NEGOTIATORS for NASA and Boeing Defense&Space Group completed work over the weekend on the company's prime contract to build the International Space Station, sources said yesterday, but final space agency approval was withheld pending a review by top program officials. The general outline of the contract-$6.2 billion through 2003-was settled late last summer, but final cost and fee details had remained open (DAILY, Sept. 6, 1994, page 364).
NOAA-14, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's newest weather satellite, is completing checkout and operating normally, Martin Marietta, the spacecraft's builder, said. As of Friday, spacecraft controllers had turned on all but one of the nine instruments on board, the first step to bringing them to full data production, Martin said. All of NOAA-14's spacecraft subsystems "are operating normally," the company said.
House Budget Committee Chairman Rep. John R. Kasich (R- Ohio) tells the committee that he plans to have a fiscal 1995 budget rescission resolution ready for its consideration early next month. It's the first step in what he sees as a seven-year "glide path" to the Republican "Contract With America" goal of a balanced federal budget by 2002.
The Station's old nemesis, Rep. Tim Roemer (D-Ind.), was trounced when he introduced an amendment last year to kill Station. But Roemer says he's going to continue to push for termination of the project. "I will continue to put that before this Congress as an honest option," he says.
AIR FORCE CHIEF OF STAFF Gen. Ronald Fogleman met Thursday with Lockheed F- 22 officials to assure them that the fighter aircraft program is his number one priority, according to sources. Ken Cannestra, president of Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Group, and Micky Blackwell, president of Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Co., also visited with AF Under Secretary Rudy de Leon and Lt. Gen. Joseph Ralston, AF Deputy Chief of Staff for plans and operations.
Commerce Secretary Ron Brown makes it clear where he stands on the Clinton Administration's plans to cut the defense share of the $70 billion the government spends on research and development from 60% to 50%. "I'd like to take it further than that," Brown tells the House Science Committee. Private investment in R&D now stands at about $84 billion annually, he say.
A senior defense official says U.S. foreign military sales (FMS), back down after a post-Gulf War spike, are likely to remain flat in the near future. The reason: financially strapped customers, such as Saudi Arabia, and reduced demand due to the huge $33.2 billion in sales in fiscal 1993. FMS sales were back down to $12.8 billion in fiscal '94 and are projected by the Pentagon to settle at about $9-$10.5 billion annually in FY '95, '96, and '97. The U.S.
The Army has developed a list of "enablers," or laws that "force the services to do business in a certain manner," says Brig. Gen. John Costello, the Army's top roles and missions official. "It will allow all the services to do business more efficiently." He says he can't elaborate on the details because the list is being reviewed by the service's lawyers. The Army plans to give the list to the Pentagon's roles and missions commission next week.
Democrats also appear to be getting a fair shake on the House Intelligence Committee. Despite a cut in the overall panel's membership from 19 to 16, Democrats will get seven seats, the same number Republicans had when they were the minority party.
The new congressman representing NASA's Johnson Space Center says he's concerned about Russian participation in the Station project. "I hope we look to Americans first before we do the Russians," Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Tex.) tells Goldin. He also wants to know if Goldin believes Russia will be a democracy in five years. Replies Goldin: "If I knew I'd be a very wealthy man."
President Clinton will deliver the State of the Union message to Congress on Jan. 24, and the fiscal 1996 defense budget will go to Capitol Hill on Feb. 6, congressional sources say.
Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) was sworn in to a second term Wednesday after a Republican challenge to her and other Democrats who won re-election by paper-thin margins failed to materialize. Some Republicans had threatened to seat Harman, who represents an aerospace-rich district in the Los Angeles area, only provisionally pending investigations into Republican complaints of fraud in her 812-vote victory (DAILY, Nov. 23, page 281).
Aerojet has used experience gained in materials processing for defense programs to launch pilot production of an organic aerogel that will be tested for several commercial applications. The company said Friday it also plans to begin pilot production of silica-based aerogels at its Sacramento, Calif., facilities, soon. Both types of aerogel have strong insulation properties, being 95% air.
Derlan Inc. has acquired assets of Peacock Aerospace Inc. of Los Angeles in a $2.4 million deal to upgrade its manufacturing operation at Santa Ana, Calif., the company's Canadian parent Derlan Industries announced from Toronto. Peacock's assets and revenues will be transferred to Derlan's Santa Ana facility, the company said. Peacock manufactures and repairs landing gear assemblies, actuators and valves for commercial aircraft, helicopters and the space program, with annual sales of about $7 million and a $9 million backlog.
Cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov sets a new human spaceflight endurance record today aboard the Mir space station when he logs his 366th consecutive day in orbit. Polyakov, a physician and deputy director of the Institute for Biomedical Problems in Moscow, is scheduled to remain aboard Mir a total of 442 days studying the physiological effects of long-term exposure to microgravity.
Ben R. Rich, the retired president of Lockheed Advanced Development Co. who won wide acclaim over a 40-year career as a designer of some of the most sophisticated U.S. aircraft, died Jan. 5 after a long illness. He was 69. After joining Lockheed in 1950, Rich worked on a wide range of projects, including the F-104, U-2, YF-12 and SR-71. He led Lockheed's development of the F-117A, an effort that won the Collier Trophy in 1990. Last year, Defense Secretary William Perry awarded Rich, who retired in 1991, the Distinguished Service Medal.
Anyone who wants to know why a country like Saudi Arabia is having trouble coming up with money to pay for 60-some U.S. jetliners from Boeing and McDonnell Douglas should take a close look at what happened in the kingdom last week. Even after a new round of government austerity measures-higher rates for electricity, fuel and water-took effect last week, the Saudis will have to borrow another $4 billion to cover this year's government deficit.
In the latest Army-Air Force clash over roles and missions, the Air Force is questioning the role of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) in deep battle, the Army's top roles and missions official said Thursday. The debate is such that it could mean a change in ATACMS' role on the battlefield, Brig. Gen. John Costello told reporters during a breakfast briefing.
Lucas Western Inc. agreed last week to plead guilty to false statements charges and to pay $18.5 million in fines to settle charges of supplying bad parts for Navy F/A-18 fighters. George Simpson, chief executive of parent Lucas Industries, revealed plans to work out a cash settlement with the Pentagon last fall (DAILY, Oct. 12, 1994, page 51), and Lucas said yesterday that the fine is "consistent with" reserves already set aside to cover criminal and civil issues arising from the case.
Symetrics, a small manufacturer of quick-disconnect valved couplings for the Space Shuttle, International Space Station and various defense aircraft and missiles, has been acquired by Parker Hannifin Corp. Under the stock for stock deal, Cleveland-based Parker, a $2.6 billion worldwide producer of motion-control components and systems for the aerospace, automotive and other industrial markets, will merge Symetrics into its Fluid Connectors Group.
The Navy conducted the first free-flight test of a guided Joint Stand- Off Weapon (JSOW) last month, demonstrating separation under autopilot control and wing deployment, prime contractor Texas Instruments reported yesterday. A Navy F/A-18C launched the first guided JSOW over the China Lake test range in California on Dec. 13, 1994, TI said. The vehicle flew more than 13 miles before a planned destruct command was sent, generating debris pattern data for future range safety calculations.
NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin says there can be no more funding or design changes to the International Space Station. "If there's one more request to redesign, I will recommend cancellation of the Space Station," he tells the House Science Committee. Goldin says 26,500 pounds of Station hardware was built in 1994.
The Army this week plans to submit a proposal to the Pentagon's roles and missions commission to take over all Defense Dept. rotary wing activities, including acquisition, maintenance, training and logistic, said Army Brig. Gen. John Costello, responsible for roles and missions. The plan, which has been in the works for several weeks, is not a "cram-it-down-your-throat" proposal, Costello said. "We will offer it in a congenial manner."
