Jul 10 1972
From The Space Library
NASA's Mariner 9 Mars probe (launched May 30, 1971) completed photo-mapping of entire Mars surface with acquisition of final elements needed in playback of 30 pictures, bringing total photo count to more than 7000. Spacecraft-in Mars orbit since Nov. 13, 1971-would make 500th revolution around Mars July 20. During next three months Mariner 9 would provide precision tracking data to test relativity theory that electromagnetic radiation-spacecraft's radio signal-passing close to sun would be slowed by sun's gravitational field. Additional pictures would be taken once in August, once in September, and twice in October and stored for playback in late October. Life-time was dependent upon supply of attitude-control gas. (NASA Release 72-143)
U.S.S.R. launched Cosmos 500 from Plesetsk into orbit with 545-km (338.7-mi) apogee, 508-km (315.7-mi) perigee, 95.1-min period, and 74° inclination. (GSFC SSR, 7/31/72; SBD, 7/12/72, 49)
NASA's Pioneer 10 Jupiter probe (launched March 2) was continuing on trajectory toward Dec. 3, 1973, encounter with Jupiter. Spacecraft performance-except for stellar reference assembly-had been satisfactory and science instruments in operation were providing good data. Some polarization measurements had been lost because of imaging photopolarimeter anomalies. Meteoroid detector had recorded 53 hits, including four in 15-hr time span. Pioneer 10 would enter as yet unexplored Asteroid Belt July 15. (NASA proj off)
Photos taken by far-ultraviolet camera-spectrograph trained on earth from moon during April 16-27 Apollo 16 mission had supported theory that photosynthesis by green plants was less important as oxygen source than commonly believed, Naval Research Laboratory reported. Experiment indicated "that solar effects on the earth's water that evaporates to the high atmosphere may provide our primary supply of oxygen." NRL principal investigator for spectrograph experiment, Dr. George R. Carruthers, said new photos provided much greater detail about geocorona than had been inferred from earlier measurements. (NRL Release 30-72-7; AP, NYT, 7/12/72, 24)
Total eclipse of sun over northern Canada was studied by Marshall Space Flight Center physicists Dr. Robert J. Naumann and K. Stuart Clifton and five Johns Hopkins Univ. physicists. Observation period of 90 sec marked last opportunity in North America to observe total solar eclipse until 1979. Team recorded shadow bands on either side of totality in first attempt to use low-light-level TV to obtain actual images of bands. Bands were extremely difficult to photograph because contrast between bands and surrounding light was faint. MSFC participation had been requested because of Center's experience with lowlight-level TV observations of transient phenomena during meteoroid research and study of barium clouds and aurora. Team made observations from schoolyard near Cape Chat, Quebec. In second experiment 24 scientists from Los Alamos (N. Mex.) Scientific Laboratory rendezvoused in Air Force cargo aircraft with eclipse totality at altitude of 12 000 m (39 000 ft) northwest of Churchill, Manitoba. Scientists observed solar corona using telescopes, cameras, and radiation-measuring devices. Eclipse extended from north of Japan, across Siberia and Alaska, eastward through Canada, and ended in Atlantic Ocean south of Azores. It was partial throughout U.S. (MSFC Release 72-84; Rensberger, NYT, 7/10/72, 35; O'Toole, W Post, 7/10/72, A3; AP, B Sun, 7/11/72, A3; MSFC PAO)
NASA announced issuance of invitation to scientists in U.S. and other countries to propose additional uses of data from Oao 2 Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (launched Dec. 7, 1968) and OAO-C (Oao 3 when launched), scheduled for launch in late summer 1972. Data would be available from Oao 2 Univ. of Wisconsin experiment (array of four photometers and three spectrophotometers to study stars, galaxies, and nebulae in ultraviolet portion of spectrum) and OAO-C Princeton experiment package (81-cm [32-in] reflecting telescope to study effects of interstellar space on w light from stars). (NASA Release 72-138)
Manned Spacecraft Center announced three awards for space shuttle work. Textron, Inc., Bell Aerospace Div. received $261 500 firm- fixed price contract and North American Rockwell Corp. Space Div. received $258 000 for constructing and testing thrust chambers for space shuttle engines for in-space maneuvering. Bell Aerospace also received 15-mo, $540 000, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to study and design hypergolic bipropellant engine for space shuttle orbiter reaction control system. (msc Releases 72-140, 72-142)
Tenth anniversary of first transoceanic TV via satellite-Telstar 1 comsat built by American Telephone & Telegraph Co. and launched by NASA from Cape Canaveral (now Cape Kennedy), Fla. Millions of TV viewers had watched taped picture of American flag transmitted from Andover, Me., via Telstar 1 to Andover and Holmdel, N.J. Signals were also picked up by stations at Plemeur-Bodou, Brittany, and Goonhilly Downs, Cornwall. Within one week after launch Telstar I had transmitted first TV pictures from Europe and first pictures in color and, within one month, first international exchange of live TV. During four months of operation before it was disabled by radiation, satellite handled more than 400 transmissions, including 50 TV demonstrations, telephone calls and data in both directions, and facsimile material. It was revived in January 1963 for communications tests. Telstar 1 was followed by Telstar 2 (launched May 7, 1963), 2 Relays, 3 Syncoms, and 15 Intelsats and commercial traffic grew to more than 2500 hrs of TV per year and more than 4000 full-time, leased, two-way circuits. (NASA Special Release, 7/4/72)
NASA launched two Aerobee 170 sounding rockets from White Sands Missile Range. First rocket carried American Science and Engineering, Inc., solar physics experiment. Rocket performed satisfactorily. Scientific objectives were not met. Second rocket carried Naval Research Laboratory solar physics experiment. Rocket and instrumentation per-formed satisfactorily. (SR list)
U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., dissolved temporary restraining order it had issued June 29 and refused to grant preliminary injunction against NASA reduction in force of 503 employees at Marshall Space Flight Center. Suit brought by American Federation of Government Employees charged NASA with violations of Civil Service Commission rules applicable to reductions in force. (Bell, Birmingham [Ala.] Post-Herald, 7/11/72)
Soviet scientists had obtained spectrograms of stars Vega and Agena- unobservable from earth-using Orion astronomical system on Salyut 1- Soyuz 11 orbital station, Izvestiya reported. Temperature of Vega was reported to be 10 000°C and of Agena, 24 000°C. Terrestrial atmosphere nearly totally absorbed their radiation. Orion system, controlled both automatically and manually, had been designed to consider "the strong vibration and overloads, the low temperatures and vacuum which the equipment would encounter in space. For this reason both mirrors of the telescope . . . were made from a strong crystallic glass-sital. The telescope itself was made in the form of a titanium alloy tube. The cosmonauts' task was to recognize the required celestial target and aim the sighting tube." (Tass, FBIS-SOV, 7/13/72, Ll )
Washington Evening Star editorial commented on use of U-2 aircraft to map storm damage in Chesapeake Bay area [see June 2]. Soviet Embassy had purchased residence in area and was improving property. "We just hope every precaution will be taken with the flood-mapping spy plane, so that the new era of sweetness and light between the United States and the Soviet Union will not come crashing down in flames just because somebody at the CIA wants an aerial closeup of the Russians' new basketball court." (W Star, 7/10/72)
July 10-14: International Atomic Energy Agency and U.S. Atomic Energy Commission held international scientific meeting in Seattle, Wash., to exchange research information on radioactivity in the world's oceans and estuaries. Oceanographers and marine scientists from 15 countries presented technical papers. (AEC Release P-187; AEC PIO)
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