1977 Activities
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,DOCOMENT 14S(ME -vm 170 19. St.027 ' -- TITLE Aeronalitics and Space Report of tive President: 1977 e Activities. ' It4STITUTION .. Natipnal AWronautics and Space-Mministratiorc, A Wash-ingtOn, P.C. PUB DATE 78_ NOTE 96p.; photograpbs., and parts of appendices'may be igp marginally legible , AVAILABLE FROM Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing,. Office, 4ash.ingtOn, D.C. 20402 (Stock Ntmher 1 033-000-00737-0; $2.75) i , EDRS'-PRICE MF01/PC04 'Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS . *AerospaceiTectmology; Communication Satellites; *-Fedval Gd'vernment;FederalPrograms; LunAr . 'Research;Science Education; *ScientificResearch; Space; *Space Sciencq; *Technology , . 4 ABSTRAC'T The national programs in aeronautics andspace made steady progress in 1977 toward their long-termobjctives. In . aeronautics the goals were impro!ed perforMance,energy efficiency; and safety in aircraft. Inspace thegoals were: (1) bet+er remote sensing systems to, generate,more sophisticatedinformation aboUt .the Earth's environment; (2) cost-effective, versatile space . transportation; and (3) undetstanding the origins andprocescses of :Earth,arth the solar_(syStem,, and the Universe. Aeronautic research made real gains toward developihgtechnologies that would enable future transport aircraft to reduce fuel Consumption,by,up to 50,% along with lower noise a',Tid emiesion.61evers.The United States' attempted' 26 launches intospace in 1,977; 24.of'them put 29 ['satellite§ into orbit.(Author/BB) \. 4 . a' .********************(*****ic***********'1***********4!******4*********-. * - Reproductions supplied by,EDRS are -the best that can be MA gn, * .!.., * *- ' . -, frcm the ,original document. #31c****.********It************###4**********M4c**1##########***#*#J ge***** . - r .. 1 DEPARTM,ENT OFHEALTH EDUCATION & WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN -REPRO. bUCEIS. EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN. ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS- SSATE0-0 NOT NECESSARILY REPRE SENTVFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY P 1.4 , Aeronautics and Space Report of the Piesident 1977 Activities T. ' °mulles and Space Report- the President 1 '7 Activittes 40 National Aeronautics and Space fAdminis /moon Washington. D.C. 20546 4 , .1 Table of .Contentg . , image 40,,,Immary a ti,S and VI. Departrne4 of the InterThr 66 Space Acail mes o'977 IntroFluction 1)1; In troctuc...on Earcfi. Resources ObServation 2cimmunic:1, Sivstems Program: 66 :Earth s 9 ?vu_. anal' Cartographic Iniorm.1- -"pace Scien:, _ 5 -:on Center 67 ransr,.rta': _ 7 '._-,nitoring the Environnient 11 kesearch 68 tik):;a. -7 CI lila' Ilt ICS .isid Space International, Activi,_:cs 69 VII. =nem of Transpor -)1) 70 13 -Itrocitiction 70 ;'"*. 'Os., if ath 3 Safety 70 icier r it Traffic Control and spa. t ion Navigation 72 .na T -T Resenrci Support _ 'VI' . cc;it!: _ _ °.1,111`17:7 hitt r.t. '--r/na 11 IcaRese.i.(:1,d Appendixes . - III. DP-Da=1,er o Ty, 1,'.71se _ A-1 ,)acecraft Record I:1 anuction _ Record of. Space Laun rtivitie, .3 ,,:essful in Attaining Eara .'.;.frar LILL JQ . or Beyond e,tts11ii. v,,' N ra A-3 T- .J.S. Launchings-1' 76 IV. Den7 gent 9 .gip: lications/Satellites, 19- 1977 82 '9 Spact .9' B-2..' -Launched S ientific Paylo Other es Ai Satellites-- :kid Spaa 54 .973 ' -77 84 Spac' -;vities 56 13-3 #1.4.7Launrited pace PrObes, 1 Spar .,v :r Research_ 57 077 . DatProgra: History o- ted States and Aer-,1,AttitAl (.4.: 1. 39 Mann, . S ace Flights. V. Deoartm- d F 50 unch Vehicles 8S . Intr...nwt U.S. Sp i iXies of the U.S. Govern- Spac . \Aclear Space A. Powei so ment 3. Space BudgetE dget Program .= 03 89 Space Disp Wasi.es .63 E- Pace A. Budget 90 Satellite o, 64 AeronautiBudget, 90 ttt .. ,,... ,./. Aerospace Events of 1977. ,./ ...: / -.1-1ie United States in 1977 conducted the . successful approach and landin,,tesis of the Space Shuttle . u , Orbiter, neared completiop 'of the Shiatle facilities .at the Kennedy. Sracei%Cente, made operational use of data from the network of environmental'satellites, and continued work'to'iilprove m i l itary aviation. JOn%October211/42, 1977,, Enterprise, thSpace Shuttle's Orbiter No. 1(above) ,separated from its 747 carrier' aircff and befkan its 5-minute glide to t first landing ott a concrete runway This wag the last of five approach -landing flights conducted iii 1977 t/NASA's Dryden FlightResearch nter at Edwards, California. Thellivflights confierned theOrbiter's ability to descend through the,'atmosphe e and makean airplane-like landint. In preparation for die orbitalfli ttests. scheduled, for 1979, the Shutt fa- cilities at Kennedy Space, Cenr -in Florida neared ampletion. These Octo- ber photos show (below, lef )Launch Complex 39' being reworked from its Apollo' launch configur low i< its Shuttle configuration.and(below, right)the Orbiter landing facilit,y'(at lop) and tow road hading to the pair of rectangular buildi 'where Orbiters will be refurbished after flight. t. .00 III I I I I N. IV Environmental. i o p: vide- data used-- fog castinz and rerc:::-..5 left, er-nat,]ed infrirc u, Goes sattI.t shows acro Nortr 'America o 19.1977 :t-dense,: precipitation ijs iNer ICC.0 IlpSyl- Indee,d, ' losing ;Fin ston flout. J14.49. ation is he tweerthe April :le Sierra Nevac... Ntountail Le: Tod 1977 (right. Thi,rat: :naz um the Noaa weather sal e acz-_ ..te'warn, ing .TIC severe is West ern s:.:..ts during t f '7. 75= - 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. A Stinitnary of-United States Aeronautics and Spitee. Actin hies in 1977. Introduction, Opt---at:-al Sp, Ins . pi --ratio1 telecomunications proe-ranis in aeronatitical space, Sat(.it telsat) inc eased.r,its s sin1977 toward long- inereSe . ines in 1977, 'bri (71 reron_autics the goal im- tot, t ' .,.e apability was a aug- I eneky efficiency,ii-safety nen:cc .u:. F ,.'"11 20, 1971, of another n fir :1 .space the goals wcr better Inte:sa ICI. :nto sychronous orbit to date :en 1\ -tems to, generate mot sophis- se. :c i .:lin regio .1 :for :.tout the Earth's envit ment; -tla Satelfite MA RISAT) -con- fet II -er,a1iLcspace transpormti,.,.nand sortirn :d c'ieutial seiceJ the Indian .71 ..t.TSt. the(ffiginS and processe,o .the ,Oeedit it id& -...; To its seryi c ii-- the Atlantic s\ stem, and the Universe .-:- . am. : ac ; : -co?inercial ship! and in all research_ made real gain.,toward three of-: sforor; U.S. Navy. M number of .mologies that would enabi . future U.S. shi equipA with M AT terminals par- -iftto reduce fuelconsuml..ionby- tripled th,("0 the *orlfleet doirbiedCon- 'it along with idwer noise and emis-- , stant c,, ,,.tNk. 1 ;le homoffice .aket: ship de- ...ar.w . ployme.- utielt rm.- --e cost-e i ective and speeds de? State' attempted 26 launches intO 1 livery-,.. roods. I' tC(.1 24 o: them put 29 satellites into. 11 . -y Cott t.nrc:t.ions tellit . The three ')it. A.s ihited 15 satellites, iij 14 launches 2 mall 1e, .-.q ..reet ormilitaly com- tirw-nes I:: t. and -- third place'd a satellite into mur.ttion ..\byate iteare (1.) lightcapacity lipt:-,-.. '1 of s' tchronous orbit. DoD )rbited won, ,.'ide pdiv-i-o-:)oint. communication, (2) rhod- ' s - -to . .11 10launches, I? withanother crate-capa'cityst., \Iceto mobile users, and(3) :ii :w..: for -1)oD by NASA. Of the NASA total, command and ,--mtro] d5rOmunication for strategic- ily 474:er . .' -,SA launches; Costs of launching the fOree!-. inainder -.were reimbursed by governmental; in- Fo-Itelfirst or these needs, in 1977 the Defense rnationa,..:11;;.i commercial customers. The N7 A Cor tticationsSatellite Program(DSCS)/had lit.inches included a,,, high-energy astronomy stel.., . out -erational spacecraft:two DSCS.. satellites re, two p.ane-..try satellites heading toward Jupiter, 'Taut, ..-A in May 177 and.deploYeemei the At- .rid a-_--adiati -n-counting satelJite focused on the !anti --idv,-.!st Pacific, a DSCS experimental-satel- nagnetciplicr_. , . lite.: -.cliett.in December 1973 and riow- overgthe This :napter will summarize highlights of the Indi; )cean, and NATO.IIIB on loan for tem- -ear, arranged topically. \rather than by agency. porar. .e over the easternPacific. Fqur more tibsequent chapters will)be devoted to the aero- '1)SC satellites were scheduled for- launCh in lautics and space Activities of the six Federal agen- 1978 develop/lent continued of the improved ieS sitthe largest programs-in those areas,q as DSCS imodel\ . ietermi7,--d by their budgets. ''' . The :ri'derate-capJ1 tcity requirement will be met A. , bythei:etSate iteCommunications. Service Communications (FIJS.- -T-( OM)- for contacting mobile units of the Nay- id AitForce..The first satellite is sche21.,--, Communications satellites were thefirst spac9) tiled for inch early in 1928. :.: is --,stems t :. demoystrate commercial feasibilityand .The .tegic command .and control iystern. are st and fastest growing seg.:Merit -of, now pro-.- .ied by transponders on- several satellites, It s-.--.,ace develc. r ent. nendirre.-velopmgrit.of a-strategic satellite system. 1 PyuP t Corn rn er(tl llites.,At the 1-4, eFT-,: bons in tke. .mosphere and water .: on 9 7 three do r,- conunt nications ,atei its land st.1 I:te. lute s stems were Are: iat .er....increasing;ascii . 1 operation_ utf the ; and innaksi, and pro. nt the environint gigahertz) L t Ihis year the Fetiera Con1:-...u.nications Con u,7ion authorized Sat.;;1( .entorying and.1107. Bust: Systems to d. o and (light -test sate oiler:.- rt 1..andsatEA II the .1,2- .