Friday, January 10, 2014

Air Force request avionics upgrade for T-1A jets

The U.S. Air Force is surveying the aerospace industry to find companies with the expertise to upgrade avionics systems aboard their T-1A trainer jets to maintain current capabilities and ensure flight operations at all times, in all civil and military airspace. [Full story]

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Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Arianespace aims for new satellite launch record in 2014

Following a year of unprecedented orders, European-based Arianespace is gearing up to beat its record for the number of satellite launches during a year in 2014.

In 2013, Arianespace signed 18 launch contracts: 15 for geostationary satellites to be launched by the heavy Ariane 5 rocket, giving it a market share of 60 percent, and three for Earth observation satellites, to be launched by the smaller Vega booster.

Arianespace now has a record backlog of orders equal to more than three years of launches. With 21 Ariane 5 launches, nine Soyuz launches and six Vega launches, Arianespace continues to have the largest launch backlog in the industry.

With its family of Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega launchers, Arianespace confirmed its ability in 2013 to handle a complete range of missions, from commercial launches into geostationary orbit to launches of scientific spacecraft into special orbits. Ariane 5 has now logged an impressive 11 years of uninterrupted success, with 57 successful launches in a row and 12 consecutive countdowns with launches taking place right on time.

Arianespace carried out eight launches in 2013: seven from the Guiana Space Center and one from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Three Ariane 5 ECA launchers orbited six telecommunications satellites, an Ariane 5 ES launched the fourth Automated Transfer Vehicle, dubbed "Albert Einstein", to the International Space Station, and two Soyuz missions orbited the first four 03b satellites, and the Gaia space telescope respectively. The second launch of Vega orbited the Proba-V, VNREDSat-1 and ESTCube-1 satellites.

On Dec. 14, Arianespace signed a contract with Astrium (now Airbus Defence and Space) for 18 additional Ariane 5 ECA launchers, to be used starting in 2017. Overall, the company has a total of 62 launchers (38 Ariane 5, 14 Vega and 10 Soyuz) under order.

Outlook for 2014

To meet the requirements of its record backlog of orders, Arianespace aims to beat its record for launches in a year, of ten in 2012. Operations will kick off in February, using Ariane 5 ECA for two geostationary transfer orbit missions: VA217, with ABS-2 and Athena-Fidus, then VA216, with Astra 5B and Amazonas 4A.

Ariane 5 ME

To meet emerging market requirements, including the advent of a number of small and medium satellites, calling on the advantages of electric propulsion systems, Arianespace hopes to be able to deploy its upgraded Ariane 5 ME launcher as soon as possible. This new version will offer greater flexibility, thanks to an upper stage equipped with the restartable Vinci cryogenic engine. A first launch could be carried out as early as 2018.

Ariane 6

Extending the advantages of Ariane 5 ME, the new Ariane 6 launcher will meet the needs of both government and commercial customers by offering competitive launch rates for large and small satellites alike. Arianespace fully supports the initiative by European Space Agency and the European space industry to develop the most competitive launcher possible over the next decade.

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Nordstrom Rack to open first Queens location

Seattle-based Nordstrom, Inc., announced Monday plans to open a Nordstrom Rack at The Shops at SkyView Center in Queens, N.Y. The approximately 39,000-square-foot, two-level store is scheduled to open in fall 2014. The developer for the project is Onex Real Estate Partners.

Nordstrom Rack offers customers a wide selection of on-trend apparel, accessories and shoes at an everyday savings of 30-70 percent off regular prices.

Nordstrom Rack is set to open its first Brooklyn location on Fulton Street in spring 2014 followed by a second location at the Gateway Center in Brooklyn in the fall. When it opens, The Shops at SkyView Center Nordstrom Rack will be the company's first Queens location.

Nordstrom Rack will join the approximately 700,000-square-foot center which is home to a strong mix of retailers, including Target, Old Navy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, Marshall's, Restoration Hardware and the specialty Asian supermarket Sky Foods among others.

Nordstrom, Inc. is one of the leading fashion specialty retailers based in the U.S. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 261 stores in 35 states, including 117 full-line stores, 141 Nordstrom Racks, two Jeffrey boutiques and one clearance store.


Florida

In addition to the Queens store, Nordstorm is also expanding its locations in Florida. The company plans to open a Nordstrom Rack at Lake Brandon Plaza in Brandon, Fla. The approximately 32,700-square-foot store is scheduled to open in fall 2014. Lake Brandon Plaza is owned and managed by DDR Corp.

When it opens, the Lake Brandon Plaza Nordstrom Rack will be the company's third location in the greater Tampa area. Nordstrom has operated a full-line store at International Plaza since 2001. The first Nordstrom Rack in Tampa opened at Walters Crossing in 2010.

The new Nordstrom Rack is located off Interstate 75. It will move into the space currently occupied by Babies "R" Us and join a strong surrounding retail scene. Nearby stores include Publix Super Market, Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft, Kohl's and Sports Authority.

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Antares rocket ready to launch space station cargo ship

An Orbital Sciences Corp. Antares rocket is ready for flight on launch Pad-0A at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Va., liftoff planned for 1:07 p.m. EST on Thursday.

The Antares will launch a Cygnus spacecraft on a cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. The Orbital-1 mission is Orbital Sciences' first contracted cargo delivery flight to the space station for NASA.

Among the cargo aboard Cygnus set to launch to the space station are science experiments, crew provisions, spare parts and other hardware.

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Sunday, January 5, 2014

US Air Force Academy aircraft support contract

The U.S. Air Force Academy Aircraft Program Office of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Mobility Directorate's Special Airlift Mission Division at Tinker Air Force Base will conduct an Industry Day meeting on Jan. 16 in Oklahoma City. [Full story]

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