Apr 26 1991
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
NASA announced that the Hubble Space Telescope had completed one year of operation on April 25. Joseph H. Rothenberg, Associate Director of Flight Projects for Hubble Space Telescope at Goddard, summarized the Hubble's achievements. These included the taking of various images and presentation of data from observations at key scientific meetings. Scientists planned to compensate for the spherical aberration by modifying the telescope's replacement instruments. These included the placement of the Wide Field/Planetary Camera II in 1993 and further servicing plans during astronaut space walks. (NASA Release - Hubble Space Telescope; LA Times, Apr 29/91)
NASA Project Scientist Steve Saunders stated that Magellan scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, were studying the surface features on Venus caused by wind. Soviet landers and the U.S. Pioneer probes measured wind speeds near Venus at two to four miles per hour, or about the speed needed to move sand grains. The Magellan images indicated wind streaks. Project Manager Tony Spear said that a new strategy to protect Magellan from the heat of direct sunlight has cooled the spacecraft success-fully. (NASA Release 91-63)
NASA Administrator Richard Truly announced the appointment of J. Stuart Fordyce as Deputy Director of NASA Lewis Research Center, Cleveland. He had served as Director of Aerospace Technology at Lewis since 1984. (NASA Release 91-65)
The media covered the unveiling of the Shuttle Endeavour at some length, including its new features outlined by NASA Administrator Richard Truly: "The latest avionics navigation equipment, the finest mechanical systems, a new drag chute, and equipment for longer duration flights." Endeavour has more fuel cells, which generate electricity, allowing it to stay in orbit as long as 28 days. (P Inq, Apr 26/91; W Times, Apr 26/91; NY Times, Apr 26/91; W Post, Apr 26/91; USA Today, Apr 26/91; WSJ, Apr 26/91; B Sun, Apr 26/91; LA Daily News, Apr 26/91; H Chron, Apr 26/91; AP, Apr 26/91; UPI, Apr 26/91)
Preparations for the launching of Discovery were discussed at the beginning of a three-day countdown. The Discovery's mission was described as mimicking the movements of a ballistic missile to help scientists working on the antimissile defense system. (NY Times, Apr 26/91; AP, Apr 26/91; UPI, Apr 26/91; LA Times, Apr 26/91; W Post, Apr 28/91; B Sun, Apr 28/91; NY Times, Apr 28/91)
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