Oct 27 1972
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
U.S.S.R. launched Meteor 13 weather satellite from Plesetsk to obtain "meteorological information needed for the operative weather forecast service." Orbital parameters: 891-km (553.6-mi) apogee, 866-km (538.1-mi) perigee, 102.5-min period, and 81.2° inclination. (GSFC SSR, 10/31/72; FBIS-SOV, 10/30/72, LI; SBD, 10/30/72, 266)
Lunar science press conference at Manned Spacecraft Center discussed Apollo 16 data and portent for Apollo 17 mission, scheduled for launch Dec. 6. Dr. Oliver A. Schaeffer of State Univ. of New York at Stony Brook reported that analysis of pea-size Apollo 16 rock fragments had shown them ranging in age from 3.98 billion to 4.25 billion yrs. Rocks had crystallized some 300 million yrs after moon's formation. It was possible that Apollo 17 site would yield "very young rocks . . . , young volcanics. So one may be able to extend the mare type ages . and see just how long it took the surface of the moon ... to crystallize before it was a rather hard crust . . with very little, if any, igneous activity." Dr. Gerald J. Wasserburg of Cal Tech reported Apollo 16 rock No. 65015 seemed to have undergone two distinct melting steps. Bulk of this "two-history rock" had crystallized 3.93 billion yrs ago but had retained some crystals that had been formed between 4.40 and 4.48 billion yrs ago. First crystallization probably had been associated with great heat during moon's formation but scientists had no clue to cause of second melting period and subsequent recrystallization. Dr. Paul W. Gast, Chief of MSC Planetary and Earth Sciences Div., said "fundamental conclusion" was evolving from new understanding of moon gained "largely out of the Apollo program." Scientists "have to now look at each individual planet and somehow or another infer its chemical composition." They were beginning to see chemically heterogeneous solar system.
Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt, Apollo 17 lunar module pilot, described Apollo 17 landing site in moon's Taurus-Littrow area on rim of Serenitatis Basin: "It's in that general geographic ring that resembles the Apennine front near where Apollo 15 landed. It has, however, some very distinctive characteristics .... There is no clear evidence that we are close to mare. The nearest obvious mare surface is several hundred kilometers [100 km equals 62 mi] to the ... northwest-in the Mare Serenitatis. We are landing on a plain that seems to overlie a slightly elevated flat surface that predates the mare. And it seems when you look at all of the basins on the moon, that that surface, a correlative surface in other basins, is somehow related to the formation of the basin. There are comparable plains around all of the big circular basins, and there is a flat floor that predates the mare that is cut by graben faulting . . . Also in the site we have the ... north and south massifs. These are large aggregates of peaks and mountains that . . . are part of the range structure of the Orientale basin." Dark cover over valley floor and portions of highlands was younger than mare and was as little as 0.5 m (1.6 ft) thick. Radar data had shown cover was "finely fragmented mantle material" that was "ubiquitous in all of the low areas and locally is covering portions of the highlands." Dr. Schmitt said mantle, although of not as high a priority as the crustal examination in the south massif, had "potential of giving us our most fundamental evidence for studying this evolutionary model." Potential was high that "dark mantle material has sampled some significant portion of the crust. At least it has sampled its source area, and that source area is very probably deep within the moon." Dr. Schmitt told press that to be able to say that man was on the verge, if not already there, of understanding the evolution of another planet is something that is really unprecedented in the history of man. And I think that's the thing that's the news of Apollo. That is what we have done." (Transcript)
Mariner 9 mission ended as attitude-control gas supply was depleted and engineering telemetry signal ceased during 698th Martian orbit of spacecraft launched May 30, 1971. Mariner 9 had reached Mars Nov. 13, 1971, and was 383 675 000 km (238 416 000 mi) from earth when engineers at Jet Propulsion Laboratory sent 45 960th, and last, command-to turn off radio transmitter. Spacecraft was expected to remain in Mars orbit some 50 yrs. During 349 days (more than one half Martian year) of orbital activity, Mariner 9 had maintained instrumented surveillance of Mars and made first closeup photos of Martian moons Phobos and Deimos.
Major findings had included: geologically active planet with volcanic mountains and calderas larger than any on earth, equatorial crevasses. more than 3000 km (2000 mi) long and three to four times deeper than Grand Canyon, indications that free- flowing water might have existed in Mars' geologic history, evolution of monumental dust storms that raged to altitudes of 50 to 60 km (31 to 37 mi) above Mars surface, and realization that dust storms and cloudiness accounted for much of variability of Mars' appearance over years, Mariner 9 was first man-made object to orbit another planet. Mariner project, managed for NASA's Office of Space Science by Jet Propulsion Laboratory|JPL]], had been planned as two-spacecraft mission to Mars but Mariner 8, launched May 8, 1971, failed to enter orbit when Centaur stage of Atlas-Centaur booster malfunctioned after normal countdown and liftoff from Eastern Test Range. Spacecraft had reentered earth's atmosphere. Plans had been revised and Mariner 9 had been launched successfully to conduct missions of both Mariners. Data from Mariner 9 experiments would provide groundwork for 1975 Viking lander mission to search for evidence of life on Mars. (Jet Propulsion Laboratory|JPL]] Release 634; A&A 1971)
Air Force System Command successfully launched 1.4-million-cu-m (47.8-million-cu-ft) research balloon, world's largest, from Chico, Calif. Balloon, developed by Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories, carried 113-kg (250-1b) payload to unofficial record altitude of 51 800 m (170 000 ft) . Previous record of 49 400 m (162 000 ft) had been established in 1969 by AFCRL balloon. Purpose of flight was to determine feasibility of flying large thin-film balloons and to study very-high-altitude parachute deployment characteristics. (AFSC Release 121.72)
Naval Research Laboratory announced discovery of huge clouds of carbon monoxide in galaxy M-33 by NRL scientist Dr. Philip R. Schwartz and Aerospace Corp. scientists Dr, William J. Wilson and Dr. Eugene E. Epstein. Team had used National Radio Astronomy Observatory radio-telescope at Kitt Peak, Ariz., in first detection of extragalactic molecular emission line by radioastronomy. Finding indicated that presence of complex molecules in interstellar medium was not unique to earth's galaxy. Galaxy M-33 was 1.5 million light- years from center of Milky Way galaxy. (NRL Release 60-72-10)
Community Action Agency officials announced Office of Economic Opportunity approval of $80 000 grant to start program of welfare aid for jobless aerospace workers and families in Brevard County, Fla. Families included those of 1500 workers laid off at Kennedy Space Center. (M Her, 10/28/72)
Soviet delegation headed home after meeting with officials of North American Rockwell Corp. Aviation Services Div. at Bethany, Okla. Purpose of meeting was to discuss Soviet Yak-40 commuter aircraft. NR was considering purchase of Yak-40s for U.S. distribution. (AP, W Post, 10/28/72, A7)
President Nixon signed S. 4022, authorizing U.S. participation in Inter- national Exposition on the Environment to be held in Spokane, Wash., in 1974. Bill became Public Law 92-598. (PD, 10/6/72, 1620)
New Haven Register editorial commented on death of Igor I. Sikorsky [see Oct. 26] : "His death . . . removes from the scene perhaps one of the last links between aviation in its primitive stages and as it is known today, transcending even the boundaries of the earth to include space travel." (N Hav Reg, 10/27/72))
October 27-28: Academician Mstislav V. Keldysh, President of Soviet Academy of Sciences, met with Manned Spacecraft Center officials, toured MSC, and was briefed on NASA programs. Keldysh was visiting U.S. as guest of National Academy of Sciences President, Dr. Philip Handler. (NASA Int Aff; SBD, 10/30/72, 33)
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