Texas Instruments will supply 22 of these multichip memory modules (MCMMs) to Lockheed Martin for NASA's Small Explorer program. The gold-plated molybdenum package, shown in a black shipping container, is a ceramic quad flat pack. The largest components, in two rows of five, are 3-D memory cubes. Each has eight 1-megabit static random access memory modules, for a total of 80 MB of SRAM. The module also has 16 logic integrated circuits. Texas Instruments developed the MCMMs for the submillimeter-wave astronomy satellite mission, which is scheduled for launch in September.
Rafael of Israel has developed a fourth-generation air-to-air missile and an extended-range version of its Popeye stand-off missile, which it plans to enter into British and U.S. competitions.
David Massy-Greene, technical manager for the Boeing 747-400 at Qantas, has been awarded the first Global Navcom Laurel by the Internataional Air Transport Assn.
THE ADMINISTRATION WILL FIGHT a House move to force the Defense Dept. to spend $100 million next year on reusable launch vehicle technology. The House recently authorized the single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) work, which would be run by the Air Force's Phillips Laboratory, but the Senate has yet to act. After months of resisting a similar congressional directive to spend $30 million this year, the Pentagon finally began releasing that money last week. But Dennis J.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory has started building the flight spacecraft for the Mars Pathfinder mission, with the structural baseplate already completed and final assembly officially starting June 1. The spacecraft's primary mission is an engineering demonstration of a low-cost delivery system to Mars, and engineers are employing a unique airbag landing device to this end. The spacecraft payload is a miniature rover and several science instruments.
GEC-Marconi and Honeywell have teamed to produce a fully integrated helmet-mounted cueing system for use on F-16s and potentially other tactical aircraft. Honeywell will produce all the hardware and software for the helmet tracking elements of the system. GEC-Marconi will provide display electronics and symbol generation for the system, which will be capable of off-boresight missile launches.
SENIOR MILITARY OFFICIALS PRIVATELY WANT more B-2 bombers, even though publicly they say they do not. That is the claim of the House National Security Committee's chairman, Rep. Floyd D. Spence (R.-S.C.), who was not making an accusation of duplicity--even if bewildered taxpayers might. No, over breakfast the congressman, an ardent B-2 advocate, was just letting reporters know that, in the otherworld of the military-industrial complex, he is skilled at divining what military officials mean when they do not mean what they say in public.
A RUSSIAN DELTA 4-class ballistic missile submarine, the Kalmar, has launched a large SS-N-18 ballistic missile converted for boosting commercial space processing experiments. The launch, managed by the Makeyev Design Office, carried a module for the German company Zarm on a suborbital 20-min. ballistic trajectory to research Earth crustal dynamics. During the flight, which impacted in the Russian Kamchatka ballistic missile target area, a test fluid was filmed interacting with two spheres simulating Earth crustal movements over molten rock.
HARRIS, A ``SPOOK'' who was instrumental in the Clinton Administration policy that is freeing up higher-resolution satellite imagery for international sales, has some advice for military brethren still uncomfortable with a new world in which overhead is readily available. Essentially, it is: get over it. So far, six U.S. commercial systems have been licensed and two more applications are pending. Harris says the spread of technology was inevitable, so unleashing U.S. business will keep the most capabilities in friendly hands.
South Korea has decided to move ahead with plans to develop an indigenous advanced trainer/light attack aircraft and has settled on a basic aerodynamic design. The decision reinforces the Korean government's commitment to the KTX-2 trainer program, an essential element of its effort to develop the nation's aerospace industry. But U.S. industry officials still question whether the aircraft will become a reality.
Following are excerpts from a recent address on prospects for Western investment in Russia, by Michel Camdessus, managing director of the International Monetary Fund. He spoke to a conference of the U.S.-Russia Business Council in Washington, which was established to help foster Russia's economic integration with the West.
Two all-new Russian advanced military trainers, the MAPO MiG-AT and the Yakovlev-Aermacchi Yak-AEM 130, displayed for the first time at the Paris air show, are scheduled to enter flight testing soon. The two aircraft, both supported by European industrial partners, are competing to replace aging Aero L-29 and L-39 trainers currently operated by air forces in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
The Future Large Aircraft (FLA) military transport, if approved for production by European governments, will be produced by the Airbus Military Co., a new Airbus Industrie subsidiary. Eight European air forces are expected to procure about 300 of the turboprop-powered FLAs to replace aging French/German C160 Transall and Lockheed Martin C-130H transports. THE FLA PROGRAM, although strongly supported by the French and German governments, still has to overcome severe funding constraints in other countries such as Belgium and Italy.
The U.S. military is relying more on joint operations and training to perform day/night combat search and rescue while exploiting the latest technology such as satellite navigation and communication equipment, as well as night vision goggles.
SOUTH KOREA WILL USE A PORTABLE computer diagnostic system for flight line maintenance of its F-16 aircraft. The three box system, produced by Paravant Computer Systems Inc. of Melbourne, Fla., replaces what previously took 31 pieces of test equipment for the F-16. For most preflight and troubleshooting, a technician need only take two of the boxes, which one person can carry. The system could be used by a variety of modern aircraft, with software tailored for each one, according to Paravant.
The top managers for six large U.S. aerospace companies are meeting with executives from five French, German and Italian companies to outline teaming for a new multibillion dollar air/missile defense system sparked by reinvigorated transatlantic cooperation.
MAY PILOT HIRING AT THE MAJOR AIRLINES doubled that of hiring in other categories, including nationals and regionals. Atlanta-based airline careers specialist Air Inc. reports new hires at the majors totaled 263, with United Airlines the most vigorous, signing on 141; followed by FedEx, Northwest, Southwest and United Parcel Service. Compared with a total of 1,266 pilots hired at the majors in 1994, 929 have been hired thus far in 1995. Pilot furloughs were up 3%, to 2,543, of nearly 76,000 active pilots.
Charlie Hunter has been named vice president-sales of Newcomb Communications, Manchester, N.H. He was vice president-astronautical sales for IDB Mobile Communications, Culver City, Calif.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Federico Pena has told European transport ministers that the U.S. has no intention of backing away from its quest for ``open skies'' agreements with individual nations.
LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY is developing a nondestructive visual method of quantifying aircraft corrosion by flashing a structure with a heat source and measuring the dynamics of how it cools. Corrosion thins the material and insulates it from connecting structure, causing local areas to cool more rapidly. Corroded areas can be obscured by surface reflectance and emissivity variations, but the patented Livermore technique uses dual-band infrared cameras along with precise measurements to separate these effects.
A trio of contractors has air dropped a 31,300-lb. payload with a parafoil system developed for the U.S. Army to precisely place weapons and supplies in heavily defended areas without jeopardizing cargo aircraft or their crews.
Remo Pellichero has been named managing director of Societe Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aeronautiques, a Brussels subsidiary of Dassault Aviation and Fokker. He succeeds Jacques Detemmerman, who is now chairman of the board.
BOEING'S NO. 4 777 had a problem with its cabin pressurization system on June 14 while Transportation Secretary Federico Pena and a group of transport ministers from Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation countries were on board. The demonstration flight from Washington to Denver was at 35,000 ft. near Pittsburgh when the crew detected a 300 fpm. cabin climb and decided to descend to 10,000 ft. and continue to Denver.
SWEDEN'S NATIONAL DEFENSE Research Establishment is attempting to measure the mental workload of pilots under stress to avoid overloading them with new cockpit technologies. A problem is that pilots do not react the same to stress. Some individuals' performance progressively deteriorates, but others show no change until a catastrophic breakdown. And physiological measurements have not been reliably linked with workload yet.
