FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1966
1966 - 0047.PDF
fUGHT International, 6 January 1966 37 5min of the final firing. The orbital period corresponding to the scheduled orbit is about 12 days. The solar-radiation spacecraft was not located, but the two LES craft were tracked by the USAF and Oscar 4 was tracked and used to relay amateur radio messages on December 22. In March a Titan 3C is scheduled to launch a multiple payload of eight experimental military communication satel- lites; it is also planned to use this vehicle later for the USAF Manned Orbiting Laboratory programme. iis Titan 3C launch from Cape Kennedy on December 21 was intended w place four satellites in orbit at near-synchronous height. As reported on this page ("Quadruple Launch Attempt") the third stage failed to make its final burn; three of the satellites achieved highly elliptical orbits and the fourth was lost Spaceflight QUADRUPLE LAUNCH ATTEMPT -\ USAF attempt to place four satellites in near-synchronous rbit over the equator using a Titan 3C vehicle launched from ape Kennedy on December 21 was only partially successful ?>hen the third stage of the vehicle fired only twice instead f three times. Three of the satellites achieved high elliptical rbits ranging from 121 miles to 20,900 miles, while the fourth vas not located. The four satellites comprised LES 3 and LES 4, designed to iest components and techniques for a military communication satellite system; Oscar 4, one of a series designed and used by amateur radio enthusiasts; and a 4271b solar-radiation satellite designated OV (Orbiting Vehicle) 2-3. The final third-stage nnng was to have achieved a circular orbit at 20,900 miles, with the four satellites being ejected from the stage within ELDO BUDGET APPROVED At a meeting in Paris on December 20-22 the Council of the European Space Vehicle Launcher Development Organisation approved the organisation's budget for 1966. The total amount is $86,636,000, made up of $3,779,000 for administrative expenses; $77,357,000 for the initial (Europa 1) programme; and $5,500,000 for future programmes. Because of money available from 1964 and 1965 the amount to be contributed this year will not exceed $82,136,000. On the initial programme $5,505,900 will be spent in Australia, $2,325,000 in Belgium, $14,140,400 in France, $18,020,100 in West Germany, $9,295,600 in Italy, $1,277,000 in the Nether- lands and $21,093,000 in Britain. The future programmes in- clude studies of liquid-hydrogen engines, the ELDO-B and ELDO-AS vehicles, radio guidance, inertial guidance and future launch sites. The meeting also reviewed programme management and control procedures. VENUS 3 COURSE-CHANGE On December 31 the Tass news agency announced that a mid- course correction had been made to the path of the Venus 3 spacecraft on December 26. The announcement stated: "The Venus 2 probe will pass Venus at the prescribed distance. On December 26 the flight course of the Venus 3 probe was cor- rected in order to bring it closer to Venus. The correction of the course of Venus 3 was made by means of a special correcting liquid-fuel engine. Before the corrective manoeuvre the probe was oriented in a definite direction in space with regard to the Sun and the star Canopus. "The Venus 2 and Venus 3 probes were today 15.5 and 14.3 million kilometres from the Earth respectively. Regular com- munications are maintained with both interplanetary probes. Since the probes were launched, 52 radio-communication periods have been held with them. Telemetered data received shows that conditions aboard the probes—temperature, pressure and power systems—are normal. The scientific instruments are working normally. . . ." TRW WINS COMSAT CONTRACT Following the evaluation of three proposals for a global communications satellite system, the Communications Satellite Corporation (acting as manager for the International Tele- communications Satellite Consortium) has chosen TRW Sys- tems as satellite contractor. With the approval of the Interim Communications Satellite Committee, the corporation has opened contractual negotiations with the company. The two unsuccessful proposals came from Radio Corporation of America and Hughes Aircraft Co. In requesting proposals the corporation stipulated that the satellites should have an operational life of at least five years, be able to provide at least 1,200 high-quality two-way voice channels and be deliverable within 24 months of the contract being signed. The spacecraft were also required to be capable of operation either in synchronous orbit or in a phased system at medium altitudes. The aim is to establish a global com- mercial Comsat system by 1968, following the existing Early Bird service and the planned two additional synchronous satellites which should be launched next summer. The satellites proposed by TRW Systems will be cylindrical, with a diameter of 56in and a height of 37in, and will weigh 2341b. They will be spin-stabilised with the spin axis normal to the orbital plane. They could be launched either singly or in multiple groups depending on the launch vehicles selected. Delivery of the first six satellites is guaranteed within 24 months of the award of the contract, with deliveries of further batches of six following (if required), 30, 37 and 42 months after contract award. (Photograph, page 40.)
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
