Nov 20 1980
From The Space Library
NASA said that the Shuttle orbiter Columbia would move out of the orbiter-processing facility at KSC no earlier than November 23 for tow to the VAB and mating with the external fuel tank and solid-fuel rocket 230 booster. Actual date would depend on results of final inspections now in process; NASA would issue an update November 22. (NASA Release 80-173)
ESA reported that INMARSAT had awarded it a five-year contract at U.S.$1 million a year for leasing MARECS satellites A and B when located over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The completed INMARSAT system would cover the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans by using those satellites with INTELSAT Vs carrying maritime communications payloads, and with one of the MARISAT satellites already in orbit. For the first time a European-built satellite would let ships at sea dial shore-based subscribers directly and establish telephone and telex links with them, through the real-time highly reliable MARECS system operating in the 4- and 6-GHz band and on 1.5- to 1.6-GHz frequencies. (ESA Info 28)
NASA announced that Dr. John E. Naugle, its former chief scientist, would return December 1 on a temporary basis as acting chief scientist, principal scientific adviser to the NASA administrator, and continuing member of the Advisory Council responsible for planning long-range solar system exploration and other long-range goals for the agency. Naugle had joined GSFC in 1959 as head of its nuclear emulsion section and retired from the agency in June 1979.
During those 20 years, he had been chief, physics and astronomy programs, at Headquarters Office of Space Sciences in 1961; director of physics and astronomy programs, Office of Space Science and Applications, from June 1962 to May 1966; associate administrator for space science and applications in 1967; and deputy associate administrator of NASA in 1974. He became acting associate administrator in April 1975 and associate administrator in November 1975. He was appointed chief scientist in the 1977 reorganization. (NASA Release 80-175; Hq anno Nov 21/80)
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