U
P
D
A
T
E
Home | UPDATE | Latest Issue | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles

UPDATE 
Week ending November 28, 1999
+++ China launches, lands first unmanned spacecraft +++ ESA Cluster IIs completed +++ Cessna delivers 3000th Citation +++ Austrian Airlines traffic grows +++ Globalstar completes constellation +++ News in brief +++

China launches, lands first unmanned spacecraft
Erstes Raumfahrzeug der Chinesen im Orbit

China has taken a major step toward joining the United States and Russia in space, successfully testing an unmanned spacecraft that soon could carry the country's first astronauts into orbit. The craft touched down in the central Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in north China at 3:41 a.m. (Beijing time) on November 21, successfully concluding the first flight of the system. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the State Council and the Central Military Commission have sent a message of congratulations on this event. The space vehicle, named "Shenzhou" by President Jiang Zemin, was launched with a new model of "Long March" rocket at 6:30 a.m. (Beijing time) on Nov 20 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province. Ten minutes after takeoff, the spaceship detached itself from its launching vehicle and entered its preset orbit.
According to technical staff working at the launch site, the satellite launch center for the first time completed at its technological workshop the general assembly in a vertical way and tests of the combined body of the space aircraft and booster rockets. The center also transported the combined body of the space aircraft and booster rockets to the launching site vertically and used the technology of long-distance monitoring and control of the launching. China has built a new land-sea based space monitoring and control network which meets international standards and put it into operation in this first experimental launch. During the spacecraft's flight in orbit, it was traced, monitored and controlled by ground monitoring and controlling system and four surveying ships, named "Yuan Wang," stationed on the high seas. They successfully conducted a series of scientific experiments.

Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite


ESA Cluster IIs completed
Neue Cluster-Satelliten fertiggestellt

The European Space Agence presented its new Cluster II spacecraft at the test and integration facilities at IABG near Munich, Germany, on 24 November. This was the only occasion on which all four of ESA's Cluster II spacecraft will be on display together in Europe. The unique event took place near the end of the lengthy assembly and test programme, during which each individual spacecraft is being assembled in sequence, one after the other. Two have already completed their assembly and systems testing and are about to be stored in special containers at IABG prior to shipment to the Baikonur launch site in Kazakhstan next spring. In the case of the other two, flight models 5 and 8, installation of the science payloads has finished, but their exhaustive series of environmental tests at IABG have yet to begin.
Following delivery to the launch site next April, the satellites will be launched in pairs in June and July 2000. Two Soyuz rockets, each with a newly designed Fregat upper stage, are being provided by the Russian-French Starsem company. This will be the first time ESA satellites have been launched from the former Soviet Union. Cluster II is a replacement for the original Cluster mission, which was lost during the maiden launch of Ariane 5 in June 1996. ESA, given the mission's importance in its overall strategy in the area of the Sun-Earth connection, decided to rebuild this unique project. ESA member states supported that proposal. On 3 April 1997, the Agency's Science Programme Committee agreed. Cluster II was born.

Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite


Cessna delivers 3000th Citation
3000 Cessna-Geschäftsjet ausgeliefert

On November 19, Cessna achieved another industry-first as the keys to the 3,000th Citation business jet were presented to the proud new owner of Citation X serial number 96, by Cessna Chairman and CEO Russ Meyer. This record-setting delivery marks the end of a tremendous decade of growth for Cessna and the Citation business jet line. In 1990, 101 Citation business jets were manufactured and delivered by 5,000 Cessna employees, and in 1999 more than 220 Citations are expected to be delivered by Cessna's team of nearly 12,000employees.
Cessna launched a new era in business aviation when it introduced the original Citation at the 1968 National Business Aircraft Association Meeting. The new business jet was quieter, simpler, more capable of operating safely in and out of short fields, substantially more fuel efficient and much less expensive to own andoperate than any other business jet on the market or the drawing board. Four years later, in January 1972, Cessna delivered the first Citation. The Cessna Citation quickly became a leader in the business aviation market and the company continues to dramatically increase its leadership role through the announcement of new aircraft models. Cessna's Citation business aviation leadership spans 27 years and thirteen different aircraft models. Today Cessna offers the most comprehensive line of business jets in the industry, including: the most popular entry-level business jet, the Citation CJ1; the newly introduced Citation CJ2; the Bravo; the Encore; the Excel; the Citation VII; the all-new Sovereign; and the world's fastest business jet, the Citation X.

Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite


Austrian Airlines traffic grows
Ergebnisse für das dritte Quartal

The package of measures initiated in reaction to the slump in demand caused by the crises in Kosovo and Turkey, which comprised cost reductions of approximately ATS 400 million (EUR 29 million), is beginning to take effect and is already being reflected in the 3rd quarter result. The result from ordinary activities before income taxes for the first nine months of the year stood at ATS 540.9 million (EUR 39.3 million), after only ATS 140.8 million (EUR 10.2 million) for the first half-year of 1999. The result from ordinary activities before income taxes adjusted for income from disposals of assets was ATS 359.2 million (EUR 26.1 million), after only ATS 13.2 million (EUR 0.96 million) for the first six months of 1999.
In comparison with the corresponding period in 1998, passenger volumes for the scheduled and charter services of Austrian Airlines and its partners Lauda Air and Tyrolean Airways grew by 5.2 %, to 6,232,726 passengers carried. The positive trend is continuing, moreover, with advance bookings for the next four months currently showing growth rates in double figures. At ATS 16,125.6 million (EUR 1,171.9 million), operating performance for the first nine months of 1999 was ATS 585.6 million (EUR 42.6 million) or 3.8 % above the comparable figure for the previous year. Adjusted for income from aircraft sales, the operating performance for the reporting period exceeded that of the previous year by 5.1 %. Due to the significant falls in demand in the course of the conflict in Kosovo and the situation in Turkey in the first half-year of 1999, as well as an increase in fuel prices worldwide, cost reduction measures were introduced quickly and flexibly.

Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite


Globalstar completes constellation
Jetzt 48 Globalstars im Orbit

On November 24, Globalstar successfully launched an additional four low-earth-orbiting (LEO) satellites on a Soyuz rocket, bringing the total number of Globalstar satellites now in space to 48 and completing the planned constellation. A final launch of four spare satellites will take place in January 2000 on a Delta II rocket. The latest four Globalstar satellites, manufactured by prime contractor Space Systems/Loral, we re launched at 11:20 EST from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Soyuz-lkar launch vehicle. The satellites separated from the upper stage of the rocket at an altitude of 920 kilometers (571 miles) above the Earth. Flight engineers at Globalstar's ground control center in San Jose, Calif., subsequently acquired telemetry from the satellites using the six Globalstar command unit gateways located in Aussaguel, France; Yeoju, South Korea; Dubbo, Australia; Bosque Allegre, Argentina; Delareyville, South Africa; and Clifton, Texas. Globalstar engineering teams will raise these satellites to their operational altitude of 1,414 kilometers (877 miles) over the next several weeks. The Globalstar system is designed to provide affordable satellite-based digital voice services to a broad range of subscribers and users.

Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite


NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

The head of struggling Canadian Airlines said the airline's alliance partners were mulling whether to come up with a package to help it fend off a takeover bid from rival Air Canada. Canadian chief executive Kevin Benson said members of the Oneworld alliance now realized they faced being shut out of Canada's market forever and were considering whether to support his debt-ridden airline, Canada's second carrier. "They are big airlines - British Airways, American Airlines, some of the biggest in the world. There's always a chance. At this stage I can't tell you what that chance is,'' he told reporters. Asked whether Canadian might succeed in staying independent, he replied: "I'll tell you in a week or two.'' Earlier, Canadian appealed to shareholders for more time to assess Air Canada's takeover bid as well as its other options. It had previously been expected to make a recommendation regarding the C$2-a-share cash bid on Thursday. Analysts say one defensive option for Canadian could be a deal with AMR and other Oneworld airlines for a cash injection and restructuring aimed at making it more profitable.
+++
Last week the Argentinian Air Force announced that none of countries five air-traffic-control radar systems is certified as being fully Year 2000 compliant, although the one controlling 80 percent of traffic will be by mid-December. The Argentine Air Force - which handles air-traffic control in Argentina - had independently tested all five systems and found them ready to handle the Year 2000 date change, said Chief of Staff for Regional Air Command Horacio Orefice.
+++
Britain has said it may ban foreign airlines from flying into its air space at the end of the year unless they have solved the millennium bug problem. Transport minister Keith Hill said airline industry computers were close to being able to cope with the bug and contingency plans were in place. British airlines would not be prevented from flying abroad over the millennium. "The government will not - for Y2K reasons - try to prevent any UK airlines from flying to other regions,'' Hill said.
+++
Sweden has unveiled final plans to cut defence spending and build a more streamlined technology-rich military capable of meeting both domestic and foreign defence needs in the post-Cold-War era. Defence expenditure will be cut by four billion crowns ($475.4 million) a year for three years but a special budget of four billion crowns in total will be available to the defence forces in 2002 and 2003 to aid the restructuring. Despite the cuts no ongoing projects will be terminated. That means a vital Swedish Air Force order for 204 JAS 39 Gripen fighter planes will remain intact.
+++
British shipbuilders were celebrating a millennium jobs boost after the Ministry of Defence signed contracts to develop a new fleet of Royal Navy vessels. Among other things, two new aircraft carriers are to be built at a cost of around 2 billion to replace the ageing Invincible class of carriers now in service with the Royal Navy.
+++
The U.S. government has cleared British Aerospace and Britain's GEC-Marconi to complete their planned $12.7 billion merger on Nov. 30, but asked the companies satisfy conditions to preserve competition on major U.S.-U.K. programs to develop the Joint Strike Fighter and a new scout vehicle. "The Department of Defense today informed the Department of Justice that it has completed its review of the acquisition of GEC Marconi Electronic Systems by British Aerospace," DoD said in a statement. "An interim agreement reached among the parties is designed to ensure competition and innovation in two joint U.S./U.K. defense procurements and ultimately will be replaced by final undertakings in accordance with applicable United Kingdom legal procedures."
+++
Midwest Airlines, the new Egypt-based scheduled and charter carrier that is owned by the Lakah family, is to acquire two A320s and take options on two more, becoming a new customer and operator of the type. It will take delivery of the A320s in the second and third quarters of 2002. Midwest Airlines began charter operations with two A310-300s in June this year, linking Egyptian tourist sites with European cities. Current plans call for the A320s to be used on charter services, allowing the A310s to be reallocated to scheduled flights.
+++
On November 25 the XMM satellite was installed on the Flight 119/AR 504 launcher. This important step in the launch campaign began early in the morning when XMM was lifted by an overhead crane system in the Ariane 5 Final Assembly Building's satellite preparation area. The large spacecraft was then transferred into the adjacent integration hall, where it was installed on the cone-shaped interface unit atop Ariane 5's storable propellant upper stage. The hookup process is proceeding smoothly, according to Pierre-Francois Benaiteau, Arianespace's Launch Site Operations Manager for the Ariane 504/Flight 119 mission. With the Flight 119/AR 504 mission on schedule for a December 10 liftoff, Arianespace is moving ahead on planning the following Ariane 5 missions.
+++
On November 24, a second ocean-going cargo vessel was launched for the transport of Ariane 4 and Ariane 5 launcher elements between Europe and the launch site in Kourou, French Guiana. The new "Ro-Ro" (roll-on, roll-off) ship, named the MN Colibri, will join its sister vessel, MN Toucan, to provide the necessary transport capacity and trip frequency in support of Arianespace's increasing mission rate. The MN Colibri was launched at the Merwede shipyard (IHC Group) near Rotterdam, Netherlands. Owned by the Compagnie Nationale de Navigation, the vessel will be operated by a subsidiary, la Morbihannaise et Nantaise de Navigation (MN).
+++
British Aerospace has unveiled the world's most advanced anti-ballistic missile defence radar system. EWACS (Early Warning and Control System), which is an innovative application of its highly successful multi-function radar technology, meets the most demanding early warning needs of nations faced by increasingly potent threats from ballistic and air-breathing missiles. EWACS maintains a constant surveillance of the threatened horizon and rapidly detects ballistic missiles at launch distances well in excess of 1,500km automatically initiating and maintaining target tracking. It produces a highly resolved image of targets down to less than one metre in size at long ranges, facilitating identification of the threat and discrimination of the warhead. It is immune from enemy jamming and can track multiple threats simultaneously while maintaining full surveillance.
+++
On November 22, the Lockheed Martin Astronautics Atlas IIA rocket successfully launched the tenth and final Ultra High Frequency Follow- On (UHF F/O) communications satellite into intermediate transfer orbit this evening from Complex 36, Pad B. The on-time liftoff at 11:06 p.m. Eastern Standard Time was the beginning of a perfect mission for Atlas, which delivered the UHF F10 satellite to an intermediate transfer orbit in just under a half-hour. AC-136 was the fourth Atlas launch of 1999 from Cape Canaveral Air Station and the forty-fifth consecutive successful flight for Atlas. The Atlas II series of vehicles, including the II, IIA and IIAS, has achieved 100% mission success since the introduction of each. UHF F/O F10 incorporates a Global Broadcast Service payload, inaugurated on F8, to greatly enhance the communications capability of the satellite. The satellite will be used to meet the Navy's communications requirements, which range from intelligence dissemination to quality-of-life programming.
+++
Thierry Antinori (38) is taking over as Executive Vice President Sales at Lufthansa German Airlines, effective January 1 2000. He succeeds Stefan Pichler (42), who has been appointed Chairman of the C&N Touristic leisure group, also effective January 1 2000. Thierry Antinori was previously Lufthansa Area Manager West and Southern Europe in Paris. At his new post, Thierry Antinori will be supported by a Vice President Sales Germany responsible for overseeing and further developing the strategically important German market. Under the new Executive Vice President Sales, the latter will be responsible for the entire German organisation, encompassing regional sales, alliance sales Germany and sales channel management. The post will be held by Josef Bogdanski (45), latterly Area Manager Southeastern Europe, Africa and Middle East/Pakistan. Hans-Willi Blum (59), Regional Sales Manager Germany, will continue reporting as Expo 2000 Commissioner to the airline management board.
+++
Swissport International Ltd., the ground handling company of the SAirGroup, is to take over all the passenger and ramp handling activities of Aer Lingus at London's Heathrow Airport. The move, which follows the recent acquisition of DynAir and of equity holdings in Serlipsa of Peru and Miascor of the Philippines, along with the imminent commencement of its own ground handling services in Greece, marks a further step in Swissport's development into a global player in the ground handling market.
+++
The two C 160 Transall of the Luftwaffe which are operating from Darwin in Australia have now conducted 11 flights into East Timor to transfer sick and wounded to Australia. 63 persons were transported so far.
+++
Eurocontrol has said that the new 8.33 kHz channell spacing for airliners has been implemented without sigunifacant problems. As early as the first afternoon of the operation, difficulties and delays linked to the implementation had been significantly reduced, and today the situation has completely returned to normal. Less than five per cent of traffic has been identified as non-compliant.
+++

Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite


Previous updates are still available:
Die News der letzten Wochen sind weiter abrufbar:

*November 21, 1999 *November 14, 1999 *November 7, 1999

*October 31, 1999 *October 24, 1999 *October 17, 1999 *October 10, 1999 *October 3, 1999

*January to September 1999 *January to December 1998 *January to December 1997 *September to December 1996

Home | UPDATE | Latest Issue | Gallery | FR Profile | Datafiles
Copyright 1999 by Motor-Presse Stuttgart. All rights reserved.
Last updated November 27, 1999
FLUG REVUE, Ubierstr. 83, 53173 Bonn, Germany