Aeronautics and Space Report of the President 1977 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 1977 Activities National Aeronautics and Space Administration Washington, D.C. 20546 Table of Contents Page Page I. Summary of U.S. Aeronautics and VI. Department of the Interior __________ 66 Space Activities of 1977 __________ 1 Introduction ____ __________ _ _ __ 66 Introduction _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ - 1 Earth Resources Observation Communications _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ - 1 Systems Program _____________ 66 Earth's Resources _______ _______ 2 National Cartographic Informa- Space Science __________________ 5 tion Center __________________ 67 Transportation _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___ _ _ _ _ __ 7 Monitoring the Environment ___ 67 Space Energy __________________ 11 Research _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - - _ 68 11. National.. Aeronautics and Space International Activities _________ 69 Administration _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - 13 VII. Department of Transportation _______ 70 Introduction _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 13 Introduction _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ - _ _ - _ _ - _ - _ 70 Applications to Earth _ _______ _ __ 13 Air Safety ..................... 70 Science _______________________ 18 Air Traffic Control and Air Space Transportation _ _______ __ _ 22 Navigation - _ - _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ 72 Space Research and Technology- - 26 OST Research Support __________ 7.3 Tracking and Data Acquisition __ 27 NASA Energy Programs ________ 28 Aeronautical Research and Appendixes Development _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ 29 111. Department of Defense _____________ 33 A-1 U.S. Spacecraft Record _____________ 75 Introduction. .. _ __ __ ________ __ ___ 33 A-2 World Record of Space Launchings Space Activities _______________ 33 Successful in Attaining Earth Aeronautical Activities _________ 39 Orbit or Beyond ________________ 75 Relationship with NASA 46 _______ A-3 Successful U.S. Launchings-1977 ___ 76 IV. Department of Commerce ___________ 49 B-1 U.S. Applications Satellites, 1973-1977 82 Introduction _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 49 Space Systems _________________ 49 B-2 US.-Launched Scientific Payloads, Other Uses of Satellites and Space 54 1973-1977 _____________________- 84 Space Support Activities ________ 56 13-3 USLaunched Space Probes, 1973- Space and Atmospheric Research- 57 1977 _______________________-__- 85 Data Programs ________________ 58 C History of United States and Soviet Aeronautical Program's _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ - 59 Manned Space Flights ___________ 86 V. Department of Energy 60 ______________ D U.S. Space Launch Vehicles ___-___--88 Introduction _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ 60 Space Applications of Nuclear E- 1 Space Activities of the U.S. Govern- Power ____________________ __ 60 ment U.S. Space Budget-Budget Authority 89 Program Planning _____________ 63 _ ______ ______________ - Space Disposal of Nuclear Wastes 63 E-2 Space Activities Budget ___________- 90 Satellite Power Stations _________ 64 Aeronautics Budget _ ____-__-_ - -- - - - 90 iii Aerospace Events of 1977 The United States in 1977 conducted the successful approach and landing tests of the Space Shuttle Orbiter, neared completion of the Shuttle facilities at the Kennedy Space Center, made operational use of data from the network of environmental satellites, and continued work to improve military aviation. On October 12, 1977, Enteiprise, the Space Shuttle’s Orbiter No. I (above) separated from its 747 carrier aircraft and began its 5-minute glide to its first landing on a concrete runway. This was the last of five approach and landing flights conducted in 1977 at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, California. The live flights confirmed the Orbiter’s ability to descend through the atmosphere and make an airplane-like landing. In preparation for the orbital flight tests scheduled for 1979, the Shuttle fa- cilities at Kennedy Space Center in Florida neared completion. These Octo- ber photos show (below, left) Launch Complex 39 being reworked from its Apollo launch configuration to its Shuttle configuration, and (below, light) the Orbiter landing facility (at top) and tow road leading to the pair of rectangular buildings where Orbiters will be refurbished after flight. iv Environmental satellites continued to pro- vide data used in operational weather fore- casting and resources monitoring. At left, an enhanced infrared image fiom the Goes 1 satellite shows areas of precipitation acioss North America on July 19, 1977. The densest precipitation is seen over westein Pennsyl- vania; indeed, it was causing the Johnston flood of July 19-20. A threatening absence of piecipitation is erident below in contrast be- tween the April snow pack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in 1W5 (left) and 1977 (right). This radiometer image from the Noaa 5 weather satellite gave accurate warn- ing of the severe water shortage in the West- ern states during the summer of 1977. In 1977, the Department of Defense con- ducted flight tests of the Navy’s Tomahawk cruise missile (right) and deployed increas- ing numbers of the new F-16 fighter aircraft (below) to the fleet’s aircraft carriers. V Summary of United States Aeronautics I and Space Activities in 1977 Introduction Operational Space Systems Intelsat. The International Telecommunications The national programs in aeronautics and space Satellite Organization (Intelsat) increased its made steady progress in 1977 toward their long- membership by 24 countries in 1977, bringing the term objectives. In aeronautics the goals were im- total to 101. Its space capability was also aug- proved performance, energy efficiency, and safety mented, by the launch on May 26, 1977, of another in our aircraft. In space the goals were: better Intelsat IV-A satellite into synchronous orbit to remote sensing systems to generate more sophis- serve the Atlantic Ocean region. ticated information about the Earth’s environment; Marisat. The Marine Satellite (MARISAT) con- cost-effective, versatile space transportation; and sortium expanded commercial service to the Indian understanding the origins and processes of the Ocean in 1977, adding to its service in the Atlantic Earth, the solar system, and the Universe. and Pacific for commercial shipping and in all Aeronautical research made real gains toward three oceans for the U.S. Navy. The number of developing technologies that would enable future U.S. ships equipped with MARISAT terminals transport aircraft to reduce fuel consumption by tripled and that of the world fleet doubled. Con- up to 50 percent along with lower noise and emis- stant contact with the home office makes ship de- sion levels. ployment much more cost-effective and speeds de- The United States attempted 26 launches into livery of goods. space in 1977; 24 of them put 29 satellites into Milita y Communications Satellites. The three orbit. NASA orbited 15 satellites in 14 launches; 2 major operating requirements for military com- launches failed, and a third placed a satellite into munication by satellite are (1) high-capacity elliptical instead of synchronous orbit. DoD orbited worldwide point-to-point communication, (2) mod- 14 satellites in 10 launches, with another 2 erate-capacity service to mobile users, and (3) launched for DoD by NASA. Of the NASA total, command and control communication for strategic only 4 were NASA launches; costs of launching the forces. remainder were reimbursed by governmental, in- For the first of these needs, in 1977 the Defense ternational, and commercial customers. The NASA Communications Satellite Program (DSCS) had launches included a high-energy astronomy satel- four operational spacecraft: two DSCS satellites lite, two planetary satellites heading toward Jupiter, launched in May 1977 and deployed over the At- and a radiation-counting satellite focused on the lantic and west Pacific, a DSCS experimental satel- magnetosphere. lite launched in December 1973 and now over the This chapter will summarize highlights of the Indian Ocean, and NATO IIIB on loan for tem- year, arranged topically rather than by agency. porary use over the eastern Pacific. Four more Subsequent chapters will be devoted to the aero- DSCS 11 satellites were scheduled for launch in nautics and space activities of the six Federal agen- 1978 and development continued of the improved cies with the largest programs in those areas, as DSCS I11 model. determined by their budgets. The moderate-capacity requirement will be met by the Fleet Satellite Communications Service Communications (FLTSATCOM) for contacting mobile units of the Navy and Air Force. The first satellite is sched- Communications satellites were the first space uled for launch early in 1978. systems to demonstrate commercial feasibility and The strategic command and control system is are still the largest and fastest growing segment of now provided by transponders on several satellites, space development. pending development of a strategic satellite system. 1 Domestic Commercial Satellites. At the begin- tions in the Earth's atmosphere and water and on ning of 1977, three domestic communications satel- its land surface. These data were increasingly used lite systems were already in operation in the 4 and in analysis and protection of the environment. 6 GHz (gigahertz) bands. This year the Federal Communications Commission authorized Satellite lnveatorying and Monitoring Business Systems to develop and flight-test satellites operating in the 12- and 14-GHz bands to provide Lundsat Expel-iments.