Feb 13 1978
From The Space Library
NASA announced it had tentatively selected 4 more experiments for its Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) scheduled as a major Space Shuttle payload in 1980. The four scientific experiments-to study hazards to man of ion particles in space, the chemistry of micrometeoroids, the interstellar wind, and cosmic-ray nuclei-would join 23 technology experiments selected for LDEF earlier in 1978 [see Jan. 9]. LDEF, an unmanned reusable free-flying facility carrying technical and scientific experiments mounted in special trays, would offer an easy and economical way to expose primarily passive experiments to the space environment during 6 to 9 mo of LDEF orbit.
Selected experiments and principal investigators were: free-flyer biostack experiment, Dr. Horst Bucker, Universitat Frankfurt-am-Main, W. Germany; interstellar gas experiment, Dr. Don Lind, Johnson Space Center; high-resolution study of ultra-heavy cosmic ray nuclei, D. V. Domingo and Dr. K. P. Wenzel of ESA (the Netherlands), and Prof. C. O. Ceallaigh, Dr. D. O'Sullivan, Dr. A. Thompson of the Dublin Inst. for Advanced Studies, Ireland; and chemistry of micrometeoroids, Dr. Fred Horz, JSC. (NASA Release 78-20; LaRC Release 78-5; JPL Universe, Feb 3/78, 1; ESA newsletter, Feb 78, 3)
Airport and aircraft noise-reduction legislation faced a rocky future, said Av Wk, because of congressional concern that safety needs were taking a back seat to retrofit and replacement for aircraft compliance with federal noise standards, and that the proposed scheme to fund safety measures was unacceptable. One bill under consideration would set up a voluntary program to assist airports and surrounding communities to reduce noncompatible land uses near airports. Main target of congressional concern was Title 3 of the bill, lowering by 2 percentage points the current domestic passenger-ticket and waybill taxes and replacing them with (among other charges) a 2% surcharge on tickets and waybills. Each airline would use surcharge funds for retrofitting, reengineering, or replacing aircraft to comply with recent federal noise standards; Witnesses testified, according to Av Wk, that about 75% of the 2100 jet engine aircraft in the U.S. airline fleet today had not met those standards.
"We believe," testified Transportation Secretary Brock Adams, "there are significant benefits to the public at large to be achieved by providing incentives for replacement of noisy aircraft with new technology aircraft, rather than merely retrofitting or reengineering." Among those with substantial concern over the surcharge was Rep. Al Ullman (D-Ore.), who said: "Everyone is trying to impose taxes that are really outside the tax system. How do you keep it in the tax system?" Representatives of the Aerospace Industries Association had testified in favor of the bill. (Av Wk, Feb 13/78, 32)
Robert Kirk, president and chief executive officer of Vought Corp., in a speech to the Aviation/Space Writers Association, had called for a comprehensive multinational treaty on international operations in space, reported Av Wk. "Why not a United Nations conference to work out international protection-not unlike the `freedom of the seas' philosophy which has worked so well throughout the world for centuries?" Kirk asked. He said a treaty had to be approached as a totality, because space defense was only one element of a freedom-of-space policy. And he noted that treaty negotiators should consider all space systems on a broad international basis. "As you know," he pointed out, "Communist China and European Space Agency countries are already entering the picture, so issues are no longer confined to U.S. and Soviet interests. Therefore, in seeking an enduring treaty, a broad international forum is required. Most important," Kirk concluded, "any agreement must guarantee that we are free to operate-that any nation is free to operate-in space and to share its benefits.... A good treaty is an important step in this direction." (Av Wk, Feb 13/78, 7)
Aeritalia and the Italian ministry of research and technology had discussed a new Italian telecommunications-satellite program, Av Wk reported. Most of Italy's annual space budget had been devoted to ESA programs, but Italian government and industry had continued a limited number of strictly domestic projects, including the Sirio experimental comsat launched from KSC and the Alfa 2-stage booster that had qualified in three successful test firings from Italy's Saito di Quirra experimental test range. Current discussions of future satellite programs could lead to detailed telecommunications project studies this year, and development work beginning in 1979. A major space undertaking for Aeritalia was the ESA Spacelab; Aeritalia had been responsible for the structure of the pressurized Spacelab module. (Av Wk, Feb 13/78, 41)
INTELSAT announced it had signed agreements with Saudi Arabia and Zaire to lease capacity on global-coverage INTELSATs for domestic telecommunications in those countries. Saudi Arabia had leased a total of 2.25 global-beam transponders, extending domestic service to 8 cities in addition to Jeddah, Riyadh, and 2 mobile antennas served since 1977. The 5-yr agreement with Zaire had earmarked a full global-beam transponder in a spare-capacity satellite to serve 13 locations in that nation. Fifteen countries had begun (or would soon begin) to use the INTELSAT system for domestic telecommunications. (INTELSAT Release 78-5-I)
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