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Week ending September 14, 1997
+++ Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor flies +++ Boeing rolls out 777-300 +++ First XMM structure for testing delivered +++ Messerschmitt museum built at Manching +++ Lufthansa announces new destinations +++ First MIR repair mission was a success +++ Swissair and TAP-Air Portugal in alliance +++ SpaceDev to launch first private spacecraft +++ More money for EUROCKOT +++ Earth Observation: New offer in Germany +++ News in brief +++
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor flies
Erstflug der F-22 in Marietta
The first Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor air dominance fighter for the U. S. Air Force was flown for the first time on September 7 from Dobbins Air Reserve Base (Marietta, Georgia), lifting off the runway at 140 knots with the aircraft's two Pratt & Whitney F119-PW-100 engines at military power. The gray camouflaged aircraft reached an altitude of 15,000 feet in less than three minutes, then was put through a series of power changes (called engine transients) to test aircraft handling characteristics and engine performance.Midway through the flight, test pilot Paul Metz climbed to 20,000 feet and retracted the F-22's landing gear. He then conducted more engine transients, evaluated the jet's performance in "clean" configuration, and flew formation on a chase F-16 to evaluate precision handling characteristics before landing back at Dobbins ARB. The flight lasted just under an hour.
"Bringing the airplane to first flight is the greatest single event so far in this fantastic program," said Tom Burbage, the F-22 Team Program Office General Manager. "The entire Air Force/contractor team has worked very hard over the past six years to develop the F-22 and get to this point. The F-22 will be transported to the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, Calif., in the spring of 1998. Once there, the F-22's performance will be measured at all required flight regimes.
The first aircraft, referred to as Aircraft 4001, will undergo roughly 50 test flights prior to delivery of the second aircraft (Aircraft 4002) to Edwards in mid-1998. Aircraft 4002 is now in final assembly at Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems in Marietta and is scheduled for completion in late spring 1998.
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Boeing rolls out world's longest airliner
Roll-out für die Boeing 777-300
The world's longest commercial jetliner - the Boeing 777-300 - made its first public appearance at a roll out ceremony on September 7. Several hundred airline customers and suppliers joined thousands of Boeing employees outside the factory. "The 777-300 is a lot longer, but we planned from the beginning to accommodate all three models of the 777 airplane on the same assembly line," said Ron Ostrowski, vice president and general manager of the 777 Program. "Boeing workers began assembling the -300 in early April, and five months later they rolled out the world's longest commercial jetliner," Ostrowski said.
The 777-300 is the newest and largest member of the Boeing 777 airplane family. It is 242 feet 4 inches (73.8 meters) from nose to tail, making it 33 feet 3 inches (10.1 meters) longer than the 777-200. It carries 20 percent more passengers than the -200, for a total of 368 to 550, depending on the configuration. The 777-300 also is 10 feet 6 inches (3.1 meters) longer than the 747-400. The maximum takeoff weight on the 777-300 is 660,000 pounds (299,370 kilograms). It has the same fuel capacity -- 45,220 gallons (171,160 liters) -- as the longer-range 777-200 Increased Gross Weight airplane, and will serve routes up to 6,560 statute miles (5,700 nautical miles, or 10,500 kilometers).
The 777-300 Program was launched in June 1995 and achieved firm configuration in October 1995. Boeing set an aggressive goal to enter the airplane into service 32 months after firm configuration, with the first one scheduled for delivery to Cathay Pacific Airways of Hong Kong in May 1998. Customers for the 777-300 also include All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways
International.
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First XMM structure for testing delivered
Erste XMM-Struktur für Testzwecke übergeben
Dornier Satellite Systems in Friedrichshafen has delivered the Structural/Thermal Model of XMM, X-Ray Multi-Mirror Mission the world's largest x-ray observatory and Europe's largest scientific satellite so far to the European Space Agency for further testing at ESTEC, ESA's facility in Nordwijk, Netherlands. With XMM ESA intneds to continue the European EXOSAT, ROSAT and SAX programs. ESA project manager Robert Lainé empahzied the break-through technology in x-ray optics that XMM represents. A total of 174 circular mirrors in three moduls reflect x-rays and focus them on five CCD-cameras and spectrometers. The observatory will be able to measure and observe radiation sources up to 40 hours with extreme accuracy (resolution 16 sec arc) over a distance of 10 billion lightyears.
Dornier Satellite Systems (DSS) is a Daimler-Benz Aerospace company and ESA's prime contractor for the spacecraft. DSS builds the Structural/Thermal Model, the Engineering Model and the actual Flight Module of XMM. DSS had received the contract in 1994 because the DSS offer was ten per cent below budget level, 450 million DM. Total cost for XMM is almost 1 billion DM, including launch cost - XMM will be launched with an Ariane 5 in August 2000- and approx. 200 million DM in direct payments to Media Lario for the mirrors and Carl Zeiss, Oberkochem, for the mirror mandrels. DSS has subcontracted work for 300 million DM.
Technical features: Focal length 7.5 m, mass 3,9 t, height 10.8 m, diameter 4,6 m, span (with solar generaotrs) 16.1 m, mission duration 10 years.
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Messerschmitt museum built at Manching
Traditionsflugzeuge erhalten neue Halle bei der Dasa
Work has started at the Dasa factory at Manching near Ingolstadt on a new hangar which will house famous Messerschmitt aircraft. It is hoped that the facilities will be complete by 26. June next year, to celebrate the 100th birthday of famous designer Willy Messerschmitt. According to the Messerschmitt-Stiftung, a Me 108, a Me 109, a HA 200 and a new-built Me 262 (from the Texas Airplane Factory at Fort Worth) will be stationed at Manching. They will be kept in flyable condition by Dasa and shown at various airshows around Europe. Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
Lufthansa announces new destinations
Lufthansa erweitert Streckennetz
German carrier Lufthansa recently announced new destination in its route network to the Middle East. Starting on October 26, LH will fly three times a week from Frankfurt/Main to Beirut in Lebanon. 1983 the airline had cancelled operations to Beirut due to the civil war. On the route LH will use an Airbus A319 offering 126 seats. Beirut International Airport is going to erect a new terminal and two runways next year. Beginning in summer 1998, Lufthansa will start serving Amman, capital of Jordania, three times a week. On this service, LH will operate an Airbus A320 offering 144 seats. And on September 12th Lufthansa announced plans to open the route Munich - Hongkong. Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
First MIR repair mission was a success
Erste MIR-Reparatur erfolgreich
The Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Solovyov und Pavel Vinogradov successfully installed new cabling between the Spektr module and the station with a EVA inside Spektr and the docking node on August 22. The had interchanged the hatch between Spektr and the node. Three of the four solar Spektr solar generators could be turned in new positions facing the sun and thus increasing the power output. But then one of the electric motors turning the solar generators failed. As it turned out also the other motors gave up because of low power onboard the station. The solar generators of the Spektr module deliver 100 ams to Kristall and 40 amps to Kvant-2. The Priroda module still doesn't get any electrical power. With a second EVA astronauts Michael Foale and Anatoly Solovyov inspected the hull of the Spektr module thouroughly, but could not detect any damages that may have led to the loss of air pressure inside the module. They again turned two solar generators manually. Only a few days later the main computer of the station failed again on Sunday, but could easily be restarted.
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Swissair and TAP-Air Portugal in alliance
Neue Allianz zwischen Swissair und TAP-Air Portugal
Swissair and TAP-Air Portugal have announced a strategic partnership that is expected to lead to the Swiss group taking a stake in the Portuguese airline when it is privatised. First step will be a code-share from mid-1998. The two airlines will also co-operate in services, maintenance, ground handling and information systems as well as catering. For Swissair, the new link will give a better coverage of African destinations, where TAP flies to ten cities. TAP in turn is expected to sign further deals with Delta, Sabena and Transbrasil for joint marketing efforts.Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
SpaceDev to launch first private spacecraft
SpaceDev will ersten kommerziellen Forschungssatelliten starten
CpaceDev chairman James W. Benson announced the company's intention to launch the world's first private spacecraft and land on a near earth asteroid for the purpose of collecting scientific data and to stake a claim for commercial mining of its valuabale mineral resources by mid year 2000. The Near Earth Asteroid Prospector (NEAP) is the first of a series of SpaceDev deep space prospectors. It will carry five advanced scientific instruments. Benson emphasized that the SpaceDev mission can be accomplished at only 25 per cent of the cost for government missions while maintaining the same quality level.
Construction and testing will begin in January 1998, after the final mission plan and spacecraft design will be completed at the end of September. Completion of the spacecraft is scheduled for mid 1999, launch shortly after. Partners are professionals, academics and students of CalSpace (University of California at San Diego), New Mexico State University and the University of Texas.
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More money for EUROCKOT
Mehr Geld für EUROCKOT
Eurockot Launch Services, Bremen, has signed a contract with Dresdner Bank worth 35 million US-Dollar to rebuild the Plesetsk site and increase the mission portfolio of the launch vehicle. The German-Russian Joint Venture (Daimle-Benz Aerospace holds 51 per cent, Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, Moskau, 49 per cent) has received a first order earlier this year to launch six satellites in 1998 for DBSI, based in Mill Valley, California. The satellites will be used for managing gas and electrical power systems from space. Eurockot offers six launches per year with satellites for low and medium Earth orbits using two stages of the SS-19 ballistic missile and the Breeze upper stage. Launches will take place at Plesetsk spaceport 800 km north of Moscow. Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
Earth Observation: New offer in Germany
Europa im Überblick aus dem All
A new company - Euromap Satellitendaten-Vertriebsgesellschaft in Neustrelitz - offers pictures of the Indian Earth observation satellite IRS-1C with 5.8 m resolution. Access to the automatic archive system is possible via different means like the Internet (http://www.dfd.dlr.de/ISIS). More details per phone +49(0)3981-4883-88 or fax +49(0)3981-4883-20.Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN
Dassault Aviation has officially handed over the first Mirage 2000-5 to the Qatar Emiri Air Force, which is the second international customer for the new variant. Qatar ordered nine single and three two-seaters in July 1994. Its aircraft are fully equipped for both air-to-air and air-to-ground operations. Meanwhile, Taiwan has formed its first operational Mirage 2000-5 squadron, while the Armée de l'Air will get its first Mirage 2000-5F (modified from Mirage 2000Cs) in December. French -5 are equipped for air-to-air use only.+++
The French and Swiss defence ministers have agreed on regular joint exercises by their air forces. They also will look at opportunities for closer cooperation by the respective defence industries, especially in the electronics sector.
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The 747 derivatives are still in the concept stage but a stretch version could be launched as early as 1998 for entry into service by 2001. Boeing earlier decided against developing a new 'super-jumbo airliner' as it deemed the limited market did not justify the anticipated investment of more than US$7bn. Since then, Boeing has suggested a number of possible ways it could modify the 747 at a lower cost, estimated at under US$2bn, to meet airline demands for greater capacity.
+++
German regional carrier Eurowings expands its services from Frankfurt Rhein/Main-Airport to Berlin-Tempelhof. Starting on October 26, Eurowings will double its frequencies from four to eight a day. Frankfurt-Berlin used to be a Lufthansa monopoly route for years until Eurowings entered this specific market in May.
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After a successful launch NASA's scientific satellite Lewis is spinning through space thus preventing the solar generators to extend and providing power to the satellite. NASA hopes to solve the problem together with TRW engineers until early October. With this low cost satellite (65 million US-Dollar) NASA originally intended to demonstrate that scientific missions at substantial lower budgets.
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On September 11th the fourth Bombardier Global Express has joined the flight test and certification program. The same aircraft - serial no. 9004 - will make ist public debut at this year's National Business Aircraft Association Convention (NBAA) in Dallas, where business jet owners and the aviation industry in general will have the opportuinty to inspect this first completed aircraft. Following its debut in Texas, 9004 wilkl be used for function and reliability testing, involving 150 hours of simulated operation flights. As of August 30th, the three aircraft in testing had accumulated 750 flight hours during 272 flights. Certification for the new Super-Long-Range Global Express is scheduled for May 1998, shortly followed by first customer deliveries.
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French rocket motor manufacturer SEP (Société Europénne de Propulsion) reports a loss in turnover for 1996, 5 billion Francs compared to 5.4 billion Francs in 1995. The consolidated net earnings though show an increase from 148,4 to 153,2 million Francs. The setback in the Ariane 5 program resulting from the launch failure of flight 501 is made responsible for this development. SEP builds the Vulcain engine for Ariane 5 and the Viking and HM7B for Ariane 4.
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On September 11, Hughes Space and Communications International Inc. (HSCI) and Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Co. of United Arab Emirates signed a contract for a satellite-based regional mobile-phone system. This will be the largest satellite-communications project in the region, with an estimated total cost of $1 billion and a coverage area encompassing nearly 1.8 billion people in the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe including Turkey, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.
+++
On September 11, Boeing announced at the International Defence Industry Exhibition in Kielce, Poland, the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Instytut Lotnictwa (Institute of Aviation) in Warsaw, Poland, and the F/A-18 Hornet Industry Team (HIT) for potential collaboration on more than 20 advanced technologies. The F/A-18 Hornet Industry Team consists of F/A-18 lead contractor Boeing, principal subcontractor Northrop Grumman, engine supplier General Electric and radar provider Hughes. The MOU includes collaborative activities in advanced research and product development, as well as direct technology transfer from F/A-18 HIT companies.
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NASA's Mars Global Surveyor achieved its orbital manoeuver at the red planet on September 12 as expected. The craft will now use aerobraking to achieve a lower orbit, before starting its mapping mission next March.
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Kayser-Threde has shipped two instrument platforms to the Fench Guiana Space center for use on the second flight of the Ariane 5 booster. Maqsat H and B weigh about 4 tons and are the main payload for the mission, measuring vibratiion, shock, acceleration, acoustic noise and other parameters. Ariane 502 is scheduled for lift-off at the end of September, but a further slip into October seems likely.
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Because of unfullfilled expectations, Deutsche BA will stop its Berlin (Tegel) to London-Gatwick route from October 9. This is a further step in the quest for profitability. BA flights from Tegel to Heathrow will remain unchanged.
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Cargolux Airlines recently took delivery of its fourth Boeing 747-400 freighter and now operates a total of eight Jumbo Jets on cargo duties. The next 747-400F will arrive in November to meet growing demand.
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September 7, 1997
August 24, 1997
August 10, 1997
August 3, 1997
July 27, 1997
July 13, 1997
July 6, 1997
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Last updated September 13, 1997
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