NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery blasted off in a picture perfect launch early yesterday en route to the second human visit to the International Space Station, carrying supplies and hardware to prepare the Station for its first full time crew and to repair a problem that has surfaced with Russian nickel-cadmium batteries on the Zarya module.
The Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday marked up its fiscal year 2000 defense bill providing $264.6 billion in outlays, a slight increase from the Administration's $263.2 billion request. Before passing the bill, the committee agreed to a $3.1 billion cut in defense spending to place that money in a "deficiency" account to cover shortfalls in other areas of the federal budget (DAILY, May 26).
The Senate, debating the fiscal year 2000 defense bill yesterday, discussed proposals for improving checks on U.S. export of satellite technology. The proposal surfaced a day after the Cox Committee released a declassified version of its assessment that China benefited militarily from the transfer of U.S. satellite technology (DAILY, May 25).
NATO now has enough aircraft to fly combat missions over Kosovo 24 hours a day, according to a Pentagon official. In recent days, the number of planes has grown to 1,041, most of which are U.S. The portion from other NATO nations increased to 324 with 39 additional fighter/bombers and 30 more reconnaissance aircraft, U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles F. Wald, vice director of strategic plans and policy for the Joint Staff, said yesterday.
The U.S. Air Force has suspended normal separations and retirements for 40% of its uniformed personnel who serve in critical career fields, AF officials announced at the Pentagon yesterday. The "Stop-Loss" initiative was last enacted during the Gulf War. Stop-Loss will affect about 120,000 airmen serving in critical skills including pilots, navigators and aircraft ground crews. Logisticians, load masters, meteorologists and intelligence specialists will also be forced to remain in the service.
COLLINS AVIATION SERVICES said it has been chosen to provide product support of seat-back TV In-Flight Entertainment equipment on British Airways' Boeing 747 and 777 aircraft.
United Technologies Corp. and Sundstrand Corp. received antitrust clearance of their proposed merger from the Commission of the European Communities, the companies reported yesterday. The $4.3 billion deal will create Hamilton Sundstrand, one of the world's largest suppliers of aircraft components and subsystems (DAILY, Feb. 23). "Given the companies' modest share of markets where their activities overlap, the proposed concentration does not create or strengthen a dominant position in any of the product markets concerned," the EC said.
The U.S. Air Force may speed up deliveries of the AGM-65H/K improved Maverick missile as well as several enhancements that can be installed on existing weapons, including the Joint Programmable Fuze and Hard Target Smart Fuze, according to Frank Robbins, director of AF precision strike munitions at Eglin AFB, Fla.
Space scientists at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama will soon be moving into a new facility off-site where they will pool their research efforts with those of industry and universities around the country to generate advances in materials science, biotechnology, optics and advanced propulsion.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, citing two accidents, said yesterday that the autopilot systems on Boeing MD-11 airliners are "not acceptable" and that the FAA should require them to be modified to "prevent upsets from occurring when manual inputs to the flight controls are made." FAA also should review the autopilot systems of all types of transport aircraft and require modification of those capable of "creating upsets when manual inputs to the flight controls are made," the board said.
Bell Helicopter Textron has completed a shipboard demonstration of its HV-15 tiltrotor aircraft in Key West, Fla., for the U.S. Coast Guard, a company spokesman said.
India orbited two foreign satellites yesterday on a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C2) in its first commercial space launch. The domestically produced PSLV-C2 lifted off from the Indian launch facility at Sriharikota, on the Bay of Bengal, carrying the one-ton Indian Remote Sensing (IRS-4) satellite and two piggyback commercial payloads.
The X-33 program has moved into a "very intensive period" of final test validation, according to program executives. "Engine and hydrogen tank testing is the major hurdle left," said Clean Lacefield, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works vice president for X-33/Venturestar. "After that we're in really good shape."
After completing the preliminary design and about 90% of the software, officials of the Tactical Tomahawk program are preparing to finalize plans for the next generation cruise missile to be fielded in 2003, said Navy Capt. Steve Morrow, program manager for Tomahawk All-Up-Round. Morrow, who coordinates efforts with officials in charge of the command and control station and weapon control system, said a Tomahawk roadmap is being developed with industry.
Precision Castparts Corp. on Tuesday began a cash tender offer and consent solicitation for Wyman-Gordon notes. PCC, of Portland, Ore., said May 17 that it had executed an agreement to acquire Wyman-Gordon, of North Grafton, Mass. (DAILY, May 18). PCC makes structural investment castings and castings for jet engines. Wyman-Gordon makes advanced forgings and castings for aerospace, energy and industrial markets. The action announced Tuesday relates to $150 million of Wyman-Gordon notes due Dec. 15, 2007.
With a number of key issues weighing on the U.S. aerospace industry, John Douglass, head of the Aerospace Industries Association, said his organization already is looking to the 2000 election. "Everybody is nervous about the year 2000," he said. "That's another reason to try and target the next Administration, because this one is pretty much over."
U.S. AIR FORCE is expected today to detail its stop-loss plan, which will prevent some uniformed personnel like pilots and maintenance crew members from leaving the service. AF leaders have said the move is necessary to maintain current operational levels.
The Lockheed Martin Raptor program experienced a "minor problem" Thursday on the flight line at Edwards AFB, Calif., when a "small, localized fire" was ignited in the right wheel well, according to a company spokesman. No injuries were reported, and no damage was done to the aircraft. The incident was not expected to affect the overall program.
Raytheon received more than $217 million for three separate AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) production and improvement contracts from the U.S. Air Force. The awards include: -- $173.2 million for Lot 13 production of 482 AMRAAMs, which supports missile deliveries, program engineering and logistic services through 2001 to the Air Force (180 missiles) and Navy (100 missiles), along with foreign military sales to Italy, Japan, Spain and Turkey.
The U.S. Air Force has completed the first round of Year 2000 operational tests on its air-to-air and air-to-ground systems. The test, conducted last week and called Y2K Flag, was one of the AF's annual live fire exercises. AF Combat Command, the main provider of combat air forces to theater commanders, has planned a three-phase Y2K Flag operational assessment running through September to ensure the Air Force can continue to fight in 2000.
A specially modified Black Hawk helicopter began flight qualifications of a programmable, full-authority, high-bandwidth Research Flight Control System, Boeing reported yesterday. The system was developed by Boeing in Philadelphia, and is part of the Rotorcraft Aircrew Systems Concepts Airborne Laboratory (RASCAL), which is sponsored by the U.S. Army and administered by NASA's Ames Research Center.
Raytheon Co. completed a functional check flight of the first Australian P-3C aircraft to be converted to the AP-3C configuration. Raytheon said yesterday that the check, completed May 19 at its Greenville, Tex., facility, marks completion of the design, integration and prototype phases of the Royal Australian Air Force's Sea Sentinel modification program, and marks the beginning of three months of acceptance tests.
The Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday restored funding to the Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile program that was cut by the defense subcommittee. The full committee accepted a proposal to restore the funds as part of a block of amendments passed in voice vote.
