Dec 25 1973
From The Space Library
The U.S.S.R. launched Molniya 11-8 communications satellite into orbit with a 40 809-km (25 357.5-mi) apogee, 488-km (303.2- mi) perigee, 12-hr 17-min period, and 62.8° inclination. The satellite would help provide a system of long-range telephone and telegraph radio communications in the U.S.S.R. and would transmit Soviet central TV programs to the Orbita network. (GSFC SSR, 12/31/73; Tass, FBIS-Sov, 12/26/73, U1)
U.S. Patent No. 3 781 647 was awarded to Peter E. Glaser, Vice President for Engineering Sciences of Arthur D. Little Co., for a system to produce electricity with satellite solar power stations. The proposal was to orbit satellites at 37 500-km (23 300-mi) altitude in geostationary position to convert radiation received by solar cells to direct current and then to microwaves for transmission to an earth station. There the micro-wave beam would be converted to electric power. The patent said a belt of solar cells 5 km [3 mil wide around the earth could provide more than 200 times the projected world electrical energy requirements for 1980. (Jones, NYT, 12/29/73; Pat Off PIO)
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