An 11th-hour hiccup tied to Germany's quest for supremacy in the Galileo satellite navigation system has once again blocked the long-awaited launch of this key project. European Space Agency member states are expected to meet next week to reassess the impact of the new dispute on the program's schedule.
Canadian Space Agency engineers have recovered Radarsat-1, which had been in a "safe and controlled tumble" after it lost the use of a backup reaction control wheel (AW&ST Dec. 23, 2002, p. 19). CSA's Satellite Operations Directorate developed a workaround to the pitch control wheel that uses the roll and yaw wheels and torque bars for pointing control. Images collected since the fix are "comparable" to those collected before the anomaly, CSA said.
United Airlines, which has been severely criticized for its high cost structure, subcontracts 10-15% of its $1.9 billion in maintenance, repair and overhaul work. That's large compared with many small- to medium-size operators' MRO budgets, and is based on where the airline can obtain the most competitive market rates and value, according to R. Gene House, managing director of United Services. "It's work for which we aren't as cost-competitive." United Services' labor rates are about $75 per hour.
John Grisik has been appointed president of the Aeronautical Systems business, Jack Carmola president of the Engine Systems Segment and Cindy Egnotovich president of the Electronic Systems business, all new sectors of the Goodrich Corp., Charlotte, N.C. Tom Fitch has been named vice president/controller of Engine Systems. He held the same positions in the Landing Gear Div. Jerry LaReau has become Washington-based vice president-government programs for the Electronic Systems Segment. He was president of the Engineered Polymer Products unit, Jacksonville, Fla.
A Delta Air Lines pilot is scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing in Norfolk (Va.) General District Court this week on charges of violating a city code that prohibits a pilot to be under the influence of alcohol. The Delta pilot was suspended from service late last month after reporting for first officer flight duty at Norfolk International Airport with a blood alcohol level of 0.07%, according to the Norfolk Airport Authority.
Arianespace has delayed the launch of Europe's Rosetta comet rendezvous mission, initially set for Jan. 12, to allow an inquiry board formed to investigate the causes of the Ariane 5 EC-A rocket failure on Dec. 11 to present its report. Company officials said the delay, which is not expected to exceed a few days, was decided because the Rosetta launch vehicle, an Ariane 5 G-Plus, features minor modifications also introduced on the EC-A (AW&ST Dec. 16, 2002, p. 32). The report is due out on Jan. 6.
Four months after the cancellation of key Pentagon acquisition directives for being overly prescriptive and inimical to "efficiency, creativity and innovation," Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz has a draft version of the new rules in circulation for comments. Input from military leaders is due this week.
Bell/Agusta Aerospace Co.'s BA609 has begun six weeks of crucial systems tests that company officials expect will lead to first flight of the aircraft early next year. Bell Helicopter Textron Chairman/ CEO John Murphey said the BA609 trials represent a "new benchmark in aviation history." In his view, the aircraft "will revolutionize air transportation." Both engines of the first preproduction BA609 were started on Dec. 6 at Bell's Flight Research Center here, where a majority of the aircraft's test program will be conducted.
SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO, which sells a digital radio broadcast service in the U.S. market, has teamed with Avionics Innovations Inc. to transfer the receiver technology to general aviation aircraft. Car owners already have access to subscriptions for Sirius. The AI-SSR receiver would be available early in 2003 and provide about 100 radio channels--60 of them commercial-free. The system would feature a conformal antenna designed for aviation applications and receive S-band downlinks from the Sirius geosynchronous satellite network.
The New Zealand government has approved the Qantas-New Zealand Airlines alliance (AW&ST Dec. 2, p. 25). Finance Minister Michael Cullen said Air New Zealand "would struggle to survive in the long term" if it faced a "war of attrition" with Qantas. Qantas' purchase of 22.5% of Air New Zealand's shares for $550 million will dilute the New Zealand government's ownership from 82% to 64%.
An experimental Sukhoi Su-35 fighter crashed during a test flight on Dec.19 about 80 km. (50 mi.) from the manufacturer's flight test base located at Zhukovsky. Test pilot Yury Vashuk safely ejected.
The U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) in Tullahoma, Tenn., has completed modifications to its H3 Large Arc Heater that will allow improved aerothermal testing of materials for hypersonic reentry vehicles (see photo). The facility will provide engineers with a high-enthalpy (changes in temperature/pressure conditions) flow field with more than twice the cross-sectional area of the older H1 arc jet at AEDC, according to Lt. Tim Burke, project manager.
The British Defense Ministry is considering an unsolicited offer from helicopter manufacturer Westland for another batch of its Merlin variant of the EH101 as it considers how to meet a capability shortfall in its medium- to heavy-lift capability. Westland, the U.K. arm of Anglo-Italian helicopter manufacturer AgustaWestland, is offering an enhanced version of the Merlin, the Merlin Mk3 Plus, with an improved lift capability and better hot-and-high performance. It has submitted a proposal covering a multiyear purchase of another 24-28 Merlins.
Aerojet gave a third test to the new solid rocket motor it developed for Lockheed Martin's Atlas V, hot-firing the 67-ft. booster for 95 sec. at thrust levels of 285,000-390,000 lb. The test was conducted Dec. 11 at the Aerojet facility in Sacramento, Calif. The boosters will add thrust to the planned AtlasV 500 series, designed to lift as much as 19,000 lb. to geostationary transfer orbit.
Larry Schwartz has become vice president-homeland security and president of the Navigation Products Group of L-3 Communications of New York. He had been vice president-business development.
Although its revenues in 2002 remained below forecast at about 138 million euros, the revamped Piaggio Aero Industries delivered 16 P.180 twin-engine pusher turboprops indicating that the six-seat aircraft is still viable. Piaggio plans to produce 18 aircraft in 2003 and 22 in 2004. This month, Canada's Avia Aviation concluded an order for six P180s with the Genoa-based manufacturer.
Focused computer attacks always succeed in breaking into the targeted network, says Richard A. Clarke, President Bush's special adviser for cyberspace security. That's both bad news and good news for the U.S. The bad news: About 8% of the government's current IT budget, and about $20 billion projected for 2004-06, will go for cyber security. The good news: Computer network attack is a valuable, high-success weapon for the Pentagon. "Every time we do a vulnerability attack to try to get into a system," Clarke said. "No matter what the target, the red team gets in.
Australia will supply Raytheon/Lockheed Martin-built Javelin missile systems to its army to meet anti-armor and anti-bunker requirements. Australian special forces already deployed to Afghanistan with a small number of Javelins, but they weren't fired. The Javelin deal recently announced in Australia is valued at about $90 million. Delivery is slated to occur in 2005-07.
The U.S. Navy and Raytheon early next year plan to conduct a critical test of the new radar for the F/A-18E/F in the hope of overcoming the last hurdle before a production go-ahead is given in the summer. Raytheon has been developing the APG-79 active electronically scanned array (AESA) system since 2000. In February, the radar will undergo several weeks of operational testing in a company laboratory as the final milestone before a low-rate production contract could be awarded in June, says Capt. Dave Dunaway, the Navy's radar program manager.
Mar. 10-11--European Transport Leaders Conference. Landmark Hotel, London. Mar. 12-13--Toulouse Symposium. Toulouse (France) Congress Center. Mar. 27-28--Defense Budget Conference. Holiday Inn, Rosslyn, Va. Apr. 15-17--MRO 2003 & MRO Latin America. Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. May 6-8--Aerospace Defense & Finance Conference. Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York. May 14-16--Homeland Security Summit & Exposition. Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Arlington, Va.
Regarding the threat of man-portable surface-to-air missiles against airliners, we should protect airports, not airplanes. A ground-based laser could shoot down any missile within a radius large enough to protect all aircraft taking off or landing. There is no weight, size or power limitation to a fixed ground-based system. An aircraft-mounted system must be small, lightweight and have a power source. Other limitations include drag, distributed maintenance and public perception. A ground-based system would be funded like other infrastructure items.
The Transportation Security Administration has signed a 10-year lease for $18 million a year for nearly 500,000 sq. ft. of office space in Arlington, Va., near the Pentagon, which has about 5 million sq. ft. of space. This will put the new agency entirely under one roof and improve communications in an information technology-ready facility. TSA had been operating from six locations in the Washington area.
