Sept 26 1975
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
Johnson Space Center's Glynn S. Lunney, U.S. Technical Director for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, had been named manager of the Space Shuttle Payload Integration and Development Program Office, JSC's Roundup 'reported. The office had been created to plan and develop JSC payload for the Space Shuttle. The Apollo Spacecraft Program Office had been abolished, and personnel from that office and the Payloads Coordination Office had been reassigned to the new program office. Besides managing Shuttle payloads and components-including the Interim Upper-Stage low-cost modular spacecraft, long-duration exposure facility, and Large Space Telescope-the new office would manage JSC participation in international space activities, including any future U.S.-U.S.S.R. activities. (JSC Roundup, 26 Sept 75, 1)
X-ray satellites-including Uhuru (Explorer 42 launched 12 Dec. 1970) and Oso 7 (Orbiting Solar Observatory launched 29 Sept 1971)-had revealed a previously unidentified class of x-ray sources associated with very old star clusters, Science reported. In at least five documented cases, satellites had detected x-rays from globular star clusters coming from above and below the pinwheel disk of the Milky Way galaxy. These clusters, left behind when the rest of the primordial galactic matter fell into the disk of the galaxy over 10 billion yrs ago, still orbited the galactic center, bound to it by gravitational forces.
Scientific evidence had indicated that the birth of new stars within clusters ended soon after the formation of the clusters themselves; the clusters had not been expected to contain any young binary star systems, those believed to make up the majority of galactic x-ray sources. This fact, along with the finding that sources were much more plentiful in globular clusters than in the galactic disk, indicated that some different process of x-ray production was at work.
Scientists offered three explanations for the findings: existence of very large black holes, 1000 times as massive as the sun, within the clusters; a smaller black hole steadily fed with matter from the surrounding disk; and origin of the x-ray emissions in binary stars behaving like x-ray binaries in the galactic disk but with very different origins.
Scientists were hoping that two more x-ray satellites, U.K.'s Ariel 5 (launched 15 Sept. 1974) and Ans 1 (Netherlands Astronomical Satellite launched 30 Aug. 1975), would contribute additional data to the study. (Metz, Science, 26 Sept 75, 1073-74)
A vertical motion simulator to reproduce the critical maneuvers of aircraft during takeoff and landing was being built at Ames Research Center. Costing $3.5 million, the VMS would use an existing cab and computer system, but would have new hardware to provide large-scale vertical motions. It would move as much as 18 m vertically and 12 m horizontally and would accurately simulate flare and touchdown of such aircraft as the short takeoff and landing (STOL) and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL). (FRC X -Press, 26 Sept 75, 4)
Johnson Space Center's Roundup reported that Scott Aviation Co. would begin commercial production -of a new lightweight breathing system for firefighters based on concepts and hardware developed by JSC engineers. Called the Scott Air-Pak 4.5, the new apparatus was the first major improvement in compressed-air breathing systems in more than 20 yrs. New features of the equipment included a 40% weight reduction; an improved pack frame and harness, with the unit's weight carried on the hips rather than the shoulders; and a redesigned face mask for better vision.
NASA's part in developing the apparatus had begun in 1970 when a national meeting of municipal officials identified the need for an improved system as their highest priority, NASA's effort had been carried out at JSC as an engineering applications project under the 'Technology Utilization Program. After a design had been chosen from a number of candidates, prototype units were successfully field tested under actual firefighting conditions by the Houston, New York City, and Los Angeles fire departments.
Scott Aviation was the first manufacturer to announce commercial production of an apparatus based on NASA effort. (JSC Roundup, 26 Sept 75, 4)
Aetna Life and Casualty would become the thud partner with Comsat General Corp. and International Business Machines Corp. in a venture to establish a domestic satellite system, the three companies jointly announced.
In a letter to the Federal Communications Commission, the three companies had proposed a corporate structure of the jointly owned CML Satellite Corp. under which each of the three companies would own apart of the organization. IBM would purchase 42.5% and Aetna would purchase 15% of CML stock, with Comsat holding the remaining 42.5%. Aetna would also purchase a convertible note, bringing its investment to the same level as Comsat and IBM; the three partners would have equal representation on the board of directors. The arrangement would comply with FCC's requirement that no partner own less than 10% nor more than 49% of CML's stock [see 23 Jan.].
After FCC approval, the three partners would each invest up to $55 million with additional funding obtained from outside financing. CML had been formed in 1972, with other stockholders, to enter the U.S. domestic communications satellite business; Comsat had owned all the stock of CML since July 1975 and, with IBM, had been seeking a third partner.. Both Comsat and IBM had been providing the interim financing. (Aetna-Comsat-IBM Release, 26 Sept 75)
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