A secret National Reconnaissance Office dual satellite ocean surveillance mission to track potential terrorist movements at sea and Chinese and Iranian ship tactics is being developed for liftoff June 14 here on an Atlas V, say intelligence sources. The National Ocean Surveillance System (NOSS) flight is designated NRO L-30. "We're on track for a mid-June launch of the Atlas V," says Lt. Col. Kent Nickle, director of operations for the 5th Space Launch Sqdn. of the 45th Space Wing here. He did not address the secret ocean surveillance payloads, however.
Chittur Venkatasubban and Ken Minks have been named Engineering Fellows at the Hawker Beechcraft Corp., Wichita, Kan. Venkatasubban is considered an expert in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in the Advanced Design Dept. and has been instrumental in the adoption of Navier-Stokes CFD technology for the aerodynamic design and analysis of airplanes, especially Hawker and Beech models. Minks is manager of the Materials and Process Laboratories.
Raytheon won a $30.1-million contract add-on for the upgrade of 268 Aim-9M Sidewinder air-to-air missiles for Pakistan, Malaysia and the Republic of Korea as well as 229 circuit card assembly kits for Canada. The company also was awarded a $59.4-million contract add-on for lot 7 production of the Aim-9X tactical missiles for the U.S. Air Force and Navy, Finland, Singapore and Switzerland. The Army added a $32.5-million contract for Excalibur Block IA-1 projectiles.
The crippled Hayabusa probe is officially on its way back to Earth, but its journey will be uncertain. The spacecraft has only one of four ion-propulsion engines and one of three reaction-control wheels working properly. Faced with this challenge, Project Manager Junichiro Kawaguchi of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) says, "It will not be a sweet situation, but it doesn't mean we can't bring it home in June 2010."
Michael Mecham (Atlanta), Neelam Mathews (Hyderabad, India)
Lufthansa Technik is teaming with the developer of Hyderabad's new airport to develop a medium- and heavy-check overhaul center for Airbus A320 and Boeing 737s, becoming the first foreign maintenance, repair and overhaul specialist to enter the Indian market.
American Airlines plans a 2008 in-house start of a two-year upgrade of its fleet of 124 Boeing 757s. Modifications will include new economy-class seats, interior sidewalls, liquid crystal display monitors and digital media file servers to improve entertainment system quality. Two first-class seats will be added, bringing the total to 24. Suppliers have not been selected. The 757 upgrade is part of a $500-million fleet rehabilitation program for cabins in 777, 767-300 and 767-200 aircraft, representing 40% of American's fleet.
Three months after China's politically surprising and technically dazzling test of an antisatellite missile, Washington remains spooked. Now, in what appears to be a deft move to deflect interference in its operations and budget planning, the U.S. Air Force has very publicly launched a new study--one preceded by years of similar but ignored efforts--of how to protect its space operations.
Britain's ability to develop an unmanned combat air vehicle is emerging as a key question while the defense ministry ponders whether a program would meet the present 2018-20 target date to fulfill part of the air force's Deep and Persistent Offensive Capability.
Delta Air Lines says it will be the first U.S. carrier to offer passengers an option to contribute to a tree-buying fund to offset carbon emissions when they purchase tickets online. The program is run with the Conservation Fund and is set to begin June 1.
Cold-War-like tensions are back, on a small scale. Russian President Vladimir Putin says he will suspend his country's obligations under the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe treaty, due in part to opposition to U.S. plans to base ballistic missile defenses in Eastern Europe. In his annual address to Russia's Federal Assembly Apr. 25, Putin also cited lagging Western ratification of amendments to the 1990 treaty and said the issues should be addressed by the NATO-Russia Council. If results are unsatisfactory, Russia could pull out of the treaty altogether, Putin said.
European Commission leaders appear to be closing in on a solution that would allow private industry to negotiate a long-stalled deal to run the Galileo satellite navigation system.
Scientists analyzing the first 3D images of the Sun returned by NASA's twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (Stereo) spacecraft believe the extra detail they are getting will help them hone their ability to forecast dangerous solar storms. With a separation in their orbits around the Sun of only about 4 deg., the satellites already have produced spectacular 3D images of the wispy corona, where violent solar weather originates, at higher resolution than previous observatories.
Bob Horner has been appointed vice president-international sales for Montreal-based Bombardier Business Aircraft. He was head of sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Mike Fahey has been named Wichita. Kan.-based vice president-Learjet sales and Ed Thomas regional vice president-Learjet sales. Paul Schenian has become Dallas-based managing director of preowned aircraft sales.
A Cessna Citation Mustang flies over South Central Kansas as photographer Dan Moore captures the jet on film from a Cessna Caravan. The Mustang is Cessna Aircraft Co.'s second-generation, entry-level jet designed from inception to be flown by one pilot in the IFR environment and in icing conditions. The company has orders for more than 250 Mustangs and plans to deliver about 40 this year from its facilities near Independence, Kan.
Business Flying Editor Edward H. Phillips (left) and Cessna demonstration pilot Gene Kenneford strap into the cockpit of the Citation Mustang. Phillips flew the twin-engine, personal jet to examine its flight characteristics, cabin comfort and overall performance. Designed from inception for the owner-flown segment of the highly competitive light jet market, the Mustang proved to be easy to fly with minimal workload for one pilot thanks to its reliable systems and Garmin avionics. Phillips' impressions of Cessna's latest entry-level jet begins on Page 54.
Deborah Ricci has been promoted to chief financial officer from controller/ corporate secretary of the Allied Defense Group Inc., Vienna, Va. She succeeds Robert P. Dowski, who resigned.
Wanda Denson-Low has been appointed senior vice president of the Chicago-based Boeing Co.'s Office of Internal Governance, effective May 4. She will succeed Bonnie Soodik, who plans to retire on June 30. Denson-Low has been vice president/assistant general counsel of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems.
NASA's Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) spacecraft will soon start its two-year mission to study high-altitude ice clouds following a successful launch on board an Orbital Sciences Corp. Pegasus XL rocket Apr. 25. Orbital also built the 440-lb. spacecraft, which was designed to study "noctilucent" clouds that can only be seen from the ground at night when they are illuminated by sunlight no longer visible from the surface. This type of cloud is becoming more common and occurring at lower latitudes, which could be linked to global climate change, scientists say.
Chuck Magill (see photos) has been named vice president-flight operations and Mike Hafner vice president-inflight services for Southwest Airlines. Magill was senior chief pilot, while Hafner was senior director of stations.
Wayne Pensky has become senior vice president/chief financial officer of the Hexcel Corp., Stamford, Conn. He succeeds Stephen Forsyth, who has resigned. Pensky was vice president-finance/controller of Hexcel's composites unit, Dublin, Calif.
U.S. attempts to persuade aren't limited to Russia's mighty. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) plans to collaborate with the governments of Poland and the Czech Republic on a video presentation to help sway citizens in both countries who oppose the missile-defense basing plans. In addition to explaining how the sites work, the video will address the risks of Iranian missiles fired over the European continent toward the U.S. malfunctioning and falling short. "Not all the missiles that Iran fires are going to make it into the United States," says MDA Director Air Force Lt.
The International Registry of Mobile Assets, created under the Cape Town Treaty to bring legal protections to creditors and owners of aircraft and other mobile assets, registered 18,000 airframes, engines and helicopters in its first year of operation (AW&ST July 17, 2006, p. 170). The Registry reported that 39,600 interests were registered on the global database against those assets and 7,500 administrators and users were approved.
