Japan's top-level Space Activities Commission (SAC) and the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) have slipped the planned launch of the HOPE-X unpiloted mini-shuttle technology demonstrator from fiscal year 2000 until fiscal 2003 in response to the tightening space budget. Launch of the ADEOS-2 Earth observation platform and the seventh H-II rocket also were postponed in actions announced July 2.
JAPAN'S NASDA picked a team of Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) and Nissan Motors as prime contractor for development of a modified version of the J-1 launch vehicle. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) was the losing bidder. Under the teaming arrangement, IHI will be responsible for the first stage and Nissan will develop the second. Lockheed Martin played a role in the winning bid, while Boeing worked with MHI on the loser.
The U.S. Air Force will install a new multi-spectral Missile Warning System (MWS) simulation capability at the Air Force Electronic Warfare Evaluation Simulator at the Lockheed Martin operated Air Force Plant No. 4 in Fort Worth, Tex. Lockheed Martin will develop the simulation under a $3.1 million contract, the company said yesterday. Completion is planned by August 1999. The hardware-in-the-loop facility will allow testing of infrared and ultraviolet missile sensors with wide fields of view.
Engineering Test Satellite No. 7 (ETS-7), a Japanese orbital testbed launched last year, yesterday conducted the first in a series of docking experiments designed to aid in the development of automatic docking technology for International Space Station operations.
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) said yesterday that the Senate would take up the $250.3 billion fiscal 1999 defense appropriations bill in two weeks.
U.S. Air Force Acquisition Executive Darleen A. Druyun on Friday gave the service the green light to proceed with the Airborne Laser (ABL) program. The action clears the way for obligation of the remainder of fiscal year 1998 development funds approved for the program by Congress last year. The service can now move into the next phase of the program and begin to finalize the system's design.
Heico Corp., Miami, has been notified that it will likely be unable to complete its previously announced agreements to acquire control of Paris- based Teleflex-Lionel-Dupont (TLD) by the end of the month, Heico announced. Heico was advised by certain shareholders of Compagnie de Gestion Industrielle et Financiere (GIFI), which controls 42% of TLD's shares, that it will be unable to deliver some or all of the shares which Heico had agreed to buy.
The Pentagon is restructuring the problem-plagued Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile program, putting off deployment until the missile proves it can hit a target. Ballistic Missile Defense Organization Director Lt. Gen. Lester Lyles is expected to announce the restructuring at the Pentagon on Thursday, congressional and industry sources told The DAILY.
RUSSIA's state arms export agency has offered to sell India SA-12 surface- to-air missile batteries, according to wire service reports. Russia's Itar- Tass and France's AFP quoted Maj. Gen. Alexander Luzan, director general of Russia's arms export agency, as saying an offer has been made to sell SA- 12s, also known as S-300Vs, to India.
Pratt&Whitney completed testing of its XTC-66, its core engine demonstrator for Phase II of the government/industry Integrated High Performance Turbine Engine Technology (IHPTET) program. Tests were conducted at P&W's Willgoos Laboratory, East Hartford, Conn. The XTC-66, designed and tested under the IHPTET's Advanced Turbine Engine Gas Generator (ATEGG) program, is the forerunner of the core engine that will power P&W's recently launched PW8000 geared turbofan and PW6000 turbofan commercial engines.
William H. Trachsel has been elected senior vice president and general counsel, succeeding Irving B. Yoskowitz who is retiring to become a senior partner in Washington, D.C.-based Global Technology Partners, LLC.
Jana L. Smith has joined the Wallingford, Conn., company as operations program director for Sikorsky programs. James Meadows has joined the company as plant controller. Gregory J. Henderson has joined the company as director of engineering. Both Henderson and Meadows are at the Alabama production facility. Those promoted at the Alabama facility are: Pat Blackwell is now director of Manufacturing Operations. Michael Warren has been named manager of Quality Assurance.
Alliant Techsystems will fabricate composite structures for Boeing's new Delta IV launch vehicles under a contract announced yesterday estimated to be worth almost $1 billion. Boeing and Alliant said the deal covers nose cones, interstages, center bodies and other large composite structures for the Delta IV, Boeing's entry in the Pentagon's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program.
Vicki A. Novak has been named associate administrator for Human Resources and Eduation. Jeffrey E. Sutton has been named associate administrator for Management Systems and Facilities.
Barry L. Levoir has been named vice president , engineering of the Menasco Aerospace Oakville in North Carolina. Jeffrey E. Northern has been named vice president of operations of Menasco Aerospace Texas.
The reluctance of the French government to privatize its extensive national aerospace holdings, including the Aerospatiale group and almost half of Dassault Aviation, appears to be behind new proposals reported from U.K. Defense Secretary George Robertson yesterday to structure European industry merger objectives around the Eurofighter project.
