The size of Boeing's Satellite Development Center was understated (AW&ST Apr. 9, p. 55). It is 1 million sq. ft. Launch of DirecTV10 is set for June, not the fourth quarter. Two Wideband Global Satcom spacecraft are to be launched this year.
Ronald C. Henson has been appointed vice president-labor relations for Indianapolis-based Republic Airways Holdings Inc. He was managing director of the Washington office of the law firm of Ford and Harrison.
Work is progressing on two troublesome sensors that contributed to cost and schedule problems for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (Npoess), according to senior government and industry officials. The Raytheon-made Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite (Viirs) played a large role in the Npoess schedule delay. But the company may have redeemed itself, at least somewhat, by recently passing all but one of 3,032 points in a design review.
According to a recent brief statement from the Chinese state council, the Airbus-Boeing duopoly could come to an end in the next few years. Beijing claims that it will have a "large aircraft" flying soon, possibly in the next three years.
As a lay person, I find it ever harder to "Keep the Faith," and I am not just referring to SpaceX (AW&ST Apr. 2, p. 82). Why are we, the taxpayers, in manned space? GPS, weather, intelligence, defense, these I understand. The confusion about what to do with all that space is there isn't much reason left for humans to be there except to have a great view. Isn't that what those who can afford the ride really want?
How well Boeing successfully implements its vision of a just-in-time, global manufacturing enterprise for the 787 will depend to a large extent on how well it aligns the processes of its supplier network.
Northrop Grumman is ready to fulfill a three-year-old airborne early warning requirement of the Indian navy with an export version of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye that operates from land rather than aircraft carriers.
You can't say the Transportation Dept. doesn't know how to take advantage of a shifting situation. Deputy Assistant Secretary Michael Reynolds, testifying about passenger bill of rights legislation, seized the opportunity to tout the FAA's controversial plan for funding air traffic modernization. The Senate Commerce Committee is exploring the problems of passengers stranded on aircraft for up to 11 hr. because of departure delays.
How can some airlines be expected to compete efficiently in a difficult market when managements are so afraid of confrontation with their staffs that they dare not intervene in the most blatant cases of poor service to passengers?
To submit Aerospace Calendar Listings, Call +1 (212) 904-2421 Fax +1 (212) 904-6068 e-mail: [email protected] Apr. 23-24--Technology Training Corp.'s Military Radios Conference, Holiday Inn Rosslyn, Arlington, Va. Also, May 7-8-Military RFID Conference. Holiday Inn Rosslyn. Also, May 16-18-Robotics & Unmanned Systems Conference. Doubletree Hotel Crystal City. Arlington, Va. Call +1 (310) 563-1223, fax +1 (310) 563-1220 or see www.ttcus.com
The pilot of a Garuda Boeing 737-400 that crashed Mar. 7 tried to land at 220 kt., according to a preliminary investigation report leaked to Australian newspapers. Investigators also found that the weather was calm, contradicting the captain's statement that a strong downdraft had caused the crash. They are looking into why the captain, seemingly incapacitated, ignored cockpit warning signals.
The history of communications is one of disruptive technological changes. In 1448, Johannes Gutenberg laid the groundwork for mass communications with his invention of movable type, relieving monks of the tedious job of transcribing texts or carving pages into woodblocks for printing. Centuries later, two new technologies--radio followed by television--dramatically altered how all sorts of information was delivered.
Jean Chamberlin (see photo) has been named director of Kent, Wash.-based Airborne Warning Systems within Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. She succeeds Steve Behnen. Chamberlin was systems engineering, integration and test director for Boeing Proprietary Programs, El Segundo, Calif.
The Lockheed Martin external tank for STS-117, which was damaged in a hailstorm on the launch pad, will be used for the mission. But liftoff will slip to no earlier than a launch window extending from June 8 to July 18. The mission delay to June was expected, but the issue was whether repairs made to the tank at the launch site would enable its use over a pristine external tank that has just arrived at Kennedy (AW&ST Apr. 9. p. 15). Recent tests and analysis indicate that the launch site repairs are safe, shuttle managers say.
Northrop Grumman officials hope a recently signed teaming arrangement that would allow it to coproduce a modified Israel Aerospace Industries Tecsar radar imaging satellite will lead to financing from the U.S. government in the Fiscal 2009 budget. Tecsar is a 260-kg. satellite carrying electronically steerable synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Jeff Grant, vice president for business development at Northrop Grumman Space Technology, says Tecsar could provide an early, though basic, capability to the Pentagon long before its massive Space Radar system reaches orbit.
Entrepreneurs struggling to flight test their vehicles for space tourism have new guidelines to obtain one-year FAA experimental launch permits for reusable spacecraft. Each permit will cover multiple vehicles of a particular design and will allow unlimited launches. The vehicles must operate in an area large enough to contain its trajectory far from any densely populated areas. Applicants must provide a program description, flight-test plan, operational safety documentation (with hazard analysis) and plan for responding to any mishap.
Global Aero Logistics Inc., formerly ATA Holdings Inc., will significantly increase its charter capability if shareholders of World Air Holdings Inc. accept Global's offer to acquire World for $315 million in cash. Acquisition is an alternative considered since the World board's strategic review last fall. The Global buyout would privatize the company. Global would operate World Airways, North American Airlines and ATA Airlines.
MARKET FOCUS New bomb-jammer contract lifts fortunes At EDO 16 NEWS BREAKS ATK combustor demonstrates scramjet missile technology 23 New editors join AVIATION WEEK's Defense Technology International 23 High-speed wind-tunnel testing underway for model of Neuron UCAV 24 Viking Air plans to restart production of de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter 24 U.S. Air Force completes first flights of its Mobius unmanned aircraft 25
Donald W. Richardson, immediate past president of the AIAA and current president/CEO of Donrich Research Inc., has become co-chair of the National Research Council Committee for the Assessment of NASA's Aeronautics Research Program. The other co-chair, Carl J. Meade, is lunar lander program director/deputy director of space exploration systems for the Northrop Grumman Corp.
Since the 1990s, General Electric-Aviation has been able to count on its lineup of midsize and small engines to pay the bills as it took on the gamble of developing an entirely new line of large engines. With orders rolling in for its GE90 and GEnx, it looks like that gamble is beginning to pay off. GE's factories will experience a more than 65% increase in engine production volume over the next three years. Total output of engines and spares rose 8% last year, will grow another 14% this year, and top that with 22% more in 2008.
Top missile developments from Raytheon and Lockheed Martin turned up last week on the Pentagon's list of program overruns to Congress. The Raytheon Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile--including the D-model development which will incorporate a new data link and extended-range characteristics--is costing $1.6 billion more than anticipated due to underselling to foreign militaries. An overrun developing the D is also to blame.
Ron Olson has become general manager for American Airlines at Las Vegas McCarran International Airport. He succeeds Rex Tolschin, who is retiring. Olson was ramp manager at San Francisco International Airport.
IN A SIMILAR DEVELOPMENT IN ASIA, Air New Zealand and Qantas plan to begin "optimum arrival" trials with Boeing 747s at Auckland International Airport this week. Air navigation service provider Airways New Zealand will work with the two carriers to see how much emphasis can be placed on trying to achieve the lowest fuel burn without impacting on-time performance or runway capacity.
THE CONCEPT OF 4D TRAJECTORY OPERATIONS is becoming mainstream thanks to the FAA's NextGen ATC project and the Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research (Sesar) program, says Lars G.V. Lindberg, president of Avtech Sweden AB. Avtech is assisting Airbus on Sesar, aimed at preparing Europe to handle three times as much air traffic while cutting environmental impact, including emissions, by 10% per flight.
