its creation in 2001. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved his nomination last week. No word yet on when the nomination will move to the full Senate for a confirmation vote.
American Honda's HondaJet flies over the countryside near Greensboro, N.C. Cessna Aircraft, Embraer, Eclipse Aviation and Adam Aircraft also are developing small, turbofan-powered airplanes for the new very light jet market (see p. 44). The twin-engine HondaJet has been in development since late 2003 and will make its public debut this week at the Experimental Aircraft Assn.'s AirVenture 2005 sport aircraft exhibition in Oshkosh, Wis. Mike Fizer photo.
Frank Homan, General Electric's general manager of the GE-Snecma CFM engine program in its early and middle stages, died July 16 from prostate cancer at home in Cincinnati. The GE Hall of Fame executive and French Legion of Honor recipient was 78. Homan was born in 1927 in Ulm, Germany. Under threats from the Nazi government, the family fled to Paris in 1934. When the German army occupied that city, Homan and members of his family were sent to concentration camps. Each was later released. In 1948, Homan emigrated to the U.S.
John Tejada has been appointed optical designer for Janos Technology Inc., Keene, N.H. He was senior optical scientist at Insight Technology Inc., Londonderry, N.H.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Henry Obering, Missile Defense Agency director, is cautious at best about the future for Boeing's Airborne Laser (ABL), which is designed to destroy long-range ballistic missiles in their boost phase. Boeing conducted a conference call earlier this month to tell reporters that expected snags in the program had not materialized, sparking some optimism. But Obering told reporters last week he doesn't "paint as rosy a picture on ABL . . . .
The British government's Defense Export Sales Organization (DESO) and Transparency International held a one-day conference in London this month to initiate discussions about anti-corruption measures in the arms trade. Transparency International is a nongovernmental organization that is pressing for measures to minimize arms sales transgressions.
Ongoing problems with Ariane 5 launcher preparation facilities have forced Arianespace to extend the delay in its launch of the Ipstar satellite. A new launch date is set to be announced this week.
French military procurement agency DGA is starting a launch demonstration program for the third stage of a strategic ballistic missile. Budget and schedule are still being determined. EADS Space Transportation will serve as the prime contractor, with G2P--a joint venture of Safran and European Energetic Corp. (which includes France's former SNPE)--to produce the ballistic vehicle. The effort is supposed to explore technologies for a future submarine-launched ballistic missile and help maintain France's technical expertise in the area.
The FAA would get $14.3 billion in Fiscal 2006 under a Transportation Dept. spending bill approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee. The bill now moves to the floor for full Senate action. The FAA allotment is $463 million more than the agency received from Congress in Fiscal 2005. The House version of the bill, which included $14.4 billion for the FAA, passed June 30.
Don't look for action until September, at the earliest, on amending the Iran Non-proliferation Act so NASA can buy seats on Russia's International Space Station lifeboat. That's cutting it pretty close, because the final Soyuz launch under the old barter agreement is scheduled for Sept. 27. Once that Soyuz returns to Earth in April 2006, NASA astronauts won't be able to stay on the ISS when space shuttles aren't present unless the law is amended (AW&ST July 18, p. 21).
