Dec 3 1976
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
NASA announced that it would simulate the drop of the main probe of its planned 1978 Pioneer Venus mission into the Venusian atmosphere, by dropping the probe from an Air Force balloon at 32 km altitude over the White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The drop, scheduled for a date between 13 and 16 Dec., would be the first of two tests, a second being scheduled for early 1977. Flight events to' be simulated just before the probe's descent into the dense hot lower atmosphere of Venus-deployment of the probe parachute, separation of the heatshield, and (after a 17-min parachute descent) separation of the parachute-would occur at an altitude of 16 km, where the temperature and density of earth's atmosphere and the velocity of the probe would be much the same as those on Venus. The instrumented vessel would contain special equipment to monitor system performance, and movie cameras on the balloon platform as well as telescopic still and movie cameras on the ground would record the test. (NASA Release 76-192; ARC Release 76-84)
NASA announced two appointments effective 19 Dec. in the Office of General Counsel: Allie B. Latimer as assistant general counsel for general law, and Richard J. Wieland as assistant general counsel for litigation. Ms. Latimer, who since 1972 had been assistant general counsel for automated data and telecommunications for the General Services Administration, was the first national president of Federally Employed Women (FEW). Wieland, who had been at JSC since 1963, was currently assistant Chief Counsel for general legal matters at that center. (NASA anno. 3 Dec 76)
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