All news – Page 6708
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India urges industry to join launcher venture
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is seeking increased industry participation in its commercial launch vehicle programme. Following the successful first commercial launch of India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in May, ISRO wants the country's manufacturing industry to upgrade its role from that of supplying launch vehicle subsystems ...
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Liquid apogee engine testing completed
TRW has demonstrated an increased-efficiency liquid apogee (LAE) engine designed to increase the payload and extend the on-orbit life of geostationary communications satellites. The company has completed 25,000s of hot fire testing of a flight-like prototype of its TRS312, demonstrating a specific impulse (Isp) of 325s, 5-10s better than ...
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ESA aids in Bangladesh floods
The European Space Agency's (ESA) ERS earth observing satellites are assisting the Bangladeshi authorities in coping with floods in the region. A real-time data acquisition and processing system installed at Dhaka is providing near real-time flood information derived from data transmitted by radar imaging systems onboard ESA's ERS-1 and ERS-2 ...
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Columbia flies at third try
NASA successfully launched the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS93 on 23 July after its second launch attempt on 22 July was called off because of bad weather. The Columbia, with its Chandra X-ray Observatory payload, was originally due for launch on 20 July - the 30th anniversary of the ...
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NASA Messenger mission will map Mercury
NASA plans to return to Mercury, after an absence of more than 30 years, when its Messenger spacecraft reaches the innermost planet in 2008. The Messenger mission to map Mercury is one of two new projects selected for NASA's "quicker, cheaper" Discovery programme (Flight International, 21-27 July). The other ...
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USAF chips in for X-37 spaceplane
The US Air Force is to contribute $16 million to the NASA/Boeing X-37 experimental spaceplane programme as a follow-on to the USAF-funded X-40, to demonstrate technologies for future military spacecraft. The X-37 design is scaled up from the X-40, an unpowered vehicle built by Boeing and drop-tested from a helicopter ...
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Safair takes major stake in general aviation operators
South African lease and charter specialist Safair has acquired a major stake in general aviation operators National Airways (NAC) and Streamline Aviation from Lonrho for R31 million cash ($5 million). Safair parent Imperial Group, South Africa's leading road transport leasing company, will hold a 63% stake, with the remaining ...
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UK poised for NATS part privatisation
Partial privatisation of the UK's National Air Traffic Services (NATS) will be announced this week, according to sources close to the move. As Flight International went to press, details of the privatisation plan were expected to be confirmed by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott in parliament on 27 July, ...
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Mergers
Northrop Grumman has bought Ryan Aeronautical - a manufacturer of target drones and unmanned air vehicles - from Allegheny Teledyne for $140 million. The business will move its base to San Diego, California, and will be used to develop Northrop's unmanned technology programmes. Allegheny Teledyne has also completed the sale ...
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Airbus expects Asian order bonanza after recovery
Andrzej Jeziorski/SINGAPOREAirbus Industrie is predicting that Asia's airlines will order 4,300 passenger aircraft worth $450 billion over the next two decades as the Far East renews its economic growth. Adam Brown, Airbus vice-president, forecasting and strategic planning, says signs of recovery in the Asia-Pacific market will appear by the second ...
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Rybinsk Motors steps up production volumes
Russian engine manufacturer Rybinsk Motors has reported a 17.1% increase in production volumes for the first six months of this year, compared with the same period last year - although the aero-engine component of its work dropped by 3.7%. While the manufacturer's turnover for the half-year doubled to 1.3 ...
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BA CityFlyer takeover approved
Chris Jasper/LONDONBritish Airways has won UK Government approval for a £75 million ($117 million) takeover of its franchise carrier CityFlyer Express. The planned purchase had been referred to trade secretary Stephen Byers amid claims that it was anti-competitive in terms of its likely impact on control of slots at London ...
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SIA plans spending spree on shares
Singapore Airlines (SIA) is planning to spend up to S$1 billion ($586 million) on a share buy-back that may signal a departure from the carrier's strategy of directing its capital reserves towards airline purchases. Cash-rich SIA has in the past year pursued stakes in China Airlines, South African Airways, Thai ...
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Jetphone hangs up on airline market
Emma Kelly/LONDON In-flight telephone service provider Jetphone will cease operations on 31 December following a lack of demand by airline passengers for in-flight telephony. Jetphone is in discussions with its airline customers on service cessation, which will leave Europe without a terrestrial flight telecommunication system (TFTS) service provider following ...
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Skyshare names franchisees for US fractional programme
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON SkyShare International has announced the first franchisees for its US fractional ownership programme. Little Rock, Arkansas-based SkyShare describes the scheme as "the first national programme for locally managed fractional aircraft". The programme is aimed at fixed-base operators, aircraft management companies and charter operators that want to enter ...
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Singaporean purchase
Singapore is planning to equip its combat helicopters with the Rafael Spike and NT-D anti-tank missiles. The Singapore army has purchased the Spike and the air force is evaluating both missiles. The fibre-optic-guided Spike has a range of 4km (2.5 miles). The NT-D is a larger version of the Spike, ...
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Novair nears A330-200 lease deal to replace TriStars
Swedish charter airline Novair is finalising a deal with International Lease Finance for two Airbus A330-200s to replace its Lockheed L-1011 TriStars. The airline, a wholly owned subsidiary of Scandinavia's third largest tour operator, Apollo, has been negotiating for a new long- haul aircraft for several months as it ...
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Lockheed Martin pins hopes of recovery on aeronautics
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Lockheed Martin is counting on improvements in its aeronautics sector to boost its ailing financial performance. Chief financial officer Phil Duke says the C-130J is expected to be "very slightly profitable" by year-end, after the programme was re-baselined in June. This involved the company taking a ...
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GV reaches landmark as business rivalry hots up
Gulfstream Aerospace will deliver its 50th GV in August, as the growth in ultra-long range business aircraft accelerates, with rival products being fielded. Bombardier delivered the first Global Express in early July and the first Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) is expected to emerge from the completion centre in August. Gulfstream, ...
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Japan medical
MD Helicopters has delivered an air medical Explorer to Japanese distributor Tomen Aerospace for use by Aero Asahi, which will operate the helicopter for a hospital as part of a government-supported trial. Air Methods provided the interior for the helicopter. Colorado-based Air Methods believes the trial, the first air medical ...