Feb 4 1985
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Under pressure from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to define its requirements in the internationally authorized 1,544 to 1,660.5 MHz-frequency band and to make allocations in this band for commercial mobile-user communications and surveillance systems, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicated satellites might play a key role in air navigation, surveillance, and communications in its follow-on generation, air-traffic control system. Therefore the FCC was trying to protect the radio spectrum required for such services, Aviation Week reported. In addition, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) would review at the 1987 World Radio Conference the earlier-assigned band, seeking to assure sufficient spectrum availability for civil aviation operators' future global needs.
The Special Committee 155 of the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics said it would report at an April 26 ICAO meeting results of its yearlong study intended to define future spectrum operational requirements for the year 2010 and beyond for all classes of airspace users. The report called for service over both land and water, from the surface to a 70,000-foot altitude, a requirement most easily met by spaceborne systems.
The FAA had considered spaceborne systems for air traffic communications for nearly two decades, but had rejected them as not cost-effective replacements for terrestrial-based facilities (except for transoceanic communications). However, at the urging of the Air Transport Assn. (ATA), the FAA had initiated in the early 1970s a joint program with the European Space Agency (ESA) to explore satellite use for oceanic aircraft communications, resulting in contracts with Comsat Corp. for the service and GE to build a satellite; the FAA had terminated the program when ATA lost interest. More recently, Aviation Week said, the FAA had responded cooly to DOD's push for FAA adoption of its Rockwell Navstar Global Positioning System, partly because of Pentagon-imposed signal accuracy limits of 500 miles (1,640 ft.) for civilian users.
Currently, commercial applications to the FCC for authorization to offer domestic communications- and surveillance-satellite services to users, ranging from trucks to aircraft, had raised serious FAA concerns. FAA officials doubted the technical suitability of some of the proposed systems to meet airspace users' demanding requirements.
The government traditionally had owned and operated the surveillance, navigation, and communications facilities the FAA used for air-traffic control. If the FCC, under the Reagan Administration policy of commercializing space activities, should allocate spectrum currently assigned for aviation to non-aviation use, this could preclude a future optimum global spaceborne-aviation system. Therefore, the FAA task force was studying spectrum needs for several types of spaceborne systems, including multifunction satellites, and expected to have recommendations ready for submission to the Future Air Navigation System Committee and the National Telecommunications and Information Agency, which addressed government frequency-allocation issues. (Av Wk, Feb 4/85, 36)
Budget
NASA Administrator James Beggs, during a press conference, reported that President Reagan had requested a NASA budget of just under $7.9 billion, reflecting the President's determination to continue America's space leadership and to achieve the goal of a permanently manned space station.
The budget covered some unforeseen items not addressed by 1985 budget-planning estimates, including the Congressionally mandated development of the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS), scheduled for launch in 1989, and acceleration of the advanced turboprop propulsion system for FY 87 flight testing.
The budget contained four major appropriations requests: a total of $2.9 billion for R&D, which included funds for previously approved space science and applications programs, development of ACTS, initiation of the orbiting maneuvering vehicle program, and promotion of commercial use of space; $3.5 billion for space flight, control, and data communications to support Space Shuttle production, operations, and tracking and data acquisition (a decrease of $92 million from FY 85's budget plan); $149 million for facilities construction (down $1 million from FY 85); and $1.3 billion for research and program management. (NASA release Feb. 4/85; NASA press briefing, Feb. 4/ 85)
Resources The Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President, reported that the President's proposed FY 86 budget requested $60 billion for research and development (R&D), of which $40 billion would support non-DOD projects and nearly $8 billion, basic research.
Although obligations for non-DOD R&D would decrease slightly from 1985 to 1986, reflecting determination to reduce the federal deficit, obligations for basic research in the physical sciences and engineering would increase by 7%, and those for all basic research would increase 1%. Actual outlays during 1986 would grow by 5%, permitting some modest real growth.
In testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology, Dr. G.A. Keyworth, Science Advisor to the President, said he strongly supported the necessity of slowing the growth of science and technology funding in the short term, but wouldn't hide his concern over the vitality of U.S. science over the long run. "Our real challenges will come in fiscal years 1987 and 1988, when we simply will have to find ways to ensure our ability to pursue-and pursue vigorously-new avenues of research. . . . We have to be prepared to make hard choices to fund new starts for high-priority research facilities under whatever fiscal scenario we face in coming years. What will be at stake will be the scientific leadership that we can't afford to compromise." (Office of Science and Technology Policy release Feb 4/85; U.S. House Comm. on Science and Technology testimony, Feb 5/85)
Shuttle Orbiter NASA Administrator James Beggs, during a press briefing, noted that the fourth Space Shuttle orbiter, Atlantis, would join the fleet in the spring to fly its first mission in 1985 and that, despite being well into the Space Shuttle's operational phase, NASA would continue to improve performance, procure space parts, and enhance reliability.
In support of Presidential efforts to cut government spending, NASA would slow space station definition and development efforts, cancel the advanced composite structures program in aeronautics, and not initiate any new projects in the space science and applications program. (NASA release Feb. 4/ 85, NASA press briefing, Feb. 4/85)
Western European cabinet ministers in a two-day meeting in Rome agreed to participate in the 1992 U.S. launch of a permanently manned space station, the European Space Agency (ESA) announced. The ministers also increased the ESA budget and approved funding for Ariane 5, making clear their intent to pursue independent European space activities, but failed to decide on a French-sponsored plan for a small Space Shuttle (called Hermes).
ESA would base its participation in the U.S. space station on an Italo-German project called Columbus, with an estimated $2-billion project cost. Although W. Germany, Britain, and Italy had made funding commitments, France had not announced its project share.
The ministers' decision ended controversy over European cooperation with the U.S., which had resulted from an earlier U.S./European cooperative effort that ended negatively when a $750 million investment in the 1973 Spacelab produced little significant research or technological spinoffs, the Washington Post reported.
ESA also announced its annual expenditures would increase 70% to almost $1.3 billion by 1990. (ESA release Feb 4/85, Jan 31/85; W Post, Feb 1/85, A23)
The European Space Agency (ESA) announced it would hand over on February 5 MARECS 8-2 to the International Maritime Satellite organization (INMARSAT) for commercial operation. The spacecraft, launched November 10 and operational since January 8, would complete INMARSAT's first-generation satellite system, which would offer worldwide service covering three oceans: the Atlantic region with MARECS-A positioned at 26° W, the Indian Ocean with INTELSAT MCS A at 63° E, and the Pacific Ocean with MARECS 8-2 at 176.5° E.
In preparation for future communications satellite services, ESA in cooperation with INMARSAT was conducting experiments with MARECS 8-2 to design economically operated equipment compact enough for installation in small vehicles. (ESA release Feb 4/85)
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