Apr 9 1974
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(New page: Analysis of Pioneer 10 photographs taken during the spacecraft's 3 Dec. 1973 encounter with Jupiter indicated that the planet's great red spot was probably a towering mass of clouds ri...)
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Analysis of Pioneer 10 photographs taken during the spacecraft's 3 Dec. 1973 encounter with Jupiter indicated that the planet's great red spot was probably a towering mass of clouds rising from discrete thermal sources, Dr. Tom Gehrels, Univ. of Arizona scientist, said at a NASA Jupiter science press briefing in Washington, D.C. The heat sources caused the atmospheric gases to rise locally to lower pressures. As the altitude increased the gases condensed, forming the aerosols that colored the clouds. The aerosols then sank and were again evaporated by the higher pressures and temperatures, creating an up-and-down circular motion within the red spot. Dr. Gehrels said that the spot "is not a unique feature." Pioneer 10 photos showed other areas of rising clouds. "We see quite a few of these that occur in equatorial regions."
Dr. James A. Van Allen, Univ. of Iowa scientist, said that Jupiter had been identified for the first time as a source of energetic particle emissions. The earth had been known to be a feeble emitter but Jupiter emitted particles at a strength detectable from fractions of an astronomical unit up to four or five AU from Jupiter. The discovery had dramatically changed interplanetary science from its traditional hypothesis that energetic particles observed in space had come only from the sun or from local acceleration. (Transcript)
NASA announced the Delta 100 Failure Review Committee had concluded that the failure of the Thor-Delta launch vehicle 2nd stage during the 18 Jan. Skynet IIA launch had been caused by an electronics package short circuit induced by a piece of conductive contaminant shaken loose during launch. Also, the insulation coating on the printed circuit boards had been ineffective at all sharp edges; tests had determined that the contaminant had probably welded across the exposed ends of component leads. The committee recommended proper insulation of exposed electrical points and an electronics package subjected to higher acceptance test vibration levels. (NASA Release 74-88)
Award of a $64 620 000, fixed-price-incentive contract to McDonnell Douglas Corp. for Thor-Delta launch vehicle mission checkout, launchings, engineering support, and modifications through 30 Sept. 1975 was announced by NASA. Additional contract options totaled about $2 500 000. (NASA Release 74-84; Off Delta Mgr, interview)
The Senate Committee on Government Operations' Subcommittee on Reorganization, Research, and International Organizations favorably re-ported S. 2744 to the full Committee. The bill would split the Atomic Energy Commission into two agencies, the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) and the Nuclear Energy Commission (NEC) . (House, Bill Status Off, interview, 24 Jan 75)
9-10 April: Passengers aboard two Delta Air Lines, Inc., flights on 5 and 6 April might have been exposed to radiation from an improperly shielded shipment of 32 curies of solid radioactive iridium 192 transported in the aircraft cargo compartments from Washington, D.C., to Baton Rouge, La, the Atomic Energy Commission announced. The highest exposure for any one passenger would have been about 8 roentgens on one flight and 51/2 roentgens on the other, and these exposures would have occurred at only one seat location. The AEC also announced 10 April that it had ordered Value Engineering Co., the AEC licensee that had originated the shipment, to suspend further shipments of radioactive materials pending investigation. (AEC Releases T-161; T-162)
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