Jun 26 1986
From The Space Library
NASA officials confirmed that the Agency had considered reproduction of the Delta rocket and was ordering at least one from McDonnell Douglas for launching an Indonesian communications satellite early in 1987. Officials at the corporation assured NASA that the grounded Delta rocket could be ready for launch in a few months because problems were worked out and the production line for the rocket was partially restarted. (W Post, Jun 27/86; WSJ, Jun 27/86)
Three government agencies-the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-proposed a long-term plan for the study of human effect on the Earth's environment. The project envisioned cooperation from other scientifically advanced nations and would use the disciplines of geology, meteorology, oceanography, forestry, agriculture, and computer and satellite technologies to study the Earth as an integrated system. NSF director, Erich Bloch, noted that "for the first time in history we have the capability to observe the entire Earth from the outer reaches of its atmosphere to its molten inner core." NASA's Earth System Sciences Committee predicted that the program, enlisting satellites from countries around the globe, would be in full swing by the middle 1990s. (B Sun, Jun 27/86; CSM, Jun 30/86)
For the first time since the January 28 accident, the Space Shuttle's main engine underwent a 1-1/2 second test for ignition. It was an uneventful, successful run, and NASA officials offered it as a signal that the program was gearing up for a targeted July 1987 mission. (B Sun, Jun 27/86; C Trib, Jun 27/86)
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