Jan 9 1978
From The Space Library
NASA announced selection of 16 experiments in space technology for the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) mission, scheduled as payload for the first Space Shuttle operational flight in 1980. LDEF, managed by Langley Research Center, was a reusable unmanned free-flying structure carrying various technical and scientific experiments in special trays, providing an easy and economical means to conduct primarily passive experiments in earth orbit.
NASA had selected the 16 experiments from 190 candidates that responded to an opportunity notice distributed in June 1976. Investigators selected to date represented b universities, 6 private organizations or research institutes, and 5 NASA centers. Seven experiments were from France, 2 from England, and 1 from Canada. R&D value, compatibility with LDEF and other experiments, and effort cost had been selection criteria. Technical areas included materials, thermal-control coatings, detectors, power, micrometeoroids, electronics, lubrication, optics, and space-debris detection. Eighty percent of LDEF's experiment trays had been filled; the remaining space would contain micrometeoroid-detection panels. LDEF would remain in orbit 6 to 12mo for experiment exposure to space environment. The Space Shuttle orbiter would retrieve and return it to earth; experiments would go to their investigators for data analysis. (NASA Release 78-1)
NASA announced appointment of Kenneth Chapman as associate administrator for external relations, effective Jan. 8. Chapman had been acting in the position since its creation Nov. 8, 1977, and had been assistant administrator for DOD and interagency affairs since joining NASA April 1, 1977. Chapman would be senior policy official responsible for integrating NASA activities in public, legislative, university, community, interagency, and international affairs. Chapman had come to NASA from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He retired from the Air Force in 1975 after a 29-yr career. (NASA Release 78-4)
KSC had begun preparation for launching Shuttle Orbiter 102 in Oct., Spaceport News reported. Construction of new facilities and modifications to existing ones were proceeding on schedule. The orbiter-landing facility and orbiter-processing facility had been the only new facilities built at KSC to support Shuttle operations. Other preparations included modifications of existing facilities originally designed and built to support Apollo/Saturn operations. KSC would transform hanger AF at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station into a solid-fuel rocket-booster recovery and disassembly facility. (Spaceport News, Jan 9/78, 1) The Commerce Department had predicted the total value of U.S. aerospace-industry shipments of complete aircraft, engines, and space vehicles at $22.2 billion this year, reported Aviation Week. This was a 21% increase over the estimated value of $18.3 billion for 1977, resulting from a surge of orders for large commercial transports in the first half of 1977 for 1978 delivery. A hundred data collectors working for DOC concluded that the U.S. would maintain worldwide preeminence in aerospace; that aerospace exports would continue to provide the largest U.S. manufacturing trade surplus; that sales, shipments, and profits would move up with the demand for large transports causing the greatest optimism; that general aviation would continue to grow in 1978; and that economic, growth in 1978 would increase passenger traffic about 6% over 1977, to 200 billion passenger miles. Aerospace imports, the magazine said, would probably remain low-about 2.2% of U.S. consumption in 1977-and would probably cost the U.S. about $648 million in 1978. (Av Wk, Jan 9/78, 15)
NASA announced plans for 25 launches in 1978 and support of 3 Atlas-F space launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The 1978 missions would be almost equally divided between those directly benefiting people (for communications and geodetic, environmental, navigation, meteorological, and earth-resources studies) and those primarily for scientific and exploratory research. Fifteen launches would be for paying customers, including the European Space Agency (ESA), ComSatCorp, the U.S. Navy, Japan, NOAA, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Cape Canaveral had been scheduled for 10 Delta launches and all the Atlas Centaur launches; one Delta would be launched from the Western Test Range at Vandenberg AFB. (Spaceport News, Jan 9/78, 1; Goddard News, Jan/Feb 78, 1; Av Wk, Jan 9/78, 48)
Lockheed-Georgia Co. announced it would test its USAF C-5A transport as a cruise missile launch platform, Aviation Week reported. Lockheed noted that the platform could accommodate the USAF/Boeing air-launched cruise missile (ALCM), the Navy/General Dynamics Tomahawk (TALCM), and air-to-air self-defense missiles with equal facility. Key features would include no need for structural modifications to the aircraft or its systems or subsystems; operation essentially by gravity; and flexibility that would allow installation on any C-5, Lockheed C-141, or C-130 aircraft. The launch system would maximize flight safety, as missiles would be loaded in launch position, secured, and released and moved only on a launch command, Lockheed officials emphasized. (Av Wk, Jan 9/78, 40)
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