C. Phillips Joy has become president of Trielectron Industries Inc., Hollywood, Fla. He was managing director of U.S. operations for P&WC Aircraft Services Inc.
This robotic ``Omni-Hand 2'' approximates the dexterity of a human hand and wrist for space-based tasks such as satellite repair and space station assembly. As envisioned, Omni-Hand 2 will allow the effective use of handtools in space without exposing astronauts to the dangers of extra-vehicular activity. The robotic hand is designed to be remotely controlled by a human or function automatically, according to Mark Rosheim, company president.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has started assembly of the Deep Space 1 technology demonstrator probe, set for a July 1, 1998, launch to visit the asteroid 3352 McAuliffe, Mars, and comet P/West-Kohoutek-Ikemura in a two-year mission (AW&ST Dec. 9, 1996, p. 68). The probe is to be the first flight in NASA's New Millennium program, and will demonstrate xenon ion propulsion, using electricity from high-power solar concentrator arrays; autonomous onboard optical navigation; a Ka-band downlink; lightweight science instruments; and other technologies.
WorldSpace's ambitious plan to deliver news, entertainment and educational programming to developing nations via a satellite-based digital audio broadcasting (DRB) network will move a step closer to reality at the end of this month when the first of a planned fleet of three satellites begins final integration and testing.
Don't look for Boeing to build a supersonic transport to replace the Anglo-French Concorde any time soon, even though Boeing chief Philip M. Condit started at Boeing as an aerodynamics engineer on the SST program in 1965 and clearly has affection for it. The technology may be successful, but ``the issues are fundamentally economic,'' he told a National Press Club luncheon. A new SST would need operating costs close to that of subsonic aircraft, he said.
TWO BRITISH PILOTS SET an around-the-world speed record in a Boeing MD 500D helicopter recently. Stephen Good and Michael Smith of HeliAir Helicopters in England completed the 20,000-mi. trip in about 131/2 days. They logged 200 flight hours starting and ending at Boeing Field in Seattle. The crew had to deal with head winds and heavy turbulence most of the way on a trip that included a visit to the North Pole.
Successfully launched an experimental commercial communications satellite on Sept. 23 from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia. The Faisat-2V spacecraft, built by Final Analysis Inc. of Lanham, Md., is designed to test low-cost data transmissions. A secondary payload, Vitasat, is aimed at connecting developing nations to the Internet. Final Analysis ultimately hopes to deploy a global constellation of 26 commercial satellites to provide digital data services worldwide.
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee really goofed recently at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Was the Mars Pathfinder rover successful, the Texas Democrat asked, in photographing the flag Neil Armstrong had left behind in 1969? Anyone can have a bad day. Unfortunately, this member of the House aeronautics and space panel, back in Washington shortly afterward, followed that question by asking whether sending an astronaut to Mir is a ``suicide'' mission.
Harlan Bittner (see photo) has been promoted to principal director of the Office of Engineering and Technology Applications of the Aerospace Corp. of Los Angeles from systems director for systems engineering and mission assurance for the Launch Directorate. Charlotte Lazar-Morrison (see photo) has been promoted to principal director of the Human Resources Directorate from director of compensation and staffing resources. She succeeds Marlene Dennis, who has become general manager of the Human Resources Div.
About a proposal by Inmarsat to reallocate part of the L-1 signal for a communication downlink for Mobile Satellite Service (MSS). Protection of the 1559-1610 MHz. band for Global Navigation Satellite Systems is threatened by the MSS request to the International Telecommunication Union to use 1559-1567. MSS would then have a 3.6-MHz. direct GPS overlap and low-level ``skirts'' across the GPS receiver bands. The USAF's Joint Program Office sees this as the first step in a MSS bid to consolidate L-band use for MSS use.
Patrick G. Smelt has been promoted to Northeast U.S. manager from Rochester (N.Y.) station manager for USAirports Development and Services Inc. of Rochester. James J. Werven has been promoted to Southeast U.S. manager from Atlanta station manager, and Mark A. Klein to superintendent of construction and property management from project manager for corporate hangar construction. Timothy G. Reidy has been named controller.
The growing popularity of ultra-long-haul business jets looks to be a bonanza for specialty equipment manufacturers. International Water-Guard Industries' new lightweight NPS-A3 aircraft on-board water treatment system is being offered as a standard option on new Gulfstream 5 and Bombardier Global Express business jets. It uses ultraviolet light to neutralize waterborne bacteria. Sales of the Vancouver, British Columbia-based company's NPS-A2 model have increased 50% this year, according to David Fox, company vice president of marketing.
In a validation of the industry consolidation remaining among lower-tier aerospace suppliers, BFGoodrich Co. expects to acquire Rohr Inc. within the next 3-4 months. The transaction, which was announced last week, is valued at about $1.3 billion and includes the assumption of about $425 million of Rohr debt. The merger will be implemented through a tax-free stock swap, and will be subject to regulatory and shareholder approval.
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has begun drawing up plans for a new generation of signal intelligence satellites that will be smaller, more numerous and likely fly in low orbits.
To burn up in Earth's atmosphere after three weeks of futile attempts by NASA and TRW engineers to regain control of the spinning spacecraft (AW&ST Sept. 1, p. 31). The 890-lb. remote sensing technology satellite was on course to reenter the atmosphere around Sept. 27. NASA officials said that because of its small size and low mass, Lewis would probably burn up completely on reentry. A review board was established last week to determine what caused the spacecraft to go into a spin three days following its Aug. 22 launch.
The more than 24,000 people attending the National Business Aviation Assn.'s 50th annual convention last week exhibited an unprecedented level of optimism for the long-term future of business aviation. Vendors, manufacturers and operators displayed an unusually high level of confidence in business flying that has not been seen in the past 20 years, according to NBAA officials. A report compiled by AlliedSignal Aerospace and released at the show projects a $60-billion market for as many as 5,300 new business jets during the next 10 years.
Are opening a joint avionics test center to be operated by Russian technicians at Moscow's Shermetyevo Airport this year. First repair of the LCD vertical speed indicator avionics in the company's TCAS will grow to include electronic displays, flight control and central maintenance systems.
Have suspended the launch campaign for the Ariane 5 qualification flight (V502), begun on June 16, pending the completion of further verifications. The decision, which followed a successful countdown rehearsal earlier in September, was taken on Sept. 26. One series of checks involves the flight program software, which was to be qualified around Sept. 27-28, but will now take two additional weeks.
The SAirGroup, Swissair's parent company, recently concluded partnership agreements with TAP/Air Portugal and AOM, a French independent carrier. Swissair and TAP are scheduled to code-share flights and combine frequent-flier programs. The Swissair-AOM agreement is expected to involve code-share flights and joint marketing efforts, according to SAirGroup officials.
The purchase of fractional ownerships in business aircraft is rapidly becoming an affordable alternative to acquisition of new business aircraft, and provides customers with significantly more time and travel flexibility than scheduled airline service.
For NASA's Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) was completed by a team of Kodak engineers working at a TRW facility in Redondo Beach, Calif. Set for launch on the space shuttle next August, AXAF will be the third of NASA's orbiting ``great observatories,'' joining the Hubble Space Telescope and the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. From its highly elliptical orbit, the TRW-built AXAF is expected to be able to detect X-ray sources 100 times fainter and produce images 10 times sharper than any previously flown X-ray telescope.
Rep. Connie Morella (R-Md.) reached out and touched new FAA Administrator Jane Garvey. The suburban representative said she was concerned about the antique equipment that controllers at National Airport must use. National's aging radar system conked out two days in a row before Labor Day. The agency does plan to replace the 25-year-old ASR-7 radar with an ASR-9 next year. But the agency was saying, sorry, National is still No.
Scheduled international flights to and from Montreal have been transferred back to Montreal Dorval Airport from less convenient Mirabel Airport. Aeroports de Montreal (ADM) will refocus Mirabel, located about 45 min. northwest of the city, on international charter and cargo services. Built in 1973, Mirabel has been operating at a little more than one-third of its 6-million-passenger capacity.
