NASA has transferred leadership of the X-37 program to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), after finding that the reusable launch vehicle technology demonstrator does not fit agency goals. In particular, NASA is no longer focused on reusable launch vehicles, an agency official said.
India has cleared an indigenous Airborne Early Warning and Control System for development within seven years. The Defense Research and Development Organization and Indian air force will cooperate on the program. The approval has restored one of India's most ambitious defense research projects, which was shelved when, in 1999, a rotodome mounted on an HS-178 Avro dismounted and struck the tail, resulting in a crash that killed eight. India recently agreed to mount Israeli Phalcon radar systems on a Russian Ilyushin Il-76, using Indian avionics.
France's descending star in combat aircraft may begin to rise again with improved prospects for domestic and export sales of its fourth-generation Rafale fighter, and near-agreement on partnerships for a French-led unmanned combat aircraft program.
Alvaro de Souza and Antonio Kandir have been named to the board of directors of Brazil-based GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes. De Souza is the former CEO of Citibank in Brazil, while Kandir is a partner and director of Banco Ribeirao Preto.
The Federal Air Marshal Service will be reviewing the background checks of all its armed agents over the next two months to ensure they are qualified under background screening criteria for law-enforcement officers.
In an effort to bolster innovation from defense suppliers, the Pentagon is establishing a funding stream to promote new ideas. The goal is a "capability to monitor constantly emerging defense suppliers that have products and technologies mature enough to be injected in ongoing programs," says Suzanne D. Patrick, deputy undersecretary of Defense for industrial policy. The so-called Innovation Clearing House would be able to provide money to one or several defense programs to embrace new technology that might languish otherwise.
Boeing has received an $891.6-million support contract for U.S. Air Force C-17s. It is the first of four options the company has for the logistics work, which could total $4.9 billion with all options exercised.
American Airlines says its fuel cost increases in the third quarter, from $1.18 per gallon in July to $1.27 estimated for August and $1.31 for September, means its expenses for the quarter will be more than $300 million higher than they would have been at last year's prices, and about $1 billion higher for full-year 2004. United Airlines reports that fuel costs held its net profit for July down to $6 million, even though July normally is one of United's best months of the year.
Korean Air Chairman and CEO Yang Ho Cho has been awarded the title of commandeur in France's Legion D'Honneur, which is considered one of that country's highest civilian honors. Cho was recognized for his contributions to France and the South Korea-France relationship as chairman of the France-Korea High-Level Businessmen's Club and for being instrumental in creating the SkyTeam alliance with Air France.
Bruce Mahone has been named assistant vice president-technical operations for the Washington-based Aerospace Industries Assn. He has been director of space policy.
The job of avoiding thunderstorms is getting easier in airline cockpits thanks to a new type of radar that automatically optimizes weather returns and then eliminates ground returns so that only convective cells ahead are displayed.
Eckhard Breuer has been appointed business aircraft sales director for Germany and Austria and Christophe Degoumois for Russia and Eastern Europe for Bombardier Aerospace. Breuer was head of sales and marketing at CAE Elektronik GmbH. He succeeds Peter Otto, who has retired.
They aren't flying yet, but members of the science and engineering team working on the U.S.-German Sofia airborne infrared observatory have made their first notations. Sofia, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy under development by NASA and Germany's DLR space agency, is a converted Boeing 747SP that will carry a 2.5-meter (98.4-in.) infrared telescope for operations at 40,000 ft. (AW&ST Oct. 23, 2000, p. 90). Shown below in the aircraft's aft observation cavity, the telescope is under the red cover.
The first lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle for use by an individual is far along in the design process by Cyber Aerospace Corp. The company plans to produce two standardized units to accommodate small- and large-dimensioned payloads of up to 30 lb.
The nation's top aerospace companies are lining up for major competitions over who will integrate the command and control systems for the increasingly important markets of electronic surveillance and attack.
Barry Blanding has been named vice president-operations of SimAuthor Inc., Boulder, Colo. He has been head of simulator engineering and manufacturing for several companies.
Five foreign militaries and the U.S. Marine Corps are coming into the U.S. Coast Guard-led Eagle Eye UAV project, raising the prospect they will buy the unmanned Bell Helicopter Textron tiltrotor. Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the U.K. have shipboard applications in mind in most cases, says Coast Guard Cdr. Melissa Bulkley, air lead in the service's Deepwater program.
If there is another 9/11-style hijacking, there probably will be pressure to fit airliners with devices to foil a takeover of controls, according to Gen. Ed Eberhart, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and Northern Command.
for Boeing 737-700s will go to AeroMexico, eight as purchases and two as leases, the airframer says. Deliveries will start in December 2005. The carrier will receive the last of an earlier order for 15 737s in November. Similarly, Panamanian carrier Copa will buy two 737-700s for delivery in 2006 and will take one -700 and one -800 from leasing companies next year. It already flies 20 737-700/800s.
One of the instruments on board the Cassini probe has given the best picture yet of the temperature fluctuations across Saturn's famous rings as measured from the unlit side. This false-color image combines a Cassini view of the rings with temperature data collected by the spacecraft's composite infrared spectrometer. Temperatures range from the warmest regions in red, at 110K, to the coldest in blue at 70K. The green rings measured about 90K. Opaque regions are cooler because they block more light, while the warmest regions are transparent.
THE AGENCY FOR THE SAFETY OF AERIAL NAVIGATION in Africa and Madagascar (Asecna) has awarded Thales a 20-million-euro ($24-million) turnkey contract to supply and install four air traffic management systems, each with a monopulse Mode S secondary surveillance radar. Asecna controls airspace 1.5 times the size of Europe, and represents 16 member countries--14 western and central African nations, as well as Madagascar and France. Receiving the ATM systems will be Dakar, Senegal; Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Brazzaville, Congo Republic; and Niamey, Niger.
The Star Alliance is expanding its Central European connections with the inclusion of Adria Airways, Slovenia's national airline, and Croatia Airlines. The two are being sponsored as regional affiliates by Star founding member Lufthansa German Airlines. Earlier this year, SAS Scandinavian Airlines sponsored Finland's Blue1 as Star's first regional affiliate. Sponsors represent regional affiliates in the alliance. Passengers flying on the regionals have Star lounge access, frequent-flier benefits and through check-in services.
THE INTEGRATED STANDBY FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS for the new Boeing 7E7 will be provided by Thales. An LCD will show pitch and roll attitude, heading, airspeed and altitude, and landing approach deviations in a format similar to the primary flight displays. Boeing had previously selected Thales to supply the 7E7's electrical power conversion system.
San Diego-based Titan Corp. has received a contract to provide support services under the U.S. Air Force Electronic System Center's Information Technology Services Program. The value for the work through 2006 could reach $26 million with all options exercised.
