spacetoday.net: News briefs: October 19

Posted: Fri, Oct 19, 2001, 10:57 AM ET (1457 GMT)
NASA will require an additional $93.1 million to pay for enhanced security, Florida Today reports. The request is part of a $20 billion package of terrorism-related measures the Bush Administration sent to Congress this week for their consideration. The funds would pay for additional guards and equipment, as well as air and sea patrols for shuttle launches. NASA officials also said an anthrax scare at the Kennedy Space Center earlier this week was a false alarm; a white powder found a building turned out to be harmless... XM Satellite Radio secured an additional $66 million in funding Thursday. The funds, $31 million in debt restructuring and $35 million in loans, both through Boeing, will allow XM to continue the national rollout of its satellite radio service. The company says it now has money to go "deep" into the second quarter of 2002... Boeing reported third quarter earnings Thursday of $0.88 a share, slightly higher than analysts' predictions. Boeing's Space and Communications division reported revenues of $2.7 billion, a 67 percent increase over the same quarter a year ago, largely because of the acquisition of Boeing Satellite Systems (formerly part of Hughes) and growth in missile defense and classified systems.