May 1975 1 May: A decision had been made to designate Viking Lander 2 and Orbiter 2 as Viking Spacecraft-A, Kennedy Space Center's Spaceport News reported. Lander 1 and Orbiter 1 would become Viking Spacecraft-B. The change had been made to permit early sterilization of Lander 2 to meet the 11 Aug. launch date. (Spaceport News, 1 May 75, 2) • Dr. Noel W. Hinners, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science, and Major General Soehardjono, Director General of Posts and Telecommunications for the Republic of Indonesia, signed an agreement for the July 1976 launch of Indonesia's first communications satellite on a NASA Thor-Delta rocket. The new comsat, in synchronous equatorial orbit over Indonesia where its signal could be transmitted to 40 ground receiving stations, would permit Indonesia to begin development of a national communications network. (NASA Release 75-134) • A telescope aboard NASA's Oao 3 Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (named Copernicus and launched 21 Aug. 1972) was observing three nearby stars-epsilon Eridani, tau Ceti, and epsilon Indi-for signs of other civilizations that might be trying to contact earth with laser beams. The telescope had scanned the first star in November 1974 for 14 orbits while the spectrometer scanned the ultraviolet spectrum for potential laser signals to earth. The data were being analyzed and scientists were planning to scan tau Ceti and epsilon Indi again during the summer and fall of 1975. (NASA Release 75-130) Under an agreement with the Air Force, Flight Research Center pilots would fly the YF-17 aircraft-contender for selection as the Air Force combat fighter-in a research program to acquire flight data of a high-performance aircraft for comparisons with wind-tunnel tests and other analytical methods, FRC announced. The comparisons would be used to update prediction techniques required for the design of future highly maneuverable aircraft. During the 25 flight hrs, pilots would measure performance and stability at high angles of attack at both high and low altitudes, and perform maneuverability tests and pilot physiological studies during sustained high acceleration levels. (FRC Release 11-75) • An overactive sun and excessively bright moon had caused brief shutdowns of instruments aboard Intelsat (International Telecommunications Satellite) communications satellites, the New York Times reported. Showers of particles during solar flares on 11 March and 13 Oct. 1974 had built up excess electrical charges on satellite surfaces that had not been electrically grounded. Noise from the resulting electrical discharges confused readings of which way onboard antennas were pointing, causing the antennas to point away from the earth and temporarily cut off communications. A similar problem occurred 27 March when a spinning comsat interpreted infrared light from an exceptionally bright moon as coming from earth. Because of this, the satellite's controls were receiving an earth indication twice as often as usual, thus commanding the pointing system to compensate by despinning at twice its normal rate. Communications were blacked out because the antennas were spinning relative to the earth rather than remaining stationary and pointing toward earth. The NYT quoted Communications Satellite Corp. engineers as saying that these occurrences pointed out the need for more knowledge about the exact behavior of Intelsat satellites in space so that changes could be made in the design of future satellites. The solarparticle problem had led to more thorough electrical grounding aboard the newest Intelsat satellites. (McElheny, NYT, 1 May 75, 83) 2 May: Dr. John F. Clark, Director of Goddard Space Flight Center, and Daniel J. Fink, Vice President of General Electric Corp. Space Div., were awarded the National Aeronautic Association's Robert J. Collier Trophy for individual accomplishment in making the Landsatformerly the Earth Resources Technology Satellite-program the outstanding aerospace event of 1974. The presentation was made at a dinner in Washington, D.C., jointly sponsored by the NAA and the National Aviation Club. Choice of the two officials as representative of the NASA-industry team "which abundantly proved during 1974 the value of remote sensing to space" was the unanimous decision of the selection committee of 26 distinguished leaders and authorities. The committee also paid particular tribute to Hughes Aircraft Co.'s Aerospace Group and RCA's Government and Commercial Systems Group for their roles in the earth-resources and environmental surveys by Landsat. (NAA Release, 6 March 75; NASA Activities, April 75; Goddard News, June 75) • President Ford presented the Harmon Aviation Awards, given for outstanding feats of individual pilot skill, worthy of international recognition, and contributing to the art and science of flight. The 1974 Astronauts' Trophy was awarded to the Skylab 2 crew who, during their 25 May to 23 June 1973 mission, became the first astronauts to successfully accomplish major repairs on a spacecraft in space. Skylab 2 commander Charles Conrad, Jr., accepted the award on behalf of himself and crewmembers Paul J. Weitz and Joseph P. Kerwin. President Ford presented the 1974 Aeronauts' Trophy to the son of Malcolm S. Forbes for the latter's series of 21 flights in a hot-air balloon that took him 4000 km across the U.S. from Coos Bay, Ore., to Gwynn Island, Va. The 1974 Aviators' Trophy went to Col. Edward J. Nash, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations of the 21st Air Force, for his 21 000-km round-trip airlift mission in a C-5 aircraft from the U.S. to Israel, and for his direction of continuous C-5 and C-141 operations from the U.S. to the Azores and on to Israel between 14 Oct. and 14 Nov. 1973. The 1973 Aviators' Trophy was awarded to L/C Edgar L. Allison for piloting an HC-130H aircraft of the Air Force 57th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron nonstop on 20 Feb. 1972 from Taiwan to Scott Air Force Base, Ill., a distance of 14 053 km, without refueling. This established a record for the longest straight-line nonstop flight in a turboprop aircraft. (PD, 5 May 75, 480-481) 5 May: The Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences favorably reported out H.R. 4700 authorizing FY 1976 appropriations to NASA. Changes recommended by the committee would raise the NASA authorization by $5.7 million to $3.545 billion. Recommended Changes in the FY 1976 NASA Recommended Changes in the FY 1976 NASA Total does not include a supplemental authorization for increased pay costs introduced and considered as H.R. 13172. For the transition period 1 July to 30 Sept. 1976, the committee recommended decreasing NASA's total budget request of $958 900 000 to $929 900 000. The requested $730 600 000 for research and development was reduced to $704 600 000, leaving NASA management to apportion the $26 million reduction. The committee reduced funds requested for construction of facilities from $14 500 000 to $11 500 000 in a series of minor economies. (Sen Com on Aero & Space Sci Rpt 94-103) The Apollo-Soyuz Test Project was "one of the few tangible survivors of that champagne-bubble atmosphere of détente along with the badly tarnished SALT [Strategic Arms Limitations Talks] agreements," Aviation Week and Space Technology said in an editorial. From the Soviet viewpoint the goals were obvious: to tap into the mainstream of U.S. technology, to blur the international image of U.S. superiority with the appearance of parity by flying a joint manned mission, and to develop the technical base for international space rescue capability. U.S. goals remained obscure. The mission would provide the answers to some experimental questions: Could the U.S. and U.S.S.R. work together in a joint space program? Could an international rescue capability be developed? Could the ASTP experience be expanded to future joint space ventures? That ASTP had survived to the final countdown was a tribute to the flexibility, stamina, and ingenuity of the technical working groups of both countries. A formidable series of technical, philosophical, linguistic, and operational problems had been solved and the investment by both countries had been substantial. ASTP had been "partially worth the effort... to have a sizable group of NASA and industry technicians get some practical hard-headed experience in working with their Soviet counterparts and acquiring a realistic view of their technical capabilities and philosophy. We think the rest of the value of the mission will come from determining just |