NASA boosters on Capitol Hill have long been fond of pointing out that none of the money invested in space is actually spent in space, but instead in the laboratories and factories on Earth. Now a Silicon Valley startup company hopes to turn a profit in space by selling ``content'' generated there, but again no money will change hands in orbit.
The Air Force/Lockheed Martin F-22 fighter conducted its first missile firing on July 25, shooting a short-range AIM-9M Sidewinder into a stabilized trajectory. The F-22 was flying at Mach 0.7 and 20,000 ft. over the NAS China Lake, Calif., range when the doors of the left side missile bay opened, the missile rail was deployed into the airstream, and the rocket motor ignited. The missile came forward off the rail without the use of ejectors. The rail was aimed slightly outboard and down, and the missile came back up as it headed forward.
PIERRE SPARACO, FRANCES FIORINO and MICHAEL A. DORNHEIM
Investigators were focusing last week on damage that occurred during the takeoff roll of Air France Flight 4590, the Concorde that crashed near Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, including debris of tires that was found on the runway. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board in a 1981 report cited four occasions in a 20-month period from July 1979-February 1981 ``when an Air France Concorde was involved in a potentially catastrophic accident resulting from blown tires at takeoff'' (see p. 36).
Meanwhile, NASA has decided what sort of mission it wants to Mars in 2003. To aid in the search for water, it will begin working on an advanced rover--maybe even two--not an orbiter with a very high-resolution (60-cm.) camera, the other option considered. And the agency will go back to the ``drop, bounce and roll'' air-bag landing technique used successfully with Mars Pathfinder, not the retro-rocket approach of the failed Mars Polar Lander.
Jeff S. Potter has been appointed president/CEO of Vanguard Airlines. He succeeds Robert J. Spane, who will become chairman. Potter was vice president-marketing for Frontier Airlines.
The Air France Concorde crash in Paris on July 25 cast a certain pall over this year's Farnborough International air show--especially at the BAE Systems, Aerospatiale, Rolls-Royce and Snecma chalets and exhibit areas. Understandably, the crash prompted the cancellation of a speech by British Airways' sole female Concorde pilot at the Society of British Aerospace Companies' large dinner that night. Beyond the tragic loss of life, it was clear this aircraft enjoys a special place in the history of flight and the hearts of the aviation world.
The boom of regional airlines worldwide has prompted large-scale orders and launches of derivative programs at the Farnborough air show. After leasing companies dominated the scene six weeks ago at the Berlin air show with major orders, the airlines themselves stepped forward to order hundreds of new planes. The continuing demand for regional aircraft also prompted Pratt&Whitney Canada to announce plans for a new geared fan technology engine for that market segment.
Jim Bledsoe has been named senior vice president-ramp services for Worldwide Flight Services Inc. of Dallas. He was a hub and aircraft ramp facilities manager for Federal Express.
Defense ministers from seven European nations have committed to acquiring a total of 225 A400M military transports from Airbus Military Co. The initial order--at $80-85 million a copy--will consist of eight for Belgium (one of which is destined for Luxembourg), 50 for France, 73 for Germany, 16 for Italy, 27 for Spain, 26 for Turkey and 25 for the U.K. The ministers said a single contract would be awarded for development and production.
U.S. Airways partner CommutAir has chosen Pratt&Whitney Canada to provide support for 52 installed engines and six spares for the carrier's 26 Beech 1900D aircraft. The 10-year fleet management program is valued at more than $44 million.
South Korea has ordered 20 new Lockheed Martin F-16s from Korean Aerospace Industries, which produces the aircraft under license. Singapore also plans to acquire 20 F-16C/Ds.
Turbomeca and Thomson-CSF Sextant have been selected as primary subcontractors for two major South African weapons programs. Turbomeca will supply 60 Arrius 2K2 turboshaft engines for the A109 light utility helicopter. Thomson will provide the avionics package for 24 Hawk lead-in fighter/trainers.
Ball Aerospace&Technologies Corp. has won a $150,000-spacecraft study contract from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The study is expected to lead to designs for the National Polar-orbiting Operations Environmental Satellite System Preparatory Project.
BFGoodrich Aerospace has become an equity partner in the MyAircraft.com business-to-business marketplace initiated by United Technologies and Honeywell.
Tax collectors, highway planners and insurance company strategists can now turn to a cheap, digital airborne reconnaissance system to solve some knotty intelligence-gathering problems.
The U.K. Ministry of Defense has given the go-ahead for the first three of 12 planned Type 45 air defense destroyers equipped with the Principal AntiAir Missile System being jointly developed with France and Italy. Under the planned $1.51-billion order, BAE Systems will build two of the ships at its facility near Glasgow, and Vosper Thorneycroft will build the other at its Wooston shipyard near Southhampton.
Four of the industry's largest manufacturers have set a September launch date for a digital marketplace that, by the sheer size of its founders, is likely to dominate aerospace trading.
Telephonics Corp. has received a work order from Boeing valued at $31 million to produce the integrated radio management system for the C-17A Globemaster 3 military transport.
Eurasiasat, a joint venture of Turk Telecom and Alcatel Space of France, has completed $166 million in financing for its first satellite, to be launched this fall. The 9-kw. spacecraft, which is intended to serve markets in the Middle East, Asia, Russia and perhaps southern Africa, is undergoing integration at Alcatel's Cannes facility.
Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara has received the Medal of Distinguished Performance from the National Reconnaissance Office. He was cited for recognizing ``the critical importance of overhead reconnaissance and empowered the NRO to take on the extraordinary technical challenges that it presented.''
The recent refusal of the U.K. government to authorize export of an imaging radar to China, and reports that France might buckle under Chinese pressure to overturn a license issued last year for a Taiwanese imaging satellite, have European industry again calling for the harmonization of European export controls. Top executives at the U.K. arm of Astrium, which sought the Chinese export license, said they requested an urgent meeting with government officials for ``clarifications.''
The U.S. Army has selected Rockwell Collins to upgrade two C-12F3 aircraft to meet global air traffic management requirements. The contract includes options to upgrade 21 additional aircraft.
