April 18, 1994

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COVER STORY

X-31, F-16 MATV, F/A-18 HARV EXPLORE DIVERSE MISSIONS

LOS ANGELES The three thrust-vectoring, high angle of attack aircraft recently operating at Edwards AFB serve different purposes and represent different blends of technology. The X-31 and the F-16 multi-axis thrustvectoring (MATV) aircraft have explored how to use high angle of attack in combat, while the F/A-18 high alpha research vehicle (HARV) is a testbed for aerodynamic experiments.

By MICHAEL A. DORNHEIM7 min

HEADLINE NEWS

DEPOT POLICY PROVES ELUSIVE

Task force urges keeping only 'core' work at depots and ending public-private competition. But Congress, Pentagon are at loggerheads on how to proceed

By JOHN D. MORROCCO5 min

HEADLINE NEWS

NASA, WHITE HOUSE JUGGLE SPACE STATION PRICE TAG

WASHINGTON Estimates of the space station's costs are increasing while savings from using Russian hardware are decreasing, but NASA says the program can still be completed well within its budget. Still, that budget, through Fiscal 2002, has just been increased $500 million at the behest of White House officials.

By JAMES R. ASKER5 min

HEADLINE NEWS

NASA EXTENDS ENDEAVOUR'S RADAR MAPPING MISSION

The crew of the space shuttle Endeavour spent their first week in space working with science teams on the ground to capture unique three-band, multi-polarization images of the Earth's environment. "We're batting . 1000" in efforts to document and quantify ecological, geologic, hydrological and oceanographic conditions around the globe, Diane Evans, project scientist for the Space Imaging Radar C (SIR-C), said.

By JAMES T. MCKENNA4 min

HEADLINE NEWS

MILITARY USERS TO 'TRY BEFORE BUYING'

WASHINGTON The Pentagon last week selected six programs for its new Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration effort, intended to accelerate the transition of new technology into the operational forces. ACTD expands the scope of previous Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) programs to enable the ultimate user to operate an experimental system for at least two years.

By PHILIP J. KLASS3 min

HEADLINE NEWS

PENTAGON CUTS FIELD OF JDAM CANDIDATES

WASHINGTON The field of contractors competing for the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) guidance system was cut to two with the award of $49 million in development contracts to Martin Marietta and McDonnell Douglas last week. The $4-billion U.S. Air Force-led JDAM program is a cornerstone of the Air Force and Navy's next generation of high-accuracy weapons.

By DAVID A. FULGHUM3 min

HEADLINE NEWS

NASA LAUNCHES GOES WEATHER SATELLITE

NASA has launched the first of five advanced weather satellites, ending years of delays that forced the U.S. to borrow a European satellite to avoid lapses in its forecasting capabilities. The commercially acquired General Dynamics Atlas 1 lifted off Pad 36B here at 2:04 a.m., Apr. 12, with its 4,640-lb. payload, the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-1 (Goes).

April 111994

April 251994

April 18, 1994

April 18, 1994

BUDGET CUTS TO IMPACT EDWARDS FLIGHT TESTS

By BRUCE A. SMITH7 min