ac 202-453-8400

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National Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Washington, D.C. 20546AC 202.4538400

Dave GarrettHeadquarters, Washington, D.C. ForRslease: IMMEDIATE(Phone: 202/453-859o)

Steve NesbittJohnson Space Center, Houston, Texas(Phone: 713/483-5111)

RELEASE NO: 84-59

ASTRONAUT T.J. HART TO LEAVE NASA

Astronaut Terry J. Hart, who operated the Space Shuttle'smechanical arm to retrieve the Solar Maximum Satellite on themost recent space flight, will leave NASA effective June 15 toreturn to private industry.

Hart, 37, who joined NASA in 1978, will work in an engineer-ing management position for the newly- formed Military andGovernment Systems Division of Bell Laboratories in Whippany,N.J. That division will produce large digital communicationsnetworks for government applications.

A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Hart is married to the formerWendy Marie Eberhardt of Warren, Pa. They have two children.Hart received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineer-ing from Lehigh University, Pa. in 1968, a master's degree inmechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology in 1969 and a master of science degree in electricalengineering from Rutgers University in 1978.

He entered active service with the Air Force Reserve in June1969, and logged more than 3,000 hours flying time.

Hart was named a NASA astronaut candidate in January 1978and In August 1979, he completed the training and evaluationperiod.

He was a member of the astronaut support crews for Shuttlemissions 1,2,3 and 7, serving as Capcom in Mission Control for thoseflights. His only space flight was STS 41-C, April 6-13, 1984.

-end-(Index: 5)

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Washngton, D.C. 20546AC 202.453-8400

David Garrett For Release: IMMEDIATEHeadquarters, Washingtont D.C.(Phone: 202/453-8590)

Steve Nesbit-,Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas(Phone: 713'/483-5111)

RELEASE NO: 84-60

NOTE TO EDITORS:

SHUTTLE MISSION 41-D PREFLIGHT BRIEFINGS

Preflight background briefings and a news conference withthe Space Shuttle Mission 41-D astronauts will be held Monday and

Tuesday, May 21 and 22, at the Johnson Space Center, Houston.

Background briefings will begin at noon Monday with amission overview by lead flight director Larry Bourgeois.Briefings later that afternoon will cover the payloads and otherelements of the flight.

Mission Commander Henry Hartsfield, pilot Mikv Coats,mission specialists Steve Hawley, Judy Resnik and Mike Mullaneand payload specialist Charles Walker will begin their pressconference at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Briefings will be held in Room135j, Bldg. 2.

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(Index: 37) E 114

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Washngton, D.C. 20546AC 202-453-8400

For Release:Charles RedmondHeadquarters, Washington, D.C. IMMEDIATE(Phone: 202/453-1754)

RELEASE NO: 84-61

NASA SEEKS MICROGRAVITY RESEARCH PROPOSALS

NASA is soliciting proposals from interested universities toparticipate in a special grant program in organic separations andpharmaceutical research in space.

The program seeks to stimulate interest and research in thecommercial use of space, using the microgravity environment ofspace as a bioprocessing laboratory.

Universities selected to participate in this program will beawarded grants ranging from $300,000 to $400,000 for a minimumperiod of three years.

NASA expects that after three years these university researchcenters will become self-sustaining. The NASA grant is intendedto "seed" the center and is not expected to be sufficient tototally fund the universities which are selected.

Universities interested in obtaining additional informationshould contact: Richard E. Halpern, Code EN (Microgravity Scienceand Applications Division), NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.20546; or telephone 202/453-1490.

- end -

(Index: 47)

Lamps

t

I'l{fl N8WSNational Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Washngton, D.C. 20546AC 202-453-8400

PNl- I/)/)qq

For Release:

IMMEDIATE(Phone: 202/453-8590)

Mary Ann PetoLewis Research Center, Cleveland, OhioPhone: 216/433-4000 - Ext. 438)

Dick YoungKennedy Space Center, Fla.(Phone: 305/867-2468)

RELEASE NO: 84-62

"STRETCHED" ATLAS CENTAUR TO LAUNCH INTELSAT V-F9

Intelsat V-F9, the ninth in a series of 15 Intelsat V-type

international telecommunications satellites to be launched in the

1980 through 1985 time frame, is scheduled for launch by NASA's

Kennedy Space Center, Fla., aboard the new "stretched" version of

an Atlas Centaur launch vehicle no earlier than June 7, 1984.

Launch window is from 6:58 to 8:50 p.m. on June 7. To date,

NASA has successfully launched six Intelsat V satellites - -

December 1980, May 1981, December 1981, March 1982, September1982 and May 1983. Two Intelsat Vs were orbited by the Ariane

launch vehicle in October 1983 and March 1984. i

In its new stretched version, Atlas Centaur is able to lift

from 159 to 227 kilograms (350 to 500 pounds) more than the

previous design, for a total of 2,318 kg (5,100 lb.).

The body of the first-stage Atlas has been extended by about

2.05 meters (81 inches) in a structural change analogous

to "stretching" a commercial airliner. This enables the Atlas to

carry more propellants.

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While the Centaur upper stage remains the same size asbefore - - still the most powerful stage for its size of anyyet built - - it, too, has undergone some improvements. Theseinclude switching from a pump-fed to a pressure-fed main fuelsystems changing from a hydrogen peroxide to a hydrazine attitudecontrol rocket system, and the introduction of a silver insertinto the interior of the rocket nozzle throat to increaseperformance. Silver is used because of its tremendous heatconduction ability, allowing the nozzle to stay cool.

Intelsat V-F9 weighs 2,016 kg (4,435 lb.) at launch and hasalmost double the communications capability of early satellitesin the Intelsat series - - 12,000 voice circuits and two colortelevision channels. The satellite will have an on-orbit weightof 1,091 kg (2,400 lb.) after the burn of the apogee kick motor.The three-axis stabilized spacecraft has a height of 6.4 m (21 ft.)and measures 15.9 m (52 ft.) across its extended solar panels.

This will be the fifth Intelsat to incorporate a maritimecommunication system for ship-to-shore communications. Thesatellite will be initially located over the equator south ofItaly for several weeks of in-orbit testing prior to beingbrought into operation.

The Intelsat V-type system is owned and operated by the 108-member-nation International Telecommunications SatelliteOrganization (Intelsat). The Intelsat system provides worldwidetelecommunications services for 171 user countries through anetwork of ground stations and geostationary communicationssatellites positioned over the Atlantic, Pacific and IndianOceans.,

The Intelsat V-type satellites are built by the FordAerospace and Communications Corp., Palo Alto, Calif., usingsystem components developed by firms in the United Kingdom,France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy and Japan.

The International Telecommunications Satellite Organizationis headquartered in Washington, D. C. NASA is reimbursed for allcosts of the Atlas Centaur and launch services under theprovisions of a launch services agreement.

The Atlas Centaur (AC-62) will place the Intelsat V-F9spacecraft into a highly elliptical transfer orbit with a lowpoint of 331.3 kilometers (193.5 miles) and a high point of35,807.4 km (22,253.5 mi.). It is from this orbit at the highpoint (or apogee) that a solid propellant rocket motorattached to the satellite will be fired to circularize the orbit-at geosynchronous altitude 35,900 km (22,300 mi.) over theequator. At that altitude, the speed of the satellite in orbitis synchronized with the rotational speed of the earth and thesatellite appears to hover over one location.

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NASA's Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, has management

responsibility for Atlas Centaur development and operation.

NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is assigned vehicle

checkout and launch responsibility once the Atlas Centaur reaches

Florida.

Overall direction of the NASA expendable launch vehicle

program is vested in the Office of Space Flight at NASA IHeadquarters in Washington, D. C.

- end -

(Index: 21)

- - -i --- -> 7

NASA NdsNational Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Washington, D.C. 20546AC 202-453.8400

For Release:

Azeezaly S. Jaffer IMMEDIArEHeadquarters, Washington, D.C.(Phone: 202/453-8371)

RELEASE NO: 84-63

NASA TO CONDUCT TECHNOLOGY UTLIZATION CONFERENCE

Subjects ranging from use of Space Shuttle technology intuna netting to implantable medical devices will be discussed ata two-day NASA Technology Utilization Conference May 24-25, atthe Capitol Holiday Inn, Washington, D.C.

On May 24 at an industrial seminar, presentations will bemade by industrial/government representatives on effectiveapplications and uses of aerospace-derived technology in thedevelopment of new or improved products, processes or systems.

On May 25 guest panelists from both the legislative andexecutive branches of the Federal Government and representativesof industry and the academic community will discuss "NationalPerspectives on Technology Transfer: What Lies Ahead?"

NASA Administrator, James M. Beggs, will be the keynotespeaker at luncheon on Friday in the Lewis Room of the CapitalHoliday Inn.

Displays and exhibits depicting applications and uses ofaerospace technology by UtS. industrial firms will be availablefor viewing. Company representatives will be available todiscuss specific applications of NASA-related technologies andthe value of such advances to their firms and the commercialmarketplace.

Subjects of the industrial seminars on May 24 include:power factor controller; highway visual monitoring systems; tunanetting from Shuttle technology; automated system for monitoringoil and gas flows; and biomedical products.

Seminars on May 25 will be: applications of ultrasonictechnology; industrial uses of NASTRAN; and implantablebiomedical devices.

- end -

_ _ _ * _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


Wastington, D.C. 20546AC 202.453.8400

For Release:Dave GarrettHeadquarters, Washington, D.C. IMMEDIATE(Phone: 202/453-8590)

John LawrenceJohnson Space Center, Houston, Texas(Phone: 713/483-5111)

RELEASE NO: 84-64

NASA SELECTS 17 ASTRONAUT CANDIDATES

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration todayannounced 17 astronaut candidates for the Space Shuttle program.Seven are pilot astronaut candidates and 10 are missionspecialist astronaut candidates. They will report to NASA'sJohnson Space Center, Houston, this summer to begin a year longprogram of training and evaluation. Successful candidates willthen begin training assignments leading to selection for SpaceShuttle flight crews.

Three of the mission specialist candidates are women and onepilot candidate is Hispanic. Four of the mission specialists arecurrently employed at the Johnson Space Center, and one isemployed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.NASA received 4,934 applications and 128 applicants wereinterviewed and given medical examinations at Johnson.

A list of candidates and their biographical data follows.Data, in order, includes name, birth place and date, currentresidence, education, present position and parents.

James C. Adamson, Major, U.S. Army; March 3, 1946, Warsaw, N.Y.;Seabrook, Texas; Geneseo Central High School, N.Y., bachelor'sdegree in engineering, U.S. Military Academy, 1969 and master'sin aeronautics and mechanical engineering, Princeton University,1977; Flight Controller, Systems Division, Johnson Space Center,Houston; Mr. and Mrs. Herman Adamson, Geneseo, N.Y.

May 23, 1984

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Mark H. Brown, Capt., U.S. Air Force; Nov. 18, 1951, Valparaiso,Ind.; Pearland, Texas; Valparaiso High School, Ind., bachelor'sdegree in aeronautical and astronautical engineering, PurdueUniversity, 1973, master's in astronautical engineering, AirForce Institute of Technology, 1980; Pilot, F-4 ReplacementTraining Unit, Homestead AFB, Fla.; Mr. and Mrs. Richard S.Brown, Valparaiso, Ind.

Kenneth D. Cameron, Major, U.S. Marine Corps; Nov. 29, 1949,Cleveland, Ohio; Patuxent River, Md.; Rocky River High School,Rocky River, Ohio, bachelor's and master's degrees in aeronauticsand astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1978 and1979; Project Officer, Marine Aviation Detachment, Naval Air TestCenter, Patuxent River, Md.; Mr. and Mrs. Donald B. Cameron,Westport, Conn.

Manley L. Carter, Jr., Comdr., U.S. Navy; Aug. 15, 1947, MaconGa.; California, Md.; Lanier High School, Macon, Ga., bachelor'sdegree in chemistry, Emory University, 1969 and doctor ofmedicine degree, Emory University, 1973; Test Pilot UnderInstruction, Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Md.; Mr. andMrs. Manley L. Carter, Sr., Warner Robins, Ga.

John H. Casper, Lt. Col., U.S. Air Force; July 9, 1943,Greenville, S.C.; Alexandria, Va.; Chamblee High School, Ga.,bachelor's degree in astronautics and engineering science, U.S.Air Force Academy, 1966, master's in astronautics, PurdueUniversity, 1967; Deputy Chief, Special Projects Office,Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.; Mr. and Mrs. JohnCasper, Gainesville, Ga.

Frank L. Culbertson, Jr., Lt. Comdr., U.S. Navy; May 15, 1949,Charleston, S.C.; Lexington Park, Md.; Holly Hill High School,S.C., bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering, U.S. NavalAcademy, 1971; Naval Aviator, F-14 Replacement Air Group, NavalAir Station Oceana, Va.; Dr. and Mrs. Frank L. Culbertson, Sr.,Holly Hill, S.C.

Sidney M. Gutierrez, Capt., U.S. Air Force; June 27, 1951,Albuquerque, N.M.; Edwards, Calif.; Valley High School,Albuquerque, N.M., bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering,U.S. Air Force Academy, 1973, master's in management, WebsterCollege, 1977; Test Pilot, Air Force Flight Test Center, EdwardsAFB, Calif.; Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Gutierrez, Albuquerque, N.M.Lloyd B. Hammond, Jr., Capt., U.S. Air Force; Jan. 16, 1952,Savannah, Ga.; Edwards, Calif.; Kirkwood High School, Miss.,bachelor's degree in engineering mechanics, U.S. Air ForceAcademy, 1973 and master's, Georgia Institute of Technology,1974; Instructor Pilot, USAF Test Pilot School, Edwards AFB,Calif.; Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd B. Hammond, Sr., Lutz, Fla.

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Marsha S. Ivins, April 15, 1951, Baltimore, Md.; Webster, Texas;Nether Providence High School, Wallingford, Pa., and bachelor'sdegree in aerospace engineering, University of Colorado, 1973;Flight Simulation Engineer, Aircraft Operations Division, JohnsonSpace Center, Houston; Mr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Ivins, Wallingford,Pa.

Mark C. Leet Capt., U.S. Air Force; Aug. 14, 1952, Viroqua, Wis.;Layton, Utah; Viroqua High School, Wis., bachelor's degree incivil engineering, U.S. Air Force Academy, 1974, and master's inmechanical engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,1980; F-16 Pilot, 388 Tactical Fighter Wing, Hill AFB, Utah; Mr.and Mrs. Charles M. Lee, Viroqua, Wis.

George D. Low; Feb. 19, 1956, Cleveland; Pasadena, Calif.;Langley High School, McLean, Va., bachelor's degree in physics,Washington & Lee University, 1978, bachelor's degree inmechanical engineering, Cornell University, 1980, and master's inaeronautics and astronautics, Stanford University, 1983;Spacecraft System Engineer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena,Calif.; Mr. and Mrs. George M. Low, Troy, N.Y.

Michael J. McCulley, Lt. Comdr., U.S. Navy; Aug. 4, 1943, SanDiego, Calif.; Virginia Beach, Va.; Livingston Academy, Tenn.,bachelor's and master's degrees in metallurgical engineering,Purdue University, 1970; Operations Officer, Attack SquadronThirty-Five, USS Nimitz, Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.; Mr. andMrs. Gibson H. McCulley, both deceased

William M. Shepherd, Lt. Comdr., U.S. Navy; July 26, 1949, OakRidge, Tenn.; Virginia Beach, Va.; Arcadia High School,Scottsdale, Ariz., bachelor's degree in aerospace enginering,U.S. Naval Academy 1971, master's degrees in mechanicalengineering and ocean engineering, both from MassachusettsInstitute of Technology, 1978; Commanding Officer, Special BoatUnit TWENTY, Naval Amphibious Base, Little Creek, Va.; father,the late George R. Shepherd and mother, Barbara Shepherd,Bethesda, Md.

Ellen L. Shulman, M.D., April 27, 1953, Fayetteville, N.C.;Houston; Bayside High School, New York, N.Y., bachelor's degreein geology, State University of New York at Buffalo, 1974 anddoctor of medicine at Cornell University, 1978; Medical Officer,Medical Sciences Division, Johnson Space Center, Houston; Dr. andMelvin Shulman, Beechhurst, N.Y.

Kathryn C. Thornton, PhD; Aug. 17, 1952, Montgomery, Ala.;Charlottesville, Va.; Sidney Lanier High School, Montgomery,Ala,, bachelor's degree in physics, Auburn University, 1974,

master's and doctorate, both in physics, University of Virginia,1977 and 1979; Physicist, U.S. Army Foreign Science & TechologyCenter, Charlottesville, Va.; William C. Cordell, Hope Hull: Alaand the late Elsie Cordell.

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Charles L. Veach; Sept. 18, 1944, Chicago; Houston; PunahouSchool, Honolulu, Hawaii, and bachelor's degree in engineeringmanagement, U.S. Air Force Academy, 1966; Aerospace Engineer &Pilot, Aircraft Operations Division, Johnson Space Center,Houston; Mr. and Mrs. Marshall E. Veach, Honolulu, Hawaii.

James D. Wetherbee, Lt., U.S. Navy; Nov. 27, 1952, Flushing,N.Y.; Lemoore, Calif.; Holy Family Diocesan High School, SouthHuntington, N.Y., and bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering,University of Notre Dame, 1974; Test Pilot, Naval Air StationLemoore, Calif.; Mr. and Mrs. Dana A. Wetherbee, HuntingtonStation, N.Y.

- end -

(Index: 5)

*flJASANewsNational Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Washington, D.C. 20546AC 202*4538400

For Release:Mary G. Fitzpatrick May 30, 1984Headquarters, Washington, D. C.(Phone: 202/453-8400)

RELEASE NO: 84-65

DR. HANS MARK ACCEPTS NEW POST AT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM

Dr. Hans M. Mark, NASA Deputy Administrator, today was namedChancellor of the University of Texas System, effective Sept. 1.

Dr. Mark became Deputy Administrator of NASA in July 1981;previously he was Secretary of the Air Force from July 1979 untilFebruary 1981, and Under Secretary of the Air Force from 1977.

Mark's appointment was announced during a special meeting ofthe University of Texas System Board of Regents in Austin today.

A nuclear physicist, Mark's career has included a broadrange of academic, administrative and research assignments.

In announcing the appointment, Texas Board Chairman JonNewton said of Mark: "With his Air Force and NASA background, hehas demonstrated the management ability to administer effectivelya complex organizational enterprise such as the U. T. System,which involves 119,000 students, 50,000 faculty and staff, and anoperational budget for Fiscal Year 1984-85 of $1.8 billion. TheUniversity of Texas system is a diverse system of universitiesand health-science institutions, including seven academiccampuses, six health-related institutions and the Institute ofTexas Cultures.

Mark was born in Mannheim, Germany, June 17, 1929. He cameto the United States in 1940, and became a citizen in 1945. Hereceived his bachelor's degree in physics from the University ofCalifornia at Berkeley in 1951 and his doctorate in physics fromthe Massachusetts Institute of-Technology in 1954.

In February 1969, Mark became director of NASA's AmesResearch Center, Mountain View, Calif., where he managed thecenter's research and applications efforts in aeronautics, spacescience, life science and space technology.

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He has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in physicsand engineering at Boston University, Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology and the University of California at both the Berkeleyand Davis campuses.

Following completion of graduate studies, Mark remained atMIT as a research associate and acting head of the NeutronPhysics Group, Laboratory for Nuclear Science, un':il 1955. Hethen returned to the University of California at Berkeley as aresearch physicist at the University's Lawrence RadiationLaboratory in Livermore until 1958.

He subsequently served as an assistant professor of physicsat MIT before returning to the University of California'sLivermore Radiation Laboratory's Experimental Physics Divisionfrom 1960 to 1964. He then became chairman of the university'sDepartment of Nuclear Engineering and administrator of theBerkeley Research Reactor until joining NASA at Ames.

Mark has served as a consultant to government, industry andbusiness, including the Institute for Defense Analyses and thePresident's Advisory Group on Science and Technology.

He has authored many articles for professional and technicaljournals. He co-authored the books "Experiments in ModernPhysics" and "Power and Security" and co-edited 'The Propertiesof Matter under Unusual Conditions."

Mark is a member of Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Xi, Phi Beta Kappaand the National Academy of Engineering. He is a fellow of theAmerican Physical Society and the American Institute ofAeronautics and Astronautics. He is a member of a number ofother professional organizations including the American NuclearSociety, the American Geophysical Union, the American Associationof University Professors and the Society for Engineering Science.He holds an honorary doctor of science awarded in 1978 by FloridaInstitute of Technology and an honorary doctor of engineeringawarded in 1982 by the Polytechnic Institute of New York.

Mark and his wife, the former Marion G. Thorpe, are theparents of a daughter and a son.

- end -

-k-


Washington, D.C. 20546AC 202*453-8400

For Release:Kenneth C. Atchison May 31, 1984Headquarters, Washington, D.C.(Phone: 202/453-2759)

H. Keith HenryLangley Research Center, Hampton, Va.(Phone: 804/865-2934)

RELEASE NO: 84-66

NASA WORKS TO IMPROVE AERIAL APPLICATION OF CHEMICALS

NASA research may contribute to more efficient methods foraerial application of insecticides and herbicides.

The agency has conducted basic research in aerodynamicsrelating to aerial applications since 1976, when chemical driftfrom target areas was identified as the aerial applicationindustry's most important technical concern because of increasingchemical costs and environmental factors.

Control of chemical drift is a complex problem requiring an

dynamics. Researchers at NASA's Langley Research Center,Hampton, Va., have worked to improve the integration of airplanewake characteristics with dispersal equipment to produce wider,more uniform application patterns for liquid or solid agricultur-al chemicals released in the wakes of airplanes or helicopterswith minimum losses due to chemical drift.

To accomplish this, a computer program or code was devel-oped, tested and made available to interested U.S. agriculturalaircraft or equipment designers and operators. The code, dubbedAGDISP (for AGricultural DISPersal), accounts for the effects ofatmospheric turbulence, crosswind, propeller slipstream, terrainvariations, droplet evaporation and plant canopy density onparticle trajectories. Development of AGDISP was jointly fundedby the USDA Forest Service and NASA. It is the first sprayprediction technique that incorporates both atmospheric andaircraft aerodynamic properties and, therefore, offers greatlyimproved accuracy.

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Despite its complexity, the code is quick and easy to use byoperators without a background in aerodynamics. Only informationreadily available to the aircraft operator is needed, such asengine RPM and propeller diameter. One computer software companyis making the code available in a "language" compatible with manyhome computers.

Initial investigations involved ground testing a scale modelagricultural airplane in Langley's Wake Vortex Facility and afull.-scale airplane in the center's 30 by 60 Foot Wind Tunnel."These tests," explains Dana Morris an engineer in Langley's Low-Speed Aerodynamics Division, "showed us we could alter theairplane wake and measure the impact of the spray depositionpattern."

Then experimental flights were conducted at NASA's WallopsFlight Facility, Wallops Island, Va. In the tests, an AyresThrush S2R-800 agricultural airplane, loaned without charge bythe Ayres Corp., Albany, Ga., was flown low over three long rowsof adhesive strips, 50 feet apart, and solid particles werereleased to simulate spray droplets. The tests provided wakeinteraction data showing the influences of atmospheric andairplane operating conditions on spray patterns. These data werethen correlated with computer predictions.

Comparison of AGDISP computer predictions with experimentaldata from the flight tests shows generally good agreement,prompting Dr. Bruce J. Holmes, Langley's aerial applicationsprogram manager, to conclude that preliminary analysis ofaircraft configurations and dispersal systems can now be made ;without costly flight tests for each aircraft and nozzle system.

The experimental work provides examples of using thecomputer code for two different types of analysis, explains jMorris: "First, the code will be applied to the problem ofpredicting ground deposit pattern changes, either due todispersal system changes or to aerodynamic modification to theairplane. Second, the code will be applied to the problem ofevaluating the influence of aircraft operating procedures such asairspeed or altitude on ground deposit patterns."

One aerodynamic modification of the airplane during flighttest was the addition of winglets, relatively small vertical wingsurfaces at the wing tips. AGDISP correctly predicted that themodification would improve spray results. The swirling vortex ofair that normally comes off the wing tip was displaced to nearthe tip of the winglet. Without winglets, the vortex was lower,closer to the spray nozzles, and tended to entrain more particlesaround the vortex, contributing to the drift problem.

The code will help an operator determine whether or not tospray under existing wind conditions and the best operationalflight conditions for a given set of atmospheric conditions.

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The flight tests discovered that maintaining the targetaltitude is critical for achieving the predicted ground distri-bution, but that airspeed variations have relatively littleeffect.

The U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Corp., Ga., are working withLangley to apply knowledge from AGDISP to the design of a newdispersal system to be mounted on Lockheed C-130 aircraft tospray mosquitoes. The State Department is using informationgained from a spray system designed and tested by Langley, at thedepartment's request, for high-speed, high-altitude spraying ofillicit drugs.

- end -

Photographs and drawings to illustrate this news releasewill be distributed without charge only to media representativesin the United States. They may be obtained by writing orphoning:

Public Affairs Audio-Visual OfficeCode LFD-2, NASA HeadquartersWashington, D.C. 20546

Telephone No: 202/453-8375 Photo No: 84-H-231

(Index: 4)

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*fus A-; .i .' . 4t'm~ 4e akt*S;adst ~e - v ts*4

u*;+I yat

NASA NewsNational Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Wastisngton, D.C. 20546AC 202 453-8400 p J2

For Release:

Dwayne Brown May 31, 1984

Headquarters, Washington, D.C.(Phone: 202/453-1758)

Charles RecknagelGoddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.(Phone: 301/344-5565)

RELEASE NO: 84-67

SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTRUMENTS COMPLETE ACCEPTANCE TESTING

The five science instruments to fly aboard the Edwin P.

Hubble Space Telescope have completed acceptance testing at

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

The acceptance represents completion of the most critical of

the final check-out steps for the instruments before they areassembled aboard the observatory for launch in June 1986.

The instruments are: the High Resolution Spectrograph, theFaint Object Spectrograph, the Wide Field/Planetary Camera, theFaint Object Camera and the High Speed Photometer.

The High Resolution Spectrograph, which was designed by

Goddard, was returned to its manufacturer, Ball Aerospace, inBoulder, Colo. There it will undergo final rework before being

shipped to the Lockheed Corp. in Sunnyvale, Calif., in October1984, to be intergrated aboard the Space Telescope.

The Faint Object Spectrograph has gone to its manufacturer,Martin Marietta, in Denver. The instrument, developed by the

University of California in San Diego, will be shipped toSunnyvale the first week of September 1984.

The Wide Field/Planetary Camera was returned to NASA's Jet

Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., where it was designedand manufactured. The camera is expected in Sunnyvale in mid-July 1984.

The Faint Object Camera and the High Speed Photometer remain

at Goddard for instrument level rework and subsequent environment

testing before shipment to Sunnyvale.

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Goddard received the first of the Space Telescope's instru-ments and the Science Instrument Command and Data Handling (SIC &Di) Subsystem (provided by Fairchild) for testing in March 1983under the Center's Verification and Acceptance Program (VAP).The VAP testing was successfully completed 10 days ahead ofschedule, a significant accomplishment due to the complexity ofeach instrument and the scope of the combined instrument systemtesting.

The tests have verified that the instruments, both alone andall five together, will work with the Space Telescope's SIC & DHSubsystem.

The tests also verified all flight software (provided byIBM) which will be used for instruments' operations and dataprocesses. Tapes of the testing were forwarded to the SpaceTelescope Operations Control Center (STOCC) at Goddard forevaluations of the Control Center's software, which will operatethe Space Telescope in orbit.

Goddard engineers additionally tested each instrument'salignment with the Space Telescope's focal plane. The opticaltest utilized a simulation of one quarter of the Telescope'sfocal plane sturcture, provided by the Perkin-Elmer Corp.,Danbury, Conn.

As a result of the tests, several problems were identifiedin the instruments which must be corrected by their manufacturersbefore assembly aboard the Space Telescope.

The High Resolution Spectrograph, Faint Object Spectrograph,and Wide Field Planetary Camera will require adjustments forscience data interface. Minor misalignments also were uncoveredwith the High Resolution Spectograph and the Faint ObjectSpectograph instruments. All problems will be resolved duringthe instrument rework periods before final shipment to Sunnyvale.

NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., is reponsible foroverall direction of the program; Marshall Space Flight Center inHuntsville, Ala. has responsibility for overall project manage-ment; the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore isresponsible for managing the scientific investigations and thedissemination of scientific results, while Goddard is responsiblefor instrument selection, development, integration and test, aswell as operation of the Space Telescope once in orbit.

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(Index: 38)


Washington, D.C. 20546AC 202-453.8400

For Release:

Kenneth C. Atchison May 31, 1984


John M. ShawLewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio(Phone: 216/433-4000 ext. 438)

ELEASE ND: 84-68

NASA FINDS AUTO TECHNOLOGY FEASIBLE FOR AIRCR"Fr APPLICATIONS

A 50 percent cut in fuel consumption and increased fuelflexibility may be achieved, by applying technology derived from

automotive gas turbine research to general aviation aircraftpropulsion systems, according to a study by NASA's Lewis ResearchCenter in Cleveland.

Known as the Regenerative Intercooled Turbine Engine (RPTE)Program, the concept under investigation featured uncooledceramic turbines, a regenerator to capture otherwise wasted heatfrom the engine's exhaust and an intercooler to reduce the workload on the engine's air compressor.

These devices would allow the engine to operate more effic-iently, specifically at about half the fuel consumption of acurrent conventional aircraft turbine engine with the same powerrating. That rating, for application in a preassurized twin-

engine six-place turboprop aircraft, would be in the 500-shp(shaft horsepower) range at takeoff for a 25,000 foot cruisealtitude. The RITE concept also would permit the use of a widerange of kerosene-based fuels, increasing fuel flexiblity andeliminating general aviation dependence on aviation gasoline.

Adding to the interest in the research effort, according toLewis project manager Gerald Knip, were recent advances in thedevelopment of high-temperature ceramics for automotive gasturbine applications, many of which originated at Lewis. Thestudy concluded that high cycle temperatures obtainable withceramic components coupled with an efficient heat recovery deviceprovide the potential for a highly efficient aircraft engine.

"A major emphasis of further work on the engine concept isto upgrade reliability of the ceramic ccimponents. EO'WUL loss in

an aircraft engine obviously is a lot more serious than powerloss in an automobile," says Knip.

(Index: 1,4,16,30) - end -

-, -

' A NASANational Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Space ShuttleMission 41 D

I

i>7 i

iP

'M Prs Kit. June......... 1984.h- . ,

( RELEASE NO: 84-69

CONTACTS

David Garrett/Jim KukowskiHeadquarters, Washington, D.C.

(Phone: 202/453-8590)

Dick YoungKennedy Space Center, Fla.

(Phone: 305/867-2468)

Dave AlterJohnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

(Phone: 713/483-5111)

Bob RuhlMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.

(Phone: 205/453-0034)

Ralph JacksonDryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, Calif.

(Phone: 805/258-8381)

GENERAL RELEASE .......................................

41-D PRESS BRIEFING SCHEDULE ....... o...................

GENERAL INFORMATION ................................... 5

MISSION 41-D -- QUICK LOOK FACTS.............o....... 6

SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES........................... 7

41-D SEQUENCE OF EVENTS ............................ ... 8

CONFIGURATION AND WEIGHTS............................. 9

LEASTl............... *............. *. * .* * * A e .* .* 11

OAS- .......................... 12

Solar Array Experimentp....... ...................... 15

Dynamic Augmentation Experiment ................... 16

The Solar Cell Calibration Facility................ 17

LARGE FORMAT CAMERA (LFC) ............................ .. 18

CFES .... . . . . . . . . . Pa ............ *.*..**.*......e.ee.@v w@ 20

VEHICLE GLOW EXPERIMENT..............*......... * ....... * 22

CLOUDS . . .* ........ .* ...... * ........... ........... 22

GETAWAY SPECIAL ........................... ........ 23

STUDENT EXPERIMENT ....................... ........ 24

CINEMA 360 AND IMAX .......................... . .... 24

FLIGHT CREW DATA ................ . ............ 25


Washington, D.C. 20546AC 202-453-8400

For Release:

RELEASE NO: 84-69 June 6, 1984

DISCOVERY TO MAKE MAIDEN FLIGHT CN STS 41-D

Spaceship Discovery, the newest addition to NASA's fleet ofreusable orbiters, will be launched on its maiden flight onMission 41-D, the 12th Space Shuttle flight, no earlier than June22 from Kennedy Space Center, Fla.

Payloads on Discovery's first mission include a comnercialcommunications satellite and a pair of pallets laden with NASA-

sponsored experiments. A new phase in the Continuous FlowElectrophoresis System will be introduced with the use of

modified hardware and the first conimercial payload specialist tooperate it. Two special motion picture cameras are onboard aswell as a Getaway Special canister and a student experiment.

Launch of the seven-day mission is scheduled for 8:43 a.m.EDT with landing at 6:35 a.m. PDT at Edwards Air Force Base,Calif.

Veterap Shuttle astronaut Henry Hartsfield is conmander of

the six-member crew. Hartsfield was the pilot on STS-4, the lastof the Shuttle test flights. He will be joined by pilot MichaelCoats and three mission specialists: Judith Resnik, Steven Hawleyand Richard Mullane. McDonnell Douglas engineer Charles Walkerwill serve as a payload specialist on the 41-D mission. He isthe first payload specialist to be sent into space for privateindustry.

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'-U

Discovery will be launched from Kennedy Space Center's

Complex 39-A into a circular 3Z0 kilometer (173 nautical mile) 'a

orbit with an inclination to the equator of 28.5 degrees.

Activities during the crew's first day in space will include

checkout of the Remote Manipulator System and activation of

Getaway Special experiments.

Among Discovery's primary objectives on this flight will be

the deployment of the first in a series of LEASAT-1 (for LEAsed

SATellite) communications satellites. Also known as SYNCOM IV-1,

the satellite is the first designed specifically for launch from

the Space Shuttle. Deployment of the LEASAT-1 satellite is

scheduled on day two of the mission, about 24 hours and 40

minutes after launch. Equipped with its own unique upper stage,

a solid propellant motor will fire 45 minutes after it is ejected

from the cargo bay to place it into an egg-shaped transfer

orbit. Liquid fueled engines will be used to place the

1,315-kilogram (Z,900-pound) spacecraft into its final

geosynchronous orbit.

Two versatile, NASA-developed Mission Peculiar Experiment

Support Structures (MPESS) will be tucked inside Discovery's

cargo bay on mission 41-D. One of the triangular-shaped pallets

will serve as the mounting structure for the three OAST-1 (NASA's

Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology) experiments. The most

distinguishing feature of the OAST-1 payload is a collapsible

solar wing that will be unfolded to its fully extended height of

32 meters (105 feet). Technology from this experiment may be

used to provide electricity aboard future spacecraft. Other

OAST-1 experiments will measure deflections and bending motions

on the fully deployed solar wing and gather solar cell

performance data. Initial activities with the solar wing will be

performed on day three of the mission. There will also be a

backup deploy period for the LEASAT satellite on this day.

Most of flight days four and five will be spent working with

the OAST-1 payload, including experiments with the Solar Cell

Calibration Facility and the large solar array.

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3

( Mounted on the other MPESS in Discovery's cargo bay will bethe Large Format Camera which will take several thousand picturesof earth that scientists predict will be useful for mineral dexploration, map making and interpreting geological features.Picture taking with the unique camera will start on flight dayfive.

On day six of the mission, as Discovery makes its 81strevolution of the earth, the powerful twin maneuvering engines onthe rear of the spacecraft will be fired to drop the orbitalaltitude from 320 km (173 n. mi.) to ZZ4 km (121 n. mi.).Calibration with the Large Format Camera will also be conductedat this altitude.

Photography with the camera will conclude on day seven ofthe mission, and the six person crew will begin preparations forreturning home. The Student Involvement Project experiment willbe conducted on this day.

Day eight will be entry day. The deorbit burn will beperformed on orbit 112. Discovery is scheduled to end its firstmission with a lakebed landing at Edwards Air Force Base,Calif. Touchdown on prime runway 17 is planned for approximately168 hours and 53 minutes mission elapsed time.

14(END OF GENERAL RELEASE; BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOLLOWS)

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41-D Briefing Schedule

TIME BRIEFING ORIG.

T-1 Day

8:30 a.m. EDT Mission Suninary JSC

9:15 a.m. EDT LEASAT KSC

9:45 a.m. EDT OAST-1 KSC

10:15 a.m. EDT Large Format Camera KSC

10:45 a.m. EDT Electrophoresis KSC

11:15 a.m. EDT Getaway Special KSC

11:45 a.m. EDT Student Experiment KSC

1:30 p.m. EDT Prelaunch Press Conference KSC

T-Day

9:45 a.m. EDT Post Launch Press Conference KSC(approximately) (local only)

Launch Through End-of-Mission

Times announced Flight Director Change of JSCon NASA Select Shift Briefings

T+6 Days

Time to be Inflight Press Conference JSCannounced

Landing Day

10:45 am. EDT Post Landing Press Conference DFRF(approximately)

Landing+1 Day

1:00 p.m. EDT Orbiter Status DFRF

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GENERAL INFORMATION

NASA Select Television Transmission

The schedule for television transmissions from Discovery and

for the change of shift briefings from the Johnson Space Center,

Houston, will be available during the mission at the Kennedy

Space Center, Fla.; Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville,

Ala.; Johnson Space Center, Houston; and NASA Headquarters,

Washington, D.C. The television schedule will be updated on a

daily basis to reflect any changes dictated by mission

operations.

Status Reports

Status reports on countdown progress, mission progress, on-

orbit activities and landing operations will be produced by the

appropriate NASA news center.

Briefings

Flight control personnel will be on eight-hour shifts.

Change-of-shift briefings by the off-going Flight Director will

occur at approximately eight-hour intervals.

Transcripts

Beginning with mission 41-D, only transcripts of the change-

of-shift briefings will be available at the Shuttle news

centers. Transcripts of air-to-ground transmissions have been

discontinued.

Miscellaneous

Information about pre-launch countdown activities, tracking

and data information, Huntsville operations and other activities

related to the mission will be made available to the media at the

news centers in separate publications.

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-6-

SHUTTLE MISSION 41-D -- QUICK LOOK FACTS

Crew: Henry Hartsfield, ComnanderMichael Coats, PilotJudith Resnik, Mission SpecialistSteven Hawley, Mission SpecialistRichard Mullane, Mission SpecialistCharles Walker, Payload Specialist

Orbiter: Discovery (OV-.103)

Launch Site: Pad 39AKennedy Space Center, Fla.

Launch date/time: June 22; 8:43 a.m. (EDT)

Window: 45 minutes -- to 9:28 EDT

Orbital Inclination: 28.45 degrees

Altitude: 320 km (173.25 n. mi.) apogee, initialorbital requirement

Mission duration: 7 days, 00 hours, 52 minutes, 26 seconds(MET), 112 full orbits; land on 113

Landing date/time: June 29, 06:35 a.m. PDT; 9:35 a.m. EDT

Primary Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Runway17; Weather Alternate, Kennedy SpaceCenter, Fla.

Cargo & payloads: LEASAT (SYNCCXM IV) SatelliteOffice of Aeronautics and SpaceTechnology-1 (OAST-1)

Large Format Camera (LFC)Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System(CFES III)

Cinema 360 (payload bay camera)IMAX (cabin camera)Student Experiment (purification &growth of a simple Gallium crystal)

Getaway Special (GAS)Vehicle Glow Experiment

* CLOUDS

Mission Firsts: First flight of orbiter DiscoveryFirst connercial payload specialistLEASAT (SYNOOM IV)--first "frisbee"deploymentFirst use of the Large Format Camera

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SUMMARY OF MAJOR ACTIVITIES

Flight Day 1AscentRMS Checkout

Flight Day ZLEASAT DeployRMS Witness Plate (Vehicle Glow)End-Effector Camera View of LEASAT Perigee Kick MotorOM1S-4 Recirc Burn (173 n. mi. x 173 n. m..)CFES ActivationLFC Stellar CalibrationSolar Cell Calibration Facility (SCCF) Data Take

Flight Day 3LFC Oblique PhotographyRMS Exterior SurveyOAST-1 Testing

Extend/Retract - 70 percentDynamics Test - 70 percentDynamic Augmentation Experiment (DAE) Test - 70 percent

Flight Day 4OAST-1 Testing

Performance Test - 70 percentDynamics Test - 100 percentDynamics Test (2) - 70 percentSCCF Data Take

Flight Day 5OAST-1 Testing

DAE (Z) - 70 percentDynamics Test - 100 percentPerformance Test - 70 percent

Flight Day 6DAE - 70 percentDAE - 100 percentOMS 5 and 6 - Lower Orbit to 224 x Z24 km (121 x 121 n. mi.)LFC Horizon Scan

Flight Day 7SCCF Data TakeStudent Experiment - Crystal GrowthFlight Control System (FCS) CheckoutPrimary Reaction Control System (PRCS) Hot Fire TestLFC Thermal TestsPress ConferenceStow Cabin

Flight Day 8Deorbit PrepEntry/Landing (EDW)

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-8

41-D SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

EVENT ORBIT MET DAY EDT DELTA V HP/HA lhr:min:sec fps n.mi.

Launch 00:00:00 22 8:43 am - -

OMS-1 TIG 00:10:25 Z2 8:53 am 26Z.9 53/173burn duration 1 2:50

OMS-2 TIG 1 00:46:01 22 9:29 am 215.7 173/174burn duration 2:20

SYNCOM deploy 17 24:39:15 23 9:22 am - 172/174


SYNCOM PKM 18 25:24:15 23 10:07 am - -


OMS-5 TIG 81 122:00:00 27 10:43 am 92.2 121/173burn duration 0:55 l )


P-orbit TIG 112 168:01:33 29 8:45 am 258.0 -

burn duration 2:13

NominalLanding-EAFB 113 168:52:26 29 9:35 amNominal + 1 129 192:34:32 30 9:18 amNominal + 2 145 216:16:19 July 1 8:59 am

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( CONFIGURATION

Orbiter Discovery will go into orbit lighter than its twosisterships, Challenger and Columbia, and will be capable ofgreater heat loads during entry.

Unfueled and unequipped, orbiter Discovery weighs 67,100 kg(147,925 lb.) Challenger weighed 67,418 kg (148,633 lb.) beforeits Solar Max repair mission in April and Columbia (inert)weighed 70,470 kg (155,359 lb.) before STS-9, its last mission.

Discovery's weight savings resulted from improvements to itsouter thermal protection system and airframe internal structures.

Low temperature (white-colored) tiles throughout most of theupper wings and fuselage have been replaced with AdvancedFlexible Reusable Surface Insulation (AFRSI). The advancedinsulation also is installed on payload bay doors and Discovery'svertical stabilizer.

Discovery's Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) pods also havebeen covered with the thicker insulation to protect the graphiteepoxy skins.

Graphite epoxy has replaced some internal aluminum spars andbeams in wings and payload bay doors.

WEIGHTS

Large Format Camera & support structure 1,614 kg (3,560 lb.)

OAST-1 1,544 kg (3,405 lb.)

LEASAT (SYNCOM IV) spacecraft 6,950 kg (15,306 lb.)

LEASAT (SYNCOM IV) support equipment 790 kg (1,743 lb.)

Cinema 360 payload bay camera 214 kg (472 lb.)

IMAX (cabin camera) 131 kg (290 lb.)

Student experiments 30 kg (66 lb.)

CFES III 317 kg (700 lb.)

Orbiter at liftoff 98,329 kg (216,778 lb.)

Total vehicle at liftoff 2,041,748 kg (4,501,284 lb.)

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LEASAT 1 -- (SYNCom IV)

LEASAT-1 (SYNCOM) is the first satellite designedexclusively for launch aboard the Space Shuttle. It is owned byHughes Communications Services, Inc. of Los Angeles.

Another unique feature of the LEASAT series of satellites isthat they do not require a separately purchased upper stage, ashave all the other communications satellites launched to datefrom the Shuttle. The LEASAT satellites contain their own uniqueupper stage to transfer them from the Shuttle deploy orbit ofabout Z78 km (173 mi.) to a circular orbit of 35,719 km (22,195mi.) over the equator.

Each satellite is 4.26 m (14 ft.) in diameter and 6 m (ZOft.) long with the UHF and omnidirectional antennas deployed.Total payload weight in the Shuttle will be 7,940 kg (17,500lb.), and its weight after separation from the Shuttle will be6,850 kg (15,100 lb.). The satellite's weight on station atbeginning of its planned seven year life will be nearly 1,315 kg(2,900 lb.). Hughes Space and Communications Group builds thesatellites.

Ejection of the spacecraft from the Shuttle is initiatedwhen locking pins at the four contact points are retracted. Anexplosive device then releases a spring that ejects thespacecraft in a "frisbee" motion. This gives the satellite itsseparation velocity and gyroscopic stability during the 45 minutecoast period between deployment and ignition of the perigee kickmotor. The satellite separates from the Shuttle at a velocity of1.5 ft. per second and a spin rate of about 2 rpm.

Deployment of the LEASAT satellite triggers an onboardautomatic sequencer. The sequencer configures the satellite forfiring of the solid propellant perigee motor. The telemetry,tracking and command antenna is deployed; attitude electronics,spacecraft power and telemetry are begun; and the spacecraft spinrate is increased to 30 rpm.

A series of maneuvers, performed over a period of severaldays, will be required to place LEASAT into its synchronous orbitover the equator. The process starts 45 minutes after deploymentfrom the Discovery with the ignition of the solid propellantperigee motor, identical to that used as the third stage of theMinuteman missile, which will r.ise the high point of thesatellite's orbit to about 15,361 km (9,545 mi.).

Two liquid fuel engines that burn hypergolic propellants,monomethyl hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxite are used to augmentthe velocity on successive perigee transits, to circularize theorbit, and to align the flight path with the equator. The firstof three such maneuvers raises the apogee to 19,990 km (12,420mi.), the second raises the apogee to 26,465 km (16,445 mi.) andthe third to synchronous orbital altitude.

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At this point the satellite is in a transfer orbit with a278 km (173 mi.) perigee and a 35,719 km (22,195 mi.) apogee.The final maneuver, again performed by the liquid propellant engines,circularizes the orbit.

The satellites are spin-stabilized with the spun portion

containing the solar array and the sun and earth sensors forattitude determination and earth pointing reference, threenickel-cadmium batteries for eclipse operation, and all thepropulsion and attitude control hardware. The despun platformcontains the two large helical UHF earth-pointing communications

antennas, 12 UHF communication repeaters, and the majority of thetelemetry, tracking and command equipment.

Hughes Communications will operate the world-wide LEASATsatellite communications system under a contract with theDepartment of Defense, with the U.S. Navy acting as the executive

agent. The system will include five LEASAT satellites, one ofwhich will be a spare, and the associated ground facilities.Users will include mobile air, surface, subsurface and fixed

earth stations of the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Army.The satellites will occupy geostationary positions south of theUnited States and over the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceai's.

OAST-1

NASA's OAST-1 payload includes advanced solar array |,technology that can be applied to the conversion of the sun's

energy to electricity for use aboard future spacecraft.Sponsored by the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology(OAST) and managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center,

Huntsville, Ala., OAST-1 will mark the first demonstration inspace of a large, lightweight solar array which can be retractedand restowed after deployment.

OAST-1 consists of three major experiments: the Solar ArrayExperiment, the Dynamic Augmentation Experiment, and the Solar

Cell Calibration Facility. Major payload components are carriedon a tri ngular truss-like mission support structure in theorbiter cargo bay.

Primary objectives are to demonstrate the performance of a

large, low-cost, lightweight, deployable/retractable solar array;

to demonstrate methods to define the structural dynamics of largespace structures; and to evaluate solar cell calibrationtechniques as well as calibrate various types of solar cells.

The heart of the payload is the solar array wing. When

fully extended, it will rise more than 10 stories (31.5 m or 102

feet) above the Shuttle cargo bay. Yet, when stored for launchand landing, the wing folds into a package only 17.78 cm (7 in.)deep.

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13

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Power Control BoxSAE BlanketContainment Box Command and Data

v r Interface\ | /SCCF Ref lectance\ I I 1 Shieldl

< ''. | |SCCF Base

DAE SupportElectronics Package

Orbiter SillTrunnions

SAE Canister

Remote ManipulatorArm Grapple

DAE SpecialSupport Structure

DAE Sensor Support Stiucture(Retroreflector Field Tracker)

Keel FittingTrunnionl

THE OAST-1 PAYLOAD ELEMENTS -- The OAST-1 payload consists of three experiment systems which will inves-tigate solar energy and large space structures technology (both are vital parts of a space station).

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( During the mission, the array will be deployed and retractedseveral times, and data will be gathered on how the systemperforms. The deployed wing also will be vibrated by controlledfiring of the orbiter's vernier reaction control systemthrusters. Movements of the wing will be sensed and recorded forpost-flight analysis. Additionally, a facility for calibrationof solar cells will be operated.

OAST-1 will be operated from the aft flight deck of theorbiter by the Shuttle crew. Payload operations will becontrolled from the Mission Control Center at the Johnson SpaceCenter. An OAST-1 mission management team will support theseoperations from the Customer Support Room in Mission Control, andteams of engineers and investigators will provide technicalsupport from the Marshall Space Flight Center's HuntsvilleOperations Support Center (HOSC). This group will receive andmonitor mission data in real time and will advise the missionteam at Johnson.

SOLAR ARRAY EXPERIMENT

The solar array is 31.5 m by 4 m (102 ft. by 13 ft.). Itsprimary structure is a thin blanket of plastic material calledKapton. The blanket is made into 84 panels that fold accordion-style when the structure is retracted.

The solar array blanket is deployed by extending an epoxy-fiberglass mast, stored in a 43 cm (17 in.) diameter, 1.5 m (5ft.) tall canister. The mast consists of three continuouslongerons, about 0.63 cm (1/4 in.) in diameter, interconnected bythree battens at intervals of 23 cm (9 in.). The result is astructure with a triangular cross section that is longitudinallystabilized by short guy wires between batten attachments.Rollers are located on the outside of all three longerons at theintersections with the battens.

To extend the mast, a "nut" with internal threads rotates atthe top of the canister. As it rotates, the rollers move upthrough the threads of the nut, allowing the longerons tostraighten and the guy wires to hold the structure in a rigidform. Rotation of the nut in the opposite direction drives therollers back into the canister, retracting the mast and coilingit back into the canister.

The initial few inches of mast extension unlatches thecontainment box lid holding the array blanket. As the mast isextended, it unfolds the blanket. When the blanket is 70 percentdeployed, a tension bar also is deployed that applies about 66.7newtons of pull (about 15 lb.) in the direction of thecontainment box. This assures that the section of blanketdeployed up to that point will be pulled flat.

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Another tension bar at the bottom of the blanket appliesanother ZZ.7 newtons (5 lb.) of pull to flatten the last 30percent of the blanket when the array is fully extended.Structural dynamics tests will be conducted at both 70 percentand 100 percent deployment.

The mast is extended and retracted at about 4 cm (1.5 in.)per second. It takes about 14 minutes to fully extend thewing. When the wing is retracted, small springs at the panelhinges "remind" the blanket of which direction to collapse as it

The mast canister and solar array containment box aremounted on the side of the mission support structure bybracketry. Also mounted on this bracketry is a tape recorder andother support electronics. Accelerometers mounted to the coverof the containment box provide data on the movement of the top ofthe structure. Additional data will be gathered by televisioncameras located in the cargo bay. These cameras will be used toobserve mechanical motions of the blanket panels as they aredeployed and restowed. Other sensors will monitor the thermalenvironment of the structure and the solar cells mounted near thetop of the blanket. Data from accelerometers and thermalsensors, and the electrical performance of the solar cells on thewing will be stored on the recorder.

The solar array wing will carry active solar cell moduleslocated on panels near the top. All other solar array panelswill carry dummy cells. Covering the entire array with activecells is neither necessary nor cost effective for accomplishingexperiment objectives. However, a solar array of this size,fully populated with active cells, would be capable of producing12.5 kilowatts of power.

The electrical and thermal performance of these cells willbe determined by measuring the current-voltage characteristicsand the temperature of the cells. As the solar array wing isplaced in various postions relative to the sun, different levelsof solar radiation wili fall on the cells. Acquiring data inthese different positions will enable the completecharacterization of cell performance.

DYNAMIC AUGMENTATION EXPERIMENT

The Dynamic Augmentation Experiment (DAE) will gatherinformation on the solar array structural dynamics and willvalidate an on-orbit method to define and evaluate the dynamiccharacteristics of large space system structures. Data will beanalyzed on the ground. Validation will include verification ofthe performance of the remote sensing system and data evaluationtechniques to process recorded data.

Experiment operations will involve excitation of the arrayusing the Shuttle's reaction control system and will generally beconducted on the nightside of orbits to reduce background sunlight.

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THE SOLAR CELL CALIBRATION FACILITY

The Solar Cell Calibration Facility (SCCF) will evaluate andvalidate solar cell calibration techniques currently used by theNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This validation involvescomparing the performance of cells on orbit with the same cellsflown on a high altitude balloon flight. This data will validatethe factors used to compensate for the residual atmosphere thatremains above balloon flight altitudes.

Cells used in the experiment represent a variety of state ofthe art and advanced devices, including samples similar to thoseon the solar array wing. Also included are a number of speciallyfabricated cells designed to make the experiment more sensitiveto any differences between the exposure on the Shuttle and theexposure on the balloon flight. The experiment will also verifythe accuracy of laboratory-generated solar cell temperaturecoefficients. These solar cell temperature coefficients are usedto determine the actual solar cell output at a given temperature,information that is important for the design of all solar cellarrays to be used in space.

The calibration hardware is mounted on top of the missionstructure in a rectangular case. The sample solar cells aremounted on top of the case. System components inside the caseinclude the data acquisition and control system and a taperecorder. On top of the case is a reflective shield shaped likea truncated pyramid. This shield protects the solar cells fromreflected light from the orbiter and other objects in the cargobay.

The facility needs a total of about seven day-side orbits toacquire its data. After the flight, data will be processed atthe Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

OAST-1 TEAM

Responsibility for the OAST-1 payload is shared by NASAHeadquarters and three NASA Centers. Marshall Space FlightCenter in Huntsville, Ala., developed and managed the OAST-1mission foi the Shuttle Payloads Engineering Division of theOffice of Space Science and Applications, NASA Headquarters.Marshall also has responsibility for development of the SolarArray Experiment and Dynamic Augmentation Experiment hardware,and for managing the analysis of the augmentation experimentstructural dynamics data on behalf of the Office of Aeronauticsand Space Technology. The development of photogrammetrictechniques used to acquire structural dynamics data and the postflight analysis of that data is being managed by Langley ResearchCenter in Hampton, Va. The Solar Cell Calibration Facilityexperiment development and data analysis activity is beingmanaged by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. These activities arealso being conducted on behalf of the Office of Aeronautics andSpace Technology.

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Investigators for the Solar Array Experiment (SAE) andDynamic Augmentation Experiment (DAE) include: L.E. Young, )Marshall Space Flight Center, Principal Investigator; R.W.Schock, Marshall, DAE-structural dynamics and M. L. Brumfield,Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va, Photograninetry- structuraldynamics, co-investigators; and Solar Cell Calibration Facility(SCCF), R.G. Downing, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, PrincipalInvestigator.

LARGE FORMAT CAMERA

The Large Format Camera (LFC), first of its kind to orbitthe earth, makes its debut this flight from a special supportstructure aboard Discovery.

The camera is a high altitude aerial metric stereographicmapping camera--bigger, more stable, more precise and moretechnologically advanced in optics and electronics than itsairborne predecessors.

The 408 kg (900 lb.) camera can produce 2,400 negatives from31.7 kg (70 lb.) of film, including two types each of black andwhite and color.

A unique lens provides a wide field of view and overlapphotography for precise stereo photography. Other cameraelements are derived from instruments built for Apollo, Skylaband the Viking Mars landers. The camera system also includes anattitude reference system that consists of a pair of star fieldcameras to record two star fields the same time each LFCphotograph is exposed.

From 257 km (160 mi.) up, the camera's lens can capturescenes down to about 20 m (70 ft.), the length of a single-familyhouse, compared with 82 m (270 ft.) taken by the Landsatsatellites' multispectral scanner instruments, the main source ofdata for earth resources. A single frame can photograph an arealarger than the state of Massachusetts.

During the 41-D mission, the camera will be calibrated withviews of stars and the moon. It will carry out obliquephotography and horizon scans as part of the camera evaluation.

Once calibrated, and in later flights, it will assist inworld-wide exploration for oil and mineral resources, mapping andmonitoring the earth's environment.

The camera will be monitored by the orbiter's generalpurpose computer, with data relayed to the Mission OperationsControl Center at Johnson Space Center in Houston. The crew alsocan access the information and operate the camera.

Principal investigator is Bernard H. Mollberg at Johnson.The camera was produced for NASA by the Itek Optical Systtms Div.of Litton Industries, Boston.

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LARGE FORMAT CAMERA SPECIFICS

Film Format .......................... 23 x 4 6 cm (9 x 18 in.)

Lens Focal Length .................... 30.5 cm (12 in.)

Lens Aperture ........................ F/6.0

Film Capacity (thin-base) ............ 1,219 m (4,000 ft.)

Photo Frames ......................... approx. 2,400

Exposure Range ....................... 4 to 32 milliseconds (1/250sec. to 1/31.25 sec.)

Exposure Interval Range .............. 7.5 sec. minimum

Ground Resolved Distance ............. 20 m (65 ft.) from 296 km(160 n.mi.)

Ground Coverage (typical) .............. 222 x 444 km at 296 kmaltitude (120 x 240 n.mi.at 160 n. mi)

CONTINUOUS FLOW ELECTROPHORESIS SYSTEM

McDonnell Douglas engineer Charles D. Walker will become thefirst non-astronaut to fly into space under a NASA policy thatallows major Space Shuttle customers to have one of their ownpeople onboard to operate their payloads. Payload specialistswill most often be scientists or engineers with special skills tooperate a scientific experiment or to run a unique and criticalprocessing system.

Walker's job will be to operate the Continuous Flow Electro-phoresis System (CFES), which is a modified version of the devicethat has been flown on four previous Shuttle missions. Hispresence is needed because the device has been changed signifi-cantly to operate continuously for about 100 hours during themission. Instead of processing several small samples, the CFESwill collect one large sample on this mission.

The large quantities of material processed will be furnishedto Ortho Pharmaceutical Corp., Raritan, N.J., for clinicaltesting. McDonnell Douglas has an agreement with OrthoPharmaceutical to study jointly the coinnercial feasibility ofusing space-based processing in the manufacture ofpharmaceuticals.

McDonnell Douglas will separate material in increasing quan-tities so that Ortho will be able to conduct research and clinicaltesting needed to gain Food and Drug Administration approval for a newiipharmaceutical product. Both companies hope this new product will beready for the commercial market by the late 1980s.

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The CFES is a device that separates materials in solution bysubjecting them to an electrical field. In this process, acontinuous stream of biological material is injected into abuffer solution flowing through a thin, rectangular chamber.When the electrical field is applied, the biological materialspull apart into separate streams. These streams flow out of thetop of the chamber and are collected.

The CFES is mounted on the middeck of the Discovery. Thesystem weighs about 317 kg (700 lb.). The orbiter supplies thenecessary power to the unit and access to a cooling system todissipate the heat generated by the process.

VEHICLE GLOW EXPERIMENT

A flight experiment to characterize surface-originatedvehicle glow will be conducted during STS 41-D. Observationsmade during recent Shuttle flights (STS flights 3-8) indicatethat optical emissions originate on spacecraft surfaces facingthe direction of orbital motion. Material specimens flown on STS8 have shown the spectral distribution and intensity of the glowis different for different materials, and that the intensitybecomes stronger as spacecraft altitude is reduced. Theseresults are of principal concern to mission scientists for SpaceTelescope and astronomical observatories aboard Space Stationbecause slight orbit degradations will cause the glow to becomemore intense and possibly interfere with faint star-lightmeasurements for attitudes where the telescope optics areoriented toward the "windward" direction.

Photographs of nine strips (representing differentspacecraft materials), attached circumferentially to the orbiterRemote Manipulator System (RMS), will be obtained by the flightcrew from the Shuttle aft flight deck during two night passeslate in the mission. Prior to each photographic opportunity, theattitude of the orbiter will be adjusted to produce directimpingement of the orbital environment onto the materialstrips. After acquiring this attitude, one set of photographswill be obtained at an orbital altitude of 320 km (173 n. mi.)and a second set at 224 km (121 n. mi.) to evaluate the intensityof glow at these altitudes. To enhance the brightness level andreduce the exposure time, an image intensifier will be used withthe camera system. Spectral information of the glow region aboveeach material will be documented using a spectrometer assemblyuniquely designed for this experiment.

CLOUDS

The Clouds Payload consists of two 250 exposure cameraassemblies with battery powered motor drive, 105mm F/2F lens and1j=-6dflteJjrs~d All of the hardwa re will be stowed in aac 6 afi wl e used at the aft flight deck stationfor cloud photography data collection.

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( GETAWAY SPECIAL

Payload G-0518 is a reflight of four experiments fromGetaway Special Payloads G-004 and G-008. Those experiments wereflown on STS 41-B in February 1984. The experiments included onthis flight are designed to study basic physical processes or, insome cases, their effects on a variety of processes. Theyinclude the following experiments:

Capillary Waves Under Zrar- -- Taka Kitaura, a senior at UtahState University (USU), from Japan. Under zero-g, the restoringforce in wave action is surface tension. This study will excitewaves in a water surface and photograph the results. The resultswill yield information on the nature of these waves, known ascapillary waves.

8 CP 8Chris Alford, a 1983 graduate of USU,This experiment studies the separation of flux and solder inzero-g. In a one-s environment the solder and flux separatebecause of their difference in Aensities. That will not happenunder zero-g, yet soldering may well be an important process inspace manufacturing and repair.

Heat Pipe Experiment -- Von Walden, a senior at USU. Thisexperiment is a test of a fluid flow system which will later beused in an electrophoresis experiment. The system consists of apartially evacuated glass tube with a heater at one end and aheat sink made of paraffin at the other. A few grams of waterare in the tube and the heat vaporizes the water whichrecondenses at the heat sink end. The water returns to the hotend through a wick. The system is used to separate a dye fromthe water in this simple experiment.

Thermocapillary Convection -- Scott Thomas, a junior at USU. Inzero-g, the normal gravitational force which drives convectiveflow due to density differences is absent. The next level offorce is that of surface tension which is a function oftemperature. In this experiment, the flow patterns set up by atemperature difference are studied. To do this, a sample ofparaffin is mounted between two modified soldering iron tips.The paraffin has small aluminum flakes imbedded in it to make itscatter light. The temperature is raised past the melting pointof the wax, and a temperature difference established. The flowis observed with an 8mm camera. The experiment is done for twosets of temperature differences and a variety of averagetemperatures. As the wax cools, it freezes so that the effect isobserved through a phase change.

The computer controller used in each experiment containerwas developed by Sawat Tantiphanwadi, a USU graduate student inelectrical engineering. The mechanical design was done, in part,by Ed Reininger, a junior at USU,

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STUDENT EXPERIMENT )A Shuttle Student Involvement Program experiment will becarried on this mission to study the purification and growth of asingle crystal of indium by the float zone technique in a zerogravity environment. The experiment was proposed by ShawnMurphy, a native of Newburg, Ohio and now a freshman at HiramCollege, Hiram, Ohio.

For this experiment, a single crystal of indium, doped withthallium, will be grown in space and compared to a crystal grownin an identical manner on earth. In the absence of gravity, amore uniform distribution of the thallium and a more perfectindium crystal is expected to result. This student experiment issponsored by Rockwell International, Downey, Calif.

CINEMA 360

Making its third flight into orbit, the Cinema 360 camerawill be located in a canister in the Discovery's cargo bay. Ason past flights, the unique 35mm camera will record aspects ofthe mission through its wide-angle "fisheye" lens. The orbitalfootage collected during the various missions is being compiledfor a half-hour documentary, "The Space Shuttle: An AmericanAdventuje." It is the first such motion picture to use the 360-degree film system that will surround viewers and give them thesensation of flying on the Space Shuttle. It is designed forprojection onto the domes of specially-equipped planetariums.Cinema 360, Inc., a non-profit organization that developseducational films for planetariums in this format, is producingthe motion picture in cooperation with NASA. The GannettFoundation of Rochester, N.Y., has agreed to assume the costs ofthe film production.

IMAX

Located in the middeck will be an IMAX motion picturecamera, making the second of three scheduled trips into spaceaboard the Shuttle. Footage from the Shuttle flights will beassembled into a film called "The Dream Is Alive." The IMAX highfidelity motion picture systems use a large 70nmn film framewhich, because of its size, improves picture quality. IMAX filmsare displayed on a screen that is nine times larger than aconventional screen, producing a more compelling effect. FifteenIMAX theaters are now operating around the world and 13 are underconstruction. Imax Systems Corp. is producing the film which isexpected to premiere at the National Air and Space Museum inWashington, D.C. in early sunyner, 1985.

The IMAX camera is part of a joint project among NASA, theNational Air and Space Museum, IMAX Systems Corp. of Toronto,Canada, and the Lockheed Corp.

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41-D FLIGHT CREW DATA

HENRY W. HARTSFIELD JR., 50, is comnander of 41-D, twelfthflight of the Space Shuttle. A native of Birmingham, Ala., he

became a NASA astronaut in 1969 while with the Air Force.

Hartsfield was pilot for STS-4, the fourth and final orbital

test flight of the Shuttle Columbia. In this seven-day mission,

he completed 112 earth orbits, logging 169 hours and 11 minutesin space.

Retiring from the Air Force in 1977 with more than 22 years

of active service, he continued his assignment as a civilian NASA

astronaut. He has logged more than 6,000 hours flying time--ofwhich 5,200 hours are in jet aircraft.

MICHAEL L. COATS, 38, USN Comnander, is the pilot for41-D. He was selected as a NASA astronaut candidate in 1978,

completing his training the following year. He was capsule

comnnunicator for the fourth and fifth Shuttle missions.

Coats was graduated from Annapolis in 1968 and became a

naval aviator in 1969. While assigned to the USS Kittyhawk, he

flew 315 combat missions in Southeast Asia.

He has logged 3,500 hours flying time and 400 carrier

landings in 2Z different types of aircraft.

JUDITH A. RESNIK, Ph.D., 35, is one of three missionspecialists on this flight of Discovery. She became a NASAastronaut candidate in 1978 and completed the one-year training

and evaluation period to become eligible for Space Shuttle flight

crew assignment. She will be the second American woman to fly inspace.

Resnik's projects in support of orbiter development at the

Johnson Space Center include experiment software and the Remote

Manipulator System (RMS).

Resnik received a bachelor of science degree in electrical

engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University in 1970 and a

doctorate in electrical engineering from the University ofMaryland in 1977.

HAs HAWLEY Ph D 32, is a mission specialist onSpace Shuttle flight 41-D. Hke is the husband of Astronaut SallyK. Ride, first American woman to fly in a Space Shuttle.

Hawley became a NASA astronaut candidate in 1978 and a year

later became eligible for flight assignment. He was simulatorpilot for software checkout at the Shuttle Avionics IntegrationLaboratory and a member of the astronaut support crewv for orbiter

test and checkout.

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Graduated with highest distinction from the University of

Kansas, he received bachelor of arts degrees in physics and

astronomy and a doctor of philosophy in astronomy and

astrophysics from the University of California.

RICHARD M. MULLANE, Lt. Col., USAF, 38, the third mission

specialist on Discovery, is a West Point graduate with 150 combat

missions as a weapon system operator in Vietnam.

In 1979 he became eligible for assignment as Space Shuttle

crew mission specialist.

Mullane received a bachelor of science degree in military

engineering from the U.S. Military Academy in 1967 and was

awarded a master of science degree in aeronautical engineering

from the Air Force Institute.

CHARLES DAVID WALKER, 35, .s the first comnercial payload

specialist assigned by NASA to a Sp ce Shuttle flight crew.

Walker is chief test engineer for the McDonnell Douglas

Continuous Flow Electrophoresis Operations in Space project (CFES

III). As payload specialist, Walker will operate the materials

processing equipment, a project aimed at separating large

quantities of biological materials in space for ultimate use in

new pharmaceuticals.

Walker was graduated from Purdue University in 1971 with a

bachelor of science degree in aeronautical and astronautical

engineering.

Prior to joining McDonnell Douglas, Walker was project

engineer responsible for computer-based manufacturing process

controls and design of ordnance production equipment at the Naval

Sea Systems Conmnand Engineering Center, Crane, Ind.

-end-

(Index: 29, 37)

- * *~ - - - - - -- --A----

Aend IaucsardSpaeAceift~o

Wudgton. D.C. 20546AC 202-4S3.4N

ForPae : 1,

Charles Redmond June 14, 1984Headquarters, Washington, D.C.(Phone: 202/453-1754)

Terry M. EddlemanMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.(Phone: 205/453-0034)

RELEASE NO: 84-70

NASA CENTER AWARDS X-RAY OBSERVATORY STUDY CONTRACT

NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.,awarded contracts to Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. ofSunnyvale, Calif., and TRW, Inc., of Redondo Beach, Calif., todefine a highly advanced X-ray telescope called "AXAF" -- theAdvanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility.

Lockheed and TRW were selected by NASA for concurrentdefinition studies that will examine in more detail the basicconcepts for the mission. The two firms will talk to scientistsand others to determine the type of instruments needed and thespacecraft conformation reqired to accommodate them. Ultimately,one of the two firms will be chosen to build the telescope.

The contracts, 24 months in duration, will be in the rangeof $4 million each for a total dollar value of approximately $8million. Work performed under these firm fixed price contractswill be at the plants of the selected companies.

The advanced observatory would be the latest in a series oforbiting X-ray spacecraft that data back to the Uhuru (SAS-1)satellite launched in 1970.

Proposed for launch in the early 1990s, the observatorywould be technologically superior to any X-ray facility previous-ly sent into space. Weighing about 9,070 kilograms (10 tons) andmeasuring about 4.26 by 13 meters (14 by 43 feet), it would becarried by the Space Shuttle and placed in an orbit 515 kilo-meters (320 miles) above the earth for operation over a lifetimeof about 15 years. It would contain a full complement ofinstruments for studying various properties of X-ray emissions.

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The observatory is expected to see X-ray sources that are100 times weaker and observe shorter wavelengths than those seenby its predecessor, the second High Energy Astronomy Observatory(HEAO-2) launched in 1978.

The observatory must orbit in space to be effective. Theearth's atmosphere absorbs most X-ray radiation and makes grounddetection impossible. Much can be learned from X-ray sources inthe universe. Because a tremendous amount of energy is requiredto create X-rays, scientists know that wherever these emissionsare observed something violent has happened.

X-ray emissions carry detailed information about the temper-ature, density, age and other physical conditions of the celes-tial objects that produce them. The study of these emissionsprovides insight into many of the fundamental physical processesthat govern the universe.

The sources of copious X-rays are some of the oddest andmost fascinating objects in the sky. They include quasars, themost powerful energy sources in the universe; spinning neutronstars, so dense that a drop of their material weighs more thanall the people on earth; and the theoretical, invisible "blackhole," a celestial object that has collapsed. into a point sosmall and dense that nothing -- not even light -- escapes fromits gravitational grasp. The AXAF could "see" this invisibleobject by the emission of X-rays from matter being drawn into thehole. Thus far, four candidate black holes have been discoveredby X-ray observations. It is expected that the AXAF will findmany more.

Special concentric, cylindrical mirrors will be crucial tothe capability of seeing such vast distances with such preciseangular resolution. Considered the heart of the observatory,these nested pairs of mirrors will focus the X-rays 10m (33 ft.)away on the imaging detectors of several science instrumentsmounted with the observatory. Coded pictures will then betransmitted back to earth where the images will be decoded bycomputers.

The mirror design would be the "grazing incidence" type --meaning that the mirrors would be designed to be struck at ashallow angle by the X-rays. Otherwise, if the mirrors werefaced more directly toward the stars, as with visible lighttelescopes, the X-rays would not be reflected -- they would beabsorbed by the mirrors themselves. With the mirrors lyingalmost flat in relation to the direction of the stars, however,the X-rays bounce off the surface, much like stones skipping on apound.

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The AXAF would be operated as a major national observatoryin space, to be used by the scientific community as they would aground observatory.

The Marshall Center's work on the X-ray telescope is.sponsored by the Astrophysics Division of the Office of SpaceScience and Applications at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

- end -

Nabonal Aeronauics andSpace Adntniskation

Wagton, D.C. 2046AC 202453-8400 p

For R~ehme:Dave GarrettHeadquarters, Washington, D.C. June 8, 1984(Phone: 202/453-8590)

Steve NesbittJohnson Space Center, Houston, Texas(Phone: 713/483-5111)

RELEASE NO: 84-71

NASA ANNOUNCES CREW MEMBERS FOR FUTURE SPACE SHUTTLE FLIGHTS

The flight crew for Space Shuttle flight 51-H and missionspecialist astronauts for mission 61-E were announced today by

NASA.

Veteran astronaut Vance D. Brand will command mission 51-H,scheduled for launch in November 1,85, using the orbiterAtlantis. Brand was commander of STS-5, the first operationalShuttle flighti in November 1982 and mission 41-B, the first useof the manned maneuvering unit in February 1984.

Other members of the 51-H crew are Michael J. Smith, pilot;Robert C. Springer, Dr. Owen K. Garriott and European SpaceAgency astronaut, Dr. Claude Nicollier, mission specialists; andDr. Michael L. Lampton and Dr. Byron K. Lichtenberg, payloadspecialists, who were named earlier to the crew.

Payload on Flight 51-H will be Earth Observation Mission-l(EOM-1), a reflight of nine Spacelab-l experiments in the areasof space plasma physics, solar physics, atmospheric physics,astronomy and earth observations. A short Spacelab habitablemodule and a pallet of experiment hardware will occupy the cargobay.

Launch of 61-E is set for March 1986, with a crew of six onthe orbiter Columbia. Mission specialists for the missioninclude Dr. Robert A. R. Parker, David C. Leestma and Dr. JeffreyA. Hoffman. The cargo will be Intelsat VI-1, a large commun-ications satellite for Intelsat, the multinational communicationssatellite network, and Astro-l, an astronomy package designed toview Halley's Comet.

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The 51-H commander, Brand, 53, a native of Longmont, Colo.,came to NASA in 1966. His first space flight was as commandmodule pilot on the July 1975 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project., Smith,,39, is a native of Beaufort, N. C. As a Navy pilotr he served onthe aircraft carriers USS Kitty Hawk and USS Saratoga and came toNASA in 1980. This will be his first Shuttle mission..

The 51-H mission specialists include Springer, 42, who wasborn in St. Louis, Mo., and joined NASA in 1980 after serving asa pilot in the Marine Corps. Garriott, 53, is a veteranastronaut, having logged nearly 70 days in space, including the59-day Skylab-3 mission in 1973 and the nine-day Spacelab-1flight in 1983. Garriott has been with been with NASA since1965. He was born in Enid, Okla.

Nicollier is a European astronaut flying as a missionspecialist with European payloads. A native of Vevey,Switzerland, he is 39 years old. His experience prior toassignment for astronaut training was in astronomy. He is apilot in the Swiss Air Force Reserve.

Lampton, 43, is a native of Williamsport, Pa. A physicist,he was a backup payload specialist for the Spacelab-1 mission.Lichtenberg, 36, is a biomedical engineer and pilot. A native ofStroudsburg, Pa., he was one of two payload specialists who flewon the Spacelab-1 mission.

Of the 61-E mission specialists,. Parker also flew onSpacelab-l, serving as a mission specialist. A native of NewYork City, the 47-year-old astronomer/astronaut joined NASA in)1967, This will be his second space flight.

Leestma, 35, was born in M4uskegon, Mich. A Navy flightofficer, he was selected as an astronaut candidate in 1980. liealso is a crew member on Shuttle flight 41-G, scheduled to fly inOctober 1984. Hoffman, 39, is a Brooklyn, N. Y., native. Amember of the 1978 class of astronauts, he is scheduled to fly aShuttle mission in August. Hoffman's experience prior to comingto NASA was in high energy astrophysics.

-end-

(Index: 37)


Wanh~ on, D.C. 20546AC 202-453.8400 pgL/~ tg

For Release:Charles RedmondHeadquarters, Washington, D.C. June 11, 1984(Phone: 202/453-1754)

David B. DrachlisMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.(Phone: 205/453-0034)

RELEASE NO: 84-72

SCIENTISTS SELECTED TO OBSERVE HALLEY'S COMET

NASA has selected a team of scientists to observe Halley'sComet in 1986 using a Space Shuttle-based astronomy observatorycalled Astro.

Astro consists of three specially designed ultraviolettelescopes and two wide-field cameras that will be carried as aSpacelab payload in the Shuttle cargo bay.

The observatory is designed to fly on a series of Shuttlemissions to study stars and galaxies in ultraviolet light.

Recognizing the opportunity to study Halley's Comet on thefirst of these flights, NASA added the pair of visible-lightcameras to the instrument package.

Scientists selected by NASA for observations of the cometinclude: Dr. Michael A'Hearn, University of Maryland, CollegePark, Md.; Drs. John Brandt, Bertram Donn and Malcolm Niedner,NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.; Dr. BarryLutz, Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Ariz.; Dr. Chet Opal,University of Texas, Austin, Texas, Dr. C. Robert O'Dell, RiceUniversity, Houston; and Dr. Susan Wyckoff, Arizona StateUniversity, Tempe, Ariz.

These researchers, together with a scientist representingeach of the three ultraviolet telescope teams -- Dr. PaulFeldman, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; Dr. Arthur Code,University of Wisconsin, Madison; and Theodore Stecher, GoddardSpace Flight Center -- comprise the Astro Halley Science Team,which will plan the overall program for observing the comet.

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The three telescopes are co-aligned for simultaneous

ultraviolet imaging as well as spectroscopic and polarization

measurements of the comet and other astronomical objects.

The Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope is designed to makebrightness observations in the far-ultraviolet spectrum of very

faint cosmic sources. These measurements will reveal the

chemical composition of Halley, including the first attempts to

measure helium abundance.

The Wisconsin Ultraviolet Spectropolarimeter will make

simultaneous observations of the spectrum and polarization of

ultraviolet light coming from stars. Unlike the Hopkins

instrument, this instrument will also investigate thedistribution and destruction of dust grains in the comet's

tail.

The Goddard Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope is designed to

provide imaging of very faint objects in the ultraviolet. This

instrument will be used to aid in determinations of the overall

cometary structure and to observe effects of perihelion passage

when the sun's energy boils off significant amounts of material

from the comet nucleus.

The wide-field cameras will photograph the large-scale comet

tail in visible light. The cameras are being developed by NASA's

Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.

Stecher, Niedner, Brandt and Opal will work on optical and

ultraviolet imaging studies of the comet. Code will study

polarization of the cometary gas and dust. Feldman, Donn,

Wyckoff, O'Dell, A'Hearn, Opal and Lutz will concentrate on

spectroscopic studies of the complex chemistry of the materials

in the comet.

The Astro missions are being managed by the Marshall Space

Flight Center. The missions will permit scientists to obtain

ultraviolet-light observations which are impossible from beneath

the earth's atmosphere.

The Observatory is scheduled for assembly and~integration

into the Space Shuttle at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., during

1985 and for launch on its maiden flight in early March of 1986.

The first seven-day Astro mission, which is presently

scheduled at a time when several comet probes will intercept

Halley, should return outstanding scientific data and photography

of the comet. The European Space Agency, Japan and the Soviet

Union have each designed probes which will fly by the comet and

through its tail in early March 1986.

These observations and probe missions will enable the

international research community to obtain measurements of large-

and small-scale events occurring in the comet's nucleus and tail,

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The last appearance of Halley was spectacular and widelyviewed in 1910 when the comet appeared in the northernhemisphere's evening sky. The 1985 - 1986 appearance, however,is not expected to be as spectacular because the comet willappear in the southern hemisphere before dawn and will be fartherfrom the earth than during its last return. Astro photographymay be the best way to view Halley.

The least understood members of the solar system family,comets, are thought to be primitive collections of ices anddust. An intensive study of their composition could offervaluable insights into not only the nature of comets themselvesbut also into the nature of the primordial mixture from which oursolar system may have formed some 4.5 billion years ago.

Astro missions will use a pair of Spacelab pallets and theSpacelab instrument pointing system. Spacelab subsystems will becarried in a pressurized container called an igloo, and the crewwill operate the instruments from the aft flight deck of theShuttle orbiter. Spacelab is a modular, reusable Shuttle-basedlaboratory system developed for NASA by the European SpaceAgency.

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(Index: 6, 36, 37, 39)

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-'a o -z rXx

NAS NewsNational Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Washington, D.C. 20546AC 202*453-8400

For Release:Charles Redmond June 7, 1984Headquarters, Washington, D.C.(Phone: 202/453-1754)

Sharon WanglinSpace Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.(Phone: 301/338-4714)

RELEASE NO: 84-73

ASTRONOMERS DESCRIBE WORK AT SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE

Scientists at NASA's Space Telescope Science Institute willoutline the facility's activities and purpose at the AmericanAstronomical Society's annual meeting at Baltimore's ConventionCenter June 11 through 13.

On June 12, at 1:30 pm, Neta Bahcall, General ObserverBranch Chief for the Institute, will present "Space Telescope:Observational Opportunities for General Observers". Dr. Bahcallwill describe NASA's Hubble Space Telescope -- scheduled forlaunch from the Space Shuttle in 1986 -- its instruments andtheir scientific capabilities, and how the Institute will workwith the science community.

On June 13, at 2:30 pm, eight of the Institute's scientistswill give presentations and a panel discussion on the Telescope,its instruments, and how scientists can plan to use thefacilities to their greatest advantage.

Panel members include Riccardo Giacconi, Institute Director;Neta Bahcall; Duccio Macchetto, Chief of the Instrument SupportBranch; Peter Stockman, Chief of the Research Support Branch;Ethan Schreier, Chief of Operations and Data Management; RodgerDoxsey, Deputy Chief of Operations and Data Management; BarryLasker, Project Scientist of the Guide Star Selection System; andWalter Jaffe, of the Science Data Analysis System.

Results of an Institute survey of the science community in-dicate that more than 2,000 scientists per year will come to workat the Institute once the Telescope becomes operational. The AASsessions will be the Institute's first formal presentations tofuture scientist-users of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

- end -


Washngton, D.C. 20546AC 202-45348400 p ,'q

For Release:Charles RedmondHeadquarters, Washington, D.C. June 8, 1984(Phone: 202/453-1754)

Dave DrachlisMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.(Phone: 205/453-0034)

RELEASE NO: 84-74

SPACELAB 3 AND 2 PAYLOAD SPECIALISTS NAMED

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration todayannounced the selection of four career scientists to fly aspayload specialists on the next two missions of Spacelab, areusable Space Shuttle-based research facility.

Dr. Lodewijk van den Berg of EG&G Corporation, Goleta,Calif., and Dr. Taylor G. Wang of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory,Pasadena, Calif., were named flight payload specialists forSpacelab 3, scheduled for launch in January 1985. NASA alsoannounced the selection of Dr. Mary Helen Johnston of theMarshall Space Flight Center and Dr. Eugene H. Trinh of the JetPropulsion Laboratory to serve as alternate payload specialistsfor Spacelab 3.

Dr. Loren W. Acton of Lockheed Palo Alto ResearchLaboratory, Palo Alto, Calif., and Dr. John-David Bartoe of TheNaval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., were named as flightpayload specialists for Spacelab 2, which is now slated forlaunch in April 1985. NASA also named Dr. Dianne K. Prinz of theNaval Research Laboratory and Dr. George W. Simon of the AirForce Geophysics Laboratory, with permanent duty station atSacramento Peak Observatory, Sunspot, N. M., as alternate payloadspecialists for Spacelab 2.

"These Spacelab flights continue NASA's evolutionary processof developing space science capabilities aboard the Shuttle," Dr.Burt Edelson, NASA's associate administrator for space scienceand applications, said. "This process began in earnest withSpacelab 1 and will continue through the end of this decade. Atthe same time we are using the Spacelab experience to help usdevelop capabilities for science to be performed aboard the SpaceStation," Dr. Edelson added.

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Spacelab 3 will be the first operational mission of theresearch facility. Conducting experiments requiring the lowgravity environment of earth orbit is the prime missionobjective. The mission emphasis is materials processing inspace, a field which offers great commercial promise. Othermajor planned experiments have been selected from the fields oflife sciences, environmental observations, technology research,astronomy and space plasma physics. Spacelab 3 will use the longversion of the laboratory module, in which the scientists willwork, and a special cargo bay instrument support structure.

Spacelab 2, which follows Spacelab 3 due to developmentdelays in some of the equipment, includes experiments in thefields of solar physics, plasma physics, infrared astronomy, highenergy physics, atmospheric physics, life sciences and tech-nology. The configuration of Spacelab for this mission includesthree pallets, which hold experiments requiring direct spaceexposure; an "igloo" which will contain Spacelab subsystems; anda special support fixture for a large cosmic ray experiment.

The mission will mark the first time the Spacelab will beflown without the habitable module. The crew will operate experi-ments remotely from the aft flight deck of the orbiter. It alsomarks the first flight of the Spacelab Instrument PointingSystem. Both these missions are managed for NASA by the MarshallSpace Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.

The alternate payload specialists will act as flight backupsand will play a major role in payload control operations from theground throughout the mission.

In addition to the payload specialists, the Spacelab 3flight crew will consist of Robert F. Overmyer, commander;Fredrick D. Gregory, pilot; Dr. Don L. Lind, Dr. Norman E.Thagard, and Dr. William E. Thornton, mission specialists, allnamed previously to the mission.

Other Spacelab 2 flight crew members identified earlier areCharles G. Fullerton, commander; S. David Griggs, pilot; and Dr.F. Story Musgrave, Dr. Anthony ts. England, and Dr. Karl G.Henize, mission specialists.

Dr. van den Berg, a flight payload specialist in trainingfor Spacelab 3, was born in Sluiskil, the Netherlands, and is nowa chemical engineer with EG&G Corp., Goleta, Calif. Also apayload specialist on Spacelab 3 will be Dr. Wang, who was bornin Shanghai, Peoples' Republic of China, and is now a physicistat NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena.

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Their alternates for the mission are: Dr. Johnston, anative of West Palm Beach, Fla., who is a materials engineer inthe Metallurgical and Failure Analysis Branch of the Materialsand Processes Laboratory at Marshall Space Flight Center,Huntsville, Ala.; and Dr. Trinh, born in Saigon, South Vietnam,and now a physicist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The Spacelab 2 payload specialists are: Dr. Acton, a nativeof Lewiston, Mont., who is a research senior staff scientist withthe Space Sciences Laboratory, Lockheed Palo Alto ResearchLaboratory, Calif.; and Dr. Bartoe, a native of Abington, Pa.,who is an astrophysicist at the Naval Research Laboratory inWashington, D. C.

Their alternates are: Dr. Prinz, born in Economy, Pa., whois a research physicist with the U. S. Naval Research Laboratoryin Washington, D. C.; and Dr. Simon, born in Frankfurt, Germany,who is chief of the Solar Research Branch, Air Force GeophysicsLaboratory, with permanent duty station at the Sacramento PeakObservatory in Sunspot, N. M.

- end -

Flew"Aa-Z7¶T.A T 3 t -n * .-rrrt'' -''';l


Washington, D.C. 20546AC 202.453-8400 PL /009(3

For Release:

Jim Kukowski June 13, 1984Headquarters, Washington, D.C.(Phone: 202/453-8590)

RELEASE NO: 84-76

CREW MEMBER ADDED TO SHUTTLE MISSION 41-G

Paul D. Scu]ly-Power, 40, a civilian oceanographer with theU.S. Navy has been added to the 41-G Space Shuttle crew that isscheduled to fly in October. He joins Robert L. Crippen,commander; Jon A. McBride, pilot; mission specialists Dr. KathrynD. Sullivan, Dr. Sally K. Ride, David D. Leestma; and payloadspecialist Dr. Marc D. Garneau of Canada.

The 57 degree inclination orbit will provide a unique opportunity for a trained scientist to view over three-fourths of theearth's oceans from space. The data collected will add extensively to NASA's and the Navy's oceanographic studies programs.

The addition of Scully-Power as a payload specialist makesthe 41-G crew the largest for a Shuttle mission to date, seven.

Scully-Power has played a major role in NASA's oceanographicprogram for more than three years. Hie has participated in briefings before and debriefings after each Shuttle flight and has hadextensive experience in the analysis of imagery taken not onlyfrom the Shuttle but also from the Gemini and Skylab programs.The objective of flying an oceanographer with such experience isexpected to result in more effective use of the Shuttle for oceanrelated missions.

Scully-Power has spent extensive time in oceanographicstudies. He has participated in 24 scientific cruises, 13 forwhich he was Chief Scientist and he is a qualified Navy diver.

Scully-Power has published over 60 scientific articles insuch fields as oceanography, underwater acoustics, remotesensing, applied mathematics, space oceanography, marine biology,meteorology and ocean engineering.

The major purposes of mission 41-G are deployment of theEarth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS), operation of the ShuttleRadar Laboratory -- Office of Space Science and Terrestrial Appli-cations-3 (OSTA-3) -- and operation of the Large Format Camera.

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The Shuttle Radar Laboratory is an upgraded reflight of thesuccessful Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-A) that flew on STS-2.Also on this mission, the Orbital Reservicing System (ORS) willbe demonstrated The ORS requires extravehicular activity by Dr.Sullivan.

Consistent with NASA policy, the data gathered by Mr.Scully-Power will be made available to the public for scientificand educational purposes.

end

(Index: 37)

K -I -

NS NewNational Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Washington, D.C. 20546AC 202*453-8400

For Release:


Mary Beth MurrillJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.(Phone: 818/354-5011)

RELEASE NO: 84-77

NEW IRAS RESULTS OUTLINED AT ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY MEETING

An unexpectedly high percentage of galaxies seen by theInfrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) are merging, colliding orotherwise interacting with one another, IRAS scientists reportedat a recent meeting of the American Astronomical Society inBaltimore, Md.

IRAS, an orbiting infrared telescope, last year observedabout 20,000 galaxies, many of which emit more than half of theirenergy in far-infrared wavelengths. Recent studies indicate thatas many as 25 percent of the most luminous of these infrared-bright galaxies may be part of interacting or merging groups ofgalaxies. Less than 5 percent of all visually identifiedgalaxies are interacting.

The infrared energy from many of these interacting galaxiesseems to be due to great bursts of massive star formation, Dr.Carol J. Lonsdale of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena,Calif., reported. Instead of producing one or two stars peryear, these infrared galaxies may have been shocked into therelease of immense amounts of gravitational energy and theproduction of up to a hundred times more stars per year thanisolated spiral galaxies. An alternative explanation for thetremendous infrared emission detected from some of the galaxypairs could be that a source such as a black hole exists at thecenter of one of the merging galaxies.

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One example of a possible colliding galaxy studied in detailby IRAS is Arp 220 (number 220 in astronomer Halton Arp's Catalogof Peculiar Galaxies). Dr. B. Thomas Soifer of Caltech reportedthat analysis of IRAS data shows that the intense infraredemission from this galaxy is probably the result of collisionsbetween a pair of galaxies that occurred in the last 100 millionyears.

Arp 220 is 100 times more luminous than normal spiralgalaxies, with a power output equal to that of distant quasars,equivalent to 2 trillion suns. Almost all of its power output(99 percent) is emitted at far-infrared wavelengths. While thesource of this energy is not known, it is most likely coming froma small core of a few thousand light-years across within thecolliding galaxy.

Characteristics displayed by Arp 220 are typical of some ofthe "unidentified" objects discovered by IRAS last year andreported by Dr. James R. Houck of Cornell University. Thisindicates that some of the other unidentified objects may also beinfrared galaxies. Such galaxies would be much more distant andmight be even more luminous than Arp 220.

Dr. Lonsdale also reported on IRAS studies of a peculiarobject named Arp 243 -- another example of the phenomenon of highinfrared luminosity from merging galaxies. Arp 243, located about300 million light-years from earth, has been found to emit morethan 95 percent of its total energy output at infraredwavelengths. The presence of large numbers of very young,luminous stars has already been established directly from opticalspectroscopy, so the infrared emission from these objectsundoubtedly comes from great bursts of star formation triggeredby the collision.

The following were also among the 14 new IRAS results presentedat the AAS meeting:

o In continuing studies of comets observed by IRAS, an extensiveinfrared tail of ice and dust as long as 22 million miles wasfound on Comet Bowell. The comet was observed in a part of itsorbit beyond the orbit of Jupiter; Dr. Russell G. Walker ofJamieson Science and Engineering Consultants, Felton, Calif.

o Scientists have correlated IRAS observations of spiralgalaxies in the Virgo, Coma and Hercules galaxy clusters withradio and optical observations. The results of the study showthat galaxies with more pronounced disks, younger stars and largeamounts of interstellar gas show brighter far-infraredluminosities than elliptical galaxies deficient in gas and dust;Dr. George Helou of JPL, and Dr. Erick Young of StewardObservatory, University of Arizona.

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o A very young star roughly the mass and brightness of the sunhas formed in the last 100,000 years in a nearby -- 450 light-years away -- cloud of molecular hydrogen gas called Lynds 255;Dr. Charles Beichman of JPL.

o Prelimary examination of the statistical properties of theroughly quarter-million infrared sources detected by IRAS in its300-day mapping of 98 percent of the entire sky shows that mostof the infrared objects emitting energy in the 12 and 25-micronegion of the spectrum are old stars within our galaxy. Looking

away from the plane of our galaxy, the sky as observed in the 60-to 100-micron region appears to be dominated not by nearby starsbut by other galaxies; Dr. Thomas J. Chester of JPL.

o Analysis of data taken late in the IRAS mission has yieldednew information about and images of the zodiacal dust bandswithin our solar system. These bands of warm -- 200 degreesKelvin or -100 degrees Fahrenheit -- material orbit the sun nearthe inner edge of the main asteroid belt, between the orbits ofMars and Jupiter. Debris from comets and collisions betweenasteroids are possible sources of this rocky material; Dr. T.N.Gautier of JPL.

o IRAS observations of 47 Tucanae, a group of about a millionstars called a globular cluster, have called into question ourpresent understanding of these objects, thought to be the oldestin our galaxy. The suprisingly small amount of far-infraredemission from 47 Tucanae suggests that either old stars returnless dusty material to the interstellar medium than previouslythought, or this globular cluster has a very efficient means,such as a high-velocity cluster wind, for sweeping out thereturned material. This globular cluster may have had itsinterstellar material swept away as it passed through the planeof the galaxy; Dr. Fred Gillett of Kitt Peak NationalObservatory.

IRAS was launched into a polar orbit by NASA Jan. 25, 1983, fromVandenberg Air Force Base in California. The orbiting telescopemapped 98 percent of the sky during the 10-month mission,measuring the infrared emission and location of more than 250,000infrared sources. IRAS is a joint project of NASA, TheNetherlands Space Agency (NIVR), and the United Kingdom's Scienceand Engineering Research Council. NASA's JPL is the managementcenter for the project.

- end -

Nabtona Aeronaubcs andSp Adaion

Waddqgton, D.C 20546AC 202453-4M0O

For blease:


Mary Beth MurrillJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.(Phone: 818/354-5011)

RELEASE NO: 84-78

IRAS IDENTIFIES ADDITIONAL STARS WITH POSSIBLE SOLAR SYSTEMS

More than 40 nearby stars show excess infrared emissionsimilar to that discovered last year around the star Vega (AlphaLyrae). according to recently analyzed results from the InfraredAstronomical Satellite (IRAS) mission, a joint project of theU.S., The Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Vega -- Alpha Lyrae and later, Fomalhaut -- Alpha PiscisAustrini were each found to be orbited by solid material,probably in the form of small grains. The new discovery of dozensof other nearby stars sharing infrared characteristics similar toVega and Fomalhaut suggests that stars orbited by solid material-- which may evolve into planets -- may occur ordinarily in ourgalaxy, the Milky Way.

Further study of the 40-some stars will be required,however, to determine if the excess infrared means that solid,orbiting material is present.

IRAS science team member Dr. Hartmut H. Aumann of NASA's JPLexamined IRAS observations of 335 visually identified starswithin 75 light years of earth and found that more than 40 ofthem have infrared characteristics similar to those of Vega -- anexcess of infrared radiation in the 25 to 100 micron-wavelengthregion of the spectrum. Aumann emphasized that IRAS has notdetected any individual planets around these stars.

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He reported the new findings at a recent meeting of theAmerican Astronomical Society in Baltimore, Md. "The observa-tional evidence that many dwarf stars show infrared excesssimilar to Vega is cleat," Aumann said. "We are dealing with aphenomenon shared by a significant fraction of the dwarf starsin the neighborhood of the sun" within our galaxy. "What is notclear and what requires a lot more study is how to interpret whatwe are seeing," he added.

Besides orbiting solid material, the infrared excess aroundthe stars could be due to any of several possibilities, includingmass loss from the star or the presence of a previously undetect-ed cool stellar companion. While these mechanisms were ruled outin the case of Vega, additional study of each candidate star willbe required to determine whether the excess comes from orbitingsolid material.

Like Vega and Fomalhaut, the stars are relatively brightmain sequence dwarfs. However, unlike those two A-type stars(hot, young and luminous), most of the 40 stars are of the F andG- type. This makes them more similar to the sun, a G-type dwarfstar, in terms of luminosity, mass, and lifetime. The actualnumber of stars within 75 light years which exhibit excessinfrared emission is most likely significantly higher than the40 observed, because a large number of nearby stars are too faintto be detected by IRAS.

Studies of Vega and stars that share its infrared character-istics will help scientists to understand how planetary systemsform and to determine which stars are likely to possess planetarysystems in advanced stages of evolution. Dust and debris-typematerials are detected relatively easily by IRAS. Fully formedplanets around stars are much more difficult to detect, however,because they have far smaller surface areas than a shell or diskof particles. For an analagous reason, Saturn's moons are visual-ly less apparent than its rings.

IRAS was launched into a polar orbit by NASA Jan. 25, 1983,from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The orbitingtelescope mapped 98 percent of the sky during the 10-monthmission, measuring the infrared emission and location of morethan 250,000 stars, galaxies, clouds of dust and gas and othercelestial objects.

IRAS is a joint project of NASA, The Netherlands SpaceAgency (NIVR), and the United Kingdom's Science and EngineeringResearch Council. NASA's JPL is the managment center for theproject.

-end-

p--*- - ; - --". .--

V * -

F1U, - , -- ,

Naioa1 Aeronauis andSp%3w Admyinistration

WaiWhtm, D.C. 2046AC 2024538440 :4 (

For Pelma:

Jim KukowskiHeadquarters, Washington, D.C. June 15, 1984(Phone: 202/453-8590)

Mary Ann PetoLewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio(Phone: 216/433-4000 ext. 438)

RELEASE NO: 84-79

ATLAS CENTAUR FAILURE REVIEW BOARD NAMED

NASA has named a Failure Review Board to investigate theAtlas-Centaur 62 launch that failed to place an Intelsatcommunications satellite into the proper orbit on June 9, 1984.

Dr. Milton A. Silveira, NASA's Chief Engineer, NASAHeadquarters, will head the investigative board.

Others named to the board are: Deputy Chairman, Neal T.Saunders, Director of Materials and Structures, Joseph A.Ziemianski, Chief of Structures and Mechanical Technologies Div.,and Donald A. Petrash, Chief of Space Propulsion Technology Div.,all from Lewis Research Center, Cleveland; J, Robert Lang, Headof Hypergolics Systems Section, Fluid Systems Div., Kennedy SpaceCenter, Fla.; Bruce Jackson, Chief of Systems Engineering Div.,Johnson Space Center, Houston; James Sterett, Deputy Director ofStructures and Propulsion, Marshall Space Flight Center,Huntsville, Ala.; Joseph B. Mahon, Director of SpaceTransportation Support, NASA Headquarters; Maj. John Buzzatto,USAF, Space Div.; board advisor, Dale Meyers, private consultant,Los Angeles, Calif.; board observers, Lawrence J. Ross, Directorof Space Flight Systems, Lewis Research Center, William Rector,Division Vice President and Program Director, Space Program,General Dynamics and Al McCaskill, Manager, Launch VehiclesProgram;, Intelsat; executive secretary, Edward G. Stakolich,Lewis Research Center.

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Other personnel associated with the Atlas Centaur 62 mishapinvestigation are: leaders of the Lewis Investigation Team, JohnW. Gibb, Manager, Atlas/Centaur Project rTeam, and Kenneth A.Adams, Deputy Chief of Space Transportation Engineering Div.,both from Lewis Research Center; leader of the Contractor'sInvestigation Team, Dennis Dunbar, director, Atlas/CentaurProgram, General Dynamics; responsibility for controllingData/Facilities at Kennedy, James L. Womack, Chief of CentaurOperations Div., Kennedy Space Center.

During the launch sequence the Atlas first stage appeared tobe operating normally when tracking contact was lost. When thevehicle was again acquired by the Ascension Island trackingstation the Centaur stage appeared to be tumbling. Thecommunications satellite was left in a 96 by 600 nautical mileorbit, It has since been placed in a 150 by 600 nautical mileorbit by its owner.

The failure was the first involving an expendable launchvehicle since 1977. There had been 58 straight successfullaunches since that time.

It is the policy of investigative boards to reserve commenton causes of failures until the group finishes it work.

- end -

(Index: 21)

*~ El- -

.a e -A, ero ai ,. and

Sp~oeA&~fa§

Wa"i n, D.C. 25AC 202-453-84U /9 - / Kg

Four Wern

Charles Redmond FOR RELEASE

Headquarters, Washington, D.C. JUNE 20, 1984

(Phone: 202/453-1754) 11:00 a.m.

David DrachlisMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.

(Phone: 205/453-0034)

Charles MillerThe Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md.

(Phone: 301/338-7160)

Joe SayrsUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wis.

(Phone: 608/262-8290)

Bill HelmantolerComputer Sciences Corporation, Washington, D.C.

(Phone: 202/775-9320)

RELEASE NO: 84-80

ASTRO PAYLOAD SPECIALISTS SELECTED

NASA today announced the selection of three scientists to

train as payload specialists for a series of astronomy missions

scheduled for the Space Shuttle beginning in March 1986. The

mission series, called Astro, will utilize major elements of

Spacelab, a Shuttle-based research facility.

The scientists are Dr. Samuel T. Durrance of The Johns

Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md.; Dr. Kenneth H. Nordsieck of

the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Dr. Ronald A. Parise of

Computer Sciences Corporation, Silver Spring, Md.

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Dr. Durrance has considerable experience with ultravioletstudies of solar system objects both from satellites and withsounding rockets. Dr. Nordsieck is an expert on polarimetry andhas conducted ground-based polarization studies of stars, theinterstellar medium and extragalactic objects. Dr. Parise hasbeen involved in flight instrument operations development and hasresearch interests in the properties of binary star systems.Each payload specialist is a member of the three prime Astroinstrument research teams.

Astro consists of three specially designed ultraviolettelescopes that will be used to study stars and galaxies inultraviolet light. A pair of visible-light cameras have beenadded to the payload to study Halley's Comet during the firstflight.

The astronaut mission specialists for the first flight ofAstro (Astro 1) have been announced previously and are: Dr.Robert Parker, who flew on Spacelab 1; Dr. Jeff Hoffman, assignedto STS 41-F later this year; and Lt. Cmdr. David Leestma. Parkerand Hoffman are astronomers and will be closely involved in theoperations of the Astro payload. The commander and pilot havenot been named yet.

The Astro program is being managed by NASA's Marshall SpaceFlight Center in Huntsville, Ala., for NASA's Office of SpaceScience and Applications.

The Astro payload specialists were designated by the AstroInvestigators Working Group, which is made up of members of thescience instrument teams. "Each of the payload specialistsshould have the opportunity to fly on two of the three scheduledastro flights," mission manager Leon B. Allen of Marshall said."We are planning to fly two payload specialists on each mission."Recommendations for flight assignments will be made by theInvestigators Working Group later, while the payload specialistsare in training.

"They will be the on-orbit experts for the instruments theyhave helped develop these past several years. The astronomicalobservations will be a team effort on orbit between the payloadspecialists, who know the instruments well, and the astronautmission specialists, who know the shuttle operations. Thepayload specialists will also coordinate closely with theinstrument teams on the ground at a payload operations controlcenter," added Astro mission scientist Dr. Ted Gull of theGoddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

The Astro telescopes are being developed by The JohnsHopkins University, the University of Wisconsin and Goddard,respectively.

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3

The instruments are the Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope, whichis designed to record the far ultraviolet spectra from very faint

cosmic sources; the Wisconsin Ultraviolet PhotopolarimetryExperiment, which will make simultaneous observations of the

spectrum and polarization of ultraviolet light from stars; and

the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope, which is designed to provide

imaging of very faint objects in the ultraviolet.

The Astro missions will use a pair of Spacelab pallets and

the Spacelab Instrument Pointing System. Spacelab subsystems

will be carried in a pressurized container called an igloo, and

the crew will operate the instruments from the aft flight deck of

the Shuttle orbiter. Spacelab is a modular, reusable Shuttle-based laboratory system developed for NASA by the European Space

Agency.

- end -

NOTE TO EDITORS

A press briefing with the three payload specialists will be

held at The Johns Hopkins University Tomewood campus, Wednesday,

June 20, at 11:00 a.m. in the Garrett Room of the Milton

Eisenhower Library. The three payload specialists will be

available for interviews following the briefing.

For further information on the briefing, contact:

Charles MillerThe Johns Hopkins University Information OfficeHomewood Campus, The Johns Hopkins University(Phone: 301/338-7160)

-----------------------------------

Payload specialist biographical information follows:

The payload specialists are: Dr. Durrance, a native of

Tallahassee, Fla., who is associate research scientist in the

Department of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins; Dr.Nordsieck, a native of New York City, who is an associate

professor at Washburn Observatory, University of Wisconsin; and

Dr. Parise, a native of Warren, Ohio, who is manager of the

Advanced Astronomy Programs Section, Computer Sciences Corp.,working at Goddard Space Flight Center.

(Index: 37)

, . ,~ . s IC-. - -- , - - .¶mm

4NAS N&oNational Aeronautics andSpace Adninistration

WasNngton, D.C. 20546AC 202-493-8400 10Q'*

For Rekise:Dwayne Brown June 29, 1984Headquarters, Washington, D.C.(Phone: 202/453-1755)

Jim ElliottGoddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Ml.(Phone: 301/344-6256)

RELEASE l\D: 84-81

INTERNATIONAL SEARCH AND RESCUE PROGRAM SAVESS 223 LIVES

Eight more lives have been saved by an internationalsatellite-aided search and rescue program, officials at N7\SA'sGoddard Soace Flight Center, Greenbelt, M., report.

The eight rescues bring to 223 the number of lives that havebeen saved since the program began in September 1982, accordingto Fred Flatow, mission manager at the Goddard. All eight weremaritime rescues.

Two of the incidents-the rescue of six fishermen in theMediterranean Sea and the rescue of one sailor off the coast ofCalifornia -- occurred in February and March respectively.However, the reports were just received at Goddard.

The third incident took place in the Atlantic Ocean off theAzores on May 19, Flatow reported. In that case, one sailor wasrescued when a 6-meter (19-foot) Canadian yacht became disabled.

In all three cases, distress signals were heard by both U.S.and Soviet satellites. They were relayed to ground stations,which dispatched rescue forces. The United States has onesatellite and the Soviets have two in the program, known asCOSPAS/SARSAT. COSPAS/SARSAT are Russian and American acronymsrespectively for Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking.

The six fishermen in the Mediterranean had abandoned theirfishing vessel on Feb. 2. It had been wrecked by foul weatherwith 50-knot winds and 7-m (23-ft.) waves. Because of the foulweather, a first search plane did not locate the crew. A secondplane, however, finally spotted them 64 kilometers (40 miles)from where their ship had sunk. Their lifeboat was within 7 ra(4 1/2 mi.) of where the Mission Control Center at Toulouse,France, had indicated it would be, a testimony to the accuracy ofthe satellite system.

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The incident off the California coast took place March 30,Flatow reported. The 7.6-m (25-ft.) sailing ship, "Arctic Wind,"encountered difficulties 97 km (60 mi.) southwest of Mbnterey.The lone person on board had no voice cannunications and nosurvival equipment, according to Coast Guard sources, but signalsfrom its Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) werepicked up by the satellites. The signals were verified byoverflying airliners, after which the Coast Guard Cutter CapeHedge intercepted the vessel and towed it to San Luis Obispo.

To date, the satellite program, in which Canada, France, theUnited Kingdom, Nonway, Sweden, Finland and Bulgaria alsoparticipate, has saved 115 persons in maritime and 107 in airemergencies. It also is responsible for saving the life of oneperson "on foot." That was a woman dog sled musher in Alaska whobecame ill on an 800-km (500-mi.) dog sled trek from Kotzebue toPoint Barrow in April.

- end -

(Index: 20)

nw

National Aeronautcs andSpace AdministrationWasMgof, D.C. 20546AC 202453-8400

For Pease:David Garrett June 21, 1984Headquarters, Washington, D.C.(Phone: 202/453-8590)

RELEASE NO: 84-82

FINALISTS CHOSEN IN SHUTTLE STUDENT PROJECT

Ten finalists have been selected in the fourth competitionof the National Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP), ajoint venture of NASA and the National Science TeachersAssociation.

Objective of the program is to stimulate the study ofscience and engineering in grades 9 through 12, a competition todevelop experiments suitable for flight aboard the Space Shuttle.To date nine student experiments have been flown on the Shuttle.

Finalists were chosen from 200 semifinal entries based onindividual scientific or engineering merit for potential assign-ment on future Space Shuttle flights.

NASA will pair each student with a corporate sponsor and aNASA scientist or engineer to work with the student to determinethe feasibility of developing the proposals into an actual exper-iment for flight.

For those proposals determined to be feasible for flight adevelopment schedule will be established. For those proposalswhich are not suitable, NASA will attempt to assign the studentto work w.ch a principal investigator as part of an existingresearch team on a project in the student's field of interest.

Interdisciplinary teams of teachers, scientists and engi-neers reviewed almost 3,000 proposals submitted to 10 regionaloffices and selected semifinalists. Regional conferences for thesemifinalists were held this spring at various NASA field centers.

Semifinalists' proposals were then judged by a national teamwhich selected the finalists. Panelists on the judging teamincluded high school science teachers, university professors ofscience and engineering and representatives of NASA and U.S.aerospace corporations.

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The 10 national winners and their teacher-advisors willattend a National SSIP Awards Conference in late July at NASAHeadquarters in Washington.

At the conference, the participants will present theirpapers to NASA officials and the press, tour the National Air andSpace Museum and attend a reception at the Museum. Students willalso be presented awards at the annual SSIP Banquet, Friday, July27, at 7:00 p.m. at the Washiagton Hilton Hotel.

Although all winners, proposals were submitted separately,in several cases, similar proposals were declared as winners. Inthe experiment preparation phase of the program, it may proveadvantageous for these students to work as collaborators or atleast cooperate on the collection and evaluation of data.

Most student experiments will be placed in storage lockersin the mid-deck section of the Shuttle orbiter. The mid-deckplacement will allow easy astronaut access to the studentexperiments. As much as one hour of an astronaut's time duringthe flight may be allocated to work on the experiment.

Assisted by a sponsor and/or a NASA consultant, the studentwill analyze the data returned from the experiment and prepare afinal report. All scientific data from the student experimentswill be in the public domain and made available from the NationalSpace Science Data Center at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center,Greenbelt, Md.

A fifth Shuttle Student Involvement Program Competition willopen in September, with regional conferences to be held in springof 1985 and student winners selected in May 1985. Information onentry procedures can be obtained by writing to the NationalScience Teachers Assn., 1742 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Washington,D.C. 20009.

The 10 student winners and experiments selected forpotential flight on future Space Shuttle missions are:

Harold A. Christy, 838 S. Miller St., Chicago, Ill. 60607;The Latin School of Chicago, Ellie Lambrakis/Teacher-Advisor,"Three Dimensional Chemical Waves Formed in Microgravity by theBelousov-Zhabotinskii Reaction."

This experiment was proposed to test the hypothesis thatmicrogravity, through near elimination of convection currents andthe prevention of mass rising of gas bubbles, would allow theBelousov-Zhabotinskii reaction to form three dimensional chemicalwaves in containers of diameter larger than the optimum 8mm ofWelsch, Gomatam and Burgess. The roles of gravity and heat asstarting mechanisms for the wave formation would also be studied.

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-3-

George Gerliczy, 135 S. Irving St., Ridgewood, N.J. 07450;

Benjamin Franklin Jr. High School, Ridgewood, N.J., Patricia A.

Johnson/Teacher-Advisor, "The Effects of Zero Gravity on an

Amphibian Embryonic Nucleus and the Position of that Nucleus

During Morphological Development after Cloning."

During cloning the nucleus is positioned, because of

gravity, in the animal hemisphere of the zygote. This controls

the development of internal and external organs. If, under zero-

gravity conditions, a nucleus would be postioned in the vegetal

hemisphere, it may cause the development of organs to be

switched. This could be a major factor to take into considera-

tion whenever cloning under weightless conditions.

John M. Hendricks, 1215 Elston St., Michigan City, Ind.

46360; Marquette High School, Michigan City, Ind., Dr. Dean G.

Christakis/Teacher-Advisor, "Attempts to Extend Axonal Length and

Filapodial Growth in Abnormal Neurons in a Microgravity

Environment."

This experiment will be conducted to study the effects that

microgravity has as an independent variable on the growth of

neural axons and filapodial as dependent variables.

Karen L. Jarrard, 9717 Inaugural Way, Gaithersburg, Md.

20879; Montgomery Village Jr. High School, Gaithersburg, Md., Gregory

A. Letterman/Teacher-Advisor, "Electric Muscle Stimulation for

the Prevention of Muscle Atrophy in a Weightless Environment."

A major problem in prolonged space travel is muscle atrophy.

This experiment tests the use of electrical stimulation as a

possible solution.

Lance G. Jeffers, Route 9 Box 774, Hot Springs, Ark. 71913;

Mountain Pine High School, Mountain Pine, Ark., Pam C. Vaughn/

Teacher-Advisor, "The Development of Bullfrog Eggs in Zero-

Gravity."

The objective of this experiment is to determine if normal

development of bullfrog eggs occurs when cleavage takes place in

a weightless state.

Kenro Kusumui, 8721 Fort Macon Court, Raleigh, N.C. 27614;

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Durham, N.C.,

Mary L. Bellamy/Teacher-Advisor, "The Adaption of Thin Layer

Chromatography to a Microgravity Environment."

Thin Layer Chromatography -- a simple, effective method used

to separate substances and determine purity -- will be tested in

a microgravity environment.

Jane M. McCabe, 16113 Pointer Ridge Drive, Bowie, Md.

20715; Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Greenbelt, Md., Melodye A.

Garner/Teacher-Advisor, "The Effects of Antibiotics on Bacteria

in a Zero-Gravity Environment."

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The purpose of this experiment is to verify that the actionsof antibiotics on bacteria in the zero-gravity environment of theSpace Shuttle will be the same as those in the gravitationalenvironment on earth.

Emma C. Redmond, 10 Broad Rctd, Greenwich, Conn. 06830;Greenwich Academy, Greenwich, Conn., William H. Peltz/Teacher-Advisor, "Osteogenesis in a Microgravity Environment."

The purpose for conducting this experiment is to determineif the rate of osteogenesis can be accelerated by using lowvoltage current in a microgravity environment.

Carla Marie Saturnelli, 3 Taft Place, Cornwall-on-Hudson,NY 12520; Military Academy, Cornwall-on-Hudson, Robert A.Whinery/Teacher-Advisor, "Metamorphosis of Vanessa cardui in aMicrogravity Environment."

Forty Vanessa cardui pupae will be flown in space to deter-mine if the absence of gravity will affect their metamorphosis.After flight, these organisms, and an identical set of earthcontrols, will be examined macroscopically and with a dissectingmicroscope.

Brian L. Vlcek, 5603 Allanwood Drive, Parma, Ohio, 44129;Parma Senior High School, Parma, Ohio, Judith E. Lachvayder/Teacher-Advisor, "Inducing a Geotropic-type Reaction in RadishRoots with Chemical Stimuli."

As the duration of manned space missions increases, plantswill require assistance in adapting to a microgravity environ-ment. In addition to weak and wilted shoots, plants grown in lowgravity have exhibited disoriented roots systems. If a chem-ically induced geotropic effect can be achieved, it would bepossible to remove the twists and bends from the roots, therebyeliminating the internal fluid flow problems which hinder growthand development.

- end -

Natonal Aeronautics andSpace Administration

WaNngton, D.C. 20546AC 202453-8400 0/a

For Release:

Newsroom June 19, 1984Headquarters, Washington, D.C.(Phone: 202/453-8400)

RELEASE NO: 84-83

NEW NASA EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM FOR SCIENCE AND MATH ANNOUNCED

Operation Liftoff, a new NASA Educational program, announcedby President Reagan today, is designed to encourage pupils in thenation's 75,000 elementary schools to take greater interest inmathematics and science.

The new program will rely on the development and refinementof information and materials in the NASA system and the creationof an expanded and more efficient delivery system utilizing thelatest computer science and laser disk technology.

The key to success will be NASA's ability to develop andtest "pilot" or "prototype" materials and concepts, and then toobtain private and community involvement in expanding theirdistribution into classrooms.

The program will cost $3 to $5 million over three years.

"For more than 25 years NASA has pioneered on the cuttingedge of science and technology and has stimulted our young peopleto strive fc: excellence in all they do," the President said in aspeech. His remarks were made at the dedication of the NationalGeographic Society's new building in Washington, D.C.

"Now NASA, in cooperation with the private sector, willexpand its educational outreach program to our very young peoplein more than 75,000 elementary schools throughout the country.NASA will be able to share its engineering know-how and scien-tific discoveries and sow the seeds of future progress bystimulating our young people to study science and engineering.

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"We call this new program Operation Liftoff, and it willincorporate such advanced instructional tools as computersoftwear, laser disks, and audiovisual materials and other tech-niques. It will also involve private enterprise. I have askedNASA to reinforce its ties with thj aerospace industry and withprivate citizen's groups to expand this effort to the fullest.

"In this connection I was particularly pleased to learn ofthe efforts of the National Space Institute to develop and sup-port a new national Young Astronauts program to involve youngAmericans more directly in our space program. This new organiza-tion will expand their appreciation of space as a place in whichpeople can live, work and learn. I've asked NASA to work direct-ly with the N.S.I. to develop this project in the context of ourPrivate Sector Initiative Program," the President said.

Among the major new initiatives planned as part of OperationLiftoff are:

1. New written materials on aeronautics and space topics forthe elementary level;

2. New and expanded audiovisual and computer products forclassroom use;

3. Encouragement of student participation in--and privatesector support for--such space and science-related extracurricu-lar activities as the National Space Institute's new YoungAstronauts youth organization.

4. Establishment of strong Teacher Resource Centers at allmajor NASA locations, at certain university sites and at NASAIndustrial Applications Centers.

5. Development of prototype commercial, education and cabletelevision programming on a pilot basis.

6. Conduct of opportunities conferences for educationalpublishers and representatives of other organizations who caneffectively utilize the materials and information in newclassroom materials.

7. Support for pilot programs offering one-day space camp-type experiences for elementary students.

8. Providing NASA space-related and live mission videocoverage to school systems nationally.

9. Encouragement of the widest possible participation by theprivate sector, using NASA resources whereever possible as seedmoney to stimulate participation by local school systems,community organizations and private businesses.

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Background

According to the report of the National Commission onExcellence in Education, April 1983, the educational foundationsof the United States are being eroded by a rising tide of mediocritythat threatens our future as a nation and as a people.

This erosion undergirds American prosperity and security andhas permitted preeminence in commerce, industry, science andtechnological innovation to be overtaken by determined, well-educated and highly motivated competing nations.

Learning is a priceless investment essential to a free,democratic society. President Reagan stated: "Certainly thereare few areas of American life as important to our society, toour people and to our families as our schools and colleges."

In view of a national commitment to excellence in education,the President responded with a White House-designed nationalprogram called "Partnerships in Education." He also developedthe Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science and MathematicsTeaching. The first of the awards have been received by twoteachers in each state.

NASA responded to the movement toward reform in education byundertaking a study of the agency's current education services todetermine if services could be expanded and new directionsinitiated.

It was determined early in the process that if NASA's excel-lent educational programs were to have maximum impact on thenational effort to attract more and better students into science,mathematics and engineering, it would be necessary to formulatean aggressive plan to capture their interest in their formativeyears, i.e., in the elementary grades. Such a program wouldutilize the 1,170,000 teachers and 76,302 schools currently inthe elementary system, and would support and complement thewidely acclaimed programs NASA now offers at university andsecondary levels.

The result of this effort is Operation Liftoff.

Young Astronauts Youth Organization

The Young Astronauts Youth Organization, to be establishedby the National Space Institute, will be for boys and girls ages6-12 and will be nationwide in scope. The program is designedto:

o Utilize the excitement and drama of space flight toinitiate and stimulate interest on the part of young people inbecoming involved, as adults, in space-related activities andcareers.

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o Increase student participation in technical studies suchas science and math.

o Encourage appreciation of space as an environment to beexplored, tamed and disciplined so that it can be used as a placein which to live, work and learn.

Young Astronauts will be an achievement-based programdedicated to developing an aspiration fcr excellence. Variouslevels of tasks will be built in which must be achieved forstudents to progress through the program. Rewards, includingbadges, astronaut-related memorabilia and visits to spacecenters, will be used as incentives. The program will be school-and community-related, NASA-assisted, supported by the privatesector and in operation in all 50 states within 12-24 months.

The National Space Institute is a nonprofit public interestorganization founded in 1974 by space pioneer and former NASAofficial Dr. Wernher von Braun NSI is engaged in a variety ofeducational and informational programs designed to make thepublic aware of the U.S. space program. Its headquarters is at600 Maryland Ave., S.W., Suite W-203, Washington, D.C. 20024.Glen P. Wilson, Ph.D., serves as Executive Director (Acting )phone: 202/ 484-1111.

Members of the Board of Governors are: Dr. Isaac Asimov,Frank Borman, Arthur C. Clarke, Capt. Jacques Cousteau, JohnDenver, Dr. James C. Fletcher, U.S. Representative Don Fuqua (D-Calif.), U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater (R-Ariz.), Barry Goldwater,Bob Hope, Dr. Robert Jastrow, John Johnson, Robert McCall, HaroldW. McGraw Jr., former U.S. Senator Frank E. Moss, FlorenceNelson, Nichelle Nichols, Dr. Melvin M. Payne, Dr. FrederickSeitz, Adm. Alan B. Shepard, Dr. John B. Slaughter, LouisSzathmary, Ph.D., Dr. James A. Van Allen and James B. Wyeth.

Directors include: Robert F. Allnutt, Ben Bova, Dr. Mark R.Chartrand, Dr. Joseph V. Charyk, Michael Collins, Gen. Benjamin0. Davis Jr., Dr. Harry S. Dawson Jr., Hugh Downs, Frederick C.Durant III, Dr. Nancy C. Feldman, Dr. Robert Gilruth, Edward Z.Gray, Earl D. Hilburn, Irving Kahn, Dr. Albert Kelley, Dr. JohnLogsdon, Dr. Rocco A. Petrone, Gene Roddenberry, Neil Ruzic,former U.S. Senator Harrison Schmitt, Dr. Charles Sheffield,Dr. S. Fred Singer, Charles E. Spanbauer, Louis Szathmary, Ph.D.,Paul Thayer, Maria von Braun, Dr. Glen P. Wii.on and WilliamWinpisinger.

- end -

(Index: 47)

~' ~- - - -". -

nUeSwswNational Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Wastington, D.C. 20546AC 202-453D840 0

For Reease:

Jim Kukowski June 29, 1984


Mary Ann PetoLewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio(Phone: 216/433-4000 ext. 438)

RELEASE ND: 84-84

LIQUID OXYGEN LEAK POSSIBLE CAUSE OF ATLAS CENTAUR FAILURE

A leak in the liquid oxygen system of the upper stage of an

Atlas Centaur expendable launch vehicle may have caused the loss

of the Intelsat F9 commnunications satellite June 9, according to

the head of the board investigating the matter.

Dr. Milton Silveira, NASA Chief Engineer and head of the

Failure Review Board, said a review of telemetry indicates a

higher than normal use of liquid oxygen in the Centaur upper

stage after separation from the Atlas first stage, thus giving an

indication of a leak in the Centaur stage. The first stage Atlas

performance appeared nominal.

The satellite, launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., presentlyis in an unusable low earth orbit.

The board, which is comprised of government and industry

engineers, will issue a formal report on the failure in the near

future.

- end -

(Index: 37)

- ...-

NSA NEMNational Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Wauington, D.C. 20546AC 202-453-8400

For lease:

William O'Donnell June 28, 1984Headquarters, Washington, D.C.(Phone: 202/453-1179)

IELEASE NO: 84-85

FOUR NASA CENTERS ASSIGNED SPACE STATION STUDIES

NASA announced to day that four of its centers will partici-pate in definition and preliminary design studies of the SpaceStation which President Reagan directed NASA to develop in hisS;-^tes of the Union message in January.

NASA is considering a number of alterative Space Stationdesign concepts and the purpose of the definition and preliminarydesign activity is to narrow to single concept.

The Johnson Space Center, Houston, was named earlier thisyear as the lead center for the Space Station program. The leadcenter is responsible for overall systems engineering for theprogram, the selection of a configuration and the integration ofall elements into an operating system which is responsive to thecustomer needs.

According to today's announcement, the Marshall Space FlightCenter, Huntsville, Ala., will be responsible for definition ofthe pressurized Space Station modules which will be built andequipped with appropriate systems for their use as laboratories,as the ward room and galley and for logistic transport. Devel-opment of this single "common" module design, with provisions fordata distribution, power, environmental control, thermal controland coinunications systems to be used in all pressurized areas inthe station, will provide for significant savings in the overallprogram.

Marshall also will manage the environmental control andpropulsive systems of the station, the Space Stationconfiguration of a propulsion vehicle (orbital maneuveringvehicle), which will be used to maneuver between the SpaceStation and other spacecraft, and will define and plan forequipping one of the common modules as a laboratory and anadditional two or three modules as logistics modules.

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Johnson, in addition to its lead center role, will beresponsible for the definition of the structural framework towhich the various elements of the Space Station will be attachedand for the integration and installation of systems onto thisstructure. The center also will be responsible for theinterfaces between the Space Station and the Space Shuttle andfor mechanisms such as the Remote Manipulator Systems, which willbe required during assembly of the station in orbit. Johnsonalso will manage the attitude control, thermal control, commun-ications and data management systems, and the equipping of acommon module for crew use as a ward room and galley.

The Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, will be responsiblefor the definition of the electrical power generation,conditioning and storage systems. Although most of the currentSpace Station studies have focused on large solar arrays as theprobable power generation system, Lewis will also examine andevaluate a number of alternative systems for electric powergeneration, conditioning and storage.

The Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Mid., will beresponsible for definition of the automated free-flying platformswhich are part of the overall Space Station program and forprovisions to service, maintain and repair these platforms aswell as other free-flying spacecraft. Goddard also will definethe provisions for instruments and payloads to be attachedexternally to the pressurized sections of the Space Station andalso will be responsible for definition of the pressurizedmodules as a laboratory.

Other NASA centers will support the definition and designactivities particularly in technology areas. The Kennedy SpaceCenter, Fla., will, of course be responsible for pre-flight andlaunch operations and will be involved in logistic supportactivities.

NASA is planning to release a Request for Proposal toindustry later this sumner which will lead to the award ofcompeting contracts with the four centers for thedefinition/design activities listed above. Award of thecontracts is expected early in 1985.

During the definition phase, NASA will continue negotiationswith several other nations to determine means of internationalcooperation in the development and use of the Space Station. Atthe completion of the definition period agreements will beconcluded with international partners on the role they will playin the development of the Space Station.

- end -

(Index: 46)

.s,,- a ~ -- i.. - -- - - -

NS NewNational Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Washington, D.C. 20546AC 202-453.8400

For Release:Azeezaly Jaffer June 29, 1984Headquarters, Washington, D.C.(Phone: 202/453-8371)

Leslie ReinertsonDryden Flight Rsearch Facility, Edwards, Calif.(Phone: 805/258-8381)

RELEASE NO: 84-86

NASA MATHEMATICIAN RECEIVES AWARD FOR COMPUTER BREAKTHOUGH

Cavid R. Hedgley, a research mathematician at NASA's DrydenFlight Research Facility, Edwards, Calif., has been awarded theAgency's Space Act Award for the major computer graphics break-through he developed.

Hedgley's Space Act Award was accompanied by a check for$7,500, the largest award ever granted to an Ames Dryden FlightResearch Facilty employee in the history of NASA's Space ActAwards program.

The breakthrough, already in wide use Liy industry, govern-ment and universities, is a code, which allows a wide variety ofcomputers to portray three-dimensional shapes. The code solveswhat computer graphic experts call the "hidden-line" problem inwhich the computer depicts both visible and hidden lines in X-rayor transparent views of three-dimensional objects, resulting in acluttered, confusing image. The solution elminates the "hiddenlines," achieving greater clarity.

Earlier solutions often required inordinately long executiontimes and had limited applications. The Hedgley solution isgeneral, very fast and applicable even in complex three-dimensional scenes.

While aeronautical researchers at Ames-Dryden FlightResearch Facility are using the solution, called the "Hidden LineComputer Code," in aircraft experimentation, it is applicable toa wide variety of fields including automotive design, architec-ture, metallurgy and other fields.

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Chemists at Rowland Institute for Science, Cambridge, Mass.,have used the code to visually represent molecule shapes, includ-ing new combinations of chemical elements. Engineers atLockheed-Georgia Company, makers of the world's largest militaryaircraft, use the code in propulsion, aerodymanics, structuresand scientific computing. Lockheed estimates that they saveabout $1,000 dollars a week in reduced engineering manhoursrequired to create and "debug" aerodynamic and sturcturalcomputer models. Engineers of the Nebraska Public Power Districtuse the code to generate drawings of substation site locationsand to ensure that the construction will blend well with theenvironment. They also use it in graphic protrayals of Districtpower usage and for other applications.

Public interest in the Hedgley solution has been recordbreaking according to COSMIC (Computer Software Management andInformation Center), a part of the University of Georgia. COSMICoperates as an extension of NASA's Technology Utilization Programin distributing NASA computer programs to other agencies and theprivate sector. The Hidden Line Computer Code has sold morecopies in the first year of its release than any program has soldsince COSMIC began in 1966. Reports from COSMIC clients usingthe solution have been laudatory.

Hedgely joined NASA in 1966 and holds a masters degree inmathematics from the University of California at Northridge. Hereceived his bachelor's degree in biology and chemistry from theUniversity of Virginia. Hedgley is a resident of Palmdale,Calif.

- end -

(Index: 26, 27)

BEFORE SOLUTION

AFTER SOLUTION


Washigon, D.C. 20546AC 202.453-8400

For Release:

Kenneth Atchison June 29, 1984Headquarters, Washington, D.C.(Phone: 202/453-2759)

RELEASE NO: 84-87

NASA WEEAR-PROOF REFRIGERATOR IN OPERATION FOR ONE YEAR

A wear-proof refrigeration system developed by engineers atNASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, M1., and NorthAmerican Philips Laboratories, Briarcliff, N.Y., has completedits first year of operation with no signs of reduced performance.

The refrigeration system, a Stirling Cycle Cryogenic Cooler,uses components which %'ark without bearings, seals or lubricantsand do not wear down frcm friction. The cooling system wasdeveloped for use aboard satellites but has potential applica-tions in such fields as computers and biomedical instrumentation,food processing and robotic machinery.

The technology also could be a precursor to futurecommercial development of pumps, motors, compressors and othermechanical devices with longer life spans and less susceptibilityto failure.

The Cryogenic Cooler has been operating at Philips Labssince March 1982 in the form of a proof-of-principle modelconstructed largely from commercial parts.

Operating silently at an average speed of 25 cycles persecond, the system to date has run for more than 750 millioncycles. The cooler generates five watts of cooling power at atemperature of 65 degrees Kelvin, when its compression heat isdissipated at 300 K.

"The model has proven the pcinciple of the system soconvincingly that we will now build a working model that could beused operationally," says Goddard's manager for the project,Dr. Allan Sherman.

Aboard a spacecraft, the refrigerator could be used to coolthe sensors of scientific instruments for five years or longer,permitting observations of faint levels of energy (such asinfrared or gamma rays) from distant stars.

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Equally, the refrigerator could be used to cool largerstorage tanks for cryog-ens (low temperature coolants) aboardsatellites, preventing or reducing cryogen boil-off and soextending the lifetime of the reservoir. This approach, which,for example, might be used aboard NASA's upcoming Advanced X-rayAstronomical Facility, can be compared to using a refrigerator topreserve an ice cube. In turn, the ice can be used indefinitelyas a cooling source. The same technology might one day beapplied aboard the Space Station to maintain a large reservoir ofcryogens for refueling depleted satellites in orbit.

The cryogenic cooler also could be applied to coolinginstrument sensors on earth just as in space. For example, thetechnology could be adapted to cooling heat-sensing devices usedby geologists in deep wells or in instruments used at remoteweather stations.

end -

Nabonal Acronaubm andSpacArisato

Wftfon, D.C. 3546AC 22453-840W

For Reliase:


Peter WallerAmes Research Center, Mountain View, Calif.(Phone: 415/965-5091)

Amy McKayAmes Research Center, Mountain View, Calif.(Phone: 415/965-5091)

RELEASE NO: 84-88

PIONEER CAN MAKE UNIQUE HALLEY'S COMET OBSERVATION

NASA has identified an opportunity to reorient the Pioneerspacecraft now in orbit around Venus to look at Halley's Comet inearly 1986, as the comet hurtles between Venus and the sun on its76-year tour of the solar system.

This will give the United States a unique observation ofHalley's Comet, because the Pioneer Venus orbiter will be theonly spacecraft in a position to observe the comet when it ismost spectacular -- at perihelion, the point where a comet comesnearest the sun and is most active.

Because the earth will be on the opposite side of the sunfrom both Venus and the comet at perihelion, direct observationsfrom our planet will be extremely difficult. But Halley'3 Cometwill be easily seen from the Pioneer orbiter spacecraft at Venus.

Data from Pioneer's ultraviolet spectrometer will add to theinformation from other observations, to provide a detailedscientific portrait of Halley's Comet, which has been observed atevery passage since 87 B.C. but which won't be seen again untilthe year 2061.

The Pioneer orbiter was launched in 1978 to make a detailedscientific study of Venus, and the spacecraft's on-boardinstruments continue to study atmospheric circulation and avariety of other Venus-related phenomena. However, the Halleyobservation will be only the second time the orbiter will havebeen moved to observe a comet.

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Comets are thought to resemble gigantic dirty snowballs madeup of mostly dust, rocky material, and water ice. As they speedtowards the inner solar system, attracted by the sun's gravita-tional force, the intense heat of the sun vaporizes che ice andthe comets grow the tail of gases and dust for which they arebest known.

To observe the gases and dust emanating from Halley's Comet,NASA mission controllers must tilt the Pioneer orbiter so itsUltraviolet (UV) Spectrometer can point at the passing comet. TheUV Spectrometer, one of many scientific instruments on theorbiter, detects light in the UV region of the electromagneticspectrum (invisible light that, among other things, causessunburn).

Most atoms emit UV light when they're exposed to sunlight.By measuring the wavelength and intensity of the emitted light,scientists can determine which elements are present in asubstance and in what amount. Data from the orbiter's UVSpectrometer will characterize the comet's gas composition, itswater vaporization rate and its gas to dust ratio.

Comets are thought to be frozen remnants of the materialthat formed the sun and the planets, so such information oncometary ingredients can provide clues to the early chemical andphysical history of the solar system.

Astronomers theorize that most comets reside far beyond theplanets as a vast "cloud," known as Oort's Cloud, which isbelieved to be stocked with trillions of comets. Only arelatively few journey to the inner solar system and even fewerare captured into orbit to return again and again.

Halley's Comet comes around every 76 years, and during thispassage it will reach perihelion -- the point where it comesclosest to the sun -- on Feb. 9, 1986. There, the raging heat ofthe sun vaporizes the comet's ices faster than at any othertime. The resulting gases, excited by the sunlight, will emitlight themselves; and the dust particles dragged off the cometwith the vaporized ice will reflect the sun's light, causingHalley's Comet to be at its brightest.

At this time, unfortunately, the comet will be on the farside of the sun, and direct observations from the earth will benearly impossible. In fact, Halley's Comet won't be the visualspectacle it has been in past apparitions because of the adversecelestial geometry during its 1986 passage. Ray L. Newburn,leader of the International Halley Watch, says the 1986appearance will be the "worst viewing for the naked eye in thelast 2000 years."

But the planet Venus a/ill be relatively close to Halley'sComet at perihelion, so the Pioneer Venus orbiter will be par-ticularly well-placed for viewing the comet. Halley's Comet willbe observed for six to eight weeks in February and March 1986.

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Pulled by the same gravitational force that keeps theplanets revolving in their orbits, Halley's Comet will swing pastthe sun at about 180,000 km/hr (111,850 mph/hr). Thus, to gatherdata on the fast-moving comet, the Pioneer orbiter must regularlybe moved to track it.

To practice making the maneuver necessary to observeHalley's Comet, mission controllers tilted the orbiter by 37degrees in mid-April 1984 to look across the solar system atComet Encke. The data from the Pioneer orbiter were surprising--Comet Encke was losing water at a rate approximately three timeshigher than expected for its distance from the sun. Thissuggests that the materials making up Comet Encke are not mixedtogether well.

For the Halley observation, members of the PioneerOperations team will send commands for orbiter maneuvers from thePioneer Mission Operations Center at Ames Research Center,Mountain View, Calif. To control the Pioneer orbiter's tilt,team members will fire pulses from one of the seven small rocketmotors, or thrusters, on the spacecraft.

The orbiter spins five times a minute as it travels in itsorbit around Venus. By selecting the right time during each spinfor the orbiter to fire the thruster, and by choosing the number,length and direction of the thruster pulses, engineers will beable to tilt the spacecraft to the desired position. For theHalley's Comet observation, the pointing of the orbiter's spinaxis will be moved in small increments. The orbiter will fire atotal of some 1,000 pulses each a half second long, and theentire maneuver will consume about half of the spacecraft'susable fuel reserve.

Because the UV Spectrometer has a small field of view and isalways rotating it will "see" only a strip of Halley's Cometduring each spin. However, by tipping the orbiter so the UVSpectrometer can view another area, a two-dimensional image ofthe entire comet can be built up, strip by strip.

The orbiter's data will be sent to scientists at theUniversity of Colorado at Boulder. There, a team of researchers,headed by Dr. Ian Stewart, the principal investigator for the UVSpectrometer instrument on the orbiter, will analyze the data.

The Pioneer spacecraft iq managed by NASA's Ames ResearchCenter and was built by Hughes Aircraft Co. of El Segundo,Calif. The UV Spectrometer was built by the University ofColorado at Boulder.

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Other NASA observations of Halley's Comet include those fromthe Shuttle-borne Astro 1 and Spartan missions, in which avariety of UV sensitive instruments and cameras will look at thecomet. NASA also plans observations from the InternationalCometary Explorer spacecraft, the Solar Maximum Mission andInternational Ultraviolet Explorer satellites as well as severalsounding rockets. In addition to these remote observations, theEuropean Space Agency's Giotto spacecraft and two spacecraft fromthe Soviet Union and one from Japan will make close passes byHalley's Comet about a month after perihelion. They will make inplace measurements of the dust and gases emitted by Halley'sComet.

In its earlier appearances; Halley's Comet was thought to bea portent of historic events, usually unpleasant ones. It wasbelieved to have foretold the death of Agrippa in 11 B.C., thedestruction of Jerusalem in 66 A.D. and the defeat of Attila theHun in 451. Before English astronomer Edmond Halley calculatedthe comet's elliptical path around the sun, in the early 1700s,many astronomers had thought comets were random celestialoccurrences

But Halley, who had studied numerous other comets, noticedthat three of them -- the comet he observed in 1682 and twoearlier comets -- followed remarkably similar paths. These tnreecame about 76 years apart, and Halley surmised they were actuallyperiodic appearances of the same comet. He even predicted thatthe comet would show up next in 1758. Halley was right, and the'comet he observed now bears his name.

- end -

- . -. -- H 'I.-

1.,


Waslngton, D.C. 20546AC 202453-8400

Jim Kukowski For Rlease:Headquarters, Washington, D.C. July 5, 1984(Phone: 202/453-8590)

RELEASE NO: 84-89

HUGHES AIRCRAFT NOMINATES PAYLOAD SPECIALISTS FOR SHUTTLE FLIGHTS

Two civilian engineers from Hughes Communications, Inc., LosAngeles, Calif., will fly aboard the Space Shuttle next year aspart of NASA's commercial payload specialist program. The twoindividuals will be on flights that will deploy the firm's Leasatcommunications satellites.

Hughes has nominated two payload specialists and twoalternates for Shuttle flight 51-D in March and flight 51-I inAugust 1985. A total of four of the Leasat (Syncom IV)satellites will be flown.

Selected as payload specialist candidates are Gregory Jarvisof Hermosa Beach, Calif., and Dr. John Harrison Konrad of ElSegundo, Calif., both employees of Hughes Aircraft Co. Space andCommunications Group.

Jarvis was a member of the Leasat design and engineeringteam and managed the integration and test team for the Leasatprogram. He has been with Hughes for 11 years.

Konrad has been a Hughes employee for eight years. Hie hasbeen involved with the Intelsat 6 and Telstar 3 programs. Konradwas also a member of the system engineering team for the Shuttlelaunched Anik and SBS satellite programs.

The two alternates selected are L. William Butterworth ofRolling Hills Estates, Calif., and Dr. Steven Lee Cunningham ofAltadena, Calif. Butterworth is presently assistant programmanager of the Galileo Probe Program. Cunningham is manager ofthe Space and Communications Group's Systems Analysis Department.

The two engineers selected for the flights will undergo NASAtraining for about nine months, but remain employees of Hughes.

The Leasat program provides dedicated data and voicecommunications to U.S. Armed Forces mobile units. The system,owned by Hughes Communications, Inc., is operated on a long-termlease basis with the U.S. Navy.

- end -(Index: 37)

, Or g A

-ltt < ~,t - - r-r-asv

*o NeZNalbioal Aeronautics andSpace Admiristraio

Wasngton, D.C. 20546AC 202453-8400

For RPlease:James F. Kukowski July 5, 1984Headquarters, Washington, D.C.(Phone: 202/453-8590

Terry M. EddlemanMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.(Phone: 205/453-0035)

RELEASE NO: 84-90

NASA AWARDS ORBITAL TRANSFER VEHICLE STUDY CONTRACTS

A space vehicle to move payloads from low earth orbits tohigher earth orbits will be the subject of new study contractsawarded by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville,Ala.

Both Martin Marietta Aerospace Co. in Denver and BoeingAerospace Co. in Seattle have been awarded contracts to perform"parallel" studies -- that is, concurrent but independent studiesin the same area of concentration -- for an Orbital TransferVehicle, or "OTV." The cost of each contract, which will run for15 months, is about $1 million.

The transfer vehicle intially would be an unmanned "upperstage," a rocket that would transfer payloads in space from oneorbit to another. After moving the payload into its properposition in orbit, the vehicle would return on its own to eithera ground base or a space base such as a Space Station for reuse.

Martin Marietta and Boeing will conduct these new conceptualstudies to examine the possibilities of both space-based andground-based transfer vehicles. The space-based version would bemaintained and refueled at the Space Station, whereas a ground-based vehicle would be carried into space by the Space Shuttleand deployed.

For ground-based considerations, both Shuttle payload bay-launched and aft cargo carrier-launched concepts will be studied.

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The aft cargo carrier, also under study at the MarshallCenter, would be a payload compartment attached to the aft end ofthe Shuttle's external tank. The transfer vehicle would beplaced in this aft cargo compartment and carried into orbit.Once in orbit the transfer vehi-le wouli be senarated from theexternal tank, while the payload that the vehicle would laterferry would be deployed from the cargo bay of the orbiter. Thevehicle would then join with the payload and begin its job ofmoving the payload to higher orbit.

If the transfer vehicle were to be space-based, however,there would be certain advantages. The vehicle would remainpermanently in orbit rather than be carried to orbit and returnto earth after each use. Initial delivery of this space-basedvehicle could be either in the Shuttle cargo bay or in the aftcargo compartment of the the external tank. "You could assemblethe vehicle in orbit," said Don Saxton, Marshall's study managerof the Orbital Transfer Vehicle, "so that it would be larger thana ground-based unit and capable of carrying more payload.

"Various alternatives for the transfer vehicle in additionto the land- or space-based questions must be examined. Shouldit be reusable or expendable? Should it use cryogenic orstorable propellants? These conceptual studies will help us toresolve these questions."

A possible compromise could be reached for the basing modeof the vehicle. "It may begin as a ground-based operation," saidSaxton, "but then evolve to a space-based one."

The transfer vehicle as presently conceived by Marshall.engineers would be an unmanned upper stage in the beginning. Theultimate goal, however, would be to develop a manned vehiclecapable of ferrying a crew capsule to geosynchronous orbit --that point 22,300 miles above the earth where an orbiting objectappears to remain stationary in the sky. The vehicle would thenreturn the crew and capsule for other missions.

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