A flight experiment at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., has successfully demonstrated a new software data analysis tool, called the "flutterometer," which is designed to increase the efficiency of flight flutter testing. "This tool can result in dramatic decreases in time and cost for military and commercial aircraft testing," Dryden project engineer Rick Lind said in a statement.
TILTROTORS GALORE: U.S. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James L. Jones tells The DAILY he hopes the Bell/NASA XV-15 will be brought to the Paris Air show so more people can see it fly, as the V-22 Ospreys still remain grounded. Jones is a strong proponent of commercial tiltrotors, such as the Bell/Agusta Aerospace 609, due for its first flight this December. "Commercial tiltrotor technology is an answer to the replacement of regional jets and the problem of overcrowded runways," says Jones.
ITT Industries' Aerospace/Communications Division, of Fort Wayne, Ind., has been awarded an $8 million contract for formulation phase work on an advanced imager for the next generation of geostationary weather satellites operated and funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The new Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) will be a primary instrument on NOAA's future Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES), beginning with the GOES0-R mission in 2008.
Orbital Technologies Corp. (ORBITEC), of Madison, Wisconsin, announced the successful testing of an innovative new liquid-fueled rocket engine the company said could be an integral part of programs promoting low-cost access to space. ORBITEC announced last week that it tested the first rocket engine that operates without hot combustion gases contacting the combustion chamber wall.
SPACEDEV INC., of Poway, Calif., announced it received over $1 million in new business during April, including grants from the California Space Authority to explore innovative and low-cost space access. Under a $175,000 grant, SpaceDev will work with the Sea Launch Co., headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., to start a program aimed at providing assured, affordable and timely access to space for secondary payloads.
BALL AEROSPACE&TECHNOLOGY CORP., of Boulder, Colo., is conducting environmental tests on the Cryogenic Telescope Assembly (CTA) for the fourth and last of NASA's Great Observatories, the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF). The company completed integration of the CTA and has now moved on to testing. The CTA and two SIRTF instruments, the Infrared Spectrograph and the Multiband Imaging Photometer, were built by Ball Aerospace.
One of the key issues being examined by members of the Federal Aviation Administration's Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee is whether the U.S. should adopt the European model for government indemnification for satellite launches. COMSTAC is currently examining the adequacy, effectiveness and need for the current liability risk-sharing regime mandated by the Commercial Space Transportation Competitiveness Act of 2000.
UPLIFTING FORCES: Hobson believes the Air Force doesn't have the lift capability it needs to meet all its responsibilities. "I don't think we have enough lift to project a force as fast as we'd like to around the world in the future." He says he doubts the government will buy enough C-17s to address this problem, and thus some sort of new commercial-derivative system may be required.
SPACE S&T: Space-related science and technology (S&T) work within the Air Force will remain under the purview of Air Force Material Command (AFMC), rather than being placed under Air Force Space Command (AFSPC), says AFMC Commander Gen. Lester L. Lyles. Lyles says the Air Force recognizes it would be unwise to uproot all the space S&T efforts at various bases around the country and put them under AFSPC control. "We could not just carve up a little bit of Rome or Kirtland ... and put them all under Space Command," says Lyle.
BMD CONFERENCE: Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.), a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, is organizing a June 28-29 conference in historic Valley Forge, Pa., to make the case for ballistic missile defense. Missile shield proponents from the British Parliament, academia and advocacy groups are among those expected to participate. Weldon believes it will be hard to achieve big spending hikes for missile defense and other defense programs without building public support (DAILY, May 17).
POWER HUNGRY: Electrical power requirements will become a major driver in future aircraft design as avionics become more elaborate, says Karl Krapek, president and chief operating officer of United Technologies Corporation. "Whether piloted or unpiloted, future aircraft will have significantly greater electronics requirements," he says. "We really believe that engine thrust will take a backseat to electrical generation." Future unmanned aircraft will require a minimum of 300 kilowatts of power, Krapek says, which will come from a 10,000-lb. thrust engine.
NEW OFFICIALS: The Bush Administration's choice for two Defense Department positions and the presidency of the U.S. Export-Import Bank have received congressional approval to begin their new jobs. On May 17, the Senate confirmed former trade official Victoria Clark to be assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, former Army Department general counsel William Haynes to be DoD general counsel and former U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board Chairman John Robson to be president of the Ex-Im Bank.
The Royal Australian Air Force successfully fired two AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) from F/A-18 Hornets at the Woomera Instrumented Range earlier this month, according to the Australian Defence Organisation. The firings were the first for this type of missile in Australia, and both successfully struck their targets, according to the organization.
PANAMSAT CORP. of Greenwich, Conn., announced shares of its common stock have begun trading on the Nasdaq Europe exchange following its recent admission to the international stock market. The company, which operates four satellites that deliver broadcast, cable, Internet and telecommunications services to European customers, will trade under the symbol SPOT. The company launched a fifth European coverage satellite, the PAS-10 Indian Ocean Region satellite, on May 15 (DAILY, May 16).
JSF A GO: Congressman Dave Hobson (R-Ohio) thinks the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) will become a reality, and not just a technology showcase. "I think we're going to do the JSF," says Hobson. "I don't see any alternative." He believes, however, that the F-22 may not be so lucky. "I would be more concerned about the F-22, and the amount of the purchases of it, because if people leapfrog, where I think they're going to leapfrog to is the JSF.
SPACEDATA INTERNATIONAL, of McLean, Va., announced it has obtained formal notification from the Federal Communications Commission of a long-term FCC order and authorization to allow it to operate the NASA Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) on a "time share" basis with NASA and the U.S. Government. The FCC license, which the company said is the first of its kind, is the result of a cooperative effort between NASA, the National Telecommunication Information Agency (NTIA) and the FCC.
The Boeing Co. has proposed minimizing weather-related problems in Shemya Island, Alaska, the site of a proposed missile defense radar, by building the radar in a warmer climate and then shipping it to Shemya, congressional sources said May 17. Some work on the X-band radar would still be done at Shemya, including installation of a concrete pad, the sources told The DAILY. But assembling the radar parts elsewhere could significantly shorten the time it would take to deploy a land-based missile defense system.
Germany will spend $3.5 billion over the next four years on its space program - fulfilling its commitment to several European space projects, the German government said May 16. The new investment is aimed at increasing German industry's share of the global commercial revenues from aerospace while maintaining Germany's position as a world leader of space research, according to research minister Edelgard Buhlmahn.
PRATT&WHITNEY Canada Corp. announced the Bavarian Police will outfit their nine Eurocopter EC135 helicopters with the company's PW206B2 engines, starting in September. The helicopters, used for police and EMS duties, are currently powered by Pratt&Whitney's PW206B engines. The new engines will allow the helicopters to operate with higher take-off weights.
A group composed of members from the Bell-Boeing tiltrotor team, their V-22 Osprey subcontractors, the Navy and Air Force, is putting together a roadmap of what changes must be made to fix identified deficiencies and how long it will take to incorporate them into the aircraft.
Lockheed Martin Astronautics has selected Saab Ericsson Space's Low Shock Separation System for use on the company's Atlas V launch vehicle, Saab announced May 16. The system will reduce launcher-induced shock to satellites by several orders of magnitude, according to Saab. The two companies have signed a 10-year contract for the systems. Saab Ericsson Space has provided separation systems for Atlas rockets since the late 1980s, according to the company, which is jointly owned by Saab and Ericsson.
In spite of encountering some opposition in the national congress, General Patricio Rios, commander-in-chief of Chile's air force, recommended May 14 to President Ricardo Lagos that Lockheed Martin's F-16 fighter is the best technical option to replace Chile's older aircraft in service. The deal involves a dozen aircraft and is worth $600 million. Other bidders are France's Dassault, offering Mirage fighters, and the British/Swedish multinational company Saab, offering Jas 39 Gripens.
Aerospace industry representatives offered their perspectives on the current problems facing the U.S. aerospace industry at the NASTC 2001 conference here earlier this week, along with the steps they believe must be taken to avoid further erosion of financial and human resources. Dain Hancock, president of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, began his remarks to conferees with a sobering picture of the industry's health.
BAE SYSTEMS has won an 18-month, $3.3 million contract from the U.S. Army Communications and Electronics Command for the program definition and risk reduction phase of the Ground Stand-off Mine Detection System Block I program, which integrates mine detection and neutralization into a multi-platform system.
General Dynamics Armament Systems has received a $5 million order from the U.S. Army Operations Support command for the production of Hydra-70 rockets and motors for the U.S. Army, Navy and foreign militaries, the company announced May 16. The order is part of a five-year contract the company was awarded in June 1999. The total contract value to date is $396.8 million, with a maximum potential value of $1.2 billion through the five-year contract period. Deliveries from this order are scheduled to run from June 2002 through June 2003.
