Dec 8 1978
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
NASA announced that 8 women volunteers aged 45 to 55 had emerged in November hale and hearty after nearly a month of tests at ARC's Human Research Center during which they were isolated from friends and family. Like 40 other men and women aged 25 to 55 who had volunteered for space program tests since 1973, the ARC group had participated in a study of the effects of weightlessness on the human body.
Researchers from ARC's biomedical research division were interested in the tolerances and responses of a body reentering earth's gravity after experiencing zero gravity in space. The long-term NASA experiment, the Bed Rest Program, would extend over the next 12mo with 2 more groups-8 men, then 8 women, all aged 55 to 65-undergoing the same tests. Prolonged horizontal bed rest (a physiological approximation on earth of zero-gravity) would cause bodily changes within 24 to 48hr and would maintain them throughout the program. Having approximated the effects of zero gravity, researchers could study human responses to the introduction of both normal and abnormal Shuttle-reentry gravity forces. Other tests in cooperation with Johnson Space Center had evaluated the protection offered by antigravity suits against reentry stresses.
Those volunteering for the program in response to newspaper advertisements had undergone a series of exacting physical and psychological tests. The 3-phase study began with the 8 subjects moving into the 12-bed ARC research facility. After a 9-day control period came 10da of total bed rest, followed by a 5-day recovery period. During the bed rest experiment, participants had to remain flat except to raise their heads slightly to eat. The subjects even showered in a horizontal position, being moved on a wheeled gurney to a specially designed shower. They had no visitors, but could have incoming and outgoing telephone calls. The routine did not deviate from three meals a day, lights off at 11pm, on at 7pm. At times the lower body underwent negative-pressure tests in a box. Researchers took daily blood samples and deep body temperatures. Electrocardiograms constantly recorded heart rates, and a "biobelt" around the waist constantly sent data to recorders. Before and during bed rest, the subjects took centrifuge rides designed to measure reflexes and coordination as the body made adjustments. The researchers tried to keep the subjects cheerful and to relieve natural boredom with books and games; each bed had stereo and color television. Medical attendants (doctors, nurses, and technicians) were on hand at all times. (NASA Release 78-185)
NASA announced it would physically integrate all Space Shuttle/ Spacelab experiments at Kennedy Space Center. Extensive analysis and cost studies had confirmed an earlier tentative decision to do the work at KSC rather than at centers managing the Spacelab mission, "Physical integration" consisted of installing experiments on Spacelab's racks and, pallets. After Spacelab operations became routine in the mid-19806, physical integration should require about 100 civil service and contractor man-yrs per yr at KSC. The analyses required to integrate experiments for each mission would continue at assigned Spacelab management centers. (NASA Release 78-186)
MSFC announced it had awarded 28 contracts valued at $50 000 or more during October 1978. Organizations receiving contracts were United Technologies Corp.'s United Space Boosters, $250 888, modification of a facility for Shuttle assembly, checkout, launch operations, and refurbishment; McDonnell Douglas Co.'s Spacelab Integration Diva, $2 400 540, engineering changes for Spacelab integration; Sperry Rand Corp., $335 329, increased funds for delivering Shuttle SRB multiplexer/demultiplexer; Garrett Corp., $469 143, engineering changes in design, development, manufacture, test, and delivery of solar heating and solar heating/cooling systems for operational testing; Martin Marietta Corp., $600 000, cost adjustments for designing structural attachments for large space structures; Univ. of Chicago, $3 460 230, addition of cosmic-ray investigation provisions to contract for Skylab 2 experiment; Univ. of Iowa, $2 125 198, ejectable plasma-diagnosis experiment for Spacelab 1 and similar experiment for Spacelab 2; Smithsonian Inst., 806 192, work on HEAO-B x-ray telescope; Bendix Corp., $1000 000, changes to contract for Shuttle SRB electronics assembly and associated equipment; and Naval Research Laboratory, $1 275 300, increase in funds for solar-ultraviolet experiment on Spacelab. (MSFC Release 78-132)
Representatives of LeRC, ARC, LaRC, other government agencies, and industry had met at Dryden Flight Research Center for what was probably the final symposium on NASA's YF-12 aircraft program begun in the late 1960s, the Lewis News reported. The airplanes would be mothballed by March 1979. DFRC's Dr. James Albers, symposium chairman, said the symposium was to "disseminate recent research findings and stimulate exchange of information among participants engaged in design or research related to high supersonic flight." The YF-12 had given NASA an opportunity for research on sustained supersonic flight. Several NASA centers had investigated propulsion system performance and the dynamics of mixed compression inlets; aeroelastic effects and thermal problems of high Mach number flight; and techniques of measuring aerodynamic data and operational parameters in extreme temperatures. Researchers had conducted a parallel series of laboratory experiments to augment the findings of the flight program.
The symposium ended with an industry-government panel on "Future Perspectives in Supersonic Flight." (Lewis News, Dec 8/78, 7)
INTELSAT announced it would use both the Space Shuttle and ESA's Ariane launch vehicle to orbit later spacecraft in the INTELSAT V series. INTELSAT's board of governors had ordered two Shuttle launches from NASA and one Ariane launch from ESA. Worth a minimum of $82 million, the orders would cover the orbiting of the 5th, 6th, and 7th satellites in the INTELSAT V series during 1981-82. The Shuttle would give INTELSAT its first experience with reusable launch vehicles; Ariane would be INTELSAT's first use of a non-U.S. launch vehicle.
INTELSAT said its decision was difficult because neither vehicle had been proven in operation. The organizations had scheduled its earlier INTELSAT V satellites, like the then-current INTELSAT IV and IV-A satellites, for launch on NASA's Atlas Centaur. The agreement had provided for an Atlas Centaur backup for the series, should the first Shuttle not be available. (INTELSAT Release 78-34-I)
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