LOOK IT UP White House doors, closed for months on the U.S. space program's future direction, will eventually creak open. Sean O'Keefe, the logorrheic NASA administrator, promises the Columbia Accident Investigation Board will get the "fulsome debate" on human space exploration policy it urged when President Bush settles on a plan. There has been a "very thorough interagency process" growing out of the NASA strategic road map released two days after the Feb.
Michael Lombardi, Historian (The Boeing Co., Seattle, Wash.)
Your article "Betting on Suppliers" (AW&ST Oct. 27, p. 51) stated that "Boeing is taking a page from the Airbus playbook" in Boeing's proposal to use a 747-400 Super Guppy to transport subassemb- lies of the 7E7.
Los Angeles-based Senior Engineering Editor Michael A. Dornheim (center, background) observes a meeting of Mars Exploration Rover scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., during a practice session simulating operation of the MER-A rover (see p. 55). Scientists Benton Clark (left), Larry Haskin and Rob Sullivan are at the table facing the camera. The operational readiness test ran for five days on Mars time; note the blackout curtains to keep the Sun out when the resulting shifts are at odd hours.
France and the Netherlands have agreed to jointly assess the feasibility of a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) UAV program. The two countries will evaluate interim systems next year with the objective of fielding a joint MALE system for intelligence, targeting and communications applications by 2009. Spain also has signaled interest in cooperating in the MALE project, which will be open to other European countries.
Former U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. (ret.) Eric K. Shinseki has been appointed to the board of directors of Morris Township, N.J.-based Honeywell International.
One way to help reduce the time-critical targeting concerns--as expressed by the U.S. assistant deputy undersecretary of Defense for precision engagement regard- ing collateral damage, target information latency and the associated risk of target location error (AW&ST Oct. 6, p. 50)--would be to quickly field the capability developed in the Affordable Moving Surface Target Engagement (AMSTE) program.
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority last week unveiled Toronto Pearson International Airport's new Terminal 1 (T1), which will replace the old facility by the same name and become operational by April 2004. Under construction for five years, the new T1 marks completion of the first phase of the authority's 10-year, C$4.4-billion ($3.4-billion) Airport Development Project.
DRAIN TO SUSTAIN NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineers are tuning Mars Exploration Rover commands used in the final approach to the planet to cater to a recently discovered minor problem with the battery, which activates once the entry module separates from the solar cells on the cruise stage 15 min. before entry. Measurements indicate a passivation layer has formed around the battery anode, which may cause an unwanted voltage dip when current is first drawn.
Spurred by $26-million third-quarter profit, Malaysia Airlines has expansion plans that include acquiring five Airbus A330s over the next four months to add capacity to China, India, Japan, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Two aircraft are to be delivered later this month, the rest in late March.
A team of Northrop Grumman and Raytheon will design the Pentagon's kinetic energy boost-phase-intercept weapon, the system that would have first shot at knocking down an opponent's ballistic missiles.
Technicians assemble NigeriaSat-1 at the Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. plant in Guildford, U.K., prior to its September launch on a Russian Cosmos-3M rocket. The low cost and relative simplicity of small satellites allow developing nations such as Nigeria to own functioning spacecraft--in this case for Earth observation and disaster management--and to employ local engineers and technicians to operate them. Launch costs have inhibited wider application of smallsats, but that is changing as the U.S. military shows an interest in the technology (see p. 46). SSTL photo.
TO THE POINT A nose-cone from the recently retired Concorde was purchased for 320,000 pounds ($552,240) at auction in London last week--nearly 10 times the expected price. In a frantic transatlantic bidding war, the distinctive icon was bought by Hungarian-born, U.S.-based civil engineer Ferenc Gaspar, a Concorde fan, who said he got a bargain. The SST's airspeed indicator, priced at 1,200 pounds to open, sold for 10,000 pounds. Similar stratospheric prices were reached at an earlier auction of Concorde parts in Paris.
Frances Fiorino (Toulouse), William Dennis (Kuala Lumpur)
The U.K.-Hong Kong liberalized air services agreement has spiked competition fever among airlines operating on the London-Sydney route, but the European Commission's decision on the pact will set the pace of the contest as well as a precedent for future deals by individual European Union members. The Nov. 27 accord between the two governments granted Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways beyond rights from London to New York, and Virgin Atlantic Airways the right to operate from London Heathrow via Hong Kong to Sydney.
WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP 18 First hover flight for Dragon- fly canard rotor-wing demo 19 Initial GoldenEye-50 UAV due for assembly by year-end 19 U.K. carriers fear changes to Heathrow third runway plan WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS 22 Boeing shakeup addresses some of company's issues 26 Boeing expects to launch 747-400 Special Freighter 27 Airbus claims victory in battle against A380's tonnage 28 Northrop-Raytheon team snags missile defense project
The Vietnamese air force is to acquire further Sukhoi Flanker aircraft, with plans to order four of the Su-30MKK multirole fighter standard originally developed for China. The aircraft would be built at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur plant.
MIND YOUR BUSINESS (FARES) Two former chairmen of the board that governs the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport have launched an e-mail campaign aimed at attracting AirTran Airways to the facility as an alternative, at least for business travel, to dominant Delta Air Lines.
The U.S. renewed its criticism of a European initiative to set up a military command separate from NATO, although the tone of the attacks appeared to signal a willingness to live with some form of the British-brokered initiative.
OFFICIALS OF THE GENERAL AVIATION MANUFACTURERS ASSN. are calling on Congress to extend bonus depreciation of capital equipment, which includes business jets, beyond next year's deadline. The incentive is a key part of the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 and allows companies to depreciate an additional 50% of new equipment in the first year of ownership. According to GAMA, the rule has resulted in a 43% increase in orders for general aviation aircraft. To qualify for the incentive, however, equipment must be purchased and enter service before Jan.
General Electric is combining its rail and aircraft engine businesses to form a new organization, GE Transportation. The consolidated group will be headquartered in Evendale, Ohio, and led by David Calhoun, formerly president/CEO of GE Aircraft Engines. GE is carrying out the reorganization to simplify business structure and reduce staffing through centralization.
With publication of a key U.K. commercial air transport policy document due this month, political maneuvering is intensifying, with national carriers voicing concern that the government could opt against development of a third runway at London Heathrow Airport.
SCHOOL PAD The Florida Space Authority and two central Florida universities have formally taken over Launch Complex 47 at Cape Canaveral from the Air Force to launch Super Loki sounding rockets for educational purposes. Under space authority auspices, the University of Central Florida and its Florida Space Institute, as well as Brevard Community College, will use the pad for educational programs ranging from basic electronic system maintenance to the preparation of Super Loki rockets and their payloads. The rockets can loft small sensor packages to 50-55-mi. altitude.
Martin C. White has become senior vice president-marketing for United Airlines. He has been senior vice president-marketing and sales for Vail Resorts Inc. and was vice president-consumer marketing for Delta Air Lines. Marian Durkin has been promoted to vice president/deputy general counsel/assistant corporate secretary from deputy general counsel and Kathryn Mikells to vice president of corporate real estate from director of corporate planning.
NORAD-PLUS Working with Canada to monitor air space may no longer be enough to satisfy U.S. security demands, setting the stage for a possible expansion of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad). The U.S. and Canada have convened a bilateral panel to discuss closer cooperation tracking maritime traffic as well, a role that could eventually be folded into Norad, says Army Lt. Gen. Edward G. Anderson, deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command. Talks are also underway to bring Mexico into the fold, creating a true "North American" organization.
Jon C. Jones has been named vice president of the Raytheon Co.'s Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz. He was vice president for the Strike product line. Jones succeeds Jerry Lockard, who has been appointed to a multi-functional executive team, the Raytheon Co. Evaluation Team. Jones has been succeeded at Missile Systems by Harry Schulte, who was senior procurement executive for the United States Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, Fla. Donald M. Targoff has been promoted to vice president for air-to-air missiles from deputy to the vice president-advanced programs.
