Stubborn gender gap in aerospace

Posted on by

Stubborn gender gap in aerospace

By Jim Davis HBJ Editor

The percentage of women working in the aerospace industry in Washington has remained stagnant for more than 20 years, according to a state labor market economist.

Women account for one in four jobs in aerospace and that has changed little since the 1990s, said Anneliese Vance-Sherman, an Employment Security Department economist based in Everett.

I try not to go in with too many preconceived ideas when looking at the data, Vance-Sherman said. I knew it was going to be a male-dominated industry, but I thought there was going to be some change.

That snapshot is for the entire industry, from accountants and receptionists to machinists and CEOs.

The percentage is even lower when focusing on engineers and management.

Its far fewer, said Sue Chodakewitz, chair of Women in Aerospace, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., dedicated to expanding opportunities for women in the industry. Its not just CEOs. Its senior managers and executives.

On the positive side, women who work in aerospace in Washington make far more than men and women in other professions.

And while theres a wage gap between the genders within aerospace, its been narrowing slowly and surely.

View original post here:

Stubborn gender gap in aerospace

Ball Aerospace Selected to Prime First Commercial Laser Communications Satellite Fleet

Posted on by

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. has been selected by Laser LightCommunications, LLC (Laser Light) to be its prime contractor for the first global, all-optical commercial satellite system. As customer demand for bandwidth grows, space-based laser communication provides a new way to move vast amounts of information around the globe efficiently and with greater resiliency.

The Ball Aerospace contract will include a first phase design analysis that will lead to completion of an eight-satellite constellation operating in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO). The complete constellation of up to 12 satellites is expected to deliver 6 terabits of data per second with service speeds of 200 gigabits per second, bi-directionally, or nearly 100 times faster than conventional radio downlinks.

While conventional systems require labor-intensive infrastructure and are vulnerable to potential service disruptions, Laser Light's system will deliver equivalent bandwidth connections at lower operating costs, with higher speed and reliability. This new optical system will integrate seamlessly with existing ground service networks, offering multiple downlink locations to eliminate slowdowns from network congestion, outages, or weather interruptions.

"With a long-standing commitment to laser communications development, Ball Aerospace has significantly advanced the technology for civil, defense and commercial applications through our laser research and development as well as space-proven hardware," saidCary Ludtke, vice president and general manager of Ball's Operational Space business unit. "Our design work for Laser LightCommunications will capitalize on this rich heritage."

Ball has proven expertise in state-of-the-art precision pointing, acquisition, and tracking, high-power optical amplifiers, and high-bandwidth optical communications technologies. The company has designed and integrated complete laser terminals for a wide variety of user applications that span airborne, spaceborne, terrestrial and ship-based missions. Most recently, the company completed a risk reduction analysis for the Department of Defense Transformational Satellite program that examined secure, high data rate transfers for military communication satellites using optical terminals.

"The timing for this project is ideal and Ball's pioneering work in emerging laser communications technology makes them the perfect teammate to bring Laser Light's system to market," saidRobert Brumley, Senior Managing Director, Laser LightCommunications. "Ball's selection for the contract concludes a 15-month competitive process that vetted 24 global firms to validate that a global, laser communications constellation could be built and deployed cost-effectively, without sacrificing performance or schedule."

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. supports critical missions for national agencies such as the Department of Defense, NASA, NOAA and other U.S. government and commercial entities. The company develops and manufactures spacecraft, advanced instruments and sensors, components, data exploitation systems and RF solutions for strategic, tactical and scientific applications. For more information, visitwww.ballaerospace.com.

Ball Corporation

Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) supplies innovative, sustainable packaging solutions for beverage, food and household products customers, as well as aerospace and other technologies and services primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ 14,500 people worldwide and reported 2013 sales of$8.5 billion. For more information, visitwww.ball.com, or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Excerpt from:

Ball Aerospace Selected to Prime First Commercial Laser Communications Satellite Fleet

ST Engineering's Aerospace Arm to Establish Aircraft MRO Facility at Pensacola International Airport

Posted on by

Singapore, 10 September 2014 Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd.(ST Engineering) today announced that VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering, Inc (VT MAE)and the City of Pensacola have signed an agreement to set up an aircraft maintenance,repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at the Pensacola International Airport in Pensacola,Florida. This follows the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding in December2013.

Under the agreement, the City of Pensacola will construct an aircraft hangar complex on18.66 acres of greenfield land, and lease it to VT MAE for 30 years. The hangar will beable to accommodate two wide-body aircraft, and is expected to be ready for operations inmid 2016.

We are very happy to bring on board VT MAE, a leading aircraft MRO company whichhas already made significant contributions to the Gulf Coast region over the last 20 years.The City of Pensacola welcomes VT MAE as we jointly build the aviation industry inPensacola. We believe this collaboration will bring about a more robust aerospace clusterand create greater business and job opportunities for the people living in Pensacola andEscambia County,Mayor Ashton HAYWARD, City of Pensacola

We have played a pioneering role in the development and growth of the aviation industry in the Gulf Coast region in the last two decades, and have been looking for a suitablelocation to expand our presence and service offerings in this region. Pensacola presentedan opportunity for us to add to our capacity with the development of an aircraft MRO facility within the Pensacola International Airport. Its strategic location, goodinfrastructure, and a dynamic and supportive leadership team, are reasons for ourdecision to establish our presence in Pensacola. We look forward to creating greatervalue for our customers, and hope to bring many value-added jobs to the people ofPensacola and Escambia County.General (USA, Ret.) John G. COBURN, Chairman and CEO, VT Systems

Located in the Brookley Aeroplex in Mobile, Alabama, VT MAE is one of the citys largestprivate employers and a premier aerospace company specialising in aircraft maintenanceand modifications. It is a subsidiary of Vision Technologies Aerospace Incorporated(VT Aerospace), and marketed as part of ST Aerospaces MRO network.

VT Aerospace which owns six aerospace operating companies in five locations namely,Burlington, Washington; Mobile, Alabama; New Braunfels, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; and Wethersfield, Connecticut, is a subsidiary of Vision Technologies Systems, Inc.(VT Systems), the US headquarters of ST Engineering.

The agreement is not expected to have any material impact on the consolidated nettangible assets per share and earnings per share of ST Engineering for the currentfinancial year.

VT Systems (Vision Technologies Systems, Inc.) is an engineering company providingintegrated solutions to the commercial and government markets in the aerospace,electronics, land systems and marine sectors. VT Systems innovative solutions, productsand services include aircraft maintenance, repair and modification; software solutions intraining and simulation; satellite-based IP communications technology; network solutionsthat integrate data, voice and video; rugged computers and computer peripheralequipment; specialised truck bodies and trailers; weapons and munitions systems; road construction equipment; and ship design and shipbuilding. Headquartered in Alexandria,Va., VT Systems operates globally and is a wholly owned subsidiary of ST Engineering.Please visit http://www.vt-systems.com.

ST Aerospace (Singapore Technologies Aerospace Ltd) is the aerospace arm ofST Engineering with a turnover of $2.08b in FY2013. Operating a global MRO networkwith facilities and affiliates in the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe, it is the worldslargest commercial airframe MRO provider with a global customer base that includesleading airlines, airfreight and military operators. ST Aerospace is an integrated serviceprovider that offers a spectrum of maintenance and engineering services that includeairframe, engine and component maintenance, repair and overhaul; engineering designand technical services; and aviation materials and asset management services, includingTotal Aviation Support. ST Aerospace has a global staff strength of around 8,000employees worldwide. Please visit http://www.staero.aero.

ST Engineering (Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd) is an integrated engineeringgroup providing solutions and services in the aerospace, electronics, land systems andmarine sectors. Headquartered in Singapore, the Group reported revenue of $6.63b inFY2013 and ranks among the largest companies listed on the Singapore Exchange. It is acomponent stock of the FTSE Straits Times Index, FTSE ASEAN 40 Index, MSCI Singapore and other indices. ST Engineering has more than 23,000 employeesworldwide, and over 100 subsidiaries and associated companies in 46 cities across24 countries. Please visit http://www.stengg.com for more information.

Read more here:

ST Engineering's Aerospace Arm to Establish Aircraft MRO Facility at Pensacola International Airport

How to Live Forever: The (Mad?) Science Hollywood Is Using to "Cure" Death

Posted on by

This story first appeared in the Sept. 19 issue ofThe Hollywood Reportermagazine.

"I have no intention of dying,"Sumner Redstone told THR in January. Redstone, now 91, has made no secret of his longevity regime. It begins with a breakfast of goji berries, "Green Machine" smoothies and tomato juice followed by a fish dinner and a shot of vodka for its "wonderful" antioxidant properties. The mogul also says he exercises 90 minutes a day. Redstone has kept his promise so far, though he, like the rest of us, can't elude the Grim Reaper forever.

Theoretically that might change one day as society finds itself at what feels like a tipping point. From Master Cleanses to laser peels to Restylane injections, or to cite the latest craze intravenous vitamin infusions like "Myers' cocktail," Angelenos never will find themselves at a loss for quick anti-aging fixes. But merely looking younger no longer is enough. Hollywood wants to live longer and feel younger, and to that end a growing number of establishments at the cutting edge of science (and at least a few dubious alternatives) are ready to feed the new appetite for longevity. Taken to its extremes, health care's sunny future could, in the mind of "regenerative medicine" theoretician and biologist Aubrey deGrey, cure death entirely.

"It's not even a hypothesis; it's just obvious," insists de Grey, a Cambridge-educated Englishman who lives in Mountain View, Calif., where he heads the Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence Research Foundation. ("Senescence" is the lyrical term for the study of biological aging.) "The human body is a machine," he adds, simplifying the premise of his 2007 book, Ending Aging: The Rejuvenation Breakthroughs That Could Reverse Human Aging in Our Lifetime (St. Martin's Press). "Like any other machine, it can be subjected to preventative maintenance that will keep it going indefinitely by removing and replacing parts, just the way we do for a car." De Grey has drawn the attention of such Hollywood notables as Edward James Olmos and DJ Steve Aoki, who samples a de Grey lecture on his upcoming album Neon Future. Says Aoki of de Grey's claims, "It's not science fiction."

Such optimism has transformed anti-aging into an $88 billion industry. To learn more, this reporter ventured into the eye of the longevity storm, a journey that led me to get naked in egg-shaped pods, endure subfreezing temperatures and sprint on a treadmill until I collapsed. In short, my quest for immortality nearly killed me.

I'm encased in a plastic pod straight out of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Standing outside, a muscle-bound man repeatedly shouts "Clear!" into a walkie-talkie. Each time he does, I gulp deeply to pop my ears, which keep clogging as if I'm in an aircraft that is rapidly changing altitude. This strange device is called a Cyclic Variations in Adaptive Conditioning machine, and proponents say prolonged exposure to its altitude-simulating technology gives one a vigorous aerobic workout without moving a muscle. Top-ranked tennis pro Novak Djokovic swears by it, the Internet tells me.

I stumbled upon this pod by accident after wandering into the Beverly Hills Rejuvenation Center, one of scores of hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) clinics that have sprouted up throughout Los Angeles like cold-pressed juice bars. Situated nowhere near Beverly Hills on a wide stretch of Sepulveda Boulevard in West L.A. the clinic boasts a friendly proprietor, Dan Holtz, who greeted me. A former general contractor and lifelong bodybuilder with no medical training, Holtz now oversees a thriving HRT business. Customers have their blood analyzed by "staff doctors" and are prescribed a cocktail of "age-defying miracle hormones." Do you have suboptimal levels of testosterone, thyroid hormones, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), adrenaline or pregnenolone? There's a gel/ cream/pill/syringe for that. Take a "stimulation test," and if you fail, you're cleared for human growth hormone though be prepared to spend more than $1,200 a month for injections. Much has been written about Hollywood's obsession with HGH and its reputed ability to burn body fat, promote lean muscle mass, render skin more elastic, decrease cholesterol, improve vision, restore sex drive and more. Its most notable celebrity adherents are Sylvester Stallone, nabbed in 2007 at Sydney Airport smuggling 48 vials in his bag, and Suzanne Somers, who in recent years has refashioned herself into an HRT guru. Pausing to pop a hormone pill, Holtz detailed the clinic's spectrum of age-deferring services, including a reference to sending patients "to Panama City for stem-cell infusions."

I began to wonder whether I might prefer a more white-coat approach. That brought me to The Body Well, an upscale facility in West Hollywood overseen by Dr. Mike Carragher, a lean physician who specializes in "age management medicine." For a $4,000 annual fee (excluding the cost of hormones, which average $400 a month and can hit four times that if patients take HGH), Carragher runs clients through a diagnostic gantlet that includes a physical exam, a full blood panel, a cardiovascular risk profile and a computer quiz that tests for early signs of dementia. He then tailors a plan, prescribing whichever hormones he deems necessary. Many of his clients, like 39-year-old Teen Wolf showrunner Jeff Davis, are busy entertainment executives seeking a boost to survive grueling production schedules. "I wanted not just a doctor, but I wanted to be able to live a little better and figure out how to manage stress and energy well," says Davis, who started on a low HGH dosage. "That's scary to everyone, I know, especially when you look at Sylvester Stallone and how many vials a day he probably uses. But Dr. Mike told me it's all about maintaining the right levels of hormones and stuff."

Alas, HRT likely will not help you live longer. So says UCLA medical school professor Dr. Rita Effros, president of the Gerontological Society of America. "It's dangerous to willy-nilly pump people with hormones just because the level of that hormone has gone down," she says. "Growth hormone doesn't seem to be panning out as a solution to aging. People say they feel young again, but it can do a lot of bad things too. When one hormone level goes down, others may be compensating."

That made me second-guess a prospective existence marked by invigorating daily injections and jaunts to Panama City. Maybe I needed something more clinical, where I could wear a really nice bathrobe. That brought me to the California Health & Longevity Institute in Westlake Village. This "lifestyle transformation destination" was founded by David Murdock, chairman and CEO of Dole Food Co. Like Redstone, Murdock is a 91-year-old billionaire with designs to stick around as long as possible. The magnate consumes several smoothies a day he adds banana peels for extra fiber and has devoted a chunk of his fortune to spreading the longevity gospel. Every major Hollywood studio contacts CHLI, which features an on-premises Four Seasons hotel, for "deluxe" physicals (cost: $3,650) for their executives that aim to give patients actionable information to live longer. The daylong sessions include a state-of-the-art exam, nutrition and fitness consultations, a resting metabolic rate (RMR) test and a 50-minute massage.

See original here:
How to Live Forever: The (Mad?) Science Hollywood Is Using to "Cure" Death

Germany: ‘No war with Russia’ – Anti-NATO protesters rally in Berlin – Video

Posted on by


Germany: #39;No war with Russia #39; - Anti-NATO protesters rally in Berlin
Video ID: 20140907-018 M/S #39;No war with Russia #39; placards held by protesters, Berlin W/S #39;No war with Russia #39; placards held by protesters M/S Protester holds ...

By: RuptlyTV

See the article here:

Germany: 'No war with Russia' - Anti-NATO protesters rally in Berlin - Video

Georgia: Hagel praises NATO-Georgia relations at Krtsanisi military base – Video

Posted on by


Georgia: Hagel praises NATO-Georgia relations at Krtsanisi military base
Video ID: 20140907-029 W/S Chuck Hagel and entourage arriving W/S Marquee M/S Irali Alasania shaking hands with Chuck Hagel M/S US soldiers watching the speech SOT, Chuck Hagel, US Secretary...

By: RuptlyTV

More here:

Georgia: Hagel praises NATO-Georgia relations at Krtsanisi military base - Video