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Aviation History
1990
1990 - 2994.PDF
TECHNICAL: S PACEFLIGHT Aerospatiale to build infra-red observatory BY GILBERT SEDBON IN PARIS The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded a Frl.5 billion ($288 million) contract to Aerospatiale for the develop ment and construction of an Infra-red Space Observatory (ISO) astronomy satellite, due to be launched by an Ariane 4 rocket in 1993. ISO is designed to improve knowledge of the cosmos in the infra-red — the sensitivity of its observations will be 1,000 times better than previously possible. Its telescope is placed inside a cryostat, a large dewar vessel containing 2,200 litres of liquid helium, which maintains the payload at a temperature (-270X) close to absolute zero for a period of 18 months. The payload is carried on a platform or "service module" which guarantees high pointing accuracy. The 60cm diameter telescope has a 9m focal length. The satellite will enable infra red measurements in the wave.- * lengths from 3 to 200 microme ters and will provide images of the cosmos to experiments de signed by British, German, French and Dutch consortia. The development phase of ISO, started in March 1988 when ESA selected a European consortium led by Aerospatiale, has already achieved a number of technical milestones — nota bly mechanical and thermal cer tification of the service module, validation of the cryostat in a simulated space environment and the verification of telescope operations at cryogenic temperatures. Aerospatiale is responsible for development and integration of the telescope, Marconi for pro pulsion, MBB for payload, ETCA of Belgium for power supply and Laben of Italy for data processing, CASA for struc ture, thermal control and har ness, Fokker for attitude con trol, and Selenia for telecommu nications. • Ball to cool NASA Ball Aerospace has been awarded a $24million con tract by NASA to build a liquid- helium dewar that is expected to provide coolant for the X-ray spectrometer of the Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF) for up to five years, the longest period attempted. The X-ray spectrometer is one of four experiments expected to fly on AXAF — for which Budget cut threat Future manned space projects by the Soviet Union are being threatened by severe budget cutbacks. The cost of manned spaceflights is now hav ing to be justified by space officials aware that they no longer have the freedom to launch missions. The launch of three Soviet manned missions to the Mir space station cost -220 million roubles this year, "while the Buran shuttle has so far cost 14 billion roubles and testing is still incomplete", says space of ficial Boris Belitsky. Unmanned projects are cheaper and give a quicker re turn on investment, says Be litsky. "As a result of this criti- X-ray telescope NASA hopes will receive full funding in Fiscal 1992 leading to a launch on the Shuttle in 1997. AXAF will be the third of NASA's series of Great Observa tories, following the Hubble Space Telescope and Gamma- Ray Observatory — the launch of which has been delayed until well into next year by Shuttle problems. D to Soviet shuttle cism various alternatives are being suggested to a manned programme." The deepening budget crisis in the Soviet Union may result in severe cutbacks, says Soviet space analyst James Oberg. "I would not be surprised to see Buran cancelled completely and Energia being mothballed for at least ten years". Seeking to justify manned flight, Viktor Blagov, deputy flight director, says "a tangible profit" could result from the Soyuz TM9 expedition aboard the Mir space station. The seven-month mission cost 84 million roubles but the revenue from materials process ing and photography could reach 97 million roubles. Blagov expects the current Soyuz TM10 mission to be equally profitable. The profit potential of the Mir expeditions, however, is "partly theoretical" warns Alexander Dunayev, the chairman of the Soviet space agency Glavkosmos, because "space products" have to be sold on the market and "nobody has yet transferred money to the Glavkosmos account" for inter nally used products. • NEWS In BRIEF VULCAIN ON TEST The test stand for the Vulcain cryogenic first-stage engine of the Ariane 5 booster has been inaugurated at the So ciety Europene de Propulsion (SEP) site near Paris. Full- scale test firings of the engine began last July and will,con tinue at a rate of one a week, gradually building up to a planned 10-minute firing. MARTIN MARIETTA CONTRACTED TO BUILD FTS A Martin Marietta Flight Telerobotic Servicer (FTS) is pictured working at a cosmic dust collection experiment attached to Space Station Freedom. Martin Marietta is under contract with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center to build the FTS, which will be used to support the assembly of Freedom and to conduct routine servicing and maintenance of the station and attached payloads. A development test flight of the FTS is scheduled to take place on a Space Shuttle mission in 1991. 2 ft FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 3 - 9 October, 1990
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