All aerospace news – Page 1773
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More delays expected on ISS
Tim Furniss/LONDON NASA is expected to announce further delays to the International Space Station (ISS) assembly schedule. The STS101 Atlantis mission to the ISS, which was due in December, is likely to be delayed until next year, and the major Shuttle assembly mission 3A is expected to be pushed ...
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Hughes wins contract for two more Astra satellites
Satellite television and radio service provider Société Européenne des Satellites (SES) has contracted Hughes Space and Communications to build the Astra 2C and 2D communications satellites to help meet the growing demand for digital services. The new satellites will operate from 28.2°E in geostationary orbit, primarily serving the UK ...
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NASA and Orbital revamp X-34 testing plans to reduce risk
NASA and Orbital Sciences have revised the test programme for the X-34 reusable launch vehicle technology demonstrator to reduce risk. The first airframe, vehicle A-1, will be upgraded for unpowered flight tests from Orbital's Lockheed L-1011 carrier aircraft. The vehicle has completed one captive flight on the L-1011, and ...
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Kamov is key to merger moves
Russian rotorcraft specialist Kamov is to form the basis of an integrated helicopter company, with its design bureau combined with production plants at Kumertau and Arsenyev, in accordance with a government directive. The move is likely to mean the demise of Kamov's alliance with VPK MAPO. The Kumertau factory produces ...
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Comsat shareholders give thumbs up to merger
Shareholders in US satellite communications service provider Comsat have approved its proposed merger with Lockheed Martin, removing one barrier to the complex deal. Regulatory approval and legislation are still needed before the merger can go ahead, but the move has been helped by a recent US Senate vote to deregulate ...
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Shuttle may salvage Orion 3
Tim Furniss/LONDON Hughes Space and Communications and NASA are discussing a possible Space Shuttle mission in 2001 to capture the stranded Loral Skynet Orion 3 communications satellite. The craft was left in the wrong orbit by a failed Delta III launch in May. The mission, which will resemble that ...
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US Airways Express seeks up to 400 small regional jets
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC US Airways Express has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for up to 100 small regional jets and options for up to 300 larger aircraft for its subsidiary and affiliate regional operators. The RFP specifies a firm requirement for an initial 100 regional jets seating ...
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In the works
Tailless fighters, reusable space vehicles, blended wing body transports and hypersonic strike missiles are just some of the technologies on the drawing board at Boeing's Phantom Works Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Boeing's Phantom Works appears increasingly aptly named as it becomes a "virtual" organisation linking the aerospace giant's advanced development centres. ...
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Taiwan institute redesigns ARL-1 as 19-seat utility aircraft
Andrzej Jeziorski/TAIPEI Taiwan's Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST)has redesigned the five-year-old ARL-1 twin turboprop aircraft concept as a 19-seat utility after seeing the results of market research. The ARL-1 began life as a six- to nine-seat concept designed by the Aeronautical Research Laboratory of the former ...
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Arianespace keeps commercial lead
Tim Furniss/LONDON Arianespace is maintaining its lead in the commercial launcher market with contracts to launch three more satellites, bringing to 43 the number of satellites on its orderbook, worth $3.5 billion. The contracts push Arianespace's satellite launch orders past 200 since it was created in 1980. The ...
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Cassini has close encounter with earth
The NASA Cassini spacecraft flew 1,171km (730 miles) over the South Pacific Ocean on 17 August, picking up 5.5km/s of speed in the third of four planned fly-bys to place the craft en route to its rendezvous with Saturn in July 2004. Two Venus fly-bys have been completed and a ...
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SpaceDev offers low-cost flights
SpaceDev is offering commercial missions for small scientific and other types of payload to the moon and Mars for a fixed price of $20 million and $24 million, respectively. The company plans to offer the commercial Mars mission for launch in 2003. Meanwhile, Space Dev is continuing with plans ...
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Boeing launch brings Globalstar total to 36
Boeing launched a Delta II from Cape Canaveral on 17 August, carrying four more Globalstar satellites into orbit. This latest launch brings to 17 the number of spacecraft launched on Deltas in 68 days - a record number of launches in such a period. The 17 satellites were 16 ...
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OSC to build ozone monitoring spacecraft for NASA project
NASA has chosen Orbital Sciences (OSC) to build, launch and operate the QuikTOMS atmospheric ozone monitoring satellite. QuikTOMS will be integrated with the OSC-built Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) instrument. OSC has built five TOMS sensors for NASA, with the latest sensor launched aboard a US Earth Probe satellite ...
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Wiring worry delays Shuttle mission
NASA has delayed the STS 99/Endeavour Shuttle Topography Radar Mission from 16 September to at least early October so that technicians can conduct a full inspection of the orbiter's cargo bay for damaged wiring. STS93/Columbia suffered a short circuit at T+5s on 23 July because of damage to a ...
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BA to axe 1,000 managers in bid to save profits
British Airways is to cut about 1,000 management jobs in a move it says is aimed at reducing costs to pay shareholder dividends. BA says it "will find additional savings of £225 million [$360 million] this year to deliver the profits that the City expects". Analysts had warned that ...
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Helicopter fractional is poised for launch
Kate Sarsfield/LONDON The first UK-based helicopter fractional ownership programme aimed at the European market is scheduled for launch on 1 September by helicopter sales and training company Skyhopper. The Marlow-based firm, which acquired Virgin Helicopters in August last year, will kick-start its helicopter "retained charter" programme simultaneously. "We were originally ...
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Fairchild could produce freighter version of 328JET
Paul Lewis/OBERPFAFFENHOFEN Fairchild Aerospace proposes to develop a freighter version of its new 328JET, while undertaking range performance improvements of the recently certificated regional aircraft. "There is a proposal for an all-cargo version of the 328JET," says Stanley Deal, Fairchild vice-president 228/328/428 series. He declines to identify the interested ...
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African nations to finance CNS/ATM system
Michael Wakabi/KAMPALA Twenty-one African countries are to invest jointly in a communications, navigation and surveillance/air traffic management (CNS/ATM) system to manage their upper airspace. A memorandum of commitment is expected to be endorsed by members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) in October, with ...
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Surge problems prompted P&W switch at CAL
Brent Hannon and Andrzej Jeziorski/TAIPEI Continuing surge problems with its Pratt & Whitney PW4056-powered aircraft contributed to China Airlines' (CAL) decision to choose General Electric as the engine supplier for its latest aircraft orders. "Engine surge is still a problem. We can live with it, but we are ...