1974

From The Space Library

Johnson Space Center Press Releases. (14MB PDF)

The U.S. orbited 28 payloads in 22 launches during the year. The U.S.S.R. orbited 95 payloads in 81 launches; Italy launched 2 payloads, using NASA launch vehicles; and Japan launched 1. U.S. launches included 16 payloads in 14 NASA launches and 12 spacecraft in 8 Dept. of Defense launches.

For the first year since 1967 the U.S. launched no men into space, although Skylab 4 Astronauts Gerald P. Carr, Dr. Edward G. Gibson, and William R. Pogue completed the longest mission yet accomplished by man when they splashed down in the Pacific Ocean 8 Feb. after 84 days in space. The U.S.S.R. orbited three two-man crews during the year, including two crews to dock with the Salyut 3 space station. The Soyuz 14 crew docked and worked aboard the laboratory for nearly 16 days, but Soyuz 15 failed to dock and it returned to earth after 48 hrs in space. Soyuz 16 tested the Apollo Soyuz Test Project configuration in December. The U.S.S.R. also launched the Salyut 4 orbiting space station, to be joined by a two-man crew in January 1975.

The 16 NASA-launched payloads-11 paid for by domestic and foreign corporations or foreign governments-included 7 communications, 1 applications technology, 2 meteorological, and 6 scientific satellites. These were in addition to 2 Italian-launched cooperative scientific satellites. Comsats included two spacecraft launched for United Kingdom military communications -Skynet IIA into too low an orbit, followed later by the successful Skynet JIB. Westar 1 and 2, launched for Western Union Telegraph Co., were the first U.S. commercial domestic communications satellites. The most complex and versatile of the Applications Technology Satellites, Ats 6, went into orbit in May. The spacecraft was transmitting medical and educational telecommunications to small inexpensive ground stations in remote areas of the U.S. and would, in 1975, be positioned to broadcast educational programs to 5000 villages in India. Symphonic 1 was launched for France and West Germany as the first of two experimental communications satellites. Intelsat-IV F-8 was launched for Communications Satellite Corp. on behalf of the Interna-tional Telecommunications Satellite Organization, and Amsat Oscar 7 for Radio Amateur Satellite Corp. as a secondary payload on the Noaa 4 launch.

The two meteorological satellites included Synchronous Meteorological Satellite Sms 1, launched for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to provide continuous day and night images of cloud cover over the U.S. and Atlantic Ocean for the first time. Sms 1 was the first meteorological satellite in synchronous orbit. Noaa 4 was launched as part of NOAA's global weather watch program.

All but one of NASA's six scientific payloads were cooperative efforts with foreign countries. Miranda (UK-X4) was launched for U.K. to measure the density of sun-reflecting particles near the spacecraft as well as test space-craft systems. Spain's first satellite-Intasat, put into polar orbit as a secondary payload with Noaa 4-began studies of the ionosphere. Two spacecraft were launched in cooperation with West Germany: Aeros 2 to measure aeronomic parameters of the upper atmosphere and solar ultraviolet radiation, Helios 1 into solar orbit to investigate interstellar space closer to the sun than any previous spacecraft had and to gather extensive new data on the sun. NASA and The Netherlands joined to orbit The Netherlands Astronomical Satellite Ans 1 to study stellar uv and x-ray sources. NASA's only all-U.S. scientific payload, Hawkeye 1 (Explorer 52), was launched into polar orbit to study plasma properties of the magnetosphere over the north polar cap.

A Titan-Centaur proof-flight vehicle carrying a Viking spacecraft model and a SPHINX satellite failed to achieve orbit and was destroyed during launch operations. The new NASA launch vehicle later successfully launched Helios 1.

Italian launch crews, using NASA launch vehicles, launched two satellites into earth orbit from the San Marco launch platform in the Indian Ocean off the East African coast. San Marco 4 in February carried two U.S. and one Italian experiment into orbit to measure diurnal variations in the equatorial neutral atmosphere. Arid 5 was launched in October for U.K., to study galactic and extragalactic x-ray sources, in the first Italian launch for a country other than the U.S. or Italy.

Japan launched its fifth satellite, Tansei 2-Japan's first on a guided booster.

In addition to the three manned Soyuz missions, the U.S.S.R. launched 2 Salyut space stations; 3 unmanned Soyuz spacecraft identified as Cosmos 638, 656, and 672; 7 Molniya comsats; 5 Meteor meteorological satellites; 2 co-operative Intercosmos; 2 Luna lunar probes; and 71 spacecraft under the Cosmos designation.

Space Science and Exploration

Besides the new scientific satellites, NASA continued systematic exploration of the solar system as Pioneer 11, launched in April 1973, sped to within 42 000 km of Jupiter 3 Dec. The spacecraft photographed the giant planet and its moons, transmitting new information on the planet's weather patterns, atmosphere, and radiation belts. Data from Pioneer 11 and its predecessor Pioneer 10, which had encountered Jupiter in December 1973 revealed that Jupiter was hotter than previously estimated and composed largely of liquid hydrogen. Cyclones and anticyclones stretched completely around the planet with rising grey-white cloud ridges extending 20 km above Jupiter's distinctive orange-brown belts. Jupiter's great red spot was probably the vortex of a great storm that had-raged along a 400000-km front for centuries. At year's end Pioneer 11 was speeding toward rendezvous with Saturn to give man his closest look at that planet while Pioneer 10 raced to cross the orbits of Saturn, `Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto and become the first spacecraft to leave the solar system.

Meanwhile Mariner 10-after passing within 5800 km of Venus and sending back new information on particle environment, mass, and density of that planet-made two successful flybys of Mercury in March and September. The spacecraft transmitted data that gave scientists mass measurements 100 times better than previous ones, described a detached, well-defined bow shock wave, and showed temperatures varying from 90 K on the night side to 700 K on the day side ( -300°F to 800°F) . During the two encounters the spacecraft photographed 45% of the planet's surface. By the end of the year Mariner 10 was headed for a third Mercury encounter in March 1975.

Preparations for the two 1975 Viking missions to Mars continued with the qualification-testing of Viking science instruments, engineering subsystems, and entire orbiter and lander spacecraft. During the last quarter of the year the lander successfully completed critical surface simulation tests that included subjecting the spacecraft to temperatures approximating Martian conditions and dropping it from 0.6 m to determine the effects of landing shocks on the integrated Viking equipment.

A detailed spacecraft design for the 1977 Mariner mission to Jupiter and Saturn was completed while a major effort to find a satisfactory way to protect the spacecraft from Jupiter's strong radiation continued.

A major new space science start, approved in NASA's FY 1975 budget, was the 1978 dual Pioneer-Venus mission to obtain detailed measurements of the Venus atmosphere with an orbiter and four atmospheric entry probes. Hughes Aircraft Co. was chosen in February for spacecraft design, with an option for spacecraft development, and experimenters and scientific instrumentation were selected in June.

NASA continued preparations to place the Large Space Telescope in earth orbit to make detailed astronomical observations 10 times deeper into space than possible before. During 1974, preliminary system definitions and advanced technological development were carried out on selected elements of the LST.

Besides preparing for future missions, scientists continued analysis of data accumulated from previous missions. A Lunar Data Analysis and Synthesis program began to correlate existing data and data still being collected by the five Apollo lunar surface-experiment packages (ALSEP) left on the moon during the lunar landing program. With the conclusion of the Skylab flight program, large volumes of new data on the sun and the earth and the most comprehensive inflight data yet on man's adaptation to space flight be-came available.

During the year sounding rockets, balloons, telescopes, and instrumented aircraft continued to increase knowledge of the universe. NASA launched nearly 80 sounding rockets from sites around the world. A significant accomplishment was the launch of 54 sounding rockets within 24 hrs to support the Joint NASA-Air Force Atmospheric Layering and Density Distribution of Ions and Neutrals (ALADDIN) program.

During 1974 scientists in programs outside NASA as well as in, using data from both orbital and suborbital programs, discovered a 13th moon of Jupiter, observed a pulsar that was a member of a double star system, obtained new data on the size and shape of the Crab Nebula, discovered a galaxy six times larger than any previously known in the universe, and made the greatest advance yet in cometary research with the study of the Comet Kohoutek, including first-time identification of water molecules in a comet.

The U.S.S.R.. continued a program of space exploration with the launch of lunar probes Luna 22 in May and Luna 23 in October. Luna 22 studied the lunar surface and atmosphere from lunar orbit. Luna 23 was damaged while landing on the moon's surface and its work was discontinued after three days of equipment testing.

Space Transportation and Technology

The space shuttle program accelerated, with funding increasing from $475 million in FY 1974 to $800 million in FY 1975. But this total reflected an $89-million cut by the Office of Management and Budget from planned space shuttle funding, delaying the program four to six months. The final major contract was awarded and design work neared completion; by year's end the program moved into hardware test and fabrication stages. Construction of the shuttle runway at Kennedy Space Center began in April and throughout the year contracts were awarded for additional space shuttle facilities. The European Space Research Organization selected VFW-Fokker/ ERNO Raumfahrttechnik GmbH as prime contractor to design and build Spacelab for missions on the shuttle. Primary efforts were directed toward planning early shuttle missions and making analyses for a NASA mission model.

In solid propulsion technology, the final motor-the first with a restart capability-in a series of high-efficiency solid-fueled motors was successfully static-fired. The October firing marked the first time a spacecraft solid-fueled motor had been fired, quenched, reignited, and requenched. Another significant step was the static-firing of a thermally sterilized solid-fueled motor. Electric propulsion-attractive as auxiliary propulsion for long-life station-keeping and attitude control-took a stride forward with the tests of a 4.5-milli-newton (0.001-lb-thrust) ion engine aboard Ats 6. In spacecraft energy system technology, solar cells were made from a silicon ribbon grown directly from the liquid state, a critical first step in low-cost manufacture of solar cells. Other advances were made in laser, nuclear, atmosphere-entry, material-and-structures, guidance, and control-and-information technology.

Aeronautics

The X-24B lifting body completed 15 flights in the NASA and Air Force program to develop a safe piloted vehicle for reentry from space flight and to develop hypersonic technology. Following the first supersonic flight in March, the vehicle's performance and handling qualities were evaluated in the speed range between mach 1.6 and landing.

NASA's aeronautics research and development program to reduce fuel consumption, reduce undesirable environmental effects, improve safety, and advance technology continued during the year. Flight tests of an F-111 equipped with the NASA-developed supercritical wing demonstrated a 15% reduction in fuel consumption. Other tests using flexible aircraft skin concepts, composite materials, active-control technology, and alternative fuels also demonstrated reduced drag and potential fuel savings.

In NASA's refan program - an effort to reduce noise of the JT8D engine that powered most of the Nation's narrow-body commercial fleet-three refanned engines demonstrated in ground tests that the ground area affected by objectionable noise from commercial aircraft could be reduced by 75%. In another technique, a DC-8 using a NASA-developed two-segment landing approach reduced the ground area affected by excessive noise 53%.

Efforts to measure and reduce aircraft engine exhaust in the atmosphere continued with the Global Air Sampling Program. A United Air Lines, Inc., Boeing 747 equipped with an atmospheric sampling instrument began measuring aircraft pollution on commercial air routes, while the clean combuster technology program was expanded to reduce engine emissions.

Programs to improve aircraft safety continued to make progress. Techniques to reduce hazardous trailing vortices were flight-tested. A NASA-developed prototype system to track aircraft wakes near airports, allowing traffic controllers to adjust aircraft spacing more closely, was being operationally evaluated at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City.

The Dept. of Defense A-10 close-air-support program moved into production stage, with the first of six aircraft in final assembly and checkout. Production of an initial increment of 22 aircraft was approved in December, with a full production decision expected late in 1975.

DOD'S B-1 advanced strategic bomber moved through engine preliminary flight-readiness tests in April, rollout in October, and first flight in December. Following flight testing, a production decision would be made in 1976. The first operational F-15 advanced tactical fighter was delivered in November. At year's end 20 test aircraft had accumulated more than 300 flight hrs.

International Cooperation

Aerospace activities continued to become more international. Of the 16 NASA-launched payloads, 10 were cooperative efforts with foreign organizations. In addition, the 2 Italian-launched payloads carried U.S. experiments. During the year negotiations were completed on an agreement for NASA to furnish reimbursable launches for three future synchronous-orbit Japanese satellites. NASA-ESRO Spacelab working groups met throughout the year on experimental objectives and user requirements. Investigators from 42 countries and 5 international organizations were selected for Earth Resources Technology Satellite follow-on investigations, and Italy and Iran signed agreements with NASA to build earth stations to receive ERTS data directly.

The 1975 U.S.-U.S.S.R. Apollo Soyuz Test Project neared flight readiness. Joint compatibility tests of communications and docking systems were carried out and intensive joint flight-crew and flight-controller training was begun. Apollo hardware was completed. The U.S.S.R launched two unmanned and one manned Soyuz spacecraft (Cosmos 638 and 672 and Soyuz 16) to check out new systems and equipment for the joint mission. NASA and the Soviet Academy of Sciences approved public information plans and plans for prelaunch testing at the U.S. and U.S.S.R. launch sites.

U.S. and Soviet specialists exchanged information about the moon, planets, environmental problems, and biomedical results from U.S. and U.S.S.R. space flights. U.S. and Soviet scientists preparing a joint experiment using Ats 6 data met in the U.S. in October for technical coordination. And plans were formulated in October for a U.S. life science experiment to fly on the next available Soviet biological satellite.

For 101 days, June-September, the U.S. and 69 other countries participating in the Global Atmospheric Research Program's Atlantic Tropical Experiment monitored nearly every known meteorological factor along a 52-million- sq-km tropical area of land and sea from the eastern Pacific Ocean across Latin America, the Atlantic Ocean, and Africa to the western Indian Ocean. More than 4000 persons using 41 ships, 40 instrumented buoys, 12 aircraft, and 6 satellites probed from 1.6 km below the sea surface to the top of the atmosphere to improve weather predictions, assess pollution, determine the feasibility of large-scale weather modification, and establish new bonds of international cooperation.

Applications and Energy

During 1974 space technology continued to make, significant contributions to the quality of life. In addition to 1974-launched Ats 6, Sms 1, Westar 1 and 2, Intelstat-IV F-8, and Noaa 4 to improve weather predictions and communications on the earth-ERTS 1, launched in July 1972, completed 29 mos in operation. ERTS 1 had transmitted more than 100 000 photos covering three fourths of the world's land masses and coastal areas. ERTS data-used to monitor urban and agricultural development, locate air and water pollution, update maps, and find new water and mineral resources-had been provided to more than 300 U.S. and foreign investigators in government, universities, and industry. ERTS-B development continued on schedule.

NASA'S pollution monitoring program-to develop and demonstrate technology to monitor atmospheric and water pollution-completed its second year. Procurement for design and construction of the Nimbus-G Oceanographic and Air Pollution Observing Satellite, planned for 1978 launch, was under way. The Lower Atmospheric Composition and Temperature Experiment (LACATE) was demonstrated in May and a test in the advanced applications flight experiment program-using balloons, sounding rockets, and aircraft as well as ground-based experiments-successfully gathered atmospheric data over a five-hour period.

DOD expanded and improved its Defense Satellite Communications System and let contracts for Phase 1 NAVSTAR global positioning satellites. The Defense Meteorological Satellite program continued to furnish weather data for military and civilian use.

Space technology continued to be applied to medicine. A digital computing cardiotachometer to monitor heart rates, an automated blood pressure monitoring system, and a new method of attaching artificial limbs were among the NASA-developed contributions demonstrated in 1974.

An Office of Energy Programs was established in NASA to focus the application of its aerospace technology to energy needs. In addition to programs to reduce aircraft air pollution and energy consumption and develop new fuels, NASA, under the Solar Heating and Cooling Demonstration Act of 1974 and in cooperation with the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development and other Federal agencies, was investigating the use of solar energy for heating and cooling buildings. An experimental solar house at Marshall Space Flight Center would ultimately derive up to 85% of its heating and cooling energy from the sun. Solar heating and cooling were being demonstrated in school.

NASA continued research on wind energy systems, with the construction of a 100-kw wind-powered generator at Lewis Research Center; low-pollution, low-fuel-consumption automotive engines; aerodynamically designed vehicles to increase fuel economy; energy conversion systems.

NASA distributed some 300 new Tech Briefs and 30 special compilations of new technology items to 15 000 subscribers in business and industry. Use of Regional Dissemination Centers for space technology applicable to other uses increased 34%, to 4000 clients.

Tracking and Data Acquisition

The Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network (STDN) supported some 40 flight projects during 1974, including all NASA'S earth-orbital missions as well as space projects of foreign governments and private industry. Congress authorized funds for procurement activities for a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) -two earth-orbiting satellites leased by NASA to relay data between low-altitude spacecraft and a single ground station. The authority to proceed further was subject to additional congressional review of a NASA-owned versus a leased system. (Pres Rpt 74; NASA Release 74-330; NASA Activities, 15 Dec 74; A&A 74)