Feb 14 1972
From The Space Library
Intelsat-IV F-4 comsat (launched Jan. 22) began full-time commercial service over Pacific with acceptance of 850 circuits between 15 earth stations. (ComSatCorp Release 72-10)
Aerospace contractor representatives were scheduled to testify in person before House Committee on Science and Astronautics Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight, Aviation Week & Space Technology reported. "Unique move aimed at speeding the legislative process this election year" supplanted system in which committee members visited major contractors' plants for briefings and reviews of facilities. (Av Wk, 2/14/72, 13)
Use of laser holography as nondestructive test technique for inspecting case-bonded solid-propellant rocket engines would be evaluated for NASA in program under negotiation with Lockheed Space & Missiles Co., Aviation Week & Space Technology reported. Technique consisted of viewing stressed test article through hologram produced when article was in unstressed condition. (Av Wk, 2/14/72, 11)
Atomic Energy Commission was "encouraging" NASA to examine cost of permanent removal from environment of wastes from atomic plants by "shooting these high-level radioactive wastes into the sun-taking them right out of the world," Dr. James R. Schlesinger, AEC Chairman, said in interview published by U.S. News & World Report. Method would "depend on development of the space shuttle . . a decade away." (US News, 2/14/72, 46-51)
NASA launched Nike-Tomahawk sounding rocket from Andoeya, Norway, carrying Norwegian auroral energy experiment. Rocket and instrumentation performed satisfactorily. (SR list)
Medium short-takeoff-and-landing-transport development program, included in FY 1973 Dept. of Defense budget, was among programs developed by Nixon Administration's Domestic Council to meet threat of erosion of U.S. technology by foreign competition and lack of domestic market, Aviation Week & Space Technology said. Program was aimed "at direct competition with the Boeing-Italian agreement in which Boeing is selling its technology in this area for a STOL transport to be built in Italy" by an Italian consortium. (Hotz, Av Wk, 2/14/72, 9)
February 14-25: U.S.S.R. launched Luna 20 unmanned lunar probe from Baikonur at 8:28 am local time (10:28 pm EST Feb. 13). Tass said objective of mission was "further exploration of the moon and near lunar space." On Feb. 18 Luna 20 entered near-circular lunar orbit with 100- ( 62-) altitude, 1-hr 58-min period, and 65° inclination. Engine firing on Feb. 19 placed spacecraft in elliptical orbit with 100-km (62-mi) apolune and 21-km (13-mi) perilune. Main retroengine burn for 267 sec on Feb. 21 thrust spacecraft toward moon and Lana 20 free-fell to 760-m (2490-ft) altitude. Spacecraft was then guided by braking rocket to softlanding northeast of moon's Sea of Fertility at 12:19 am Baikonur time Feb. 22 (2:19 pm EST Feb. 21). Landing coordinates were 3°32' north latitude and 56°33' east longitude. Spacecraft began transmitting radio signals and conducting experiments. After drilling lunar rock, collecting lunar samples, photographing lunar surface, and performing other undisclosed experiments, Luna 20 lifted off moon at 3:58 am Baikonur time Feb. 23 (5:58 pm EsT Feb. 22), after 27 hrs 39 min on lunar surface. Tass said samples had been obtained with earth-operated, percussion-rotary drill designed to handle hard and loose rock samples simultaneously.
Luna 20 reentered atmosphere Feb. 25 and parachuted to landing at 12:12 am Feb. 25 Baikonur time (2:12 pm EST Feb. 24) 40 km (24 mi) northwest of Djezkazgan, Kazakhstan, after 11- day 16-hr mission. Capsule containing lunar samples was recovered despite "extremely unfavorable weather conditions- strong wind, blizzard, and low clouds." Luna 20 was second unmanned spacecraft to land on moon and return to earth with lunar samples. First had been U.S.S.R.'s Luna 16 (Sept. 12-24, 1970) . Luna 17 had landed on moon Nov. 17, 1970, and had released Lunokhod 1 lunar rover. Luna 18 (launched Sept. 2, 1971) had crashlanded on moon Sept. 11, 1971, and Luna 19 (launched Sept. 28, 1971) was still in lunar orbit on photography and mapping mission. (Tass, FBIS-Sov, 2/14/72, Ll; 2/22-24/72, Ll; 2128/72, Ll; SBD, 2/15/72, 226)
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
