April 22, 1996

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HEADLINE NEWS

RUSSIANS PLEDGE TO PUT STATION BACK ON TRACK

Yeltsin promises to keep hardware on schedule, but economic woes and political turmoil still threaten to disrupt the project before launch next year

By JOSEPH C. ANSELMO_

HEADLINE NEWS

FUNDING CRISIS THREATENS MARS 96

MOSCOW Although they haven't been paid in two months, employees at Russia's Lavochkin Association have continued to work on the Mars 96 spacecraft to keep it on schedule for a November launch. But unless the Russian government comes up with some money quickly, their dedication may be for naught.

By JOSEPH C. ANSELMO

HEADLINE NEWS

MSX SENSORS AIM TO IMPROVE POST-BOOST MISSILE DETECTION

FALCON AFB and SNOWMASS VILLAGE, COLO. After a year's delay, the Midcourse Space Experiment satellite was scheduled for launch last weekend, initiating a comprehensive series of sensor experiments aimed at identifying and tracking ballistic missiles after booster burnout and before reentry.

By WILLIAM B. SCOTT _

HEADLINE NEWS

NEW MILSPACE DOCTRINE 'VITAL'

COLORADO SPRINGS Developing a master plan and implementing specific architectures for integrating military space resources into warfighting doctrine are becoming timecritical national security issues, according to U.S. Defense Dept, space leaders.

By WILLIAM B. SCOTT_

HEADLINE NEWS

NASA UNIFYING SHUTTLE OPS

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER NASA has accelerated the transfer of most space shuttle operations to a single contractor by substituting agreements with Lockheed Martin and Rockwell International in favor of one pact with their joint venture United Space Alliance.

By JAMES T. McKENNA

HEADLINE NEWS

NASA PLANS MORE CUTS TO HEADQUARTERS STAFF

WASHINGTON. NASA has lowered the boom on its headquarters employees with a new plan to cut their ranks by more than half during the next 17 months, as part of Administrator Daniel S. Goldin's shift of power to the agency's field centers. Under an "accelerated" downsizing plan announced last week, the agency's Washington headquarters staff will be reduced to 650-700 positions from 1,430 by Oct. 1, 1997.

HEADLINE NEWS

GIRL'S AIRCRAFT OVERWEIGHT

WASHINGTON Accident investigation data show that the 1975 Cessna 177B Cardinal that crashed with 7-year-old Jessica Dubroff and two adults on board exceeded its maximum certificated takeoff weight. Safety board officials had not determined who was flying the aircraft when it crashed into a residential neighborhood Apr. 1 1 2 min. after takeoff.

By EDWARD H. PHILLIPS

HEADLINE NEWS

IL-103 CERTIFIED AS AIRWORTHY

MOSCOW The il-103 light multi-purpose aircraft has been certificated under the AP-23 airworthiness norms of Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC). Certification under the U.S. FAA's FAR-23 norms is expected this month. This marks the first time Russian certification has been conducted in accordance with FAR-23.

By NICOLAY NOVICHKOV

HEADLINE NEWS

COLD SOAK FOR PC12

LONDON A Pilatus PC12 has completed low temperature tests in the U.K. Defense Evaluation and Research Agency's environmental chamber at Boscombe Down. The two-day, deep-cold soak test, commissioned by Pilatus to satisfy Canadian certification requirements for cold weather operations, successfully demonstrated the aircraft's performance at temperatures as low as -31F. The low temperatures are achieved by spraying liquid nitrogen into ducts surrounding an insulated chamber.

HEADLINE NEWS

U.S. PLANS AIR BASE WITHDRAWAL IN JAPAN

TOKYO The U.S. agreement to return the Futenma air base on Okinawa to local authority—the largest U.S. troop reduction in 43 years—will have an impact on Marine helicopter, AV-8B Harrier and KC-130 tanker operations. The Apr. 12 agreement, hurriedly announced before President Clinton visited Tokyo last week to discuss regional security and economic issues, involves a base that occupies 25% of Ginowan city, where noise complaints from military operations have long been a sore point with residents.

By MICHAEL MECHAM

April 151996

April 291996

April 22, 1996

April 22, 1996