Apr 18 1977
From The Space Library
The Viking 1 lander's gas-exchange experiment had developed a leak during the final analysis of soil from a deep trench at the Chryse Planitia landing site, NASA reported. Failure of the gas-exchange package, designed to detect respiration in soil samples, would not affect the lander's other biology experiments. (NASA Release 77-82)
MSFC reported it had purchased S large solar collectors to heat an exhibit at the Ala. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. The collectors would provide 70% of the heat for the Lunar Odyssey, a space voyage simulation in a modified Saturn launch vehicle. (MSFC Release 77-65)
MSFC announced it would sponsor a 2-day symposium May 11-12 on engineering and productivity advances from space technology. The center's technology utilization office and the Huntsville chapter of the Ala. Society of Professional Engineers would cosponsor discussions by speakers from industry, universities, NASA, and other government agencies on industrial uses of space technology in energy management, materials processing, and electronics. (MSFC Release 77-66)
A Space Shuttle orbital-maneuvering system engine had completed acoustic environment testing at JSC, and a second engine had fired 1000 times in life-cycle testing at the White Sands, N.M., test facility, Aviation Week reported. The latter achievement demonstrated the engine's ability to perform 100 missions, a project requirement. (Av Wk, Apr 18/77, 13)
Rockwell International's Space Division and Autonetics group had won an Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) design competition for a Teal Ruby sensor to detect and track aircraft targets from space, Av Wk reported. The DOD sensor, using up to a quarter million mosaic infrared detectors with charge-coupled processors, would fly on the Space Shuttle in 1980. A Lockheed-Grumman team had also competed. (Av Wk, Apr 18/77, 13)
During confirmation hearings, Dr. Frank Press, President Carter's nominee as director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, had stated that NASA should broaden the scope of its technology-transfer efforts and its planned use of the Space Shuttle, Av Wk reported. The administration should continue funding planetary exploration and space science (areas adaptable to the Shuttle's unique capabilities), but should also make NASA's technological knowledge available to industry. Press, former chairman of MIT's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, had specialized in earthquake research and detection of underground nuclear tests. (Av Wk, Apr 18/77, 21)
Israel Aircraft Industries had modified an Arava twin-turboprop transport plane using winglets designed by Richard T. Whitcomb of LaRC, Av Wk reported. Winglets would reduce drag during takeoff and enhance short takeoff and landing capabilities. (Av Wk, Apr 18/77, 21)
NASA had decided to plan construction of an orbiting space station from existing hardware because the Carter and Ford administrations had refused funds for major space station development, Av Wk reported. Four station concepts were under examination: increasing the duration of Space Shuttle missions, using Skylab Apollo telescope-mount components to supply additional electricity for any extended mission; making a Space Shuttle external fuel tank into a Skylab-type station [see Mar. 7]; launching unmanned platforms to be occupied in the future; and modifying the ESA-NASA Spacelab to fly as an independent orbiting laboratory, without Space Shuttle. (Av Wk, Apr 18/77, 42)
Comsat General, wholly owned subsidiary of the Communications Satellite Corp., announced that former FAA administrator Dr. John L. McLucas had been elected president and a member of the board of directors. ComSatCorp. president Dr. Joseph V. Charyk said the subsidiary would benefit from Dr. McLucas's "long and distinguished career as administrator, engineer, and scientist." Holding a Ph.D in physics and electrical engineering from Penn. State Univ., Dr. McLucas had been president of the Mitre Corp. before serving as assistant secretary general for scientific affairs of NATO, undersecretary and secretary of the Air Force, and FAA administrator before April 1977.
Programs engaged in by Comsat General included Marisat (maritime satellite communications), Comstar (domestic satcoms), and Satellite Business Systems, in which it shared with IBM and Aetna Casualty plans for a U.S. domestic satcom system. (CGC Release 77-2)
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