Jan 7 1977
From The Space Library
NASA announced that four customers had signed up for "getaway special" payloads to fly on the Space Shuttle on a space available basis beginning in 1980. The small self-contained payloads must weigh no more than 90kg (2001b) each, measure no more than 0.15m3 (5ft3), and require no services such as electrical power or deployment into space.
Owners of the research and development packages were R. Gilbert Moore of Utah, a private citizen who offered half his payload to Utah State Univ., which in turn would make the space available to high school students who submitted proposals to fly their own experiments; Dr. L.R. Megill, chairman of the space science experiment committee at Utah State, who funded a payload as a follow-on to Moore and also planned to invite student proposals; and Reiner Klett, representing independent West German researchers, who signed for two payloads, one biological and one for space processing. (NASA Release 7'7-4)
Radio signals between the four Viking spacecraft on Mars and earth-based antennas had provided the most accurate confirmation so far of Einstein’s theory of relativity in an experiment conducted Nov. 25, 1976, when Mars moved behind the sun relative to the earth, causing a total blackout of communications with the Viking spacecraft. Radio signals transmitted to the Viking spacecraft from antennas at Goldstone, Calif., and Canberra, Australia, had produced "incredibly precise" measurement of the radio transmission. According to Adam I. Braufman of the Mass. Institute of Technology, the "uncertainty" over a space of some 322 million km was less than 2m, an accuracy of five parts in 10 million millionths.
The Viking radio science team was trying to confirm Einstein's prediction that the sun's gravitational force would bend and delay radio signals (or any form of radiation) traveling close to a massive body such as the sun. Previous tests using the spacecraft communications systems tended to confirm the theory, but the Viking test proved much more accurate than the previous ones. (NYT, Jan 7/77, A-8; W Post, Jan 7/77, A-1)
NASA announced it would participate in a joint agro-environmental monitoring system that would improve crop management in the state of Virginia through knowledge gained from the automated data-collection and processing systems developed for satellite and space-exploration programs. Funded by Wallops Flight Center at Wallops Island, Va., and by the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ. at Blacksburg, a network of data collection stations would automatically track "degree-day" units necessary for the emerging of certain insects or diseases; when a certain total was reached, the system would alert a farmer to spray his crop. Savings would result from reduced use of insecticides during less effective periods, reduced possibility of pollution, and fewer requirements for labor and equipment. Loyd C. Parker, Wallops project manager, said design work was complete and by early spring the five monitoring stations and central computer should be ready for use. (NASA Release 77-6)
Marshall Space Flight Center announced it would accept, proposals for a study contract to define possibilities of receiving electrical energy from the sun in large quantities for use on earth, through a concept called Satellite Power Systems, consisting of a number of spacecraft in stationary orbit using photovoltaic or solar-thermal power instrumentation to capture solar energy, convert it to electrical energy, convert that to microwave energy, transmit it to earth stations for conversion back to electrical energy, and distribute the power to users. Other NASA studies had established the technical and economic feasibility of satellite power systems, but an agreement between NASA and the Energy Research and Development Administration would result in additional data on key issues and critical areas, and the ability of the concept to deal with these issues and areas. MSFC would accept proposals for the study through Jan. 24. (MSFC Release 77-1)
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