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Aviation History
1983
1983 - 2139.PDF
Spacewalks add power to Salyut 7 MOSCOW Soviet cosmonauts Vladimir Lyakhov and Alexander Alex- androv took a spacewalk on November 1, during which they added a solar-array wing to Salyut 7. They spent 2hr 50min in space, carrying out the "difficult and time- consuming" tasks needed to install and deploy the array. The pair made a second spacewalk to install another solar array on November 3. This time the exercise took 2hr 55mm. Soviet officials claim that the extra solar arrays were envisaged during Salyut 7 development, and that the necessary fittings and hand holds were built into the orbiting craft before it was launched. The extra arrays travelled up to Salyut 7 in Cosmos 1443, and were apparently retrieved from an airlock (presumably that of the orbiting laboratory) before installation. Practice at in-orbit assem bly, with a view to creating large orbital complexes, was the main reason given for the venture. No further comment has been made on the possi bility of a Salyut 7 fuel leak. Spacelab 1 tries again .WASHINGTON D.C. Spacelab 1 is on course for lift-off on November 28 at ll.OOhr EST (16.00hr GMT). The launch window for STS 9/Spacelab 1 is just 14min long (Flight, November 12, page 1267). Spacelab 1 is due to last nine days, and will culminate in a landing at Edwards AFB at 08.11hr PST (16.1 lhr GMT) on December 7. During the past month E Nasa has made only minor changes to the Spacelab pay- load, including the replace ment of film and batteries in il some experiments. It has also solved a problem with Columbia's Ku-band antenna, (FLIGHT International, 26 November 1983 to*, ZM2 m "iSmk which provides the link with Nasa's tracking and data- relay satellite (TDRS A). The replacement of suspect Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) nozzles, the cause of the one- month delay, went without a hitch, and the vehicle returned to the launch pad on November 8. Spacelab 1 is a joint ESA/Nasa mission, and is the first real test of the European- built orbiting laboratory. More details of the mission can be found in the October 22 issue of Flight. The five-man Spacelab 1 crew includes the first ESA astronaut, Ulf Merbold. RCA sells more weather eyes PRINCETON ~ RCA Astro-Electronics is to supply the USAF with four more Block 5D-2 weather satellites, under a contract worth $171 million. The craft are part of the Defence Meteorological Satellite Pro gramme (DMSP), and can provide "live" weather pictures with a resolution of 0-5km. Each satellite is able to view any part of the Earth at least twice a day. RCA describes the satellites as "smart", because they perform routine housekeeping tasks autonomously, and because their on-board com puters can be re-programmed from the ground. Block 5D-2s have a design life of three years, twice that of their Block 5D-1 predecessors (of which five were built). They also have a much larger complement of sensors. Block 5D weather satellites are launched into polar orbits, and there are normally two in use at any given time. First glimpse of the USAF's Block 5D-2 weather satellite. RCA Astro- Electronics has just won an order to supply four more SPACEFLIGHT Cosmonauts Lyakhov and Alex- androv added two more solar arrays to Salyut 7 earlier this month. Each of the new solar panels is smaller than the orbiting laboratory's three original solar wings. It is unclear how the new arrays are attached to the existing wings, but both "grippers" and welding were mentioned in a Soviet news release Mitsubishi wins comsats TOKYO Mitsubishi Electric has won the battle to provide Japan's next two communications satellites, CS-3A and 3B. It had teamed with Ford Aero space on its proposal, which beat a bid by Nippon Electric and its partner, Hughes Aircraft. Japan's National Space Development Agency (Nasda) plans to launch CS-3A and B in February and August 1988, respectively. It will use the Japanese-built HI rocket to launch the craft. CS-3 will be similar to the CS-1 and 2 satellites which Ford Aerospace built in conjunction with Mitsubishi. In addition to acting as CS-3 prime contractor, Mitsubishi will build the structure, bus components, and antenna. This is the first time that Mitsubishi has taken such a commanding role on a comsat—previous craft have tended to be masterminded by the US partner. Nippon Electric is contributing the communications transpon ders, while Ford is supplying major components and subsystems. Each CS-3 will weigh 550kg, and, like its predeces sors, will be spin-stabilised. SPACESHOTS Nasa's third flightworthy Orbiter, Discovery, arrived at the Kennedy Space Centre (KSC), Florida, on November 9. It had been ferried from Palmdale, California, aboard Nasa's modified Boeing 747. Discovery is now in the Orbiter Processing Facility being prepared for its debut. Prime contractor Rockwell had been due to roll-out the craft at the end of September. 1419
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