Sep 8 1992
From The Space Library
NASA proposed to explore the planet Pluto by dispatching two small spacecraft with cameras and a few essential instruments as early as 1998 on flights taking them close to the planet in seven or eight years. Such a mission would utilize existing technology and cost an estimated $400 million, an example of NASA's new philosophy of "better, faster, cheaper." Scientists were anxious to send a mission to Pluto in the near future, since the planet was favorably positioned relative to Earth and its atmosphere was in a gaseous state, conditions that would not continue beyond about 2010. (NY Times, Sept 8/92; CSM, Nov 4/92)
The Magellan spacecraft resumed its radar-imaging of Venus after a seven-week outage, making radar pictures of some of the last unmapped regions on Venus. Magellan was also scheduled to go into a lower orbit to measure Venus' gravity and to explore the planets' internal structure. The spacecraft has mapped 99 percent of Venus' landscape. Plans were under consideration to extend the life of the mission until November 1994 to obtain even more detailed pictures of Venus. (AP, Sept 9/94; W Times, Sept 9/92)
Lockheed, a principal designer of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, won $267 million in contracts to maintain, service, and help repair the orbiting observatory. (W Post, Sept 9/92)
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