January 21, 1985

January 21, 1985

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Editorial

Arms Control Once More

MILITARY EARLY WARNING

USAF Initiates Broad Program To Improve Surveillance of Soviets

By Craig Covault

MILITARY EARLY WARNING

USSR Boosts Reconnaissance Capabilities

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89
Editorial

Arms Control Once More

Four years of skepticism, stonewalling and controversy marked the first Reagan Administration's approach to arms control. Partly it was ideological, driven by such anti-arms treaty policy shapers as Richard Perle, assistant Defense secretary for international security policy.
1415
MILITARY EARLY WARNING

USAF Initiates Broad Program To Improve Surveillance of Soviets

Colorado Springs, Colo.—The U. S. Air Force is embarking on a broad initiative to provide better surveillance and assessment of a growing number of advanced Soviet military space capabilities and to improve the U. S. early warning capability against Soviet ballistic missile or cruise missile attack.

By Craig Covault

1415
MILITARY EARLY WARNING

USSR Boosts Reconnaissance Capabilities

Washington—The Soviet Union recently demonstrated two new imaging reconnaissance satellite capabilities directly applicable to use of the imaging satellites during war. One is the ability to relay Soviet reconnaissance satellite digital images back to the USSR by use of a high-altitude relay satellite.
1617
MILITARY EARLY WARNING

Air Force Tests F-15 Carrying Dummy Asat

1617
Space Technology

Germany Approves Participation In Space Station, New Ariane

Bonn—West German cabinet has approved German participation in the U. S. space station and the Ariane 5 project, clearing the main hurdle to an agreement in Rome Jan. 30 and 31 on European participation of nearly 20% of the space station. But the cabinet rejected participation in development of a small reusable manned space shuttle vehicle called Hermes that has been proposed by France.

By Michael Feazel

1617
Space Technology

Defense Launch Ready

Kennedy Space Center—Despite minor setbacks, the orbiter Discovery was on schedule for a Jan. 23 launch of space shuttle Mission 51-C carrying a Defense Dept. payload and a blood experiment from Australia (AW&ST Jan. 14, p. 22). One of two master event controllers failed in a self-test function Jan. 13.
1819
Space Technology

Arianespace Marks First Annual Profit in 1984

Paris—Arianespace, the marketing organization for Europe's Ariane launcher, made a small profit in 1984 and is expected to be in the black again this year. Chairman Frederic d'Allest said the extent of the 1984 profit will be determined when the organization's year-end computations are completed.
1819
Aeronautical Engineering

Runway Condition Delays X-29A Test Flights

Los Angeles-The final three contractor test flights of the Grumman/Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency X-29A forward-swept-wing advanced technology demonstrator aircraft have been delayed because of standing water covering the lakebed runways at Edwards AFB. Although the aircraft uses the main runway at Edwards for takeoff and landing, a dry lakebed is required during the initial phase of the program as a backup in case of a flight emergency.
1819
Management

Japan Nears 7% Gain in Defense Budget

Washington—Japanese government will spend $209.9 billion in fiscal 1985, which starts next April, or about 3.7% more than the current fiscal year. Of this total, $12.5 billion will be earmarked for defense, about 6.9% more than in fiscal 1984.
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Space Technology

Conestoga Booster Will Launch Human Ashes for Space Burial

Washington—The first commercial space satellite contracted for launch on a privately developed U. S. space booster will carry into orbit a payload of several thousand cremated humans on a space burial mission initiating a new commercial space venture that would memorialize deceased individuals through spaceflight.
January 141985 January 281985