Aug 10 1992
From The Space Library
Russian space authorities reported that they had developed a new design for their Mir 2 Space Station and that initial production of the primary module had already started. The new Mir 2 design envisioned a core with five modules that were to be attached to the middle of a long beam. The officials said they expected Mir 2 to be launched in the mid-1990s and that it represented Russia's determination to continue its long-term plan of manned flight activities despite the difficult financial and political situation in Russia. (Av Wk, Aug 10/92)
A Russian industry grouping called the Space Regatta Consortium said it had developed and would test a prototype solar sail in 1992 as the first step in an ambitious program aimed at using such sails for spacecraft propulsion and other applications. The prototype sail was to be carried by a Progress cargo spacecraft scheduled for launch to the Mir 1 Space Station in late October or early November. Program managers envisioned a number of applications for solar sails in the future. One is as a means of propulsion for spacecraft. Another is to use huge sails as reflectors to illuminate selected points on Earth. (Av Wk, Aug 10/92)
European Space Agency mission controllers doubted that the Giotto space-craft would be able to perform a flyby of a third comet. Scientists were enthusiastic about Giotto's encounter with Comet Grigg-Skjellerup on July 10, a follow up on its original mission to Comet Halley in 1986. But low fuel supply and out-of-date communication systems probably signaled the end of Giotto's usefulness. (Av Wk, Aug 10/92)
A U.S.-French satellite roared into orbit aboard a European Ariane 4 rock-et from Kourou, French Guiana. The $706 million TOPEX/Poseidon satellite carried a $30 million altimeter designed for NASA by Johns Hopkins University scientists to measure ocean topography to within 1.2 inches or less from 830 miles in space. During the next three to five years, scientists hoped to use the altimeter to make a comprehensive map of ocean currents, aiding the study of how they pump heat from the tropics to the poles. NASA said the research could eventually improve long-range climate forecasts and predict large-scale weather patterns, such as the El Nino warming trend in the eastern Pacific Ocean, and help in understanding the impact of greenhouse gases on climate. Also in the payload were a small South Korean communications satellite and a French technological satellite. (The Sun, Aug 10/92; USA Today, Aug 11/92; AP, Aug 10/92; LA Times, Aug 13/92)
Two Russian cosmonauts and a French researcher landed safely in Kazakhstan after completing scientific experiments aboard the orbiting Mir Space Station. The 14-day mission brought to a close the third joint Russian-French flight since 1982. The three worked on experiments involving astrophysics, biology, and bioengineering. They also conducted geophysical research based on commercial contracts from several European countries and members of the Commonwealth of Independent States. (AP, Aug 10/92; UPI, Aug 10/92; The Sun, Aug 11/92)
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