Sep 1 1975
From The Space Library
NASA's Small Astronomy Satellite (Sas 2, launched as Explorer 48 16 Nov. 1972) had observed a pulsar in the Vela constellation that generated two bursts of gamma rays for each burst of radio waves, the Astrophysical Journal reported. No other pulsar had been found to exhibit such properties. The new observation indicated that pulsars small, dense, rapidly spinning stars thought to be remains of huge stellar explosion or supernova-were much more complex than had been believed.
Detection of gamma rays from Vela meant that pulsars were a likely source of cosmic rays. Many astrophysicists had believed that only very young pulsars could produce cosmic energies, but the Sas 2 observations cast doubt on this conclusion: Scientists believed that the Vela pulsar was more than 10 000 yrs old. (D.J. Thompson et al., Astrophysical Journal, 1 Sept 75; GSFC Release G-75-20)
Appointment of Lt. Gen. William J. Evans as commander of the Air Force Systems Command became effective. Gen. Evans, who had been deputy chief of staff for research and development at Air Force Hq, was replacing retiring Gen. Samuel C. Phillips. AFSC had been responsible for developing Air Force aerospace technology. (AFSC Newsreview, Aug. 75)
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