June 8, 1992

June 8, 1992

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HEADLINE NEWS

Ariane 5 Contractors Pressed To Reduce Recurring Costs

By JEFFREY M. LENOROVITZ

HEADLINE NEWS

Hermes Demonstrator Proposed For Suborbital Flight in 2000

HEADLINE NEWS

Cassini Instruments Will Be Mounted On Spacecraft Body to Cut Launch Weight

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HEADLINE NEWS

Ariane 5 Contractors Pressed To Reduce Recurring Costs

PARIS European companies in the Ariane 5 program have been told to further cut recurring costs for the heavy-lift launcher, and to control development spending— which has risen nearly 10% above the original budget level. Program managers said the original target for Ariane 5’s recurring costs—referring to both the launcher’s production and operational costs—is not sufficient because of fierce competition expected in the future launcher marketplace.

By JEFFREY M. LENOROVITZ

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HEADLINE NEWS

Hermes Demonstrator Proposed For Suborbital Flight in 2000

PARIS Europe’s program proposal for the Hermes X2000 full-scale demonstrator calls for launch of the unmanned spacecraft in the second half of the year 2000 on a suborbital flight involving one revolution around the Earth. The X2000 is what remains of the European Space Agency’s Hermes manned spaceplane program, whose scope has been significantly reduced by budgetary constraints.
2223
HEADLINE NEWS

Cassini Instruments Will Be Mounted On Spacecraft Body to Cut Launch Weight

Los ANGELES The science instruments for the Cassini spacecraft mission to Saturn will be mounted on the body of the spacecraft instead of special platforms as part of a re-design to cut launch weight and program costs (AW&ST June 1, p. 70).
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HEADLINE NEWS

SDIO Prepares Acquisition Plan, Answers Pointed Pentagon Questions

WASHINGTON Strategic Defense Initiative officials, already faced with a difficult balancing act to maintain support in Congress, have had to respond to pointed questions within the Pentagon as well. The SDI Organization and the Army Strategic Defense Command have squabbled about the architecture of an antiballistic missile (ABM) defense scheme (AW&ST Apr. 13, p. 24).

By JAMES R. ASKER

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HEADLINE NEWS

Japan’s H-2 Tested At Tanegashima

HONG KONG Ground test version of Japan’s new H-2 heavy lift rocket is shown after roll out to the new H-2 launch pad at the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan. Stacking of the vehicle was completed in late February, one year from the planned first H-2 launch date.
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HEADLINE NEWS

Study Details New Conventional Role for B-2 Stealth Bomber

WASHINGTON A restricted new Rand Study has revealed the first details of how U. S. Air Force planners can use B-2 stealth bombers in a conventional role that is not duplicated by other aircraft. Rand predicts that during the first week or more of a distant war, B-2s flying alone could halt an invading armored force.

By DAVID A. FULGHUM

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HEADLINE NEWS

U.S. Plans for Consolidation of Tactical Air Forces Into Joint Organization

WASHINGTON The U. S. military is readying itself to consolidate its conventional air forces into a joint organization along the same lines as the newly created U. S. Strategic Command. Planning is now underway for this next reorganizational step, with details to be released in the future, Gen. Merrill A. McPeak, Air Force Chief of Staff, said.
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HEADLINE NEWS

Space Station Designers Intensify Effort to Counter Orbital

WASHINGTON Eight years after the first concerns were voiced about the U. S./international space station colliding with orbiting debris, designers are still grappling with the threat. As the orbital base moves toward its critical design review in 1993, NASA has shifted $3 million in station development funds to contend with the hazard.

By JAMES R. ASKER

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HEADLINE NEWS

MD Explorer’s Main Rotor System Completes Wind Tunnel Tests

WASHINGTON McDonnell Douglas has just completed wind tunnel tests of the five-blade main rotor system for its MD Explorer and expects the light utility helicopter to fly by December. The rotors reached a forward speed of more than 232 mph. in testing in NASA’s Ames Research Center that included more than 900 flight conditions.
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HEADLINE NEWS

NASA Will Modify Rendezvous Software To Avoid Repeat of Endeavour Problem

WASHINGTON NASA will change the specifications on the IBM software used to calculate space shuttle rendezvous maneuvers to avoid problems on future missions like the one that occurred at a critical point during Endeavour’s final rendezvous with the Hughes/Intelsat 6/F3 spacecraft (AW&ST May 25, p. 79).
June 11992 JUNE 151992