S. Alan Stern has been named director of the Institute's newly designated Space Studies Department, which operates from offices in Boulder, Colo. J. Hunter Waite will be director of the Space Department of the Institute's Instrumentation and Space Research Division.
Team ABL, composed of Boeing, TRW and Lockheed Martin, has conducted the first test of the flight-weighted laser module (FLM), a multi-hundred- kilowatt-class chemical oxygen iodine laser (COIL), at TRW's Capistrano Test Site near San Clemente, Calif.
EXTRA FLYING: The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is considering accelerating the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle flight test program somewhat by flying longer flights and combining flight tests, says Army Lt. Col. Peter Jackson, deputy director for the DARPA program office. Additionally, DARPA may add a couple of flights to get to a flight every two weeks. The intent is to demonstrate the reliability of the system, although more money would be needed to accomplish that.
Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) has hinted that the panel might use its subpoena power if the Clinton Administration doesn't produce differing agency reports on whether Space Systems/Loral and Hughes Electronics Corp. transferred satellite launch technology to China.
Inter-service disputes over requirements for the Space-Based Infrared- Low (SBIRS-Low) system have forced the Pentagon to push back a high-level review of the program until next month.
BASIC LINEBACKER: The U.S. Army isn't going to use the new M2A3 tank as its baseline for the new Stinger missile firing Bradley Linebacker. Changes in the tank program have forced the Army to enhance its Bradley Linebacker. Instead, the Army plans to continue building the M6 Bradley Linebacker, Lt. Col. Tom Newberry says. The Army will buy about 136 more of the M6A1 Bradley Linebackers to meet its total requirement for the system.
The full Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday passed the fiscal year 1999 VA, HUD and independent agencies spending bill, which provides $13.6 billion for NASA. The NASA funding represents an increase of $150 million above the Administration's request. The bill passed full committee in a 20-0 vote.
COBRA SAFETY: The U.S. Army is expected to issue a safety of flight order this week for its fleet of AH-1 Cobras. It will address the N2 spur gear failure that has forced about 23% of the Army's UH-1 fleet to be grounded. The N2 gear fails because of vibration induced by the nose reduction gear. Details of the restrictions are closely held by the Army, although the service isn't expected to ground its Cobra fleet.
Dennis Lambell has been named vice president and program director of the Imagery and Information Systems business unit of GDE Systems, Inc. Rex Tracy has been named vice president and program director of the Products Business Unit for GDE Systems, Inc. a unit of the Tracor Information Systems.
Science Applications International Corp. has asked the U.S. Navy's unmanned aerial vehicle program office for a no-cost extension to the vertical take-off and landing UAV demonstration, while Bombardier crashed its UAV after completing most of the demo.
The Navy on Friday awarded an agreement to the shipbuilder "Alliance," which consists of Bath Iron Works Corp., and Ingalls Shipbuilding Inc., to prepare a competition plan that would establish two teams to develop separate DD-21 land-attack destroyer concept designs. The Alliance has designated Bath Iron Works as the lead contractor for the effort.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has selected Boeing to pursue development of the hypersonic Advanced Rapid Response Missile Demonstrator. The exact contract value is still being negotiated with Boeing, as well as detailed program plans. At this point DARPA is looking to pursue two ARRMD alternatives. Next year one design will be selected to pursue for the flight test program, David Whelan, DARPA's chief of the Tactical Technology Office, told The DAILY.
MOVING STORY: With the Senate tied up over consideration of the tobacco bill, there may be an attempt to go back to the Senate Armed Services- approved defense authorization this week, although as of Friday SASC sources said no Senate floor time has been cleared for the bill. Senate Appropriations Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) is waiting to see what Senate authorizers do on the issue of Bosnia funding before bringing up the defense appropriations bill his committee has approved. Also a candidate for Senate consideration this week is the NASA authorization.
Stephen C. Forsyth has been elected executive vice president and chief financial officer. H. E. Tad Kinne has been elected president and chief operating officer.
NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery plunged into the atmosphere Friday for an on-time landing at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., bringing home the last U.S. astronaut to visit Russia's Mir orbital station in the finale of the three-year Shuttle/Mir portion of the International Space Station program. Touchdown at KSC came at 2 p.m. The mission was marred by failure of the Shuttle's Ku-band communications system, which prevented live coverage of the rendezvous and docking and allowed only limited television to be broadcast through Russian equipment on Mir.
PEACE PACT: Congressional sources say Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Calif.), the Republican leadership's designated chairman to head the select House committee investigating allegations U.S. companies transferred satellite launch technology to China, is prepared to accommodate Rep. Norman Dicks (D-Wash.), the designated ranking Democrat on the panel, on the issue of party ratios on the panel. Democrats had objected to the planned party breakdown of five Republicans and three Democrats, saying it exceeds the party ratio in the House (DAILY, June 12).
