All news – Page 6796
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STS90 Neurolab mission remains on schedule
NASA has confirmed that the next Space Shuttle mission will be launched on 16 April. The date had been threatened by fears that problems, mainly concerning a possible rescheduling of International Space Station (ISS)-related missions, could delay the launch to 28 April. The Neurolab - the final planned flight ...
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Iridium on target
Motorola is on target to declare its 66-spacecraft Iridium worldwide mobile telephone communications satellite system operational in September, following the launch of seven Lockheed Martin satellites aboard Long March 2C/SD and Delta II boosters on 26 and 30 March, respectively. Seven more satellites were scheduled for launch on a Russian ...
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Israeli First
A space first for Israel occurred on 25 March when the national satellite Ofeq 3, launched in 1995, was manoeuvred into a higher orbit, reports the Molniya Space Consultancy, London. The spacecraft's 354-519km orbit was raised to 496-518km by two burns of the Ofeq's propulsion system. Source: Flight International
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Going Private
Inmarsat, the international mobile satellite communications organisation, will become a private commercial company in January 1999 to enable it to "continue to be a leading player in the global communications industry". Intelsat, the international communications satellite organisation, is to create a separate, spin-off commercial company, INC. Source: Flight International
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Space Group
The European Space Agency (ESA) will establish a single European astronaut corps to prepare for the International Space Station programme by combining a cadre of ESA astronauts with those in programmes now operated by France, Germany and Italy. Source: Flight International
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ISS centre truss tested
Boeing has completed a test article of the 13m-long centre truss segment which is destined to become the backbone of the International Space Station (ISS). Assembly is now proceeding on the first production segment due to be attached in orbit to the crew laboratory module in early 2000. The centre ...
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GOA confirms record
A US General Accounting Office (GAO) report confirms that the US military completed one of its safest flying years during fiscal year 1997 despite a rash of accidents last September. The mishap rate was 1.5 accidents per 100,000 flying hours, which is unchanged from the previous two years. There were ...
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Standard test
The US Navy has conducted a second demonstration flight of the Land Attack Standard Missile (LASM), which is expected to be its near term choice as a ship-launched fire support weapon. The LASM proposal involves converting surplus Standard anti-aircraft missiles into surface to surface weapons by adding global positioning system ...
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Participants push for PAAMS project production progress
Douglas Barrie/London THE French, Italian, UK defence ministries and industry involved in the naval Principal Anti-Air Missile System (PAAMS) programme are in intensive negotiations to resolve baseline requirements in time for a production contract signature in the third quarter of this year. Sources close to the programme say that much ...
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Australia reveals scope of future fighter study
Paul Phelan/Cairns Australian Defence minister Kyle McLachlan has spelled out the aims of a far-reaching study into the air force's future fighter requirement, suggesting that a discussion paper on the subject will address a broad range of possible technical solutions. McLachlan says that the Government will launch a ...
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Air Macau profits
Air Macau has recorded its first ever profit since its foundation in 1995, making $9.9 million for 1997. The Sino-Portuguese-owned airline saw passenger numbers grow by 47%, to nearly 1 million. Source: Flight International
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China joins worldwide trend for outside airport investors
China is looking overseas for investors in its airports Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE Kevin O'Toole/LONDON The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) is to release investment guidelines later this year to enable foreign companies to take up to a 49% stake in the country's airports. The move follows ...
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Ariane 503 faces delay to September
Arianespace is preparing to delay the third and final European Space Agency (ESA)-funded demonstration flight of the Ariane 5 satellite launcher from July to September because it cannot find a commercial customer willing to provide a payload. The Ariane 503 launcher will be ready for lift-off in July, with ...
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Middle East Airlines prepares fleet strategy
Julian Moxon/BEIRUT Middle East Airlines (MEA) is to drop all long haul routes and consolidate its fleet around short and medium range Airbus types, as part of its plan to move into profit within three years. The airline is under new management appointed by its 99.9% owner, the ...
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CityBird prepares to begin Sabena MD-11 wet lease
Belgian carrier CityBird is launching transatlantic operations on behalf of Sabena this month with two new Boeing MD-11s painted in full Sabena colours. The services from Brussels to New York Newark, Montreal and São Paulo will be marketed by Sabena.Source: Flight International
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Virgin Sun
Virgin is to launch a new charter subsidiary on 20 April. Virgin Sun operations will start next year from the UK to the Mediterranean. Source: Flight International
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BAe reshuffle
BAe has reshuffled its main board. Sir Richard Evans moves to chairman, with the chief executive post going to former head of defence business John Weston. Finance director Richard Lapthorne becomes vice chairman, while Mike Turner will continue to oversee Airbus integration. Source: Flight International
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Airbus in AE31X dilemma
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE Airbus Industrie is looking for a collaborative programme to substitute for the AE31X to placate its Chinese aerospace industry joint venture partners in the regional jet project. The Chinese are increasingly irritated that the proposed 100-seat A319M5 derivative is gaining momentum as a quick fix alternative to compete ...
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Crossair and CityLine move closer to 728JET launch order
Andrzej Jeziorski/BASLE Crossair and Lufthansa CityLine have signed letters of intent (LoI) with Fairchild Dornier to continue work on the manufacturer's proposed 55-90 seat family of regional jets. Swiss-based Crossair may place a major launch order by the end of this year (Flight International, 25-31 March). According to ...
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US questionmark hangs over Swissair alliance
Kevin O'Toole/ZUrich Swissair's launch of the Qualifyer Group, an alliance with five other European carriers including Turkish Airlines (THY) and TAP Air Portugal, has run into questions over the lack of a transatlantic link. The grouping, unveiled with a fanfare in Zürich on 30 March, brings Swissair's European ...