An internal NASA team has been "thinking out of the box" in an effort to find ways to commercialize human spaceflight in low Earth orbit, including the International Space Station, surveying consumer manufacturers for ideas and pondering a high risk, high payoff "space venture fund" to finance them.
Ronald G. Elkins has been promoted to general manager Engineering Services Division (ESD) and program director Goddard Systems Engineering, Integration and Management Support Services (SEIMSS). Rick McCrary has been named to the position of vice president, McDonnell Douglas Ltd. Australia. Drs. Michael Biferno, manager of Human Factors Technology and Shreekant Agrawal, functional manager of the High Speed Aerodynamics Technology department at Military Transport Aircraft's ATAS group, were named McDonnell Douglas Fellows.
The National Aviation Club selected astronaut Shannon Lucid to receive its first annual Achievement Award. George W. S. Abbey, director of Johnson Space Center has won the 1997 National Space Trophy, the aerospace industry's premier award.
The Pentagon's Deep Attack Weapons Mix Study will "likely" recommend cutting weapons programs, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Requirements Ted Warner told reporters yesterday. The first portion of the two-part DAWMS will conclude this month and, Warner said, "I think it is likely" weapons program will be cut as a result. Speaking to reporters in Washington, Warner wouldn't say which programs might be in trouble.
KOREAN AIR accepted its first Airbus A330 with Pratt&Whitney PW4000 engines. The aircraft is powered by the 100-inch fan PW4168 rated at 68,000 pounds of takeoff thrust. Korean Air has 19 firm and option A330s on order.
Larry Clarkson, senior vice president of Planning and International Development has been named president of Boeing Enterprises, formed to establish and direct new commercial airplane-related business entities.
Former commander-in-chief of USAF Strategic Air Command, General John (Jack) T. Chain, Jr. (Ret.) has joined the Quarterdeck Equity Partners, Inc. as president.
Thomas A. Taylor, senior development associate at Praxair Surface Technologies, has been named a Corporate Fellow by Praxair, Inc. in recognition of his high level of scientific achievement.
The U.S. government, acting on behalf of the Dept. of the Army, filed suit Monday in Minneapolis against Alliant Techsystems, claiming the company overcharged the Army for 1990 production of 103,879 AT4 Light Anti- Armor weapons. The suit claims Alliant submitted defective cost and pricing data for three components. The government said Alliant submitted pricing for a two- piece muzzle cover made by Gil-Bar and General Plastics used on previous AT4s while negotiating with Gil-Bar to make a cheaper one-piece cover.
NASA, the Defense Dept. and industry representatives still are working out the details of the $500 million NASA-led effort to improve civil aviation safety by a factor of five in 10 years, and by a factor of 10 in 20 years, with no funding planned until fiscal 1999.
The newly adopted Russian federal budget for 1997 sets an increased level of financing for the national space agency and other space- related activities. The federal budget for fiscal year 1997, which began in Russia on Jan. 1, was adopted by the State Duma on Jan. 24. It was agreed to by the Council of Federation on Feb. 12, endorsed by President Yeltsin on Feb. 26 and finally entered into force on March 4 upon its official release.
The cause of the failure of the THAAD anti-missile system to hit a target in four tries may lie with prime contractor Lockheed Martin Corp., the head of the U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense Organization said yesterday. Lt. Gen. Lester Lyles told reporters that he wasn't sure "if the same rigor" that Lockheed Martin applies to space programs is "being applied here."
The following five business executives have been promoted to vice president: Michael J. Houterman, Ken K. Kobayashi, Mark Shahriary, Ronald V. Swanson and Ronald D. Symmes.
The Office of the Secretary of Defense and U.S. Air Force are in disagreement over the potential cost overrun on F-22 fighter production mainly because OSD is using "old models," U.S. Air Force acquisition chief Arthur L. Money said yesterday.
Congressional supporters of continued B-2 bomber production yesterday opened their campaign to win funding of $350 million to keep the industrial base for the plane open. This was the first step in a campaign to provide for long-term production of nine more B-2s. With ranking House National Security Committee Democrat Ronald Dellums (Calif.) leading the opposition, B-2 backers got a reminder that they faced an uphill task in Congress.
U.S. Space Command intends to have a requirement written within the year for a new military spaceplane, Gen. Howell M. Estes III, head of the command, told The DAILY yesterday following a Senate Armed Services Committee strategic forces hearing.
Sam Smookler has been appointed president of East Coast Operations, consisting of Olektron and Systems Operations. Robert W. Bechtold and Melvin W. Lee were appointed vice presidents of sales and marketing at Signal Technology Keltec Operation and California Operation.
Lawrence J. "Larry" Ball has been appointed to replace the retiring L. Allen "Al" Bowman as president of its Poly-Scientific Division. Robert Stangarone has been named director, corporate communications and Brandon Belote director, media relations Washington
Lockheed Martin's X-33 reusable launch vehicle prototype is still on schedule and budget for a first flight in March 1999, and persistent weight problems won't hamper the effectiveness of the suborbital vehicle as a flying testbed, NASA officials told Congress yesterday. Gary Payton, deputy associate administrator for space transportation technology, told the House Science space and aeronautics subcommittee that the estimated X-33 weight peaked in October 1996 and has been coming down since as the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works refines its design.
Brenton C. Fischmann has been appointed managing director of a new regional office to be established in Bonn, Germany, at Northrop Grumman International, Inc., a subsidiary.
Rockwell's Avionics&Communications, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, won a competition to provide the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) with its Collins Flight 2 FMS-800 Flight Management System for the RDAF C-130 fleet. Rockwell said it will assist the RDAF with its Avionics Upgrade Program. Equipment includes integration of GPS aiding of inertial navigation, coupled with the FMS-800 that features the FDS 255 liquid crystal flat panel displays. Also included are the APS-85 digital autopilot, dual ADS-85 air data systems and FMR-200X color weather radar.
