Dec 22 1971
From The Space Library
NASA announced flight schedule for 1972. Apollo 16 manned lunar landing mission would be launched in March and Apollo 17 in December. Pioneer-F would be launched in February on two-year mission to Jupiter, and ERTS would be launched into polar orbit during the first half of 1972 to obtain earth surface imagery. Other launches would include Intelsat-IV F-4, F-5, and F- 6 comsats for ComSatCorp; HEOS-A2 Highly Eccentric Orbit Satellite for ESRO; MTS Meteoroid Technology Satellite; TD-l scientific satellite for ESRO; ITOS-C, -D, and -E Improved Tiros Operational meteorological satellites for NOAA; OAO-C Orbiting Astronomical Observatory; IMP-H Interplanetary Monitoring Platform; ESRO-4 scientific satellite for ESRO; Aeros scientific satellite in cooperation with West Germany; SAS-B Small Astronomy Satellite; Telesat-A comsat for Canada; Nimbus-E R&D satellite; and SMS-A Synchronous Meteorological Satellite. In addition, NASA schedule would include broad range of aeronautical research and cooperative exploration with other countries. Aircraft noise abatement would be high-priority goal, with development of QUESTOL aircraft, construction of noise-reduction laboratory at LaRC, and mating of acoustically treated nacelle to quieter jet engine. Super-critical wing test aircraft would be fitted with side fairings to increase flight efficiency and wing would be fitted to modified F-111 aircraft for tests in 1973. X-24A lifting body would be modified and redesignated X-24B and would begin flight tests in fall 1972. (NASA Feature Release)
NASA announced it had authorized MSFC to extend for one month the level-of-effort contract with NR Rocketdyne Div. for design of Space Shuttle main engine. Action had been taken pending completion of GAO review of United Aircraft Corp. Pratt & Whitney Div.'s protest of contract award to Rocketdyne [see Aug. 3]. (NASA Release 71-249)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
