Eric J. Zahler has been elected president and chief operating officer of Loral Space&Communications, putting him in line to succeed Chairman and CEO Bernard L. Schwartz.
The next 20 years of defense technological development will certainly include faster computers, more maneuverable missiles and increasingly autonomous munitions and submunitions, a Brookings Institution forecast says. But neither jet aircraft nor engines will become radically faster, lighter or more fuel efficient by 2020, nor will sensors and munitions improve enough to hold deep underground targets at risk, according to the report, Technological Change and the Future of Warfare (see p. 70).
Are engineering's best and brightest being sucked up by the dot.coms and software developers? Neil Armstrong doesn't seem especially worried. Touting a list of the top 20 engineering achievements of the 20th century, as selected by a National Academy of Engineering (NAE) panel, he tells the National Press Club, ``There's a lot of bucks out there . . . so I think that will continue for some time.
More than 330 high-density tape cassettes with 12 terabytes of data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission are beginning nearly two years of conversion into map products at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and National Imaging and Mapping Agency following the landing of Endeavour here on Feb. 22. The flight's high-resolution elevation map of most of the world's terrain is ``one of the most valuable accomplishments in the history of space flight,'' shuttle Mission Control radioed Endeavour.
Sylvia A. de Leon, a senior partner in the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer&Feld, has joined the board of directors of Atlanta-based flightserv.com.
MiG Russian Aircraft Corp. has released details of two-seat naval MiG KUB fighters targeted for the Indian navy. The aircraft, derived from the MiG-29K rejected by the Russian fleet, feature folding wings and horizontal stabilizers to permit stowage in a space less than 6 meters (20 ft.) in width and 5.5 meters (18 ft.) in height. A larger vertical stabilizer with increased fuel capacity and an inflight refueling system are planned to increase range. MiG officials said an Indian buy of up to 30 aircraft could be announced ``within weeks.''
NASA's Microwave Anisotropy Probe, which is scheduled for launch this autumn, is designed to investigate deep space and detect temperature variations that may be related to the origin of the universe. The satellite is the first to be tested in the Mark I Space Chamber at Arnold AFB, Tenn., following a major, $1.5-million modification program. The upgrades are being funded by Loral to help meet rising demand for testing of commercial satellites in a simulated space environment.
Crossair plans to convert options on 10 Embraer ERJ-145s to firm orders pending approval by SAirGroup's management board which meets on Mar. 3. The move brings the total number of aircraft on firm order with Embraer to 85 and will allow the Swiss regional carrier to renew its fleet quicker than planned. Crossair saw its profits decline to CHF 50.7 million ($31.38 million) from CHF 63.5 million in 1998 despite a 14.5% increase in revenues and an 11% increase in passenger traffic.
A lack of resources, not foot-dragging, has slowed the integration of military space capabilities with air, sea and terrestrial forces, according to the former chief of U.S. Space Command. Consequently, a congressionally mandated commission might consider several alternatives to setting up a separate U.S. space force, suggested Gen. Richard B. Myers. He transferred leadership of the unified space command, Norad and Air Force Space Command to Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart on Feb. 18.
South Korea has selected the Raytheon MK 31 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) Guided Missile Weapon System for its KDX-2 destroyer program. It was chosen over two competing systems: the Israeli Barak and the French Crotale VT-1.
Deborah McElroy is scheduled to become president of the Washington-based Regional Airline Assn. on Mar. 31. She will succeed Walter Coleman, who will be retiring. McElroy has been vice president.
Embraer has selected Honeywell's Primus 1000 integrated avionics for its entire line of regional jets. In addition, Honeywell's enhanced ground proximity warning systems (EGPWS) and combined flight data and cockpit voice recorders will be used. The value of the orders over the next 13 years exceeds $180 million. In Australia, Qantas Airways has selected EGPWS for its 98 aircraft, an order worth $3.5 million.
Carol Carmody may get a seat at the National Transportation Safety Board after all. Plans are in the works for the Senate Commerce, Science and Technology Committee to hold a hearing Mar. 1 on her nomination to the board. Republicans may be wary of giving away a patronage plum like a board seat on the eve of a presidential election they hope to win. But NTSB Chairman Jim Hall wants to exit once the investigation into the 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800 is concluded, hopefully in June.
Shards of carbon graphite material up to 2 in. long were discovered at the launch site after the Feb. 10 loss of Japan's M-5 booster (AW&ST Feb. 21, p. 123). Investigators are now focusing on the prospect that the carbon graphite lining of the Nissan first-stage nozzle had an invisible crack that was quickly expanded by vibration and the motor's 3000C exhaust temperature. The failure was first apparent 25 sec. after ignition and led to a nozzle burn-through and loss of the mission.
Israel's Elbit will begin to actively seek acquisitions overseas once it has consummated its merger with Elop. Shareholders are expected to approve the deal soon. One top Elbit official said acquisition opportunities would be sought in Asia and America, where the company owns Fort Worth-based EFW.
Korea Aerospace Industries and Lockheed Martin have renamed the KTX-2 trainer they are codeveloping the T-50 Golden Eagle. The light combat version would be the A-50. First flight for the aircraft is scheduled for June 2002. The international marketing activity still hasn't fully taken off, although Spain is being named as a possible early customer. KAI officials said they would team with European companies if required to sell T/A-50s in Europe. So far, only South Korea is a purchaser with an intended buy of 94 aircraft.
Eurofighter officials hope to add 80-90 aircraft to their order books this year and fill production through about 2007. That number would include the Greek order, which is in final negotiation, and a win in Norway. But the Norwegian competition, in which Eurofighter is pitted against the F-16, is on hold as Oslo reviews its budget.
NASA's X-43A hypersonic air-breathing vehicle has completed controlled radio frequency testing in an anechoic chamber at Edwards AFB, Calif., to determine antenna patterns (see photo). The tests measured the S-band telemetry transmitter and C-band transponder antennas to evaluate their performance. The data will be used to help define the unmanned vehicle's flight track during missions over the Western Test Range off the Southern California coast. Information obtained during the tests will also be used to help determine the positioning of U.S.
Meanwhile, Boeing's tardiness in figuring cost overruns in the space station program could mean some cash will come out of the drawer and go back into the U.S. treasury. NASA Inspector General (IG) Roberta L. Gross says in a new report that the station prime contractor's tardiness in adjusting cost estimates means it ``received incentive fees totaling $16 million that it had not earned.'' As things stand now, Boeing is only entitled to $75.4 million of the $203 million it could have received in incentive fees were the station program meeting its cost bogey.
Rick Stumpf has become marketing director of engines for Parker Aerospace, Palm City, Fla. He was a regional manager and engineer for Parker's Gas Turbine Fuel Systems Div.
Mike DiFrisco has been named executive editor for publications and Roger Jaynes vice president-corporate communications of the Experimental Aircraft Assn., Oshkosh, Wis.
Aerobotics Industries has acquired the former Lockheed Martin manufacturing and assembly facility in Abilene, Tex. Aerobotics--a supplier of aerospace engineering, tooling, prototyping and machined components based in Dallas/Fort Worth--will pay $6 million for the two buildings. The company plans to use the 400,000-sq.-ft. complex to expand its business base, including chemical processing, and sheet metal and composite component assembly. Lockheed Martin had used the factory to produce machined components and assemblies for the F-16 production line at Fort Worth.
Bob Haslam, formerly director of European programs at BAE Systems, has been appointed managing director of Eurofighter GmbH. He succeeds Brian Phillipson, who has rejoined BAE to head the Type 45 frigate program.
