Oct 18 1979
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(New page: The New York Times said that Dr. Thomas A. Mutch, NASA's associate administrator for space science, had told a House subcommittee that problems with the Space Shuttle would delay fligh...)
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The New York Times said that Dr. Thomas A. Mutch, NASA's associate administrator for space science, had told a House subcommittee that problems with the Space Shuttle would delay flight of the Galileo mission for two years. NASA now planned to launch the mission in 1984 in two parts: one Shuttle flight would take a Galileo orbiter into Earth orbit for launch toward Jupiter, and another Shuttle flight would take another spacecraft for launch into the atmosphere of Jupiter carrying instruments to record its composition. Earlier mission plans were for a 1982 Shuttle launch carrying a single Galileo package including orbiter and Jupiter probe; the change would add more than $184 million to the cost of the project, previously estimated at about $450 million.
NASA had had problems not only with the Shuttle insulating tiles but also with the rocket engines. An improved engine was to be standard after the first test flights. Angelo Guastaferro, NASA's head of planetary programs, said that the 4,600-pound Galileo spacecraft would be too heavy for the Shuttle to carry into Earth orbit without the improved engines. (NY Times, Oct 18/79, A-15)
ESA reported a fifth Japan/ESA meeting October 15-17 in Paris, with Roy Gibson, ESA director general, and N. Kozu, of Japan's science and technology agency, leading the delegations. In several working-group sessions the parties reviewed continuing exchange of information on use of communications satellites; acquiring data from each other's remote-sensing satellites; flying Japanese scientific instruments on Spacelab launches; mutual use of Japan and ESA tracking stations; and using Spacelab for research in materials and life science. A sixth meeting was set for Tokyo in 1980. (ESA Info Bltn 26)
ESA reported a design review of the Marecs project October 9-10 with the prime contractor, British Aerospace, after which the agency approved a start on satellite assembly so that a flight unit would be ready for launch by the Ariane L04 vehicle. (ESA Info Bltn 27)
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