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NASA TV TO BROADCAST JAPANESE CARGO CRAFT FLIGHT TO SPACE STATION

HOUSTON — NASA plans live television coverage of the launch, grapple and berthing of the second unpiloted Japanese cargo ship that will deliver more than four tons of food and supplies to the International Space Station.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is scheduled to launch an H-IIB rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan at 12:29 a.m. CST (3:29 p.m. Japan time) on Thursday, Jan. 20. The launch vehicle will send the Kounotori2 H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV2) orbit on a week-long rendezvous with the station. “Kounotori” is the Japanese word for white stork, emblematic of delivering happiness and joy.

On Jan. 27, Expedition 26 Flight Engineers Cady Coleman and Paolo Nespoli will command the station’s robotic arm, Canadarm2, to reach out, grapple Kounotori2, and attach it to the Earth-facing port of the Harmony module.

In the following days, a pallet loaded with spare station parts will be extracted from a slot in the cargo ship and attached to an experiment platform outside the Japanese Kibo module. Other cargo will be transferred internally to the station.

The cargo vehicle will be filled with trash, detached from the station and sent to burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere at the end of March.

NASA Television’s programming schedule for HTV2 events includes (all times CST):

Thursday, Jan. 20:

12 a.m. — Launch coverage, anchored from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, begins. Launch is scheduled at 12:29 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 27:

5 a.m. — Grapple coverage, anchored from Johnson, begins. The grapple of HTV2 is scheduled at 5:44 a.m.

8 a.m. — Berthing coverage, anchored from Johnson, begins. The attachment should be complete at approximately 10 a.m.

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    American Airlines and The New York Pops Announce Major Relationship in New York City

    NEW YORK, Feb. 7, 2011 — American Airlines today announced a significant new relationship with The New York Pops, the largest independent pops orchestra in the United States, and the only professional symphonic orchestra in New York City specializing in popular music.

    As part of the three-year agreement, American Airlines will provide opportunities for The New York Pops to reach a wider audience through special inflight programs, live music in American Airlines Admirals Clubs, and New York Pops recordings being played in American’s terminals at JFK International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. American Airlines is also a sponsor of The New York Pops’ concert series at Carnegie Hall.

    American Airlines has been a strong supporter of arts and entertainment for decades. As a leading cultural institution, The New York Pops offers significant contributions to the New York community. Through this new relationship, The New York Pops will be able to expand its presence in the community, with American’s support of the orchestra’s extensive education programming for New York City schoolchildren.

    “American is an active and ardent supporter of many arts and cultural organizations in New York,” said Art Torno, American Airlines Vice President – New York. “This new relationship with The New York Pops is extremely important to us as it allows us to strengthen our ties within the community as well as connect with our customers and share in their interests.”

    American Airlines will also be a major sponsor of a planned New York Pops tour later this year.

    “We are proud to partner with American Airlines to bring great music to New York City and the world beyond,” said James M. Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of The New York Pops. “With the support of American Airlines, we will continue to play before sold-out audiences at Carnegie Hall as well as bring our musicians into New York City public schools to inspire the next generation of music lovers.”

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    GE Aviation’s Flight Management System Provides Technology behind Southwest Airlines RNP

    January 12, 2011
    GE Aviation’s Flight Management System Provides Technology behind Southwest Airlines RNP
    –Grand Rapids, MI — GE Aviation’s flight management system TrueCourseTM is providing the technology to enable Southwest Airlines’ pilots to begin flying Required Navigation Performance (RNP) procedures at 11 airports. TrueCourse is standard on all Boeing 737 aircraft. RNP is a satellite-based navigation that brings together the accuracy of GPS (Global Positioning System), the capabilities of advanced aircraft avionics, and new flight procedures.

    With RNP/NextGen procedures designed at 11 Southwest airports, Southwest Airlines’ projected savings is $16 million a year, with an anticipated savings of more than $60 million per year once all Southwest airports have efficient RNP procedures.

    “TrueCourse enables operators to fly the most efficient RNP operations available,” said Chris Beaufait, president of Avionics for GE Aviation Systems. “Southwest is well equipped and is positioning to lead the way in the expansive use of these approved routes realizing fuel, emission and noise reductions.”

    The TrueCourse flight management system controls the aircraft track to an accuracy of 10 meters (33 feet) and the time of arrival to within 10 seconds to any point in the flight plan. Benefits include the ability to fly shorter flight paths and idle-thrust descents which reduces fuel consumption, thereby lowering emissions and community noise levels. Software and hardware updates provide the latest technology to continue to meet the needs of the world’s evolving airspace requirements, offering safe and efficient improvements to aircraft operations and dispatch reliability.

    Southwest Airlines’ pilots and dispatchers now follow these new efficient flight procedures and enhanced avionics to fly specifically designed satellite-based navigation approaches. The primary airports with efficient RNP procedures include Amarillo*, Birmingham, Boise, Corpus Christi*, Los Angeles, Chicago Midway, Oakland, Oklahoma City, West Palm Beach, Raleigh-Durham, and San Jose.

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  • Hughes and Tachyon Join Forces to Develop Advanced Airborne Networking Solutions for Military & Government

    SAN DIEGO and GERMANTOWN, Md., Jan. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Tachyon Networks, developer of aXiom end-to-end satellite solutions for fixed, portable and comms-on-the-move (COTM) applications and Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) the global leader in broadband satellite networks and services, today announced their intention to cooperate in the development of end-to-end airborne COTM solutions for military and government markets. This broad-based cooperation will focus on solutions for manned and unmanned aircraft, initially fixed-wing and later rotary wing aircraft, which require full-motion HD video transmission capabilities.

    “We are pleased to be working with Tachyon on the development of airborne COTM solutions,” stated Rick Lober, Vice President and General Manager of the Defense & Intelligence Systems Division (DISD) at Hughes. “Both Hughes and Tachyon have developed advanced technologies for airborne networking, which together offer an excellent opportunity to address the challenges associated with high-speed video transmission from various types of aircraft while in flight.”

    Tachyon has developed its aXiom end-to-end satellite broadband solutions for air, land and sea, and will integrate a key element – the Linux-based aXiom Services Platform (ASP) – to the solutions resulting from its cooperation with Hughes. The ASP facilitates seamless integration across all communications equipment onboard aircraft, as well as enabling interoperability with the end-to-end satellite network. The ASP also enables onboard display of all network monitoring applications and operational data with an easy-to-use graphical user interface (GUI).

    Hughes has recently demonstrated its Airborne Video Solution, which employs the high-performance Hughes HX router, for fixed wing aircraft. Hughes is building on its commercial aviation broadband offering, thereby facilitating adoption of a COTS-based solution by the airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) community. The cooperation with Tachyon will allow Hughes to migrate this solution to new military and government programs.

    “Hughes has successfully demonstrated its advanced modem solution for fixed wing aircraft,” said Dan Negroni, VP of Sales and Marketing for Tachyon Networks. “Tachyon is excited to have an opportunity to jointly develop a solution that brings full-motion video capability to additional aircraft platforms, including a future focus on rotary wing aircraft, in support of the ISR community.”

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    ROBERTO KOBEH GONZÁLEZ RE-ELECTED AS COUNCIL PRESIDENT

    November 15, 2010 — oacicomm
    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    PIO 15/10

    MONTREAL, 15 November 2010 ? Roberto Kobeh González was re-elected today by acclamation, for a second three-year term, as President of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

    “Our priority for the coming triennium is the implementation of the comprehensive and groundbreaking initiatives adopted recently by the 37th Session of the ICAO Assembly, all designed to further improve the safety, the security and the environmental sustainability of international civil aviation,” said Mr. Kobeh González in his acceptance remarks.

    “We will do so as the central institution for global governance in civil aviation, by continuing to exercise our leadership in a spirit of cooperation with all stakeholders, so that safe and secure air transport can continue to play a determining role in the sustainable development of our global society. This is what is expected of us and this is what we will deliver.” he added.

    Mr. Kobeh González first assumed office as President of the Council on 1 August 2006, after having been elected to complete the mandate of Dr. Assad Kotaite, who retired on 31 July of that year. He was elected for a full term following the 36th Session of the ICAO Assembly held in late September 2007.

    Mr. Kobeh González served as Representative of Mexico on the Council of ICAO from January 1998 until his election as President in 2006.

    ROBERTO KOBEH GONZÁLEZ

    Born Huixtla, Chiapas, Mexico, on 18 October 1943

    Nationality: Mexican Marital Status: Single

    Education:Graduate from the National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico (1965), Mr. Kobeh González holds an Engineering degree in Communications and Electronics. He was a professor of aeronautical electronics at the Institute from 1972 until 1975. He also studied at the Federal Aviation Administration Academy in Oklahoma and at the National Productivity Centre of Mexico and has taken several management, planning, quality assurance and leadership courses.

    Awards:Mr. Kobeh González received the Award for Extraordinary Service from the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States in 1988. In 1997, he was awarded the Emilio Carranza Medal from the Government of Mexico for his contribution to the development of civil aviation in Mexico for thirty consecutive years. In 2004, he received the award for Contribution to the Development of Aviation in the Central American Region from the Central American Corporation of Air Navigation Services. Most recently, in 2009 he received the degree of Doctor of Engineering honoris causa from the Korea Aerospace University.

    For the full CV, see here

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    NTSB SENDING TEAM TO ASSIST GOVERNMENT OF LIBYA IN AVIATION ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION

    The National Transportation Safety Board is dispatching a team of investigators to assist the government of Libya in its investigation of an accident involving an Airbus A330-200, which was equipped with General Electric CF6-8E1
    engines. At approximately 6:00 am local time on May 12, 2010, the aircraft, operated by Afriqiyah Airways, crashed on approach to Tripoli airport in Tripoli, Libya. Of the 104 passengers and crew on board the airplane, there was one
    survivor. The airplane originated in Johannesburg, South Africa.

    As the State of design and manufacture for the engines, NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman has designated Senior Air Safety Investigator, Lorenda Ward, as the U.S. Accredited Representative. The U.S. team will also include an NTSB engines specialist as well as technical advisors from the Federal Aviation Administration, and General Electric. The team is expected to arrive tomorrow afternoon.

    The Bureau d’Enquete et d’Analyse (BEA) of France, representing the country of manufacture of the airplane, has also sent a team of investigators to Libya.

    The investigation is being conducted by the Libyan Civil Aviation Authority, which will release all information on the progress of the investigation.

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    Safety Enhancements for Private Aircraft

    Interested in making your aircraft safer? Check out the latest issue of FAA Safety Briefing. In her article, “Small Cost, Big Benefit: A Look at Lifesaving Aircraft Safety Enhancements,” FAA aerospace engineer Della Swartz offers a variety of improvements that can have a positive effect on your safety and well-being without an undue strain on the wallet. Among the enhancements described are inflatable restraints, or air bags, whose safety benefits the NTSB recently highlighted. According to Swartz, inflatable restraint kits are available for about $1,000 per seat plus the cost of installation. The kit includes a shoulder harness, another inexpensive yet key life-saving device. Swartz also writes about helmets and emergency locator transmitters (ELT). For more on how to outfit your aircraft with low-cost and high-value safety enhancements, see the article on page 18 of the January/February 2011 issue of FAA Safety Briefing at www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/.

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