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Aviation History
1980
1980 - 0015.PDF
FLIGHT International, 5 January 1980 Sweden's space-age Viking SWEDEN has announced that it will build a small scientific satellite, Viking, intended to investigate the Earth's magnetic and electrical fields. Viking is Sweden's first satellite. It will be launched on the same Ariane that is to orbit France's Earth re sources satellite, Spot, during 1984. Estimated cost of the Viking pro gramme is £5 million-Ell million, of which about £435,000 has already been allocated. Viking's planned orbit is elongated so as to enable it to pass through the Earth's magnetic and electrical fields, while that required by Spot is a com paratively low one. Viking will thus be equipped with its own booster, which will lift it out of the orbit in which Ariane will place Spot. Sweden will control and receive Viking data through an Earth station at Kiruna. Saab-Scania is to be the prime con tractor for Viking, which will use Swedish-built components whenever possible. Orbiter Columbia begins flight simulation trials at Kennedy Space Centre SPACE Shuttle Orbiter Columbia, currently being prepared for first flight at the Kennedy^ Space Center (KSC), Florida, began a" series of simu lation trials in late December. Colum bia was occupied by prime flight crew John Young and Robert Crippen during the trials, intended to prove correct functioning of the craft be fore it left the Orbiter processing building. The trials were to include simula ted launches, in-orbit operations, landing and emergency aborts. But a simulated launch failed about two minutes after lift-off at the start of the trials. Engineers said that the crew failed to get an indication of Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) separation. Several minutes later the crew also failed to receive signals of External Tank (ET) separation and the test was then halted. Nasa needs to complete the simulations successfully before it can assemble Columbia, ET and SRBs in the Vehicle Assembly Building. First flight is currently scheduled for June 1980. But there are indications that this may be further delayed. * First successful clustered firing of the Space Shuttle Main Engine, at full power, took place last month. Nasa postpones Fltsatcom launch NASA has postponed launch of the USAF's third fleet communications satellite, Fltsatcom C, until late Jan uary. Fltsatcom C was to have been launched by Atlas-Centaur from Cape Canaveral, Florida, in early December. But problems with the launcher's pneumatic system forced a postpon- ment while several parts were changed. Fltsatcoms are intended to provide links among military command posts on land, ships and aircraft. The US Department of Defence says that the delay will not have any operational impact. Fltsatcom C will be placed in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 172°. This position is above the Pacific Ocean, from which it will provide a communications bridge to the US. RCA loses Satcom III AMERICOM, a subsidiary of RCA, has lost its latest communications satellite, Satcom III. The craft was successfully launched from Cape Can averal, Florida, by Nasa aboard a Delta 3914 on December 6. It was the 150th launch of a Delta rocket. Several days after launch Nasa handed control of Satcom III over to RCA engineers as planned. But when RCA fired Satcom Ill's boost motor, de signed to lift the craft into geo stationary orbit, it is believed to have exploded. Satcom III was intended to provide more telephone and television links within the USA. The craft was built by RCA and was worth about $20 mil lion. The transfer of satellite control to a user shortly after launch is a fairly common arrangement. Nasa says that the loss of Satcom III is only the second instance of a boost motor causing loss of a satellite—the last being Syncom I in 1963. First model of the Ariane dual-satellite launch system (SYLDA) has just been completed by Aerospatiale's Space Division at Les Mureaux, near Paris. When in use the carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) structure encloses one satellite, while a second is mounted on top. SYLDA has a mass of 180kg, is 3-9m tall and 2-8m in diameter Third US Department of Defence fleet communications satellite, Fltsatcom C, during preparations for launch at Nasa's Kennedy Space Centre. The panels around the circumference of the craft are solar arrays, which will be deployed once the craft is in its final orbit. Launch of Fltsatcom C is currently scheduled for January 17
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