Mar 23 1976
From The Space Library
The House passed, 330 to 35, and sent to the Senate an authorization bill of $3.7 billion for the nation's space programs for FY 1977, slightly less than the administration request, but $133 million more than for FY 1976. Research and development authorizations totaled $2.77 billion, nearly $10 million more than requested. The Space Shuttle would use $1.29 billion in R&D money, plus $40 million for 8 construction projects. (1V Post, 23 March 76, 6)
A new network of space satellites would replace the existing hotline between Washington and Moscow later in 1976, said Willis K. Naeher, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Communications, on a weeklong working visit of U.S. communications specialists to Russia with Soviet counterparts to check Soviet facilities and transmit test messages over both the Molniya and the INTELSAT networks. The new system was planned to provide more reliable emergency communications between the two capitals than had been available for a dozen years using a transatlantic cable and radio system. The overland line had been disrupted when parts of the cable had been damaged by fire, stolen, and once plowed up by a Finnish farmer. Coordination was necessary because the U.S. and Russian systems functioned differently: whereas INTELSAT used a "necklace" of satellites around the equator maintaining a fixed attitude toward earth, the Molniya traveled in an elliptical north-south orbit and would be visible from both countries for periods of 8 hr at most, so that 4 satellites would be needed instead of the 3 originally planned. Failure of a Molniya III launch caused the delay from 1974, original starting date. Final test of the INTELSAT portion would begin in Apr. (NYT, 23 Mar 76, 14)
The 2 USSR spacecraft orbiting Venus had completed their program, the Tass news agency announced, stating that further scientific experiments would be made "under an additional program." Tass did not elaborate on the further experiments, nor did it indicate how long the two craft would remain in operation. Venera 9 had completed 75 orbits since its arrival at Venus on 22 Oct. 75, and Venera 10 had completed 71 since its arrival 3 days later, Tass said. (NYT, 23 Mar 76, 3)
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