Apr 13 1993
From The Space Library
Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the California Institute of Technology announced that they had developed a computer software system to catalog and analyze the estimated half billion sky objects in the second Palomar Observatory sky survey. (NASA Release 93-067)
NASA scientists reported that ozone-destroying forms of chlorine had existed for much longer in the Arctic stratosphere this winter than last. Northern Hemisphere ozone abundance also was observed to be some 10 percent below that measured during the same period last year, with some areas 20 percent lower. NASA's Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) provided the information. (NASA Release 93-068; NY Times, Apr 15/93; AP, Apr 14/93)
NASA reported that Space Shuttle Discovery's astronauts had retrieved the $6 million satellite, called the SPARTAN, that they had released into space two days previously. When the Shuttle came to within 35 feet of the satellite, astronaut Ellen Ochoa grabbed it with the arm of the Space Shuttle's robot and placed it in its cradle in the Shuttle bay. The SPARTAN spent about 50 hours as a free-flying satellite with two automated telescopes gathering data about the Sun and the solar wind streaming from it. (AP, Apr 13/93; RT, Apr 13/93; NY Times, Apr 13/93; W Times, Apr 13/93, Apr 14/93; W Post, Apr 14/93; B Sun, Apr 14/93; P Inq, Apr 14/93; UPI, Apr 13/93; RT, Apr 13/93; USA Today, Apr 13/93, Apr 14/93, Apr 15/93; C Trib, Apr 15/93)
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) reported that a powerful new x-ray camera had been shot into orbit just in time to focus on the newly discovered supernova. The scientists reported that the camera was providing very detailed information about the cosmic explosion. The MIT camera was one of several Japanese and American instruments put into orbit aboard a Japanese spacecraft launched on February 20. (NY Times, Apr 13/93)
Martin Marietta Corporation reported that its Martin Marietta Astronautics Group had received a $35 million contract from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to build the propulsion module subsystem for NASA's Cassini spacecraft mission that was to study Saturn, its Moon Titan, and the rest of the Saturnian system. The Cassini was scheduled for launch in October 1997. (W Times, Apr 13/93)
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