Nov 21 1994
From The Space Library
In connection with the November 21 field hearing in Spokane, Washington, of the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments, the media featured articles on tests performed on 131 prison inmates in Oregon and Washington from 1963 to 1971. The tests were sponsored by the Atomic Energy Commission in order to help determine how much radiation U.S. astronauts could safely bear during spaceflights. The testicles of inmate volunteers were irradiated in return for a small stipend. Classified documents dealing with the project were only made available recently. (W Post, Nov 20/94; USA Today, Nov 21/94; AP, Dec 5/94)
U.S. firms such as Martin Marietta and Lockheed and the U.S. Air Force were interested in learning from the Moscow-based Design Bureau of Transport Machinery (DBTM) ways in which the United States could modernize its aging launch site structure. DBTM was working with Martin Marietta in evaluating upgrades to the company's Atlas launch sites. Lockheed was interested in Russian automated launch pad technology for its propose single-stage-to-orbit vehicle. The U.S. Air Force was impressed by the simplicity and operability of Russia's Zenith prelaunch process: "There is no need for human presence on the launch pad as the booster is automatically erected, connected, and launched." According to DBTM managers, the highly automated techniques used at the Baikonur Cosmodrome Zenith launch site enabled two of the powerful boosters to be launched from the same pad within five hours. Robert Ford, Martin Marietta Astronautics' manager of Russian programs, said his firm was looking at seven potential jobs for DBTM on the Atlas launch pads, ranging from introducing higher levels of automation to controlling burn-off effects after each liftoff. In the future Martin Marietta might also have DBTM look at its Titan launching system as well. In other Russian-related activity, Martin Marietta was moving ahead on its evaluation of two Russian engineers for use on an upgraded Atlas. (Av Wk, Nov 21/94)
The retrieval of the German Crista-Spas satellite by Atlantis during its recent mission proved the validity of the rendezvous approach that NASA now planned to use for all dockings with Russia's Mir Space Station. Technical details were given of the "plus R bar" approach. (Av Wk, Nov 21/94)
During a visit to Cape Canaveral with his crewmates, Russian cosmonaut Vladimir G. Titov familiarized himself with the SPACEHAB module that was scheduled to he carried on his Shuttle flight in February 1995. (Av Wk, Nov 21/94)
Disagreements continued to exist between the United States and Russia over the Salyut FGB "space tug" with regard both to the tug's price and the cost of launching it, which Russia wanted the United States to pay. Khrunichev Machine Building Enterprise was in the early stage of working on the tug. An agreement was worked out on November 10 about the medical certification process for joint flights, under which each country would accept the medical certification of the other's space flight personnel until prelaunch examinations were performed 30-45 days in advance of Russian Soyuz flights and 10 days in advance of U.S. Shuttle flights. (Av Wk, Nov 21/94)
Rockwell Aerospace planned to deliver the Orbiter Docking System to NASA on November 21. To achieve a system that would enable a U.S. Shuttle to dock with Space Station Mir, Rockwell Space Systems Division integrated a Russian-built docking mechanism into the system. (Av Wk, Nov 21/94)
A feature article on Carl Sagan described his various accomplishments and mentioned his fascination with stargazing and his help to NASA in designing robotic missions, which he had been doing since the late 1950s. (AP, Nov 21/94)
A Russian television program, "Science Today," commented on the roles of the Russian Energiya-Buran and the U.S. Space Shuttle systems in reducing the costs of placing payloads in space. In this connection the program promoted the potential of the Russian-Ukrainian project "MAKS" based on an existing aircraft, the Mriya. The Russian MAKS program was commended by G. Le. Lozino-Lozinskiy, general designer of the "Molniya" and British Aerospace agreed it was necessary to begin building winged transport systems with the MAKS and presented the MAKS system to the European Space Agency. (FBIS-Sov, Nov 29/94)
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