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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0256.PDF
\ 258 FLIGHT International, 15 February 1962 Missiles and Spaceflight FOURTH TIROS SUCCESS Weather information obtained by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Tiros 4 meteorological satellite was used by the US Weather Bureau in its routine forecasts on February 9, the day after the launch of the satellite from Cape Canaveral (see Spacecraft Log page opposite). The main difference compared with previous Tiros satellites is that Tiros 4 carries a new type of camera lens in one of its television camera systems, a modification designed to reduce distortion and provide better resolution in the picture image while preserving a relatively wide coverage. The new lens will cover an area of about 450 miles square from a height of 475 miles, while the lens of the second camera aboard the satellite will photo graph approximately 750 miles square from the same height. BULLPUP, RN Although no contract has yet been signed it is now clear that the Royal Navy's desire to purchase the Bullpup as its standard tactical air-to-surface missile will be fulfilled. During the past year this missile, by the Orlando Aerospace division of Martin Marietta Corporation, has been competing with the AS.30, by Nord-Avia- tion, for very large potential orders from most of the European members of NATO. Earlier this month (Flight International, February 8) it was stated by the Secretary of State for Air that the RAF were being allowed to purchase their choice: the AS.30. But the same missile has not been forced upon the Navy, and in any case it would not be so readily compatible with some of the air craft which would have to carry it in that service—chief among which are the Buccaneer, Scimitar and Sea Vixen. Mercury astronaut John Glenn was due to attempt the much-postponed MA-6 orbital flight yesterday (February 14). This picture shows his spacecraft "Friendship 7" aboard Atlas I09D on the pad at Cape Canaveral prior to launch According to unofficial reports the initial purchase of Bullpup; will be worth some £2,250,000, or one thousand rounds. All will be delivered from Orlando, although another report suggests that a production licence may be sought for the US Navy's Bullpup B version. The latter is an enlarged (1,7851b) version, with the LR62 packaged liquid motor and a choice of very effective nuclear or conventional warheads. In addition to this purely British purchase, it appears likely that the other members of the NATO Baltic Approaches Command- West Germany, Denmark and Norway—will form a production consortium for the naval Bullpup B. Their requirement is said by the Sunday Telegraph to be for "about 4,000 weapons valued at £9m," and this report further suggests that the leader of the consortium may be Hawker Siddeley. COMMUNICATION SATELLITE PLAN The first major step towards the commercial use of space was taken by President Kennedy on February 7 when a proposed Bill "for the establishment, ownership, operation and regulation of a commercial communications satellite system" was presented to Congress. The much-argued question of the ownership of such a system was answered by the President in a letter which accompanied the Bill: "The overall objectives could best be achieved," he said, "in the framework of a privately owned corporation, properly chartered by the Congress." The Bill would authorize the establishment of such a corporation, financed through the sale of stock to the public. The policy objectives fisted by the President in putting forward this proposal for a new Communications Satellite Act were "the assurance of global coverage; co-operation with other countries; expeditious development of an operational system; the provision of service to economically less-developed countries as well as industrialized countries; efficient and economic use of the frequency spectrum; non-discriminatory access to the system by authorized users; maximum competition in the acquisition of equipment and services utilized by the system; and the strengthening of competition in the communications industry." The following proposed arrangements were outlined in the President's letter: "The common stock of the corporation will be in two classes. Holders of Class A stock, open to the public, will have voting rights and will earn dividends. Class B stock, which may be purchased only by approved communication carriers, will not confer voting rights nor will it pay dividends; the amount of investment, however, will be included in the individual companies' rate base for other international communications services. "No investor would be permitted to own more than 15 per cent of the total amount ($1,000,000,000) of the authorized Class A stock nor more than 25 per cent of the Class A stock outstanding at any particular time, thereby preventing domination of the cor poration ,by a single stockholder. There is, however, no limitation on the amount of Class B stock or securities which may be owned by any one investor. Further protection against undue domination by any one stockholder is the limitation that any individual stock holder or trustee may vote only two out of the 9-13 members of the corporation's board of directors. "Purposes and powers of the new corporation would include: furnishing for hire channels of communication to authorized users, including the United States Government, acquiring and owning satellites, ground terminals, and other facilities necessary for the system's operation, management, and inter-connection with terrestrial communications systems; conducting or contracting for research and development; and purchasing satellite launching and related services from the US Government."
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