Jan 4 1993
From The Space Library
When asteroid Toutatis passed within 2.2 million miles of Earth in December, NASA took 100 times more detailed radar images of it than had ever been taken of that kind of object before. According to astronomer Steven Ostro, "This is our first clear look at one of the many thousands of asteroids whose orbits can intersect Earth's orbit." The images show asteroid Toutatis comprises two big chunks of rock, probably held in contact by gravity. One chunk has an average width of about 2.5 miles; the other is about 1.6 miles wide. Toutatis is "among the 50 largest Earth-approaching asteroids that we estimate to exit," Mr. Ostro said. NASA bounced radar waves off the asteroid using a 230-wide antenna dish at a tracking station in the California Mojave Desert. (B Sun, Jan 4/93; NY Times, Jan 4/93; W Post, Jan 4/93; USA Today, Jan 4/93; AP, Jan 4/93)
The Navy announced that it was turning over the Moffett Field Naval Air Station, located 40 miles south of San Francisco, California, to NASA's Ames Research Center, which is located on the base. The Center was to continue developing and testing space and aircraft-related technologies. The Center's wind tunnels, flight simulators, and other facilities have helped produce and test generations of spacecraft and commercial aircraft, including the Space Shuttle. (AP, Jan 4/93)
Studies on the feasibility of using Soyuz TM spacecraft as crew return vehicles for the U.S./International Space Station were scheduled to enter a more detailed phase according to NASA Associate Administrator Arnold D. Aldrich. NPO ENERGIA was to study modifications, launch options, and costs for one year. The Soviet hardware could allow NASA to permanently staff the station by 1998 or 1999. (Av Wk, Jan 4/1993)
Florida Today reported that NASA was launching a new type of air-launched Pegasus rocket that activates only after being released from the wing of an air-craft. The winged vehicle, which was developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation, has a solid-fuel rocket that gives it the ability to put small satellites into orbit at a bargain price. Plans called for the Pegasus to carry a Brazilian remote sensing satellite. (Fl Today, Jan 4/93)
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