Abmd70.108
net.columbia
utzoo!decvax!duke!bmd70!jcp
Tue Jan  5 22:44:00 1982
Aviation Week 12/28/81
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A V I A T I O N    W E E K    A N D    S P A C E    T E C H N O L O G Y
               A R T I C L E     S U M M A R Y

               December 28, 1981  Vol 115, #26

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Galileo Reinstated in NASA Budget

         NASA officials have expressed relief as the Administra-
tion  reinstated  funding  for  the Galileo Jupiter orbiter/probe
mission in the Fiscal 1983 budget, saving the US  Planetary  pro-
gram  for the 1980s and continuing some 1200 jobs at the Jet Pro-
pulsion Laboratory.

         The Centuar cyrogenic upper stage  has  been  cancelled
from  the  program however, necessitating use of the Boeing Iner-
tial Upper Stage system, which will increase flight time by 24-30
months, resulting in a 1989-1990 arrival of the spacecraft at Ju-
piter.  The probability of the Centaur stage being reinstated  is
small,  although the Defense Dept. has expressed some interest in
it.

         The International Solar Polar mission, a  joint  effort
with the European Space Agence would also be affected by the Cen-
taur cut, but without increasing trip time significantly

         The Venus Orbiting Imaging Radar mission has been  can-
celled as part of the package which reinstated Galileo.  The ear-
lier Office of Management and Budget decision to  cancel  Galileo
was  reversed in a meeting between top NASA officials, OMB direc-
tor David Stockman, and White House Chief of Staff  James  Baker.
Major reasons for the shift were the loss of 1200 jobs at JPL, as
well as the loss of international prestige and scientific  return
from planetary exploration.

         The shift away from Centaur  will  force  NASA  to  fly
lower  performance/lower  cost missions to the planets in the fu-
ture, awaiting increased shuttle capabilities, such  as  in-orbit
assembly/platform operations.

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Europeans continue Solar Polar plans

         The European Space Agency is proceeding with  plans  to
launch a solar polar observation spacecraft, despite NASA cancel-
lation of its half of a two spacecraft effort.  The Europeans are
now  seeking  to  move  the  launch  data  up, and to insure that
remaining American committments to the mission will be  met,  in-
cluding  launch  using  the Space Shuttle, tracking and data ser-
vices for the mission, and power generators for  the  spacecraft.
Launch  in  1985  is  now being considered, a delay from the 1984
date originally planned, but not as bad as the 1986 date current-
ly envisioned.

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Fourth Ariane Launched

         The fourth Ariane test launcher was successfully  fired
from  Kourou  space center on December 20th, into a geostationary
transfer orbit.  The main payload was the Marecs A maritime  com-
munications  satellite,  and  after the launch the Ariane was de-
clared operational.

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Israel requests F-18

         Israel has formally requested authority to purchase  up
to  150 McDonnel Douglas F-18A or Northrup F-18L fighters as part
of an effort to secure an all-weather/night fighter force.

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NORAD modernization contracts out

         Ford Aerospace and Martin Marietta have been  let  com-
petitive  one-year  definition contracts for the Space Operations
Center Phase IV upgrade.  One firm will be selected as the  prime
contractor for modernizing the Cheyanne, Wyoming NORAD complex at
the end of the one year period.

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Composite Wing Studied

         McDonnell Douglas has been granted a NASA  contract  to
study  critical joint structures in wings using composite materi-
als.  This is a preliminary phase of a NASA effort  to  define  a
commercial aircraft wing using composite materials.  The contract
was for $990,100.

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       Summary prepared by J. C. Pistritto  (ARPA  jcp@brl)
                                            (UUCP  duke!bmd70!jcp)

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