The services provided by Pöyry cover project management, environmental studies and authorisations as well as follow-up, monitoring and information management. In addition, Pöyry will be responsible for coordination of the project stakeholders and will prepare the technical specifications for bid requests to support the client during the contractor selection. The services will be completed by June 2012.

Pöyry has long experience in carrying out mass transportation projects worldwide, including high speed and conventional rail, underground and above-ground metros, bus rapid transit systems and light trains.

Working in frigid temperatures, Russian recovery teams were on hand at the landing site to help the crew exit the Soyuz vehicle and readjust to gravity. The crew members will return to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, outside of Moscow.

Williams and Suraev launched aboard the Soyuz TMA-16 spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Sept. 30, 2009. As members of the Expedition 21 and 22 crews, they spent 167 days on the station, presiding over the completion of the complex’s U.S. segment.

The astronauts supported two space shuttle flights and helped install the Tranquility module, the cupola viewing port and a second Russian docking module. Scientific research aboard the station continued to ramp up with the increase in available crew time and laboratory facilities.

Williams now has logged 362 total days in space, placing him fourth on the all-time U.S. list of long-duration space travelers. Peggy Whitson, who has spent 377 days in space, tops that list.

The station now is occupied by Expedition 23 Commander Oleg Kotov and Flight Engineers Soichi Noguchi and T.J. Creamer. A new trio of Expedition 23 flight engineers — Alexander Skvortsov, Tracy Caldwell Dyson and Mikhail Kornienko — will launch from the Baikonour Cosmodrome on April 2 and join the current station crew with a docking on April 4.

This additional fueling flexibility is important to a wide range of customers. Renewable, biodegradable fuels are especially vital in the agricultural segment, where biodiesel is often the preferred fuel.

In US, government fleet customers and energy providers must comply with the Energy Policy Act (EPACT) of 1992, which mandates that a certain percentage of new vehicle purchases have alternative fuel capability. Additionally, certain states and municipalities offer credits or incentives that encourage B20 use, making it an attractive alternative.

According to biodiesel.org, the 500 million gallons of fuel the U.S. biodiesel industry produced in 2007 offset nearly 12 million barrels of oil. The organization also reported that a recent study concluded that in 2007 alone, the biodiesel industry supported more than 21,000 jobs and added more than $4 billion to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

During the Super Duty’s development, engineers put more than 10.3 million equivalent test miles on the new diesel engine, including extreme road and weather conditions. The new Power Stroke diesel is the most tested Power Stroke ever, incorporating the most rigorous engine tests found in Ford globally.

Customer data, including driving styles, road types and vehicle usage (towing and payload), also played a key role in developing the testing program that best replicated Super Duty use.

Components were tested in the laboratory with a regimen designed to exceed what even the most extreme-use customer might dish out. Engines literally ran continuously for hundreds of hours.

This strict testing work helped ensure the new engine is B20 compatible. Because biodiesel fuel varies in quality in the U.S. and Canada, durability testing cycles were run on multiple blends of the fuel to ensure the robustness of the system. Engine components that are not compatible with B20 will suffer premature wear or corrosion and will have a high potential for leaks if the sealing components are not compatible with biofuels.

To address the challenges presented by biodiesel, the engineering team performed a complete review of biodiesel fuel properties (history and lessons learned) and examined the effects on each system, subsystem and component of the engine and vehicle to determine how best to design and test each component. Ford’s multifaceted approach included extensive testing on the dynamometer, the vehicle and in the laboratory to ensure compatibility.

“The entire vehicle was extensively tested on B20 to ensure compatibility of the vehicle fuel system components, including fuel filters, lines and connections,” said Ed Waszczenko, lead diesel engine durability engineer. “Each component that is exposed to the fuel was tested in a ‘worst case’ proprietary fuel mixture to prove compatibility and durability.”

Customers who opt for the more environmentally friendly fuel can rest assured they will receive top performance. The new 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 turbocharged diesel engine is rated at a significantly improved 735 ft.-lb. of torque at 1,600 rpm and 390 horsepower at 2,800 rpm.

“The customer will not see any degradation in performance with biofuels up to B20,” Waszczenko said. “Also, testing was conducted to simulate how some customers will use biofuels. This included switching from normal diesel fuel to B20 fuel, just like a customer might do.”

This increased flexibility is an important component of the new engine.

“Diesel engines account for 65 percent of Super Duty sales,” said Doug Scott, Truck Group marketing manager. “Increased biodiesel compatibility is something many of our customers have been looking for.”

“The 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty is all about meeting and exceeding customer demands across a wide range with the ‘and solution,’” said Scott. “Ford delivers best-in-class maximum capability and best-in-class fuel economy, with an average 18 percent improvement among diesel pickups and 25 percent improvement in diesel chassis cabs compared with 2010 models, and B20 compatibility.”

We are very pleased that Bergen Group Fosen, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bergen Group, is selected as the supplier of two new cruise ferries to Fjord Line. Both for Bergen Group and for our employees at Fosen this is a great recognition of long and extensive experience in ship design and shipbuilding. The agreement is also a confirmation of Bergen Group’s competitiveness in a demanding international shipbuilding market, says CEO Pål Engebretsen in Bergen Group.

The two sister ships have a length of 170 meters. Each ship will accommodate about 300 cabins, of which a large proportion will be suites, and have space for about 1,500 passengers. The cargo deck has a capacity of up to 600 cars.

The hull of the two cruise ferries will be built at the Polish shipyard Stocznia Gdansk. All work with outfitting and finishing of the ships will be made at Bergen Group Fosen who has a solid expertise in building cruise ferries for the international market. The former record includes ships like The World, and two of the newer ships operated by Hurtigruten.

The contract between Fjord Line Danmark AS and Bergen Group Fosen AS is signed subject to final funding and approval of the companies’ respective boards within 30 days from contract signing.

Bus operator Stagecoach Group will take delivery of their buses commencing with Oxford first, followed by Manchester, in the summer of 2010. They are the first of up to 300 hybrid electric buses that will be supplied to operators across the UK with support from the Department of Transport’s £30 million Green Bus Fund, which provides financial incentives to adopt green technologies.

The diesel-electric BAE Systems HybriDrive system being installed in the new ADL Enviro 400h hybrid buses for Oxford and Manchester will deliver fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions that are up to 30 per cent lower than conventional buses.

Double-decker buses are already a fuel-efficient, highly manoeuvrable and capable way of carrying more people within a 12-metre footprint than any other vehicle. The introduction of these new hybrid buses powered by BAE Systems will help transport authorities across the UK meet forthcoming UK environmental regulations by greatly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as well as saving fuel and reducing life-cycle costs.

BAE Systems’ HybriDrive technology currently powers more than 2,500 buses in cities across the UK and North America, transporting more than one million passengers every day. So far, these buses have travelled more than 150 million miles, saved ten million gallons of diesel fuel and prevented more than 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

BAE Systems has partnered with ADL since 2007 to build hybrid electric buses for the UK, and these latest orders follow Transport for London’s evaluation of 17 BAE Systems-powered hybrid buses.

“We have been impressed with the performance, reliability, and product support in the UK provided by BAE Systems’ hybrid technology,” said Adrian Havlin, Stagecoach group technical engineer. “These new hybrid vehicles are part of a package of measures to make our operations more sustainable and attract people to our greener, smarter public transport services. We are looking forward to being the first operator of these next-generation buses outside of London.”

The HybriDrive system consists of a generator, an electric motor, and an energy storage system managed by computerised controls. A diesel engine that turns the generator operates independently of the electric drive motor, allowing it to run at nearly constant speed for optimum efficiency. The system also uses no mechanical transmission, a major maintenance item on conventional diesel buses.

The BAE Systems technology has been trialled in a range of civilian and military vehicles and has proven itself as a smooth, powerful, reliable and environmentally friendlier power source.

“Our HybriDrive system powers the world’s largest hybrid bus fleet in New York and BAE Systems’ partnership with Alexander Dennis enables us to continue developing market-leading hybrid bus technologies,” said Rob Lindsay, Director of Transport Systems for BAE Systems.

As part of Boeing’s life cycle approach to reducing environmental impact, and in response to requests from the Brazilian carrier and other customers, Boeing has introduced a chrome-free primer to complement chrome-free exterior decorative paint, which Boeing has used for more than a decade. In addition to simplified health and safety monitoring requirements, a chrome-free primer reduces the environmental impact of the paint and stripping process. Using a chrome-free primer eliminates the need for designated off-site disposal areas and special handling of paint waste and clean up. Such advantages also are of benefit when the airplane is prepared for repainting.

Chrome — technically known as hexavalent chrome — is considered a carcinogen and exposure levels are highly regulated.

Boeing will apply the chrome-free paint and primer on its models for in-service evaluation, with the intention of making it a standard option in the future. Sao Paulo-based GOL is the first airline in the Americas and the first 737 operator to take part in the evaluation program. In August a KLM 777-300 ER received a similar treatment which also has been used on the AH-64 Apache for several years.

GOL, which also controls the VARIG brand, is Latin America’s largest low-cost, low-fare carrier, offering more than 860 daily flights to 50 destinations connecting all of Brazil’s major cities, plus 10 major destinations in South America and the Caribbean. The airline operates a standardized fleet of Boeing Next-Generation 737 airplanes.

Captain Kirk Vining was at the controls for the flight, with Rick Braun operating as co-pilot and Joel Conard serving as systems operator. The airplane reached an altitude of 27,000 feet (8,230 m) and an airspeed of 240 knots, or about 276 miles (444 km) per hour. It took off at 3:57 p.m. PDT and landed at 6:25 p.m.

“The airplane performed well on its first flight,” said Andy Hammer, test program manager for 747-8. “It was a good start to a demanding flight-test program for this airplane.”

This is the second of three 747-8 Freighters being used in the flight-test program. Each airplane will be used for a specific set of tests, with this airplane focusing on community noise, environmental control systems and extended operation performance standards.

The airplane will begin its flight-test program at Boeing Field before transitioning to Palmdale, Calif.

Each of the seven instruments is unique and will provide data in different formats to the Planetary Data System. Much of the data will be in a relatively low level form, not highly processed, which allows researchers to maximize flexibility in working with the data. The instrument teams will also provide higher level data products in the form of maps and calibrated images for the general public. Many of the images can be accessed using a computer with an internet browser.

Prior to the formal release of LRO data, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera team released several hundred images from the pair of Narrow Angle Cameras on-board the spacecraft. These images were released to give researchers a head start on using the data before the tidal wave of data was unleashed.

“We’re able to take advantage of the close proximity of the Moon, compared to other objects in the solar system, to transmit data from LRO back to Earth at a very high rate,” said Keller. “The first data release is 55 terabytes. The one year exploration mission will deliver 130 terabytes of data, enabling a more detailed study our nearest celestial neighbor. We expect LRO to provide more data than all of the previous planetary missions combined.”

LRO was mandated to release data to the Planetary Data System beginning six months after initial operation. Some of the higher level data products require the full year of measurements and won’t be released until after the end of the exploration mission. LRO will move into its science phase in September, when the program management responsibility moves from the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate to the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters.

LRO is scheduled for a one year exploration mission in a polar orbit about 31 miles above the lunar surface. During this time, LRO will produce a comprehensive map of the lunar surface in unprecedented detail, search for resources and potential safe landing sites for a potential future return to the moon and measure lunar temperatures and radiation levels.

The lunar bound spacecraft launched from Kennedy Space Center, Fla. on June 18, 2009. Since that time the spacecraft has completed calibration and commissioning. LRO formally began its detailed survey of the moon in September 2009. First results from the mission included – new looks at the Apollo landing sites; indications that permanently shadowed and nearby regions may harbor water and hydrogen; observations that large areas in the permanently shadowed regions are colder than Pluto; and detailed information on lunar terrain. LRO also supported the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite impact, first by helping to select a promising site and second by observing both the expanding plume that arose after the impact and the evolving temperature at the impact site.

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center built and manages the mission for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The Institute for Space Research, Moscow, provides the neutron detector aboard the spacecraft.

Cameras and sensors are installed at the airports and everything they register is linked in real-time to a common air traffic control centre and projected in a 360-degree view. The system was successfully tested at Ängelholm Airport in 2009 and has now received an award for its contribution to safer, more efficient and environmentally friendly air traffic.

The award is from the Jane’s Information Group and was handed over in Amsterdam during an air traffic control convention.

“It feels great to get this kind of recognition for our solution,” says Per Ahl, sales manager for Saab’s air traffic management systems. “We’ve worked hard to build a safe system that is easy for air traffic controllers to use, and along with the tests we’ve already conducted, we see the award as further confirmation that we’ve been successful.”

The reasons for controlling air traffic at several airports from a common control centre relate both to economy and safety. At small and mid-sized airports, traffic is unevenly distributed over the day, with occasional peaks when the workload is higher. Instead of keeping several air control towers open, resources can be co-located.

Captains Ray Craig and Mike Bryan piloted the airplane on its three-hour-and-six-minute flight. ZA003 is the final 787 with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines to enter the flight-test program.

“We’ve done a significant amount of ground testing on the new systems on ZA003 in preparation for first flight. Engineering, manufacturing and flight operations have really pulled together as a team to enable first flight,” said Craig. “It has been very rewarding to watch the Boeing team pull together in support of this milestone.”

ZA003 is the only 787 in the flight test fleet that will include elements of the passenger interior features including cabin and crew support systems. The 787 is introducing new passenger amenities and provisions for a more comfortable flying experience. Among the new features are improved lighting, bigger stowage bins, larger windows with electrochromatic shades and redesigned lavatories with easier access.

In addition to demonstrating that the interior meets certification requirements, ZA003 will be used to conduct tests on systems, noise performance, flight-deck operations, avionics, electromagnetic effects, high-intensity radio frequency response and extended operations (ETOPS).