December 1977
From The Space Library
NASA reported that Fitzhugh L. Fulton, Jr., civilian test pilot for DFRC since 1966 and a 23-yr veteran of the USAF, had received from the Society of Experimental Test Pilots the Iven C. Kincheloe award as test pilot of the year for his work in the Space Shuttle approach-and-landing test program in which he piloted the orbiter on 13 test flights beginning in Feb. and ending in mid-Nov. 1977. Fulton was also flying the "triplesonic" YF-12 aircraft for NASA; in the past, he had flown the XB-70 and was launch pilot for the X-15 and other research vehicles.
This award was the second top-level honor for Fulton, who won the Harmon Trophy in 1962 as an Air Force pilot in the B-58 Hustler test program at Edwards AFB that set an international altitude record. In his work for the Air Force Fulton had received 3 Distinguished Flying Crosses, plus another DFC and 5 air medals for 55 missions in Korea and scores of humanitarian missions during the Berlin Airlift of 1948-49. (NASA Actv Dec 77, 8)
The USAF announced it had issued contracts to Martin Marietta Aerospace at Denver and General Dynamics Corp.'s Convair Divison at San Diego for design of a large space structure to be carried into orbit on the Space Shuttle and erected and deployed in space. The contracts, each for $750,000, called for conceptual design of a flight-demonstration model of an antenna-like structure to be assembled and deployed in a form exceeding the size of the orbiter cargo bay (60ft long by 15ft in diameter). Plans called for automated assembly in space with manned supervision. The flight article would also serve to verify the Shuttle's ability to deploy other DOD craft that might require assembly in orbit. (AFSC Newsreview, Dec 77, 4)
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