May 1 1975
From The Space Library
A decision had been made to designate Viking Lander 2 and Orbiter 2 as Viking Spacecraft-A, Kennedy Space Center's Spaceport News reported. Lander 1 and Orbiter 1 would become Viking Spacecraft-B. The change had been made to permit early sterilization of Lander 2 to meet the 11 Aug. launch date. (Spaceport News, 1 May 75, 2)
Dr. Noel W. Hinners, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science, and Major General Soehardjono, Director General of Posts and Telecommunications for the Republic of Indonesia, signed an agreement for the July 1976 launch of Indonesia's first communications satellite on a NASA Thor-Delta rocket. The new comsat, in synchronous equatorial orbit over Indonesia where its signal could be transmitted to 40 ground receiving stations, would permit Indonesia to begin development of a national communications network. (NASA Release 75-134)
A telescope aboard NASA's Oao 3 Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (named Copernicus and launched 21 Aug. 1972) was observing three nearby stars-epsilon Eridani, tau CETI, and epsilon Indi -for signs of other civilizations that might be trying to contact earth with laser beams.
The telescope had scanned the first star in November 1974 for 14 orbits while the spectrometer scanned the ultraviolet spectrum for potential laser signals to earth. The data were being analyzed and scientists were planning to scan tau CETI and epsilon Indi again during the summer and fall of 1975. (NASA Release 75-130)
Under an agreement with the Air Force, Flight Research Center pilots would fly the YF-17 aircraft-contender for selection as the Air Force combat fighter in a research program to acquire flight data of a high-performance aircraft for comparisons with wind-tunnel tests and other analytical methods, FRC announced. The comparisons would be used to update prediction techniques required for the design of future highly maneuverable aircraft. During the 25 flight hrs, pilots would measure performance and stability at high angles of attack at both high and low altitudes, and perform maneuverability tests and pilot physiological studies during sustained high acceleration levels. (FRC Release '11-75)
An overactive sun and excessively bright moon had caused brief shutdowns of instruments aboard INTELSAT (International Telecommunications Satellite) communications satellites, the New York Times reported. Showers of particles during solar flares on 11 March and 13 Oct. 1974 had built up excess electrical charges on satellite surfaces that had not been electrically grounded. Noise from the resulting electrical discharges confused readings of which way onboard antennas were pointing, causing the antennas to point away from the earth and temporarily cut off communications.
A similar problem occurred 27 March when a spinning comsat interpreted infrared light from an exceptionally bright moon as coming from earth. Because of this, the satellite's controls were receiving an earth indication twice as often as usual, thus commanding the pointing system to compensate by despinning at twice its normal rate. Communications were blacked out because the antennas were spinning relative to the earth rather than remaining stationary and pointing toward earth.
The NYT quoted Communications Satellite Corp. engineers as saying that these occurrences pointed out the need for more knowledge about the exact behavior of INTELSAT satellites in space so that changes could be made in the design of future satellites. The solar particle problem had led to more thorough electrical grounding aboard the newest INTELSAT satellites. (McElheny, NYT, 1 May 75, 83)
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