Oct 22 1991
From The Space Library
Forrest McCartney, Director of the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, said NASA might have to close one of its two Shuttle launch pads to save money. (P Inq, Oct 22/91)
The United Nations (U.N.) reported that the world's ozone layer, particularly over the Antarctic, was thinner than ever and the "hole" over the Antarctic was increasing. However, U.N. scientist Ruman Bojkov said the U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger had not significantly contributed to the situation. Readings were taken by NASA satellites and ground-based spectrometers and the data analyzed by international scientists convened by the U.N. Environment Program and the World Meteorological Organization. Subsequently, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator William K. Reilly said "The problem is more serious than we believed." (UPI, Oct 22/91; P Inq, Oct 23/91; W Post, Oct 23/91; USA Today, Oct 23/91; NY Times, Oct 23/91; WSJ, Oct 23/91; CSM, Oct 23/91; W Times, Oct 23/91; B Sun, Oct 23/91; LA Times, Oct 23/91)
AP quoted President Bush's science adviser, D. Allan Bromley, as saying that declassification of Star Wars technology would enable NASA to begin a $30 billion study of Earth's environment earlier and cheaper. Bromley added that the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy would allow the use of some of their inventions for non-military purposes. The most important was a technology that allowed pointing an instrument from space with greater accuracy to a given spot on Earth and holding it, as well as a technique to fly individual satellites, bring them together, and lock them into formation so several satellites can look at the same spot on Earth. (AP, Oct 22/91)
According to a local newspaper, a NASA/Ames research plane equipped with infrared scanners that can cut through smoke gave firefighters their first clear view of the intensity of the fire in the Oakland hills. A videotape of the infrared data helped the firefighters and because the C-130B senses heat, not light, the NASA plane can provide information not available from fire fighting helicopters. (San Jose Mercury News, Oct 22/91)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
