Sep 9 1966
From The Space Library
Validity of satellite measurements of micrometeoroid fluxes in which piezoelectric microphones had been used as detectors was challenged in Science by Carl Nilsson, Australian scientist working at GSFC. Although these measurements had given rise to theory that earth was surrounded by dust cloud, analysis of 100 hrs. of data from NASA’s OGO II satellite revealed: (1) there had been no detectable signals from sensors that could have been caused by micrometeoroid impact; and (2) the microphone systems had been emitting noise. Nilsson concluded that in past satellite measurements, microphone noises had not been caused by micrometeoroid impact but by reaction of microphone crystals to temperature changes. ‘‘(Nilsson, Science, 10/9/66, 1242-6)’’
House of Commons’ Committee of Public Accounts said development costs for Anglo-French supersonic airliner Concorde would total $1.4 billion-compared to original $476 million estimated cost before its completion in 1973, according to the New York Times. The “massive increase” in cost was attributed to changes in design, increases in wages, and “underestimation in the earlier estimates.” ‘‘(NYT, 9/9/66, 76)’’
September 10-16: NASA Administrator James E. Webb made unpublicized trip to West Germany to discuss three new space agreements; cooperative projects would involve a German-built advanced solar exploration spacecraft to be launched by NASA, a joint aeronomy satellite to study solar radiation, and participation in Apollo Telescope Mount for observation of sun’s structure from above earth’s atmosphere. ‘‘(Tech. Wk., 10/3/66, 18)’’
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