LONDON The “New BAe,” to be created this week when British Aerospace and Marconi Electronic Systems complete their merger, employs an innovative management model intended to avoid the pitfalls experienced by U.S. companies. The four-part structure, with two chief operating officers, was decided upon following a study of mergers outside of the aerospace and defense sector, as well as those megamergers within the sector.

LOS ANGELES NASA’S Mars Polar Lander (MPL) is scheduled to arrive at Mars this week, making the space agency’s fourth Martian landing and what would be its first lander mission in a polar region of the planet. The spacecraft is scheduled to land Dec. 3 in a broad area of sedimentary ice and dust called the Martian Polar Layered Deposits, located about 800 km. (500 mi.) from the south pole.

LONDON The U.K. Ministry of Defense has awarded contracts to British Aerospace and Thomson-CSF for studies to define its future large-deck carriers, and designated Marconi Electronic Systems—set to merge with BAe this week— as prime contractor for new Type 45 air defense destroyers.

Paris India and France plan to develop, build and launch a small scientific satellite intended to enhance the understanding of tropical weather and climate systems. The mission, dubbed Megha Tropiques, was given preliminary approval on Nov. 21 by French space minister Claude Allegre and Vasundhara Raje, India’s minister for small-scale industry.

Cape Canaveral A Lockheed Martin/International Launch Services Atlas IIA booster climbs into orbit from Pad 36B here in a time exposure of the Nov. 22 night launch of the Hughes/Navy UHF F1O spacecraft. It was the 45th straight success for the Atlas-Centaur.