April 1978
From The Space Library
NASA reported it had increased emphasis on general aviation research, addressing problems and concerns of the industry, which had used results from recent programs in designing new aircraft. Objectives of NASA's general-aviation research had been to improve safety and efficiency, educe environmental impact of general-aviation aircraft, and ensure a base of new technology adequate to support continued growth in the light-airplane utility. Aerodynamic research had emphasized airfoil development, resulting in significant improvements in performance in all speed ranges. Avionics research had aimed at reducing the complexity and cost of aircraft interaction with traffic-control systems improving navigation, guidance, stabilization, and systems management.
In generating information needed to design low-cost advanced avionics systems applicable to general aviation in the 1980s and beyond, NASA had integrated results of its studies into specifications for final systems design, fabrication, and installation on a twin-engine general aviation aircraft for flight evaluation in 1979 and 1980. NASA had also defined technical problems that had limited accuracy and efficiency in aerial application of agricultural materials. The NASA program also had emphasized safety measures, including an automatic pilot-advisory system (APSA), structural crashworthiness, stall/spin research, and investigation of alternative fuels such as automotive gasoline for aircraft. Reducing the environmental impact of noise and exhaust emissions generated by light aircraft had also been an objective of NASA's aeronautical program, which would eventually assist industry and regulatory agencies in meeting future noise and pollution-reduction goals. (NASA Release 78-41)
NASA announced that the Delta vehicle scheduled to launch the Japanese broadcasting satellite for experimental purposes (BSE) from KSC Apr. 7 had been qualified for flight, following an investigation and tests resulting from detection of a leak in the first stage of the Delta used in the successful launch of NASA's Landsat 3 from Vandenberg AFB Mar. 5. The pogo accumulator that suppressed pogo-stick-like vibration in the fuel system during flight had been the most probable cause of the leak. NASA had installed anew pogo accumulator, previously subjected to screening and test, in the Delta for BSE launch. (NASA Release 78-55)
NASA's role in basic and applied research under its charter-the Space Act of 1958-had created a paradox, NASA Administrator Dr. Robert Frosch said in a speech to GSFC employees, the Goddard News reported. NASA had been in the business of producing change, but the really interesting changes had not been predictable from past experience. "The interesting things happen because somebody not only changes the idea of how to solve the problem but questions the basic problem," Frosch said. "Thus the R&D problem faced by the applications part of our agency is that of trying to do work that not only satisfies the perceived mission questions, but will change the nature of the mission, or change the nature of the problem." Current NASA assignments included defining its R&D posture, deciding the proper balance of basic and applied research, selecting what problems to solve, and attaining the proper balance between in-house and contractor effort.
Frosch discussed the proper role of NASA in future operational systems. He saw no great difficulty in NASA's taking on certain operational jobs with judicious interpretation of the Space Act. The question remained of NASA's operating national systems in a given part of the U.S. government. NASA's R&D effort in applications satellites was leading, Frosch said, "into an evolving global information system. But if ... it is to become useful, hen it will have to be an operating system. I think we are going to play two roles in such a situation: one of these is to do the R&D to improve such a system, and the other is to take the leadership role of making sure that the valuable research gets turned into an operational system which delivers data in a reasonable way." Frosch concluded that, although NASA does not want to be the ultimate operator of such a system, it might have to do so in the early stages: that is, NASA would be an initial operator with the intent of transferring the system to another operator, either another government agency or a contractor. "Temptations posed by continuing large and everyday operations might lead us into difficulty in remaining a lively R&D organization." (Goddard News, Apr 78, 1)
NASA's struggle to save 3 astronauts trapped in a foundering spaceship during the flight of Apollo 13 had begun the most harrowing 6 days in NASA's history, NASA Activities reported in observing the 8th anniversary of the flight. The astronauts had heard a loud bang; when Fred Haise, Jr., scanned the instrument panel, he saw that one of the main electrical systems was deteriorating. The words Jack Swigert spoke to mission control long haunted NASA: "Houston, we've got a problem." At the time of the explosion, Apollo 13 traveling at 2100mph was 205 000mi from earth and more than 50 000mi from the moon, with a dead mothership (Odyssey) that included the main propulsion engine. After moving the astronauts into the lunar module, NASA focused on getting the Apollo on course for home while conserving limited supplies of power, oxygen, and water. Not only had NASA employees worked round the clock, but also specialists and computers from North American Rockwell, the contractor; Grumman Aerospace Corp., manufacturer of the LM; TRW Systems, builder of the descent propulsion engine; and many others. NASA had decided to drop the service module and put the command module Aquarius into the correct attitude for earth-atmosphere reentry; when the latter entered earth's gravity 216 277mi from home, it needed another course correction. The third descent-engine burn was successful, putting Aquarius into the proper reentry corridor.
As the spacecraft drew closer to splashdown, one of the astronauts described to ground control what he was seeing: "There's one whole side of that spacecraft missing ... right by the high-gain antenna, the whole panel is blown out, almost from the base to the engine ... it's really a mess ... man, that's just unbelievable-looks like a lot of debris is just hanging out of the side near the S-band antenna." The astronauts had returned safely to earth 142hr, 54min, 41sec after launch. As Jim Lovell said, "We do not realize what we have on earth until we leave it." (NASA Actv, Apr 78, 14)
NASA announced 3 key personnel changes during April: Dr. William Schneider would become associate administrator for space tracking and data systems, responsible for planning, development, and operation of global tracking networks, facilities, and systems for communications and data acquisition and processing for all NASA spaceflight programs. Dr. Schneider had joined NASA and the Gemini program in June 1963, after 2yr as director of space systems at ITT's Federal Laboratories. He had been mission director for 7 of the 10 manned Gemini missions, and had received NASA's Exceptional Service Medal for his service as deputy director of the Gemini program. He had also been mission director and program deputy director for the Apollo mission, and had received NASA's Distinguished Service Medal for his contribution to the success of the Apollo 8 mission.
At the end of Apr., Clarence Syvertson had become director of ARC, where he had served as acting director and deputy director. Syvertson had begun with the NACA at ARC in 1948 as a research scientist and assistant branch chief, then chief of the Hypersonic Wind Tunnel Branch, and later was director of the Mission Analysis Division. In 1966 he had become ARC's director of astronautics, a position he held until appointed deputy director. Syvertson had received NASA's Exceptional Service Medal for leadership of the joint DOT-NASA Civil Aviation R D Policy Study, and in 1976 had been named a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
R. D. "Duff" Ginter, assistant associate administrator for energy programs in the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology, had announced he would retire in June after 28 years of government service with NASA and the U.S. Navy. Ginter's contributions to space solar power, photovoltaic developments, wind energy systems, and automotive propulsion had placed him in the forefront of advanced technology applications. Ginter had begun his career with NASA in 1960 as chief of the Scout vehicle program. He later held several positions including director of the Centaur program, for which he received NASA's Exceptional Service Medal; director of the Technology Applications Division; director of the Energy Systems Division; and assistant administrator for energy programs. (NASA anno April 3, 10, 26/78; NASA Release 78-57, 78-65, 78-52; ARC Release 78-16)
The Air Force Systems Command noted that Atlas launches planned at Vandenberg AFB as well as at Cape Canaveral in 1978 would use one of the oldest booster systems still working: first use of Atlas as a launch vehicle was in 1958. Atlas launches planned from Space Launch Complex 3 would support the USAF NavStar global-positioning system and space-test program; 2 NASA-sponsored satellites, Sea Satellite-A (SEASAT) and Tiros-N, would also use Atlas vehicles. (AFSC Newsreview, Apr 78, 3) The Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, Calif., was target site for a Navy Tomahawk cruise missile successfully launched from a submarine, the USS Barb, a major milestone in the cruise-missile development program, AFSC Newreview reported. The test off the coast of southern Calif. was the Tomahawk's 24th, and its first launch from a submarine. The missile flew a fully guided land-attack test flight terminating at AFFTC. Objectives accomplished in the test included underwater ignition of Tomahawk's solid-propellant boost motor, and a midair engine start of the missile's turbofan engine for cruise flight. An onboard inertial-navigation set guided the missile to the Pacific coastline; once over land, the missile's terrain-contour matching system guided it to a recovery area. The flight ended with deployment of the test missile's parachute over a remote section of the test center; the missile, recovered by Navy personnel with AFFTC assistance, would be reused in future tests. (AFSC Newsreview, April 78, 11)
Decisions not yet made by the U.S. government would determine the U.S. aerospace industry's fate for years to come, said Aerospace Industries Association president, Karl Harr, Jr., in the AIA's Aerospace Review and Forecast, 1977. Aerospace-industry sales in 1977 had increased appreciably, if not dramatically, in comparison with the previous year. Profit as a percentage of sales had climbed half a percentage point but remained below the average for all U.S. manufacturing. The industry had anticipated similar sales gains in 1978 and expected space activity to continue at approximately the same rate. Military sales should top those of 1977.
The aerospace industry had pressed for elimination of barriers to "free and fair trade" in the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) negotiations; foreign-government subsidy of their manufacturers had made them highly competitive. The U.S. government's attempts to control export of "strategically critical" technology could severely impact sales abroad. Other issues of concern to the aerospace industry were capital formation and dealings with the government such as renegotiation, overregulation, expanding paperwork, and government competition with industry. Harr said that negative decisions could lead to "forfeiture of the pre-eminent position the U.S. has long held in high technology." (Aerospace, Spring 78, 3)
In 1909 the Aero Club of Great Britain had established prizes of $125 each for the first four 250-yd flights of a heavier-than-air craft and three prizes of $250 for a one-mile flight in. a closed circle, the NAA newsletter observed, in noting the progress of aviation. The Royal Aeronautical Society had just announced the $200 000 Kremer prize for the first crossing of the English Channel west to east by a manpowered aircraft. The society also had offered a $20 000 prize to the first Britisher who could duplicate in a manpowered aircraft the course flown by the U.S. Gossamer Condor, a one-mile figure 8. (NAA newsletter, Apr 78, 1)
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