Sep 17 1974
From The Space Library
The channeled scabland of eastern Washington had been formed 20 000 yrs ago by the greatest flood known to have occurred, the New York Times quoted U.S. Geological Survey as reporting. From ground scars and photographs from ERTS 1 Earth Resources Technology Satellite (launched 23 July 1972), scientists had traced the flood for 885 km. An ice dam blocking drainage of western Montana into Idaho had collapsed, pouring 2000 cubic km of water down the valley of the Spokane River. Scars visible in satellite photographs were formed by erosion of surface soil and underlying basalt. As water drained, gravel ridges 6 to 9 m high and 3 km long had been formed. The largest channel was the Grand Coulee, 80 km long and 270 m deep. (Sullivan, NYT, 17 Sept. 74; USGS PIO, interview, 12 June 75)
NASA authorized two flight kits for Apollo-Soyuz astronauts: an official flight kit, containing selective items for memorabilia, and an astronaut preference kit, containing 20 personal items selected individually. Special flight items having particular significance for the mission would be suggested by the Director, Johnson Space Center, and approved by the Administrator. (NASA NMI 8020.19B)
The congressional Joint Committee on Atomic Energy issued the panel report Transportation of Radioactive Material by Passenger Aircraft. The panel recommended that the transport index (the level of radiation in millirem per hour one meter from the surface of packages of radio-active material) be reduced from 10 to 1 and that the maximum permissible radiation at the package surface be lowered by one fourth to one half. Total maximum permissible quantities of curies of radionuclides per package should be at least 10 times lower. Improved packaging, installation of high-level radiation monitors in baggage compartments, and Federal monitoring of packages in transit from supplier to loading were also recommended. (Joint Com Print)
17-18 September: The second in a series of balloon flights carrying develop-ment instruments for NASA's planned High Energy Astronomy Observatory satellites reached an altitude of 38 000 m, descending 56 hrs after launch from Sioux City, Iowa. The balloon carried a French-Danish experiment to study isotopic composition of primary cosmic rays. The first flight, carrying the same instrument from Sioux City 27 Aug., had reached 31 000 m and descended 160 km west of the launch site after 12 hrs aloft. A third would be launched from Palestine, Tex., 17 Dec., carrying a Univ. of San Diego x-ray experiment; a fourth was scheduled for spring 1975. The flights were being coordinated by Marshall Space Flight Center.
Three HEAO satellites were scheduled for launch into earth orbit 1977-1979 to study celestial x-rays, gamma rays, and cosmic rays. (NASA Release 74-271; MSFC proj off, interview, 12 Nov 75)
17-20 September: Telephone communications via satellite to remote areas of Mexico were demonstrated during the International Congress of Electrical and Electronic Communications. Westar 1 (launched 13 April) and a portable antenna-earth station developed by Hughes Aircraft Co. relayed signals from Isla de Cedros through Westar 1 to Western Union Telegraph Co.'s earth station in Texas; signals were then transmitted by terrestrial facilities to Mexico City. The experiment showed satellites could span terrain where conventional communications were difficult to construct and uneconomical to operate. (Western Union Release, 17 Sept 74; Western Union PIO, interview, 6 June 75)
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