After years of delays, fledgling rocket company Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is ready to launch NASA's first commercial cargo mission to the International Space Station (ISS) this fall. But that opportunity may continue to elude SpaceX for a while longer, as a recent Soyuz launch failure could prompt yet another schedule slip.
The latest crash of a Yakovlev Yak-42 will likely have serious consequences for the Russian aviation industry. To improve safety, President Dmitry Medvedev and his government plan to make the acquisition of Western aircraft easier while drastically reducing the number of airlines and overhauling the flight safety oversight system.
Delta Air Lines will not be placing any more aircraft orders for at least “the next couple of years,” President Ed Bastian says, quashing speculation that an order for smaller single-aisle aircraft remains in the offing. “We are done talking about aircraft for the near to medium term,” he says. “We are very comfortable where we sit with our fleet orders.”
AviancaTaca is making rapid progress in integration following its 2010 merger. While new processes and management teams are put in place, the airline group is also preparing for its entry into Star Alliance in May 2012.
The senior flight attendant, at the gate for an early morning Air India flight to Mumbai, stood with hands folded, eyes cast downward, the traditional welcome smile missing. Anxiety over delayed monthly salaries and their very existence in the state-run airline was evident on the faces of most of the crewmembers—anger and frustration evident in their responses to passenger requests.
Competition in Asia is set to intensify next year with several new airlines starting operations. Thai Airways International is planning to establish Thai Smile Air, a full-service short-haul carrier that will start flying in July using 174-seat Airbus A320s. Thai had planned to call the outfit Thai Wings and have it start flying earlier. It changed the name after consulting with staff.
As Airbus and Boeing weigh decisions on boosting output, they typically point to the supply chain as one of the main brakes on building more airliners. But these concerns go beyond merely overstretching the industrial capacities of the second- and third-tier manufacturers. The shape and financial health of the network also remain issues.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency director, known—and often feared—for his demanding demeanor, did something somewhat out of character last month. He offered some guarded, public praise for contractors that only a year ago were the subject of equally public criticism for quality control and design problems. Army Lt. Gen. Patrick O'Reilly is well known for his willingness to call out contractors for subpar work. This came to a head last year on two major programs that were brought to their knees due issues related to designs or parts.
As unmanned surveillance airships approach deployment in Afghanistan, attention is widening from their ability to stare at targets for days to weeks and rekindling decades-old interest in the ability of such vehicles to haul heavy loads over long distances.
Giuseppe Orsi Age: 65 Education: Ph.D. in aeronautical engineering from Milan Polytechnic University. Career: In 1973, joined Siai Marchetti, an aircraft company later absorbed into Agusta. Prior to becoming Finmeccanica CEO, Orsi headed AgustaWestland. Did you know? Orsi holds a private pilot's license and is a Commander of the British Empire, an honorary title.
A decade ago, things looked bright for the U.S. Air Force. The service was working on a lease of aircraft to replace its aging KC-135 tanker fleet, precision airstrikes garnered attention supporting special operators newly arrived in Afghanistan, and the Pentagon chose a contractor to build the F-35, the linchpin of the service's future tactical fleet. In the following 10 years, however, things took a turn for the worse.
The U.S. Air Force's long-standing culture of risk-taking in new weapons purchases is undergoing a dramatic change as national debt negotiations in Washington put pressure on procurements of aircraft, satellites, rockets and weapons. The service's new approach will emphasize buying mature systems while limiting long-term technology and equipment developments.
Air Force Secretary Michael B. Donley Age: 58 Education: • University of Southern California, B.A., M.A. International Relations • Program for Senior Executives in National Security, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University Career: • Director of Administration and Management, Office of the Secretary of Defense (2005-08)
Before the KC-46A source selection this year—hailed by senior U.S. Air Force leaders as a turning point for the service's struggling procurement corps—there was the less prominent but equally pivotal Small-Diameter Bomb II contract decision.
Sept. 27-28—Global Performance-Based Navigation Summit. Bell Harbor International Conference Center, Seattle. See www.pbnsummit.org Sept. 27-30—Fatigue Concepts Course: “Fatigue, Fracture Mechanics and Damage Tolerance of Modern and Aging Aircraft Structures.” Hilton Hotel, Orlando, Fla. Call +1 (916) 933-5000 or see www.fatcon.com Sept. 28-30—Supply Chain Council Executive Summit North America. Maramonte Resort and Spa, Palm Springs, Calif. See www.scc-execsummit.org/na
In the first conflict born in the Age of Austerity, Libyan rebels, supported by NATO military forces, have all but defeated forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi and deposed his brutal regime. The fighting started in March. With the end now in sight, it's time to consider some of the more important lessons to be drawn from the operation.
Aviation security has matured in the decade since terrorists attacked the U.S., as illustrated in AW&ST's cover from Sept. 17, 2001, and remains a work in progress. Explosives detection technologies and security protocols developed by U.S. and EU manufacturers are being developed to meet ever-evolving threats. The special report that begins on p.
I just read “Cathartic Change” by Guy Norris (AW&ST July18/25, p. 48) regarding a remake of NASA, which highlights some very valid points. I believe two additional points must be addressed to move our nation forward in space. First, I agree that industry and NASA must make a compelling argument for exploring space. This will require top lawmakers to back this push.
Forty years ago, as a university freshman, I became a subscriber to AW&ST. One of my earliest issues featured the first post-mission report on Apollo 15; the F-15 had yet to fly and the space shuttle was little more than a dream. The magazine was more conservatively designed then, but what has not changed is the superb editorial quality that makes AW&ST one of the best informed and best laid out weekly magazines of its kind. I turn to the editorial/viewpoint pages first and then to the Feedback column—the places where opinions battle.
The Leading Edge column “A Third Way” (AW&ST Aug. 15, p. 16) poses some interesting concepts for creating another source of biofuels from biomass such as slash from forestry operations. While money, time and energy are poured into these solutions, how much effort is being expended on the distribution systems needed to bring these products from point of creation to point of use? One reason petroleum-based fuel products remain relatively inexpensive is because of the established pipelines.
In is clear from a series of articles under the heading Chinese Military (AW&ST Aug. 29, pp. 29-32) that the Chinese army is roaming freely through our civilian computer infrastructure. The U.S. Air Force is consulting lawyers, and the only defense being mounted is by a private computer security company that is using methods the USAF lawyers will probably declare illegal.
I found “Solar Push” (AW&ST Aug. 22, p. 54) disappointing. Several NASA engineers from JPL are quoted as proposing high-voltage 300-kw solar arrays, and one says: “[A]s we have gone up in voltage bad things have happened in the past.”
Frank Morring's “Heritage Quest” (AW&ST Aug. 29/Sept. 5, p. 78) is a great example of good journalism, starting with the comprehensive interview with Maria Zuber and others. As principal investigator and planetary scientist, she managed to present the Twin Grail mission in just the right detail, giving insight into the complex science and how such a satellite development is completed with optimal use of past experience and within the constraints of time and money.
“Collateral Damages” by Pierre Sparaco (AW&ST Aug. 15, p. 18) cites “deep stall” as a possible explanation of what happened to Air France Flight 447. Indeed, according to flight data recorder (FDR) information, an angle of attack (AOA) of 40 deg. was recorded. In the same edition, an item in The World column, “AOA Anxiety,” explains a possible cause of a faulty indication. Pitot tube icing cannot be ruled out, but AOA clearly could be at fault. How is it possible to keep a big airplane in a deep stall for almost 4 min. without losing lateral control?
