NASA's EO-1 spacecraft, the first ``New Millennium'' technology testbed devoted to Earth observation, has ended its baseline mission with several advanced technologies deemed ready for space.
C. Phillip Joy has become president-S&S Tug within Stewart&Stevenson Services Inc. of Houston. He succeeds John Keating, who has been named corporate vice president-special projects. Joy was president of Trilectron Industries.
Northwest Airlines and the U.S. Transportation Dept. have reached an agreement, negotiated last autumn, by which the carrier will pay a civil penalty of $700,000 for what the department termed ``numerous violations'' of the law requiring wheelchairs and other help for passengers with disabilities.
After simulating what happens to ground operations during peak stress periods, NASA Ames Research Center is ready to move on to the real thing, using software to help airlines, ramp handlers and air traffic controllers predict trouble and figure out how to deal with it.
Criminal probes do not mix well with aviation accident inquiries. Putting them together puts a brake on reaching an understanding of what went wrong. And that, in turn, slows efforts to make aviation safer.
Edward J. Fred has been promoted to president, in addition to his current responsibilities as chief financial officer/secretary, of CPI Aerostructures Inc., Edgewood, N.Y. He succeeds Arthur August, who will remain chairman/CEO.
NORTHROP GRUMMAN HAS RECEIVED A $23-MILLION CONTRACT from the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, N.Y., to develop and demonstrate the technologies for long-range engagement of moving surface threats. The effort is part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Affordable Moving Surface Target Engagement (Amste) program. The primary focus is on ground moving-target-indication (GMTI) radars which can detect moving vehicles at long range. The ability of vehicles to accelerate from idle to 60 mph.
BRUCE A. SMITHSUMIKO OSHIMAMICHAEL MECHAM CONTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT FROM SAN FRANCISCO.
Boeing has signed the first of a series of planned advanced technology agreements for the Sonic Cruiser in an effort to get an early start on development of new systems and materials for the high-speed aircraft. The move is aimed at avoiding the possibility of heading down the wrong technology path early in the preliminary design process, which could lead to development delays or an aircraft that ultimately falls short of its performance goals.
The Administration presents its Fiscal 2003 budget to Congress this week, and the homeland defense portion of the request might come close to $40 billion, outside analysts say. The number and definition of operations encompassed by homeland defense vary, and so do the budget baselines, but by the latest congressional estimate, annual spending now stands at $22.2 billion, versus $17.2 billion in Fiscal 2001.
The flight structure for NASA's Swift Gamma Ray Burst Explorer spacecraft has been cleared for production following successful trials on a Developmental Test Vehicle (DTV). Conducted last fall at Goddard Space Flight Center, the tests included a ``modal survey'' and a centrifuge strength test on the 3,200-lb. DTV, which duplicated the Swift spacecraft structure. Swift is the largest bus Spectrum Astro has built to date.
Economic conditions in its home country notwithstanding, Southern Winds of Argentina has applied for U.S. Transportation Dept. authority to serve New York and Miami beginning ``as soon as possible'' with daily Cordoba-Buenos Aires-Miami roundtrips, and eventually 12 other destinations in the U.S. The carrier is negotiating to lease two Boeing 767-300s for the flights. Southern Winds also operates six regional jets and six turboprop transports from its hubs at Buenos Aires and Cordoba.
The second prototype launch of Japan's H-IIA rocket will include a new combination of six solid-rocket motors firing in sequence. The launch had been set for Jan. 31, but was delayed slightly due to the need to change out a helium gas regulator and fuel discharge valve on the first-stage Mitsubishi LE-7A engine. The new schedule called for an 11:32 a.m. local time liftoff Feb. 3 from the Yoshinobu launch pad at the National Space Development Agency's Tanegashima Space Center off Kyushu Island. There is a 1 hr. 16 min. launch window.
Beginning Feb. 16, Japan Airlines will offer its new Skysleeper Solo seating on a daily basis to first-class passengers traveling between New York and Tokyo. The leather, 26-in.-wide seat reclines to a 73-in.-long flat position and has a lumbar massage function. There is room for only 11 units in cabins selected for the service. Each seat has a personal TV, built-in telephone, recessed reading lights, a side table and two storage compartments.
Chile is expected to make a formal commitment to buying 10 Lockheed Martin F-16s in the next several days. The country has until late this week to sign a U.S. government letter of offer for the aircraft. The deal has drawn criticism in Chile, but senior government officials last week reaffirmed their intent to buy the F110-GE-powered aircraft.
The ever-elusive prospect of a liberalized U.S.-U.K. aviation regime is back in limbo, now that American Airlines and British Airways have rejected U.S. Transportation Dept. conditions on antitrust immunity for their transatlantic alliance, and the European Commission has won the first round in a European Court of Justice case.
Boeing will install its Connexion satellite broadband system on up to four C-32A transports operated by the U.S. Air Force. The airplanes are Boeing 757-200s specially configured to provide worldwide transportation for the vice president of the U.S., Cabinet members and other high-ranking government officials. The contract, worth about $112 million, revives sales of Connexion, which lost its three core U.S. airline partners after the terrorist attacks.
Dnata, the ground-handling subsidiary of Emirates that won a 10-year license last May to run ground handling operations at some of India's largest airports, has come under suspicion following a ``security check'' that connects it with terrorist groups.
Tom Risley has been named president/CEO of Vought Aircraft Industries Inc. of Dallas. He succeeds Gordon Williams, who will become chairman. Williams will succeed Allan Holt, a managing director of The Carlyle Group, who will remain a director of Vought. Risley was chief operating officer.
The successful hit-to-kill intercept by the U.S. Navy's ballistic missile defense system marks the first step in what is being billed as a meticulous process to deploy a sea-based anti-missile shield. The intercept of an Aries ballistic missile target came in the fourth of a nine-test series. The Jan. 25 mission (FM-2) was billed as merely a ``fly-by,'' but the Pentagon and contractors expected to hit the target. All the key components were involved--from the Aegis radar to the kill vehicle, known as the Lightweight Exoatmospheric Projectile (Leap).
Eutelsat has voiced concern that higher satellite prices and continued U.S. export controls could complicate plans to expand and modernize its global satcom network, and put pressure on future earnings and revenues. The Paris-based telecom satellite operator has enjoyed a long period of steady growth, with its pretax earnings margin running a generous 70%-plus per year. This has allowed the company to fund modernization largely out of cash flow and to drive its debt-equity ratio down to an acceptable 0.9.
A Chinese decision to procure at least two Israeli-built communications spacecraft, and as many as eight other Israeli satcoms downstream, marks a major penetration of the Asian satcom market by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) versus European competitors. The overall procurement could be worth $500-700 million to IAI.
Italy's civil aviation authority ENAC issued a warning Jan. 30 to airline operators to check their spare parts inventories amid an ongoing investigation into three Italian companies over the supply of potentially fraudulently certified or substandard spare parts. On Jan. 26, police in Rome reportedly seized parts cannibalized from six Airbus A300 jets in a warehouse.
Eurocopter is poised to seek an injunction that would prevent the Irish Defense Dept. from contracting with Sikorsky to supply three S-92 helicopters worth around $50 million to the Irish Air Corps. An official close to the deal said the injunction would be filed if written assurance is not received by the beginning of this week assuring Eurocopter that no contract will be signed until the company has been able to review the details of the tender conditions and tendering process.
Delta Connection carrier Atlantic Southeast Airlines began operating the first 70-seat Bombardier CRJ-700 on Jan. 29. The regional jet is an upgraded version of the smaller CRJ-100/200 series aircraft, and fills a gap between the 50-seat CRJ-200 and the MD-88 operated by Delta Air Lines.
A NEW EASTMAN KODAK COLOR FILM FOR LOW- to high-altitude aerial mapping, reconnaissance, surveying and land management will give twice the resolution with more optimized color and tone reproduction than its predecessor. The Aerochrome III MS 2427 is a color reversal film, which provides positive color transparencies suitable for viewing or projection. It has the same speed as its predecessor.
