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Aviation History
1971
1971 - 1574.PDF
306-307 FLIGHT International, 19 August 1971 US-USSR CO-OPERATION CONFERENCE A five-day technical conference took place in Moscow earlier this month between Nasa and the Soviet Academy of Sciences with the object of extending space co-operation between the USA and the Soviet Union. The meeting, which ended on August 6, follows an agreement negotiated last January. Three joint working groups discussed methods for co operative projects and information exchanges in near-Earth space research, lunar and planetary investigation, and the development of space meteorology and of space applica tions relating to the natural environment. Their recommen dations should be published in about two months following approval by both organisations. 1970s' MISSION POSSIBILITIES It is becoming clear that Skylab, due for launch in 1973, will not mark the end of US manned spaceflight for the four or five years until the shuttle comes into operation. No positive direction has yet emerged, but various Nasa officials have outlined ideas, all of which are focused on (1) US-USSR space link-ups; (2) spare Skylab hardware; and (3) the four remaining Apollo command/service modules and launchers. Joint US-USSR activity is receiving greatest attention. The two countries are working on development of co-operative space rescue techniques following an agree ment last year, and operational proposals arose from the first major conference on the subject in Houston last June (Flight, July 1, page 33). The actual proposals, according to Dale Myers, associate administrator for Nasa's Office of Manned Space Plight, involved docking operations between an Apollo CSM and a Soviet Salyut-type station, and between a Soyuz spacecraft and a Skylab. More recently Philip Culbertson, director of the advanced missions programme of that same office, suggested that the first step was likely to be a rendezvous and docking operation between an Apollo and a Soyuz and proposed 1974 as the earliest technically feasible date. If Skylab is launched in 1973 as planned it would there fore be too early for a Soyuz docking, which could only be achieved by postponing Skylab or by a second Skylab mission. This second Skylab idea has also been suggested, using the present back-up hardware. This would also have the advantage of offering participation in the project to a wider field of scientists. If the four Apollo "sets" were used, one or more would probably be devoted to co-operative docking missions, with the remainder being used for two/four-week orbital survey flights. There is still, however, a chance that the second of the two remaining Apollo Moon missions, Apollo 17, may be cancelled to release the equipment for one of these operations. The Apollo 17 subsatellite has now been brought forward to Apollo 16 in anticipation of such a cancellation, and the network of Alseps (Apollo lunar- surface experiment packages) will also be completed on the next flight. The Apollo 17 Alsep is consequently likely to consist of four one-off experiments. Apollo 17 is scheduled for launch at the end of next year. APOLLO 15 FACTS The Apollo 15 mission, the longest Apollo flight to date, lasted 295hr ll-5min. Total lunar stay time was 66hr 55min of which 18hr 36min was spent on EVA. The astronauts covered 17-4 miles, 28km in the lunar rover and collected 1711b, 77-5kg of lunar samples. The CSM spent 145hr 15min in Moon orbit during which Worden spent 73hr alone. In comparison, Apollo 14, lasting 216hr 2min, spent only 33hr 31min on the lunar surface with 9hr 23min EVA time. According to Nasa's preliminary launch-data evaluation the Apollo 15 launcher, SA-510, was the most powerful to date, developing 7,840,0001b, 34,900kN at lift-off. Previously, Apollo 8'sSA.503 held the record with 7,726,9361b, 34,400kN. All others have been in the 7-5 million lb, 33,400kN range. The entire vehicle, weighing 6,494,9931b, 2,946,088kg on the launch pad, was not the heaviest yet as stated in Flight for August 5, page 232, and was, in fact, nearly 87,0001b, 39,500kg lighter than Apollo 14. Parking orbit insertion came 4-4sec early because of a slightly higher performance than expected of the third stage. Translunar injection came l-2sec ahead of the planned moment. The first-stage cut-off, at an altitude of 37 • 1 n.m., was 0 06 n.m. higher than intended and velocity was 30-6ft/sec faster than predicted. The S-II cut off at 95-76 n.m. altitude, or 0-85 n.m. higher than anticipated, and 874-7 n.m. downrange, 1-3 n.m. short of the predicted point. Velocity was 23ft/sec faster than planned. Parking orbit had an apogee of 91 • 685 n.m. or 1 • 675 n.m. higher than expected, and a perigee of 90-659 n.m. or 0-648 n.m. high. Translunar injection came 0-97sec late, at an altitude of 173-36 n.m., 2-01 n.m. below that planned. Velocity was 35,575 -4ft/sec, or 3-42ft/sec fast. NEW ROLE FOR RAM The research and applications module (RAM), originally planned as an integral part of Nasa's space station pro ject, has been redirected as a programme in its own right. Now that the shuttle is to be developed before the space station, the RAM is to be designed for use in a shuttle "sortie mode" in which it would remain attached to the shuttle, returning to Earth after a stay of five or six days. Four types of RAM are under study. The RAM support module is the basic unit, housing scientific and operational crew and control equipment as well as small scientific apparatus. To this would be attached a RAM pallet—a frame structure to which a variety of equipment could be fitted for exposed operation. A pressurised general-purpose laboratory, also to be attached to the support module, would house experiments requiring manned support but not a vacuum. Only one or the other of these combinations would be used at a time and would operate pivoted 90° from the shuttle body. The fourth is the free-flying module, an unmanned satel lite, serviced periodically by the shuttle-borne support module. This could remain in orbit for a year before being returned to Earth for re-outfitting. Technically, this does not qualify as a RAM. This and the support module, how ever, are similar to the modules conceived by McDonnell- Douglas and North American Rockwell for use with their full scale space station designs. The design base-line for the RAM studies calls for maxi mum usefulness at low cost development and for common ality of hardware and versatility. The craft would be used interchangeably with the station and the shuttle. The RAMs are conceived as 14ft, 4-3m in diameter and up to 58ft, 17-7m long, thereby fitting the 15ft, 4-6m X 60ft, 18 -3m dimensions planned for the shuttle cargo-bay. They may, in fact, be shorter, with two units making up the maximum length. Maximum weight could be up to 32,0001b, 14,500kg. Work on the RAMs, then called experiment modules,
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