May 17 1985
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
NASA announced that seven world class gymnasts would undergo testing May 20-22 at Johnson Space Center (JSC) as part of a continuing study of the space adaptation syndrome that affected about half the astronauts who had flown in space. Researchers wanted to know if gymnasts were less susceptible to the malaise because of their experience of moving and spinning in three dimensions.
The gymnasts underwent baseline testing at JSC in mid-April. A second battery of tests would measure their responses in the laboratory and aboard a jet aircraft that induced brief periods of reduced gravity.
Testing was co-sponsored by the U.S. Gymnastics Federation, of which the participants were members. They were Kathy Johnson, Patty Gerard, Megan Marsden, Krista Canary, Tom Beach, Scott Johnson, and Steve Elliot. (NASA Release 85-75)
NASA announced that Harris Corp. successfully deployed on the ground a 50-foot antenna system, marking a milestone in NASA's program to demonstrate that large space antenna concepts were feasible. In the test, a hoop-column antenna unfolded, umbrella-style, from a compact package to a combination of thin structural members, quartz filament cords, and gold-plated mesh.
The mesh, serving as a precision reflecting surface stretching across the diameter of the supporting hoop, was shaped like a dish but could be made flat, spherical, or conical, depending on the intended application. The antenna column was a precise telescoping hub, forming the central structure of the antenna, tensing the cords that shaped the antenna surface, and housing the electronic feed mechanisms.
The size of potential large space antennas meant a significant boost in effective radiated power from space and an increased sensitivity to weak signals from the ground or from space. One potential application was in communications, because at that time each earth station had to have a large antenna to receive the weak signals transmitted through small antennas on satellites. Large antennas in space would greatly reduce the size and cost of the antennas required at ground sites. And a few super-antennas placed in high geosynchronous orbit could cover the globe, instead of the great number of smaller satellites otherwise required. Millions of inexpensive home rooftop or land mobile unit antennas could receive satellite signals then picked up only by a few very large ground stations.
NASA believed the 50-foot antenna system was the largest precision antenna designed for space that could be accommodated in existing ground electromagnetic test facilities. However, the ultimate deployable space antennas might have 150- to 300-foot diameters. Studies showed that these larger antennas required space assembly. (NASA Release 85-76)
The U.S. Air Force awarded Martin Marietta Corp. an $87-million contract to begin production of the Low-Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared System for Night (LANTRIN), the Air Force Systems Command Newsreview reported. The award enabled Martin Marietta to buy specialized factory equipment to produce the first two of 700 navigation pods for LANTRIN, which consisted of navigation and targeting pods mounted on tactical aircraft and a head-up display in the cockpit. The Air Force scheduled production of the targeting pod for spring 1986.
Production of the entire system, which would give tactical pilots a day/ night under weather navigation and weapon-delivery capability, would cost $3.16 billion for the 700 systems for use on F-15E, F-16, and A-10 aircraft. The remaining 698 systems would come under fiscal year options on the contract over the next eight years.
The only system of its kind, LANTRIN had a terrain-following radar that scanned the horizon while keeping the pilot at a safe altitude, even in poor visibility. The navigation pod turned night into day by distinguishing the difference in temperature of the terrain below. The result was a daylight scene that appeared on the head-up display mounted in front of the pilot. The combination of infrared and radar allowed the pilot to fly safely at a few hundred feet above ground.
The targeting pod also contained a laser designator for delivery of laser guided weapons and an automatic handoff capability to allow acquisition and delivery of Maverick missiles against tactical targets. (AFSC Newsreview, May 17/85, 7)
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