MSFN Preparing for MM 71

Po*i hletw-oeh Pete-on*'’&l C)*du MSFN Preparing For MM 71 ... AN OFFICIAL / PUBLICATION OF.... / The MSFN will support the Mariner USB tracking data. Other prime objec Mars 71 (MM 71) launches on May 6 and tives of the experiment will be to prove May 16; the first spacecraft (Mariner-H, the 85-foot station capacity to track NCG-286) is scheduled to precede the effectively in deep space, and to place second spacecraft (Mariner-I, NCG 287) precision frequency standards such as by ten days. The two launches will the GSFC experimental hydrogen masers take place at KSC from the AFETR at several DSN stations to obtain fre launch complexes 36A and 36B. quency comparisons with the DSS pri mary frequency standards at those sta 1The MSFN will provide command, tions. metric, and telemetiy ground support The geodetic experiment will run / to_ the spacecraft and launch vehicle for six months. Each USB station projects, and will conduct a geodetic participating will be used for five or IIP station location experiment to more six tracking periods of one week each. accurately define the coordinates of TECHNICAL “ The MSFN stations that will support iHFB- MSFN USB antennas. 1 INFORMATION this experiment are: ACN, CRO, CYI, The missions present a unique oppor BDA, MIL, TEX, GWM, HAW, MAD, BULLETIN tunity to obtain tracking data which can GDS, HSK, and ETC. v r- r~ r~i •*^•"7 1 I be used to generate improved geodetic Unlike the MM-69 planet flyby : J / coordinates for the 30- and 85-foot prime missions, the MM-71 are Mars planet •••THE MANNED SPACE FLIGHT NETWORKt USB tracking stations. The geodetic orbiter missions. The spacecraft will mispositioning of the MSFN stations is provide broad topographic and 1 -" I the major source of error in trajectories thermal coverage, study seasonal Volume 8, Number 3 February 3, 1971 presently being determined from MSFN Continued On Next P nae _______ GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER LOW-GAIN ANTENNA 1970 Produces Major MANEUVER ENGINE New Findings PROPULSION TANK -2 The United States space program pro duced major new scientific findings in SOLAR PANEL -4 1970 as NASA continued its exploration of the moon and beyond. Following up HIGH-GAIN ANTENNA on the historic Apollo 11 and 12 flights, MEDIUM-GAIN ANTENNA scientists reached a number of conclu CANOPUS SENSOR sions based on the studies of the lunar CRUISE SUN SENSOR PROPULSION PRESSURIZATION rocks returned to earth and data from TANK -2 automatic recorders left on the moon by TEMPERATURE CONTROL Apollo 12. LOUVERS Among the findings it was noted that: - there is no sign of life, past or present, on the moon. - rocks returned from the moon are older than any found on earth. UV SPECTROMETER - lunar rocks are composed of the ACQUISITION same chemical elements as some found SUN SENSORS -4 NARROW-ANGLE TV on earth, but in unusual proportions. IR INTERFEROMETER SPECTROMETER - and, a new mineral found on the moon has been named Armalcol for the Mariner Mars 71 spacecraft top view. three Apollo 11 astronauts — Arm strong, Aldrin and Collins. NASA’sunmanned program also con-, Apollo And Mariner Mars Will Highlight 1971 tributed further to our knowledge of the planets. NASA announced, in May, after a study of enhanced photos taken by Two manned Apollo missions to the scheduled to be crew members on Apollo Mariner spacecraft, that one of Mars’ moon and two unmanned Mariner Mars 15. On this flight, for the first time, two moons, Phobos, appears to be very launches in late spring will highlight an electric lunar roving vehicle will be dark and potato-shaped. NASA’s 1971 space flight program. taken along to extend the expedition’s Another exciting development was the In addition to the Apollo and Mariner range. Scott and Irwin will ride the first positive identification of amino launches, the NASA 1971 space flight Rover, carrying a color TV camera, acids of extraterrestrial (non-earthly) schedule includes a broad range of sci over a northern lunar plain cut by the origin. The find, made at NASA’s Ames entific and applications satellites, aer Hadley Rille, which is a broad, deep Research Center is probably the first onautical research, and cooperative gorge which runs along the base of the conclusive proof of extraterrestrial space exploration with other countries. 8,000-foot Apennine Mountains. chemical evolution, the chemical pro Six months after Apollo 14, on July They will deploy scientific record cesses which precede the origin of life. 25, Astronauts David R. Scott, Alfred ers, collect lunar samples, and attempt Continued on Next Page M. Worden, and James B. Irwin are Continued on Next Page Apollo And Mariner Mars Will Highlight 1971 Launches M M 71 Continued From Page One Other launches tentatively scheduled Continued From Page One/ to find evidence on the origin of the for 1971 include: variations in the atmosphere and the strange lunar rilles which resemble the Intelsat (Jan. 25) - a communications surface, and conduct long-term dry river beds found on earth. Samples spacecraft to be orbited for the Inter dynamic observations lasting for a may indicate whether water, not yet national Telecommunications Satellite minimum of 90 days. The MM-71 found on the moon, was a factor in its Consortium to supplement its existing missions will vastly increase our formation. satellite network; knowledge of the planet Mars, its The two Mariner Mars T 71 spacecraft NATO-B (Feb. 2) - a communications seasons and atmosphere, and aid in will be launched from Cape Kennedy in satellite which will be operated by the our planning of the first Mars landing May, the second approximately ten North Atlantic Treaty Organization; in 1975—th e Viking mission. days after the launch of the first. Each IMP-I (Feb. 25) - Interplanetary Mon will be assigned separate scientific mis itoring Platform-I; sions. After injection into orbit around Solrad (February) - a Navy scientific NEW CAMERA USED ON APOLLO 14. Mars in November, they will send back satellite; information via onboard TV cameras ISIS-B (March) - a cooperative Cana- The Apollo 14 astronauts will bring and other instrumentation. dian/NASA scientific satellite mission; back from their lunar expedition some The objective of the project is to ex PAET (March) - Planetary Atmosphere of the most revealing photos of the moon plore Mars from orbit long enough to Experiments Test designed to analyze ever taken. Using a modified aerial observe about 70 percent of the planet1 s unknown planetary atmospheres; reconnaissance camera, CMP Stuart A. surface from an altitude of about 1,000 Barium ion cloud (April) - a cooperative Roosa will photograph future candidate m iles, and to record the seasonal chang project with West Germany; Apollo landing sites as his spacecraft ing of surface marks such as the wave OSO-H (April) - Orbiting Solar Obser swoops within 10 miles of the central of darkening as seen from earth. vatory-H for sun studies; highlands near the crater Descartes. In the NASA aeronautical program, SSS-A (May) - Small Scientific Satel The pictures should show the lunar the supercritical wing, a revolutionary lite-A to be launched from the San surface at two or three feet resolution, new airfoil that may be used either to Marco platform off the coast of Kenya; making it possible to recognize boulders permit future subsonic jets to cruise at UK-4 (June) - a cooperative scientific and craters as small as six feet in diam substantially higher speeds or to permit satellite project with the United King eter. This resolution is 10 times structural weight savings on moderate- dom; greater than that achieved by previous speed aircraft, will receive extensive Intelsat (July-September); Apollo lunar flights. testing in 1971. AFCRL-A (September) - a magnetic storm satellite for the Air Force Cam^ A thin version of the wing has been bridge Research Laboratories; fitted to a Navy F-8 plane at the NASA Intelsat (October-December); Flight Research Center in California, OAO-C (late in the year) - Orbiting and will get its first flight tryout in the Astronomical Observatory C; spring. A thick version of the airfoil, CAS-A (late in the year) - Cooperative fitted to a Navy T2-C, will receive con Applications Satellite a cooperative tinued flight tests at the North American American and French meteorological Rockwell aviation facilities in Ohio. studies. 1970 Produces Major New Findings Continued From Page One Einstein’s predictions were right, to Huge hydrogen clouds ‘were discov within two to four percent. ered by two NASA satellites. In January, During the year, three meteorologi Orbiting Astronomical Observatory-2 cal satellites [Improved TIROS Opera found a hydrogen cloud as large as the tional Satellite-1, Nimbus-4 andNOAA- sun surrounding the comet Tago-Sato- 1 (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Kosaka. Another enormous cloud, this Administration) ] were successfully one 10 times larger then the sun, was launched, returning excellent data. located in April by Orbiting Geophysical Three communications satellites Observatory-5 around Comet Bennett. were successfully launched, two for A record amount of data on the 1970 COMSAT, and one for DOD. Mitchell, Shepard, and Roosa stand in front of solar eclipse was gathered in March as The final launch of the year was the Apollo 14 prior to Jan 31 liftoff. a result of a rocket barrage from NA SA1 s Small Astronomy Satellite-A which is Wallops Island station. Scientists are investigating X-ray sources in the ce The Technical Information Bulletin is published still analyzing ground and spacecraft lestial sphere. Launched from the San twice monthly by the Manned Flight Operations observations as well as data from the 31 Marco platform in the Indian Ocean off Division for Network personnel only.

Load more