GLASGOW, Scotland – A serious data transmission problem on the Hubble Space Telescope will force a delay in the planned Oct. 14 space shuttle mission to maintain and upgrade the orbiting observatory, possibly into next year.
With the announcement of an $88 million award for its Fast Response Cutter (FRC), now officially known as the Sentinel Class Patrol Boat, the U.S. Coast Guard has begun the first cradle-to-grave acquisition project managed entirely within its own acquisition directorate. “We made a lot of mistakes with the 123, we recognize that,” said Coast Guard acquisition chief Rear Adm. Gary Blore, referring to the service’s scuttled 123-foot patrol boat. “There were a lot of lessons learned and we’ve incorporated those into the FRC acquisition.”
NEW DELHI — The Indian government seems undecided on whether it will allow the offset banking clause on a case-to-case basis in projects such as the medium multi-role combat aircraft that are not covered under the new Defense Procurement Policy (DPP) 2008. “Whoever is entitled will get it,” Indian defense chief A.K. Antony told Aerospace DAILY at an Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) summit recently, answering a query on whether there could be an exception to the rule. MMRCA
The U.S. Coast Guard finally awarded an $88 million contract for the design and construction of its Fast Response Cutter (FRC)/Sentinel-class patrol boat to Bollinger Shipyards after months of wrangling. If all the options are exercised for a total of 34 boats over six to eight years, the full contract value could reach $1.5 billion. The 153-foot cutter, which will be capable of speeds over 28 knots, will be built at Bollinger’s shipyard in Lockport, La.
KINETIC ENERGY: Northrop Grumman will conduct five static fire tests of its second stage Kinetic Energy Interceptor (KEI) motor in preparation for its first flight next year. Detailed data collected from the third test in the series will be used to further refine and optimize the motor design and performance. The third fire went off successfully Sept. 25, representing the first static firing test of the flight configuration nozzle.
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PARIS — Next week the European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) is set to complete its seven-month mission that began March 9 with launch from Kourou on an Ariane 5. The Jules Verne ATV docked with the International Space Station (ISS) autonomously on April 3, and departed on Sept. 5 carrying 2.5 metric tons of trash (Aerospace DAILY, Sept. 9).
SATELLITE PLANT: Thales Alenia Space has begun work on a €41 million ($60 million) expansion of its main satellite facility in Cannes, France. The extension, to be finished in the second half of 2010, will add 26,000 square meters (280,000 square feet) of office and logistics space to handle the company’s rapid growth and improve the layout of the plant, which sprawls on both sides of a main rail line through the city.
ON DISPLAY: NASA’s Stardust sample return capsule will go on display at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum on Oct. 1, the 50th anniversary of the creation of the aerospace agency. Stardust returned the first samples ever collected from a comet following a seven-year, 4.8 billion-kilometer (3 billion-mile) journey in 2006. A tennis racket-shaped aerogel-lined collector was extended to capture particles as the spacecraft flew within 241 kilometers (150 miles) of comet Wild 2 in January 2004. Carrying the collected particles, the capsule returned to Earth Jan.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. (Bold type indicated new calendar listing.) Oct. 6 - 8 — Strategic Space and Defense 2008, “The Global Security Conference for Space and Defense Professionals,” Qwest Center Omaha Convention Center and Arena, Omaha, Neb. For more information go to www.stratspace.org
Northrop Grumman recently delivered the first 15 kilowatt (kW) high-power, solid-state laser to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), potentially opening the door to the use of lasers on numerous tactical platforms – from U.S. Navy all-electric boats to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Although the Defense Department has taken steps to plan support for the U.S. ballistic missile defense system (BMDS) support — a program which represents a $115 billion investment since the mid-1980s — efforts to date are incomplete, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) has started hot-fire tests of the RS-68A upgrade to the main engine for the United Launch Alliance Delta IV space launch vehicle with a 40-second burn at Stennis Space Center.
FIRST SPARTAN: L-3 Communications has completed work on the first of a planned 78 C-27Js for the U.S. Army/Air Force Joint Cargo Aircraft program. A second aircraft is in flight testing at Alenia Aeronautica in Italy and will be delivered in November after completion by L-3 in Waco, Texas. These first two C-27Js will be used for operational testing.
TAPESTRY SOLUTIONS: Boeing will acquire Tapestry Solutions, a San Diego-based company specializing in services and software systems designed to improve tracking and distribution of equipment, spare parts and personnel for the DOD and other government and non-government agencies. Tapestry Solutions’ tools, such as the Joint Distribution Logistics Model and Battle Command Support Sustainment System, are U.S. Army standards that increase asset visibility, optimize distribution and enable dynamic logistics planning, Boeing says.
PARTS DEPT.: Errant testing of parts used for government launch vehicles is slowing a handful of future launches. Officials learned this summer that a vendor used by United Launch Alliance (ULA), which markets Boeing’s Delta IV and Lockheed Martin’s Atlas V, conducted vibration testing for parts with improperly calibrated equipment. ULA did not identify the vendor. The U.S. Air Force is now conducting a “pedigree study” to retest parts that “we thought had been tested to adequate levels but may not be,” says Gary Payton, Air Force deputy undersecretary for space.
NO PALS ON JPALS: Honeywell may have withdrawn its protest of the award of a $233 million U.S. Navy contract to Raytheon to develop the GPS-based Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) for shipborne applications, but it has not given up. Citing concerns about “potential anti-trust violations” in award of the contract, Honeywell says it has taken its case to U.S. antitrust court. Honeywell was teamed with Boeing, Sierra Nevada and Qinetig for the JPALS Increment 1A competition.
PARIS — Proponents of the German precision-guided Hope standoff penetrator glide bomb say it precisely hit its target in flight trials this month, although exact details on the standoff range and impact accuracy are being closely guarded. Hope has a nominal range exceeding 100 kilometers (60 miles) and accuracy of around 3 meters (10 feet), using a Global Positioning System guidance system (with Selected Availability/Anti-Spoofing Module capability) and aided by an inertial navigation system.
PANEL CONFIRMS: The Senate Armed Services Committee approved Michael Donley to become the fully empowered secretary of the U.S. Air Force Sept. 26. Donley currently is acting secretary and has been since the service’s leadership shakeup mid-summer. Donley’s elevation thus far had been blocked by at least one Boeing backer in the Senate who was concerned over the aerial tanker replacement acquisition. Nonetheless, Congress has quickly endorsed the service’s new chief of staff, and Gen., Norton Schwartz and Donley have been addressing nuclear, ISR and other issues.
PARIS — France has released its latest defense budget, which includes a boost for modernization spending to €17 billion from €15.4 billion in the current fiscal year. The budget provides for delivery of 14 Rafale fighters and 8 Tiger attack helicopters. Also due to be handed over are the second Horizon air defense frigate and 96 Véhicule Blindé de Combat d’Infanterie (VBCI) armed vehicles.
FAST TRACK: The Pentagon’s expedited recertification process for the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite system should take about eight weeks and be finished in mid-October, according to Gary Payton, deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for space. Recertification of systems after major cost growth typically can take three to six months. The Lockheed Martin-led program reported a cost overrun to Congress earlier this year that triggered the recertification under Nunn-McCurdy legislation.
U.K. MERGER: The U.K.’s two main defense and aerospace lobby groups could well have decided on a merger before the end of the year. The Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC) and the Defense Manufacturers Association (DMA) are in talks about working more closely together, and a merger remains in the mix.
NATO has arranged 12 members to commit to acquiring C-17 airlifters, marking the first major weapon systems purchase for the alliance in 30 years. NATO hopes to take delivery of its first C-17 in March. That aircraft is being provided by the United States as part of its participation in the strategic airlift initiative aimed at fixing chronic shortfalls in cargo hauling for the alliance. NATO, for now, is depending heavily on U.S. lift and chartered Antonov An-124 airlifters to support forces operating in Afghanistan.
