Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA) has set a target date of August 25 for the first flight test of its new commercial H-IIA launch vehicle. The H-IIA booster was supposed to have its first flight in October 2000, but NASDA detected malfunctions in its LE-7A engine, including foil peeling from the oxidizer turbo pump and leaks from the pressurization line connected to the oxidizer tank.
AUSTRALIA'S ROYAL NAVY will soon take delivery of Kongsberg Mk2 Mod 7 Penguin air-to-surface missiles for its Super Seasprite helicopters, the Australian Defence Organisation has announced. The Penguins will act as the primary offensive capability for the Seasprites. Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace of Norway is supplying the missiles.
Lockheed Martin Missiles&Fire Control of Orlando, Fla., has delivered the first six Airborne Laser missile defense system infrared sensors to the Boeing Co., Boeing announced July 11.
The U.S. defense budget now before Congress would make only modest overall increases in modernization funding for the Air Force, but they could lead to new life for the B-1B Lancer bomber fleet even as its size is cut, service leaders have told a House panel.
Raytheon Corp. is spending $6 million of its own money on plans to downsize and modernize the current Patriot missile system hardware to keep it effective through 2028. Among other improvements, these plans would result in the "Patriot Light," a system with downsized command and control equipment, both at the battalion and the fire unit.
U.S. Air Force Gen. Ralph Eberhart, commander in chief of U.S. Space Command, said July 11 that he expects the Bush Administration's defense budgets in fiscal 2003 and beyond will provide significant increases for national security space programs.
ORBITAL SCIENCES CORP. of Dulles, Va., announced that the Southeastern Michigan Snow and Ice Management program has selected its satellite-based ORBTRAC-100 system to track and manage some of its fleet of road maintenance vehicles. The ORBTRAC-100 system, designed and developed by Orbital's Transportation Management Systems Division, of Columbia, Md., will use Global Positioning System satellite technology to track the location and status of road maintenance vehicles, dispatching snowplows to the most critical areas in need during major storms.
A Boeing Commercial executive said July 10 that the company's new Sonic Cruiser will have fuel efficiency similar to current long-range jets and will offer several other environmentally friendly advantages. John Roundhill, VP-marketing for new airplane programs, told the Royal Aeronautical Society in London that the airplane's fuel use "will be similar to the newest, similarly sized airplanes being delivered today," Aerospace Daily affiliate Aviation Daily reported.
NASA's Genesis mission, slated to launch July 30, will bring back a sample of the solar wind - tiny particles that could answer big questions about how the solar system evolved. The particles "will be the best and most complete picture" that scientists will have of the original solar nebula, from which the sun, Earth and other planets formed, Meenakshi Wadhwa, a cosmochemist from Chicago's Field Museum, said at a July 11 press conference to discuss the mission.
NASA and the Department of Transportation are testing a new in-flight tracking system intended to keep up with aircraft flying over the Gulf of Mexico. The Advanced Air Transportation Technologies (AATT) project is being tested offshore from Intracoastal City, La. NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., and the DOT's Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Cambridge, Mass., are evaluating the operational benefits of the system for fleet management in the Gulf.
The Senate July 10 voted to temporarily block the U.S. Air Force from using fiscal 2001 funds to cut the B-1B bomber fleet. The measure, approved as an amendment to the FY '01 supplemental spending bill, was sponsored by Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.) and other senators whose states stand to lose B-1Bs if the Air Force proceeds with its plan to shrink the fleet from 93 to 60 and reduce the number of B-1B installations from five to two. The supplemental still has to be resolved with the House-passed version, which does not contain the B-1B provision.
The Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) hopes to go two for four when it conducts the latest test of its Midcourse Defense Segment (MDS) missile defense system July 14, which it said will be the most challenging one yet. The $100 million test includes the planned intercept of a modified Minuteman II intercontinental ballistic missile, to be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California sometime between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. eastern daylight time. It will carry a mock warhead and a single decoy.
Administration officials testifying before the House Committee on International Relations July 11 urged representatives to pass the Senate's version of the Export Administration Act before Congress adjourns for its August recess. The existing Export Administration Act, which regulates what technologies may be exported and to which countries, was first enacted by Congress in 1979. Congress has passed several temporary extensions of the law since then, and the current extension is set to expire Aug. 20.
NASA's unmanned, solar-powered Helios aircraft, originally scheduled to attempt a flight to 100,000 feet in May, is now tentatively slated to make the flight next month, a NASA spokesman said July 10. The aircraft, with a wingspan of 247 feet, has encountered a series of minor problems at the Barking Sands Airfield on Kaui in Hawaii that have delayed the functional check flight (FCF) that is required before the attempt at 100,000 feet can be made.
PEREGRINE SEMICONDUCTOR of San Diego has introduced new PE9302 and PE9303 radiation-hardened 3.5 GHz prescalers for space and defense applications, the company announced. Mass production of the prescalers is slated for September. The PE9302 and PE9393 are CMOS prescalers designed for low-power operation. "Peregrine's new monolithic CMOS prescalers are innovative products that offer superior integrated functionality to the RF components of advanced satellite and military systems," said Stav Prodromou, Peregrine's president and CEO.
APA AERO PROPULSION ALLIANCE GMBH has been established as a new joint venture to manage the design, development, certification, manufacture, marketing and support of the TP400 turboprop engine selected by Airbus Military to power the A400M military transport aircraft. FiatAvio of Italy, ITP of Spain, MTU Aero Engines of Germany, Rolls-Royce of the United Kingdom, Snecma Moteurs of France and Techspace-Aero of Belgium formed the alliance, which is headquartered in Munich, Germany.
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), who left the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier this year (DAILY, Jan. 16), will return to the panel to fill an extra seat that Democrats gained by taking control of the Senate, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) announced July 10. Democrats are getting an extra seat on most Senate committees to reflect their recent takeover of the chamber.
New missile defense test facilities in Alaska could form a "triangle" of sites offering increased flexibility as the Bush Administration ramps up its missile defense R&D efforts, according to the Pentagon. The other points on the "test bed" triangle would be the existing sites at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and Kwajalein atoll in the Pacific.
The Royal Aeronautical Society named Rolls-Royce's John Marshall, project leader for Trent 500 engine aerodynamics, as the winner of the Sir Roy Fedden Award on July 10. The award is presented for outstanding aerospace propulsion research. Marshall was honored for his work in measuring the behavior of fan blades under extreme conditions.
The European Commission announced July 9 it has formed an advisory group to represent the interests of European satellite communications operators. The group, called the European Satellite Operators Association, was formed during a Satellite Action Plan conference in Brussels, where representatives of Europe's biggest satellite companies are discussing industry trends with EC officials. The focus of this year's conference is assessing the space-based contribution to radio communications services.
Raytheon Co. executives expressed confidence July 10 that the most serious problems encountered in the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) are behind them, and FAA Administrator Jane Garvey introduced the system to the public via a new $500,000 mobile unit that will tour national terminal radar approach control (TRACON) facilities for the next year.
The planned July 15 launch of an Atlas IIA rocket carrying the GOES-M weather satellite has been delayed at least a week to allow for repairs of an electrical part in the booster's guidance system. Launch provider International Launch Services (ILS) said the problem part is located in the Remote Control Unit, part of the upper stage's guidance system. When the repaired unit is reinstalled on the rocket, the booster will be put through an electrical readiness test before ILS will confirm a new launch date.
Alliant Techsystems (ATK) has extended two Titan IV B production and launch operations contracts with Lockheed Martin, the Minneapolis-based company announced July 10. The first extension, valued at $1.2 million, will continue ATK launch support activities at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., from March 2002 to September 2002.
Alenia Aerospazio and Aeronavali of Italy, both Finmeccanica companies, have signed a memorandum of agreement with the Boeing Co. to become partners in the development, production and support of a tanker/transport version of the Boeing 767 commercial aircraft. The memorandum of agreement with Boeing follows a request for proposals from the Italian defense ministry for a new tanker transport aircraft. Boeing's 767 aircraft was chosen by the Italians last week as the tanker system to meet its requirements.
Evans&Sutherland Computer Corp. of Salt Lake City will supply the visual systems for three full flight simulators under a contract with Delta Air Lines, the company announced July 10. The order calls for the company to deliver ESIG-3350GT image generators and 12 raster/calligraphic monitor replacement projectors. The systems will be used to replace existing systems on Delta's B757#1, B757#2 and B767#3 full flight simulators. Delivery of the first system will begin in October 2001.
