FLUG REVUE update: Week ending December 12, 1999

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UPDATE

Week ending December 12, 1999

+++ Ariane 5's first commercial flight succeeds +++ A3XX may be discussed with airlines chiefs +++ ESA and EC sign Galileo contracts +++ Europe Metop contract for MMS +++ News in brief +++

Ariane 5's first commercial flight succeeds
Erfolgreicher Ariane 5-Start

On December 10, Arianespace successfully performed the first commercial launch of Ariane 5, placing the European Space Agency's XMM scientific satellite into a highly accurate orbit. The mission used the fourth Ariane 5 produced, and the launch was performed from the Guyana Space Center, Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Liftoff took place at 11:32 am. local time (14:32 GMT, and 3:32 p.m. Paris time). The XMM X-ray observatory was placed into an elliptical orbit with a perigee of 827 km. and an apogee of113,946 km., inclined 40 deg.
The European Space Agency's XMM (X-ray Multi-Mirror) satellite was built by Dornier Satellitensysteme, which is part of the DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (DASA) group. Equipped with three telescopes, it will perform X-ray astronomy missions during its operational design lifetime of more than 10 years. XMM is the largest satellite ever built in Europe - weighing almost 4,000 kg. (8,800 lb.) and standing more than 10 meters tall (33 ft.).
As many as six Ariane 5 missions are planned for next year, with 18 satellites in Arianespace's order book available for dual payload launches on these flights. To retain its competitive edge over the long term, Arianespace has committed to a launcher upgrade program that will double Ariane 5's payload capacity - bringing it to 12,000 kg. (26,400 lb.) by 2005.

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A3XX may be discussed with airlines chiefs
"Halber" Start des A3XX-Marketing

At its recent meeting, the Airbus Supervisory Board has "decided to authorize the Airbus management to approach airlines interested in the A3XX family at top level to get clear indication about the commitment of the airlines to the A3XX versions, quantity in demand and timing". This cautious wording, which apparently does not amaount toa full marketing launch, is probably the result of hesitation on the part of Aerospatiale Matra. Reports before the meeting had indicated that Dasa, CASA and BAE Systems were fully supporting the new megaliner.
According to the Airbus statement, "the Supervisory Board expresses deep satisfaction with the progress made and has reached the conclusion that the technical specifications of the A3XX family have been achieved according to airline requirements. The economical viability has also been confirmed. Agreements with new participants have to be finalized along with the completion of the negotiations on loan facilities with the European governments in line with the Large Commercial Aircraft Agreement of 1992. The detailed set-up of the Final Assembly Line between two highly qualified sites inside the Airbus system has to be finally worked out. Further decisions will be taken in the first half of the year 2000 as a consequence of the information and guidance received from the market, with a view to confirming service entry in 2005."

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ESA and EC sign Galileo contracts
Verträge für Galile GPS-System unterschrieben

The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed the contract for the GalileoSat study, the ESA's contribution to the definition phase of the Galileo satellite navigation programme, agreed last May by the ESA Council at ministerial level. On the same week, in Brussels, the European Commission will give its green light to sign four major contracts with industry. Together, these contracts will cover the definition phase of the Galileo programme (November 1999- December 2000) agreed in June by the European Union Council of Ministers of Transport.
The signature of these contracts marks a true milestone in the development of a novel programme for Europe. Once implemented, Galileo will be a multimodal global navigation satellite system that will not only give Europe independence in the field of traffic management and telematics infrastructure but bring vast economic benefits for European equipment manufacturers and service industry and create additional jobs.
The cost of the overall project is estimated at some 2.7 billion euros, out of which an initial amount of 80 million Euros, equally shared between the European Commission and ESA, has been allocated by European Ministers for the on-going definition phase. Financial schemes for the subsequent phases are being worked out and will be submitted to the EC and ESA's Councils . Together with the GalieloSat contract of ESA, the four contracts of the European Commission with industry cover the Galileo definition phase, from November 1999 to December 2000.

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Europe Metop contract for MMS
Metop-Wettersatelliten: Vertrag für MMS

On 7 December 1999, the Director General of the European Space Agency (ESA), Antonio Rodotà, together with the Director of the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), Dr. Tillmann Mohr, signed a contract with Matra Marconi Space for the development and production of a series of three Metop satellites. Metop is the first European polar orbiting satellite dedicated to operational meteorology and climate monitoring. The first spacecraft of the series is scheduled for launch in 2003. The satellite will orbit at approximately 840 km, at a much lower altitude than the geostationary Meteosat weather satellites which are placed in equatorial orbit at approximately 36.000 km. The Meteosat family, also developed by ESA and now owned and operated by EUMETSAT, has been in space since the late 1970s. They will soon be replaced by Meteosat Second Generation. The Metop satellites will provide complementary sounding and imagery data, with a coverage of most of the globe every day.
Designed by Matra Marconi Space of France, together with a pan-European industrial consortium which includes, among others, Daimler Chrysler Aerospace of Germany, Matra Marconi Space of the United Kingdom, and Alenia Aerospazio of Italy, the Metop satellites are based on a platform derived from the ESA's Envisat and CNES's SPOT-5 platforms, both scheduled for launch in 2001. Metop, which has a mass of 4.5 tonnes, carries twelve instruments which will provide highly valuable information for meteorologists as well as Earth Science researchers. In addition to a suite of established instruments provided by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an advanced Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) is being developed in Europe which will significantly enhance the measurement capabilities compared with existing polar satellites.

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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

The European Commission has started a full probe into the Astrium space joint venture of Dasa and Matra Marconi Space. It cited concerns that the new company would have a dominant position for certain institutional markets for space systems in Europe, i.e. observation and scientific satellites, space systems and launchers. Commercial satellites were not a problem, though. The business going into Astrium have a combined turnover of three billion Euros a year.
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Dasa has voiced fears that EU competition investigations might delay the May target for floatation of EADS. There are no immediate concerns, but observers noted that it took almost a year to approve the BAe/Marconi deal.
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On 15 December, José Mariano Gago, Minister of Science and Technology, and Antonio Rodotà, Director General of ESA, will sign an Agreement on Portugal's accession to the ESA Convention. Under this Agreement, Portugal will become the fifteenth full Member State of ESA by 1 July 2000 at the latest. In October 1998 Mr Gago, sent the ESA Director General Portugal's formal request to become a full Member State. The request was submitted on 24 June 1999 to ESA's Council, which unanimously approved the principle of this accession. On the 14th of December ESA's council is expected to approve the terms of the Agreement. Portugal is already involved in some of ESA's optional programmes in the field of satellite navigiotion through a bilateral cooperation agreement signed in 1996. It has expressed interest in contributing to activities in the fields of space science, technology and applications (remote sensing and telecommunications in addition to satellite navigation). A cooperation programme in the field of training was set up in 1998 to host young Portuguese engineers at ESA establishments.
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The US Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) reported record sales of 155 billion US-Dollars for 1999. This was driven largely by airliner sales, but military turnover also rose from 35,8 billion US-Dollars. Commercial space sales were given at 7,1 billion US-Dollars. For 2000, there will be a decline to 149 billion.
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On December 6, the first EH101 helicopter for the Italian navy has made its maiden flight at Agusta. It is planned to be delivered by July 2000. The Italian order stand at 16, in three different variants.
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Eurofighter flight tests continue with prototype DA1 having achieved the first flihgt with Utility Control System 3B. DA1 and DA3 ar now flying in Sardinia with EJ200 engines conforming to 03Z-standard. CASA meanwhile has successfully completed the third OTC Preview with customer pilots asssing the new FCS 2B/! software, active rear seat capability and the auto-pilot/auto-throttle functions.
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On December 7, Tunisian carrier Nouvelair took delivery of its first A320 today in Toulouse, becoming a new operator of Airbus Industrie aircraft. A second A320 is scheduled for delivery in Spring 2000. The Monastir-based charter carrier belongs to the Tunisian Travel Service (TTS) group, one of the leading companies of the Tunisian tourism industry, and is currently replacing its entire MD-80 fleet by A320s, on its network linking Tunisian resorts with European cities.
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In preparation for its new role in the training of ISS astronauts, whether European or otherwise, the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne/Germany has strengthened its management, with the appointment of two astronauts to key positions. Two experienced French astronauts have joined the European astronaut corps. A Belgian trainee is set to join in January. Ernst Messerschmid, who flew under German colours on the Shuttle/Spacelab D-1 mission in 1985, has been appointed Head of the EAC. Since that mission, he has been a professor and director of the Institute for Space Scienc e at Stuttgart University. Astronaut Jean-Pierre Haigneré, who returned from a record-breaking 188-day mission aboard the Russian Mir space station on 28 August, took up the position of Head of ESA's Astronaut Division on 1 November. With ESA astronauts scattered far apart at different locations, Haigneré will use his expertise in long-duration spaceflight and his longstanding international contacts to pull the team together and oversee training for future work aboard the ISS. A number of ESA astronauts are training at NASA, some are providing specialist support to development projects at ESTEC, while others are following regular training in Russia.
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"In the hurly-burly of today's bazaar of the aviation commercial environment, it is too easy to forget that international air transport is a world system. A system, which operates to agreed standards - of safety, security, efficiency and which requires clearly defined commercial and operational rules," said IATA Director General Pierre J. Jeanniot. Jeanniot was speaking in Chicago 6 December, at a Ministerial meeting sponsored by the US Department of Transport "Aviation in the 21st. Century - Beyond Open Skies." The Director General observed that "continuing air transport liberalisation is both inevitable and necessary. But, as it proceeds, we in IATA strongly suggest that everyone should continue to be guided by five important principles we believe to remain central to the expansion of our industry, namely: Consistent safety and security oversight - and the expectation by the travelling public that we continue to further reduce the accident rate. Non-discriminatory access to adequate infrastructure, without which further liberalisation will fail - since competition is in danger of becoming "infrastructure capacity regulated." Ensuring the continued availability of the multilateral interline system, to provide choice and convenience to the international traveller. Industry mechanisms to improve efficiency - a pivotal role of international organisations such as IATA. Fair and equal opportunity to participate in the growth of the global air transport system. Where we believe the role of ICAO to be more appropriate at this time than an expansion of WTO in aviation matters. These principles do not stand in opposition to growing liberalisation. Rather, they remain a necessary complement to it. Governments can count on the close cooperation of IATA to ensure that the air transport industry continues to provide its increasing economic contribution to the globalisation of business and the beneficial expansion of world tourism."
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Hundreds of airports, including the major international hubs, have reported that their Y2K programmes are complete and ready for the Millennium rollover. IATA Director General Pierre Jeanniot told his Board of Governors, "Data received by IATA shows a high level of readiness in all regions. Critical systems and equipment have been reviewed. ATS compliance progress is good. Regional and global air traffic contingency plans are complete and ready for deployment. The number of entities reporting completion of their Y2K programmes and business backup plans rises each day." The international carriers are able to monitor the Y2K readiness for over 1600 airports (representing 97% of international traffic), and 200 air traffic centres (covering all major international routes) that have participated in this project. This data is regularly updated by participating entities to provide the airlines with an accurate picture. As a further precaution in this safety-conscious industry, IATA will join the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in manning eight world-wide centres to monitor the situation, tracking eventual developments and keeping the airlines informed.
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NASA has once again postponed the latest Shuttle mission. Discovery is now scheduled to lift off on December 16 so that it can complete its mission and return to Earth before the new year and avoid potential problems related to the Y2K computer bug. After a series of seven postponements, the mission will begin at 9:18 p.m. (0218 GMT on Friday, Dec. 17) and the shuttle's return is scheduled for Dec. 26, a NASA spokesman said. If all goes as planned, this will be the first time that a shuttle will spend Christmas in space since the Apollo 8 mission in 1968. The seven shuttle crewmembers will have as their primary mission to make a series of repairs on the Hubble Space Telescope. NASA said that Discovery is the only shuttle whose computers have not been "debugged" to avoid the Y2K problem.
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NASA scientists have now written off the Mars Polar Lander mission as a total loss after their seventh and last attempt to confirm that the unmanned probe is still intact and functional proved fruitless. They admitted that not only did their last-ditch nothing-left-to lose bid to make radio contact produce no result, they might never know exactly what went wrong with after the spacecraft began its descent into the Martian atmosphere. With each new failure, hopes that the Lander's problems were only transitory, a misaligned antenna or the onboard computer ordering the device into a protective mode until its batteries could be recharged, faded a little more. But not knowing and being able to learn from the reasons why the Lander failed to survive the last lap of its 11 month, 252 million km journey to search for indications that water and/or life once existed on Mars, would be worse than the failure itself, they added. Did the spacecraft manage to brake with retro-rockets and parachute for a soft landing at the South Pole, or did it burn up in the Martian atmosphere? Did it smash into smithereens or land intact so that what we have here is a failure to communicate?
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On December 7, the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence announced a US$ 319 million contract for the Starstreak missile system. The deal was struck with SMS, a 50:50 joint venture between Bombardier's subsidiary, Short Brothers plc, and Thomson-CSF, the French defence electronics corporation.Starstreak is a very short-range, high velocity missile system which is immune to all known counterme asures and is designed to protect against attacking jet aircraft and helicopters. This contract follows previous development and production contracts for Starstreak which was formally accepted into UK service in 1997. This new order, which will susta in production at SMS's plant in Northern Ireland and its 500-person workforce for the next five years, will equip British Army Air Defence Forces responsible for front line, rapid reaction and reserve force operations.
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On December 9, Boeing rolled the last Classic 737 -- a 737-400 jetliner -- off its Renton plant assembly line, completing a record production run of 1,988 airplanes. Thousands of Boeing employees gathered to celebrate the great success of the "Classic" 737 series (which includes the 737-300, 737-400 and 737-500 models) and the transition to the Next-Generation 737 family of airplanes. The airplane rolled out is actually the 3,132nd Boeing 737 in the "first generation" and Classic series. That total includes 30 737-100s, 1,114 737-200s, 1,113 737-300s, 486 737-400s and 389 737-500s. Assembly of the first two 737 models, the 737-100 and 737-200, began in 1967. The first 737-300 rolled out of the factory Jan. 17, 1984. The launch customers were USAir (now US Airways) and Southwest Airlines.
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Boeing has delivered the 100th AH-64D Apache Longbow multi-mission combat helicopter to the U.S. Army. The helicopter was delivered during a brief ceremony this week at the Boeing rotorcraft center in Mesa, Ariz., where Apache Longbows have been produced since production of Apaches began in 1982. Boeing is under contract with the U.S. Army to deliver 232 AH-64D Apache Longbows through 2001 and is in final negotiations for an additional 298 Apache Longbows through 2007 as part of a second five-year, multi-year contract with the U.S. Army. In addition to the 100 remanufactured Apache Longbows for the U.S. Army, Boeing had delivered nine to the Royal Netherlands Air Force and six to GKN Westland Helicopters, Ltd., for use by the United Kingdom, through Nov. 30. The company is under contract to produce 30 AH-64D Apaches for The Netherlands and 67 WAH-64 Apache Longbows with GKN Westland, Ltd., for the United Kingdom.
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The German aviation authority, LBA (Luftfahrtbundesamt) has granted single-pilot and dual-pilot IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) certification featuring AFCS (Automatic Flight Control System) and the " Avionique Nouvelle" cockpit configuration for the Eurocopter EC 135 on December 2, 1999. The single-pilot IFR configuration consists of two Sextant SMD45 displays, plus a CentralCockpit Display System (CPDS). The CPDS includes a Vehicle and EngineMultifunctional Display (VEMD) and a Caution and Advisory Display (CAD). The avionics suite is the AlliedSignal Gold Crown. This certification is in basic mode, which is with heading, altitude and airspeed select mode.The navigation and approach mode will be certified next year. Also in early 2000, the EFIS40 with Cockpit Display System (CDS) and Gold Crown avionics will be certified.
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The first regular television broadcasts to North America from Europe using EUTELSAT's ATLANTIC GATE satellite capacity began this month with Digitaly, the 24-hour 'image of Italy' channel which features programmes on the multiple facets of Italian culture. Digitaly is being delivered directly to North American television networks via EUTELSAT's ATLANTIC GATE capacity in the orbital arc around 15 degrees West. The channel is uplinked by Telespazio at its Fucino earth station facilities near Rome and downlinked in Ontario, Canada by the Juch-Tech Inc. teleport.
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GE Aircraft Engines has selected Lockheed Martin Control Systems to develop a full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) for GE engines aboard the new KTX-2 supersonic trainer and light combat aircraft. The KTX-2, being developed jointly by Samsung Aerospace and Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems, will be the first single-engine aircraft powered by a GE engine to use an electronic-only control. The electronic control system will provide a significant cost and weight advantage over aircraft that employ an electronic control and a mechanical backup. Use of the KTX-2 FADEC also will significantly improve engine operability.
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