Jul 15 1972
From The Space Library
NASA'S Pioneer 10 Jupiter probe (launched March, 2) entered Asteroid Belt, beginning first reconnaissance of huge region of dust and rocks that circled sun between orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Doughnut shaped belt was about 3 billion km (1.8 billion mi) around, 280 million km (175 million mi) wide, and 80 million km (50 million mi) thick. Asteroids in belt ranged in size from dust particles to rock chunks as large as Alaska. Passage of Pioneer 10 through belt would permit first measurements of asteroids too small to be seen with earth-based telescopes and of amounts and kinds of asteroidal material. During seven-month passage through belt, spacecraft was expected to pass within 8.9 million km (5.5 million mi) of asteroid Palomar-Layden Aug. 2 and asteroid Nike Dec. 2. Pioneer 10 carried three experiments for measurements in Asteroid Belt-asteroid-meteoroid detector, gas-cell-array meteoroid detector, and imaging photopolarimeter. (NASA Release 72-136, ARC Astrogram, 7/20/72, 1)
Sprint antiballistic missile successfully selected and intercepted dummy warhead from among several warheads over Pacific Ocean. Maneuver was 29th test of Safeguard system. Objective was to ensure that Safe-guard radar could lock onto one target while disregarding others and guide missile to target intercept in space. (DOD press memo, 7/16/72)
Sen. William Proxmire (D-Wis.) said Dept. of Defense had suppressed secret report showing that cost of Navy F-14 jet fighter aircraft would rise to $20.8 million each-$4 million above published estimates. In statement to press, Sen. Proxmire said he was "shocked and dismayed" at DOD's refusal to make report public. (Corddry, B Sun, 7/16/72, 17)
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