Jun 21 1978
From The Space Library
Preliminary results from a 6-yr experiment at the San Andreas fault in Calif. indicated that earth motion along the fault had accumulated at a rate much faster than expected, equivalent to 6 to 7m over the past 70yr, Goddard News reported. Measurements from tracking sites on both sides of the fault in the San Andreas Fault Experiment (SAFE) to determine gross plate motion across the fault, and to demonstrate practical application of satellites and ground-based lasers in tracking relative motion of the earth's upper plates, had produced satellite tracking data accurate within a few centimeters. Gross motion across the fault had provided a measure of strain energy as it accumulated, eventually to be released as an earthquake. Goddard Spaceflight Center's pulsed laser ranging systems had measured earth motion by determining the range to a satellite, measuring the time required for a short pulse of intense light to travel from the laser to the satellite and back, and repeating the measurements once per second throughout each satellite pass. GSFC had performed the SAFE experiment in cooperation with a broad cross section of the scientific community. (Goddard News, June 21/78, 1)
GSFC announced that, in a cooperative program with NOAA, its scientists had demonstrated the benefits of using short-interval full resolution satellite images to monitor tropical cyclones. The agencies had undertaken the program to determine optimum resolution and image frequency for selecting winds to study, in forecasting tropical-cyclone intensity. Experiments using the Sms 2 to study hurricane Eloise and cyclone Caroline, and Goes I for tropical storms Belle and Holly, had taken scan images of the storms at varying resolutions and at a variety of time intervals. GSFC using its atmospheric and oceanographic information processing system (AOIPS) to examine the experimental data, had found that rapid-scan full-resolution visible images could best disclose the wind vectors. Scans taken every half or quarter hr had been inadequate, because many clouds of the type and size best suited for tracking did not persist or maintain their shape for as long as 30min. GSFC scientists also had found that the full-resolution visible images could improve cirrus tracking and could increase the number of trackable elements available from coarser-resolution infrared images. (Goddard News, June 21/78, 4)
MSFC reported that the American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics had selected William Rice, deputy manager of Space Shuttle solid-fuel rockets at MSFC, to receive the Wyld propulsion award for "outstanding contributions to development of solid propellant rocket motors and superior leadership of aerospace technology programs." AIAA had presented the award each year to reward work in development or application of rocket-propulsion systems. Rice would receive a medal and certificate at an awards luncheon during the AIAA/SAE Joint Propulsion Conference. (Marshall Star, June 21/78, 1)
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