Feb 1 1977
From The Space Library
NASA announced it had received 1147 applications for its Space Shuttle astronaut candidate program, with openings for at least 15 pilot and 15 mission specialist candidates. Deadline for applications would be June 30, 1977. Those selected would report July 1, 1978, to Johnson Space Center at Houston for 2yr of training and evaluation; appointment as astronaut would depend on satisfactory completion of the course.
NASA had mailed 11 822 applications to persons outside the agency, and another 354 to employees at NASA centers. All the applications received so far had been from civilians; the astronaut selection board would receive applications from members of the military services just before the deadline. Most of the applications were for the mission specialist category: 922 for. that group, 225 for pilot, and 118 for both.
Pilot astronauts would control the Shuttle during launch, orbit, and landing, and would be responsible for vehicle systems. Mission specialists would be responsible for coordinating Shuttle operations with the commander and pilot in areas of consumables usage, experiment operations, and crew activities. Crews would number up to seven: commander, pilot, mission specialist, and as many as four payload specialists (who need not be NASA employees and would be nominated by sponsors of the payload being flown). Payload specialists would operate specific payload equipment needing special skills. NASA would seek especially to recruit qualified minorities and women as Shuttle astronauts. (NASA Release 77-18)
Kennedy Space Center reported that NASA had awarded the Univ. of Ariz. a $50K contract extension to continue studying thunderstorm electrical fields and other phenomena in the Spaceport area. Total value of the contract, awarded in April 1974 and now extended to Jan. 15, 1978, would be $116 000.
Under the direction of Dr. Phillip Krider of UA's Inst. of Atmospheric Physics, scientists working with UA graduate and undergraduate students would use KSC's sophisticated instrumentation during summer thunderstorms to study electrical-field changes and recovery curves created by lightning under varied conditions, and would create computer programs to determine and display the location of lightning discharges and thunderstorm characteristics. Techniques resulting from the study would help make Space Shuttle vehicle-processing, launch, and landing at KSC safe and efficient even in marginal weather.
The U.S. studies would supplement a program known as TRIP (thunderstorm research international program), cosponsored by the Am. Geophysical Union and the Am. Meteorological Society, under which teams of atmospheric scientists would conduct research at KSC between 1976 and 1978. (KSC Release 33-77)
At least 7 defense contractors had performed studies on space defense systems, Aerospace Daily reported, predicting that spending on this activity would double in the upcoming federal budget (from $61 million to $126 million in FY 1978, and double again to $265 million in FY 1979).
In its concern for detection of hostile satellites, especially in the infrared frequencies, the Dept. of Defense had officially confirmed four USSR intercept launches last yr. DOD considered comsats and early warning satellites in synchronous orbits most vulnerable; the USAF was also concerned about its reconnaissance satellites, especially the Big Bird, only one of which is normally in orbit at a time.
Contractors working on the problem were Science Applications, Inca,' doing a $60 00 study of charge-coupled device (CCD) sensors for a terminal optical-warning system; Rockwell International, with a $50 000 study of potential maneuvers for the NavStar global-positioning satellite to be used for guidance aid in tactical-weapons delivery; TRW, Inc., a $50 000 study to identify maneuvering possibilities for the AfSatCom (USAF satcom) system; and three other firms studying standby survival launch capabilities applicable to all USAF missions (Hughes, $250 000; Boeing, $250 000; and Lockheed, $100 000). The Air Force also reported that Westinghouse had made a $50 000 study of an impact sensor to detect attacks with non-nuclear pellet warheads against a spacecraft in orbit. (ASD, Feb 1/77, 158)
Western Union Corp., first of the 1000 largest U.S. industrial companies required to publish replacement-cost data called for this year by the Securities and Exchange Commission, claimed that its 1976 earnings of $34 million would be erased had it based its depreciation charges on current costs of replacing its entire physical plant. New York Times reporter Robert D. Hershey, Jr., cited the argument of many companies that releasing the figures required by the SEC would depress prices of their stocks. WU said its plant and equipment would have cost $1.61 billion to replace at the end of 1976, not the $1.11 billion its books showed as historical cost. The SEC ruled that, for fiscal yrs beginning after Dec. 1975, the annual reports of companies with at least $100 million in physical assets representing at least 10% of total assets must give actual replacement-cost data, to let stockholders see the effect of inflation on financial statements. (NYT, Feb. 1/77, 37)
The Institute of Space and Aeronautical Science at the Univ. of Tokyo announced postponement (until Feb. 15 or later) of the launch of a satellite-carrying MU-3H rocket, because of mechanical trouble. An inspection had revealed problems with the rocket's attitude-control system, the announcement said. (FBIS, Tokyo Kyodo in English, Feb 1/77)
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