Apr 30 1976
From The Space Library
Venus-whose dense atmosphere had prevented observation of the surface, except by radar-might be as tectonically active as Mars, and possibly as active as the earth, researchers at JPL's Goldstone tracking station announced. As reported in Science magazine, new high resolution maps from 2 different radiotelescopes disclosed the planet's surface with enough detail to permit a study of its geology. A series of 8 maps taken by the 64-m steerable dish at Goldstone revealed a 1500-km-long trough near Venus's equator comparable to large earth rift systems such as the East African, giving "strong evidence of extensional tectonic activity" on Venus. Evidence of a fault movement seemed to appear in another Goldstone map showing a long arc-shaped mountain range crossed and bowed by another linear feature. A high-resolution image obtained at the Arecibo observatory in P.R. showed a large part of the Venus northern hemisphere including a basin-like feature about 1000 km across with a bright sharp rim; "the shape is wrong" for an impact basin, according to the Arecibo report. The new maps raised as many questions as they answered, Science commented. (Science, 30 Apr 76, 454)
Long-term directions and opportunities in civil aviation-including passenger air travel by rotorcraft from small urban-center airports, or intercontinental air transportation on hypersonic craft rated environmentally acceptable-were projected in a NASA study, "Outlook for Aeronautics," announced by the agency as the result of its study on the role it should play in research and development of aviation and the technical advances that might be needed. Relatively few major new developments could be expected through the early 1980s because of economic setbacks and environmental pressures, the agency said, but, with adequate research and technology investments, new opportunities should arise in the period 1985-2000. Demand for passenger transportation should grow from 250 million annually to about 1 billion annually by the year 2000; by the late 1980s, air traffic should exceed the capacity of the present airport system. Congestion should lead to development of short-haul aircraft using smaller airports; increasing costs would result in greater efficiency and economy with improved safety in subsonic aircraft, the report said. (NASA Release 76-78)
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