NASA space shuttle officials expect to add a second "return-to-flight" mission before resuming complex operations at the International Space Station, which would push major ISS assembly out a few months, to two missions beyond first flight.
Anteon International Corp. is reaping rewards from Lockheed Martin Corp.'s proposed acquisition of Titan Corp. (see p. 37). The fast-growing government IT services company, whose revenues this year will be around $1 billion, was able to price the sale of 6.6 million shares in a secondary offering at 33.80 last week. Before Lockheed's announcement on Monday, Anteon's stock already was selling for a lofty 31.65 a share.
The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is funding an unusual two-stage space launcher called Rascal (Responsive Access Small Cargo Affordable Launch). Half reusable aircraft and half expandable, the system is aimed at delivering small payloads quickly into Sun-synchronous orbit (p. 48).
HUSHED SUCCESS Efforts to harness the sonic boom appear to be bearing fruit. In flight tests, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), NASA and Northrop Grumman were able to use a modified F-5E to shape a sonic boom while flying at Mach 1.36 and 32,000 ft. Tests also showed the pressure of the sonic boom as measured on the ground to have been reduced to 0.8 psi., compared with 1.2 psi. for an unmodified F-5E. Flight testing took place last month at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB, Calif.
As I reflect on my time as the deputy secretary of Defense, I am often reminded of how isolated I was in that position. I had a fabulous staff. I was never denied anything I requested. Organizations and individuals actively sought to get on my calendar to tell me of their work. Having said that, anyone who serves in these positions is very isolated. This is a product of several factors.
CYBER COMMAND Northrop Grumman has activated its Bethpage, N.Y., node of the company's Cyber Warfare Integration Network (CWIN), which will allow Integrated Systems engineers to model, simulate and analyze military concepts of operation in a variety of complex environments. For example, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities can be evaluated in real time against actual or virtual forces operating at training centers or generated at other CWIN labs in company and customer facilities.
Northrop Grumman has signed a $160-million contract with Boeing to deliver four multirole electronically scanned array radar systems for Turkey's Peace Eagle 737 airborne early warning and control aircraft program.
XM-4 PAYLOAD Boeing has selected Alcatel Space to provide the broadcasting payload for a new ground spare to be built for XM Radio. The new spacecraft, XM-4, will replace XM-3, which is to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2004 to back up the first two units in the digital audio radio system. Those spacecraft are degrading rapidly due to solar panel problems (AW&ST Aug. 18, p. 21). Alcatel also built the payloads for the first three spacecraft, which derive from technology originally devised for the WorldSpace fixed audio radio network.
To submit Aerospace Calendar Listings, Call +1 (212) 904-2421 Fax +1 (212) 904-6068 e-mail: [email protected] Oct. 1-2--SMI Conference on Military Airlift and Tankers. Also, Oct. 6-7--Air C 4I. The Hatton, London. Call +44 (207) 827-6192 or see www.smi-online.co.uk Oct. 7-9--National Business Aviation Assn.'s 56th Meeting & Convention. Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla. Call +1 (202) 783-9364, fax +1 (202) 331-8364 or see www.nbaa.org
MOTOR TEST ATK Thiokol Propulsion tested a new solid-fuel rocket motor on the Aug. 16 flight of Orbital Sciences Corp.'s prototype missile defense boost vehicle, building on work originally done for Orbital's Taurus launch vehicle. The 50SLXLG motor is a stretched version of the Taurus first stage, with more solid propellant to increase performance. For the first silo launch of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, the new first-stage motor carried a shortened exit cone and a new thermal blanket/aft skirt, and a new thrust-vector actuation system.
THE SHORT OF IT . . . As the FAA's current authorization ebbs toward its Sept. 30 expiration and the four-year reauthorization remains at a congressional impasse, Sen. John Rockefeller IV introduces a stopgap, six-month reauthorization that would "give us time to sort things out." Rockefeller, senior Democrat (W. Va.) on the Senate Commerce aviation subcommittee, says the temporary bill would preserve core functions and isn't controversial, but it would stay on the labor side of the key issue.
BIG BIRD Eutelsat's new Hotbird 8 will be the largest satellite ever built for the Paris-based operator. Ordered from EADS Astrium for Eutelsat's broadcasting neighborhood at 13 deg. E. Long., the spacecraft will weigh in at almost 5 metric tons. With an end-of-life power rating of 14 kw., Hotbird 8 will carry 64 transponders, of which 58 will be capable of operating at full power for virtually all of the satellite's lifetime. Designed to cover Eutelsat's entire K u-band requirement at 13 deg.
FLYING LOW Alaska Airlines' subsidiary Horizon Air is the first operator to obtain FAA certification to fly single-engine Category 3 approaches using its Rockwell Collins Flight Dynamics HGS-4200 Head-up Guidance System on its Bombardier Q400 fleet. Horizon can now designate Cat. 3 airports as alternatives with ceilings as low as 200 ft. and 1,800-ft.-runway visual range. The 62-aircraft fleet will have HGS by December.
WORLD NEWS ROUNDUP 18 Low-cost UAV shows long- endurance capabilities 19 Shareholders weigh in on Air Canada fleet expansion WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS 22 Air France and KLM plan merger-like partnership 24 NASA expects to add second 'return-to-flight' mission 25 ISS 'safe haven,' Discovery repairs drive shuttle plan 26 End for Galileo spacecraft's 2.8-billion-mile journey 27 Israel emerges as India's sec- ond largest weapons supplier
PROTECTING THE FATHERLAND After witnessing the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackings in the U.S. and suffering its own incident in which the pilot of a stolen airplane threatened to fly into a building, the German government has set up a system to track and potentially deal with such events. Earlier this summer, operations began at a national air policing center in Kalkar, where personnel can monitor information from military and civil air traffic systems, as well as other sources, says Lt. Gen. Gerhard Back, German air force chief of staff.
NICE TRY The General Accounting Office has denied Accurate Automation's bid protest on the U.S. Air Force Miniature Air-Launched Decoy (MALD) project. The small NASA contractor argued that its proposal received an unfair evaluation and called on the GAO to overturn the Air Force decision to award the project to Raytheon. The hopes of company officials were elevated when they got a rare hearing by the GAO, which often presages a ruling in favor of the complainant.
Walter P. Havenstein (see photo) has been appointed executive vice president of BAE Systems North America, Rockville, Md. He has been president of BAE's Information and Electronic Warfare Systems, Nashua, N.H. Paul Clark has been named vice president-homeland security. He was vice president-business development for BAE's Information and Electronic Systems Integration Center in Washington.
William R. Adams (see photo), who is vice president-airborne surveillance systems in the Baltimore-based Northrop Grumman Corp. Electronic Systems Sector, has been appointed head of the company's Aerial Common Sensor program team that is competing for the next phase of development of the U.S. Army's next-generation airborne multi-intelligence collection system.
Jordan is considering buying more Eurocopter EC635s, says Jordanian Royal Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Prince Feisal Bin Al Hussein. The kingdom has already fielded nine of the light twin-engine helos.
TRINATIONAL TRIALS The mobile launcher for the trinational Meads air and missile defense system completed acceptance tests in Brescia, Italy. Trials included loading and offloading Patriot PAC-3 missiles, the interceptor to be used on the U.S.-German-Italian project. The launcher is designed to roll on and off a C-130 or A400 transport aircraft.
U.S. soldiers in Iraq are about to receive a new intelligence-gathering tool, a small, hand-launched unmanned aircraft that could prove useful in trying to thwart the persistent insurgent attacks military forces are exposed to.
Hiram A. Cox (see photo) has become chief administrative officer of the SMS Holdings Corp., Nashville, Tenn. He was chief financial officer for Central Parking and had been CFO of Northwest Airlines.
Airbus will rely on a Roll-On, Roll-Off (Ro-Ro) ship 154 meters (505 ft.) long to convey A380 airframe subassemblies from European production facilities to the mega-transport's final assembly line at Toulouse, in southwest France.
DRIVING FORCE St. George, Utah-based Skywest Airlines has ordered 30 70-seat Bombardier CRJ700 regional jets to expand its service offerings for its United Express flights out of Denver and Chicago on behalf of United Airlines. The base order is valued at $862 million, and if Skywest exercises 80 options, the total would increase to $3.35 billion. Deliveries are to start in 2004 and run through 2005. Skywest was a launch customer for the CRJ series with an order for 100 100/200s. President and CEO Jerry C.
