Sep 16 1967
From The Space Library
The likelihood of aircraft collisions and ship collisions would be reduced considerably by an advanced navigation satellite, NASA's Eugene Ehrlich, chief of NASA's Navigation and Tra5c Control program, explained. By providing accurate position fixes, a system of such satellites also could reduce the separation distances between aircraft; automatically steer ships across oceans; warn high-flying supersonic jets of radiation dangers; guide craft around bad weather; monitor airplane systems for possible trouble; and pinpoint ditched planes or ships in distress. "The navigation satellite of 1970-1980 will be an entirely different spacecraft from the presently operational navigation satellites of the United States Navy." The Navy orbited its first Transit navigation satellite in 1960. Attention had focused on the Navy system recently when the US. announced that the previously classified network would be made available to America's civilian ships. The Navy satellites orbit at 700 miles. NASA envisioned a network of evenly spaced synchronous satellites 22,300 miles above the earth. A ground craft could be in touch with as many as six of them simultaneously for extremely accurate positioning. Mr. Ehrlich said advanced satellites "will contain a position determination capability, communications service, weather relay service and scientific sensors." He said the Maritime Administration and advanced thinkers in the shipping field had been looking to the day of the automated ship. "The satellite-derived position information would be fed directly into the ship's computer to keep the ship on a preset path." Mr. Ehrlich also had said that the reduction of the present widely spaced separation standards for aircraft was estimated to be capable of saving some $46.5 million annually for the North Atlantic region alone. (B Sun, 9/18/67)
The 20,000 concerns that work for NASA under contract have laid off employees at the rate of 4,000 a month, largely because of cutbacks in funds, James E. Webb, NASA Administrator, told an audience at the dedication of the Olin E. Teague Research Center, Texas A&M Univ., College Station, Texas. He said about 100,000 persons had been laid off and the figure might reach 200,000. Rep. Olin E. Teague (D-Tex.), in a short conference following the dedication, said lack of money would be the biggest detriment to US. space programs. (UPI, NYT, 9/18/67; Bryan Daily Eagle, 9/17/67)
Cosmos CLXXVII was launched into orbit with 267-km (166-mi) apogee, 201-km (125-mi) perigee, 89.1-min period, and 51.7° inclination. Satellite, announced as part of a program of space research, reentered Sept. 24. (GSFC SSR, 9/30/67; Krasnaya Zvezda, 9/19/67, 1)
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