Oct 13 1971
From The Space Library
U.S.S.R. launched eight Cosmos satellites from Plesetsk into near circular orbits with single booster. Tass reported Oct. 14 that equipment was functioning normally. Orbital parameters were:
- Cosmos 444, 1510-km (938.3-mi) apogee, 1323-km (822.1-mi) perigee, 114.1-min period, and 74° inclination.
- Cosmos 445, 1513-km (940.1-mi) apogee, 1352-km (840.1-mi) perigee, 114.4-min period, and 74° inclination.
- Cosmos 446, 1513-km (940.1-mi) apogee, 1383-km (859.4-mi) perigee, 114.8-min period, and 74° inclination:
- Cosmos 447, 1516-km (942-mi) apogee, 1412-km (877.4-mi) perigee, 115.1-min period, and 74° inclination.
- Cosmos 448, 1518-km (943.2-mi) apogee, 1442-km (896-mi) perigee, 115.5-min period, and 74° inclination.
- Cosmos 449, 1542-km (958.2-mi) apogee, 1485-km (922.7-mi) perigee, 116.2-min period, and 74° inclination.
- Cosmos 450, 1531-km (951.3-km) apogee, 1464-km (909.7-mi) perigee, 115.9-min period, and 74° inclination.
- Cosmos 4451, 1575-km (978.7-mi) apogee, 1490-km (925.8-mi)perigee, 116.6-min period, and 74° inclination.
(GSFC SSR, 10/31/71; FBIS-SOv-199-3, 10/14/71, LI; SF, 4/72, 132)
NASA launched series of three sounding rockets from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. Nike-Cajun carried ion mass spectrometer, x-ray detector, ion probe, Faraday rotation counter, magnetometer, accelerometer, solar aspect sensor, telemetry, and tone-ranging system to perform D-region ion composition studies under subsonic conditions. Payload attained 80.8 km (50.2 mi) and was recovered in good condition. Second Nike-Cajun carried similar instrumentation for same purpose. Subsonic portion of flight near apogee provided principal data, payload reached 80.8 km (50.2 mi) and was recovered in good condition. Boosted Arcas II carried electrometer, magnetometer, solar aspect sensor, telemetry, and tone-ranging system to measure ion mobility at altitudes from 65 to 10 km (40 to 6 mi), using parachute-supported instrumentation package. Payload reached 63.1-km (39.2-mi) and was recovered in good condition. (NASA Rpts SRL)
Completion of NASA-U.S. Dept of Agriculture experiment to gather information on southern corn leaf blight from aircraft was announced by MSC. Data were being analyzed but preliminary results showed blight could be detected and its progress monitored by sensor-bearing aircraft. Although southern corn leaf blight had not been as severe as projected, its widespread presence had provided "unique opportunity to assess remote sensing as a tool for large-scale crop surveys." NASA and USDA were analyzing experiment data to determine usefulness of crop infestation surveys and application of surveys to other agricultural needs. Results of analysis would be announced within few months. (MSC Release 71-78)
President Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia and Mrs. Tito visited MSC during state visit to U.S. They were shown Apollo 9 CM, Mercury and Gemini spacecraft, and LM test article. The Titos visited Mission Control and saw demonstration of spacesuit and Apollo 15 films. Center presented Tito with framed and autographed photo of earth as seen from moon's vicinity by Apollo 8 astronauts. (MSC PAO)
MSFC announced award of $1 197 000 incentive contract to American Science and Engineering, Inc., for support services in Skylab ATM project. Contract would run from Aug. 22, 1971, through June 30, 1972. (MSFC Release 71- 176)
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) introduced amendment to S. 32, Conversion Research, Education and Assistance Act of 1971, to establish New Cities Research and Experimentation Administration. Agency would employ defense and aerospace personnel. (CR, 10/13/71, S16259-63)
Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird told Washington, D.C., press conference that Soviet buildup of land- and sea-based missiles was "far outdistancing" estimates he had offered to Congress seven months previously. He confirmed report that U.S.S.R. was expected to match U.S. strength by deploying 41 Polaris-class missile submarines by 1973. (Beecher, NYT, 10/14/71, 5)
Adm. Arthur W. Radford (USN, Ret.) in letter to the editor, published by Washington Post, defended USN F-14 fighter aircraft against suggestion by Post Sept. 29 that $800 million in funds for F-14 be eliminated from military budget: "In conjunction with the full spectrum of conventional naval weapons and sensors, the design capabilities of the F-14 are credible and responsible to the perceived threat for the decade ahead. As in the case of the F-4, which has now reached the end of its growth potential against a constantly upgraded Soviet technology, the F-14 is conceived as an aircraft to be used for more than a decade into the future-it, too, will be capable of substantial performance improvement as the threat changes and as technology is advanced." Washington Post responded to letter with editorial comment: ".. . there is a school of thought which holds that the heavily and expensively defended [aircraft] carrier can be rendered inoperable by comparatively simple Soviet weapons and thus is inadequate to the kind of U.S.-Soviet conflict that is presupposed by the design of the [carrier-based] F-14. It is this view which we find persuasive and which therefore gives us pause concerning the usefulness of the F- 14." (W Post, 10/13/71, A18, A19)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
