Obama administration delays in setting out a clear space policy, with funding to go with it, appear to have rendered NASA plans to narrow the post-shuttle “gap” in U.S. human access to space out of date before they could be implemented.
Researchers at DLR, the German aerospace center, have provided independent verification of the latest Global Positioning System (GPS) signal. The capacity to broadcast the so-called L5 signal is provided by the GPS IIR(M)20 satellite launched March 24. The L5 broadcast is part of a validation effort, but also to assure that the U.S. keeps the spectrum allocation provided by the International Telecommunications Union. GPS IIF satellites are to feature the signal starting later this year.
Don’t expect China to trim military spending because of an economic downturn wrought by the worldwide financial crisis, a China expert says. Jacqueline Newmyer says it is not likely the economic squeeze will deter Beijing from more defense spending or expanding its role in world affairs. Newmyer, a civilian consultant to the Defense Department on East Asia, says China has seen double-digit growth in defense spending for the past several decades and history indicates it is unlikely to turn inward now. Navy a high-tech force
CZECH AIRLIFT: The Czech government plans to acquire four EADS Cases C-295M airlifters to replace its four Antonov An-26s. The deal foresees the Czech Republic trading in five Aero Vodochody L-159s to help cover the costs of one of the airlifters, with the other three bought directly, the Czech defense ministry says. The acquisition is to be completed by the end of 2011.
NEW DELHI – The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) used a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C12) early April 20 to launch RISAT-2, a 300-kg radar imaging satellite. The satellite was built with Israeli technology in a hurry-up effort to improve India’s reconnaissance capabilities over Pakistan in the wake of last year’s terror attacks in Mumbai. Liftoff from the Satish Dhawan Space Center on Sriharikota Island on the Bay of Bengal came at 6:45 a.m. local time (9:15 p.m. April 19 EDT).
April 20 saw contrasting fortunes for launch attempts from the Pacific, with Sea Launch successfully placing Telespazio’s SICRAL 1B communications satellite into a transfer orbit while Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) was forced to delay launch of its first commercial payload due to a potential compatibility issue between the Falcon 1 vehicle and the payload.
HELO CARRIER: France has ordered a third command ship-helicopter carrier to augment its force projection capability. The 21,000-metric-ton displacement vessel, which also carries intensive care surgical units, amphibious landing craft and troops, will be built by STX France and DCNS with funding from a 2.4 billion euro aerospace and defense economic stimulus package approved late last year. The first two ships were delivered in 2006 and 2007.
PASCAGOULA, Miss. – On the day the amphibious-assault ship Makin Island (LHD-8) was delivered to the U.S. Navy here, the president of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding defended his work force’s craftsmanship skills against recent accusations by lawmakers and other critics. “It misplaces the discussion to say it’s a craftsmanship issue,” Mike Petters told reporters April 16. “This is about making sure you have requirements set right.”
AIR FORCE The Air Force is modifying a cost plus award fee contract with Northrop Grumman Mission Systems of Clearfield, Utah, for $33,263,356. The action will provide sustainment support for the Minuteman weapon systems. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. 526 ICBMSG/PKE, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity. (F42610-98-C-0001, modification number has not been assigned). NAVY
ARMOR JOINS ATK: Retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. James Armor Jr. has joined Alliant Techsystems as vice president of strategy and business development for spacecraft systems and engineering services at ATK Space Systems. A former director of the National Security Space Office, Armor will be responsible for all strategic direction and related activities in the company’s Spacecraft Systems and Services unit.
The British government is coming under pressure to clarify whether the Treasury – its finance ministry – is balking at the approval of funding for Tranche 3 of the Eurofighter Typhoon. A four-nation deal covering a split buy – including allowing the U.K. to offset some of its commitment against deliveries to Saudi Arabia – was thought to have been agreed upon.
AIR FORCE The Air Force is awarding a cost-reimbursement, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract to the University of Dayton Research Institute of Dayton, Ohio, for $15,100,000. The contract action will enable the quick reaction evaluation of materials and processes. At this time, $154,133 has been obligated. Det 1 AFRL/PKMN, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-09-D-5600). NAVY
SUB SAT LAUNCH: South African press reports say a submarine-launched Russian Shtil-1 rocket will orbit a SumbandilaSat, a South African technology microsatellite, in June. To be launched from beneath the Barents Sea, the 80-kilogram spacecraft is intended to provide 6.25 meter resolution imagery for environmental and resource management applications. The Shtil-1 successfully orbited Russia’s Compas-2 earthquake prediction satellite in 2006, although the spacecraft subsequently developed problems in orbit.
SES Astra and Al Yah Satellite Communications Co. of Abu Dhabi will create a joint venture to offer direct-to-home TV services to more than two dozen countries in the Middle East, North Africa and southwest Asia. Yahsat is investing more than $1.7 billion in a privately owned, dual-use satcom company intended to serve commercial and government customers in the Gulf and surrounding regions. The investment includes two large Ka-/Ku/-C-band spacecraft and an extensive ground network being supplied by EADS Astrium and Thales Alenia Space.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates justified the thinking behind dramatic cuts to the U.S. Army’s Future Combat Systems (FCS) program at the Army War College, wrapping up a week-long trip that resembled a defense budget public relations blitz. “The FCS vehicle program was, despite some adjustments, designed using the same basic assumptions as when FCS was first designed nine years ago,” he told students at the War College on April 16.
The world’s largest orbiting camera has returned its “first light” images of a star field in the Cygnus-Lyra region of the Milky Way, including a telescopic view of a star called TrES-2 with a known Jupiter-sized planet orbiting it every 2.5 days. NASA’s release of the first images from the Kepler mission, which is dedicated to finding planets orbiting sun-like stars, comes as the spacecraft’s science team continues instrument checkout of its 95 megapixel camera.
SPACE-X PICKED: A pair of Argentine L-band synthetic aperture radar satellites intended to form part of an Argentine-Italian disaster management network will be launched by Space-X’s Falcon 9. The launches, first mentioned by Space-X CEO Elon Musk last month, will raise the number of missions on the Falcon 9 manifest to 21, even though the vehicle is not expected to make its inaugural flight until this summer.
