The International Space Station (ISS) returned to full six-person staffing late Nov. 23 with the arrival of three U.S., European and Russian crewmembers. They are prepared to kick off external changes in advance of the dockings of U.S. commercial crew transports and host a pair of veteran astronauts trained for a yearlong stay. Meeting the ISS program objectives is intended to support activities beyond the current 2020 deadline for station operations and provide medical researchers with new insights into the physical and mental challenges of long-duration human deep-space exploration.
Despite threats of contractual retaliation from Moscow, French President Francois Hollande has indefinitely postponed delivery of the first of two Mistral-class helicopter assault ships to Russia, citing ongoing conflict between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian forces. Since suspending the 2011 contract in September, Hollande has been loath to cancel the €1.12 billion ($1.4 billion) Mistral deal. The first ship is dubbed Vladivostok and located at the Saint-Nazaire shipyard in France.
Japan has chosen the Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeye over the Boeing 737 AEW&C to fill a requirement for four surveillance aircraft, while also confirming it will proceed with orders for the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk and Bell Boeing MV-22 Osprey. Three RQ-4s will be ordered in the fiscal year beginning April 2015, says NHK television. The timing of orders for the other types is unknown. The mid-term plan also set out the requirement for three surface-surveillance drones. RQ-4 beat the propeller-driven General Atomics Guardian ER, which is based on the U.S.
India’s space program has ambitious goals, including new missions to the Moon and Mars, and improved Earth-observation, communications and GPS capabilities
More Bumps In The Road Likely The loss of the Orbital Antares launch vehicle and of SpaceShipTwo in the course of less than a week is certainly proof that spaceflight is complex and dangerous.
Despite reducing seat pitch on some aircraft and adding bag fees for some fares, JetBlue is confident it can protect its brand, appeal to its target market and differentiate itself from competitors.
Rene Groot (see photo) has been appointed chief operating officer of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, effective Jan. 1. He succeeds Pieter Elbers, who has become president/CEO of KLM. De Groot has been senior vice president-operations at Air France-KLM Engineering and Maintenance and was an Airbus A330 and Boeing 737 captain.
We are making some important enhancements to your subscription that will provide access to Aviation Week & Space Technology how you want it and when you need it.
NASA already is learning about distributed electric propulsion from a unique low-cost testbed, as it completes high-power static tests ahead of low-speed taxi trials leading to high-speed runs on the dry lakebed at Edwards AFB, California, in January.
