May 15 1981
From The Space Library
NASA launched the U.S. Navy's improved Transit navigational satellite Nova 1 at 2:07 a.m. from the Western Space and Missile Center (WSMC) on a Scout vehicle into a polar transfer orbit with 935-kilometer apogee, 353-kilometer perigee, 90.16° inclination, and 97.67-minute period. The solar panels deployed, and the payload was in a housekeeping mode. A multiple-burn spacecraft motor fired on later orbit would raise the 368-pound spacecraft's altitude to about 600 nautical miles.
This 102nd launch of a Scout was the ninth success in a row. NASA provided the launch under a June 1962 agreement with DOI) to reimburse NASA for the cost of Scout vehicles, Western Test Range (WTR) launch services, and mission support, as required. So far, NASA had launched 15 Transit satellites and 3 Transit improvement program satellites, of which 5 were currently operating. The Navy would reimburse NASA about $7.6 million for services and hardware provided for the program ($1.825 million for launch-vehicle hardware; $0.950 million for WTR launch services and mission support; $4.825 million for FY81 support services). (NASA MOR 0-490-603-81-01 [prelaunch] May 13181; NASA Dly Actv Apt, May 18/81; SF, Oct 81, 274)
NASA announced that it would launch the next Shuttle flight (STS-2) on September 30, if turnaround procedures went smoothly. JSC spokesman Robert Dotts said that the thermal-protection system "exceeded our expectations" and that the amount of repair needed would not affect turnaround time. Only 10 or 12 of the foamed-glass tiles protecting Columbia's fuselage during reentry would need replacement. Inch-deep gouges all over the surface of the Shuttle mostly occurred during takeoff. NASA cautioned that the orbiter would be undergoing turnaround for the first time, and unforeseen problems could affect the flight schedule. (NASA Release 81-65; MSFC Release 81-61; W Post, May 16181, A-2)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
