It has long been believed that data fades quickly from a computer’s memory and that its encryption is sound once the computer is shut down. Not so, found Princeton University researchers who pried even encrypted data from memory chips after computer power was turned off.
Airbus A380s will usher in a “new era” for the fast-growing Emirates, says airline President Tim Clark. The Dubai-based carrier has 58 A380s on order, five of which will be delivered this year. Emirates will offer nonstop A380 service between Dubai and New York beginning Oct. 1, London Heathrow on Dec. 1 and Sydney-Auckland on Feb. 2, 2009. The aircraft on these routes will be in a 489-seat, three-class configuration. Its A380 fleet will also comprise a medium-range, three-class 517-seat configuration and a medium-range, two-class 604-seater.
The unused Long March 3C version of the current generation of Chinese launchers will finally go into service this year, having apparently been shelved after its development was first described about a decade ago. It is composed of a Long March 3A core rocket with two strap-on boosters. Launch capacity has been stated as 3.7 metric tons to geostationary orbit.
Kentron, now Denel Dynamics, was established with the aim of providing an isolated South Africa with an independent guided-weapons capability, irrespective of cost. Its problems typify those faced by the South African defense sector. Outgoing CEO Shaun Liebenberg is trying to determine how to secure Denel Dynamics’ future during his final months at Denel’s helm. His recommendations were due to go before the Denel board at the end of February.
Northrop Grumman’s San Diego facility scooped up an $18.6-million USAF contract to construct a Virtual Combat Environment for Electronic Conflict. The facility is to allow design and development of advanced electronic warfare, cyberspace and information operation technologies; evaluation of sensors; demonstration of layered sensing and battle management; and identification of advanced disruptive technologies.
With the delay of Boeing 787s and the opening of more slots in Tokyo, Japan Airlines is considering how to juggle seats for the best yields, as is its rival All Nippon Airways.
ATA Airlines, citing high fuel costs, will discontinue scheduled services at its Chicago Midway Airport hub effective Apr. 14, followed by a cessation of international flights June 7. Aircraft will be placed in charter service.
Amy Butler (Washington), David A. Fulghum (Washington)
Boeing is facing an uphill battle as it tries to overturn the U.S. Air Force’s decision to award a $35-billion contract to a competing Airbus design for the KC-X refueling tanker.
Orbiter: Endeavour (OV-105) will be making its 21st flight. It most recently returned from orbit on Aug. 21, 2007. Launch Date: Targeted for Mar. 11 from Kennedy Space Center Pad 39A for a 16-day mission, returning to KSC on Mar. 26.
MBDA has delivered the first series production batch of its advanced Milan ADT firing post to South Africa, along with upgraded Milan 3 multirole antitank missiles and a training simulator. The post, which features improved optics, an integrated thermal imager and a digitized localizer, is currently in troop trials in South Africa. The new firing system and missiles were developed under a Franco-German cooperative program.
London Heathrow Airport needs a third runway to increase capacity and maintain its competitive position as a European hub, says airports operator BAA in a report to the U.K. Transport Dept. A third runway could be built to maintain stringent environmental limits, adds BAA. Heathrow will reach its planning and operational cap of 480,000 flights in 2008, with runways already operating at 99% capacity, according to the report. “In contrast, Frankfurt has three runways (with a fourth due to open in 2011); Paris, four; Madrid, four; and Amsterdam, five.
The problem with fuel taxes (AW&ST Feb. 25, p. 10) is they do nothing themselves to cut emissions. Taxes increase the costs of fuel and travel but do not reduce travel unless they are so exorbitant as to be politically unacceptable.
Israel’s defense ministry has selected Controp’s family of stabilized miniature electro-optical sensor payloads for its upcoming buy of several hundred small UAVs, company officials say. Because of the size of the purchase, they contend the payload’s price will drop well below $20,000 per unit. Variants selected for the military are the D-Stamp with CCD camera and 10X continuous optical zoom and the UDF-Stamp with day/night units using uncooled infrared thermal imagers. The UZ-Stamp is a 1.3-kg. (2.9-lb.) design with 15-60-mm. lens and 9.5-37-deg. field of view.
The Pentagon needs to make a decision on how to proceed with buying an EA-6B replacement in time to request funding its Fiscal 2010 budget submission or face more costly maintenance and upgrade bills for the Prowler electronic jammer fleet. One option not likely to gain traction is to build an EA-35, a Joint Strike Fighter-based electronic warfare variant. A Marine Corps official says it would “cost billions of dollars,” requiring a significant redesign including the addition of a backseat for an electronic warfare officer.
Japan’s contribution of a pair of big pressurized modules for the International Space Station in the next three months will also bring the first voices emanating from an Asian mission control center to join those already coming from the U.S., France, Germany and Russia.
Aircraft maker Avic 1 and China Eastern have gained unusual approval to start a regional carrier—Xingfu Airlines—from the Chinese cabinet, which granted an exception to a ban on new airline applications before 2010. The civil aviation administration, determined to maintain China’s safety record in the face of rapid airline growth, announced the ban last year. Xingfu will operate Avic 1 aircraft, initially MA60 turboprops, and later introduce ARJ21 regional jets. Plans are to include 50 of each aircraft type in the fleet.
The FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency are pressing ahead with plans to change the rules under which airlines can fly instrument approaches with enhanced vision systems (EVS). In the U.S., this initiative has the backing of Nick Sabatini, FAA associate administrator for aviation safety, and he expects the rule change to happen this year. Currently, some business jets—such as those built by Gulfstream Aerospace that are equipped with EVS—are able to descend to 100 ft.
The last paragraph of your Feb. 25 editorial (p. 66) highlights a very important national security issue—ensuring our ability to create and use advanced military assets in space. This job has never been easy, and it has always been important. Success requires the efforts of some of the best and brightest in both government and industry. I trust you will continue to support the idea that it is important to recover our national competence in this challenging area. Apparently, many must be reminded that mission failures are never economical.
Three Taiwanese airlines have suspended four domestic routes as a result of competition from a high-speed rail line. Mandarin Airlines has canceled services between Taichung and Taitun; UNI Air, between Taipei and Kaohsiung; and bankrupt Far Eastern Air Transport has dropped its flights between Taipei and Tainan as well as Hualien and Kaohsiung. At the beginning of 2007, a fast-rail service running on the heavily populated western side of Taiwan was put into operation, connecting the main cities at each end of the island.
Casey Barr has become executive flight solutions representative for Business Jet Access of Dallas Love Field. He was owner services manager/information technology coordinator for JetDirect Aviation at Love Field.
General Electric plans to recertify the GEnx-1B for the delayed Boeing 787 next year, just as the company is poised to accept FAA certification of the baseline engine.
NATO missile defense developers claim rapid progress is being made as the Alliance prepares for its upcoming Summit in Bucharest where missile defense will be a central topic. A key Integrated Test Bed (ITB) under construction for NATO’s Active Layered Theater Ballistic Missile Defense (ALTBMD) program will conduct a milestone test with a French battle lab facility this month, featuring a simulated theater missile defense (TMD) scenario.
Embraer is in talks with the Argentine government about crafting an aviation cooperation plan. The deal could involve an agreement under which the Argentine market would open up to Embraer offerings, while Area Material Cordoba would in turn take on maintenance services and parts supply for the aircraft. The topic was discussed during a meeting last week between Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his Argentine counterpart, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner. No deal has been signed yet.
The Google X Prize has drawn its first 10 registered contestants for prizes totaling $30 million that will go to whoever lands a rover on the Moon by Dec. 31, 2012. The contest has drawn 567 expressions of interest from 53 nations, says X Prize Chairman and CEO Peter H. Diamandis. An offshoot of the Ansari X Prize for the first nongovernmental space flight, the Google competition offers a grand prize of $20 million for meeting the criteria of roaming at least 500 meters (1,640 ft.) on the lunar surface.
Damage to some ducting in the Stennis Space Center’s A1 test stand will delay the first full-duration hot-fire test of the powerpack for NASA’s new J-2X rocket engine until at least Mar. 9 while repairs are completed. The 36-sec. hot-fire test Feb. 15 was the first to run cryogenic propellant through the Saturn V-vintage powerpack. The old hardware will be used to begin gathering data for a beefed-up powerpack capable of handling the increased flows that will be needed to meet the new engine’s higher performance—294,000 lb. thrust and a specific impulse of 448 sec.
