March 5, 2001

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WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Private Funding Will Test First Solar Sail

LOS ANGELES A unique American-Russian partnership is set to launch the first free-flying solar sail late this year and plans a deployment test in space next month, finally trying a concept that has been discussed for more than 75 years. The "Cosmos I" project will also feature the first submarine-launched rocket to orbit and will be the first privately funded space exploration-related mission, at a price ⅒ of what NASA envisions for a solar sail test.

By MICHAEL A. DORNHEIM6 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

F/A-18E/F Budget Stressed As Deployment Nears

WASHINGTON U.S. Navy aviators were hoping to spend the next several months getting the F/A-18E/F ready for its first deployment, but instead are being distracted by an unusual budget crunch that could reduce the number of aircraft available in the near term.

By ROBERT WALL6 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

X-31 Returns To Demonstrate Extremely Short Landings

NEW YORK The U.S.-German X-31 demonstrator has returned to flight, kicking off a two-year program aimed at demonstrating an extremely short-landing capability. The investigation into ESTOL, or extremely short takeoff and landing, is being performed under the $57-million Vector, or vectoring ESTOL control tailless operation research effort.

By STANLEY W. KANDEBO5 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Altering Sanctions May Benefit Iraq’s Rearming

WASHINGTON The Bush Administration has dropped the second shoe in its evolving policy toward Iraq, offering the prospect of changes to the sanctions that could aid Saddam Hussein's ability to acquire weapons of mass destruction. The review of sanctions policy was announced by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell during a tour of the Middle East last week.

By ROBERT WALL,DAVID A. FLUGHUM5 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Discovery To Launch Italian Station Module

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER The launch of Europe's first large element for the International Space Station, work to prepare the ISS for Canada's station arm and the exchange of the Expedition 1 and 2 crews, are the goals of shuttle mission STS-102 set for Discovery this week.

By CRAIG COVAULT5 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Investment Plan May Be Best Hope for Galileo

BRUSSELS European industry is offering a revised private financing scheme in what may be a final effort to secure a green light for the Galileo global navigation satellite system. European Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio said here last week that industry had sent nine letters of intent to invest in the project, which aims to begin operating a network of 30 medium-Earth-orbit navigation satellites in 2008.

By MICHAEL A. TAVERNA5 min

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Moving Beyond E-Business, Exostar Provides Design Links

Los Angeles In a sure sign of a shift in direction, Exostar has taken on a new software partner and is leaving the realm of the pure electronic marketplace business model it began with a year ago to provide Internet-based manufacturing services.

By Michael Mecham3 min

February 262001

March 122001

March 5, 2001

March 5, 2001