May 22 1971
From The Space Library
U.S.S.R. launched Cosmos 422 into orbit from Plesetsk with 1011-km (628.2-mi) apogee, 986-km (612.7-mi) perigee, 105- min period, and 74° inclination. (GSFC SSR, 5/31/71; SF, 11/71, 428)
U.S.S.R.'s Lunokhod 1 lunar rover would begin "a new mode of operation requiring only minimum movements," Tass announced. Vehicle would remain in semihibernation, photographing surrounding area and transmitting data to earth until its instruments wore out. (UPI, NYT, 5/23/71; SBD, 5/25/71, 129)
Reuters quoted MSC spokesman as saying scheduled technical talks between U.S. and U.S.S.R. on space cooperation had been postponed because Soviet specialists were too busy to attend. (NYT, 5/23/71)
Future space shuttle missions were described by Dale D. Myers, NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight, in speech before South Carolina Lions Clubs in Greenville, S.C.: "These payloads cover the areas of space physics, astronomy, space applications, life sciences, unmanned planetary exploration, and earth resources, military and commercial." Payloads ranged from 113-kg (250-1b) Explorer and Space Physics Satellites to 9100-kg (20 000-1b) astronomy mission "requiring annual revisits by the shuttle for servicing maintenance and updating of instrumentation." Sortie flights conducted solely by shuttle could be made within its seven- day orbit capability. Scientist could "conduct his own experiment in the orbiting shuttle and return with the data as well as his own observations. When the space station becomes operational, crew rescue missions could also be flown." (Text)
Activities of Soviet aircraft industry were described in Izvestia by U.S.S.R. Aviation Industry Minister Pavel Dementyev: "Recently the IL-62, TU-134 and YAK-40 aircraft, which are of a high modern technical standard, have been developed and are being produced and used. This year the major route TU-154 aircraft comes into service. These liners are the basic aircraft of our civil fleet and are to replace their predecessors-the TU-104, AN-10, IL-18 and IL-14." (FSIS-Sov-71-103, 5/27/71, K5)
Soviet progress in thermonuclear synthesis was described in Pravda article by Mstislav V. Keldysh, President of Soviet Academy of Sciences: "Over recent years we have successfully developed work on high-temperature plasma in connection with the search for ways of solving the problem of thermonuclear synthesis. In the 5-year period that has begun the creation of a Tokamak-type installation with optimum parameters is planned in order to increase two or three times, the density of the particles and the retention-time of the plasma, which is an essential condition for the creation of a thermonuclear reactor. Evidently the time has already come for starting research into the transformation of the energy emitted in the process of thermonuclear synthesis into electrical energy." (FRIs-Sov-71-103, 5/27/71, Ll )
Washington Evening Star editorial said "sad little commentary on the times" had arisen from NASA report of space age spinoff, a miniaturized ultrasonic alarm system that had been used to aid accident and illness victims. "But the purpose which NASA foresees is what's depressing." NASA OART saw invention's main value "in preventing minor challenges to teachers or fights between students from developing into major disturbances or even riots. That's the view from space of this poor earth beneath, but what a pity. Whatever happened to that luminous blue ball, ashine in the limitless, starry night?" (W Star, 5/22/71)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
