January 1976
From The Space Library
Using Landsat imagery of an 85 000-sq-km region from the western edge of the Nile to the border of Libya along the Mediterranean coast, the Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research and Technology at the request of President Anwar Sadat made a study of the region's geology, drainage, and ground water. The study resulted from problems of a rising ground-water table and salinity on newly reclaimed areas west of the Nile Delta. A copy of the report, sent to NASA by the Egyptian academy's remote-sensing research project, said in part, "The new maps prepared from Landsat satellite images are more detailed and much more elaborate as compared to previous maps prepared by the traditional methods ... It has been possible to construct on the Landsat images 14 geological and environmental units in the investigated area ... This work helps to decipher the geological history of northern Egypt, the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile Delta ... It is emphasized that additional irrigation waters should not be introduced in the area of investigation until detailed geological and hydrogeological studies have been carried out." (Wkly Briefs for Administrator, 12 Jan 76)
Two scientific experiments carried on last July's Apollo-Soyuz (ASTP) mission had produced spinoffs that would benefit sufferers from phlebitis and leukemia. Each of the experiments had used electrophoresis-passing an electric current through a solution to separate differing types of cellular matter-under the weightless conditions of space flight to produce results unobtainable in earth's gravity. One experiment used human kidney cells in isolating pure samples of the 5% of cells that manufactured an enzyme (urokinase) effective in removing blood clots from veins and arteries, with major potential for treating persons with conditions such as phlebitis. The separated cells, frozen and returned for use as starters in a culturing process, provided 6 to 7 times more urokinase than the original sample. The other spinoff was the successful testing of a preservative medium developed for use on the ASTP mission that would make it possible to perform transfusions of a certain type of white blood cells in the treatment of leukemia; the preservative, used to freeze granulocytes on the mission, actually improved the survivability of the cells so that a stock of the material could be kept frozen for use upon demand, instead of searching for donors with resultant delay in emergencies. (NASA Releases 76-3, 76-5)
Communications via satellite was a science-fiction writer's dream 30 yr ago, but within 2 decades after Arthur C. Clarke predicted it, the first comsat-Early Bird, launched 6 Apr. 1965 into synchronous orbit began operations 28 June 1965 and opened a new chapter in communications history. In an article in the Telecommunications Journal, Santiago Astrain, secretary general of the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT), viewed the past 10 yr, up to the new INTELSAT IV-A, largest operational comsat to date.
The brief history of INTELSAT summarized the organization's development from 1960, when President Eisenhower called for the creation of a global communications system; after the United Nations passed a resolution supporting the concept, the U.S. Congress passed the Communications Satellite Act of 1962 that brought the Communications Satellite Corporation (ComSat) into being. On 20 Aug. 1964, 11 countries (representing 85% of the world's telecommunications traffic) created an international consortium to be managed by ComSat on an interim basis. On 12 Feb. 73, the Definitive Agreements were signed; by the time they took effect, the number of member nations had increased to 80. Membership was open to all countries that were members of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU); any country, whether or not a member of INTELSAT, could have access to the system on a nondiscriminatory basis.
Current planning was geared to meet a traffic demand for capacity to handle about 70 000 telephone channels by 1984; this would represent a 6-fold increase within 10 yr. INTELSAT V satellites due to enter service in 1979 would provide more than 23 000 channels. As INTELSAT had the object of providing high-quality communications service, its policy had been to maintain a "spare" comsat in each ocean to make additional capacity always available; this had enabled the organization to provide domestic services at a reasonable cost. Since operations began in 1965, the number of countries actually participating in operations had increased from 5 to 64; the number of earth stations, from 5 to 90; and the number of antennas, from 5 to 115. (Telecommunications Jl, vol 42, 672-677)
NASA issued 2 major reports-SP-386, "Outlook for Space," and SP-387, "A Forecast of Space Technology 1980-2000"-prepared by a task group initiated by Administrator James C. Fletcher in June 1974 to examine the civilian role of the U.S. space program during the coming 25 yr. The group included 20 representatives of NASA and 1 from the USAF. "Outlook for Space," according to the foreword by Fletcher, was "an impressive analysis of the services that space systems and technology might provide the world of today and tomorrow," and related this analysis directly to national needs and human purposes.
"A Forecast of Space Technology," according to a preface by study director Donald P. Hearth, "was an important element of the study and provided key inputs to the study and its conclusions." The technology forecast was conducted by a team from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, supported by representatives of other NASA centers; Jack N. James and Rob Roy McDonald of JPL led the technology team. This report forecast developments in technology of acquiring, processing, transferring, and storing information, energy, and matter.
"Outlook," on the other hand, identified future objectives of space programs and prepared background information that could serve as a basis for development of program plans. Objectives were established as earth-oriented or extraterrestrial; categories of need were either physical (provision of food, shelter, health, security, education, good environment, and the work necessary to obtain these) or needs of mind and spirit (the quest for knowledge, the need to explore the unknown, the sense of accomplishment in the face of challenge). The 3 conclusions of the report were that a space program could help fill the need to improve food production and distribution, to develop new energy sources, to meet new challenges to the environment, and to predict and deal with natural and manmade disasters; that the space program could answer the need for intellectual challenge, exploration, and knowledge that would help humanity understand its relation to the universe; and that those in charge of the space program must make it recognized as meeting these public needs. Efforts recommended by the study group would be in data management, predictive modeling of future missions, advanced communications, space processing, and a permanent space station. (Text)
- 1975
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