April 14, 1986

April 14, 1986

View Full Issue Table of Contents
Editorial

Spaceport West

By DONALD E. FINK

SOVIET SPACE SHUTTLE

Soviets Begin Orbiter Tests Following Engine Installation

By Craig Covault

SOVIET SPACE SHUTTLE

Mir Space Station Launched With Soviet Proton Booster

View Full Issue
More Features
1011
Editorial

Spaceport West

Construction work has been completed here on Vandenberg AFB Space Launch Complex 6, heart of the U. S. Air Force’s $2.8-billion space shuttle facility. The center is ready to begin processing flight hardware, although its first operational launch now is likely to be delayed until early to mid-1988.

By DONALD E. FINK

1617
SOVIET SPACE SHUTTLE

Soviets Begin Orbiter Tests Following Engine Installation

By Craig Covault

1617
SOVIET SPACE SHUTTLE

Mir Space Station Launched With Soviet Proton Booster

1819
Missile Engineering

Congressmen Seek to Halt Saudi Missile Sale

Washington—Sen. Alan Cranston (D.-Calif.) and Rep. Mel Levine (D.-Calif.) last week introduced a joint resolution in the Senate and House to prohibit the sale to Saudi Arabia of four missile packages worth $354 million (AW&ST Mar. 17, p. 75; Mar. 3, p. 27).
1819
Management

Packard Panel Urges Reorganization To Stop Weapons Goldplating

By Paul Mann

1819
Avionics

House Bill Would Block Avionics Sale to PRC

2021
Aeronautical Engineering

France Begins Building Helicopter Surveillance System

Paris—France has started the full development phase for its Orchidee battlefield surveillance system, which will use a Doppler radar carried on Aerospatiale Super Puma helicopters to detect and localize ground and air targets behind enemy lines.
2021

Air Force Grounds C-130s Following New Mexico Crash

Washington—The Air Force has grounded 298 Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft pending inspection of the outer wing assemblies. The inspection is expected to take 30 days. The Air Force ordered the inspection on Apr. 7, five days after a C-130 from Kirtland AFB, N. M., crashed, killing all 11 on board (AW&ST Apr. 7, p. 31).
2223
Space Technology

Booster Certification Process Raises Further Shuttle Design Flaw Concerns

Washington—Space shuttle project engineers believe the inadequate solid rocket booster certification process that allowed a flawed joint design to enter service indicates it is likely other shuttle hardware was given an inadequate certification review and could need modification before the shuttle returns to flight.
2223

NASA to Construct Astronaut Memorial

April 71986 April 211986