Nov 15 1978
From The Space Library
NASA announced that, after nearly a mo of attempts to reestablish contact with SEASAT, its experimental oceanographic satellite, project officials had formally terminated the mission. JPL would process the data collected during the spacecraft's 106-da lifetime; project officials expected the task to occupy more than 1.5yr. SEASAT's synthetic aperture radar had completed some 300 data-gathering passes, during which it collected about 60hr of data including images of sea ice, waves, coastal conditions, and various land forms. The spacecraft's scatterometer (measuring sea-surface wind speeds) and scanning multifrequency microwave radiometer (measuring sea-surface temperature and wind speed) had collected data for 99da. SEASAT's altimeter and visual and infrared radiometer returned data for 70 and 52da, respectively. The instruments also completed a series of sea-surface fact-finding experiments.
The SEASAT program had three objectives: to demonstrate techniques to monitor earth's oceanographic phenomena and features from space on a global scale; to provide timely oceanographic data to scientists studying marine phenomena, and to users of the oceans as a resource (ocean shippers, fishermen, marine geologists, etc.); and to determine the key features of an operational full-time ocean-monitoring system. Analysis of SEASAT-collected data by teams of scientists, engineers, and user representatives indicated the first of the objectives would be largely met, as well as a high probability of accomplishing most of the other objectives. A failure review board [see Oct. 30] was working to determine the causes of the premature end of SEASAT operation. SEASAT had been launched June 26 from Vandenberg AFB; contact was lost Oct. 9 on its 1502nd earth orbit when a so-far-unexplained short circuit drained all power from the batteries. (NASA Release 78-178)
Thiokol Corp.'s Wasatch Div. had delivered the last of eight empty solid-fuel rocket motor-case segments to MSFC for use in the final burnout phase of Space Shuttle ground-vibration tests scheduled for early 1979, the Marshall Star reported. Current vibration testing was in the "liftoff" phase using motor cases filled with inert propellant; this phase would be completed and the Space Shuttle elements removed from the dynamic-test stand by the end of 1978. All the elements would be returned to the stand, including the empty motor-case segments, for final vibration-test phase simulating the actual Space Shuttle situation just before solid-fuel rocket-booster separation after expending the solid propellant. (Marshall Star, Nov 15/78, 1)
Almost all major structural elements and systems of the first two flight-model solid-fuel rocket boosters for the ;Space Shuttle had either been delivered to KSC or were scheduled to arrive shortly, the Marshall Star reported. Delivered elements included eight booster-separation motors for one SRB, with eight for the other SRB due within the wk; all major components of the thrust-vector control (TVC) subsystems except the actuators, which were to arrive on Nov. 23 frustums and nosecaps for both boosters; the forward and aft skirts for the left-hand SRB (the aft skirt for the right-hand booster was en route by rail, and the forward skirt was scheduled for delivery Nov. 20); and most of the electrical systems components. The parachute-recovery subsystem for the left hand booster was at KSC; the system for the right-hand booster was due Nov. 22. (Marshall Star, Nov 15/78, 4)
After a flawless launch from KSC on an Atlas-Centaur at 12:24a.m. EST Nov. 13; HEAO 2 was functioning satisfactorily in a near-perfect earth orbit, the Marshall Star reported. The observatory was expected to become fully operational by Nov. 16. First steps in orbit were to open the solar arrays and to separate the launch vehicle, both of which happened exactly on time. Ground stations were receiving and evaluating engineering data, as one by one each instrument was turned on to low power and checked out. All leftover gas had to be purged from the spacecraft before high voltage could be turned on to avoid electrical arcing or damage to delicate onboard instruments. MSFC was in control of HEAO 2 together with TRW flight-control engineers operating at GSFC. (Marshall Star, Nov 15/78, 1)
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