January 19, 1998

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HEADLINE NEWS

Shuttle, French Missions Readied for Launch to Mir

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER The space shuttle Endeavour is set for launch this week on NASA’s final mission to deliver a U.S. astronaut for a long-duration stay on the Russian Mir station. The 10-day flight is scheduled to lift off at 9:48 p.m. EST on Jan. 22 at the opening of a 5-7-min. window.

By CRAIG COVAULT5 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Lunar Prospector Mission Start So Smooth Its ‘child’s Play

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF The Lunar Prospector entered a polar orbit of the Moon last week in what mission controllers at NASA’s Ames Research Center here described as “perfect health” for the start of its yearlong mapping mission.

By MICHAEL MECHAM5 min

HEADLINE NEWS

China Believed Key to Downturn's Depth

WASHINGTON A crucial factor determining whether Asia’s recession is nasty or mild, regional or global, is what happens next in China, U.S. analysts say. “China is the crisis that hasn’t happened yet, and there are two major reasons to worry about China at the moment,” said Edward J. Lincoln, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

By PAUL MANN5 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Turkey, Israel Deepen Industrial, Defense Ties

LONDON and METEHAN DEMIR/ANKARA Turkey is pressing to become a cooperative partner on Israel's Arrow anti-tactical ballistic missile program as defense ties between the two countries continue to deepen. Faced with an unenthusiastic reception for its bid to secure full membership in the European Union and problems obtaining arms from the U.S. due to Congressional criticism of its human rights record, Turkey is increasingly turning to Israel as its major strategic partner.

By JOHN D. MORROCCO4 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Asian Crisis Rattles Satellite Industry

WASHINGTON and MICHAEL A. TAVERNA/PARIS For most of the 1990s, Southeast Asia has been the land of opportunity to U.S. and European satellite builders, providing a seemingly unquenchable demand for telecommunications spacecraft. The Asian market for geosynchronous satellites was unsurpassed, as rapid economic growth fueled demand for “instant” communications capacity.

By JOSEPH C. ANSELMO4 min

HEADLINE NEWS

French, German Decisions Pace European Cruise Missile Programs

PARIS Recent or pending awards from the French and German governments will considerably strengthen Europe’s cruise missile capability. Late last week, the German parliament was expected to approve a DM450 million ($250 million) award for DaimlerBenz Aerospace missile subsidiary LFK to develop the Taurus KEPD 350, an airborne standoff missile for point and area targets intended for the German air force’s Modular Abstandswaffe (MAW) program.

By MICHAEL A. TAVERNA2 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Navy Narrows F/A-18E/F ‘Wing Drop’ Options

WASHINGTON olutions for the U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F strikefighter’s “wing drop” problem have been narrowed to three options, service officials said last week. Any solution will likely involve an 18-in. inboard extension of the leading-edge wing snag.

By DAVID A. FULGHUM2 min

January 121998

January 261998

January 19, 1998

January 19, 1998

Asian Recession Called Inevitable

By PAUL MANN7 min