Mar 20 1970
From The Space Library
Nike-Cajun sounding rocket, launched by NASA from WSMR, carried MSC payload to 56-km (34.8-mi) altitude to measure, simultaneously, hydroxyl airglow and ozone distributions during day and night. Results would be used to calculate atomic hydrogen distributions in 75-90-km (47-56-mi) region. Rocket trajectory was low and clamshell nosecone separated at liftoff. Data were not useable, but payload was recovered in reusable condition. (NASA Rpt SRL)
Nixon Administration was reviewing need for Government program to stockpile helium, Science reported. Program, "which provides for extracting helium from streams of natural gas and storing it underground for future use, has recently been running at a huge deficit." Scientists were worried that Administration might allow squandering of "priceless natural resource that may be desperately needed by future generations." Helium had unique properties "for which there is no real substitute in high-technology applications." Largest use was "as a purging and pressurizing agent in liquid fueled rockets." Helium also was expected to play key role in development of nuclear reactors, lasers and masers, magnetohydrodynamics, and superconducting cables for electric power. Threat to supply lay in use of natural gas as domestic fuel. Unless helium was extracted first, it was passed into atmosphere when natural gas was burned. Federal Government had begun conservation program in 1960. (Boffey, Science, 3/20/70, 1593-6; Budget of the U.S. Government, FY 1971, 357)
Apollo 8 Astronaut Frank Borman appeared as host on ABC TV program "Mission Possible-They Care for a City." Program outlined attempts to improve environment of San Francisco. (W Star, 3/17/ 70)
Science published letter on environment from John Caffrey of American Council on Education: "I date my own reawakening of interest in man's environment to the Apollo 8 mission and to the first clear photographs of the earth from that mission. My theory is that the views of the earth from that expedition and from the subsequent Apollo flights have made many of us see the earth as a whole, in a curious way-as a single environment in which hundreds of millions of human beings have a stake.... I suspect that the greatest lasting benefit of the Apollo missions may be... this sudden rush of inspiration to try to save this fragile environment-the whole one-if we still can." (Science, 3/20/70, 1561)
International conference on global communications satellite system adjourned until autumn without reaching agreement on permanent operating arrangements. Conference established Intersessional Working Group to negotiate and draft intergovernmental and operating agreement reflecting compromise proposals offered by Australia and Japan. (Rpt of US Del to Sec State 4-3-70)
Science article discussed "puzzling observations and bizarre theories" accrued from studies of galaxies and quasars: "Starting with the discovery of radio galaxies in the mid-1950s astronomers have shown that many types of galaxies and (since 1963) quasars release more energy than can be accounted for by known physical processes." New theories discussed seemed "to bring two trends to the surface. First is the idea that a collection of discrete sources helps get around the severe limitations placed on the size of the radiating object and may help account for the random variability observed in the emission of many extragalactic objects. Second, the idea that many collections of matter may be expanding seems to be making a small dent in the long-held view that all objects are condensing from a homogeneous universe." (Holcomb, Science, 3/20/70, 1601-3)
March 20-25: North Atlantic Treaty Organization's NATO I (NATO-A) military comsat was successfully launched from ETR at 6;52 pm EST by NASA for USAF and NATO by long-tank, thrust-augmented Thor-Delta (DSV-3M) booster. Spacecraft entered transfer orbit with 36 926.6-km (22 950.0-mi) apogee, 290.0-km (180.7-mi) perigee, 653min period: and 25.6° inclination. NASA objective was to place spacecraft into transfer orbit accurate enough for apogee motor to place spacecraft into synchronous equatorial orbit. Apogee motor was fired March 23 and spacecraft entered circular orbit with 36 619.2-km (22759:0-mi) apogee, 34 421.3-km (21 393.0 mi) perigee, 23.5-hr period, 0,3° inclination, and 5.7°-per-day eastward orbital drift. Spacecraft would arrive on station over Atlantic at 18° west longitude June 10. All systems had operated normally since March 25 turn-on. NATO I was first of two NATO military comsats scheduled to be launched into orbit over Atlantic under DOD-NATO agreement. USAF managed project for DOD and would reimburse NASA for launch services. NATO would reimburse USAF. Spacecraft weighed 242.7 kg (535 lbs) and consisted of two concentric cylinders containing redundant X-band communication systems. Initial operation of spacecraft telemetry and command functions were performed from USAF satellite control facility. Control of orbital operations would be transferred to NATO after spacecraft reached station. (NASA Proj Off; SBD, 3/24/70, 111)
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