All news – Page 6410

  • News

    SpaceDev offers low-cost flights

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    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 ...

  • News

    Boeing launch brings Globalstar total to 36

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    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 ...

  • News

    Pacific plunge

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    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

  • News

    New fuel

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    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: ...

  • News

    OSC to build ozone monitoring spacecraft for NASA project

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    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 ...

  • News

    Wiring worry delays Shuttle mission

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    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 ...

  • News

    Bombardier searches for BRJ-X engine and steps up CRJ output

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    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 ...

  • News

    Thomson-CSF wins race for joint stake in Australia's ADI

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    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 ...

  • News

    AIDC still aims for privatisation

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    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, ...

  • News

    BA to axe 1,000 managers in bid to save profits

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    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 ...

  • News

    Helicopter fractional is poised for launch

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    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 ...

  • News

    Fairchild could produce freighter version of 328JET

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    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 ...

  • News

    African nations to finance CNS/ATM system

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    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 ...

  • News

    First 767-400ER ready to roll

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    Boeing has completed assembly of the first 767-400ER twinjet, with the aircraft set for roll-out on 26 August. The 250/300-seat stretched derivative will make its first flight in late September/early October. Launch customer Delta Air Lines is to receive the first of its 21 aircraft following certification next May.Source: Flight ...

  • News

    Il-96-300 widebody deliveries resume after three-year hiatus

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    Production of the Ilyushin Il-96-300 widebody at the Vorenezh plant is running at a trickle. Moscow-based Domodedovo Airlines recently took delivery of its third Il-96-300 - the first example of the type to be delivered from the factory since February 1996. Just 10 examples of the four-engined, Aviadvigatel PS-90-powered jet ...

  • News

    Surge problems prompted P&W switch at CAL

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    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 ...

  • News

    COMESA states agree open skies

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    Airline operations across a swathe of eastern and southern Africa are poised for a major shake-up following the adoption of a new open skies policy by 21 countries spanning the continent. Aviation authority representatives from Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) states agreed the regional pact at ...

  • News

    Community Air fails to find backer for PC-12 operations

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    US start-up Community Air may soon be forced to cancel the purchase of up to 32 10-seat Pilatus PC-12 single-engined turboprops, worth over $90 million, because of the airline's failure to secure $35 million in financing. California-based Community Air, which planned to begin flying in June with four PC-12s, ...

  • News

    DHL Airways takes first A300B4 F

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    DHL Airways, the US arm of express package specialist DHL, has taken delivery of the first of six Airbus A300B4 freighters following conversion and major overhaul by British Aerospace Airbus. The freight carrier has acquired the ex-Thai Airways International aircraft from Airbus, and has options for a further 10 conversions. ...

  • News

    Eurocontrol appeals for capacity increase

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    Eurocontrol is asking member states to commit to increasing national airspace capacity over the next five years so it can better predict future trouble spots. The move comes after European delays hit an all-time high in June, when 37.3% of all flights were delayed by more than 15min, according ...