Nov 8 1973
From The Space Library
Ground crews at Kennedy Space Center began replacing the damaged stabilizing fins of the Skylab Saturn IB launch vehicle [see Nov. 6]. After the fuel was drained from the 1st stage, the rocket was jacked up. One fin was removed and additional corrosion was discovered where the fin had been attached. Corrosion also was found on the replacement fins shipped from NASA'S Michoud Assembly Facility. Workmen cleaned the affected areas with nitric acid, buffed them, and applied a zinc chromate primer. Shims, or strips of very thin aluminum, were added to the rocket surface to ensure proper fit. Crews worked around the clock to replace the eight 215-kg (473-lb) fins to meet a Nov. 15 launch date. (JSC press briefing transcript, 11/9/73; Wilford, NYT, 11/9/73, 2)
A contract for basic design of a geostationary meteorological satellite to be launched by NASA for Japan by the end of 1976 had been awarded by Japan's National Space Development Agency to Nippon Electric Co., Electronics reported. Nippon was expected to receive follow-on con-tracts to complete a detailed design and fabricate and test two satellites -one for mission and one for backup. The mission would include gathering cloud pictures, collecting and distributing meteorological data, and making space measurements. Nippon would use Hughes Aircraft Co. technology, through its technical tie-in with Hughes Aerospace Div., to design the Japanese satellite. (Electronics, 11/8/73)
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
