Sep 6 1978
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(New page: NASA announced that Voyager 1 on its way to Jupiter and Saturn had completed transit of the asteroid belt, leaving the region Sept. 8. The belt, a band of rock and dust 360 million km ...)
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NASA announced that Voyager 1 on its way to Jupiter and Saturn had completed transit of the asteroid belt, leaving the region Sept. 8. The belt, a band of rock and dust 360 million km (233 million mi) wide between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter with its inner edge about 105 million km (65 million mi) from earth's orbit, was formerly believed an impassable hazard to spacecraft bound for outer planets and beyond. Voyager 1, launched after Voyager 2, had entered the asteroid belt Dec. 10 few hours behind Voyager 2 on a master trajectory that would carry it steadily beyond Voyager 2, which it would overtake Dec. 15. Voyager 1 would make its closest approach to Jupiter Mar. 5, 1979, at 286 000km (178 000mi); Voyager 2 would pass 643 000km (399 000mi) from Jupiter in July 1979. Both spacecraft would continue on to Saturn where Voyager 1 would arrive in Nov. 1980, Voyager 2 in Aug. 1981. (NASA Release 78-137)
Sen. William Proxmire (D-Wis.) said he would try his best to do away with $5.7 million in "federal pork" for lunar-rock analysis and "to force scientists to compete for lunar sample support with other basic research proposals in the geological sciences," Defense/Space Business Daily reported. Proxmire said that NASA had spent a total of $41.2 million on lunar-sample analysis and had requested another $5.7 million for FY79. Although the House had approved the request, the Senate had adopted Proxmire's recommendation to delete the funds, leaving the issue to be resolved in conference during Sept. Proxmire had maintained that lunar sample research should not enjoy privileged status over other basic research in geology, geochemistry, and geophysics, but should "compete with all other research in these areas, preferably at the National Science Foundation.-our principal basic research agency. If the lunar samples have the value claimed for them when the curatorial facility was built, this should be no problem." Proxmire said the Senate Appropriations Committee had directed NSF to seek proposals for lunar analysis next year as NASA phased out its research program. His correspondence had charged that the primary purpose of lunar analysis appeared to be training graduate students and keeping university laboratories well equipped. "I do not in any way mean to show disrespect for these motives or the participants in the lunar sample program," Proxmire noted. "However, we have programs for training graduate students. We have programs for providing research equipment to universities. NASA's moonrock program should not be used for these purposes." (DISBD, Sept 6/78, 4)
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