Despite its reputation for fierce weather, Antarctica is not the birthplace of storms, but where they go to die. Offshore storms occur with little warning and can reach hurricane strength within hours. But circling Antarctica, storms generally dissipate, losing energy as they climb up onto the continent to move inland, according to National Science Foundation meteorologist Bernhard Lettau.
THE EUROPEAN Telecommunications Satellite Organization (Eutelsat) will be restructured no later than 2001. The organization's assets will be transferred to an all-new France-based stock company. In addition, a revamped intergovernmental organization will be formed ``to ensure that the basic principles of pan-European coverage, universal services, nondiscriminatory and fair competition [rules] are observed by the [restructured] company,'' Eutelsat officials said.
AT LEAST SIX PEOPLE WERE INJURED when a DC-10 dropped abruptly twice, 30 min. after taking off from Los Angeles on a flight to Hawaii on May 21. Continental Airlines Flight 75 was climbing through 32,000 ft. when it apparently hit turbulence, causing slight negative-g and dropping about 500 ft. Eight seconds later, the aircraft dropped again. The pilot turned back and made a safe landing at Los Angeles. The crew did not make any announcement to the passengers until 20 min. after the incident, according to one passenger.
Cockpit crews for Southwest Airlines are using a software program from Aviation Information Systems to help them do precise takeoff calculations. The Bloomington, Minn., firm's Onboard Performance System (OPS) software runs on a Windows-based laptop or handheld slate model. Southwest's 737 pilots use Fujitsu Stylistic pentops (there is no keyboard and a pen works as the cursor), according to Brian Gleason, the airline's chief operations engineer.
Stefan Lopatkiewicz (see photo) has been appointed vice president/special counsel to the chairman of Sky Station International of Washington. He was counsel in the telecommunications group of Reed Smith Shaw&McClay.
Dozens of scientific teams come to Antarctica each summer, braving the elements to conduct research in its unique environment. They seek to advance knowledge in many diverse disciplines--from astrophysics to biology, geology, geophysics, glaciology, ocean and climate systems.
The resupply of U.S. operations in Antarctica unfolds each year like a military campaign as the airlift advances in stages from wheeled landings on a permanent ice runway to wheeled landings on a sea-ice runway and finally to ski operations at Williams Field.
Congressional charges that President Clinton eased satellite exports to China in return for campaign contributions boiled to a frenzy last week when the House voted 364-56 to rein in such exports. Many Democrats joined the majority Republicans. The Senate is unlikely to go along, but domestic satellite makers claim they would lose hundreds of millions of dollars to their European rivals if the House prevailed.
Etrema Products of Ames, Iowa, has developed an integrated, electric actuator using its Terfenol-D magnetostrictive ``smart'' material. Advantages include light weight, low voltage and power consumption, near noiseless operation and long maintenance intervals. Called Vulkan, the unitary actuator requires only electric power and a control signal to operate. It is capable of providing the pressures and flows required for aerospace and defense applications, according to Robert Clifford, vice president for aerospace and defense.
Lockheed Martin Electronics&Missiles are teaming with National Forge Co. of Irvine, Pa., to produce the new BLU-116 penetrating warhead as an upgrade to the 2,000-lb. BLU-109 system used during the Persian Gulf war. The new warhead can penetrate twice as much reinforced concrete as its predecessor. The USAF may procure up to 1,500 of the Advance Unitary Penetrator versions.
Julian M. Freedman (see photo) has joined the consulting operation of The Spectrum Management Group Inc., Guilford, Conn. He was senior director at the Institute of Management Accountants.
THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY is hoping for early approval of 50-60 million ecus ($55-67 million) in funding for the proposed European light launcher so that preliminary design on critical items can begin. Full approval of the 370-million-ecu, three-stage solid-fuel booster must be authorized by the ESA ministerial council, but this has been delayed and is not likely to take place until next year.
An FAA rule requiring airline pilots to retire at age 60 has been left intact by the U.S. Supreme Court. Acting without comment, the court rejected a challenge to the nearly 40-year-old-rule by two former pilots and the Professional Pilots Assn. The group and the individuals, former American Airlines pilot William Reiners, 3rd, and former Continental Express pilot Philip Shaw, had contended that the FAA rule violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. They also had lost in the U.S. Court of Appeals by a 2-1 vote. Although the Air Line Pilots Assn.
Air Chief Marshal Sir William Wratten (RAF, Ret.), has been named chief military adviser at Rolls- Royce. The former head of the RAF Strike Command will be based in Bristol, England.
A 42-year tradition of U.S. Navy support for the National Science Foundation's Antarctic research program drew to a close on Feb. 18, as the first sunset of 1998 marked the end of both the austral summer and the flying season on the continent. It was then that the Navy's Antarctic Development Sqdn. Six (VXE-6) passed the responsibility for LC-130 flight operations south of 60 deg. S. Lat. to the 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard, starting with the 1998-99 austral summer.
The largest U.S. carrier, United Airlines, says it has completed about 60% of its Y2K review and expects to be ``year 2000'' compliant by March 1999. The task is expected to cost $15 million. The first modification phase is to be finished by this year, with testing of applications continuing through 1999. . . . Korean Air is offering a twist on Internet usage. Those who purchase a full-fare economy or business-class ticket bound from the U.S. or Canada to Asian cities can get a free upgrade if they buy over the carrier's Web site (http://www. koreanair.com). . . .
MOTOROLA HAS BECOME a major partner in Teledesic's planned low-Earth-orbit broadband satellite telecommunications system (AW&ST Mar. 23, p. 31). Under terms of the pact, Motorola will become the project's prime contractor and blend in technologies developed for its planned Celestri network, which will be dropped. Motorola will contribute approximately $750 million in cash and design and development services for its 26% stake in the program.
Andreas Kaden has been named managing director of Lufthansa Bombardier Aviation Services, based at Berlin-Schoenefeld Airport. He succeeds Bernhard Conrad, who has been appointed senior vice president-engineering and development of Lufthansa Technik AG, Hamburg, Germany. Kaden was vice president-technical operations for Lufthansa.
Ira Kaplan has been promoted to president from executive vice president/chief operating officer of the EDO Corp. of New York. He succeeds Frank Fariello as president and will remain COO. Fariello is now chairman/CEO.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems of Marietta, Ga., will use Virtual Prototypes' VPI suite to build a simulation-based environment to develop and integrate avionics for the F-22. The object is to prototype and test advanced F-22 avionics and weapon systems concepts in simulated threat scenarios. Tasks include prototyping the F-22's avionics graphical displays, testing the active symbology on its embedded hardware, modeling its flight characteristics and simulating engagement of ground and air targets.
The International Space Station program has come under fire in Congress after a recent report for NASA by consultant Jay Chabrow projected the ISS would be completed late and $7.3 billion over budget. Douglas C. Stone, vice president and ISS program manager for prime contractor Boeing, defends the ISS in this article written for Aviation Week.
Deployment of the 66-satellite Iridium constellation has been completed with the launch of five spacecraft from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., setting the stage for commercial operations scheduled to begin in four months. Motorola's launch of the five spacecraft May 17 on a Boeing Delta 2 booster caps an intense launch program for Iridium, which included a total of 15 launches using Delta, Proton and Long March boosters beginning at Vandenberg on May 5, 1997.
The days of semiconductor design databooks may be numbered. Engineers can now access a complete database of technical information about Enhanced Memory Systems Inc.'s enhanced dynamic random access memory (EDRAM) and enhanced synchronous DRAM (ESDRAM) products on a new CD-ROM. The disk also includes product summaries, sales contacts, a frequently asked questions guide, news briefs and a home page. A standard HTML interface allows navigating the database like any World Wide Web site, and information updates can be accessed through a hotlink to Enhanced's Web site.
Stephen M. Wolf has stepped down as chief executive officer of US Airways to focus more time on the strategic direction of the already-turned-around company and on government relations, both in the U.S. and abroad.
Heading off Pakistan's first nuclear test and averting India's deployment of nuclear-tipped missiles should be White House priorities now that New Delhi has resumed nuclear testing, arms experts say.
