Apr 22 1974
From The Space Library
An ERTS 1 photo map of the contiguous 48 states of the U.S., the first ever assembled from satellite images, had been completed for NASA by the Dept. of Agriculture's Soil Cartographic Division, NASA announced. The three- by five-meter map was composed from 595 cloud-free black and white images taken 25 July-31 Oct 1972 from an altitude of 912 km by the multispectral scanner on ERTS 1 (launched by NASA 23 July 1972) . The mosaic would provide a base for regional compilation of investigation results, provide the first synoptic look at the U.S. for scientists examining subcontinental lineaments and faults, permit construction of a national surface water inventory, provide a base for a national-vegeta-tion-cover and continuous-land-classification inventory, provide an accurate assessment of the national water drainage network, and document 1972 national land use.
The mosaic would be displayed publicly for the first time in ceremonies at NASA Hq. 26 April. (NASA Release 74-91)
Reduction-in-force notices were delivered to 397 employees at Marshall Space Flight Center. Another 250 employees received notices that they would be reduced in grade. Earlier, MSFC officials had projected a personnel reduction of about 500 employees, but retirements and attrition since then had reduced the number required. (MSFC Release 74-68)
NASA had applied for a patent on a special absorptive coating developed by a Marshall Space Flight Center engineer. It would be applied to aluminum panels used in the construction of the solar heating and cooling system being demonstrated at MSFC. The coating absorbed 93% of the total solar heat, which was transferred to water circulated through flow passages to a storage tank for use in heating or cooling; it reradiated only 6% of the infrared heat. (NASA Release 74-96)
The Air Force was making additional efforts in the application of boron and graphite composites in 1974 to take advantage of weight savings, higher performance, and lower costs-the Air Force Systems Command announced. Tests would include a full-sized composite wing for the YF-16 prototype lightweight fighter, a composite speedbrake for the F-15 air superiority fighter, and a composite outer wing for the A-7 attack fighter aircraft. The composite maneuver augmentation program called for the design, manufacture, and evaluation of an advanced composite wing on a remotely piloted test vehicle. (AFSC Release IMP 029.74)
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