Mar 12 1980
From The Space Library
MSFC reported that a major reclamation effort had recovered thousands of dollars worth of critical or valuable materials from center laboratories. Used for electrical contracts, or for plating to protect against corrosion, were gold, silver, platinum, iridium, osmium, rhodium, and ruthenium; other substances not necessarily "precious" but consisting of strategic materials were aluminum oxide, beryllium, cadmium, cobalt, chromite, industrial diamond, ruby and sapphire bearings, and other rarities. DOD and the General Services Administration operated a government-wide program to conserve such materials, recover them where feasible, and transfer them to a defense stockpile.
Before recycling materials at the center, MSFC property managers had to decide whether recovery was possible or profitable: for instance, some center groups had been "banking" silver recovered from X-ray films and developing solution. The photo lab and documentation repository had contributed much because of the amounts of film used; the medical center also turned in silver recovered from X-ray film developing as well as scrap X-ray film. Materials from MSFC were sent to a federal "bank" in New Jersey for recovery and credit to NASA's account. Last year MSFC recovered and shipped to the bank 324 troy ounces of silver-bearing photo processing; residue and 2,400 pounds of scrap film; assuming 90% recovery from the residue and 2%-by-weight recovery from scrap, MSFC's yield would be worth $30,000 at current prices. (MSFC Release 80-34)
The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) announced that it would award the Collier Trophy, oldest U.S. aviation award, to Dr. Paul MacCready for his Gossamer Condor (first vehicle to make controlled sustained human powered flight) and Gossamer Albatross (first human powered aircraft to fly the English Channel). The NAA said the Albatross flight might result in more practical applications than Bleriot's first engine-powered crossing in 1909. (NAA Release Mar 12/80)
ESA announced that its member nations participating in the Spacelab program had voted to fund it under a new scale that would ensure completion of the project by providing 120 to 140% of previously agreed amounts. West Germany would contribute 64.4%; France, 12.07%; the United Kingdom, 7.6%, and seven other countries, the remainder. (ESA Info Bltn 8)
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