Dec 19 1973
From The Space Library
The U.S.S.R. launched eight Cosmos satellites on a single booster from Plesetsk. Orbital parameters were: Cosmos 617-1485-km (922.7-mi) apogee, 1336-km (830.2-mi) perigee, 114.0-min period, and 74.0° inclination. Cosmos 618-1488-km (924.6-mi) apogee, 1445-km (897.9 mi) perigee, 115.2-min period, and 74.0° inclination. Cosmos 619-1490-km (925.8-mi) apogee, 1424-km (884.8-mi) perigee, 115.0-min period, and 74.0° inclination. Cosmos 620-1496-km (929.6-mi) apogee, 1460-km (907.2-mi) perigee, 115.4-min period, and 74.0° inclination. Cosmos 621-1487-km (924-mi) apogee, 1407-km (874.3-mi) perigee, 114.8-min period, and 74.0° inclination. Cosmos 622-1487-km (924-mi) apogee, 1371-km (851.9-mi) perigee, 114.3-min period, and 74.0° inclination. Cosmos 623-1487-km (924-mi) apogee, 1389-km (863.1-mi) perigee, 114.5-min period, and 74.0° inclination. Cosmos 624-1487-km (924-mi) apogee, 1353-km (840.7-mi) perigee, 114.2-min period, and 74.0° inclination. The Western press reported that the satellite system would operate in support of Soviet naval forces, providing maximum communications be- tween ship and fleet commanders and naval operations within the U.S.S.R. (GSFC SSR, 12/31/73; Sov Aero, 12/24/73, 96)
NASA announced Kennedy Space Center had awarded a $14 670 525 extension to a contract with Rockwell International Corp. in support of Apollo Soyuz Test Project operations. The extension brought total contract value to $62 885 682. It provided support in processing the command and service modules, spacecraft lunar module adapter, launch escape system, and docking module for the July 1975 U.S.-U.S.S.R. rendezvous and docking mission. (NASA Release 73-283)
United Aircraft Corp. Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Div. announced a $42-million cooperative program with nine electric utility companies to develop a 26 000-kw fuel cell as a new way to generate electricity. The utility companies had provisionally ordered 56 cells for possible delivery by 1978 and had options on 112 more. Orders totaled more than $250 million. The program did not include Government support, but Pratt & Whitney was discussing the program with Federal energy officials and "would welcome government participation," Pratt & Whitney President Bruce N. Torell told a New York press conference. A fuel cell produced electrical power directly from fuel through a chemical re-action. It could be an efficient system for generating electrical power with little pollution. Pratt & Whitney had produced small cells for NASA'S Apollo and Skylab spacecraft and for the space shuttle. It had also tested larger units for home use. (WSJ, 12/20/73, 24; P&w PIO)
The House Committee on Science and Astronautics unanimously approved H.R. 11864, Solar Heating and Cooling Demonstration Act of 1973, introduced Dec. 10 as a clean bill incorporating amendments to H.R. 10952 {see Oct. 16] and 17 similar bills. Language changes more explicitly delineated agency responsibilities and two distinct program phases. NASA would have major responsibility for developing solar heating and cooling equipment in the first phase. In the second, the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development would be responsible for installation, testing, and evaluation. A major amendment would require HUD to establish a Solar Heating and Cooling Information Data Bank. If a law created a permanent Federal energy agency, responsibility assigned to NASA and the National Science Foundation would be transferred to that agency. (House Rpt 93-769, reprint in Com Print, 2/74)
The Senate, by a vote of 86 to 2, and the House, by 355 to 25, passed bills to establish the Federal Energy Administration. The Senate bill was S. 2776, and the House, H.R. 11510. (CR, 12/19/73, D1461, D1464)
NASA launched an Aerobee 200A sounding rocket from White Sands Missile Range carrying a Lockheed Missiles & Space Co. solar physics experiment to a 220.3-km (136.9-mi) altitude. The experiment was per-formed in collaboration with a Skylab 4 (launched Nov. 16) Apollo Telescope Mount experiment. The rocket performed satisfactorily. The experiment was 75% successful. (GSFC proj off)
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