PRAGUE - Slovak and Russian officials are in talks over a $56 million deal to repair 18 of Slovakia's aging fleet of 24 MiG-29 fighters, the Slovak ministry of defense told The DAILY. Open-ended discussions on issues such as spare parts for the fighters are being held as part of Russia's commitment to paying its debts to Slovakia, which are reported to stand at more than $1 billion.
LIFE IN THE TANK: NASA is working on designs for manned interplanetary spacecraft that place the crew quarters within the fuel tank as a means of protecting the astronauts from space radiation, according to Frank Cucinotta, manager for radiation health at Johnson Space Center. Hydrogen is an excellent radiation shielding material, according to Cucinotta, because no secondary radiation is released when radiation strikes it, and it slows radiation more than any other material per unit mass.
Twenty House members have introduced a bill that would double aeronautics research and development funding over five years at both the FAA and NASA in an effort to make the U.S. aerospace industry more competitive internationally. The bill, spearheaded by Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), who represents engine maker Pratt & Whitney, would increase NASA's aeronautics R&D budget to $1.15 billion by 2007. By the same year, the FAA's aeronautics R&D funding would reach $550 million.
NAME CHANGE. The Space Based Infrared System High (SBIRS-High) program soon could be the Pentagon's only SBIRS program. The lower-altitude SBIRS system, known as SBIRS-Low, soon may get a new name, says the Pentagon's acquisition czar. "To avoid a lot of confusion between SBIRS-Low and SBIRS-High, I'm going to ask [Missile Defense Agency Director] Lt. Gen. [Ronald] Kadish to give me another name for SBIRS-Low," says Pete Aldridge, the undersecretary of the defense for acquisition, technology and logistics.
SHUTTLE STUDY: Four Democratic senators have urged Senate appropriators to direct NASA to conduct a thorough study of shuttle upgrades that could be needed to keep the fleet flying through 2020. NASA is planning to fly the shuttle until 2012 but also is studying upgrades needed to boost that to 2020.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz strongly criticized the Czech Republic's proposed purchase of 24 Jas-39 Gripen fighters from BAE Systems/Saab, according to a senior Czech politician who met with Wolfowitz April 30. Michael Zantovsky, chairman of the Czech senate's foreign affairs, defense and security committee, said Wolfowitz told him at a Washington meeting that the purchase was unnecessary and that the Czech Republic should focus on restructuring its armed forces.
None of the six defense acquisition programs in breach of the Nunn-McCurdy amendment will be canceled now, the Pentagon's top acquisition official announced May 2, but he warned the programs will remain in the "spotlight" and could be terminated if problems continue. Six of the Defense Department's major defense acquisition programs recently reported cost growth over 25 percent, which put them in violation of Nunn-McCurdy.
Ten federal agencies are participating in the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), which funds long-term, fundamental research into the field of building structures on the molecular level. NNI funds research aimed at discovering new phenomena, processes and tools, supporting new interdisciplinary centers, support the research infrastructure and addressing the implications of nanotechnology and nanoscience (DAILY, May 1). FY 2001 FY 2002 FY 2003
SPACEDEV of Poway, Calif., has been awarded phase one of a contract to develop a shuttle-compatible propulsion module for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the company announced. The company also expects to receive a phase two contract for the work, which would bring the total value of the two contracts to $1.6 million. The contract is to develop a low-cost propulsion capability to allow Air Force payloads to be boosted to higher orbits after being deployed from NASA's Shuttle Hitchhiker Experiment Launch System (SHELS).
The current satellite export control regime is stifling U.S. competitiveness in the global satellite marketplace and weakening national security as well, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
The Boeing Co. and CargoLifter AG of Germany have signed a letter of intent to pursue development of lighter-than-air vehicles for a variety of tasks, including homeland defense. The German company said May 2 that the LOI "provides the basis for a more detailed joint study of possible business opportunities beyond CargoLifter's current business focus of using LTA vehicles for transporting heavy and outsized cargoes. Such opportunities could include the development of a stratospheric airship for commercial and military applications."
With rumors growing of possible cuts to the F-22 fighter program, a senior Air Force official defended the aircraft, saying recent reports of a tail problem are not serious and should be easy to fix.
The current satellite export control regime is stifling U.S. competitiveness in the global satellite marketplace and weakening national security as well, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).
DIRECTV INC. of El Segundo, Calif., will launch its DIRECTV 5 satellite from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome on May 6. International Launch Services will launch the satellite. DIRECTV 5 is a Space Systems/Loral 1300 series satellite, and will be positioned at 119 degrees West longitude. It will take over broadcast services being handled by DIRECTV 6, which will become an in-orbit spare once the new satellite becomes operational in July.
PRAGUE - U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz strongly criticized the Czech Republic's proposed purchase of 24 Jas-39 Gripen fighters from BAE Systems/Saab, according to a senior Czech politician who met with Wolfowitz April 30. Michael Zantovsky, chairman of the Czech senate's foreign affairs, defense and security committee, said Wolfowitz told him at a Washington meeting that the purchase was unnecessary and that the Czech Republic should focus on restructuring its armed forces.
THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY, the Russian Aviation and Space Agency and the Korolev Rocket Space Corp. have agreed to fly ESA astronaut Frank De Winne of Belgium to the International Space Station in October. De Winne will be a flight engineer on a Soyuz "taxi" flight, and his mission will be funded by the Belgian Federal Office for Scientific, Technical and Cultural Affairs.
Ten federal agencies are participating in the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), which funds long-term, fundamental research into the field of building structures on the molecular level. NNI funds research aimed at discovering new phenomena, processes and tools, supporting new interdisciplinary centers, support the research infrastructure and addressing the implications of nanotechnology and nanoscience (DAILY, May 1). (Dollars are in millions.)
None of the six defense acquisition programs in breach of the Nunn-McCurdy amendment will be canceled now, the Pentagon's top acquisition official announced May 2, but he warned the programs will remain in the "spotlight" and could be terminated if problems continue. Six of the Defense Department's major defense acquisition programs recently reported cost growth over 25 percent, which put them in violation of Nunn-McCurdy. That amendment requires Pete Aldridge, the undersecretary of defe
COMPASS CALL: BAE Systems will provide equipment upgrades for U.S. Air Force EC-130H Compass Call aircraft under a $53 million contract, the company announced May 2. The equipment will support the Block 35 upgrade for the aircraft, which are C-130 Hercules modified for communications jamming and information warfare.
The Boeing Co. and CargoLifter AG of Germany have signed a letter of intent to pursue development of lighter-than-air vehicles for a variety of tasks, including homeland defense. The German company said May 2 that the LOI "provides the basis for a more detailed joint study of possible business opportunities beyond CargoLifter's current business focus of using LTA vehicles for transporting heavy and outsized cargoes. Such opportunities could include the development of a stratospheric airship for commercial and military applications."
BOEING's Delta IV booster has been moved to its launch pad in preparation for its first flight this August from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The vehicle, powered by the Boeing Rocketdyne RS-68 main engine, was lifted to a standing position on Launch Pad B at Space Launch Complex 37. On its first flight, the booster is scheduled to orbit a communications satellite for Eutelsat of France.
BAE SYSTEMS will lease three newly designed transportable satellite communications terminals to the United Kingdom Defence Procurement Agency. The terminal system, called Talon, incorporates commercial-off-the-shelf components to provide military features, such as satellite tracking and use of defense and civil frequency bands, in a "flyaway" package. The system will be hosted by the headquarters of the Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps near Rheindahlen, Germany, and will be deployed from there.
Beginning next year, NASA plans to quadruple the amount of research it performs on the effects of space radiation on biological systems, in an effort to better understand and prepare for future manned space missions. Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston is leading the radiation initiative, which is receiving a funding boost of roughly $25 million on top of a $15 million baseline program, according to Frank Cucinotta, manager for radiation health at JSC.
SPACEHAB INC.'s Johnson Engineering subsidiary of Houston has signed a $14.2 million, five-month extension with NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) for the company's Flight Crew Systems Development contract. JSC also approved three one-month extensions to the contract, which, if exercised, would stretch it through the end of the year and increase the value to $23.2 million. The extension will allow JSC to restructure and recompete the contract, according to Spacehab.
China and Russia recently agreed to develop a new generation of civil aircraft. This is the first agreement in a decade between China's Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense and the Russian Aviation and Space Agency. The two sides agreed to work out a cooperative program, to be signed in six months. A joint commission has been set up to draft the program.
