May 25, 1998

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HEADLINE NEWS

Germany Leads Study Of Joint An-70 Effort

BERLIN Germany is determined to press ahead with an evaluation of a Westernized version of the Antonov An-70 to meet its airlift needs despite a report from Airbus Industrie, which estimated the modifications will cost approximately 35% more than the nonrecurring costs to develop the Future Large Aircraft.

By JOHN D. MORROCCO6 min

HEADLINE NEWS

F-22 Test Flights Begin at Edwards

ANGELES WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB Flight testing of the Air Force’s F-22A Raptor resumed last week at Edwards AFB, Calif., after the fighter was shipped from the Lockheed Martin factory in Marietta, Ga., where it made the initial two flights last September.

By MICHAEL A. DORNHEIM,STANLEY W. KANDEBO5 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Operational Iridium Constellation In Place

LOS ANGELES WASHINGTON Deployment of the 66-satellite Iridium constellation has been completed with the launch of five spacecraft from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., setting the stage for commercial operations scheduled to begin in four months.

By BRUCE A. SMITH,JOSEPH C. ANSELMO5 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Experts Fatalistic About Nuke Risk

WASHINGTON Heading off Pakistan’s first nuclear test and averting India’s deployment of nuclear-tipped missiles should be White House priorities now that New Delhi has resumed nuclear testing, arms experts say. But chances for a “halt in place” are considered slim.

By PAUL MANN5 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Imagery Satellite Costs Prompt NRO Delay

CHANTILLY, VA. The National Reconnaissance Office plans to delay fielding a new generation of smaller imagery intelligence satellites after concluding the system could cost significantly more than contractors have estimated. The Future Imagery Architecture (FIA) is supposed to replace today’s large and complex NRO spacecraft with a more numerous constellation of smaller satellites that can provide U.S. military forces and intelligence services with improved revisit times.

By JOSEPH C. ANSELMO3 min

HEADLINE NEWS

HGS-1 To Make Second Lunar Pass

Los Angeles Encouraged by the success of the initial flyby of a commercial satellite around the Moon, Hughes Global Services plans to send its HGS-1 spacecraft around the Moon one more time early next month. The second flyby, scheduled for June 6, is being attempted to place the satellite in an improved geosynchronous orbit so that it could be used by a wider variety of potential customers (AW&STMay 18, p. 74).

By Bruce A. Smith3 min

JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER

One Aircraft, Many Missions

The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) is the last major militaiy aircraft development and procurement program of the 20th century and is the most hotly contested one for fighters in many years. The winner will have a potential lock on fighter aircraft production in the U.S., and possibly much of the world, for the foreseeable future.

Flying From McMurdo South to the Pole

AMUNDSEN-SCOTT SOUTH POLE STATION Antarctica is a continent of extremes where rapid shifts in temperature, visibility, wind and snow conditions can turn a routine flight into a survival situation. Flight crews regularly pit their skills against this icy continent with virtually no assistance from navigation aids or en route radar.

By BRUCE D. NORDWALL11 min

Flying From McMurdo South to the Pole

A Unique Vantage Point For Scientific Research

McMURDO STATION Dozens of scientific teams come to Antarctica each summer, braving the elements to conduct research in its unique environment. They seek to advance knowledge in many diverse disciplines—from astrophysics to biology, geology, geophysics, glaciology, ocean and climate systems.

By BRUCE D. NORDWALL9 min

May 181998

June 11998

May 25, 1998

May 25, 1998