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+++ European space policy advances +++ ASD outlines aerospace priorities +++ Flybe orders Embraer 195s +++ Rover “Opportunity” is rolling again +++ 767 tanker scandal contiunues +++ SkyTeam selects new members +++ Alenia SkyX flies +++ News in brief +++
European space policy advances
Diskussion um Europas Raumfahrtpolitik
The second meeting of the Space Council – concomitant meeting of the ESA Council at ministerial level and of the European Union Competitiveness Council (Internal Market/Industry/Research) – was held at the Kiem Conference Centre in Luxembourg on 7 June. In consultation with private and public stakeholders, the Space Council is working on the definition of a coherent space policy and associated programmes, covering the activities of the EU, ESA and their Member States. The objective is to endorse, at the third Space Council meeting planned for November this year, a European space policy and European space programme for the period to 2013.
The orientations for a European space programme are based on the Framework Agreement between the European Community and ESA and on the ESA Convention. At this second meeting, the Space Council confirmed that the European space policy should cover mainly the following: a European space strategy, a European space programme matching the strategy and reflecting associated costs and funding sources, a commitment by the main contributors as to their roles and responsibilities, the key principles of implementation. The aim of the strategy is to develop increasingly advanced space systems according to user needs. All the benefits derived from associated services will have to be shared by all. The EU will have to identify user needs and build a political will around them. ESA and its Member and Cooperating States will develop future space technologies and systems and pursue excellence in space-based scientific research.
Priorities within the European space programme see the EU focusing on space-based applications to contribute to the achievement of its policies, particularly Galileo and the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security programme (GMES). ESA will focus on space exploration and on the basic tools on which the exploitation and exploration of space each depend. Securing guaranteed access to space through a complete, competitive family of launchers, pursuing excellence in space science, and exploiting its know-how in the exploration of the planetary system and in developing technologies to maintain a competitive space sector will be among ESA's main tasks. The investments needed for these priorities for the EU, ESA and Member States will be identified in the coming months and go through each organisation's normal budgetary and programmatic approval procedures. By coordinating efforts, the players will ensure that new investments bring additional outcomes. Financing sources for space-related activities for the EU are the Seventh Framework Programme of research, technology and development, the trans-European network programme, and the competitiveness and innovation programme. ESA draws on Member States' contributions to mandatory and optional programmes.
Commission Vice-President Günter Verheugen stated : "I am grateful for the full support the Space Council has given the Commission today. We will now work full speed ahead and complete our proposal for a European space policy and programme. This will identify programme priorities for future European development of space applications." ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain said: "ESA has just turned 30. Thanks to the continuous support of its Member States, it has grown to make the European space sector one of the foremost competitors in the world and at the same time has become a respected partner. Now the European space policy is being integrated within the wider ambitions of Europe and space is set to become a much larger and more integrated undertaking in our future. ESA is prepared to adapt in order to take on an even greater role for Europe."
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ASD outlines aerospace priorities
Europäische Luft- und Raumfahrtindustrie fordert Unterstützung
Aerospace and defence are amongst the most advanced industrial sectors and catalysts for economic growth in Europe. Industry has a track record of high technology achievement and has created some world-leading companies and products. It has been acknowledged by Brussels as a key to achieving the objectives of the revised Lisbon Agenda – more innovation, improved competitiveness, economic growth and better conditions for our citizens. This will require regulations, policies and levels of institutional investment that are comparable to our major competitors – in particular to the USA. At the annual press conference in Rome ASD President Pier Francesco Guarguaglini presented the overall situation of the industry. “Research and development continue to be the key driver for our industry with aerospace investment staying at around 14% of turnover in 2004, with more than 60% financed by industry. To ensure that the sectors stay globally competitive, institutional contribution to Research and Development needs to be increased. The European Commission's proposals for the 7th Framework Programme are a positive mark in the right direction.” Pier Francesco Guarguaglini stressed. “Thanks to a return to growth in Aerospace turnover and a strong order book in 2004, the main indices of the industry should see an improvement in 2005”, he continued.
In the EU context, ASD gives full support to the EU institutions' renewed focus on industrial competitiveness in the revised Lisbon Agenda. ASD also welcomes a number of EU initiatives, in addition to their 7th Framework Programme proposals. For example, their support of a project (SESAME) to create a costed road map for the upgrade of Air Transport Management systems, the creation of a Security Research programme, the definition of a European Space Policy, and the work, with the European Defence Agency, to create a more coherent European Defence Equipment market and strengthen the European Defence Technology Industrial base.
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Flybe orders Embraer 195s
Embraer 195 für britische Regionalfluggesellschaft
On June 6, Flybe announced an agreement with Embraer for the purchase of 14 EMBRAER 195 aircraft and has taken options on an additional 12. Deliveries are set to begin in August 2006 and continue through to November 2007. The total value of the firm contract at list price is US$ 470 million, with a potential of reaching US$ 870 million if all options are converted. "The EMBRAER 195 is ideally suited to meet the needs of our domestic and regionally focused business model. The airplane has seat costs on the sector lengths we fly which are comparable with larger jets, while with 118 seats has a capacity level which suits the thinner UK regional markets we serve. In short, the EMBRAER 195 allows us to deliver our famous low fares to all the regions we serve, and allows us to do it profitably, while at the same time increasing the number of regions we can serve with direct European services," commented Jim French, Chairman and Managing Director of Flybe. "The EMBRAER 195 will replace our BAe 146 fleet, and bring cost and service efficiencies. It completes our fleet rationalization strategy commenced in 2003 and will give us the youngest fleet in the airline sector. It also means that the business has addressed the strategic question of how to replace the 146 and provide a ten-year platform for profitable growth," French continued. "We chose the EMBRAER 195 not only for its operational and cost advantage but also for its outstanding environmental performance. Flybe has become a successful major player in European aviation and this deal will pave the way for the company's continued growth and financial success," he concluded.
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Rover “Opportunity” is rolling again
Marsfahrzeug wieder frei
NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission engineers and managers cheered when images from the Martian surface confirmed Opportunity successfully escaped from a sand trap. From about 108 million miles away, the rover team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif., had worked diligently for nearly five weeks to extricate the rover. The long-distance roadside assistance was a painstaking operation to free the six wheeled rover, which was mired in the soft sand of a small Martian dune. "After a nerve wracking month of hard work, the rover team is both elated and relieved to finally see our wheels sitting on top of the sand instead of half buried in it," said Jeffrey Biesiadecki, a JPL rover mobility engineer. Traction was difficult in the ripple-shaped dune of windblown dust and sand that Opportunity drove into on April 26. In the weeks following, the rover churned 629 feet worth of wheel rotations before gaining enough traction to actually move three feet. The rover team directed the drives in cautious increments from May 13 through last Saturday.
Opportunity's next task is to examine the site to provide a better understanding of what makes that ripple different from the dozens of similar ones the rover easily crossed. "After we analyze this area, we'll be able to plan safer driving in the terrain ahead," said JPL's Jim Erickson, rover project manager. Both Spirit and Opportunity have worked in harsh Martian conditions much longer than anticipated. They have been studying geology on opposite sides of Mars for more than a year of extended missions since successfully completing their three-month primary missions in April 2004.
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767 tanker scandal contiunues
Neuer Bericht zum Tanker-Leasing der USAF
A Pentagon inspector general audit said the Air Force used inappropriate procurement strategy, and did not use best business practices or prudent acquisition procedures to provide sufficient accountability for expenditures for the tanker program. The audit report suggested that DoD should not proceed with the tanker program until it resolved the issues pertaining to the procurement strategy, acquisition procedures and statutory requirements. On June 1, DoD announced that the DoD inspector general had completed an extensive and detailed review of personnel involved in the tanker program. The report recommended changes and revisions in acquisition, leasing, procurement and management procedures and policies. England appeared before the committee to tell its members that DoD is implementing "many recommendations for corrective action and for better checks and balances in acquisition have been assembled and proposed," according to his prepared testimony. With him on Capitol Hill were Michael W. Wynne, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics; Michael L. Dominguez, acting secretary of the Air Force; Gen. John P. Jumper, chief of staff of the Air Force; Joseph E. Schmitz, DoD inspector general; and Thomas F. Gimble, DoD deputy inspector general.
DoD recently incorporated many individual corrective actions in its acquisition processes, England said, but added that, "the final answer to past problems may lie in a complete restructuring of the way the Department accomplishes acquisition for all of its goods and services. England offered his commitment "to manage the department ethically and above reproach, to be forthright, honest and direct with everyone and in every circumstance and to expect the same from every DoD employee." "I will work closely with you to restore and retain confidence, effectiveness and efficiency in the DoD acquisition process," his prepared testimony concluded.
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SkyTeam selects new members
Neue Mitglieder für SkyTeam
On June 9, the SkyTeam Governing Board announced the finalization of the alliance's Associate Program and named the first carriers selected to begin the joining process: Air Europa of Spain; Copa Airlines of Panama; Kenya Airways of Kenya; and Tarom of Romania. All four carriers have already begun the process of meeting the necessary operational and service standards to attain Associate status, with completion expected in 2006. The airlines will sign a SkyTeam Associate Adherence Agreement (SAAA) this summer. "As we approach our fifth anniversary, it is fitting that we prepare to welcome the first four Associate Airlines," said Leo van Wijk, CEO and president of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. "The Associate Program is a new tool of SkyTeam's growth strategy and will broaden the alliance's presence to several strategic regions while providing more travelers with access to our expanding network."
As part of the joining process, each candidate has been assigned a current Member to act as its Sponsor and aid in the joining and integration processes. The Sponsor will represent the interests of the Associate Airline in all decision-making situations, as well as facilitate the relationship between the Associate and the other SkyTeam Member airlines. The Associate - Sponsor airlines are: Air Europa - Air France ; Copa Airlines - Continental Airlines ; Kenya Airways - KLM Royal Dutch Airlines; Tarom – Alitalia. Each Associate Airline candidate must meet a set of predetermined requirements in areas such as operations, information technology and products. Upon completion of the requirements, each candidate must receive formal approval from the Governing Board before becoming an official Associate Airline. All Associate candidates are expected to complete an audit during 2006 as the first milestone to official Associate membership.
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Alenia SkyX flies
Erstflug des SkyX-UAVs in Schweden
Alenia Aeronautica has set the continental record within the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) field. The technological demonstrator Sky-X has been the first complex UAV in Europe, in the over-1000 kg. category, to make its first flight. The Sky-X has taken off from the Vidsel Base, in Sweden, near the Arctic Circle, testing main system's components and, in particular, flight characteristics and aircraft stability in the landing phase. The performance has been led by Enrico Scarabotto, Alenia Aeronautica's test pilot, who has operated the aircraft from the Remote Operator Station, at about 3,5 km. from the runway, supported by Marcello Battaglia, system operator. The Sky-X has taken off at 125 kcas and has then landed at the speed of 120 kcas. During the flight Alenia Aeronautica's technical team has led engine and systems checks, collecting data and images transmitted by the data-link. The flight has been followed by an Aermacchi SF.260TP piloted by Marco Venanzetti, Alenia Aeronautica's test pilot.
The whole technological demonstrator Sky-X system has been developed by Alenia Aeronautica's engineering centres (structural project and wing & tail design and manufacturing is accomplished in Pomigliano d'Arco, Naples; complete system development and final assembly take place in Turin) with the support of several Italian companies such as Moreggia, Magnaghi Aeronautica, OMA, Oma Sud, Quadrics, Secondo Mona, Tema, Teseo and Vitrociset. The Ground Control Station, including the data-link system with the aircraft, has been completely designed and manufactured by Alenia Aeronautica at Caselle plants (Turin). Alenia Aeronautica's Sky-X is about 7 metres long and has a wing span of almost 6 metres. It can carry a technological pay-load of 200 kg with a maximum take-off weight of 1200 kg.
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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN
Following the already public commitments towards the Airbus A350 by several airlines, and having reviewed the ones to be announced in the near future, the EADS Board was confirmed in its conviction that this project very appropriately meets the airlines' expectations in the field of mid-size twin aircraft for the next generation. After thorough review of the industrial situation, and the work in progress on optimization of the industrial ramp-up, the Board confirmed its willingness to proceed towards the full industrial launch of the program with its partner BAE Systems by the end of September.
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MTU Aero Engines holding AG has placed her shares with price of 21.00 Euro successfully. The issuing price lies in the upper area of the price margin of 19.00 to 22.00 Euro. With the expenditure price the issue was oversubscribed more than seven times. Under inclusion of the fully carried out additional shares a total of 35.65 million shares were placed. With a stock market capitalization of 1.155 Mil. Euro. From the whole volume 15 million. shares belong to a capital increase from which of the MTU Aero Engines reaps net issue proceeds of 304 Mil. Euro The free float ownership now is 64.8%. About 1% of the issue volume was placed within the scope of the privileged assignment. The commercial admission follows on the 6th June, 2005 in the Prime standard of the Frankfurt stock exchange. „ The initial market offer of the MTU Aero Engines has proceeded successfully. The more than sevenfold oversuubscription, the quality of the order book and the feedback on our roadshow are a proof of the confidence which the capital market brings us against “, commented Udo Stark, chairperson of the executive board of the engines MTU Aero.
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In a pre-Paris Air Show press conference, Dassault Aviation said that the company will sell its 5.7 pct stake in Thales SA directly on the market. "We have no interest in remaining" a Thales shareholder, Serge Dassault said, adding that the shares would be sold on the market, rather than directly to Thales's other main shareholders Alcatel, with a 9.1 pct stake, and the French state, which owns 31.3 pct. The move comes amid persistent speculation that the French government would like to see a tie-up within the European aerospace electronics industry similar to the EADS defence and aviation group. Edelstenne explained that his group first acquired the Thales shares in exchange for its own electronics activities, because he considered "that there was no room for two electronics companies in France, and that it was more intelligent to merge Dassault Electronique with Thales". Later on, Safran CEO Jean-Paul Bechat said: “We are not at all interested in becoming one of many shareholders at the Thales table. Safran is "not interested by a minority stake in this or that company," he added.
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The world's first civil tiltrotor aircraft, the Bell/Agusta BA609, returned to flight status on 3 June at Bell Helicopter's XworX research and development facility here. The 1.3-hour flight was the first for the six-to-nine passenger tiltrotor since 2003. The programmed pause in flight testing was for developmental engineering configuration. During today's flight in hover mode, the BA609 flew around the pattern at Arlington Municipal Airport at a top speed of 86 knots with 75-degree forward tilt on the outboard nacelles. Bell/Agusta Chief Test Pilot Roy Hopkins and Pietro Venanzi were at the controls. The aircraft hovered forwards, sideways and backwards demonstrating excellent handling qualities.
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Two world-leading MRO providers, Lufthansa Technik and Air France Industries, announced the signing of a contract concerning the launch of Spairliners GmbH, a 50/50 joint venture between Lufthansa Technik and Air France. In addition to component support for the 25 A380 ordered to date by Air France and Lufthansa, Spairliners will be offering a full spectrum of support services for components to all A380 operators worldwide from the very first day of operations. Spairliners will offer a comprehensive range of services including overhaul, repair, management of the spare parts pool and the related logistics. Spairliners will acquire and manage its own pool of A380 components providing a guarantee for component availability at optimal costs. It will help not only small fleets but also big A380 fleet segments of airline majors to benefit from substantial economies of scale through its integrated component support and permanent access to the spares inventory. Usually savings on a scale like that can only be achieved on large fleets operating a single type of aircraft. The advantage of Spairliners is to enable A380 operators, even if they operate only a very small number of aircraft, to benefit from the tailored costs and mission-critical guaranteed spares availability that is essential when operating an aircraft of this size and complexity. One-stop-shop services will substantially reduce the administrative load of component provision at the main base and outstations.
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Based in British Columbia, Kelowna Flightcraft Ltd. (KFL), part of the Kelowna Flightcraft aviation group, has placed firm orders with manufacturer Grob Aerospace for nine aircraft of type G 120A and has taken options on another three. The aircraft are to be used by the No. 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School (CFFTS) at Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, for screening and primary flight instruction of student pilots in the new project Contracted Flying Training and Support (CFTS) intended to further optimize flight training in the Canadian Air Force. The Canadian government´s award to Kelowna of a 22-year contract plus the order for the G 120As for primary flight training are the result of a rigorous selection process. The Allied Wings Consortium, led by Kelowna and consisting of other partners in addition to Kelowna, will provide all elementary flight instruction at No. 3 CFFTS school - including multi-engine and helicopter training for Canadian Air Force pilots. The first of the nine aircraft are to be delivered by Grob this year. With the G 120A, Kelowna will have a trainer with excellent flight characteristics, whose construction of carbon-fiber composites endows it with a minimum service life of 15,000 flight hours, unmatched in the aerobatic envelope. This plus its high aerodynamic quality make the aircraft the most modern and most economical in its class.
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Goodrich and Southwest Airlines recently achieved a milestone in the companies' 30 years of working together. Goodrich's Aviation Technical Services facility, located in Everett, Washington, has performed heavy maintenance services and redelivered the 1,000th Southwest Boeing 737. "After 30 years of providing us with a critical component of the care of our fleet, heavy maintenance services, Goodrich has established itself as an extension of our team. The foundation of understanding that Goodrich technicians have of our work programs and philosophies is on par with our very own employees," said Jim Sokol, Southwest Airlines' Vice President of Maintenance and Engineering. "From day one, Goodrich has proven to be a great listener. Goodrich employees truly understand our needs and we've been fortunate to be able to grow and become successful together," he continued.
Eric Schulz, President of Goodrich Aviation Technical Services stated, "We are delighted to be so closely associated with Southwest Airlines and to be considered part of what makes them the successful airline that they are. They're true leaders in the passenger air transport industry. Redelivering the 1,000th aircraft is really just the beginning of this long-term relationship. We look forward to working together for another 1,000 aircraft redeliveries."
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NASA has announced the second mission in its New Frontiers Program: a mission - called Juno to fly to Jupiter - that now will proceed to a preliminary design phase. At the end of the preliminary design study, the mission must pass a confirmation review that will address schedule, technical and cost risks before being confirmed for the development phase. Dr. Scott Bolton of Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Tx, is the Principal Investigator. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., will provide mission project management. Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] Space Systems in Denver will build the spacecraft. "We're enormously pleased to be working with the Southwest Research Institute and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to move this mission forward from the drawing board to the outer solar system," said Jim Crocker, vice president of Civil Space at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. Juno will be the first solar-powered mission to Jupiter. Its seven science instruments are designed to unlock secrets of solar system formation. A nominal mission will place the Juno spacecraft in a polar orbit around the giant planet for one year. As it orbits from pole to pole on a unique path designed to avoid most of Jupiter's harsh radiation, Jupiter will rotate beneath, allowing the science instruments to produce full-planet maps of gravity, magnetic fields and atmospheric water content as well as studying Jupiter's auroral particles and fields.
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Boeing received an $81 million contract for its second full-rate production contract of 401 Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing Systems. First used in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the JHMCS displays flight and targeting information on a helmet visor, allowing pilots to lock-on and attack air-to-air and air-to-ground targets simply by looking at the targets. This capability enables pilots to launch weapons much more quickly, thereby significantly increasing both their effectiveness and survivability. Boeing will deliver the JHMCS to the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard for use by F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots, to the U.S. Navy for use by F/A-18 Hornet pilots, and to six international air forces. JHMCS also displays aircraft altitude, airspeed, g's and angle of attack on the visor, as well as tactical information, to increase the pilot's awareness of the state of his aircraft and the combat situation.
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Sikorsky announced that it has been awarded a Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) contract valued at $245.4 million to manufacture and deliver 22 new UH-60M BLACK HAWK advanced utility helicopters to the U.S. Army. The contract also contains option provisions for up to eight additional UH-60M helicopters. The contract follows the Pentagon's Defense Acquisition Board decision earlier this year authorizing the UH-60M to enter LRIP, which is the final phase in a defense procurement program before a full-rate production decision is made. First deliveries under the contract are set to begin in July 2006 to support the September 2006 start of Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (OPEVAL). A full-rate production decision to authorize more than 1,200 UH-60M aircraft is scheduled for 2007. The Army plans to equip a combat unit with the UH-60M in early 2008.
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EADS Defence Electronics has successfully conducted first test flights with its missile warning system MILDS on a Royal Danish Airforce F-16 at RDAF airfield Aalborg. MILDS is an advanced, sensor system which detects and tracks the UV emissions of approaching missiles including the most prevalent threat of heat seeking shoulder launched missiles. As reported by EADS on Friday, the purpose of the flight test campaign was to collect valuable reference data of the MILDS operating in the combat aircraft environment for its software adaptation. Furthermore, the aim was to qualify TERMA's testbed-pod, which is housing the MILDS system for the trials. The missions (4 flights with more than 6 flight hours in total) included several supersonic parts as well as high altitude flights and both the pod and the MILDS system proved to withstand the environment. Sensor data were successfully recorded in various scenarios including afterburner operation, missile firings and flares ejection both from own-ship and wingman aircraft. The MILDS system presently undergoes an adaptation to meet specific requirements in a fighter environment. Operation of a missile warner on a combat jet superimposes specific stress to the equipment (temperature, vibration, g-load, shock etc.), typical speeds flown are much higher and space available for physical airframe integration is much less than on helicopters or wide body aircraft. The flight test results proved that the established adaptation path is on the right track. They also provided the engineers from EADS and DDRE (Danish Defence Research Establishment) with sufficient data to finalize specifications and to set up test criteria for the initial flight trials planned for mid 2006.
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Honeywell announced that its 13-inch autonomous surveillance aircraft successfully completed its first untethered free flight at the MANTIC test facility near Laguna, New Mexico. “The first untethered flight of Honeywell's Micro Air Vehicle is a major milestone in the completion of test flights before delivery to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and U.S. Army,” said Vaughn Fulton, Honeywell Unmanned Aerial Systems Program Manager. “The air vehicle performed as planned, executing a fully autonomous takeoff, waypoint translations and landing.” The MAV is small enough for a foot soldier to carry on his back and is equipped with forward- and downward-looking video cameras that relay information to a remote ground station video terminal. The camera suite can be configured with either electro-optical cameras for daylight operations, or infrared cameras for night time operations. The air vehicle is designed to provide soldiers with improved situational awareness without exposing them to enemy fire. The vehicles can be used for reconnaissance, security and target acquisition in open, rolling, complex and urban terrain.
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A "quick reaction" space optical payload with the potential to spot hidden targets is in development by Raytheon under terms of a $14-million contract awarded by the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicle Directorate. The ARTEMIS (Advanced Responsive Tactically Effective Military Imaging Spectrometer) program calls for Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems (SAS) to design and build a payload known as a hyper-spectral imaging sensor within 15 months as part of a rapid development experiment. "The intent of the program is to help demonstrate the feasibility of the 'responsive-space' concept," said Dave Shingledecker, vice president for Strategic Systems. "Satellites would be launched on demand when needed, versus the current practice of maintaining an expensive fleet of long-life satellites in orbit."
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Warrior (Aero-Marine) Limited, the UK company that has developed and patented radical new seaplane technology using original slender hull forms, announces today that it is entering the UAV market. It has built a prototype water-capable UAV under contract to UK company Global Observatory Ltd., and first flight took place on May 15. This vehicle utilises most of the technical attributes that Warrior has developed in recent years for its Centaur 6 six-seat amphibious aircraft. Construction of this first prototype is taking place at Warrior's facility at Sanford, Maine, USA. Warrior believes that its designs offer fundamental performance, wave-handling and docility advantages over existing seaplanes and provide the basis for adaptable UAV platforms with important new capabilities over other UAVs. Warrior's UAVs are scaleable and applicable to a wide range of operations.
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The governments of the United States of America and the French Republic have agreed to establish a Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) site for NASA's Space Shuttle at Istres Air Base 125, in the South of France. The agreement was signed in Washington today by NASA Administrator Michael Griffin and the Ambassador of France, His Excellency Jean-David Levitte. The agreement covers Space Shuttle missions supporting the International Space Station. It provides for landing at the French Air Force base for a Shuttle that encounters an emergency during launch. The TAL sites could be used if a Shuttle is unable to reach orbit or a landing site in the U.S. This agreement permits the U.S. government to place equipment and personnel at the base in advance of Space Shuttle missions; to perform weather monitoring; to ensure NASA navigational facilities and landing aids are operational; to provide search and rescue capability and medical evacuation support.
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NASA's Science Mission Directorate has selected 23 projects that will harness Earth science data to improve decision-making processes. NASA will contribute approximately $22 million over the three-year life of these projects with national organizations that include water management, public health, air quality, ecosystem stewardship and disaster management. "These projects were chosen for their leadership in the use of Earth science observation and model predictions," said NASA's Deputy Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, Dr. Ghassem Asrar. "Also a key factor in the selection process was the initiative shown in putting together partnerships with public, private and academic organizations," he added. Peer panels and NASA program managers reviewed 172 proposals for their merit, cost, and relevance to NASA goals, objectives and cost. The principal investigators from the 23 projects come from: Alabama, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Dakota, Virginia and Washington. The projects include participants from 22 states and more than 59 organizations.
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Following in-depth analyses performed after the deployment of the first MARSIS antenna boom on board Mars Express, ESA has decided to proceed with the deployment of the second 20-metre antenna boom. The full operation will be performed during a time frame starting 13 June and nominally ending on 21 June. A delay in the execution of the second boom deployment was necessary, due to problems encountered with the first deployment in early May this year. During the deployment, one of the antenna hinges (the tenth) got stuck in an unlocked position. Analysis of data obtained from earlier ground testing suggested a potential solution. The Mars Express spacecraft control team at ESA's Spacecraft Operations Centre (ESOC) succeeded in unblocking the hinge by exposing the cold side of the boom to the Sun. This warmed the hinges and the boom quickly became unstuck. In the end, the first boom deployment was completed on 10 May.
The lessons learnt during the first boom deployment were used to run new simulations and determine a new deployment scenario for the second boom. This scenario contains an additional sun-heating phase, to get the best possible thermal conditions for all hinges.
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EADS SPACE Services has signed a framework agreement (ASTEL-S convention) with the French Ministry of Defence to provide satellite telecommunications services. EADS SPACE Services will provide the French armed forces with satellite telecommunications services in both civilian Ku (between Europe and external theatres of operations), and C bands and military band (SHF), for a renewable period of two years. The applications focus on land-based, naval and airborne activities and the coverage of world-wide services (video-conferencing, Internet, data exchange). For the ASTEL-S contract, EADS SPACE Services working jointly with London Satellite Exchange Ltd, whose operational base is in Toulouse. In order to meet the different requirements of the Ministry of Defense, EADS SPACE Services has reached agreements with the largest commercial satellite operators and with its British subsidiary, Paradigm Secure Communications, which already provides military telecommunications services to the United Kingdom Government.
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On June 7, United launched new daily nonstop service between Chicago O'Hare International Airport and Munich, Germany, expanding customer options to this exciting European gateway. The new service is in addition to United's existing daily Washington Dulles-Munich service. It also complements the Chicago-Munich codeshare flight and Washington Dulles-Munich service operated by Star Alliance partner Lufthansa. "Expanding our service to Munich gives customers another excellent flight option to one of Germany's main business centers and top tourist destinations and an additional convenient nonstop option to Europe. It also further strengthens our alliance network with Lufthansa, which offers connections from Munich to 35 cities within Europe," said Graham Atkinson, senior vice president-Worldwide Sales and Alliances. "From a business perspective, the new service supports our strategy to increase international service where yields are strongest."
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Air Berlin extends its service at Amsterdam-Schiphol airport. From autumn the second largest German airline will connect the airport daily with Palma de Majorca. Dutch guests can there use the Air Berlin hub facilities and fly to other destinations on the Spanish mainland (among them Seville, Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Valencia, Alicante) and to Portugal (Lisbon, Porto). Start time of the Euro Shuttle is in Schiphol at 6:55 o'clock, arrival at Majorca at 9:20 o'clock. A second daily connection between Berlin-Tegel and Amsterdam is likewise new. The evening flight makes the offer of Air Berlin now even more interesting for business travelers. The flight schedule with the new connections from Amsterdam allows it for Air Berlin to station a Boeing 737-800 in Schiphol. In the morning the jet is used from Amsterdam and it comes back after several flights 21:45 o'clock.
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Boeing sees a $2.1 trillion market for new commercial airplanes during the next 20 years. Market demands will more than double the world's commercial airplane fleet by 2024 and accommodate a forecasted 4.8% annual increase in passenger traffic growth. The company released its 2005 Current Market Outlook in London. The report is considered the most comprehensive and well-respected analysis of the commercial aviation market. "The long-term demand for new airplanes is going to remain very strong over the next 20 years," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes Vice President of Marketing Randy Baseler. "People will continue to desire traveling where they want to go, when they want to go. And that's reflected in the number and types of airplanes we see in our forecast." In terms of delivery dollars, the largest market is projected to be the Asia-Pacific region, with 36% of the $2.1 trillion total. Boeing projects a need for approximately 25,700 new commercial airplanes (passenger and freighter) during the next 20 years, more than 80% of which will be in the single-aisle and mid-size twin-aisle categories. This compares with last year's projection of a 25,000 commercial airplane market, worth $2.0 trillion. Over the next 20 years, airlines will take delivery of approximately: 3,900 regional jets; 15,300 single-aisle airplanes
5,600 mid-size twin-aisle airplanes; 900 airplanes 747-size or larger (approx. 450 airplanes in the 400-500 seats range and approx. 450 airplanes of 500 seats and above). These deliveries will result in a world fleet of more than 35,000 airplanes. "Single-aisle airplanes will dominate the market in the next 20 years because they allow airlines to offer more frequencies and increased nonstops in domestic service and short-haul international flights," Baseler said.
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On Tuesday in the VAB, Discovery was mated with a new External Tank (ET-121). Final closeouts and integration tests are being performed. Discovery is scheduled to begin the four-mile journey to Launch Pad 39B at 3 a.m. EDT, June 14. After several weeks of data evaluation from two previous tanking tests, program managers decided not to do another one prior to Discovery's launch. They reviewed data from two previous tests on ET-120, Discovery's original tank. One major change to Discovery's new ET is the addition of a heater on the feedline bellows to prevent ice forming during fueling and launch. The bellows is a joint on the outside of the tank, not insulated with foam, to allow expansion, contraction and movement during fueling of super-cold liquid oxygen before launch. The line feeds oxygen to the Shuttle main engines at start-up and throughout the 8.5 minute climb to orbit. Another change to the ET is in the hydrogen diffuser. A diffuser is a fabricated tube, which consists of a core and screen assembly. It diverts the flow into radial jets that are dispersed by the wire screen. There are two diffusers per ET at the top of the hydrogen and oxygen tanks. Discovery's new ET uses a certified plain, two wire weave. ET-120 had a tighter woven mesh than was expected. The data review showed the out-of-specification diffuser may have been the contributing cause of a liquid hydrogen pressurization problem. A vent valve cycled 13 times during the tanking tests, versus the standard eight to nine times. The valve opens and closes to ensure the liquid hydrogen stays at the correct pressure in the final two minutes prior to launch. Discovery's new ET originally was planned to fly with Atlantis on the second Return to Flight mission, STS-121. A decision will be made next week as to which External Tank, ET-120 or 119, will be used for STS-121.
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BAE Systems hascompleted the first flight test of the Boeing CH-47 Chinook Digital Advanced Flight Control System (DAFCS). This first flight represents a significant milestone in the Chinook program. “Achieving first flight in just over a year after contract award is a credit to the Boeing and BAE Systems teams, and will ultimately benefit the warfighter by bringing the modernized airplane to the field quickly,” said Jack Dougherty, director of Boeing Chinook Programs. The DAFCS replaces a legacy flight control system on CH-47D helicopters as Boeing upgrades 300 of those aircraft to the F-model standard under contract to the U.S. Army. Its digital design provides significantly greater reliability, maintainability, and flexibility than the existing analog control. The system also incorporates a built-in diagnostic system for detecting and analyzing system failures and faults.
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Continental Airlines inaugurated daily nonstop service from its New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport to Hamburg, Germany. This is the only scheduled nonstop trans-Atlantic service from this German city. "This service represents a great opportunity, both for Continental and for trans-Atlantic travelers from the Hamburg region," said Jim Summerford, Continental's vice president Europe, Middle East and Asia. "They can now take advantage of award-winning service on nonstop flights from their local airport." This new route is the fourth of six trans-Atlantic flights that are being added by Continental Airlines this year. Continental Airlines added daily nonstop service from New York/Newark to Bristol on May 19; to Belfast on May 26 and to Stockholm on June 2. The two remaining trans-Atlantic flights that will be added from New York/Newark this year will be Berlin on June 30 and Delhi on November 1.
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A new compact airborne early warning & control (CAEW&C) system installed on Gulfstream's G-550 business jet has been developed by Israel Aircraft Industries' Elta Systems Group (IAI /Elta). A G-550 CAEW&C aircraft has been ordered by the Israel Air Force. The aircraft utilizes technologies Elta successfully developed for other airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft. The business jet configuration provides a low-cost option while offering the full range of systems of larger AEW aircraft. Elta's CAEW&C systems include phased array radar, phased array IFF (Identification of Friend or Foe), Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) and a Communication system. The communication system includes also a data link and a Satellite Communication (SATCOM) system for secure high-speed links to ground stations. A unique fusion technique cross-correlates data from all the CAEW&C sensors, allowing the aircraft to automatically search for specific targets. Data and reports can be integrated in a network centric system.
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Embraer announced that the 100-seat EMBRAER 190 airliner has completed 5,000 flight cycles in its fatigue test campaign, an important step to the aircraft's certification. Completion of the 5,000 flight cycles is the minimum required to support the beginning of commercial aircraft operation. The last structural certification campaign targets, including fatigue and static test goals, were achieved on schedule and guarantee full compliance with all applicable type certification requirements. Full-scale fatigue and static tests serve to show how the EMBRAER 190's structure behaves under normal and limit load conditions. In particular, the static test has demonstrated the aircraft structure can withstand maximum load conditions. Completion of the minimum required 5,000 flight cycles in the fatigue campaign is a milestone in the overall EMBRAER 190 certification effort, which is scheduled to be concluded in the third quarter of 2005. Certification will pave the way for deliveries to begin to launch-customer JetBlue in the United States. JetBlue ordered 100 EMBRAER 190s and has options for another 100 aircraft of the same model.
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Eos, the first premium airline serving transatlantic business travelers, announced plans to launch round-trip service from New York to London in Q3 of this year. Eos, named for the "Greek goddess of the dawn," has secured $185 million in financing and has assembled a proven management team to lead the company. The company is proceeding with the necessary regulatory filings with the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation. Eos brings an innovative and specialized approach to transatlantic service, transforming the flight environment from a multi-class airplane with more than 200 seats into a premium, tailored space that provides superior customer attention for 48 business travelers. The airline has taken possession of its first three 757 aircraft, which are being outfitted and customized to reflect what customers want: the feel of private transportation and a community of like-minded travelers. Designed with a clear focus on today's business traveler, Eos' single, premium class service will give the customer 21 square feet of personal space. David Spurlock, a former senior executive of British Airways, is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Eos. He leads a management team with an unprecedented amount of experience in customer service and airline operations for a start-up airline.
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Bombardier Aerospace announced that Jeju Air of South Korea has placed a firm order for five 74-seat Bombardier Q400 airliners and taken options on three additional aircraft. Jeju Air is Bombardier Aerospace's first South Korean regional airline customer. The firm order contract is valued at approximately $120 million US and could rise to $196 million US if the options are converted to firm orders. Jeju Air was formed in January, 2005 by the Aekyung Group and the Jeju Provincial Government to provide low-fare air services between Jeju Island, a popular vacation destination, and the South Korean mainland. Jeju Air has indicated that it will initially link Jeju Island with Seoul-Gimpo, Busan, Daegu and Cheongju. The airline plans to begin operations in time for the peak summer travel season in 2006.
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The first Boeing 767 airplane for the Japan Tanker Program arrived in Wichita on June 8 for conversion into a KC-767 tanker, the world's most advanced aerial refueling tanker. The Japan Defense Agency (JDA) ordered the tanker to meet the aerial refueling and troop transport needs of the Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF). The KC-767 was selected over its competitor, the Airbus A310, in direct competition in 2001. The first Japan KC-767J is scheduled for delivery in December 2006. The Japan KC-767J tanker is a military derivative of the proven 767-200ER commercial airplane. It will be configured with the advanced Boeing air refueling boom and an advanced Remote Aerial Refueling Operator II system. The JDA also selected the convertible freighter configuration for its tanker, providing flexibility to carry either cargo or passengers, while maintaining its primary role as an aerial tanker.
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Boeing said that Michelin will be the second source for aftermarket nose and main tires for the all-new Boeing 787 Dreamliner passenger airplane. Michelin will offer a combination of traditional radial construction tires and new lightweight Near Zero Growth (NZG) construction tires. NZG construction offers increased resistance to cuts and wear. The 787 will have 10 tires; two for the nose landing gear and eight for the main landing gear.
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NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston has exercised two contract options with Boeing for continued work on the U.S. segment of the International Space Station. The options are valued at $316 million. The options were exercised on the International Space Station Program United States On-Orbit Segment (USOS) Acceptance and Vehicle Sustaining Engineering Contract. The contract value for option No. 1 is approximately $158 million and the value for Option No. 2 is approximately $159 million; increasing the total contract value to $12.6 billion and extending the period of performance by an additional year to Sept. 30, 2007.
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After almost 4 years into the 14 year long Gripen offset program, Gripen International is proud to confirm that another 485 MSEK (52 MEUR) of the offset obligation has been approved making the total value 3 350 MSEK (360 MEUR). The claim has now been registered with the Hungarian Ministry of Economy and Transport, making this the fifth claim to be approved by the Ministry. Offset agreements are a common form co-operation between countries, an excellent way of establishing contacts and a network between the two countries' industries and companies. When the first contract between Hungary and Sweden was signed in 2001, covering the lease of 14 Gripen aircraft, an associated Offset Agreement was concluded between Gripen International and the Government of Hungary under which Gripen International assumes the commitment to undertake certain activities to offset the aircraft lease.
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With more than 95 percent of their development complete, the five aircraft of the 84 percent identical AH-1Z and UH-1Y helicopters currently in flight test marked their 3,000th flight hour June 1 during weapons accuracy testing in Yuma, Ariz. Marine Corps test pilots Maj. Vic Argobright and Capt. Mark Angersbach of the H-1 Integrated Test Team flew through the milestone on their way to the range in AH-1Z #2. Nearly simultaneously, and on the other side of the country, other members of the team were conducting a firing loads survey with one of the UH-1Y test aircraft here, as well as getting ready for the operational evaluation of the aircraft - the formal acceptance trial by Marine Corps operational pilots and aircrew.
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A flight control system problem caused an F/A-22 Raptor to crash on the runway at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., on Dec. 20, according to an Air Force report released June 8. The pilot ejected and sustained minor injuries. The $133.3-million aircraft, assigned to the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron at Nellis, was destroyed when it crashed. Additional damage was limited to an arresting cable, runway guide sign, runway light and the runway itself. The flight control system malfunction was caused by a brief power interruption to the aircraft's three rate sensor assemblies, which caused them to fail. The assemblies measure angular acceleration in all three axes: pitch, roll and yaw. With three failed assemblies, the F/A-22 is not able to fly, investigators said. When the pilot shut down engines for maintenance servicing, he left the auxiliary power unit running. Based on technical order guidance, he believed the power unit would supply continuous power to the flight control system. However, there was a less-than-one second power interruption to the assemblies during engine shutdown. There is no automatic warning of this condition. To discover it, the pilot would have had performed a diagnostic test. The pilot accomplished a successful test before engine shutdown, and because the power unit was on, he believed a second test was unnecessary.
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Northstar Aerospace announced that The Boeing Company has agreed to provide it with U.S. $500,000 in funding to continue developing a new gear solution for an innovative transmission technology expected to be used in the AH-64 Apache multi-role combat helicopter. The funding will be used for Northstar's manufacturing, tooling and vendor development for the application of Face Gear technology. The program is the first application of this innovative technology. The funding secures up to five development positions at Northstar's Milton, Ontario facility.
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The Military Transport Aircraft division of the company EADS, in the name of Airbus Military, has selected Indra to develop the electronic defence systems which will protect the European cargo plane A400M. The Spanish company has been chosen out of an international contest framework, where the main electronic and defence sector groups participated, and competed in the final stage against the proposal presented by the French group Thales. Indra has signed the first contract for the sum of EUR 49.5 million to implement the electronic defence systems in the first 85 A400M planes, whose delivery will begin in 2009. The systems, based on Indra's own technology, allow the planes to detect and neutralise enemy radars.
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Saab has given notice to the County Employment Board in Östergötland regarding 350 blue-collar employees at the Saab Aerostructures, Saab Aerosystems, Saab Aircraft and Saab Support business units in Linköping. The notice encompasses four business units, but to varying extents. Overcapacity is clearly highest within Saab Aerostructures, although other units may also be affected. The move relates to 2005 and 2006. Saab has taken various measures to minimize the notices as far as possible, including a number of individual agreements to leave the company voluntarily. The reason for the action is a decrease in work. Development and production of the JAS 39 Gripen, one of Sweden's largest industry projects of all time, has entered a new phase. Production for export continues but still below today's capacity. Saab has been forced to suspend over 1,000 people in 2003 and 2004. Including this latest move, notice has been given to 760 people in 2005. A further 1,000 to 1,500 people in Saab AB are likely to be affected in 2005 and 2006.
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On June 6, 2005 the Austrian Airlines Group in cooperation with EgyptAir started a new scheduled service from Alexandria directly to Vienna. The flights are operated four times a week – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday – starting early in the morning at 03.45 hrs, arriving at Vienna 06.15 hrs. The return flights leave Vienna every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday at 22.40 hrs and arrive the next day at 02.55 hrs in Alexandria. This timetable offers not only a smooth non-stop flight to Austria and Egypt but via the Vienna International Airport, Cairo and Alexandria International Airports numerous connections to all of Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, Africa, Middle and Far East as well as to Austrian and Egyptian domestic airports. All services are operated on code share basis with EgyptAir.
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Canadian space companies and their industry partners from Finland have been selected to develop four remote-sensing projects through a unique international partnership that will promote the commercial potential of satellite products and services for both Canada and Finland. The Earth observation projects will be developed through a Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and National Technology Agency of Finland (Tekes) Memorandum of Understanding. Signed in 2003, the agreement facilitates cooperation in satellite remote sensing, helping consolidate space-based technological and economic development opportunities between the two nations. "This novel scientific and commercial collaboration will help both Canada and Finland better understand and monitor our shared northern environment, while fostering sustainable development and enhancing disaster monitoring and ice surveillance for marine navigation," said CSA President Marc Garneau. The projects were chosen through the CSA's Earth Observation Applications Development Program (EOADP) in coordination with the Tekes' Business Opportunities from Space Technology Program (AVALI) of Finland. The projects will use Earth observation data from one or a combination of images from Canada's RADARSAT or Europe's ENVISAT, ERS-1 and ERS-2 satellites as the significant data source for the development of applications to support sustainable development, disaster mitigation and navigation of vessels in the dangerous icy waters of the north.
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