Official: NASA's UARS Re-Enters Earth's Atmosphere

Talk about a (non) media event... NASA's decommissioned Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) fell back to Earth between 11:23 p.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 23 and 1:09 a.m. Sept. 24, 20 years and nine days after its launch on a 14-year mission that produced some of the first long-term records of chemicals in the atmosphere. The precise re-entry time and location of debris impacts have not been determined. During the re-entry period, the satellite passed from the east coast of Africa over the Indian Ocean, then the Pacific Ocean, then across northern Canada, then across the northern Atlantic Ocean, to a point over West Africa. The vast majority of the orbital transit was over water, with some flight over northern Canada and

Stealth Bomber Will Fly Through 2058

Senior leaders from across the Air Force visited Whiteman AFB, in Missouri to discuss the future of the B-2 Spirit bomber. The General Officer Steering Group for B-2 Sustainment met at the base September 8 to discuss challenges and solutions for keeping the B-2 fleet healthy and operational for years to come.

Tests "Closest Simulation" So Far To Actual Spacecraft Recovery

NASA completed the first in a series of flight-like parachute tests for the agency's Orion spacecraft this week. The drop tests at the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona support the design and development of the Orion parachute assembly.

Don Spruston Is Stepping Down At The End Of The Year

The NBAA has been notified by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) that IBAC is seeking a successor for Don Spruston, who has served as the group's Director General for the past 12 years, and announced recently that he will leave the post at the end of the year.

Enhanced Vision System In Use On Amphibious Aircraft

Max-Viz and Brant Aero of Brantford, Ontario Canada announced the first installation of a Max-Viz EVS-600 dual sensor General Aviation infrared Enhanced Vision System (EVS) on a Found Expedition 350 amphibious aircraft, successor to the Bush Hawk.

Airline Loses Its Injunction Appeal

The Illinois Appellate Court on Wednesday affirmed Travelport's preliminary injunction against American Airlines. The injunction preserved Orbitz's ability to sell AA tickets. The Appellate Court also recognized Travelport's position that the AA contract allows all Travelport agents to fully utilize AA's content.

Sentence Reduced For Cooperating With The Government Against Others Involved

A TSA agent who had pleaded guilty of participating in a theft ring which stole large amounts of cash and valuables from travelers at Newark Airport has been sentenced to six months of home confinement and three years probation.

Power Generated Will Fed To IPL Electric Grid

When you think about solar power, the state of Indiana probably isn't the first place that comes to mind. But pilots and passengers flying into Indianapolis International Airport will soon start seeing construction on what is being called one of the largest airport-based solar farms in North America. The Indianapolis Airport Authority (IAA) announced Tuesday that it has selected ET Energy Solutions, LLC to develop a solar farm on Indianapolis International Airport property.

Engine Designed To Enhance Performance For RQ-4 Global Hawk

The growth variant of the Rolls-Royce AE 3007H engine has successfully completed its US Air Force funded flight test, according officials at the company. The engine is designed to enhance performance of the RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft and will offer customers significant improvements in engine durability and total life-cycle cost savings.

Aero Linx: 787 Dreamliner Flight Test The home page for the Boeing Dreamliner 787 Flight test program, the 787-8 Dreamliner will carry 210–250 passengers on routes of 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles, while the 787-9 Dreamliner will carry 250 – 290 passengers on routes of 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles. In addition to bringing big-jet ranges to mid-size airplanes, the 787 will provide airlines with 'unmatched' fuel efficiency, resulting in exceptional environmental performance. The airplane will use 20 percent less fuel for comparable missions than today’s similarly sized airplane. It will also travel at speeds similar to today’s fastest wide bodies, Mach 0.85.

ASOS Acronym for Automated Surface Observing System. This system is a collection of automated weather instruments that collect data. It performs surface based observations from places that do not have a human observer, or that do not have an observer 24 hours a day. 

"This was not an easy re-entry to predict because of the natural forces acting on the satellite as its orbit decayed. Space-faring nations around the world also were monitoring the satellite's descent in the last two hours and all the predictions were well within the range estimated by JSpOC." Source: Nick Johnson, NASA's chief scientist for orbital debris, at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, following the re-entry of UARS over the weekend.