Oct 10 1978
From The Space Library
NASA announced that the two Pioneer spacecraft en route to Venus-the orbiter and the multiprobe-had passed major operations tests. Tests of orientation, timing, and separation systems aboard Pioneer Venus 2 for split-second release of three probes 9600km (6000mi) apart over Venus's earth-facing hemisphere, and of systems on Pioneer Venus 1 (orbiter) controlling retrofire and injection into orbit (to take place behind the planet and out of reach of earth communications), had been satisfactory.
Separate operations teams at Ames Research Center had sent 6400 commands to the orbiter since its May 20 launch and 3600 commands to the multiprobe craft since its Aug. 8 launch. Virtually all experiments and systems (including thermal, orientation, command, communications, and data-return and power systems) on each of the multiprobe's five entry craft had been operated and were working well. The orbiter's instruments had been checked and calibrated, including systems for insertion into Venus orbit Dec. 4.
Twenty days and 13 million km (8 million mi) from Venus, the multiprobe would split into a transporter bus and four probes, the bus serving as fifth probe. The multiprobe had covered 140 million km (87 million mi), the orbiter 325 million km (202 million mi). Both spacecraft still had about 180 million km (112 million mi) to travel to Venus. (NASA Release 78-153; ARC Release 78-48; ARC Astrogram, Oct 19/78, 1)
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory reported that NASA and DOE had selected 10 companies to begin contract negotiations for projects to improve current methods of manufacturing modules of photovoltaic cells. The $4 million effort would focus on improving production methods to reduce costs in 1979-1981, and would supplement current DOE efforts to make solar energy economically competitive with conventional power sources.
Firms selected were Arco Solar, Inc., Chatsworth, Calif.; Energy Materials Corp., Ayer, Mass.; Kayex Corp., Rochester, N.Y.; Kluicke & Soffa Industries, Inc., Horsham, Pa.; MB Associates, San Ramon, Calif.; Motorola, Inc., Semiconductor Group, Phoenix, Ariz.; RCA Corp., David Sarnoff Research Center, Princeton, N.J.; Sensor Technology, Inc., Chatsworth, Calif.; Siltec Corp., Menlo Park, Calif.; and Sollos, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif. In the specified time period, the firms would develop techniques for mass-producing large modules of silicon-based photovoltaic cells for use by industries producing flat (nonconcentrating) photovoltaic modules. Techniques would include new ways to slice silicon solar-cell material and to assemble photovoltaic modules. JPL would manage the effort (designated Low-Cost Solar Array Project) for DOE. (NASA Release 78-151)
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