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Aviation History
1971
1971 - 1575.PDF
f ,;;;;• 1 J began in mid-1969 with the award of a phase-A contract to General Dynamics, Convair Division. This was joined later that year by work under the MD and NR space station studies. Last May, General Dynamics was awarded a 15- month contract worth $2 million (£800,000) to carry out phase-B preliminary design work on the RAM. NR, Bendix and TRW have joined General Dynamics. Five European firms, MBB and Erno (Germany), Saab (Sweden), Selenia (Italy) and Matra (France), have also joined the team. Phase-B work should be finished in mid-1972 and actual development would need to be started in 1974 at the latest if the RAMs are to be operational by the time the shuttle comes into service in 1978 or 1979. NEW FOBS FLIGHT The first test of the Soviet fractional orbital bombardment system for nearly 12 months was launched by SS-9 from Tyuratam shortly before midnight GMT on August 8. Designated Cosmos 433, the spacecraft was given an apogee of 161 miles, 259km and a perigee of 99 miles, 159km and was inclined at 49-5°. These parameters, plus the fact that it was brought down after l^hr, before com pleting a single orbit, identified its purpose. The Fobs spacecraft, thought to be capable of carrying three-mega ton warheads, have the advantage of delaying identifica tion of the target point. They are, however, considered less accurate than an ICBM, which can also carry consider ably larger-yield warheads, and the USA has therefore refrained from developing such a system. Last year Cosmos 354 was launched at a similar time on July 28 and was followed by Cosmos 365 on Septem ber 25, launched around 1800 GMT. In 1969 Cosmos 298 was also launched at this latter time on September 15. Judgement is still reserved on the question of Cosmos 316 which had a highly elliptical orbit but a Fobs inclination. In this Lockheed concept of a relay satellite, laser beams are directed by the dish-like reflectors ("Flight," July 8, page 66). Use of laser beams should permit simultaneous transmission of up to 70 television channels Europa I of which flight trials were conducted from Woomera between 1964 and 1970. Components are being despatched in order of assembly and the British first stage, based on Blue Streak, and the French second stage, Coralie, left by sea last month. The German third stage, Astris, and the Italian-built fairings will be shipped in the course of this month, and the French perigee stage will be flown over in September. The second test launch, F-12, will take place from Kourou next year and operational launches will begin with F-13. By the addition of an apogee motor Europa will be able to place payloads of up to 4401b, 200kg in geostationary orbit. VIKING ORBITER CONTRACT Martin Marietta has been selected as main contractor for Nasa's Viking Mars-orbiter. The company will provide major propulsion subassemblies for the orbiter sections of two spacecraft, and supply technicians to assist Jet Propul sion Laboratories in design and development of the propul sion and engineering-mechanics subsystems. The contract, won in competition with three other companies, is worth $12 million (£5 million) plus award fee. The two Vikings will be launched in 1975, to reach Mars in mid-1976. Each will detach a lander section. The orbiters will continue mapping and analysing the surface and relaying data from the lander. Langley Research Centre is project manager with JPL taking responsibility for the orbiter. EUROPA II DESPATCHED The various components of the first Europa II launcher, designated F-ll, are now in the process of shipment to the new Eldo launch site at Kourou, French Guiana. The launch, scheduled for early November, will be the first of two qualification flights and will also serve to commission the new site. The four-stage Europa II is derived from the three-stage GEORGI BAB AKIN The Soviet Union has announced the death on August 3 of Georgi Babakin, identifying him as head of a design office responsible for work on lunar and planetary probes. He is thought to have contributed extensively to work on the Luna 16 lunar soil-retrieving spacecraft and on Lunokhod. He had been connected with aircraft and spacecraft design since 1949.
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