Orbital Sciences Inc

One day last summer, in a government office in Brazil's capital city, European business people taught McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Co. a painful lesson in the competitive realities of the new commercial rocket industry. The Huntington Beach aerospace giant, which builds the Delta II rocket, was in a tough fight with Arianespace Inc. of France for a $100-million-plus contract to launch two Brazilian telecommunications satellites.

One day last summer, in a government office in Brazil's capital city, European businessmen taught McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Co. a painful lesson in the competitive realities of the new commercial rocket industry. The Huntington Beach aerospace giant, which builds the Delta II rocket, was in a tough fight with Arianespace Inc. of France for a $100-million-plus contract to launch two Brazilian telecommunications satellites.

One day last summer, in a government office in Brazil's capital city, European businessmen taught McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Co. a painful lesson in the competitive realities of the new commercial rocket industry. The Huntington Beach aerospace giant, which builds the Delta II rocket, was in a tough fight with Arianespace Inc. of France for a $100-million-plus contract to launch two Brazilian telecommunications satellites.

One day last summer, in a government office in Brazil's capital city, European business people taught McDonnell Douglas Space Systems Co. a painful lesson in the competitive realities of the new commercial rocket industry. The Huntington Beach aerospace giant, which builds the Delta II rocket, was in a tough fight with Arianespace Inc. of France for a $100-million-plus contract to launch two Brazilian telecommunications satellites.

Tracor to Buy GDE Systems: The company said it agreed to acquire another defense electronics concern, San Diego-based GDE Systems Inc., from an investor group led by the Carlyle Group for cash and securities totaling $98 million. GDE, which was once part of General Dynamics Corp., also has interests in high-resolution satellite remote imaging technology in a venture with Litton Industries and Orbital Sciences. Tracor Inc., based in Austin, Tex.

When the X-45 unmanned fighter jet takes off on its maiden flight next month, the traditional thumbs-up signal may well be replaced with a "Surf's up!" yell. It's not because the flight is taking place in California but that the world's most advanced robotic aircraft will have wings that are essentially high-tech versions of a surfboard.

The Columbia accident and growing doubts about the safety of the space shuttle are forcing NASA to accelerate efforts to build a new space vehicle -- one that can begin operating in less than a decade. The space agency is awarding $135 million to three major aerospace companies to begin designing what could become a multibillion-dollar fleet of orbital space planes just big enough to ferry crews of about four astronauts back and forth to the international space station.