Jun 27 1978
From The Space Library
NASA declared the Explorer 52 (Hawkeye) successful over its 4-yr lifetime of investigating particles and fields in the earth's polar magnetosphere out to large radial distances, measuring magnetic-field and plasma distributions in the solar winds, and detecting and measuring with direction-finders the Type III radio emissions from the outer solar corona. Performance of the spacecraft and instruments during the mission had been excellent; the only anomaly (in the optical-aspect system) had been compensated for with the data from the magnetometer system. The spacecraft had reentered the atmosphere Apr. 28, 1978.
Results of Explorer 52 investigations had included direction-finding measurements showing intense kilometric radio emissions from the earth's magnetosphere, generated at about 1 to 3 earth-radii altitude over the evening auroral zones, with detailed angular distributions of the radiation. Its observations over the South Pole had provided the first information on polarization of these kilometer wave emissions. These data, of special interest to the theoretical space-plasma physics community, had not been explained satisfactorily. Other high-latitude observations had shown an unusual concentration of both electrostatic and electromagnetic plasma-wave turbulence in the 1 to 3 earth-radii altitude range along auroral geomagnetic-field lines, which might be related to generation of terrestrial kilometric radiation. (MOR S-863-74-04 [postlaunch] June 27/78)
NASA announced it had named Dr. Adrienne Timothy assistant associate administrator for space science, effective June 18. Dr. Timothy would be chief scientist in the Office of Space Science, representing that office to the scientific community as the focal point for obtaining, evaluating, and using its expertise in planning NASA space science programs. She would succeed Dr. S. Ichtiaque Rasool, who had been named chief scientist for NASA's Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications.
Timothy had begun her NASA career in 1974 as staff scientist for solar physics, Physics and Astronomy Programs, in the Office of Space Science. In 1975 she had become chief of the Solar Physics Branch,. where she planned and directed U.S. space science research in the solar physics discipline; in 1977 she had become program manager for advanced programs and technology in NASA's Solar Terrestrial Division of the Office of Space Science. Before joining NASA, Timothy had been leader for the Apollo telescope-mount reduction and analysis system at the American Science and Engineering Corp. (NASA Release 78-91)
NASA announced it had selected Hughes Aircraft Co.'s Space and Communications Group for negotiations leading to a contract for development of a Jupiter atmospheric-entry probe, part of the Galileo mission scheduled for launch in Jan. 1982. The mission would consist of an orbiter to circle the planet for 20mo as well as a probe to plunge into Jupiter's atmosphere, surviving high-speed entry of 48km/sec (20 000mph) and a pressure of more than 10 earth atmospheres, to transmit information on Jupiter's composition, structure, and cloud physics. Estimated cost of the contract would be about $35 million, most of the work to be performed under subcontract by the General Electric Co. Hughes would design, develop, and fabricate the protoflight probe, integrate the science instruments, and test and provide systems integration and launch support. Project Galileo had been named in honor of the 16th-century Italian astronomer; it was a cooperative project of NASA's JPL and ARC, with the Federal Republic of Germany providing the orbiter's retropropulsion motor and some of the science instruments. (NASA Release 78-92)
Mstislav Keldysh, Soviet scientist and mathematician who had been spokesman for the USSR's space program as head of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, died June 24 at the age of 67, the Washington Post reported. Soviet news agency Tass described the death as sudden. Dr. Michael DeBakey had traveled to the Soviet Union 5yr ago to operate on Keldysh's circulatory system.
Recognized in a wide range of scientific and mathematical disciplines bearing on aviation and rocketry, Keldysh had proved his administrative ability by rising to the top of his country's scientific establishment. President of the Soviet Academy of Sciences from 1961 to 1975, Keldysh had been not only USSR science spokesman but also a key figure in organizing and developing scientific research throughout the Soviet Union. He had won the Stalin Prize in 1942 for "The Theory of Calculating and Developing Methods of Reducing Various Types of Vibrations in Aircraft," and in 1946 for "The Front-Wheel Shimmy of the Tricycle (Aircraft) Landing Gear." In 1943, Keldysh had become head of a top secret aircraft-development institute with increasing administrative responsibilities. As head of the Academy of Sciences, he announced in Oct. 1969, shortly after the U.S. had put men on the moon, that the USSR had abandoned plans to do likewise and would concentrate on putting manned space stations into orbit around the earth. He acknowledged that the Soviet Union had been debating space expenditures, and said, "My personal view is that, when a man has taken his first step into space, you cannot stop further development." (W Post, June 27/78, 116; FBIS, Tass Intl Serv in Russian, June 26/78)
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