NORAD promises changes after security review: "PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — The commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command said Thursday he approved some ‘prudent’ changes in NORAD’s headquarters after a security review prompted by NORAD’s decision to move some functions out of a Colorado mountain bunker."
(Via Air Force Times - News.)
Another Predator crashes in Afghanistan: "For the second time in less than two weeks, a remote-controlled Air Force MQ-1 Predator crashed in eastern Afghanistan."
(Via Air Force Times - News.)
Two Down, Three To Go: "JOHNSON SPACE CENTER -- It took them seven hours, 56 minutes, but astronauts Mike Good and' Mike Massimino kept the final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope on track with their first spacewalk together.
NASA TV
The second EVA of the mission ran long because of the trouble the spacewalkers encountered replacing the telescope's six gyros' (see previous post). Before closing the doors on that worksite, Massimino managed to connect some power cables as a get-ahead task for EVA No. 3 tomorrow. This video shot with his helmet camera shows just how tight the workspace was.
NASA TV
Once the gyros were installed, the EVA team and' controllers at' mission control here decided to press on to replace the first of two battery modules before returning to the airlock. That required Massimino to replenish the oxygen' in his spacesuit, but the work itself' went fairly smoothly. Weighing 460 pounds on the ground, each module contains three nickel hydrogen batteries that store electricity generated by the telescope's solar arrays' for use in orbital darkness.
NASA TV
The batteries haven't' been replaced since the telescope was launched 19 years ago, and have worked' well even though they were designed for five-year service life.
The second EVA ran so long that mission managers here decided to give the crew an extra hour before going to sleep to finish the work necessary to get ready for the third spacewalk of the mission tomorrow. They will also get' to sleep an extra' hour - until about 5:30 a.m. EDT -- on Saturday. Spacewalkers John Grunsfeld and Drew Feustel are scheduled to spend the day removing the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement, which fixed a flaw accidentally ground into the telescope's main light-gathering mirror, and then installing the' Cosmic Origins Spectrograph in its place.
They will also attempt to repair the Advanced Camera for Surveys, which has four electronics cards that need to be replaced. Spacewalks also are' scheduled on Sunday and Monday.
"
(Via On Space.)
Pakistan says 1,000 militants killed: "A military offensive to rid Pakistan's northwest of al Qaeda and Taliban fighters has killed more than 1,000 militants since it began in full force earlier this month, the country's interior ministry said Sunday.
"(Via CNN.com.)
X2 Marks Sikorsky's Spot for ARH: "
Watch out for on-the-spot reporting later from Bettina Chavanne at the Quad-A show, where Sikorsky has taken the wraps off a full-scale mockup of its X2 Technology Light Tactical Helicopter (LTH) concept.
Photo: Sikorsky
A much smaller model of the coaxial-rotor LTH has been making the rounds of the shows for a year or so now, so the mockup's unveiling at the Army Aviation Association of America show is significant. The Army is looking for an armed reconnaissance helicopter to replace the cancelled Bell ARH-70, but says its recent request for information showed nothing was available off the shelf to meet its requirements. So it's gone back to square one and started a new analysis of alternatives.
Sikorsky, meanwhile, says it couldn't'deliver the high-speed X2 LTH before 2017-18, so its strategy seems to be to offer the Army the carrot of a completely new capability - if it can soldier on for a few more years with a combination of Kiowa Warriors, Apaches and unmanned aircraft in the armed scout role. The X2 would bring high speed with helicopter agility and the ability to go from the hover to 250kt and back without any rotary/fixed-wing mode changes.
Sikorsky's X2 Technology demonstrator is due back in the air shortly after the final mods to prepare for high-speed testing - connecting the pusher prop, fairing over the rotor hubs and making the gear retractable. The company expects to'pass its 250kt speed target by year end - which should mean the results will be available in time for consideration by the Army as it analyzes its alternatives.
"(Via Ares.)
