Decides smaller may be better for Cassidian defense unit

The price of EU Allowances (EUAs) under the EU Emissions Trading System rose in February, but fell back in the second half of the month on questions over whether a fast-track process can be launched to approve the European Commission's bid to delay EUA auctions in 2013-15. EUAs for delivery in December 2013 rose to a peak of €5.30 per metric ton ($6.95) on Feb. 21, after the EU Parliament's environment (ENVI) committee on Feb. 19 backed the EC's proposed amendment to the ETS Directive which would clarify its power to alter the timing of auctions.

The fact that large-scale aerospace and defense manufacturing is no longer as prominent in Southern California as it was in the Cold War-era is not news. But the region still leads the nation in the number of small suppliers and many are trying to come up with new ways of doing business, especially as they see ominous headlines about defense cuts from Washington.

Dennis Tito's plan to send a crew of two around Mars is getting a big assist from NASA via a Space Act Agreement (SAA) with its Ames Research Center (see page 24). While Tito will repay NASA for its work, the agency's inspector general and a powerful member of Congress are examining SAAs—which are less restrictive than standard federal business arrangements—to see if they are being abused. That is one of the charges in a whistle-blower report on alleged malfeasance at Ames (AW&ST Feb. 18, p. 19). Rep.

U.S. defense budgets are declining, but Parker Hannifin, a leading supplier of hydraulics, fluid systems and flight controls, still sees lots of opportunity in aerospace. With major positions on platforms such as the Airbus A350, Bombardier CSeries, Comac C919 and Embraer Legacy 450/500, the company projects annual aerospace sales will rise two-thirds by mid-2016, to $3.5 billion. Roger Sherrard, president of Parker's aerospace unit, and Thomas L. Williams, executive vice president and operating officer, spoke with AW&ST Editor-in-Chief Joseph C.

Growth model of prolific turbine spins off latest engine technology

From NASA to DARPA, an old practice spurs new ideas

Fly-by-wire system provider Parker Aerospace says it has made project management improvements in the wake of a one-year delay for the Embraer Legacy 500 program, but maintains that the schedule slip was caused by factors beyond its control.