Nov 9 1978
From The Space Library
LeRC would host a major conference for U.S. industry Jan. 31, 1979, to review the marketing potential and technology status of large wind-turbine electric generators, the Lewis News reported. NASA had supported DOE in developing, with the aid of U.S. industry, large wind-turbine electric generators as a source of supplemental power for utility networks. LeRC was conducting both a technology-development program and an experimental program with the utility industry. LeRC engineers believed that large wind turbines could become a cost competitive source of nondepletable electrical power, and that the time was right for additional industrial-equipment designers and producers to become involved in the nation's wind-energy program. Those attending the meeting would discuss two advanced-design wind turbines in the planning stage: a 200kw wind turbine for operation at wind speeds lower than those used by current wind turbines, and one in the 1000 to 4000-kw range to produce electricity at a reduced cost per kw hr over smaller-scale units.
The January conference would review elements of the U.S. wind energy program including objectives, present status of the technology, and current cost projections, emphasizing design of presently operating wind turbines, designs in progress for advanced machines, and plans to procure new lower-cost wind-turbine designs from industry. (Lewis News, Nov 9/78, 1)
The U.S. reconnaissance-satellite program had apparently moved into a new phase emphasizing fewer satellites and longer orbital stay-time, Aerospace Daily reported, despite the fact that the USSR had an operational antisatellite program that might have influenced President Carter's backing of a U.S. ASAT project. An Aerospace Daily study of worldwide satellite launches since the early 1960s indicated the U.S. had stopped using satellites for a close look at specific ground targets. These satellites, launched by the Titan IIIB/Agena booster combination, had previously flown simultaneously with an area-surveillance class launched by Thor/Agena. The U.S. had apparently withdrawn its area surveillance models from service in 1972 and substituted a type able to do both area and close-look surveillance-Lockheed's so-called Big Bird-and dropped the original close-look type. It had retained Big Bird, with 14 launches to date, complemented by an even newer type that might have had the same dual mission but performed better.
Only two of the latest models had been launched, one in December 1976 and one on June 14, 1978. This model could have been the subject of a controversy over alleged theft by a former CIA employee of an operating manual for a satellite code-named KH-11, which had an orbital life at least three times that of Big Bird, which had grown to an impressive 179da. The new model might have had a nominal lifetime of 540da; the first one launched was approaching 24mo in orbit. This extended orbital life meant that the USSR and other countries were under constant surveillance; however, as the U.S. had only one or two satellites operating at any one time, the vulnerability of its monitoring effort had probably increased. (A/D, Nov 9/78, 44)
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