December 24, 2001

December 24, 2001

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WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Shuttle Privatization Raises Safety Issues

By CRAIG COVAULT

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Starshine Sparking Aerospace Education

WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

EchoStar Sees Technology Benefit From Vivendi Deal

By FRANK MORRING

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WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Shuttle Privatization Raises Safety Issues

CIA and Energy Dept. models offer guidance on course toward privatizing human spaceflight, first with shuttle and then with ISS

By CRAIG COVAULT

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WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Starshine Sparking Aerospace Education

The Starshine 2 satellite launched from the shuttle orbiter Endeavour Dec. 16 is being visually tracked by thousands of students around the world in a major educational program to measure atmospheric density. The 86-lb. spacecraft is covered with nearly 900 mirrors that will produce bright flashes visible on Earth during sunrise and sunset.
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WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

EchoStar Sees Technology Benefit From Vivendi Deal

WASHINGTON EchoStar will gain access to valuable technology for delivering interactive service to U.S. television sets from its new “strategic alliance” with Vivendi Universal, along with $1.5 billion in cash to help finance its proposed merger with Hughes.

By FRANK MORRING

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WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Justice Dept. Weighs In On American-BA Alliance

WASHINGTON As the U.S. Transportation Dept. approaches a decision on the American Arlines-British Airways attempt to win antitrust immunity for their transatlantic alliance, the carriers face hurdles—some of them specific, some not, none expected—from the Justice Dept. Justice’s comments on the Oneworld alliance partners’ proposal, filed Dec. 17, weren’t required and aren’t binding, but they carry a lot of weight.

By DAVID BOND

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WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Battle Brews Over UAV Dominance

WASHINGTON A clash is looming between the makers of two of the Pentagon’s premier unmanned surveillance aircraft to fight for supremacy of the high-altitude UAV market. The previously cordial coexistence between General Atomics’ Predator and Northrop Grumman’s Global Hawk is nearing an end.

By ROBERT WALL

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WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

What’s Next For Navy Missile Defense

WASHINGTON The Pentagon’s decision to kill the Area-Wide ballistic missile defense program opens the door for competitors to propose a new approach to enable the Navy to eventually field a pointdefense missile shield. The program cancellation is good news for other Pentagon projects that stand to receive some of Area Wide’s money.

By ROBERT WALL,DAVID A. FULGHUM

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WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

ABL Faces Funding, Schedule Makeover

WASHINGTON Following its historic pattern, the Airborne Laser is about to undergo another round of funding and schedule changes, this time courtesy of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization. BMDO has two major ABL-related activities ongoing.

By ROBERT WALL

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WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Legislators Hoist Strategic Airlift

By PAUL MANN

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WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

767 To Fill Tanker Role

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WORLD NEWS & ANALYSIS

Europeans Ink A400M, Missile Merger Accords

PARIS After months of uncertainty, European nations have given a conditional green light to a huge joint tactical airlifter purchase and endorsed further consolidation of Europe’s missile sector. Eight countries last week inked an agreement authorizing the acquisition of 196 A400M transports from Airbus Military Co. (AMC), ending rancorous debate within the governments of two of the nine original partners—Germany and Italy—about whether to fully honor initial commitments to the program.

By MICHAEL A. TAVERNA

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