November 1976
From The Space Library
The Natl. Aeronautic Assn. newsletter reported that, during the 69th annual general conference of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Oct. in Iran, the 1975 FAI gold space medal was awarded jointly to Thomas P. Stafford, commander of the Apollo crew on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, and to cosmonaut Alexei A. Leonov, who commanded the Soyuz 19 crew. Stafford and his crew, Donald K. Slayton and Vance Brand, also received the De La Vaulx medal for establishing during the joint mission the world absolute records for duration, distance, and altitude in group flight, as well as the V.M. Komarov Diploma for outstanding performance in space exploration during the previous year. Their Russian counterparts also received the De La Vaulx medal and the Komarov award. Astronauts Slayton and Brand also each received the Yuri Gagarin gold medal, created by the FAI in memory of the first man in space, for their role in the conquest of space for peaceful purposes. Stafford also accepted on behalf of the U.S. ASTP team the Honorary Group Diploma for Astronautics, for the planning and execution of the first international rendezvous and docking mission in space. (NAA newsletter, Nov 76)
Maj. Gen. Thomas P. Stafford, currently commander of the USAF Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, Calif., received the National Geographic Society's Gen. Thomas D. White space trophy for 1975, in recognition of "outstanding contributions" in the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. (AF Magazine, Nov 76, 2 1)
Former astronaut Frank Borman, who commanded both the Gemini 7 and Apollo 8 missions and who currently was president and chief executive officer of Eastern Air Lines, was elected chairman of the board for EAL replacing Floyd D. Hall, who had resigned to become permanent chairman of the executive committee of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). (Av Wk, 29 Nov 76, 20)
The Air Force Systems Command announced completion of vibration and performance tests at Arnold Engineering Development Center on a small solid-propellant rocket motor scheduled to boost the Intl. Ultraviolet Explorer spacecraft into orbit in 1977. The motor, Thiokol Corp.'s TE-M-604-4, would be fired about 24 hr after launch to move the IUE into a near-synchronous orbit at altitudes of from 24 000 to 48 000 km. IUE, a cooperative research program shared by NASA, ESA, and the U.K. Science Research Council, would carry a 45-mm-diameter ultraviolet telescope to investigate characteristics of stars and planets. (AFSC Newsreview, Nov 76, 4)
The Natl. Science Foundation's Nov. bulletin contained information on new NSF policy on grant renewals, submission of final reports, and other activities. As of 1 Oct., standard NSF awards could be renewed only once, by amendment of the original grant or contract, provided that the cumulative duration of the grant would not exceed S yr. Further support for the same or a different project would be awarded through new grants, based on new proposals. Also effective 1 Oct., the final fiscal and technical report on a grant and a summary of the completed project must be submitted within 90 days after expiration of the grant. NSF also announced a program called Research Initiation in Minority Institutions, to encourage research among enrollments predominantly of black, native American, Spanish-speaking, or other ethnic minorities; a program called National Needs Science Faculty Professional Development, to support training for science teachers at both 2- and 4-yr colleges and universities; and a Law and Social Sciences program to fund empirical research by law-review students in collaboration with legal scholars and social scientists. (NSF Bulletin, Nov 76, 1)
"Washington sources" not further identified had revealed that the first underwater test launch of a Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile, the SS-NX-18, had occurred "early in November" between a submarine in the White Sea and an impact area near Plesetsk. The "new missile" had been test-launched previously from a land-based facility at Plesetsk. Spaceflight, published by the British Interplanetary Society, quoted its sources as saying that the SS-NX-18-which used storable liquid propellants, and carried multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs)-had traveled about 5150 km, about 70% of its design range, and would replace SS-N-8 in the Delta 1 and Delta 2 class of USSR nuclear submarines. (Spaceflight, vol 19 no 2, 41')
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