Jul 8 1976
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(New page: A "Big Bird" reconnaissance satellite, built by Lockheed, was launched by the USAF from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., on a Titan IIID. A previous Big Bird launched 4 Dec. 1975 had remain...)
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A "Big Bird" reconnaissance satellite, built by Lockheed, was launched by the USAF from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., on a Titan IIID. A previous Big Bird launched 4 Dec. 1975 had remained in orbit until 1 Apr. 1976. (Av Wk, 19 July 76, 243)
NASA launched Palapa 1, first of a series of Indonesian comsats, into a synchronous transfer orbit from the Eastern Test Range at 7:31 pm EDT on a Delta vehicle. Orbital elements were 36 504-km apogee, 231-km perigee, and 24.6° inclination. At the 10th apogee, the boost motor was fired (4:30 pm EDT on 11 July) and the spacecraft was maneuvered into a position above the equator at about 83 E. Satellite status was reported satisfactory. The satellite's name came from a 14th-century prime minister, Gaja Mada, who vowed not to eat a popular delicacy called palapa until Indonesia was united. The 8 July launch date was selected to ensure that the satellite would be operational on 17 Aug., when Indonesia celebrated its 31st anniversary of independence. Produced by Hughes Aircraft, the Palapa satellites would be identical to the Telesat Canada and Westar satellites except for antenna modifications; each satellite could relay 12 color TV channels or up to 4000 telephone circuits. A second Palapa was scheduled for launch in 1977. (NASA Release 76-117; MOR M-492-208-76-01, [prelaunch] 24 June 76, [postlaunch] 14 Oct 76)
Marshall Space Flight Center announced that 3 different solar collectors procured from industry in an ERDA-sponsored program on technical management and support of solar-energy development were undergoing tests of efficiency versus cost. The collectors, after exposure to weathering, were put into an active situation in which the heat-transfer medium (usually water) passed through them, and measurements were made to determine their efficiency. At the same time, 4 low-cost collectors developed by MSFC were being tested to evaluate the thermal performance of black-nickel and black-chrome absorber coatings that could reduce the amount of collector area required, and thereby lower the cost of a specific application. (MSFC Release 76-121)
Discrepancies in forecasting the size of the 1976 Soviet grain crop underlined the difficulty of accurately predicting worldwide harvests and food needs, the Washington Post reported. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture estimated 22 June that the USSR would produce 190 million tons of grain; other sources objected that the estimate was several millions of tons below the figure set by the Central Intelligence Agency and between 4 and 10 million tons 'higher than estimates by 2 private firms (Cargill Investor Services of Chicago, and Schnittker Associates of Washington). The size of the Soviet crop was a crucial statistic, the Post noted, because-if low enough-it could send world grain prices on a rapid rise; the price of grain would affect the U.S. economy, triggering higher food prices and adding to domestic inflation. The world had had no excess food stocks since 1972, so that faraway droughts or political developments affecting food trade could make U.S. grain prices fluctuate wildly. Government and industry had invested millions of dollars to get information from satellites, computer banks, private weather consultants, translations of foreign broadcasts, and tipsters, the Post said. Banks, shipping companies, railroads, and other enterprises in agricultural trade or investment had increased their research in crop data to be ready for price changes or sudden shifts in markets. Despite the flood of information, global agricultural predictions remained inexact.
A satellite equipped for crop surveys swept across the Soviet Union last year and "helped government analysts assess a major Russian crop disaster," the Post noted. The information, fed into complicated computer models that collated soil moisture and temperature data with other inputs, produced a projection of Soviet grain production; however, the computer models of the Dept. of Agriculture and the CIA last year produced differing estimates. (W Post, 8 July 76, A-2)
NASA issued a call for Space Shuttle astronaut candidates-15 pilots and 15 mission specialists-to be selected by Dec. 1977. Applications would be accepted through June 1977, and candidates would report to Johnson Space Center in July 1978 for 2 yr of training. Appointment as an astronaut would depend on satisfactory completion of training. Minority and women candidates were encouraged to apply. NASA spokesman Bob Cordon said the agency expected no problems if a woman were selected; the Space Shuttle was "designed to accommodate women astronauts ...the waste management system is the only problem really and that has been designed for both males and females." Since the astronaut program began in 1959, 73 pilots and scientists had been selected; 31 persons were available as Space Shuttle crew, 28 astronauts assigned to JSC and 3 holding government positions in Washington, D.C. Pilot astronauts would control the Shuttle during launch, orbit, and landing, and would maintain vehicle systems; mission-specialist astronauts would coordinate orbiter operations in flight planning, use of consumables, and management of the payload. (NASA Release 76-122; JSC Release 76-44; DOD Release 310-76; NYT, 8 July 76, 12)
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