Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. have begun static loads testing on the T-50 Golden Eagle advanced jet trainer, part of the procedure leading to first flight later this year. Results from the static loads testing, which began Jan. 2, will be used to certify the flight worthiness of the aircraft and to validate the structural computer model used in the airframe's design, Lockheed Martin announced Jan. 24.
Although the financial outlook for General Dynamics is less certain in the short term, the company shows strong potential for medium-term growth, according to Deutsche Bank Alex. Brown analyst Christopher Mecray. Mecray notes the higher-than-expected fourth quarter 2001 sales in the company's Combat Systems and Aerospace (Gulfstream and Galaxy) sectors were offset by slightly lower margins in the Marine Systems sector. For FY 2002, "we assume 13 percent [growth] for revenue and 11 percent [growth] for EPS [earnings per share]," he says.
POSITIVE OUTLOOK: Although the financial outlook for General Dynamics is less certain in the short term, the company shows strong potential for medium-term growth, according to Deutsche Bank Alex. Brown analyst Christopher Mecray. Mecray notes the higher-than-expected fourth quarter 2001 sales in the company's Combat Systems and Aerospace (Gulfstream and Galaxy) sectors were offset by slightly lower margins in the Marine Systems sector. For FY 2002, "we assume 13 percent [growth] for revenue and 11 percent [growth] for EPS [earnings per share]," he says.
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), a colonel and lawyer in the Army National Guard, is getting a seat on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC). Wilson, who represents several military bases, including Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and McEntire Air National Guard Station, was elected to the House in December to replace Rep. Floyd Spence (R-S.C.), who chaired the HASC procurement subcommittee until his death in August (DAILY, Aug. 16).
NASA has awarded its Distinguished Public Service Medal to Antonio Rodota, the director general of the European Space Agency. NASA European representative Karen Feldstein presented Rodota with the medal at a Jan. 24 ceremony at ESA's headquarters in Paris on behalf of former NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin, who signed the award letter before leaving office in November. In the letter, Goldin praised ESA's cooperation with NASA on the International Space Station and other programs.
A delegation of government officials from Australia held initial discussions with the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program office to discuss joining the U.S. and other international partners in development of the JSF, according to a Department of Defense spokeswoman.
Lockheed Martin Corp. posted a fourth-quarter 2001 net earnings loss of $1.5 billion, mostly due to charges from discontinued operations that totaled $1.4 billion.
The success of long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) may be shifting focus away from ship-based UAVs for oceangoing applications, according to Daryl Davidson, executive director of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). "If the Navy is any indication, doing away with Fire Scout (DAILY, Dec. 11, 2001), and looking more toward the high-altitude systems, you could probably make an argument that the success of Predator and Global Hawk are shifting some of the ideas," Davidson told The DAILY.
The success of long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) may be shifting focus away from ship-based UAVs for oceangoing applications, according to Daryl Davidson, executive director of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI). "If the Navy is any indication, doing away with Fire Scout (DAILY, Dec. 11, 2001), and looking more toward the high-altitude systems, you could probably make an argument that the success of Predator and Global Hawk are shifting some of the ideas," Davidson told The DAILY.
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. have begun static loads testing on the T-50 Golden Eagle advanced jet trainer, part of the procedure leading to first flight later this year. Results from the static loads testing, which began Jan. 2, will be used to certify the flight worthiness of the aircraft and to validate the structural computer model used in the airframe's design, Lockheed Martin announced Jan. 24.
A delegation of government officials from Australia held initial discussions with the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program office to discuss joining the U.S. and other international partners in development of the JSF, according to a Department of Defense spokeswoman.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Birmingham, Ala., has decided not to prosecute the former manager of the Army's Kinetic Energy Anti-Satellite (KE-ASAT) program, possibly clearing the way for him to return to KE-ASAT and for $3 million in program funding to be released, according to sources.
NASA's Space Launch Initiative, aimed at developing improved space launch technology, is seeking its second round of proposals from industry and academia, NASA announced Jan. 25. Technical proposals are due March 27 and NASA expects to award contracts totaling about $500 million in September.
HASC SEAT: Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), a colonel and lawyer in the Army National Guard, is getting a seat on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC). Wilson, who represents several military bases, including Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and McEntire Air National Guard Station, was elected to the House in December to replace Rep. Floyd Spence (R-S.C.), who chaired the HASC procurement subcommittee until his death in August (DAILY, Aug. 16).
Although one company has been awarded a contract with a potential value of $88 million for support of the Air Force's Space Warfare Center at Schreiver Air Force Base, Colo., another company has protested the award, but its protest has been overruled. This company, which the Air Force wouldn't identify, has until Feb. 6 to appeal. The company receiving the contract is RS Information Systems (RSIS) of McLean, Va. It competed with two incumbents, ACS Defense, formerly DTAC Corp., and ITAC Corp., according to a Space Warfare Center spokeswoman.
INTEL POST: Rep. Terry Everett (R-Ala.), who served as an Air Force intelligence analyst in the 1950s, will fill a vacancy on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Everett, who will keep his seat on the House Armed Services Committee, represents a congressional district that includes Maxwell Air Force Base, the Army's Fort Rucker and Lockheed Martin's missile assembly plant in Pike County.
PUBLIC SUPPORT: Two space exploration advocacy groups are hoping to get the public involved in deciding the future of the nation's space program. ProSpace America is planning its latest "March Storm" event for March 9-13. Group members will meet with lawmakers and staffers to discuss space exploration and will hold a space roundtable in conjunction with the Space Frontier Foundation. The Planetary Society is also asking citizens to get involved in space policy by providing public input to the Planetary Decadal Survey being conducted by the National Research Council.
CONTINGENCY FUND: A $10 billion contingency fund the Bush Administration has requested would be used to pay for a variety of costs related to possible future military operations, according to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. President Bush announced Jan. 23 that he would ask Congress for the fund as part of his fiscal year 2003 budget request package. The war against terrorism "doesn't lend itself to precise calibration as to exactly what it will cost and how it might be conducted and how long it might take," Rumsfeld says.
Rep. Terry Everett (R-Ala.), who served as an Air Force intelligence analyst in the 1950s, will fill a vacancy on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Everett, who will keep his seat on the House Armed Services Committee, represents a congressional district that includes Maxwell Air Force Base, the Army's Fort Rucker and Lockheed Martin's missile assembly plant in Pike County.
A $10 billion contingency fund the Bush Administration has requested would be used to pay for a variety of costs related to possible future military operations, according to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. President Bush announced Jan. 23 that he would ask Congress for the fund as part of his fiscal year 2003 budget request package. The war against terrorism "doesn't lend itself to precise calibration as to exactly what it will cost and how it might be conducted and how long it might take," Rumsfeld says.
Two space exploration advocacy groups are hoping to get the public involved in deciding the future of the nation's space program. ProSpace America is planning its latest "March Storm" event for March 9-13. Group members will meet with lawmakers and staffers to discuss space exploration and will hold a space roundtable in conjunction with the Space Frontier Foundation. The Planetary Society is also asking citizens to get involved in space policy by providing public input to the Planetary Decadal Survey being conducted by the National Research Council.
NASA and THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY in Reston, Va., have partnered to continue the mission of the Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) spacecraft by having researchers pay for data. EO-1 price levels have been set to cover the costs of satellite operation, data transmission and customer interfaces, which are estimated at $5 million per year. Depending on demand, EO-1 could be decommissioned as early as this spring or as late as the spring of 2005.
Rep. Tony Hall (D-Ohio) is asking his colleagues to sign a letter urging President Bush to increase spending on defense science and technology (S&T) to 3 percent of the Defense Department's budget, a level recommended by DOD's 2001 Quadrennial Defense Review report.
The Coast Guard plans to take the offensive in the drive for homeland security through a new program known as the Integrated Deepwater System. "We have refocused our efforts to increase our presence and operations in our ports and waterways," Vice Adm. Ernest Riutta, commander of the Guard's Pacific region, said at the Armed Forces Communications&Electronics Association&Naval Institute West 2002 conference here.
Expedition Four crewmembers are slated to conduct a spacewalk, or extra-vehicular activity, on Jan. 25 to install thruster plume deflectors and other equipment outside the Zvezda service module. Commander Yury Onufrienko and Flight Engineer Dan Bursch have been "prepping the suits and the tools" for the spacewalk, which will be conducted through the Russian Pirs module.
