Dec 2 1974
From The Space Library
2-8 December: The U.S.S.R. launched Soyuz 16, carrying cosmonauts Col. Anatoly V. Filipchenko and Nikolay N. Rukavishnikov, from Baykonur Cosmodrome near Tyuratam at 2:40 pm local time (4:40 am EST) in preparation for the July 1975 U.S.-U.S.S.R. Apollo Soyuz Test Project mission. The spacecraft, identical to the one that would fly during the ASTP mission, entered orbit With a 280-km apogee, 194-km perigee, 89.3-min period, and 51.8° inclination. Tass reported the purpose of the mission was to test the spacecraft's onboard systems, which had been "modernized to meet the demands of the joint flight"; make scientific and technical investigations; and observe and photograph sections of the earth's surface for the solution of economic problems.
In a prelaunch Tass interview, Filipchenko said that the mission was to last several days. "This would be enough for us to test carefully all the ship's systems, above all its docking gear." Using a passive simulator docking ring, Soyuz 16 would make docking and separation maneuvers in almost all the ASTP modes. In addition, U.S.S.R. ASTP Technical Director Konstanin D. Bushuyev said in a launch-day Tass interview, the crew would check out the Soyuz life support system, which had been re-designed for better compatibility with Apollo. Soyuz normally had a cabin pressure of 10 newtons per sq cm (14.7 psi) and an atmosphere similar in oxygen content to terrestrial atmosphere. Apollo maintained its pure oxygen atmosphere at 3.5 newtons per sq cm (5 psi) . To reduce the acclimation period for the crews' transition between the two atmospheres, the U.S.S.R. had agreed to reduce the pressure and increase the percentage of oxygen in the Soyuz atmosphere. The system's capacity also had been increased to accommodate four persons.
On 3 Dec. NASA, which had been tracking Soyuz 16 since shortly after launch, began a 15-day joint tracking rehearsal with the U.S.S.R. After the mission, information gathered by nine U.S. tracking stations Would be compared with data from Soviet tracking stations. Meanwhile the crew reduced the spacecraft's cabin pressure to 7.2 newtons per sq cm (10.4 psi) and doubled the oxygen content, from 20% to 40%, with no adverse effect. Color TV broadcasts from the spacecraft showed all was Well. A trajectory correction 4 Dec. placed Soyuz 16 in a circular orbit with a 225-km altitude, 88.9-min period, and 51.8° inclination, an orbit similar to ASTP requirements. Simulated docking and separation maneuvers "passed off without a hitch" 5-7 Dec., Tass reported. Medical, biological, earth resources, and astronomy experiments also were carried out during the six-day mission. At 1:04 pm Baykonur time (3:04 am EST) 8 Dec., Soyuz 16 softlanded in the U.S.S.R. 300 km north of Dzhezkazgan in Kazakstan. Tass reported the cosmonauts were in good health.
Following the successful landing, U.S. ASTP Technical Director Glynn S. Lunney conveyed his congratulations "for the brilliant rehearsal before the Soviet-U.S. flight." In a Tass interview Bushuyev said, "We have succeeded in checking in real space flight the whole package of the new system and units responsible for the success of the future linkup of the Soviet and U.S. spaceships." Soyuz 16 was the third manned U.S.S.R. launch in 1974, following Soyuz 14 (launched 3 July) and Soyuz 15 (26 Aug.) . (GSFC SSR, 31 Dec. 74; Tass, FBIS-Sov, 2-11 Dec 74; Wren, NYT, 3 Dec 74, 16; 4 Dec 74, 26; JSC Release 74-272)
2, 12 December: American astronauts and technicians, although denied access to Soviet spacecraft factories, would be permitted to inspect the Soyuz spacecraft for the joint Apollo Soyuz Test Project at the Baykonur Cosmodrome launch site in May 1975, NASA officials said at a Johnson Space Center news conference. U.S. ASTP Technical Director Glynn S. Lunney said the arrangement would satisfy U.S. technical needs.
In a 12 Dec. press conference at Star City, Maj. Gen. Vladimir A. Shatalov, U.S.S.R. chief of cosmonaut training, said American crews would be permitted to view only facilities directly connected with the flight itself. "Everything that American astronauts need to be acquainted with on the Soyuz that will fly will be shown them before-hand." In the meantime astronauts would train with mockups and simulators. (JSC PIO, interview, 15 Sept 75; Keefer, Today, 5 Dec 74; Chriss, LA Times, 3 Dec 74; Toth, LA Times, 13 Dec 74; FBIS-Sov, 13 Dec 74, U1)
2 December: The surface of Jupiter's moon Io might be composed of evaporite salt deposits, rich in sodium and sulfur, NASA reported. A year-long Jet Propulsion Laboratory study had indicated that deposits had resulted from migration of salt-saturated aqueous solutions to Io's surface from a warm or hot interior followed by loss of the water to space. Salt-rich materials could have been produced by the leaching of carbonaceous meteorites. According to Dr. Fraser P. Fanale, JPL team leader, the de-posits could account for Io's high reflective power, the absence of ice bands, and the dark reddish poles.
Sodium vapor emissions from Io had been first reported in February 1973 by Dr. Robert Brown of Harvard Univ. Subsequently, the cloud of sodium was observed to extend more than 320 000 km from Io.
In August Dr. Fanale with two other astronomers had proposed explanations for the sodium emissions. Proton bombardment experi-ments had indicated that sodium and other atoms had been blasted from Io's surface by the impact of Jupiter's magnetospheric protons, electrons, and ions and had formed a cloud around Io. Io's glow, according to intensive spectral studies, resulted from scattering of sunlight by the sodium cloud. (NASA Release 74-315; Fanale et al., Science, 6 Dec 74, 922-5; Matson et al., Astro foam, 15 Aug 74, L43-6; JPL proj off, inter-view, 24 Sept 75, NSF Release 74-199)
The first Apollo lunar surface experiment package (ALSEP) , placed on the moon by Apollo 12 astronauts in November 1969, had far exceeded its one-year life expectancy and was still functioning, along with instruments in ALSEP packages from Apollo 14 through 17, NASA announced. From ALSEP magnetometers, Dr. Palmer Dyal, Ames Research Center lunar investigator, had calculated that the moon had a magnetic field 1000 times Weaker than the earth's, with an iron content about 9% by weight, in contrast to the earth's 30%. The heat flow measured by ALSEP instruments was half the earth's, indicating differentiation and upward concentrations of radioactivity early in the moon's history. Seismometers had uncovered a new class of moonquakes originating at depths of 100 km or less below the lunar surface. Dr. M. Nafi Toksoz of Massachusetts Institute of Technology earlier had reported that preliminary information indicated the moon had a small core less than 800 km across, lying inside a molten shell 600-1000 km down from the surface, where deep moonquakes had been detected. Seismic, magnetic, and heat-flow data had also suggested that the moon was further along than the earth in its evolutionary history. (NASA Release 74-313; NASA prog off, interview, 17 Nov 75; McElheny, NYT, 18 Nov 74)
An agreement to establish an Aerosat (Aeronautical Satellite) Space Segment Program was signed in Washington by the European Space Research Organization, COMSAT General Corp., and the Government of Canada. Under the agreement-provided for in the Memorandum of Understanding signed 2 Aug.--ESRO, COMSAT General, and Canada would furnish the space segment capability for the intergovernmental program. COMSAT General would lease its share of the space segment capability to the Federal Aviation Administration. (ESRO Release, 3 Dec 74)
The Dept. of Defense had officially approved development of the NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS) , the Air Force announced. The first phase of the three-phase joint armed services program called for five Rockwell International Corp. spacecraft to join a Navy Navigational Technology Satellite (NTS) in two-plane orbital constellations in 1977 to test the system. The five-meter, 635-kg spacecraft would be launched on Atlas F boosters by the Air Force Systems Command's Space Missile Test Center. Phase two would bring the number of satellites to nine in three orbital planes. The operational third phase-with 24 satellites orbiting at an 18 520-km altitude, providing three-dimensional location to air, sea, and surface vehicles in all kinds of weather-would be complete in the mid-1980s. (AFSC Release OIP 274.74)
Inflation would force even more extensive cuts in NASA operations if funding did not increase in the next few fiscal years, Aviation Week & Space Technology reported in a survey of NASA belt-tightening. The magazine quoted NASA Comptroller William E. Lilly as saying cost contracts for major spacecraft programs had a 9-12% inflation rate. The overall effective impact of inflation was 7-7.5% at NASA, but these averages were much lower than for many specific areas. Although materials increases were averaging 15-20%, particular increases ranged from 0-100%. The 7% inflation rate in Center supplies was being absorbed by using inventories and by decreasing the use of supplies. Utility cost increases of 20-30% at NASA Centers had been countered by lower use-a 30% cut-but Centers were still paying 10-15% more. Overall wage rates could increase 20-30% over the next three years, Lilly had said, because of a trend-setting agreement between the Boeing Co. and the International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Support service contracts were showing a 7-9% yearly inflationary increase.
NASA Centers were seeking new solutions. At Goddard Space Flight Center, more fixed-price contracts were being issued, but predicting economic changes was problematic, according to William R. Mecca, GSFC Deputy Director for Administration and Management. GSFC had begun limiting data acquisition from spacecraft and drawing up contingency plans for many unmanned programs-like the International Sun-Earth Explorer Spacecraft program and the International Ultra-violet Explorer program-to save costs if primary plans began to exceed spending limits.
Marshall Space Flight Center had reduced its work force by 850- about 15%-since June 1973 and had closed 47 structures. Lewis Research Center had cut its power needs 7%, using a transient data-recording system to reduce operating hours. Johnson Space Center, along with others, had been hiring young persons rather than high-salaried experienced persons. JSC electric costs were still increasing even though the Center had reduced its exterior lighting by 75% and its interior lighting by 33%. Kennedy Space Center was phasing construction for shuttle and other programs, outfitting facilities to meet minimum initial operational requirements rather than for long-range mission models. Consideration was being given to advance procurement for lower costs and for preventing slowdowns from shortages. (Covault, Av Wk, 2 Dec 74, 38-42 ; Lilly, interview, 19 Sept 75)
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