Aeronautics and Space Report of the President 1986 Activities \ NOTE TO READERS: ALL PRINTED PAGES ARE INCLUDED, UNNUMBERED BLANK PAGES DURING SCANNING AND QUALITY CONTROL CHECK HAVE BEEN DELETED Aeronautics and Space Report of the President 1986 Activities National Aeronautics and Space Administration Washington, D.C. 20546 Contents Page b3e Summary ............................. 1 Environmental Protection Agency ......... 115 Spacescience ....................... 3 Monitoring and Assessing the Communications .................... 6 Environment ...................... 115 Earth's Atmosphere, Environment and National Science Foundation ............. 119 Resources ......................... 7 Astronomical Sciences ................ 119 Space Transportation ................ 9 Atmospheric Sciences ................ 119 Commercial Use of Space ............. 10 Smithsonian Institution ................. 121 Space Tracking and Data Systems ...... 11 Space Sciences ...................... 121 Space Station ....................... 11 Atmospheric Sciences ................ 121 Aeronautics and Space Research and Space Technology .................... 121 Technology ........................ 12 Planetary Sciences .................. 121 National Aeronautics and Space Department of State .................... 123 Administration ....................... 17 Activities within the United Nations .... 123 Space Science ....................... 17 Communication Satellites ............. 124 Applications ........................ 25 Arms Control and Disarmament Agency .... 127 Space Transportation ................ 33 U.S. Space Arms Control Activities ..... 127 Commercial Use of Space ............. 37 Multilateral Discussions on Space Arms Space Station ....................... 39 Control .......................... 127 Space Tracking and Data Systems ...... 43 Space Policy ........................ 127 Space Research and Technology ........ 45 United State Information Agency ......... 129 Aeronautics Research and Technology ... 51 Voice of America .................... 129 Department of Defense .................. 61 Television Service ................... 129 Space Activities ..................... 61 Other .USUActivities. ............... 129 Aeronautical Activities ............... 66 Space and Aeronautics Support ........ 71 Appendixes Relations with NASA ................ 73 Department of Commerce ................ 75 A-1 U.S. Spacecraft Record ................... 131 Space Systems ...................... 75 A-2 World Record of Space Launches Successful Satellite Data Services ............... 77 in Attaining Earth Orbit or Beyond ...... 131 International Activities ............... 79 A-3 Successful U.S. Launches-1986 ........... 132 Research ........................... 80 B-1 US.-Launched Applications Satellites, 1980- Aeronautical Programs ............... 81 1986 ................................ 134 Department of Energy ................... 83 B-2 US.-Launched Scientific Satellites, 1980- Space Nuclear Power Systems ......... 83 1986 ................................ 136 Nuclear Test Detection ............... 85 B-3 US.-Launched Space Probes, 1975-1986 .... 137 Department of the Interior ............... 87 C U.S. and Soviet Manned Spaceflights, 1961- Remotely Sensed Data Acquisition and 1986 ................................ 138 Processing ........................ 87 D U.S. Space Launch Vehicles .............. 14.4 Digital Data Processing and E-1 Space Activities of the US. Transmission ...................... 88 Government: Remote Sensing Applications .......... 89 Historical Budget Summary- International Activities ............... 95 Budget Authority .................... 145 Department of Agriculture ............... 97 E-2 Space Activities Budget .................. 147 Remote Sensing Research ............. 97 E-3 Aeronautics Budget ..................... 147 Federal Communications Commission ...... 101 F-1 Presidential Commission on the Space Communications Satellites ............ 101 Shuttle Challenger Accident-Executive New Satellite Services ................ 103 Order ............................... 148 International Conference Activities ..... 104 F-2 Presidential Statement on Fourth Shuttle Department of Transportation ............ 105 Orbiter and Commercial Payloads ........ 149 Aviation Safety ..................... 105 Air Navigation and Air Traffic Control . 110 Ofice of Commercial Space Transportation .................... 112 the target date for resuming Shuttle flights. Summary Based upon a reduced flight rate, a 3-year projected manifest was issued that accommo- During 1986, advances that were made in dated the payload backlog as much as possi- the areas of aeronautics, space science and ble. In addition, the President announced his applications, and space exploration, involv- support of the construction of a vehicle to re- ing several federal agencies, demonstrated place Challenger, and of a new policy on the the Nation’s abiding commitment to improve commercial use of space that emphasized pri- the quality of life on Earth and to extend hu- vate sector launches of commercial satellites, man enterprise beyond Earth. However, the except for those that are uniquely suited to Space Shuttle Challenger accident, and the the Shuttle or have national security or for- subsequent investigation and recovery opera- eign policy implications. tions, were the dominant events of the year, affecting a broad range of national and inter- In 1986, expendable launch vehicles national space plans and policies. (ELV’s) continued to provide launch support to satellite users. Five launches were con- The year’s successful Space Shuttle mission ducted for the Department of Defense (DOD) began with the launch of flight 61-C on Jan- and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric uary 12, using the orbiter Columbia. The 6- Administration (NOAA) using Scout, Delta, day mission carried the Materials Science AtlasEentaur, and Atlas E/F vehicles. In ad- Laboratory; the first Hitchhiker payload-of- dition, NASA initiated studies on the need to opportunity carrier; the Infrared Imaging establish a Mixed Fleet Transportation Sys- Experiment; 13 Getaway Specials; and RCA’s tem that would consist of the Space Shuttle Satcom K-1 communications satellite was and existing or new ELV’s. deployed. One of two payload specialists on the flight was U.S. Representative Bill Nel- In lieu of using the Centaur G prime upper son who participated in a number of experi- stage to launch planetary payloads, the Iner- ments for the National Aeronautics and tial Upper Stage (a launch vehicle that fits Space Administration (NASA). into the Shuttle’s cargo bay) was selected for On January 28, Space Shuttle Challenger the Magellan, Galileo, and Ulysses planetary flight 51-L was launched at 11:38 a.m. missions. Aboard were Francis R. “Dick” Scobee, com- In the area of space exploration, Voyager 2 mander; Michael J. Smith, pilot; Judith A. became the first spacecraft to fly past Resnik, Ellison S. Onizuka, and Ronald E. Uranus, providing prime scientific data on McNair, mission specialists; and payload spe- that planetary body. In an unprecedented, co- cialists Gregory B. Jarvis, Hughes Aircraft ordinated effort, Halley’s Comet was studied Company, and Christa McAuliffe, the first extensively by scientists and astronomers teacher in space. Flight 51-L ended 73 sec- from around the world. Also, in the process of onds later in an explosive burn of hydrogen star formation, astronomers observed the and oxygen propellants that destroyed the stage where the collapsing object is closer to External Tank and exposed the spacecraft to attaining stellar dimensions than anything severe aerodynamic loads that caused com- previously observed; and the fastest known plete structural breakup. All seven crew spinning binary pulsar was discovered. members perished. Subsequently, President Reagan announced the formation of the Pres- The year 1986 marked the 25th anniver- idential Commission on the Space Shuttle sary of the use of Radioisotope Thermoelec- Challenger Accident to determine the proba- tric Generators (RTG’s). Through the years, ble cause and necessary corrective actions. RTG’s delivered by the Department of En- After conducting an extensive investigation, ergy to NASA and the DOD provided safe and the Commission made important recommen- highly reliable electric power sources that dations designed to insure the return to safe contributed to the success of some of the most ambitious and spectacular astronautical flight. NASA’s plan to implement the recom- mendations of the Commission was submit- events ever undertaken by the United States. ted to President Reagan on July 14. RTG’s aboard spacecraft studying the inter- planetary medium, Pioneer 10 and Pioneer After extensive studies of the entire Shut- 11, launched in 1972 and 1973, respectively, tle Transportation System program were con- and the Voyager 1and Voyager 2, launched in ducted, NASA announced February 1988 as 1977, are still operational. 1 Under a White House directive, NASA and ship of a mobile satellite system would be the DOD continued to examine technologies that best way to provide a variety of services to the would improve launch capabilities in the public. In addition, advances in technology post-1995 period. In addition, studies were resulted in new applications of satellite- initiated to examine options for new rocket delivered communications. The FCC granted engines, advanced propulsion recovery sys- approval to a company to construct, launch, tems, and