Israel Aerospace Industries intends to launch one or two CubeSat-type nanosatellites by the end of 2008. Depending upon final mission plans, the spacecraft will be carried piggyback on a Russian Dnepr rocket with a larger non-Israeli payload. So far, about 32 nanosatellites have been launched worldwide, with a success rate of at least 50%. IAI has purchased some Boeing support hardware for the flight, which marks Israel’s first foray into the nanosat field. “Israel has entered the nanosatellite area relatively late,” says David Zusiman of the Israel Nano-Satellite Assn.
Proton operator International Launch Services says the Russian State Commission is close to determining the root cause of the Mar. 15 failure of a Proton/Breeze M upper stage, while ILS’s own failure-review board is ready to commence work following selection of board members. The commission began meeting on Mar. 18. Peter Freeborn, commercial director at Astrium-Khrunichev joint venture Eurockot, says a report is expected in two or three weeks. Eurockot’s Rockot/Breeze KM booster shares some upper-stage technologies with Proton/Breeze M.
Benjamin Stone, Director, External Relations, Alenia North America (Washington, D.C.)
The C-27As operated in Panama provided a capability to service unprepared and short airfields that no other aircraft in the U.S. Air Force’s inventory could, including the C-130s.
After five years of steady growth, the outsourcing of new MRO activities has reached its zenith as airlines shift emphasis to programs that integrate supplementary services with core repair capabilities.
USAF has desperately needed a replacement tanker for more than 10 years. Several years ago, Sen. John McCain found a footnote in the federal budget addressing a $26-billion tanker lease from Boeing to the Air Force. He felt it was excessive and in his review found two Boeing officers who were breaking the law in the negotiating process. Instead of removing the lawbreakers and renegotiating the lease, McCain blew the entire deal out of the water and delayed the tankers. Now we go from tragic overreaction to enormous debacle.
Carlisle Companies Inc. is acquiring Carlyle Inc., for $200 million. Carlyle of Tukwila, Wash., supplies aerospace and network connections including wire and cable harnesses, racks and panels and cable assemblies for inflight entertainment systems and avionics applications. Carlisle, of Charlotte, N.C., is a diversified manufacturing company.
U.S. Air Force officials are positioned to handle a protest from the losing contractor of the GPS III downselect expected Apr. 18. Lockheed Martin and Boeing are competing for the satellite segment. USAF is in the midst of protests of the Combat Search and Rescue-X contract and its $35-billion KC-45 award to a Northrop Grumman/EADS North America team, and service officials fear this trend will bleed over into the space acquisition arena.
EADS is lashing out over the leaking of large parts of a report by French securities regulator AMF before the company received a copy. The report details insider-trading charges concerning 17 current and former executives. It also lists financial gains, with EADS main shareholders, DaimlerChrysler and Lagardere, having benefited the most, with around €2 billion each.
FLIR Government Systems Has Delivered the first of three Mission Equipment Package (MEP) sensors to the U.S. Army’s Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate for integration into a UH-1 helicopter for flight-testing this spring. The system has been three years in development and is designed with Tier II unmanned aerial vehicles and other small UAVs in mind. Weighing just 16 lb. with a 7.25-in. diameter, the system includes two infrared cameras, a color TV camera, a laser range-finder and a laser designator.
USAF Lt. Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz has been nominated for promotion to general with assignment as commander of the Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, Tex. He has been commander of the command’s Air University, Maxwell AFB, Ala. Maj. Gen. Allen G. Peck has been nominated for promotion to lieutenant general and to succeed Lorenz. Peck has been commander of the Air Force Doctrine Development and Education Center/vice commander of the Air University. Maj. Gen. John T.
Michael Hardesty (see photo) has been named vice president/chief financial officer of the Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman Corp.’s Enterprise Shared Services . He was director of finance for the company’s Irving, Tex.-based Financial Services Center.
A sudden suspension of flights by Hong Kong Oasis Airlines may point to an upper limit on service levels for long-haul non-network carriers. As such airlines proliferate, with service ranging from sardine-style economy to all-business class, the failure of the Hong Kong company after 17 months shows that mixing streamlined non-network operations with full-service cabins, especially business class, is a tough strategy. Oasis had a service standard like that of many regular network airlines—but no network.
Cessna Aircraft Co. will build its new production facility for the large-cabin Citation Columbus business jet in Kansas. President and CEO Jack J. Pelton says the company was considering other locations outside of the state, but the deal was clinched when the Kansas legislature this month voted to provide up to $33 million in bonds to secure the factory through a pool of money designated for aviation projects.
The U.K.’s National Air Traffic Services (NATS) plans to implement precision area navigation procedures in the London terminal maneuvering area (designated Terminal Control North) in March 2009. The adoption of P-RNAV, which will affect operations at Heathrow, Luton, Stansted, London City and Northolt airports, is designed to improve traffic management through use of standard terminal arrival and departure procedures, and business aircraft operators will be required to obtain P-RNAV approval from their country of aircraft registration.
The Guardian 100 military-grade lightweight notebook can be used as a laptop or as a tablet PC slate. The computer’s 10.4- or 12.1-in. screen is sunlight readable. Its case is sealed to IP54 standards and comes with a 120 or 160GB hard drive. A low-voltage Intel Core Duo processor allows fanless operation. Other features include gigabit Ethernet, an integrated GPS, fast wireless PAN and WAN and a reversible waterproof camera. Industrial Computing Inc., 260 Bear Hill Road, Waltham, Mass. 02451 or www.industcomputing.com.
John J. Higgs (see photo) has been promoted to vice president from group director for fluid management solutions for Crane Aerospace and Electronics , Lynnwood, Wash.
The Canadian government has rejected Alliant Techsystems’ $1.3-billion bid to acquire the space business of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA), a leader in small satellite design and the owner of the Radarsat-2 advanced synthetic aperture radar imagery spacecraft. The deal would have given the U.S. government access to classified technologies that MDA could not previously sell outside Canada.
When Skybus started service last May as an ultra-low-cost, low-fare U.S. carrier, oil went for about $64 a barrel. When it stopped flying and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Apr. 5, oil prices topped $100.
Wynne says it is unclear what direction the seemingly defunct Space Radar program (once a joint USAF and National Reconnaissance Office effort) will take in the Pentagon’s tight budget environment. The system’s expense grew out of control because of the number of radar panels required to achieve a high revisit rate on ground targets. Wynne says some innovative designs are emerging, including one that employs a power source into the satellite structure. The secretary says he doesn’t expect a system to take form until 2020.
United Technologies Corp. board of directors elected Louis R. Chenevert as CEO on Apr. 9 to succeed George David, 66, who will continue as chairman. Chenevert, 50, will remain UTC President and continue as a director.
AeroSpoilers can help protect aircraft parked outside in high wind conditions. Sheets in the shape of slats are held in place on the wings via commercial-grade suction cups. Each kit contains 10 suction cup/receiver assemblies and eight 30 X 3-in. blades, which provide 20 ft. of coverage and can reduce the lift-producing capability of a wing by as much as 96%, the company says. The injection-molded ABS and thick PVC sheet construct, with marine-grade stainless steel hardware, help the product withstand even harsh coastal environments.
Timothy S. Burris (see photo) has been named vice president-communications for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems , Tewksbury, Mass. He was senior director of enterprise communication at Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
KOR’s CRFM-9041 provides a wide bandwidth, ultra-fine resolution of Coherent Radio Frequency Memory (CRFM), according to the company. Sampling at 2,200 MHz., the CRFM captures, stores and replays RF signals, delaying the signal up to 7.5 ms. with 1-ns. resolution. The CRFM is a multi-functional test asset for development of EW, radar, seeker, and comm systems. Up to 1 GHz. of instantaneous bandwidth is available, and DSP technology performs amplitude/phase modulation.
