Jul 23 1974
From The Space Library
The U.S.S.R. launched Molniya 11-10 communications satellite from Plesetsk into orbit with a 40 724-km apogee, 603-km perigee, 12-hr 18-min period, and 62.9° inclination. The comsat would help provide long-distance telephone and telegraph radio communications and transmit U.S.S.R. TV programs to stations of the Orbita network. (GSFC Wkly SSR, 18-24 July 74; Tass, FBIS-Sov, 23 July 74, Ul ; SF, 1 Jan 75, 35)
The Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences held hearings on S. 3542, a bill introduced 29 May to authorize $41700 000 for NASA to launch a seventh Applications Technology Satellite. Sen. Frank E. Moss (D-Utah) said experimenters using Ats 6, launched 30 May, had urged another launch because more than the planned one year of operation over the U.S. was needed to complete experiments. Two satellites in orbit at the same time would "greatly improve the experimental information necessary for further decisions on the use of advanced communications satellites." Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-Ariz.) said that ATS satellites held "the promise of improved health care at reduced costs" for people in remote regions of the U.S.
Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, testified that Ats 6 was in excellent condition and had a life expectancy of three additional years over the U.S. following its return from the planned year of operation over India. In addition, use of the U.S.-Canada Communications Technology Satellite scheduled for a mid-December launch could provide experimenters additional experiment time and continuity. Dr. Fletcher expressed NASA opposition to the bill, saying it would cost $4 million more than the bill provided, to cover the cost of the Titan HIC launch vehicle. To avoid further costs, a decision to launch another spacecraft would have to be made by September, when the NASA and industry ATS team were to be disbanded. A seventh ATS satellite could be considered a potential operational vehicle and the user community might consider bearing the costs. (Transcript)
Marshall Space Flight Center announced the award of two contracts for studies of Skylab results. American Science and Engineering, Inc., received $2 044 860 and the Smithsonian Institution's Astrophysical Observatory received $264 684 to study jointly results from the Apollo Telescope Mount x-ray spectrographic telescope experiment. The telescope had been used during the three Skylab missions (25 May-22 June 1973, 28 July-25 Sept. 1973, and 16 Nov. 1973-8 Feb. 1974) to photo-graph x-ray producing solar events. (MSFC 74-132)
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