Jan 27 1993
From The Space Library
NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin awarded test pilot A. Scott Crossfield the NASA Distinguished Service Medal for his contributions to aeronautics and aviation during his career of 50 years.
Crossfield played a key part in NASA's research aircraft program in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Recently he had been a key proponent of the National Aerospace Plane (HASP) program, serving as technical consultant to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology. (NASA Release 93-16; Antelope Valley Press, Feb 4/93)
Three major aerospace companies announced cutbacks yesterday, with the states of Connecticut and Washington losing most of the jobs. Pratt & Whitney, a jet engine manufacturer whose plants are mainly in Connecticut, said that 6,700 jobs would be eliminated over the next 12 months. The Boeing Company announced that it would cut back production of all models of jet airliners. Such a downsizing could result in as many as 30,000 lost jobs. McDonnell Douglas, which had already announced that 8,700 jobs would soon be eliminated, most of them production jobs in its California factories, said that 1,500 white-collar jobs would disappear from its St. Louis headquarters. (NY Times, Jan 27/93; WSJ, Jan 27/93)
Standard & Poor's Corporation downgraded its ratings on about $l.7 billion of Lockheed Corporation's debt. The lowered ratings reflected Lockheed's proposed $1.52 billion acquisition of General Dynamics Corporation's fighter plane unit.
In a separate announcement, Lockheed said that it had finalized a venture with Khrunichev Enterprises to market the Russian-built Proton rocket for commercial satellite launches. (WSJ, Jan 27/93)
NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin and astronaut Mae C. Jemison visited the Challengers Boys and Girls Club in South-Central Los Angeles and announced funding of a science room in the club's new facility. The club runs all-day education, social, and sports programs, six days a week.
Writing in the Los Angeles Times, Louis Friedman, the executive director of The Planetary Society in Pasadena, California and past head of advanced studies at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, urged the Southern California aerospace community to support efforts such as the Challengers Club. He wrote, "We have a special opportunity in Los Angeles because of the confluence of a large and changing aerospace industry with a larger and more changing social situation in our inner city." (LA Times, Jan 27/93)
Robert S. Harrington, 50, an astronomer with the United States Naval Observatory in Washington, died of cancer January 23 at George Washington University Hospital. Dr. Harrington was known for his work concerning the possible existence of a 10th planet beyond the orbit of Plato. He also focused on precise stellar distances, solar system dynamics, and multiple star dynamics.
Dr. Harrington received the Simon Newcomb Award from the Naval Observatory for his work on the dynamics of the solar system. Minor Planet 3216 was named after him. (W Post, Jan 27/93; NY Times, Jan 27/93)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
