China's successful test of an anti-satellite (Asat) weapon means that the country has mastered key space sensor, tracking and other technologies important for advanced military space operations. China can now also use "space control" as a policy weapon to help project its growing power regionally and globally. Aviation Week & Space Technology first broke the news of the Chinese Asat test on aviationweek.com Jan. 17.
The European Space Agency is investigating problems that have arisen with the second Galileo testbed satellite to ensure they do not impact deployment of the satellite navigation system.
NASA is mounting a low-level in-house technology effort to gauge the utility of composite structures as the pressure vessels and other components of future human spacecraft, including the lander the agency hopes to use to return astronauts to the Moon by 2020. Administrator Michael Griffin joined composite-structures experts from across the space agency this month to lay out the project, which will start with a look at how the Orion crew exploration vehicle would have been built had it been designed with composites instead of aluminum.
Shortly after World War II, entrepreneur Duncan Cox launched a business to make heater tape to prevent freezing of irrigation pipes used in the potato fields of Long Island, N.Y. Cox hailed from a wealthy family, and lore has it that two of his acquaintances--aviation pioneers Howard Hughes and Leroy Grumman--urged him to adapt the tape to prevent icing on airplanes.
French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie says the European Gendarmes Corps is likely to see its first deployment, with the European Union peacekeeping mission in Kosovo, this year.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) chief Edmund (Kip) Hawley broke the news to Congress last week that his agency's much-delayed Secure Flight computerized passenger pre-screening system won't be coming on line until 2008. An unfulfilled recommendation of the 9/11 commission called for the federal government to take over the job of checking air passengers' names against government no-fly lists.
Boeing exceeded its predicted delivery of 395 aircraft for 2006 by three. Productivity boosts were especially notable in 737 and 777 rates as the company picked up the pace to keep up with demand. Orders for narrow-body aircraft have been setting records and leasing companies are having trouble meeting expectations from customers, many of whom can't gain access to new aircraft quick enough by buying direct. In response, the 737 factory in Renton, Wash., opened a second assembly line last year.
The U.S. Air Force is now forming the first cohesive resourcing plan for its new cyberspace mission area, after Secretary Michael Wynne announced last year he would create a new command to handle this emerging area.
The Chinese air force may be pursuing a strategic stand-off land-attack capability using an upgraded version of its H-6 bomber, and a long-range air-launched cruise missile, likely a version of its DH-10. At least one prototype of the upgraded Xian H-6, possibly known as the H-6K, has been built and reportedly test-flown. A poor quality image of the aircraft shows it carrying three large cruise missiles under the wing.
The heliospheric imager on one of NASA's twin Stereo spacecraft captured this image of the Comet McNaught, which is brightening the dawn and dusk skies in the Southern Hemisphere after putting on a show for northern skywatchers before it passed behind the Sun on Jan. 12. Taken on Jan. 11, the image clearly shows the near-Sun separation of the comet's ion tail and the brighter dust trail above it. The twin tails are formed by the action of the intense sunlight on the comet's dust, and of the solar wind on ionized gas from the comet.
Boeing has formally received a $1.15-billion contract for a Block II upgrade remanufacture of 96 AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopters for the U.S. Army and 30 for the United Arab Emirates. First delivery to the U.S. Army is in October. Saudi Arabia has also expressed similar interests, though a deal hasn't yet been signed. Meanwhile, Boeing has given Japan until mid-2008 to sign on for 10 more Apache Block IIs. Thirteen are already under contract.
Air One's CityLiner is increasing its fleet of Bombardier CRJ900 jet aircraft. The regional arm of Italy's second-largest carrier converted four options it signed for in May 2006 to firm orders for the 90-seat aircraft. Deliveries are to start in April, bringing the CityLiner fleet to 10 CRJ900s by year-end. In conjunction with fleet growth, the carrier is adding new routes. Air One is also modernizing its fleet by replacing Boeing 737s with Airbus A320s.
Nearly 50 years ago, Britain's secretary of state for air, Duncan Sandys, announced in the House of Commons that missiles would replace pilots flying combat aircraft and that the supersonic Lightning would be the Royal Air Force's last manned fighter. For those of us pilot-officers then going through the RAF flight training program, these were serious words.
The U.S. doesn't foresee staging air or ground strikes on Syria or Iran, but defense officials say that within Iraq, they are planning to attack training organizations and supply lines supported by those countries.
Northwest Airlines would issue stock to unsecured creditors and choose among options to raise Chapter 11 exit financing under a reorganization plan submitted Jan. 12 to a U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The plan, which is missing many details pending a disclosure statement due in court on or before Feb. 15, provides for three major approaches to raise money: a rights offering in which creditors would be able to buy more stock; conversion of current debtor-in-possession financing into exit financing; and potential alternative financing with better terms.
I never cease to be amazed at the perspective of our government officials. The comment from NASA Administrator Michael Griffin in the Industry Outlook column (AW&ST Nov. 6, 2006, p. 16) statement that NASA programs are "designed to make taxpayer-funded (R&D) available on an all-come basis" makes one wonder how U.S. industry can compete on a level playing field in world commerce.
USN Rear Adm. (ret.) James Godwin (see photo) has become vice president-certification and life cycle support for Athena Technologies, Warrenton, Va. He was program manager for the F/A-18.
Sea Launch is set to orbit the SES New Skies NSS-8 spacecraft Jan. 25 on a Zenit-3SL from its floating Odyssey platform in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. The 5.9-metric-ton Boeing-built satellite, equipped with 56 C-band and 36 K u-band transponders, will be the sixth unit to be operated by New Skies, and the first to be launched by Sea Launch this year. NSS-8 will be placed at 57 deg. E. Long. over the Indian Ocean, a slot currently occupied by NSS-703. The older spacecraft will be moved to 340 deg. E.
The U.S. Air Force could still field a standoff jamming aircraft on time--by 2012, say electronic warfare specialists--even though it's a task that service officials have already declared impossible.
Robert Loomis has been appointed senior technical consultant for the Washington-based Ares Corp. He was senior systems safety and reliability manager at the Kennedy Space Center.
U.S.-based Texas Pacific has withdrawn its offer to invest $30 million in Indian startup SpiceJet (photo). The private equity fund says its top management was busy with the ongoing $11-billion buyout deal for Qantas by a consortium. SpiceJet has already obtained approval from its shareholders for receiving $71.34 million in shares to raise funds for fleet expansion. The Tata Group will be allotted shares worth $16.8 million; Ishtitmar, $25 million; BNP Paribas, $15 million; Telemnix, $7 million; Goldman Sachs, $5 million, and the U.K.'s KBC Fund, $2.5 million.
