Dec 11 1979
From The Space Library
The Washington Post reported that technicians at Cape Canaveral had lost touch with Satcom 3 December 10 after firing a small engine at 1:57 p.m. to put it on station over the Pacific. RCA spokesman John Williamson said that no one knew what had happened and "there is certainly cause for dismay." Launched December 6, the 1-ton communications satellite designed for television and telephone relay was in a temporary elliptical orbit at the time of loss. (W Post, Dec 11/79, A-6)
On CBS Evening News, Walter Cronkite and Charles Osgood broadcast a "Night Before Christmas" parody on the loss of Satcom 3, concluding with, `And from somewhere in space comes the seasonal call: Merry Christmas. Good night. And you can't win `em all." (Text, Dec 11/79)
The Washington Post December 12 ran a feature story about cable television companies that planned to use Satcom 3 for alternative programming, such as Ted Turner who wanted a 24-hour news "superstation" (channel 17 in Atlanta), and two religious networks ("I guess they didn't pray hard enough," said an RCA spokesman). NASA had charged RCA $19.9 million to launch Satcom 3, most of it already paid, but RCA, had insured the spacecraft with Lloyds for more than its $50 million market value. (W Post, Dec 12/79, C-1)
JSC said that Columbia, first Shuttle orbiter, would undergo a first major simulated-flight all-systems test on or about December 15 at KSC. Astronauts and ground-support teams would conduct a 24-hour 5-day critical operations test including five launch-and-ascent flight profilers; on-orbit operations; and one entry simulation. John W. Young and Robert Crippen, crew members for the first flight, would take part in the test along with the backup crew, Joe H. Engle and Richard Truly. First actual launch was scheduled for June 30, 1980. (JSC Release 7973; KSC Release 24679)
NASA adjudged the mission of HEAO 2 successful. Launched November 13, 1978, the observatory had made more than 5,000 discrete observations and had worked well for more than 11 months, though design lifetime was only 9 months.
On the basis of significant new findings (X-ray detection of more than 60 known quasars and discovery of more than a dozen previously unknown; the absence of hot neutron stars at the center of historic supernovas, calling for new theories to explain the remnant cores; X-ray emissions far more intense than predicted from main-sequence stars) and of "an active and enthusiastic guest observer program," Dr. Thomas Mutch, associate administrator for space science, recommended extension of the mission. (NASA MOR [postlaunch] S-832-78-02)
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