December 11, 2000

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WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Solar Array Problems Mobilize NASA/Contractor ISS Team

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER The International Space Station is now the largest, most powerful spacecraft ever to orbit the Earth, following the addition of solar arrays spanning 240 ft. and emergency efforts by both the Endeavour astronauts and ground teams to correct problems that threatened this critical phase of station assembly.

By CRAIG COVAULT9 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Labor, Industry Clash Over Aircraft Offsets

WASHINGTON Labor and aerospace executives are struggling to find a middle way in their bitter dispute over aviation trade offsets, but both sides remain dug in as a White House commission begins the search for a durable compromise. At the commission’s first hearing last week, labor demanded primacy for domestic job preservation.

By PAUL MANN7 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

FAA’s LaGuardia ‘Slottery’ A Short-Term Solution

The temporary patch to ease congestion and delays at the New York airport will last only until next September. After that, 'everything is on the table'

By ROBERT W. MOORMAN5 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Russian Defense Ministry Restructuring Imminent

WASHINGTON The long-awaited shakeup of Russia’s defense establishment should lurch onto the world stage by the end of January, perhaps sooner, as Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to increase the operational effectiveness of the military while making it live within the budget, say U.S. and Russian analysts.

By DAVID A. FULGHUM4 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Signposts in a Search For Past Life on Mars

WASHINGTON The stunning assertion that new spacecraft data show the equatorial latitudes of Mars were once a land of lakes is just the sort of “discovery” NASA and its international partners had hoped for as they set out upon a concerted, continuous program of exploring the most Earth-like of our planetary neighbors.

By JAMES R. ASKER4 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Europeans Demand Airline Accountability

PARIS Passengers are increasingly criticizing European airlines, blaming their discontent on flight overbooking, extensive delays and poor information relay, according to consumer groups. The European Commission (EC) plans to address passenger concerns with cross-border legislation and voluntary commitments from airlines and airports (AW&ST June 26, p.74).

By PIERRE SPARACO3 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Arms Offsets Dubbed A 'Necessary Evil’

WASHINGTON U.S. labor's contention that defense offsets violate free trade doctrine is indisputable, but few countries adhere to pure market orthodoxy in their push to expand their aerospace sectors, outside experts say. Often described as a “necessary evil,” global offsets would not exist in a perfect world, Charles Wessner of the National Research Council told a presidential commission last week.

By PAUL MANN3 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Incursions Up, So Is Reporting

Heightened awareness of the runway incursion safety problem has resulted in better reporting of such events industry-wide, according to the FAA— and explains the increase from 321 incursions in 1999 to 398 this year (through Dec.7).

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December 11, 2000

December 11, 2000