Jan 31 1975
From The Space Library
An unexpected and sudden drop in the total number of ionospheric electrons within 1000 km of the burning Saturn V second stage engines had been noted during the 15 May 1973 launch of Skylab 1, Science magazine reported. The probable cause of the electron loss was the large number of hydrogen (H2) and water vapor molecules added by the engines to the ionospheric F-region of the atmosphere. This initiated a recombination process between ionospheric positive ions and ambient electrons, causing the removal of ion-electron pairs. The Saturn's first-stage engines, which burned kerosene in an oxygen environment, cut off at 88 km and, therefore, had little effect on the ionosphere F-region.
Similar changes in ionospheric chemistry had not been noted in association with Saturn V vehicles launched before Skylab 1 because all their final parking orbits (and therefore their second-stage burns) had been below 190 km, where the ionospheric chemistry is different. (Mendillo et al., Science, 31 Jan 75, 343-5)
Marshall Space Flight Center announced the award of two contracts to Martin Marietta Corp. for further studies on the Earth Orbiting Teleoperator System (EOTS). Under a $246 570 contract Martin would design EOTS, an unmanned remotely controlled spacecraft, to operate in earth orbit near the Space Shuttle Orbiter. The spacecraft would carry a TV camera for close-up inspection, have docking capability, and be propelled by cold-gas expulsion. Under a $64 000 contract Martin would develop a complete set of requirements for the control and display station, a unit in the Orbiter that would contain control equipment common to all experiments requiring a teleoperator system. (MSFC Release 75-29)
NASA had awarded a $152 565 000 cost-plus-award-fee contract to Martin Marietta Corp. for the design, development, and test of the Space Shuttle external tank, Marshall Space Flight Center announced. The contract, which covered the first increment of the external tank project for 1 Sept. 1973 to 30 June 1980, called for a maximum production rate of 24 tanks per year and delivery of major ground-test articles and 6 flight-model tanks. The work would be done at Michoud Assembly Facility under the direction of MSFC. (MSFC Release 75-28)
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