May 10 1976
From The Space Library
NASA announced that a task team headed by Marshall Space Flight Center, and including representatives from Kennedy Space Center and Johnson Space Center, would assist the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Organization (SAMSO) in evaluating industry proposals for validating the development of the Space Shuttle interim upper stage (IUS). The IUS, an expendable solid-fuel rocket stage capable of launching one or more spacecraft, would be carried into low earth orbit in the bay of the Space Shuttle orbiter; after deployment, it would be fired to carry the spacecraft into orbits of from 800 to 35 000 km, or to earth-escape trajectories for interplanetary missions. The basic IUS developed to meet DOD objectives would be altered as needed to meet NASA-unique requirements (planetary missions, or economical delivery of several smaller satellites). MSFC would be responsible for establishing the NASA-unique requirements; its task team would be responsible for planning and coordinating NASA's TUS activities; KSC would be responsible for IUS launch operations, and JSC for IUS-orbiter integration and flight operations. The Air Force was expected to award a contract for IUS development by Sept. 1976. (MSFC Release 76-89)
NASA announced selection of McDonnell Douglas Corp. and the Singer Company's Simulations Products Division for parallel negotiations, leading to award of a contract to one of the companies for maintenance, modification, and operational support of Johnson Space Center's simulator complex to be used in training flight crews for the Space Shuttle. The 2-yr contract beginning 1 July would provide for optional additional periods of 24 mo and 6 mo respectively. The training complex, consisting initially of a Shuttle procedures simulator and a crew procedures evaluation simulator, would have added to it an orbiter aeroflight simulator and a Shuttle mission simulator. General Electric and Computer Sciences Corp. also submitted proposals. (NASA Release 76-87; JSC Release 76-30)
Sen. John Glenn (D-0.), first American to orbit the earth in Mercury 6, said he would be available as a running mate for Jimmy Carter in the national elections but would not pursue the vice-presidential nomination. Glenn said Carter was clearly front runner in the Ohio primary scheduled for 8 June, and that his "ship is already in." (NYT, 11 May 76, 13)
The European Space Agency announced plans for a NASA presentation on current status of the Space Transportation System to be held in Paris 12 to 14 May, for about 250 representatives of governments, national institutes and agencies, and industry of the ESA member states. Opened by Roy Gibson, director general of ESA, the program would be introduced by Arnold W. Frutkin, NASA's Assistant Administrator for International Affairs. Other NASA speakers would be John F. Yardley, Associate Administrator, Office of Space Flight; Chester M. Lee, director of space transportation system operations; and Harold E. Gartrell, deputy manager of the Shuttle payload integration office. The Space Transportation System would include the U.S. Space Shuttle and the ESA Spacelab, as well as a new upper propulsion stage and a U.S.-developed tracking and data system. ESA representatives scheduled to present the Spacelab portion of the 3-day program would include Bernard Deloffre, director of the Spacelab program for ESA; Heinz Stoewer, Spacelab project manager; Jan J. Burger, Spacelab payload adviser; and Jacques Collet of ESA's planning directorate. (ESA release 10 May 76)
10-12 May. The Senate considered and passed H.R. 13172 authorizing NASA $16 800 000 for increased pay costs for the "interim period" 1 July through 30 Sept. 1976. The authorization-part of the budget for fiscal year 1976-supplemented NASA's research and program management request, and was $3 186 000 less than the original request of $19 986 000. (NASA Ofc of Budget Ops, Chron Hist FY 76, 16 June 76) 11 May. President Ford signed legislation reestablishing the post of White House science adviser, a job abolished by President Nixon 3 yr previously. The signing took place in the White House rose garden, at a ceremony attended by leading scientists. President Ford had asked for legislation to set up the position and the White House Office of Science and Technology on the recommendation of Vice President Rockefeller and at the urging of major scientific groups; the job had previously existed under executive order. Originally established by President Roosevelt during World War II, the position lapsed until 1957 when President Eisenhower reactivated it after the launch of Sputnik. President Ford was expected to make a early choice of science adviser, who would direct the Office of Science and Technology Policy and would also be a member of the Domestic Council and adviser to the National Security Council. (W Post, 12 May 76, A-21)
Communications Satellite Corp., the international telecommunications consortium, had begun contract negotiations with U.S. manufacturers on building a new generation of comsats with a capacity of about 12 000 simultaneous telephone calls plus television, to meet growing demand for international communications expected by the early 1980s, the annual meeting of ComSat stockholders was told. Joseph V. Charyk, president of ComSat, noted that the 2 new INTELSAT IV-A satellites scheduled for launch this year had a capacity of about 6250 simultaneous telephone calls, plus television; the first such satellite- INTELSAT 1, the 1965 Early Bird-could carry either 200 telephone calls or one TV channel. Charyk said negotiations had been held with Hughes Aircraft (maker of INTELSAT IV), TRW Inc., and a division of Ford Motor Co. for construction of the new satellites. However, he said, ComSat's share of future international satellite operations would depend on the outcome of its appeal from an FCC order of last Dec. calling for sharp reductions in rates. Had the FCC rates been in effect for all of 1975, ComSat profits would have been $1.60 a share rather than $4.62 a share, he said. (W Post, 12 May 76, D-9)
The Air Force awarded a $1 million supplement of a previous cost-plus-incentive-fee contract to General Electric's Aircraft Engine Group at Cincinnati, 0., a labor-surplus area, for extended flight-test spare parts support for B-1 aircraft engines, the Department of Defense announced. (DOD Release 213-76)
Clocking the speed of plasma at 50 km per sec in the active regions of the sun was "among the most interesting results" of investigations carried out aboard the USSR space station Salyut 4 , Dr. Konstantin Feoktistov wrote in the Bulletin of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Feoktistov, one of the cosmonauts on the flight of Voskhod 1 in Oct. 1964, was quoted in a Tass broadcast as saying that data from the two manned expeditions to Salyut 4 were still being processed, but that the missions had established man's ability to "work well in conditions of weightlessness" for more than 2 mo. Citing the stay of Pyotr Klimuk and Vitaly Sevastyanov aboard the station from 25 May to 25 July last year, and describing the use of exercises and pressurized suits to maintain health during that time, Feoktistov said the mission results offered hope that orbital stations and piloted space flights would be further developed. (FBIS, Tass in English, 11 May 76)
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