All news – Page 6687
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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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First Grobs arrive for RAF training
German light aircraft manufacturer Grob has handed over the first four of 99 G-115E trainers to Bombardier Services, for air experience and elementary instruction for the UK Royal Air Force. Bombardier was selected in July last year to provide the RAF with 500h a year of light aircraft flying services.Source: ...
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JASSM test succeeds
Lockheed Martin successfully tested its AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM) on 12 August. The unpowered flight followed an unsuccessful trial in April, when an electrical problem caused the JASSM to plummet to earth without deploying its wings and tail. The stealth missile was dropped from 15,000ft (4,600m). Its ...
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US missile defence delayed again
The US Ballistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) has postponed for the second time the initial National Missile Defense (NMD) programme intercept test, saying it needs more preparation. Northrop Grumman launch tests of the canister that will contain the interceptor have been successful, however. In April, it was decided to ...
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Rafael to help build missile plant for Singapore
Israeli weapons specialist Rafael will help Singapore build a missile assembly plant as part of a deal to sell the country its Spike and NT-Danti-tank missiles. The Singapore army has selected the Spike while the air force is evaluating both missiles for use with its combat helicopters, including recently ...
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UAV suppliers line up for Sender
The UK Ministry of Defence has received responses from 36 companies interested in taking part in the assessment phase of its Sender unit-level, tactical unmanned air vehicle (UAV) requirement. The Sender will provide tactical reconnaissance and target acquisition at ranges up to 50km (90nm). The MoD expects to issue ...
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Thailand moves on with purchase of SeaSprite
Andrzej Jeziorski/TAIPEI Kaman Aerospace is expecting an initial contract from Thailand in the fourth quarter of this year to upgrade two ex-US Navy SH-2F SeaSprites to SH-2G standard, as the first stage of an eight-helicopter programme. "We know the money's in the budget - we just delivered the ...
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USN approves SLAM-ER
Boeing is set for a contract to build 30 AGM-84H SLAM-ER stand- off missiles worth $270 million, following US Navy approval of low-rate initial production. This follows a USN review of an operational test and evaluation report after recent tests. More trials will be completed by January, with a full-rate ...
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Cape Canaveral set to transform USAF pad
Cape Canaveral's US Air Force Pad 41 will be destroyed on 12 September to begin its transformation into the new commercial Lockheed Martin Atlas V launch pad. Pad 41 began service with a Titan 3C launch in December 1965. During more than 30 years of service, it dispatched Titan ...
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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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Pacific plunge
The Russian Space Agency says the Mir space station will be de-orbited in February/ March 2000 and will enter the atmosphere at 28,000km/h over the Chatham Islands, west of New Zealand, spilling tonnes of small fragments over an uninhabited area of the Pacific Ocean. Source: Flight International
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New fuel
NASA's Glenn Research Center has made the first step towards developing new rocket fuels that could revolutionise propulsion technology. Researchers immersed liquid hydrogen in liquid helium, forming tiny hydrogen ice particles, in studies designed to develop atomic fuels from the energy of the chemical recombination of atoms into molecules. Source: ...
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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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Bombardier searches for BRJ-X engine and steps up CRJ output
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Bombardier has formally initiated the competition to power the planned BRJ-X regional aircraft family with the release of a request for proposals (RFP). It will also increase production of the Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) Series 200 after another order from Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA). Montreal-based ...
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Thomson-CSF wins race for joint stake in Australia's ADI
Julian Moxon/PARIS France's Thomson-CSF has won a half share in Australian Defence Industries (ADI) after succeeding in a joint venture bid for 100% of the state-owned defence contractor. The Australian Government selected a bid from the French company and Australian infrastructure developer Transfield - together known as Transfield Thomson-CSF ...
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AIDC still aims for privatisation
Andrzej Jeziorski/TAIPEI State-owned Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) of Taiwan is to offer small stakes to potential investors in a bid to kick-start its privatisation, which it still hopes to complete this year. The company wants to sell up to 40% of its stock to a foreign strategic investor, ...
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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 ...