Orion Arrives. Engineers take their first look at NASA’s Orion spacecraft following its successful Dec. 5 flight test and recovery, according to Orion developer Lockheed Martin. Technical teams are examining flight data recorders and samples of the heat shield to learn as much as possible about the performance of key systems during test. Engineers in San Diego remove samples of the heat shield to examine its performance and ablation rates during re-entry. The samples, along with select data recorders, will be brought to nearby Lockheed Martin facilities for processing. Orion is destined for NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where as part of the Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) contract, Lockheed Martin in March will provide a complete data analysis report, which includes information about the spacecraft’s performance and recommendations based on the results. Orion is NASA’s crewed space vehicle to deliver astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).
NG SBIRS. Lockheed Martin selects Northrop Grumman to provide its space inertial reference system for the Air Force’s Space-Based Infrared System’s (SBIRS) fifth geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) satellite, according to a Northrop Grumman statement. Northrop Grumman will provide its Scalable Space Inertial Reference Unit (Scalable SIRU) for sensor pointing/stabilization and attitude control on the SBIRS GEO-5 mission. Northrop Grumman has also provided its Scalable SIRU for previous SBIRS GEO missions. The SBIRS program delivers early warning of ballistic missile launches, missile defense, technical intelligence and battlespace awareness. Lockheed Martin is the SBIRS prime contractor while Northrop Grumman is the payload integrator.
F-35 Fuselage. Northrop Grumman completes the center fuselage for the first F-35 ordered by Norway, according to a company statement. Northrop Grumman says it completes the fuselage for AM-1, a conventional variant, on time and on schedule. The center fuselage is the core structure around which every F-35 is built. As a member of the F-35 industry team, Northrop Grumman designs and produces the center fuselage for all three F-35 variants: conventional, short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) and aircraft carrier variant (CV). The AM-1 center fuselage is the first of 52 center fuselages that Northrop Grumman will produce for Norway. The F-35 is developed by Lockheed Martin with subcontractors Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems.
CST-100. Boeing and NASA complete the ground segment critical design review (CDR) and set the baseline design for the company’s Commercial Crew Transportation system, according to a company statement. The milestone brings Boeing and NASA a step closer to the planned early 2017 voyage to the International Space Station (ISS). Completion of the certification baseline review allows construction to begin on system hardware, including the spacecraft and United Launch Alliance (ULA) launch vehicle adaptor. It also keeps the effort on track for achieving human-rated certification of the spacecraft and the ULA Atlas V rocket. Setting the design was the first milestone under the $4.2 billion contract NASA awarded to Boeing in September. Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) was also awarded a Commercial Crew contract, which is to taxi astronauts to ISS and back.
SIA. The Satellite Industry Association (SIA) names Tom Stroup its next president, effective Dec. 15, according to a SIA statement. Stroup’s appointment follows an extensive search to replace former president Patricia Cooper, who left SIA to become Intelsat’s vice president of government affairs and policy. Stroup joins SIA from Shared Spectrum Company (SSC), a developer of spectrum intelligence technologies, where he served as CEO. SIA is a U.S.-based trade association providing worldwide representation of the leading satellite operators, service providers, manufacturers, launch services providers and group equipment suppliers.
Intelsat. Intelsat promotes Stephen Spengler from president and chief commercial officer (CCO) to deputy CEO, according to a company statement. Under the company’s succession plan, Intelsat Chairman and CEO David McGlade will transition to the position of executive chairman, effective April 1, at which time Spengler becomes CEO. McGlade will have served as the company’s CEO for 10 years.
SASC approves nominees. The Senate Armed Services Committee met Dec. 9 to favorably report out 3,579 pending military nominations and three civilian nominations. Included is Adm. Harry Harris, the current commander of the Navy’s U.S. Pacific Fleet, who was selected to serve as the commander of the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM). The committee canceled a Dec. 8 confirmation hearing for four civilian nominees and instead the next day approved three of them without a hearing: Robert Scher to be assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans, and capabilities; David Berteau to be assistant secretary of defense for logistics and materiel readiness; and Alissa Starzak to be general counsel of the Army. Elissa Slotkin, who was nominated to be assistant defense secretary for international security affairs, faced opposition from SASC chairman-elect Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and will have to wait for a confirmation hearing to be rescheduled sometime early next year.
A Farewell to Armed Services. In a farewell speech to the Senate after 36 years of service, Armed Services Committee chairman Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) thanked servicemen and women not only for their service to the country but also for inspiring lawmakers to come together each year to pass a defense authorization bill in support of those protecting the United States. “We have never allowed disagreements over policy to interfere with our duty to our troops and their families. I am deeply grateful to the many ranking Republican partners I’ve been fortunate to work with in that endeavor: people like John McCain and John Warner and Jim Inhofe. John McCain, my great friend, who has demonstrated extraordinary courage in war and in this Senate, will take the gavel of the Armed Services Committee, and my trusted wingman and friend, Jack Reed, will become ranking member. At a pivotal moment for the Senate and the nation, the Armed Services Committee will be in strong hands.”
New Homeland Republicans. The Republican leadership of House Homeland Security Committee will welcome seven new party members to the committee when the new Congress begins in January. The new Republican Representatives on the panel are: John Katko (N.Y.); Will Hurd (Texas); Buddy Carter (Ga.); Mark Walker (N.C.); Barry Loudermilk (Ga.); Martha McSally (Ariz.); and John Ratcliffe (Texas). Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) will continue to chair the committee and Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) will remain as ranking member. House Democrats haven’t announced who will represent them on the committee.
UTC Forecast. United Technologies Corp. expects its sales to rise between 3 and 5 percent organically in 2015 to between $66 billion and $67 Billion. The multi-industrial company also expects it’s per share earnings next year to range between $7 and $7.20, a dime below consensus expectations at the high end of the forecast. UTC says earnings this year are pegged at $6.80 earnings per share, at the midpoint of its previous guidance of between $6.75 and $6.85.
Coast Guard UAS Evaluations. The Coast Guard’s Research and Development Center continues to assess unmanned aircraft operations, beginning a two-week demonstration aboard the National Security Cutter Bertholf on Dec. 4. The evaluation aboard the Bertholf in the Pacific Ocean with Boeing’s ScanEagle follows a UAS demonstration in the Arctic Ocean over the summer aboard the Coast Guard icebreaker the Healy with AeroVironment’s Puma AE UAS. The service has a validated mission need for cutter-based UAS to expand their operations. The R&D Center says it plans another demonstration early next year to examine small UAS payloads for maritime missions.
Senate Committee Membership Announced. Senate Democratic leadership on Friday announced its committee assignments for next year, when Democrats will be the minority party. The Senate Armed Services Committee’s minority side will include: Jack Reed (R.I.) as the ranking member, Bill Nelson (Fla.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Joe Manchin (W.V.), Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Mazie Hirono (Hawaii), Tim Kaine (Va.), Angus King (Maine) and Martin Heinrich (N.M.), who is the lone new Democrat on the committee. The Appropriations Committee minority side will consist of Barbara Mikulski (Md.) as the ranking member, Patrick Leahy (Vt.), Patty Murray (Wash.), Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), Dick Durbin (Ohio), Reed, Jon Tester (Mont.), Tom Udall (N.M.), Shaheen, Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Chris Coons (Del.), and new committee members Brian Schatz (Hawaii), Tammy Baldwin (Wisc.) and Chris Murphy (Conn.).