ESA's XMM-Newton orbital X-ray observatory has detected what astronomers think may be energy released from the ultra-rapid spin of black holes (see picture). A team of scientists led by Joern Wilms discovered a strong iron line X-ray glow in the accretion disk that far exceeds the energy levels that would normally be associated with a black hole of that size. The discovery was made while studying a black hole in the center of the spiral galaxy MCG-6-30-15, located 100 million light-years from Earth.
Employees of German charter carrier LTU International Airways have agreed to voluntary wage reductions in an effort to save the company from bankruptcy. The unions complied with the proposal when it became evident the company was heading into a serious cash shortage following the demise of its 49.9% shareholder, Swissair Group.
BEYOND 14 DIFFERENT TYPES OF U.S. AND BRITISH military fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft that are slated to have Northrop Grumman's AAQ-24 ``Nemesis'' directed infrared countermeasures (DIRCM) installed--including a variety of C-130 configurations, the EH-101 and BAe-146--the company is studying possible installations on a variety of civil transports used by European and Middle Eastern heads of state. The latter include 747, 707 and 737, and Gulfstream IV and V transports.
ICO Global Ltd., created by Craig McCaw from the bankrupt remains of ICO Global Communications, will not merge with Teledesic Corp. as previously planned. Instead, London-based ICO will continue to develop its mobile satellite telephone system, and Teledesic, based in Kirkland, Wash., will pursue a low-Earth orbit broadband satellite network designed to deliver high-speed Internet access.
Canada 3000, Canada's second largest passenger airline, last week sought bankruptcy protection in Ontario Superior Court after the Canadian Industrial Relations Board thwarted the airline's plans to close subsidiary Royal Aviation Inc. The carrier's restructuring plan includes a 30% reduction in seat capacity and elimination of 1,500 jobs.
Skyway Airlines, a wholly owned subsidiary of Milwaukee-based Midwest Express Airlines, ordered four Fairchild Dornier 328JETs and placed options on 10 additional aircraft in an order valued at $177 million. The four new aircraft will be added to the eight 328JETs now in Skyways' fleet, with the first aircraft set for delivery in January and the remaining three by year-end 2002.
THE NEW PIPER AIRCRAFT'S single-engine, turboprop-powered Meridian has received FAA certification for flight into known icing conditions. The approval automatically applies to new production units, but the more than 100 Meridians already in service also will be eligible for a retrofit program sponsored by the company. In addition to installation of anti-/deicing equipment, the airplanes will receive other production upgrades.
BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON HAS DELIVERED the 500th Model 407 single-engine helicopter produced to EAS Egle Air Service at Baden-Baden regional airport in Germany. The aircraft will be operated by Pabst Air but leased to Reibel Air, according to Bell. Plans call for installing avionics and a moving map system before the aircraft enters service. The 407 fleet has accumulated more than 520,000 flight hours since the aircraft was introduced in 1996. It is powered by a Rolls-Royce 250-C47B turboshaft engine rated at 813 shp. derated to 704 shp.
Qantas has placed a $150-million order for CFM56-7 engines to power 15 new Boeing 737-800 twinjet aircraft. The Australian carrier has taken options for 60 additional aircraft.
The Air Transport Assn.'s Carol Hallett attempted to calm jittery travelers with the news that cockpit doors are now more secure on some 4,000 airliners. Hallett praised airlines for completing the work nearly two months ahead of the Transportation Dept.'s deadline. The news would have been more reassuring had it not been for all the knives, guns and Mace making it past security screeners in recent weeks. Hallett said the ATA's position for the last five years has been that screeners should be certified by the feds.
China will combine several of its existing satellite communications enterprises into a new state-run conglomerate called the China Telecommunications Satellite Group. It will become one of seven state-run telecommunications operators in the country. Among the entities to be merged will be the Hong Kong-based China Telecom Co., the Chinasat Co. and the China Telecommunications Broadcast Satellite Corp.
Agam N. Sinha (see photo) has been named vice president of the Mitre Corp., McLean, Va. He was director of air transportation systems and regional director for the Americas for Mitre's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development.
Dennis Tito, who earlier this year was the first civilian to travel on the International Space Station, has received the Vision to Reality Award of the Los Angeles-based Space Frontier Foundation.The award recognizes economic or technological breakthroughs in the opening of space to humanity.
Sean O'Keefe, No. 2 in the White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB), set the tone for a contentious tenure if, as was strongly hinted last week, he succeeds Daniel S. Goldin as NASA administrator. Testifying before the House Science Committee on plans to salvage the over-budget International Space Station program (see p. 28), O'Keefe locked horns with key members of both parties over OMB's determination to hold NASA to the cap on station spending. Rep.
After centrifuge tests comparing the Libelle liquid-filled anti-g suit with their own anti-g ensemble, Swedish researchers have concluded that the Libelle suit is not adequate for use in 9g aircraft, such as the Gripen.
An expose by a dot.com defense portal in India (tehelka.com) of bribery in Indian defense contracting has prompted the government to allow multinational defense companies to have agents in the country. The act makes legal what has been going on anyway. After the $290-million Bofors scandal broke 12 years ago, India banned agents and middlemen from armament makers. But they never really went away. Now they can operate openly as long as they obtain licenses and receive their commissions in Indian currency, said Defense Minister George Fernandes.
THE FAA HAS ISSUED Advisory Circular AC-20-27E that supersedes AC-20-27D regarding the certification and operation of amateur-built aircraft. The new AC includes updated information and guidance related to an acceptable means of demonstrating compliance with FAA regulations governing experimental designs. According to the Experimental Aircraft Assn., changes include new requirements for cockpit instrument markings, placard installation, and information on the evaluation and operation of system controls.
The FAA has suspended until further notice the deadlines for public comment on two airport-congestion inquiries--demand-management options for New York LaGuardia Airport and market-based measures that could be applied anywhere to relieve congestion and delay. Since Sept. 11, airlines have cut capacity so much that congestion is down significantly, ``at least in the short run,'' at LGA and other airports that used to be busy. The FAA will resume the inquiries ``at the appropriate time.''
After an earlier Pentagon denial that the U.S. had used fuel-air bombs in Afghanistan--weapons so large they are dropped from special forces MC-130 Combat Talon transports--Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld admitted last week that two of the weapons had been dropped on Taliban defenses around the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif.
Chris Thompson has been named Reno, Nev.-based president of North American operations for TEWS Technologies of Germany. He was vice president-marketing for SBS Technologies' Computer Group.
England's Slingsby Aviation Ltd. has won a contract to supply 16 T67M260 Firefly aircraft to the Royal Jordanian Air Force. The contract includes spare parts, ground support equipment and technical support services.
The U.S. Air Force chose a Northrop Grumman-led team to provide technical support for a messaging system used by the intelligence community in the Defense Dept. and other federal organizations. The Communications Support Processor for the Millennium (CSPM) contract was awarded to the USAF Research Laboratory in Rome, N.Y. The four-year program has a potential value of $49 million for NorGrum's Information Technology sector.
More ripple effects of Sept. 11: Safety and security replace safety and efficiency as the mantra for air travel. That means plans to shift from air traffic control to Free Flight, particularly for direct routing, will change significantly. No one suggests decommissioning primary radars, anymore. And if you ever thought ATC might be privatized in the U.S., you can pretty much forget it.
Lockheed Martin has pulled the plug on the Astrolink Ka-band satellite constellation, halting investment at the $400 million it put in through the third quarter. That leaves the future of Astrolink in doubt, even though it has an FCC license to orbit nine broadband spacecraft. Funding to date amounts to $1.3 billion out of the $3.7-billion total estimated investment, but no new money has come in since 1999. Lockheed Martin is under contract to build the first four satellites, and its International Launch Services has sold Proton and Atlas launches for them.
