Russia sent the unmanned Progress 18 spacecraft toward a June 18 docking with the International Space Station, after a nominal launch at 7:09 p.m. EDT on June 16. The vehicle's cargo included oxygen supplies that would be critical for the space shuttle Discovery's planned flight in mid-July. The station's Elektron oxygen-generation system remains inoperative and in need of repair, forcing cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev and astronaut John Phillips to use oxygen candles and bottled oxygen to replenish the atmosphere. Without the 242 lb.
As for the unlimited support from U.S. Rep. John Mica in his Commentary regarding the arming of pilots and his statement that it had improved security, I disagree.
Scientists on the Cassini mission to Saturn plan to use the spacecraft's Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) next year for nighttime imaging of a mysterious bright spot on the surface of Titan in an effort to learn more about its cause. In March and April, the VIMS detected the 483-km.-(300-mi.) wide spot near the Xanadu region of the cloudy moon, where visible light measurements on earlier flybys found a bright semicircle of comparable size.
M7 Aerospace has delivered the 20th ATR 42 regional airliner converted from passenger to freight configuration at its San Antonio MRO facilities, according to the specifications of the company's proprietary Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). M7 is currently developing an additional STC to likewise convert ATR 72s and expects FAA approval for ATR 72 certification in the coming weeks.
In another consolidation move, European missile consortium MBDA finally closed a deal to buy EADS guided weapons unit LFK. The move gives MBDA a foothold in the German defense market.
Don't look for NASA to follow all the recommendations of the presidential commission set up under former Defense Undersecretary Edward C. (Pete) Aldridge to guide implementation of President Bush's exploration policy. After touring the agency's field centers, Administrator Griffin is decidedly lukewarm on the commission recommendation that some centers might better operate as Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (AW&ST May 10, 2004, p. 24).
A series of flight tests was recently completed on Danish F-16 fighters fitted with EADS' AAR-60 Missile Launch Detection System (Milds). The ultra-violet-light missile warner was first developed for helicopters, but modified into the AAR-60(V)2 Milds-F for fighter applications. The four flights included testing at supersonic, afterburner operations and flying at high altitude. Recorded data from the test is now being analyzed to prepare the system for proper flight trials in about a year.
Any carrier wanting to fly the new Airbus A380 in U.S. airspace would have to equip it with defenses against surface-to-air missiles under legislation introduced by Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), chairman of the House aviation subcommittee. He wants to require an anti-missile system on the 800-passenger European aircraft within two years of a defensive system's certification. Mica says 27 non-governmental entities, including Al Qaeda, have shoulder-fired anti-aircraft weapons.
GE Commercial Aviation Services (Gecas), a unit of GE Commercial Finance, is opening offices in Mexico City, New Delhi, Sao Paulo, Shanghai and Toronto. "With the growth of the airline industry outside the U.S., we wanted to be able to respond more quickly to customer needs," said Norman Liu, executive vice president, commercial operations. Gecas has also announced an expansion of its passenger-to-freighter conversion program to include four Boeing 747-400 freighters. Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) will convert the aircraft.
Jan Van Doorn has become director of the Eurocontrol Experimental Center. He was manager of research and development coordination and validation. Van Doorn succeeds Jean-Marc Garot.
When is an aircraft part just a part and not a whole? That's a question that rattles Jack Buster, owner of Aviation Data Research near Medford, Ore., who keeps track of parts produced under the FAA's Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) authority. This is the process under which the FAA approves a design by third-party parts makers for production of an aircraft part. PMA parts serve as spares in equipment manufactured by type certificate holders or original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). They are usually cheaper than OEM-produced parts.
George Muellner, Boeing's Air Force Systems vice president, says he "can't think of a more ludicrous" idea than a split-contract concept floated in the Pentagon for the beleaguered Air Force refueling tanker recapitalization. One concept for replacing the aging KC-135 fleet that has gained some attention in the building would have the government buy unmodified jets from either Airbus or Boeing and then hire a different company to modify the plane. "Nobody could afford that," Muellner says, arguing that the approach would add unnecessary complexity and risk.
The European Commission and Eurocontrol have issued a contract for definition of Sesame, a master plan to harmonize Europe's hodgepodge of ATM systems and make them fully interoperable. The 60-million-euro ($72-million), 18-month project will be conducted by a consortium of airlines and airline associations, airports, air navigation service providers and industry, led by the Air Traffic Alliance, a joint venture of Airbus, Thales and EADS.
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Austrian Airlines will be the fifth Star Alliance member to use high-speed Internet services from Connexion by Boeing. Initial installations will be on seven 777s and three 767s, with an undisclosed number of options. Star members Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Asiana and SAS also are Connexion customers. Meanwhile, TK Shipping will become the first maritime user of Connexion by Boeing Maritime Service, a spinoff of its aircraft broadband service.
The U.S. Army has awarded Smiths Aerospace a $4-million contract to provide its new-generation cockpit voice and data recorder systems for the service's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment MH-47 Chinook, MH-60 Black Hawk and U.S. Coast Guard HH-60 Jay Hawk and HH-65 Dolphin helicopters (shown). The crash-survivable recorders are designed and manufactured at Smiths' facility in Michigan, and deliveries are expected to be completed this year.
USAF Brig. Gen. Dana T. Atkins is among the officers of his rank who have been nominated for promotion. He is vice commander of the Seventh Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Osan AB, South Korea. Others are: Ted F. Bowlds, deputy for acquisition at the Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; Philip M. Breedlove, commander of the 31st Fighter Wing, United States Air Forces in Europe, Aviano AB, Italy; David E.
The five Bell AH-1Z and UH-1Y helicopters undergoing flight testing at NAS Patuxent River, Md., have accumulated more than 3,000 hr. in the air since the first aircraft flew in December 2000. Both the AH-1Z and UH-1Y are being remanufactured from AH-1W and UH-1N airframes under the H-1 modification program. The test aircraft are preparing to enter operational evaluation by the U.S. Marine Corps this summer. According to Bell Helicopter Textron, the test fleet has fired more than 2,000 2.75-in.
Safran has acquired 100% control of SMA, a startup founded with EADS and Renault that is tasked with developing Jet-A diesel engines for the light aviation industry.
Frank Morring, Jr. (Washington), Michael A. Taverna (Paris)
Two teams headed by three U.S. aerospace giants will prepare bids for the planned Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) that will replace the space shuttle and eventually carry humans to the Moon and Mars.
Boeing has completed the sale of its commercial aircraft operations at Wichita, Kan., and Tulsa and Mc- Alester, Okla., to Onex Corp. The sale does not affect Boeing Integrated Defense Systems operations in Wichita or Oklahoma.
U.S. Special Operations Command has awarded three contracts worth up to $100 million each for "media approach planning" and product development and dissemination as well as "media effects analysis" for the Joint Psychological Operations Support element and other government agencies to SYColeman Inc., Lincoln Group and SAIC, all of Washington. The work is scheduled to continue through June 6, 2010.
Firth Rixson Ltd. will set up the first Western-owned facility in China to produce seamless forged rings for aircraft engines. The 50,000-sq.-ft. plant near Shanghai is expected to begin commercial production later this year. The plant will generate offset credits that Firth Rixson's customers need to sell their products in China. Labor costs--which account for 12% of the rings' expenses--were not a factor, company executives say. Firth Rixson is owned by The Carlyle Group.
The long-predicted UAV explosion finally hits. New UAV squadrons, to be operated by the Air National Guard in the border states of New York, Arizona, Texas and North Dakota (among others), are expected to carry an increasing share of the homeland defense burden, by monitoring illegal immigration, and provide operational relief in combat for overworked active-duty UAV units. Even with the Air Guard support, the U.S. Air Force will quickly double its three Predator UAV squadrons to six.
