Jan 25 1973
From The Space Library
The Global Atmospheric Research Program (GARP) Atlantic Tropical Experiment (GATE), largest and most complex international scientific experiment, would observe one third of the earth's tropical belt from June 15 to Sept. 30, 1974, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced. A network of satellites, ships, aircraft including NASA's instrumented Convair 990, instrumented buoys, and land stations would collect meteorological data from the tropical Atlantic and adjacent land areas to improve forecast techniques for the equatorial belt. Brazil, Canada, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, U.S.S.R., United Kingdom, and Venezuela, in addition to the U.S., would process data for compatibility. Data would be integrated by the GATE data center and distributed in 1976. U.S. participation would be coordinated by NOAA. (NOAA Release 73-5)
Lunar laser ranging system at the Univ. of Texas McDonald Observatory located the French retroreflector array attached to the Soviet unmanned explorer Lunokhod 2 (landed on the moon Jan. 16 by Luna 21). At the request of the French National Center for Space Studies (CNES), the 270-cm (107-in) McDonald telescope transmitted light pulses, which were observed after reflection from mirror array. Preliminary data indicated the surface location of Lunokhod 2 was very near coordinates given by the Soviet Academy of Sciences. The lunar radius at that point appeared to be smaller than previous data had indicated. (NASA Release 73-13)
Eruption of the Helgafell volcano on Heimaey Island off the Icelandic coast was recorded by a very-high-resolution radiometer on board Noaa 2 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration meteoro logical satellite, launched by NASA Oct. 15, 1972. Data would be correlated with data from ERTS 1 (launched July 23, 1972) and an Air Force aircraft. (Av Wk, 2/19/73, 67)
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