Aug 20 1985
From The Space Library
Honeywell's Military Avionics Division would soon begin for the McDonnell Aircraft Co. full-scale development, costing about $500 million, of a tactical electronic warfare intermediate support system (TISS) for the F15 Eagle aircraft program, Defense Daily reported. The award to Honeywell was part of a larger contract the U.S. Air Force recently awarded to McDonnell to upgrade the F-15 tactical warfare system (TEWS).
The Honeywell TISS would test the F-15's electronic warfare system to minimize downtime, reduce maintenance costs, and improve overall missile effectiveness.
Stanley Moeschi, Honeywell vice president, noted that, “This contract demonstrates the maturity of Honeywell's automatic test technology and a substantial advancement in state-of-the-art digital and radio frequency electronic warfare testing.” (D/D, Aug 20/85, 1)
NASA announced it had signed an agreement with Space Industries, Inc. (SII) for the company to construct and operate an industrial space facility (ISF), the first habitable privately owned commercial platform in space, which NASA would deploy from the Space Shuttle. SII also signed a separate agreement with NASA's space station office that would provide for exchange of information during the definition and preliminary design phase of the space station. The agreement laid the groundwork for subsequent discussions and negotiations during the space station development period to begin in mid-1987. SII was the first private company to sign an agreement with NASA's space station office to share information that could result in a commercial facility capable of compatible operations with the space station.
The modular ISF would initially measure 35 by 14.5 feet. Although not intended to be permanently manned, it would be habitable and provide a shirt sleeve work environment for astronauts when docked with either the Space Shuttle or space station.
NASA Administrator James Beggs said, “We hope the ISF will be the first of many such platforms to be funded and built by private industry that will complement the permanently manned space station and lead eventually to an industrial park in space.” Maxime A. Faget, president of SII, said, “The facility is scheduled to be deployed in 1989 and will respond to a variety of private research and manufacturing needs. Industry could take advantage of the unique gravity-free environment of space to conduct experiments that cannot be effectively duplicated here on earth.” SII considered the cost of building the ISF to be proprietary. Under the novel agreement, a provision stipulated that 511 would reimburse NASA for all costs incurred by the government associated with the deployment of the ISF when it became operational and was revenue generating. (NASA Release 85119)
President Reagan informed Congress that the U.S. planned shortly to conduct the first test of an antisatellite weapon (ASAT) against a target in space, which a spokesman said would provide an “incentive” to the USSR to negotiate limits on such weapons, the Washington Post reported. Reagan promised the U.S. was bargaining in good faith with the Soviets to limit ASATs, although the White House repeated the administration's opposition to a Soviet proposal for a moratorium on ASAT development and testing.
Officials said they expected the test of an ASAT fired from an F-15 at an obsolete U.S. satellite to take place in September or early October. Technical problems with both the antisatellite weapon, called the miniature homing vehicle, and the intended target, an instrumented balloon to be inflated in space, delayed the first test. Since the original target was still experiencing problems, the test would use an obsolete satellite.
That same day Presidential spokesman Larry Speakes read to reporters a lengthy statement criticizing Soviet advances in antisatellite weapons and technology and said this provided justification for the first U.S. test against a target in space. Speakes added that a moratorium on antisatellite weapons tests would “perpetuate” a Soviet “monopoly” on antisatellite systems. (W Post, Aug 21/85, Al)
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