Space Development Agency may hire companies to tow defunct satellites

On the same subject

• 

  July 21, 2020 | International, Naval

  US Navy orders General Dynamics shipyard to stop work after small fire on the warship Kearsarge

  By: David B. Larter Update: The headline of this story was changed to more accurately characterize the incident onboard the amphibious assault ship Kearsarge. WASHINGTON — A rapidly extinguished fire aboard the amphibious assault ship Kearsarge prompted the Navy to issue a “stop work order” Friday to General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in Norfolk, Naval Sea Systems Command told Defense News Saturday. The incident started when a spark from welding landed on nearby material, which was then quickly put out by the fire watch. Fire watch is a sailor or contractor who stands nearby with a fire hose and/or extinguisher to stop a larger blaze in its tracks. In a statement, Naval Sea Systems Command spokesman Rory O'Connor said the “stop work” was to ensure the company followed fire safety protocols. “On July 17, the Navy was informed of a fire aboard USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), currently conducting a Selected Restricted Availability at General Dynamics NASSCO – Norfolk,” O'Connor said. “The fire was quickly extinguished by the fire watch and resulted in minimal damage. In response to this incident, the Navy has issued a stop work order for all ships in maintenance availabilities at GD NASSCO Norfolk to ensure compliance with all established fire protocols and procedures.” In a phone call Saturday, Anthony Paolino, a General Dynamics NASSCO spokesman, said the incident involved an ember landing on plastic, causing it to melt and smoke, but said there was no larger fire. NASSCO was already reviewing its safety protocols prior to the “stop work” order, and that it fully supported the Navy's ongoing safety stand down in the wake of this week's fire aboard Bonhomme Richard, Paolino said. In a phone call Saturday, Anthony Paolino, a General Dynamics NASSCO spokesman, said the incident involved an ember landing on plastic, causing it to melt and smoke, but said there was no larger fire. NASSCO was already reviewing its safety protocols prior to the “stop work” order, and that it fully supported the Navy's ongoing safety stand down in the wake of this week's fire aboard Bonhomme Richard, Paolino said. Once those investigations are finished, Gilday will determine whether a broader examination of the Navy's culture is necessary. “This is a very, very serious incident that I think will force the Navy to stand back and reevaluate itself,” Gilday said. “We've got to follow the facts, we've got to be honest with ourselves and we've got to get after it. My intention, once the investigations are done, is to make this available for the public to debate, including what we need to do to get after any systemic problems that we might have.” https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/07/18/us-navy-orders-to-general-dynamics-nassco-to-stop-work-after-fire-on-uss-kearsarge/

• 

  June 19, 2019 | International, Aerospace

  Northrop to build 3D-printed scramjet engine for Raytheon hypersonic weapon

  By: Valerie Insinna LE BOURGET, France — Raytheon has partnered with Northrop Grumman on its air-breathing hypersonic weapon, which will be powered by a Northrop-made scramjet made entirely of 3D-printed parts, the company announced Tuesday. Raytheon and Northrop's weapon is one of the competitors in the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's HAWC project, short for Hypersonic Air-Breathing Weapon Concept. The companies' offering — which comprises Northrop's scramjet engine and Raytheon's air vehicle — is ready to make its first flight, said Tom Bussing, vice president of Raytheon's advanced missile system segment. “We have a flight test planned for the near future where we will begin flying this particular class of weapon system,” he said during a briefing at Paris Air Show. While the exact schedule is classified, Bussing noted that the companies have already conducted “significant” ground tests “The combustor, everything that we do now is done by additive manufacturing, so its driving affordability into the hypersonic boost missile's scramjet engine. We are also looking at ways to reduce the weight so we can have more fuel, more payload,” he said. The entirety of Northrop's scramjet is 3D printed using advanced materials, said John Wilcox, the company's vice president of advanced programs and technology. “There gets to be points where you have to weld additive manufactured parts, but right now even the full combustor [is printed],” he said. “We think we're the first to ever 3D print a full combuster for an air-breathing scramjet engine. That's what's going to drive the affordability for air-breathing scramjet missiles.” According to Raytheon, scramjet engines use high vehicle speeds to then compress air moving into its inlets before combusting it. The process allows a vehicle to maintain hypersonic speeds — more than five times the speed of sound — over longer periods of time. The Raytheon-Northrop team is competing against Lockheed Martin for the final HAWC contact. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/paris-air-show/2019/06/18/northrop-to-build-3d-printed-scramjet-engine-for-raytheon-hypersonic-weapon/

• 

  March 29, 2023 | International, Land

  Germany OKs buying howitzers to help replace arms rushed to Ukraine

  The German parliament on Wednesday approved defence ministry plans to buy up to 28 self-propelled howitzers to replace weapons rushed to Ukraine out of army stocks last year, lawmakers familiar with the matter told Reuters.