Jul 29 1977
From The Space Library
NASA declared the launch of Japan's geostationary meteorological satellite Gins l on July 14 successful, as of July 26-27. The satellite was being maneuvered over the South Pacific to a station about 140°E above the equator, due south of Tokyo. (MOR M-492-101-77-O1 [postlaunch] July 29/77)
NASA announced that the first 20 of about 200 Shuttle astronaut applicants would report to JSC Aug. 2 for a week of individual interviews and physical exams. Ten of the group were from the USAF, 7 U.S. Navy, 2 Marines, and 1 civilian. Although all the initial group had been pilot applicants, NASA expected the number interviewed at JSC would divide evenly between pilot and mission specialist applicants. NASA would complete processing by mid-November and hoped to select as many as 20 astronaut candidates in each of the two categories in December. Candidates would report to JSC in 1978 for 2yr of training and evaluation; final selection as astronaut would depend on satisfactory completion of training. (JSC Release 77-42)
ERDA announced that the longest space mission ever planned -a 10yr trip by two Voyager spacecraft to the outer ;planets-would get power from RTGs (radioisotope thermoelectric generators) developed by ERDA as successors to nuclear systems that had powered earlier missions to Mars and Jupiter.
ERDA's predecessor, the Atomic Energy Commission, had begun the research on nuclear power for space missions. ERDA plans included developing high-efficiency thermoelectric materials and dynamic converters for NASA missions such as a Jupiter orbiter in 1982 or a Mars rover in 1984, and DOD satellites in the 1980s. (ERDA Release NF-77-20)
ERDA reported that the U.S. atomic energy detection system had recorded seismic signals, presumably from a Soviet underground nuclear explosion, at 1 pm EDT on July 26. The signals had originated in central Siberia, north of the Arctic circle. (ERDA Release 77-129)
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