Titan IV rocket era coming to an end in Utah desert
Utah Test And Training Range – The next-to-last Titan IV rocket motor segment was destroyed in Utah’s western desert Tuesday, and the last segment is to be destroyed this afternoon.
Members of Hill Air Force Base’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight burned the segment Tuesday afternoon at the range.
“This is truly an end of an era,” said Bob Engle, Lockheed Martin staff engineer. “I would always rather see a rocket fly than dispose of it like this. But it’s good to do it safely.”
The segment weighed 312,000 pounds and contained 291,700 pounds of propellant.
Technicians lined it with flexible charges and detonated them, causing the propellant to burn at more than 5,000 degrees. The segment was burned in about five minutes.
The Titan line of rockets, which has been manufactured at Lockheed Martin’s plant in Waterton Canyon since the 1950s, was used by NASA and the Air Force for 21 years. It was used for Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles and to launch satellites, including the Cassini spacecraft in the Saturn system.
The last Titan IV was launched at Cape Canaveral, Fla., in April. The Titan IV has been replaced by the Atlas V and Delta IV space launch vehicles.
ARAPAHOE COUNTY
HyperSpace’s new line of credit a no-go
HyperSpace Communications Inc., a maker of computer products and software, announced Wednesday that CapitalSource Finance of Chevy Chase, Md., has decided not to provide the technology company with a $40 million line of credit.
The loan was intended to replace a line of credit from Wachovia Capital Finance Corp., which was set to expire Sept. 1. HyperSpace stated that “there is no assurance” the Wachovia loan will be extended, according to a regulatory filing.
ALBUQUERQUE
Daniels Fund adds to board, gives grants
The Daniels Fund board approved $9.5 million in grants and added two board members during its quarterly meeting this week in Albuquerque.
Dan Ritchie, chairman of the board of the University of Denver, and Gayle Greer, a leader in the cable-television industry, were appointed to the board.
Major grants were awarded to the Association of American Educators Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boy Scouts of America – Pikes Peak Council, Food Bank of the Rockies, the National Association of Street Schools, Partnership for a Drug Free America, the United Medical Center Foundation and the University of Denver – Daniels College of Business.
DENVER
Nanotechnology alliance names exec
The Colorado Nanotechnology Alliance has named Debbie Woodward executive director. Woodward, a graduate of Regis University, was most recently the administrator of the Adams County Workforce and Business Center.
She has also served on boards of such organizations as the Colorado Photonics Industry Association, the Rocky Mountain Geospatial Information Technology Association, GIS in the Rockies, and the Rocky Mountain and Metro Denver Regional Workforce Development board of directors.
DENVER
Vicorp Restaurants reports quarterly loss
Denver-based Vicorp Restaurants Inc. on Wednesday reported a loss of $600,000 in its fiscal third quarter. A year ago, the company that operates Village Inn and Baker’s Square restaurants reported a profit of $1.3 million. Comparable restaurant sales for the third quarter of 2006 declined 3.1 percent from the previous year.
DENVER
Mall to acquire space when Dillard’s moves
Southwest Plaza mall will acquire the Dillard’s space in November, when the department store moves to a newly constructed 180,000-square-foot space in the mall.
The former Dillard’s store will be leased to two junior anchors, including a 64,000-square-foot Dick’s Sporting Goods store. Mall owner General Growth Properties said it is negotiating with a second retailer to fill the remaining 66,000 square feet on the lower level of the former Dillard’s store.
ARMONK, N.Y.
IBM to buy another software company
International Business Machines Corp. agreed to buy Internet Security Systems Inc. for about $1.3 billion, its fourth software acquisition this month, as computer and services sales fall.
Internet Security shareholders will receive $28 a share in cash, the companies said Wed nesday in a statement.
ROUND ROCK, Texas
Dell says bye-bye to its Ditty music player
Dell Inc. has quietly pulled the plug on its DJ Ditty music players, less than a year after the world’s largest computer maker launched the device to compete with Apple Computer Inc.’s iPod Shuffle.
The company stopped selling the Ditty on Aug. 17, Dell spokesman Venancio Figueroa said Wednesday. He declined to characterize the decision as Dell’s bowing out in the face of competition from market leader Apple.
DETROIT
Ford offers ’06 model no-interest loans
Ford Motor Co., cutting production amid a U.S. sales slump, will offer no-interest loans of as long as six years and ease credit standards to clear out 2006 cars and trucks. The loans, available today through Sept. 5, will apply to 2006 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models except the Ford GT sports car and some F-Series commercial pickup trucks, said Sam Treynor, general manager of Chastang’s Bayou City Ford in Houston.
NEW YORK
Cendant sells division to Blackstone Group
Cendant Corp. said Wednesday it has closed on the $4.3 billion sale of its travel-services division to the Blackstone private- equity group, finalizing a plan to divide the company into four separate businesses.
