Oct 21 1971
From The Space Library
ITOS-B Improved Tiros Operational Satellite failed to reach orbit after 4:32 am PDT launch by NASA for NOAA from WTR on two-stage long-tank, thrust-augmented Thor-Delta (DSV- N-6) booster. Satellite, weighing 306 kg (675 lbs), had been intended for sun-synchronous orbit to make regular, dependable, day and night cloud-cover observations by both direct readout and onboard storage. Flight appeared normal through Delta first burn. At start of It period (approximately one hour coast), pitch and yaw altitude- control jets began pulsating to counteract unknown force tending to tumble vehicle. Pitch and yaw jets were able to maintain vehicle in proper altitude until gas was expended. At that time, unknown force caused vehicle to tumble. Planned vehicle functions remaining, including second Delta burn and spacecraft separation, occurred approximately on time. Planned circular orbit was not achieved and spacecraft and Delta 2nd stage impacted above Arctic Circle. Review board was being formed to investigate Delta 2nd-stage failure. ITOS-B was second Tiros spacecraft funded by NOAA and third spacecraft in nos series. First, Is I (Tiros-M), had been launched Jan. 23, 1970. Second, Now 1 (ITOS-A), was launched Dec. 11, 1970, and ceased operations Aug. 19, 1971. Office of Space Science and Applications had overall responsibility for mission, with Earth Observations Program Office managing project for Headquarters. Technical and administrative management was assigned to GSFC. (NASA Proj Off)
Impact of aerospace industry slump and termination of lunar excursion module project on Grumman Corp. and Long Island, N.Y., area was described by New York Times. With 26 000 employees, Grumman Corp., "reaches out into every corner of the economy of Nassau and Suffolk Counties and, as one of the nation's largest aerospace combines, even far beyond those two counties that jointly claim Grumman as their own." Nearly 1000 subcontractors depended on Grumman's patronage. Firm was "largest real estate taxpayer in Nassau County, the largest customer for the Long Island Lighting Company and hundreds of smaller corporations. And in salaries for its employees alone it pumps nearly a third of a billion dollars each year into the Long Island economy." Grumman figures indicated that for every person laid off, 41/2 persons somewhere in U.S. economy lost their jobs, including 2% in Nassau or Suffolk Counties. From December 1969 to December 1970 nearly 5700 persons at Grumman had lost jobs; 14 250 elsewhere on Long Island had lost jobs as result. (Andelman, NYT, 10/21/71, 45)
NASA director of Safety Jerome F. Lederer gave guidelines for noting and meeting problems of drug abuse among aerospace employees at 24th International Air Safety Seminar in Mexico City. Drug addiction was "not yet a discernible problem among NASA and its contractor employees, of which there are now about 160 000. But the work force of the future will involve many young people who have experienced hard drugs." (NASA Release 71-208)
AFSC announced USAF development of battery-powered, expendable, remote-operating weather station (EROWS) to gather data from inaccessible terrain or battle fields and transmit data 320 km (200 mi). Dropped from cargo aircraft and helicopters, EROWS would embed itself vertically in preselected spot, turn itself on, monitor its surroundings, and send meteorological data to control recorder. (AFSC Release 237.71)
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