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Strengthening the Foundations of Brazilian Aviation

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  • Boeing Contribution

    Boeing Contribution to Shuttle Mission Includes Troubleshooting, Payload Prep

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., April 2, 2010 — The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has been providing NASA with a wide variety of hardware and services — including troubleshooting a stuck valve — to ensure Space Shuttle Discovery launches as scheduled on April 5.

    One of two helium isolation valves in the shuttle’s starboard Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) pod failed in the open position on March 13 during helium tank preparations prior to OMS pod propellant loading. High-pressure helium is used to push propellants from storage tanks into small rocket motors used for routine orbital maneuvers.

    “As the original equipment manufacturer for the space shuttle and a major subcontractor on the program, Boeing engineers were a part of a NASA-led problem resolution team that analyzed the complex data and provided recommendations,” said John Mulholland, Boeing Space Shuttle Program vice president and program manager. “The team concluded that given the redundancy in the system, the space shuttle is safe to fly with the valve in this configuration.”

    Shuttle mission STS-131 will transport four experiment racks to the International Space Station (ISS), along with one systems rack, seven resupply stowage platforms, and four resupply stowage racks. Boeing engineers in Huntsville, Ala., designed and built two of the four experiment racks — the Expedite the Processing of Experiments to Space Station (EXPRESS) Rack 7 and the Window Observational Research Facility (WORF).

    EXPRESS Rack 7 is a multipurpose payload rack system that will store and support science experiments aboard the ISS. Experiments can be easily integrated into the system, which includes structural interfaces, power, command/data, video, cooling, nitrogen, vacuum exhaust, and other items needed to operate experiments in space.
    The WORF fits over the U.S. Destiny lab window and will maximize the use of the window via attachments for cameras, camcorders, and other instruments to capture imagery of the Earth and space.

    The mission also will deliver an Ammonia Tank Assembly (ATA) that Boeing refurbished at Kennedy Space Center. The ATA works in conjunction with the station’s External Active Thermal Control System to help cool the exterior and interior components of the ISS.

    The Boeing Checkout, Assembly and Payload Processing Services (CAPPS) team prepared the entire mission payload for launch. The services and support Boeing provides under its CAPPS contract include planning for and receiving payloads, maintaining associated ground support systems, integrating payloads with the space shuttle, launch support, and space shuttle post-landing payload activities.
    Boeing is the prime contractor to NASA for the ISS. In addition to designing and building all the major U.S. elements, Boeing also is responsible for ensuring the successful integration of new hardware and software — including components from international partners — as well as for providing sustaining engineering work for the ISS.

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    NASA AWARDS $3.3 MILLION TO TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

    WASHINGTON — NASA will award $3.3 million over three years to support
    academic excellence in science, technology, engineering and
    mathematics (STEM) education at tribal colleges and universities.

    The awards are part of a Cooperative Agreement Notice released by the
    NASA Office of Education’s Minority University Research and Education
    Program for the Tribal Colleges and Universities Project (TCUP).

    Three institutions were selected through a merit-based, peer-reviewed
    competition for funding. Awards will go to Kiksapa Consulting, LLC of
    Mandan, N.D.; Salish Kootenai College of Pablo, Mo.; and the American
    Indian Higher Education Consortium in Alexandria, Va. The awards have
    a three-year period of performance and range in value from $215,000
    to $592,000.

    NASA’s TCUP is a STEM education grant and mentoring program
    specifically targeting tribal colleges and universities. The goal of
    the project is to expand opportunities to academic institutions that
    prepare Native Americans to enter the nation’s STEM workforce through
    internships, fellowships, research experiences, outreach, information
    exchange, capacity building and infrastructure development.

    The first round of awards is valued at $1.107 million. Each award is
    expected to use NASA’s unique contributions in STEM education to
    enhance tribal college academic experiences and improve educators’
    abilities to engage their students.

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    NTSB Safety Recommendation


    The National Transportation Safety Board makes the following recommendations to the Federal Aviation Administration:

    Require that Avions de Transport Régional (ATR)42-seriesairplanes operating in the United States incorporate a revised stickpusher activation angle of attack(AOA), such that the stick pusher activates before the stall AOA in the presence of airframe ice accretions. (A-12-24)

    Evaluate all U.S.-certificated transport-category airplanes equipped with stick pushers to ensure that the stick pusher
    activates at an angle of attack that will provide adequate stall protection in the presence of airframe ice accretions.(A-12-25)

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  • ICAO Press Release: PASSENGER TRAFFIC TO REBOUND IN 2010 AFTER DISASTROUS 2009

    July 14, 2010 —

    MONTREAL, 13 July 2010 – Scheduled traffic of airlines of ICAO Member States should grow by 6.4% this year in terms of passenger-kilometers performed (PKPs) compared to a decline of 2% in 2009, according to consolidated figures collected by the Organization.

    The substantial projected increase reflects positive economic prospects worldwide, based on a 4.5% growth in the world Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as forecast by Global Insight, a major economic forecasting organization.

    Traffic for Asia/Pacific airlines should grow considerably faster than the global average, due to better economic prospects in States such as China and India, where aviation activity is expected to expand more rapidly.

    Middle East, Africa and Latin America regions will also enjoy higher traffic growth as economic conditions improve. North American airlines will grow slower than the world average because of lingering economic weaknesses.

    With expectations of more than 4% annual growth of the world economy for the next three years, world traffic should grow at 4.7% and 4.9% for 2011 and 2012, respectively.

    2009 Revisited

    In 2009, PKPs of the world airlines fell by 2% from the already depressed levels of 2008, the steepest drop in air traffic since 2002. Similarly, on the cargo side, freight?tonne kilometres (FTKs) performed fell by 10.6 % from 2008, representing also the largest decline since 2002.

    Total world international passenger traffic fell by 3.4%. With a decline of 6.5%, the Asia/Pacific region registered the largest drop, followed by North America with a 5% drop, while traffic for Europe, Africa and the Latin America fell by 3.4%, 3.0% and 2.5%, respectively. Only the Middle Eastern airlines posted an increase in international traffic, with a gain of 9.1%, allowing them to raise their share of total international PKPs from 8.2% in 2008 to 9.3% in 2009.

    The world’s domestic markets grew by a modest 0.4% over 2008. The large decreases of 5.4%, 7.4% and 3.4% registered in Africa, Europe and North America respectively, were offset by a robust 8.7% expansion in the Middle East, a continued 5.2% expansion in Latin America and a strong 9.6% growth in Asia/Pacific. Asia/Pacific domestic volumes benefitted from an impressive increase of more than 20% in the domestic Chinese market.

    A common pattern throughout the world was the growth of low cost carriers (LCCs) at the expense of legacy airlines.

    Airline Finances

    Despite the 2009 economic depression, air carriers were able to narrow their losses last year thanks to drastic capacity reductions which helped cut costs and halt yield dilution.

    In 2009, world airlines generated an estimated operating loss of US$ 4.1 billion. This performance marked a partial recovery from 2008 operating losses of US$ 8.9 billion, but still far from the record US$ 19.9 billion operating profit generated by the airline industry in 2007.

    The 2008 and 2009 losses resulted from a weak global economic environment that has led to high unemployment and a severe decline in household wealth. Air travel demand continued to be very weak in 2009, with most airlines of the world experiencing reduced traffic and poor yields.

    The 2008 and 2009 traffic decline prompted the industry to bring capacity more in line with demand, which reduced losses, despite an increase in oil prices ranging from US$ 35/barrel to more than US$ 80/barrel, without showing the extreme volatility of 2008. World airlines emerged from a difficult 2009 well positioned to benefit from a recovery.

    The financial performance of the world’s airlines is expected to improve in 2010 as traffic rebounds.

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