Citing an increase in its defense, space and commercial aircraft business, EADS reported that its 2004 net income grew to 1.03 billion euros ($1.4 billion), an increase of 60% compared with 644 million euros ($859 million) in 2003, the company said March 9. Its yearly revenue grew to 31.8 billion euros ($42.4 billion), a 5% increase from 30.1 billion euros ($40.2 billion) in 2003, and earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) reached 2.4 billion euros ($3.7 billion), a 58% increase from 2003.
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) strongly urged acting NASA Administrator Fred Gregory to continue preparations for a servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope in a March 2 letter, warning that for NASA to stop work on the mission would be a violation of the law as contained in the Omnibus Appropriations Act of fiscal year 2005.
Peter Teets, undersecretary of the Air Force for space, defended the beleaguered Space Radar program during a hearing on Capitol Hill March 9, assuring lawmakers that the Air Force's new plan for the program will give the service a better handle on the system's technical maturation and cost.
Michael Kraft has been named vice president of sales, marketing and business development. David Reed has been appointed president of North American operations.
Kent Brittan has been appointed chairman of United Technologies International Operations. Jothi Purushotaman has been named vice president of operations, replacing Brittan. Rajeev Bhalla is replacing Purushotaman as senior vice president, finance for UTC's Pratt & Whitney division.
Although it is intrigued by the possible advantages of near-space altitudes, the U.S. Air Force will not be "sold" until it answers some "tough questions" about its value and the difficulty of operating there, according to Gen. Lance Lord, head of Air Force Space Command (AFSPC).
The Boeing Co. is preparing to ship the first of three next-generation Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida for launch in May 2005. Built for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA, GOES-N is based on Boeing's 601 satellite bus and is slated to launch on the company's Delta IV Medium rocket. The spacecraft is expected to ship by aircraft from Boeing's facilities in El Segundo, Calif., to KSC on March 10.
Talk of layoffs in the wake of proposed budget cuts in U.S. Navy shipbuilding is "premature," and Congress needs to consider whether such cuts are budget driven or the result of requirement changes, a Northrop Grumman official said March 9 in Washington. Mike Petters, president of Northrop Grumman Newport News, also said he agrees with an estimate that a proposed delay in the CVN 21 next-generation carrier program could cost $1 billion, and that the carrier will save money over the long run through reduced personnel needs.
Asa Hutchinson has been named chair of the firm's homeland security practice. Hutchinson is a former member of Congress and undersecretary of homeland security.
Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-Va.), an ardent naval shipbuilding advocate, on March 9 charged that the U.S. Navy and the Defense Department are partly responsible for the reduced readiness and condition of the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (JFK), which the Bush Administration has proposed for retirement this year.
U.S. military science and technology (S&T) officials are focusing on force protection measures, mainly against roadside bombs plaguing coalition forces in Iraq, as well as stronger, more reliable networks to disseminate the information new sensors and systems provide combat personnel, a panel told senators on March 9.
Key U.S. lawmakers and a congressional watchdog agency expressed concern March 9 that Pentagon spending on unmanned aerial vehicles is mushrooming without adequate coordination. Rep. Curt Weldon (R-Pa.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee's tactical air panel, suggested that duplication has become a serious problem, partly because each service is acquiring UAVs without consulting the other services. He estimated there are 19 operational UAVs and another 17 under development, many of which seem to perform the same missions.
