Reaching for the Stars

NASA is accelerating development of a space plane to transport crews to and from the International Space Station, reported The New York Times, but NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe said the aging space shuttles could remain in use for many years.

At an October news conference, O'Keefe said the Orbital Space Plane, primarily designed to carry people, could be available as a station rescue vehicle in five years and ready to serve as a crew hauler a few years after that. However, he said a space plane would not replace the shuttle altogether.

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Boston airport begins cargo screening

Boston Logan International Airport last month began a test to screen cargo electronically on passenger planes in a bid to seal what many regard as a critical vulnerability in the nation's aviation security.

According to United Press International, the initial 30-day stage of the pilot project will use a self-contained mobile X-ray machine to screen cargo trucks. Logan Airport was the staging point for two of the airplanes hijacked in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

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China banking on tourism boost, despite SARS fallout

The tourism industry in China is set for rapid growth in the coming years, despite lingering fallout from the SARS epidemic earlier this year, according to a report released last month.

According to The New York Times, the World Travel and Tourism Council report predicts the number of tourists and business travelers visiting China will grow 22 percent a year from 2004 through 2013, with the flow of Chinese tourists and travelers going abroad growing even faster. Council representatives and travel industry executives warned, however, that China must overhaul its tourism administration and accept more foreign involvement if it is to manage the expansion.

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