May 1979

From The Space Library

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Current revision

NASA reported that the X-ray telescope on HEAO 2 had photographed for the first time an X-ray "burster” a "bizarre" phenomenon occurring when compact celestial objects less than 50 kilometers (30 miles) in diameter increase suddenly and intensely in X-ray brightness. Such a burst, releasing more X-ray energy in 10 seconds than the Sun does in a week, was first discovered by a Netherlands/U.S. cooperative satellite carrying Harvard Smithsonian detectors in 1976.

Scientists had not defined the nature of the bursts, which might result from explosions similar to a helium bomb on the surface of a neutron star or from violent instabilities in gas flow down a black hole. HEAO 2's picture, said Jonathan Grindlay of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, established the presence of a "steady" X-ray source in a "globular cluster" called Terzan 2, bringing the number of such clusters known to harbor X-ray sources to at least eight, six of these being bursters. The cores of globular clusters (oldest objects in the galaxy, consisting of round swarms of about 100,000 stars) were under study as possible precursors of black holes or of compact binary systems containing either neutron stars or black holes being formed to produce bursting X-ray sources. (NASA Release 79-65)

NASA reported a number of personnel changes during May.

Dr. John E. Naugle, longtime associate administrator currently serving as chief scientist, announced plans to retire June 29, 1979. After receiving a doctorate in physics in 1953 from the University of Minnesota, where he worked before joining the Convair scientific research laboratory, he began his NASA service at GSFC in 1959 as head of the nuclear emulsion section. Naugle served in 1961 as chief of physics in Physics and Astronomy Programs, Office of Space Science; as director of physics and astronomy programs in the Office of Space Science and Applications from 1962 to 1966; as associate administrator for space science and applications in 1967; and as deputy associate administrator of NASA in 1974, becoming associate administrator in 1975. In a reorganization of 1977, he assumed the duties of chief scientist. Dr. Robert A. Frosch, NASA administrator, said Naugle was "an effective proponent for space, an international negotiator of distinction, a leader and a guide to a generation of managers." (NASA anno May 9179; NASA Release 79-63)

Dr. Robert S. Cooper, director of GSFC since July 1, 1976, announced he would resign June 1 to become vice president for engineering at Satellite Business Systems. Cooper came to GSFC from DOD, where he was assistant director for defense research and engineering, beginning in 1972. He was a research engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory and, before that, a professor at MIT. He attended the University of Iowa and Ohio State University and received a doctorate in 1963 from MIT in electrical engineering. (NASA Release 79-60)

JSC announced retirement May 18 of deputy director Sigurd A. Sjoberg after 37 years of service with NASA and its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). He joined NACA in 1942 as an electrical engineer and went to Houston when his group was relocated from Hampton, Va. He became director of flight operations in 1969 and deputy director of JSC in 1972. He would manage Houston operations for OAO Corporation (JSC Release 79-24; NASA Release 79-58)

NASA announced appointment of Dr. Thomas A. Mutch as associate administrator for space science, effective July 1. Mutch, professor of geological sciences at Brown University, received a doctorate in geology from Princeton University in 1960 and had been a member of NASAs lunar science review board from 1969 to 1973, leader of the Viking project's lander imaging science team, and chairman of several NASA committees planning post Viking exploration of Mars. A mountain climber, he had visited the Himalayas twice, most recently in 1978 with a group from Brown University. (NASA Release 7972)

NASA reported that astronaut Fred W. Haise, In, would resign at the end of June to become vice president for space programs at Grumman Aerospace. He began as a NASA research pilot at LeRC in 19.59, followed by three years at DFRC, and was one of 19 astronauts selected in April 1966. As pilot of Apollo 13's lunar module, he assisted in converting, it into a "lifeboat" for the crew after an explosion in the service module about 55 hours after launch. He had been technical assistant to the manager of the Space Shuttle orbiter project and commanded one of the two crews piloting the Enterprise in approach-and-landing tests in 1977. (NASA Release 79-79)

MSFC announced appointment of Dr. Mathias P Siebel as manager of the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, La., succeeding Robert C. Littlefield, who died May 12. (MSFC Release 79-52)

KSC announced retirement of Dr. Walter J. Kapryan, director of Shuttle operations, and appointment of George F. Page to fill that position, effective June 1. Kapryan began in 1947 at the Langley laboratory when it was NACA headquarters and went to Cape Canaveral as project engineer for Mercury Redstone 1. In 1963 he established the Gemini program office at KSC; he was deputy director of launch operations until September 1969. He had assisted with KSC's transition from Apollo to the Shuttle era. (KSC Release 10079)

FBIS reported on the status of the Soyuz 32 crew in its continuing flight aboard Salyut 6. Since launch February 25, Vladimir Lyakhov and Valery Ryumin had done daily exercises and physical tests, noted by Soviet press services as "the cosmonauts are feeling well." Their May 3 activity was experimenting on the Kristall equipment, making "semiconductor monocrystals" of indium arsenide. On May 4 they operated a "submillimeter telescope" gathering data to predict cyclones in tropical zones of Earth. A commentator noted that this equipment was complicated, requiring exact calibration each time it was used, and could be aimed only by turning the entire station. On May 6 they used a "gamma telescope" to measure gamma radiation and charged particles in near-Earth space. On May 8 they replaced their television transmitter with a new one brought by Progress 5. On May 9-10 they used the Kristall to experiment with cadmium sulfide.

Tass reported May 13 the launch of Progress 6; a commentator said that the cargo ship contained "an unusual present" to the crew, a tulip scheduled to bloom in space. An ongoing task was to study the efforts of weightlessness and "other space flight factors" on plant growth; small hothouses aboard the Salyut could provide fresh food containing vitamins. The crew was growing green onions; they had reaped their first harvest and "ate it with the permission of biologists." They also had fennel, parsley, and garlic; Tass noted that "Despite successes of chemistry... scientists have not yet managed to create the same vitamins as in nature." The cosmonauts on Soyuz 29 had repeatedly described the mushrooms they were picking as "really strange... their form was unusual with curly stems. . .". "Nevertheless," Tass said, "[the crew had been] greatly pleased. All living things evoke their enhanced interest ... a psychological backup in their difficult work." The tulip in outer space, "merely an experiment to scientists," was for the cosmonauts "a symbol of spring" and an expression of solicitude for the crew that had been working for a long time in isolation. Progress 6 docked May 15, and the crew was unloading cargo and reloading used equipment for the next fortnight. The major job was refueling, difficult and complex in space, but the crew had completed it by May 28. (FBIS, Moscow Tass in English, Dom Svc in Russian, Intl Svc in Russian, May 3-28/79)

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