Dec 23 1971
From The Space Library
Intelsat-IV F-2, launched by NASA for ComSatCorp on behalf of INTELSAT Jan. 25, was adjudged successful by NASA. Satellite had been placed in desired synchronous orbit Jan. 27 and was now in service at 24° west longitude over Atlantic. (NASA Proj Off)
France's Eole Cooperative Applications Satellite, launched by NASA Aug. 16, was adjudged successful by NASA. Initial data tape had been received by GSFC from ONES for reduction and analysis of balloon-temperature, pressure-sensor, and wind-velocity information. Preliminary results indicated that balloon sensors, interrogation method, and range-rate system for position-locating balloons had been operating within design limits. Satellite position-location technique had been able to locate fixed balloon electronics package to within 1.2 km (0.8 mi) of its surveyed position. Location of free moving balloons had been within 3 km (1.9 mi). (NASA Proj Off)
Joint West German and NASA barium-ion-cloud (BIC) probe launched Sept. 20 was adjudged successful by NASA. Barium had been released at planned altitude, latitude, and longitude, and cloud generated had been recorded by special cameras for about 75 min. Cloud elongated to 12 000 km (7500 mi) during observation period and good data were obtained during cloud's deceleration. Striations observed would provide information on plasma instabilities and on electric and magnetic fields in magnetosphere. (NASA Proj Off)
NASA announced appointment of John W. King, KSC Chief of Public Information, as MSC Public Affairs Officer. Appointment would be effective in late January 1972. King had participated in more than 200 launches; voice of "Jack King" was well known to Apollo launch viewers. (NASA Release 71-250)
GSA had said it would take bids on towers and equipment from two Saturn launch complexes at KSC, AP reported. Equipment from Complexes 34 and 37, to be sold in one lot, included cranes, boom hoists, 298 km (185 mi) of copper and steel cable, and five towers weighing total of more than 8.2 million kg (9000 tons). NASA had said complexes, which cost $147 million to build, were obsolete. Complex 34 was scene of Jan. 27, 1967, Apollo fire that took the lives of Astronauts Virgil I. Grissom, Roger B. Chaffee, and [{Edward H. White]] II. It was also launch site of Apollo 7 (Oct. 11-22, 1968), first manned mission in Apollo program. Complex 37 had been used for pre-Apollo unmanned missions. (NYT, 12/24/71, C7; KSC Hist Off )
Discovery of new planetoid by Soviet astrophysicist N. Chernykh was reported by Moscow publication Sotsialisticheskaya Industriya. Planetoid had been described as celestial body of 16th magnitude but had not been identified by permanent number and name. Preliminary calculations of planetoid's orbit had been made by F. Khanina of Soviet Academy of Sciences. Chernykh and M. Diritis of Latvian State Univ. had called planetoid "Riga." (FBIS-Sov-71-231, 12/30/71, L4)
DOD had decided to postpone production decision on Lockheed Aircraft Core's Cheyenne attack helicopter while USA flight-tested aircraft against two competitors, Wall Street Journal reported. Competitors were United Aircraft Corp. Sikorsky Aircraft Div.'s Blackhawk and Textron, Inc., Bell Helicopter Co.'s helicopter, KingCobra. (Levine, WSJ, 12/23/71, 5)
Chinese Communists were building missile tracking ship that could he used in Pacific for tracking and analyzing test-firing of ICBMS capable of application against European portion of U.S.S.R. and US., Christian Science Monitor reported. Monitor's sources in Washington, D.C., had said ship could be used to spy on U.S. and Soviet missile work and to expand Chinese satellite program into wider areas. (Ashworth, CSM, 12/23/71, 1)
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