May 15 1980
From The Space Library
NASA reported that astronomers using data from the international UV explorer were continuing to study the halo discovered around the Milky Way in early observations by the satellite. The halo material was found to be hot (about 100,000°), to extend 50,000 light-years from the galaxy, and to contain oxygen, sulfur, iron, silicon, and carbon. Iue launched January 26, 1978, was a joint mission of the United States, the United Kingdom, and ESA.
For most of history, visible light was the only medium for studying celestial objects, but many types of electromagnetic radiation were now available for observation: radio waves, infrared, X-ray, gamma rays, and ultraviolet rays. Earth's atmosphere blocked most of these types of energy, which must be studied through spacecraft above the atmosphere. Iue, in a synchronous orbit keeping it in continuous touch with either the United States or the European ground station, could be used by astronomers located either at GSFC or the Villafranca station in Spain (Vilspa) much like a ground-based telescope but observing in the ultraviolet instead of visible-light spectrum. A scientific colloquium at GSFC during May heard 92 papers on Iue, findings; Prof. Robert Wilson, University College London, said "there is hardly an area of modern astronomy that hasn't been affected." Scientists from 25 countries were participating, and 478 astronomers had been assigned observing time on the satellite. (NASA Release 80-67)
NASA might decide to remove and strengthen every heat-protection tile on Columbia not already removed and treated, Today newspaper reported. As many as 10,000 tiles could be affected, delaying Shuttle launch by months.
Recent tests had shown weaknesses in tile faces that were glued to the Shuttle surface; NASA had removed thousands for "densification," painting the bonding surfaces to increase their sticking power. NASA was now testing 16,000 of the 30,922 tiles at points of greatest stress to see if they needed to be densified. Tiles failing the test had been removed and densified; those passing were left intact. However, NASA was now thinking of doing all the tiles as a safety measure. Installation was about 80% complete, but a decision to densify all would leave only a few thousand tiles on the ship.
Officials would not give an exact count of the number of tiles already densified; technicians gluing the tiles in the processing facility at KSC had been averaging about 700 a week. JSC structural design chief Tom Moser said that he could not predict whether all the tiles would be densified or how long it would take. (Today, May 15/80, IA)
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