KHR-2

November 1, 1977

Chronology of

KSC and KSC Related

Events for 1976
4-

CHRONOLOGYOF

KSC AND KSC RELATED

EVENTS FOR

1976
r ·

FORE¥ORO

Much of the activityat the KennedY Space Center in 1976, particularly during the first 9 months, centered on the planning,construction, maintenance,and operationof the U.S. BicentennialExposition

on Science and Technology. Since this project began in 1975, the historian has includedsome dates of key events relating to the Exposition to introducethe 1976 Chronology. Also in 1975 A 3-year program

was initiatedat KSC to researchthe electricalcharacteristicsof

thunderstorms. This is an internationalprogram involvingtop

atmosphericresearchersof the free world.

Frank E. Jarrett

Historian
January 1975

January 16: During an interview with mpresentatives of the New York '_

Times, President Gerald R. Ford expressed his opinion that a c_

a-n-d-Technology display at Cape Canaveral was a good idea. (Memo for -*

the President from Theodore C. Marts, Subject: Bicentennial Science

and Technology Display at Cape Canaveral, Florida, dated July 2¢,_

1975.) '-

June 1975

dune 24: Mr. John R. Sttles, a member of President Ford's White House

Staff, and Genera] Ou_ard L. Crow, NASA, Deputy Associate

Administrator, visited the Kennedy Space Center to investigate the

possibility of holdtng a national exhibition on science and technology

during the summer of 1976. (Report: Bicentennical Exposition on

Science and Technolo.qy Facilities, prepared by Paul Gauger, Project

Engineer, John F. Kennedy Space Center, NASA, dated Septenfoer 3, 1976.

Hereinafter cited as the. Gauger Report. Also, staff notes from meeting held on June 21, 1975.)

duly 1975

duly 10: A preliminary concept of a U.S. Bicentennial Exposition on

Science and Technology was prepared by John R. Stiles. His concept

outlined proposed themes, exhibitors,display locations, and display

structure.He estimated the costs for the exhibition at $2,800,000.

(Gaugerreport,Tab A-11.)

duly 24: In a memorandum for the President,Theodore C. Marts, Special

Assistantto the President,requesteda decisionbe made to approve or

disapprove a bicentennial exhibition at Kennedy Space Center. Mars _

recommendedthat,if the Presidentapprovedthe project,NASA should be

given the management responsibility. (Memorandumfor the President

from Theodore C. Mars, Subject: Bicentennial Science and Technology

Display at Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida, dated July

24, 1975.)
August 1975

August 5: NASA submitted a BicentennialPlan to the Office of Management _-

and Budget to forward to the President. General Crow, NASA

Headquarters,was designated as NASA's Bicentennial Project Manager.

(Minutesof Policy Staff Meeting, dated August 4, 1975.)

' .

Z

August 7: Mr. Lee Scherer, KSC's Center Director, called a meeting of

Design Engineering,TechnicalSupport, Public Affairs, and Procurement

representativesto discuss the Bicentennial. Mr. Scherer had received

word from NASA Headquartersthat the President had approved plans to

hold the expositionat KSC betweenJune and September 1976. (Memo from

EX/Chief, Executive Staff to distribution, Subject: Bicentennial,

dated August 7, 1975.)

August 15: Mr. Lee Scherer, KSC's Center Director, announced the

appointmentof Mr. Paul Donnelly, Associate Director for Operations,

Launch Operations,as Project Manager for the BicentennialExposition.

As Project Manager, he was to serve as the focal point for all

activities in the developmentof the Center as the site for the U.S.

Bicentennial Exposition of Science and Technology. (John F. Kennedy

Space Center, NASA, Announcement. Subject: Mr. Paul C. DonnellyNamed

Project Manager,BicentennialExposition,dated April 15, 1975.)

September1975

September23: An implementationplan for the BicentennialExpositionwas

prepared by Paul Gauger, project engineer for the exposition. The

plan included: (1) a master plan for the Vehicle Assembly Building

area, the site selectedfor the exposition, (2) a master plan for the

Visitors Information Center, (3) budget cost estimates, and (4) a

facilitydesign and constructionschedule. The plan called for the use

of air-conditionedgeodesic domes to house the exposition displays.

The domes were to be erected on the three main parking lots adjacentto

the VAB. At the VIC, the plan called for extending the bus-loading

dock, providing an additional 900 parking spaces, and erecting a new *

lO,O00 square-footexhibit building. Costs were estimated to be $3

million. (Implementation Plan, U.S. Bicentennial Science and

Technology Exposition, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, dated September

23, 1975.)

2
October 1975

October 2: Mr. Ed Simmons, of the Departmentof Commerce,was appointed

:CommissionerGeneral for the Bicentennial Exihibition. Mr. Simmons

was loaned to NASA for approximatelyi year to ·directthe planning

!and_operations of the Bicentennial Exposition. Clapp & Poliak, a

management support consultingfirm of New York, was hired by NASA to

support Mr. Simmons in the Bicentennial Exhibition planning effort.

_(WeeklyNotes, Donnelly(P.C.)November6, 1975.)

i

October 16: The erectionof the first geodesicdome was completed. This:

dome was to serve as a prototypemodel to show potentialexhibitions.

It was leased by TWA Services for KSC. Subsequentdomes were leased

by the KSC Procurement Office.

. Z _

October 23: General Crow, NASA Headquarters,hosted representativesof 20

other government agenices on a tour of KSC. Letters had been sent

from the White House to the heads of governmentagenciesinvitingthem

!itosend representativesto KSC. Each agency was also instructed to

nofify the White House or their plans to participatein the exposi- .......

tion.

: i )

: Nove_er 1975

November 7: NASA receiveda $3,000,000grant from the Departmentof Commerce for the constructionand maintenanceof the BicentennialExposi-

:tion. The money was made avaiTableunder the Title 10 "Job Opportuni-

!tiesProgram"of the Public Works and Economic DevelopmentAct. Under

itheprovisionsof allocation,NASA became a contractorof the Depart,

ment of Commerce. (Standard Form 26 Award/Contract_Contract No.

!6-36359,signed by Fredrick D; Hobbs for the Department of Commerce

i(11:7-75)and by R. H. Curtin Code BX, (NA_ HQS) on November 12,

i1975.) .

3
December 1975

December 3: The Center Director approved a recommendedlightningprogram

that included a proposal to invite thunderstorminvestigatorsto come

to KSC for a 3-year study program to investigatethe electricalpropertiesof thunderstorms. KSC would offer its facilitiesto the scientific communityfor studies in their fields of research for a 2-month

period of their choice during the summers of 1976, 1977, and 1978.

The investigatorswould be self-fundedand would set up their own program organization. KSC would establishrules on safety, security,and

available support resources,but would not exerciseapproval or disapproval of individualprojects otherwise. KSC would be host, but would

not "run" the program. The concept is that many expert

investigatorsconducting their research at the same locality on the

same stormswould cross-fertilizeeach other, and the resultswould far

exceed those that would come out of isolated, separate research

studies. (Ref: Exec Comm#697 of 1Z/8/75.)

Oece_er 10: At the fall meeting of the American GeophysicalUnion in San

Francisco, W.R. Ourrett, Chairman of the KSC Lightning Study Team,

extendedKSC's invitationto the scientificcommunity. Dr. MartinUman

of the Universityof Florida, Chairman of the Joint AtmosphericElectricity Subcommitteesof the AmericanGeophysicalUnion and the American MeteorologicalSociety, accepted the invitation. A secretariat

was named, made up of Dr. E. T. Pierce, National Severe Storms Laborato_ of NO_, Norman, Oklahoma;and Dr. Lother S. Ruhnke, Naval Research Laboratory,Anacostia, D.C. The period from June 15 to August

15, 1976, was selectedas the researchtime. (Ref: Letter from Secretariat to prospectiveinvestigatorsof Decenf_er15, 1975.)

4
January 1976

January Z: Heavy patronage of the guided bus tours at Kennedy Space

Center during December brought the total for 1925 to 1,168,189. This

marked the third busiest year since the public tours were initiated in _

1966. In the record year, 1972, the number of bus tour patrons

exceeded 1,300,000; and in 1973, more than 1,2DO,ODDpeople utilized

:the bus tour service. An even greater patronage is anticipated in

1976, the Bicentennial year. (KSC News Release: KS(: 1-76, January 2,

1976.)

January 8: KSC announced the awarding of a $939,800 contract to the

Holloway Corporation, Titusville, Florida. The contract covers

modifications to LC-39's Launch Control Center to accommodate the

installation of the Space Shuttle Launch Processing System. Holloway

was awarded the contract December 11, 1975. (KSC News Release: KSC

4-76, January 8, 1976.)

January 9: Contract NAS 10-8935 in the amount of $89,695 was awarded to

David A. Boland (Boland Construction Corporation, Titusville,

Florida). The contract is for the constructionof the geodesicdomes

which will house the displays at the Bicentennial Exposition on

Science and Technology. (KSC News Release: KSC 5-76, John F.

Kennedy Space Center, dated January g, 1976.)

o Fourteen KSC employees received NASA Group achievementawards recognizing their technicalexpertise and their contributionsto international space cooperation. The group was honored for its work on

Helios A, first of two solar probes to be launched from Cape

Canaveral. Helios is a joint project of the United States and West

Germany. Gilbert W. Ousley, U.S. Project Manager representingDr.

James C. Fletcher, presented the awards to Ray Hunter, Martin

Marrieta; Bill Phillips, Convair Division, General Dynamics; Nancy

Pierce, Tommie Knight, Don Sheppard, John Gossett, Jim Weir, John

Neilon, Floyd Currington, Ter_ Terhune, Skip Mackey, Jack Baltar,

Larry Kruse, and John Zeman of KSC's ExpendableVehicles Directorate.

Ants Kutzer, the West German Helios Project Manager, was present for

the ceremony. (Spaceport News: Volume 15, No. 6, John F. Kennedy

Space Center, dated March 18, 1976.)

5
January 12: TWAServices, ]:nc., Kennedy Space Center's concessionare for

NASA KSC tours and for operation of the KSC's Visitors Information

Center, was selected to provide facilities for the Bicentennial

Expositionat KSC. The TWA Services, Inc., contract was modified to

include $2,492,000 for this purpose. (NASA Contract NAS-10-8940, ._

dated January 12, 1976.)

: e

January I5: Helios 2, the second of two Helios spacecraft, was

successfullylaunched by a Titan III E - Centaur launch vehicle from

LC-41 of the Eastern Test Range. The objective was to place the

Helios in solar orbit as close to the sun as present technologywould

allow. Its mission was to investigatesolar processesand solar-earth

relationships by acquiring data on solar winds, magnetic and

electrical fields, cosmic rays, and cosmic dust. The spacecraft

carried 10 experiments, 7 of which were German. (Field Report,

Titan/Centaur 5, Helios.2, TR-1447, prepared by Centaur Operations

Division,KSC-EV, datedJune 30, 1976.)

o With the Bicentennial Exposition implementationand financial plans

completed and approved, Mr. Ed Simmons resigned his position as

Bicentennial General Manager and returned to his duties with the

Department of Commerce. Although NASA HQS was to continue with the

overall responsibilityfor managing the exposition,the responsibility

for its construction,operation, and maintenance was shifted to the

John F. Kennedy Space Center. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 13-76,

dated January 20, 1976; Notes, Donnelly,January 15, 1976.)

January 16: TWA Services, Inc., awarded two contracts for the construction of BicentennialExposition facilities. A $146,300 contract for

outfitting pavilions went to K&S Electric, Inc. of Titusville,

Florida. A second contract for $254,350 was awarded to Marinoff ConstructionCo. of Cocoa Beach, Florida, for the constructionof 10,000

square-footexhibit building to be located at the Visitors Information Center. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 12-76, dated January 16,

1976. )

January 17: CTS (CommunicationsTechnology Satellite) was successfully

launched into a transfer orbit by Delta 119 from Pad B of Launch

Complex 17 at the Eastern Test Range. NASA's responsibilityfor the

launch phase was completed on January 29, 1976, when the spacecraft

was maneuvered to a near-gecstationaryorbit at 116 degrees West

Longitude above the Pacific Ocean. CTS is a joint program of Canada

and the United States. The spacecraft was built by the Canadian

Department of Communication at the Canadian CommunicationsResearch

Center, Ottowa, Canada. NASA provided the Transmitter Experiment

Package developed by NASA at the Lewis Research Center, Cleveland,

Ohio. NASA also provided for spacecraftcheckout, the launch vehicle,

and launch services.

6
The Transmitter Experiment Package carried aboard the satellite

consists of a travelingwave tube and its associatedprocesseswhich

convert solar array power into power to operate the traveling wave

tube. Transmissionpower levels are expected to be l0 to 20 times

higher than communicationsatellitesnow in use. As a result, smaller

and less expensiveground equipment can be used to receive satellite

transmission. The CTS carries experimentsin the fieldsof education,

health care, community and special services, and technology

utilization. (TR-1411,Delta-llg,CommunicationsTechnologySatellite

:(CTS)Flight Report, preparedby Delta operationsDivision,Expendable

Vehicles Directorate,John F. Kennedy Space Center, dated March 26,

1976; Mission Operations Report No. E-610-76-01,dated February 13,

]976.)

January 18: Sunday public drive-throughtours of the Cape CanaveralAir

Force Station and the Kennedy Space Center were resumed. The tours

had been discontinuedsince August 17, 1975, as a result of picketing

by members of the Hotel and RestaurantEmployeesInternationalUnion.

Picketingwas halted on January 10, 1976, at the instigationof the

NationalLabor RelationsBoard. (KSC News Release: KSC 8-76, dated

January 13, 1976, Notes to CD/Directorfrom Gooch - January 14, 1976.)

January 29: Intelsat IVA F-Z, the second of the IntelsatIVA series,was

successfullylaunched by_an Atlas-Centaur(AC-37) and placed in the

desired transfer orbit. The Intelsat IVA F-2 will serve as a back-up

for Intelsat IVA, F-l, launched for the Communications Satellite

Corporation on Septentber25, 1975. (Mission Operations Report No.

E-491-633-76-02,dated February25, 1976.)

January 30: Mr. Angelo Taiani, of the TechnicalServices Directorate,

was named as project coordinatorfor the 1976 ThunderstormResearch

InternationalProgram (TRIP 76) at KSC. (Ref: TS letter of 1/30/76.)

During January: The General Accounting Office (GAO) announced that its

reporton the pace of developmentof the space Shuttlewill be sent to

the Congress within a month. The 1976 report will take the basic
areas discussed in _0's 1975 report as follow-upto show how NASA's

actions during the 1-year period have confirmed or dispelled earlier

GAO observations.Specific areas of the GAO 1976 report will cover

among other items:

Environmental: The results of NASA's studies of the possible

effects on the solid rocket boosterson the upper atmosphere.

Range Safety:· External tank destruct system in case of launch

fail u re.

Crew Co_artment: Mating of the first cockpit to the Orbiter

spacecraft.

Marshall Engine Test: The success in 100 ignition and shutdown

cycles of a 4Z,OOO-lbthrust test engine at MSFC.

Avionics: The results of the activation of the first flight-type

computersystem at Johnson Space Center.

Software: The results of a "softwarescrub" effort to reduce the

amounts of software developed for flight operations. {Aviation

Week and Space Technology, Volume 104, No. Z, pages 17 and 18,

January 12, 1976.)

o NASA's budget request to Congress for fiscal year 1977 placed increased emphasis on aeronauticsand a stretch-out in the production

and refurbishment schedules of two space Shuttle orbiters. A

substantial reduction of jobs in FY 77 will result from budget

constraintsand the realignmentof roles and missions.

Although the $3.697 billion request is $142 million above the FY 76

appropriation, it is $200 million less than the amount NASA had

expected to receive. OMB trimmed $182 million from the request. The

cuts will delay the productionof a third orbiter, and will result in

cancellation of the Mariner-Jupiter/Uranusmissions, the large space

telescope, and the Pioneer-Jupiter/Probemission. In addition, NASA

civil service jobs will be reduced by 500, contractor support will be

reduced by 667, JPL will be cut 455 positions,and an additional3000

to 4000 contractor personnelwill be impacted in many ways. {Aviatfon Week and Space Technology, Vol. 104, No. 4, Pages 30 & 31

January26,1976.)
February 1976

February 1: A contract, in the amount of $75,000 with an $8,000 supplemerit,for study of the applicationof thermal and infrared imagery in

the developmentof an effective freeze predictionmodel, originally

awarded the Universityof Florida'sInstituteof Food and Agricultural Sciencesby NASA/KSC in 1973 and renewed in 1974, has been extended again, Freeze predictionresearch is directed toward development

of a computerizedsystem dependentupon thermal scanningand infrared

imagery from spacecraftand aircraft. It is considered of great importance to Florida citrus growers, as well as truck farmers and

other agricultural interests in all areas where freeze conditions

occasionallyoccur. In connection with the study, all thermal data

are brought by the researchersto KSC for analysis in its Earth Resources Data Analysis Facility, after which they are taken to the

Universityof Florida and NationalOceanic and AtmosphericAdministration (NOAA)facilitiesfor predictivemodel development. (NASA Activities,Vol. 7, No. 2, dated February,1976.)

February 2: NASA tours volume in January 1976 exceeded the January 1975

tour volume by ll.1 percent. A total of 82,494 patrons purchased

tickets for the tour of KSC and Cape Canaveral facilities. Visitors

Information·Centerfacilitiesare being expanded in anticipationof a

million or more visitors expected to attend the BicentennialExposition. Work is almost completed on a new food services facility,and

construction of a new exhibit building got under way in January.

(NASA News, Release No. 38_-:76,dated February2, 1976.)

February6: A KSC Task Group was appointedto manage and direct the planning, construction,and operationof the BicentennialExposition.Mr.

Miles Ross, KSC Deputy Director, headed the group. Mr. Paul Donnelly

and Mr. Jack Gerding were assigned to direct site development and

operations; Mr. Joseph Malaga, Management Operations; Mr. Charles

Hollinshead,Public Affairs; and Mr. Jerry Storey (NASA HQS), headed

the industryand Intra-governmentCoordinationOffice.

(BicentennialExpositionStatus Report to NASA HQS from CD/Director,

dated February6, 1976.)

February 9: NASA signed a contractwith Charter Industriesof Raleigh,

North Carolina,for the lease of 14 additionalgeodesicdomes to house *

the displays at the BicentennialExposition. Negotiationsleading to

the $476,419 contract were begun in October 1975. The lengthy negotiationsresultedin part from the lack of firm commitmentsfrom industry and governmentexhibitorsas to their exhibitionrequirements.

(GaugerReport; NASA ContractNAS 10-8915,dated Februaryg, 1976.)
Februa_ 10: Center Director,Lee R. Scherer, announceda major reorganization of KSC's organizationalstructure in preparationfor the Space

Shuttle operations.

Eliminated in the realignmentwere the InstallationSupport Directorate and the Safety Office, with functionsof those organizationsreassigned.

Dr. Walter J. Kapryan, Director of Launch Operations since 1969, was

named Director of Space Vehicle Operations in a move to restructure

the ApollO/Saturn launch organization for Space Shuttle operations.

John J. Williams, Director, Spacecraft Operations in the Launch

OpertionsDirectoratesince 1964, was named Kapryan'sdeputy.

Reporting to Kapryan will be Directorsfor Space TransportationSystem

(STS)Processing, Shuttle Engineering,Shuttle Payloads, and Expendable Vehicles,formerlyUnmannedLaunch Operations.

Paul C. Donnelly, formerly Associate Director for Operations,Launch

Operations,was appointed Director, STS Processing. George T. Sasseen, formerly Chief, Engineering Division, Spacecraft Operations,

was appointedDirector,Shuttle Engineering. Isom A. Rigell, formerly

Director, Launch Vehicle Operations,Launch Operations,was appointed

Director,Shuttle Payloads.

George F. Page, who was appointedDirector,UnmannedLaunch Operations

in October 1975, has been designatedDirector,ExpendableVehicles.

Joseph F. Malaga, who was appointed Director of Administration in

1975, was appointed Director of Administration and Management

Operations.

The Administrationand Management Operations Directoratewill retain

the personnel, procurement, industrial and management engineering,

space utilization,manpower, resources, and financial management functions formerly assigned to the AdministrationDirectorateand incorporate many functions formerly assigned to InstallationSupport and

Center ResourcesPlanningand Control.

I0
Reportingto the Directorof Administratioand n ManagementOperations

will be the Directorfor AdministrativeOperationsand SupportServicesand theDirectorforProcurement,Supply,andTransportation.

Namedas Director,AdainistrativeOperationsand SupportServiceswas

RobertG. Long,formerlyChief,CenterResourcesPlanningandControl.

Functionsassignedto the new directorateincludemanagementsystems,

resourcesand accountingsystems,personnel,and financialmanagement

:(formerlyAdministrativefunctions);printingand reproduction,mail,

library,graphics,publications,and custodialservicesand grounds

management(formerlyInstallationSupportactivities);and formerCenter ResourcesPlanningand Controlfunctions.

The Procurement,Supply,and TransportationDirectorate,headed by

WilliamM. Lohse, formerChief of the AdministrationDirectorate's

ProcurementOffice,incorporateformer s InstallationSupportfunctions

of supplyand transportation.The Labor Relationsand Procurement

functionswere alsoassignedto the directorate.

a

AppointedDirector,Safety,Reliability& QualityAssurance,and ProtectiveServiceswas John R. Atkins,formerDirector,Safe_ Office.

The new organizationwill incorporatefunctionsof the formerSafety

Office,the formerReliabilityand QualityAssuranceDirectorateand ,

SecurityandFire andRescueServices,formerlyfunctionsof Installation Support.

The TechnicalSupplyDirectorate,headedby PeterA. Minderman,will

assumemost functionsin InstallationSupport'sPlantEngineeringand

MaintenanceDivision,includingpower coordination,utilities,engineeringand operations,maintenenaceengineering,and test support

management,plus photographicoperations.John J. Neilonis Deputy

Directorof TechnicalSupport.

John P. Claybournewas appointedManagerof the Sciences,Technology,

and ApplicationOffice, s retainingresponsibilitiefos rmerlyassigned

to him in the now deactivatedSciencesApplications,Skylab,andASTP

ProgramsOffice.

The DesignEngineeringDirectorate,headedby RaymondL. Clark,and

the ShuttleProjectsOfficeunderDr. RobertH. Graywere not affected

by the reorganization.(NASANews,ReleaseNo. KSC 37-76,datedFebruary10, 1976.)

1!
Februa_ 11: NASA announced the extension of The Boeing Aircraft Company's support services contract with KSC. The $6,855,000 award extends the current contract from February 1 through May 31, 1976. Boeing will continue to provide test support management, plant engineering and maintenance, supply and transportationoperations,documentation, fire prevention,protectionand rescue services, quality assurance and training support, and security services under the terms of

the extension agreement. The total contract amount since it became

effective in March 1971 is $126,530,452. (NASA News, Release NO.

34-76, dated February11, 1976.)

o A l-year extension of a contract for custodial services at KSC was

awarded to Expedient Sevices, Inc., of Titusville,Florida. The $1,-

974,951 contract covers the period from February 1, 1976, throughJanuary 31, 1977. The cost-plus, fixed-feecontract is a small business

award set-aside for disadvantaged firms. (NASA News, Release No.

40-76, dated February11, 1976.)

o Eight members of the Kennec[ySpace Center'sDelta launch team (Expendable Vehicles Directorate)were awarded medals by NAN Aotninistrator,

Dr. James C. Fletcher. The Delte government-contractorlaunch team

receivedthe N_ Group Achievementaward.

The DistinguishedService Medal, NASA's highest award, was presented

to John J. Neilon who served as Director, Unmanned Launch Operations

from 1970 to 1975. He is now Deputy Directorof TechnicalSupport.

ExceptionalService Medals were presented to Wayne R. McCall, Delta

Launch Operations Division; Arthur J. Mackey, Spacecraft and Support

OperationsDivision,Unmanned Launch Operations;Mason R. Comer, Special Assistant to the Director of Unmanned Launch Operations;James E.

Towles, Project Engineering Office, Design Engineering Directorate;

James C. Sweat, Safety Office, Range Operations Branch, Unmanned

Launch Operations;Henry J. Van Goey, Chief, Western Launch Operations

Division, Unmanned Launch Operations; and Richard B. Umlauf, Chief,

ResourcesRequirementsBranch, TechnicalSupport. {NAN News, Release

No. 55-76, dated February11, 1976.)

Februa_ 13: A 2-day conferencewas held at KSC on February 11 and 12 to <

describe to potential Bicentennial exhibitors the facilities, services, and public affairs support they might expect from KSC, and to

receive exhibitor'srequirements. The 2-day meeting was attended by

representativesfrom 41 Federal agencies, 16 from Indistry, 8 from

NASA HQS, and 10 from other agencies. (BicentennialWeekly Status

Report to NASA HQS from CD/Director,dated February 13, 1976.)

12
February 19: Marisat 1, the first in a series of three maritime

communicationssatellites,was successfullylaunchedon board a Delta

launch vehicle (Delta 120) from Pad 17B, Cape Canaveral. The Marisat

spacecraftwas designed to transmit voice, data facsimile, and telex

messages to and from ships at sea through special land stations

located at Southberry, Conn. and Santa Paula, Calif. These land

stationsare in turn interconnectedwith domestic land networks. The

launch support for this mission was provided by NASA on a fully

reimbursablebasis by Comsat General Corporation,a subsidiaryof the

CommunicationsSatelliteCorporation.

The satellite, a spin-stabilized actual repeater communications

spacecraft, is to be placed in a synchronous, circular, equatorial

orbit over the Atlantic Ocean. It will provide continuous real-time

communicationsbetween ships and shore data acquisition facilities

through three UHF channels and two L and C band channels. The UNF

channels'initiallywill be under lease to the U.S. Government using

its own data acquisitionfacilities. The L and C band channelswill

be availableto commercialshippingwith communicationstransmittedto

and from Comsat's land-basedfacilities. (MissionOperationsReport,

M-492-205-76-O1, dated January 26, 1976; TR-1413,Delta 120_ Maritime

CommunicationsSatellite (Marisat1), Delta OperationsDivision,John

F. Kennedy Space Center, dated April g, 1976.)

February 20: NASA and TWAS signed a formal contract providing for TWAS

to manage the constructionof the BicentennialExposition. The contract definitizedthe provisionsof a letter contract awarded TWAS on

January 12. Under the terms of the contract,TI_ASwill manage site

preparationsand will award subcontractsfor constructionof buildings, parking areas and other facilities,installationof utilities,

and for dismantlingoperationsat the close of the exposition. (NASA

News, Release No. KSC 110-76, dated March 25, 1976; and NASA Contract

No. NAS 10-8940,dated 1-12-76.)

Februa_ 21: Marisat 1, launched February 19 into a transfer orbit with

an apogee of 36,736 km and a perigee of 184.5 km (the expected apogee

was 36,978 km and the perigee185.2 km), was boosted into its synchronous equatorialorbit on February 21. The spacecraftwas maneuvered

to a positionapproximately15 degrees West Longitudeabove the equator. (MissionOperationsReport NO. M-492-205-76-01,dated April 13,

1976.)

Februa_ 27: NASA announced its intentions to extend a number of its

major support contracts. These contracts held by Federal Electric

Corporation, Bendix Corporation, and the Boeing Aircraft Company are

due to expire in the near future but will be extended for an

13
indefinitetime, probablyuntil early 1977. The extensionsare

necessaryin order to provideNASA time to completestudiesof the

contractstructuresconsideredmost feasibleand economicalto meet

ShuttleProgramrequirements.Recompetitionof The Communicationand s

InstrumentationSupportServicesContract,being performedby Federal

ElectricCorporation,was initiatedthroughissuanceof a RequestFor j

Proposal(RPF). This RFP was cancelledon February19, 1976. (NASA

News,ReleaseNo. 8-176,datedFebruary27, 1976.)

14
March 1976

March 1: For the second consecutive month of 1976, NASAtour patronage

exceeded the patronage for the same period of 1975. During February

1976, more than 112,000 visitors took guided bus tours of Kennedy e

Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Tour patronage in

February 1975 was 102,217, some 10,000 less than February 1976. (NASA

News, Release NO. KSC 83-76, dated March 1, [976.)

o NASA/KSC awarded $18,000 to the University of Arizona's Instituteof

AtmosphericPhysics Department to: (a) record E and H fields from

lightning; (b) evaluate lightning characteristicsfrom data .of KS¢

net; (c) deter?.inereturn-strokepropagationspeeds photoelectrically;

(d) record radlo noise Tn HF and VHF bands; and (e) locate lightning

with gated magnetic-fieldsensors during the ThunderstormII Program.

A contract was awarded by NASA/KSC to the University of Florida's

Department of Engineering, in the amount of $10,000, to investigate

return-strokefield changes and lightninglocationby various methods

during the ThunderstormII Program.

o NASA/KSC awarded $35,000 to the Naval Research Laboratory to conduct

aircraft measurements of the electric field and clouds. Personnel

from the Naval Research Laboratory conducted simulated lightning

ground test utilizingthe Leafier and electrostaticsource providedby

Wright-PattersonAFB, Ohio, Equipment. (NASA/KSC,TS-OSM Report to

management,dated September1, 1976.)

March 4: NASA awarded a 7-month $784,000 contract extension to the

Aerospace Services Division, Pan American World Airways. Under the

terms of the contract, Pan Am provides occupational medicine and

environmental health services for civil service, contractor, and

military service personnelat the John F. Kennedy Space Center. The

extensioncovers the period from March 1, 1976, to September30, I976,

and brings the total amount of the contract since 1971 to $6,802,255.

(NASA News, Release No. KSC 82-76, dated March 4, 1976.)

March 9: The BicentennialExposition on Science and TechnologLy,"Third

'V .

Century America,"was gl en its own logo. The logo will appear on all

exposition facilities and publicitymaterial. The domes, which will

be used to house governmentand industryexhibits, play an important:

part in the logo design. The remainingportion of the logo depicts

the outline of a person with outstretched arms reaching for and

looking into the future. (NASA News, 3rd CenturyAmerica_ KSC

Release No. 96-76, dated March 9, 1976.) ....

15
Narch 26: RCA Satcon_2, the second in a series of three large 24 transponder commercial communications satellites, was successfully launched into a transfer orbit by Delta 121 from launch Complex 17A of the

Eastern Test Range. The transfer orbit attained was measured at 35,-

753 km apogee and 185 km perigee. The planned or expected apogee was

35,998 km with a perigee of 185 km. On March 29, the apogee kick motor (AKM) was fired to begin to maneuver the spacecraftto its operational position approximately 135 degrees West Longi_de above the

equator. This maneuver will require 7 to 11 days. After an evaluation period of 30 to 60 days, RCA Global Communications,Inc., will

initiate operations. {MissionOperationsReports No, M-492-206-76-02,

dated March 18, 1976 and April 13, 1976.)

March 30: NASA awarded a 2-month extensionof a contractfor reproduction

services to McGregor & Werner, Inc. The $246,696 extension covers

the period from April l, 1976, to May 31, 1976, and brings the total

amount of the contract to $3,474,247 sin_e the initial award on April l, 1974. (NASA News, ReleaseNo. KSC lll 76, dated March 30, 1976.)

During March: Meetings were held both at _SA HQS and the White House to

solicit exhibitors from governmentand industr_yto occupy the 15 geodesic domes under construction at the Bicentennial Exhibition site.

As of March 29, 15 governmentagencies in addition to NA_ were committed. Of the 25 industrial firms invited to the White House on

March 23, 18 sent representatives. Two companies (IBM and E Systems)

agreed to participate,seven (AT&T, RCA, COMSAT, Bendix, LTV, Boeing,

and Hughes) advised that they would not participate,and the remaining

con!_anieswere undecided. (BicentennialExhibition Status Reports to

NASA HQS from DY/Deputy Director, dated March 5, 16, 22, and

3O, 1976.)

o The House Committeeon Science and Technology approved NASA's $3.696

billion FY 77 budget request after making 15 minor changes to line

items. Among the changes was a decrease of $3.6 million for R&PM

following NASA's 500-position reduction in personnel. The decrease

was to affect categories other than personnel and related costs. The

Committee also recommended an increase of $3 million for the

initiationof the developmentof a space telescope. All together,15

minor changes resulted in a net reductionof $930,000 from the (OMB)

approved request. (AviationWeek and Space Technology, Volume 104,

No. 10 page 15, March 8, 1976.)

o In his message to NASA employees concerning NASA's FY 77 Budget

Request, Dr. James Co Fletcher said, "The FY 77 budget for NASA,

although remaining lean, is a healthy one." The budget plan as

submittedto the congress called for a total budget of $3,697 million.

16
Of this amount, $g,758,9gS,000 was requested for Research and

Development, $124,020,000 for construction of facilities, and

$814,055,Q00 for Research and Program Management. Over $41 million

was budgeted for construction of KSCfacilities and $103,694,000 for

KSC's portion of the Research and Program Managementrequest. (NASA

Activities,Volume 7, No. 3, National Aeronauticsand Space

Administration,March1976.)

17
+

April 1976

April 1: NASA announced that a schedule of future launches projects an

average of 18 launches per year through 1980. The schedule calls for

a total of 83 launches to occur between April 1, 1976 and I)ecember31, _

1980. Of these, 43 spacecraft are to be launched by Delta, 21 by

Atlas-Centaur, 6 by Atlas-F rockets, and 2 by Titan III-Centaur. A

total of 61 launcheswill occur from Cape Canaveral. More than threefourths of the launches will be on a reimbursablebasis, i.e., NASA

will be reimbursedfor the launch vehicle and launch supportcharges.

·These launchesare made for private industry,other Federal agencies,

and other government and international agencies. The remaining

launches involve Scout vehicles to be launched from Wallops Island

Station or from Scout facilities at the WTR. (NASA Fact Sheet,

Release No. KSC 99-76, dated April I, 1976.)

April Z: Plans to paint the largest American flag ever painted and a

llO-footAmerican RevolutionBicentennialsymbol on the South wall of

the Vehicle Assembly Building were jointly announcedby John Warner,

Director,American Revolution BicentennialAdministration(ARBA) and

Lee R. Scherer,KSC's Center Director. The 20g-foot by llO-footflag

and the llO-footARBA symbol will require more than 500 gallons of

paint. The paint, specially formulated by Montgomery Ward, was

donated by that company. Funds for painting the flag and symbol were

received from ARBA in March,and a contract was awarded to Apollo

Painting, Inc., of Merritt Island, Florida. (News, 3rd Century

America,News Release No. KSC 112-76, datedApril 2, 1976.)

o NASA awarded a $516,971 1-year contract extension to Atlantic

TechnicalServices Corporationof Casselberry,Florida, for continued

operation of the mail and distribution support services. The

extension covers the period from April l, 1976, through March 31,

1977. The contract, a small business set-aside, was initially

awarded on January l, 1975. Total amount of the contract, including

the new extension,is $1,107,950. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 113-76,

dated April 2, 1976.)

o More than I18,000 visitors toured KSC and the Cape Canaveral Air

Force Station in March, bringing the total tour patronage for 1976 to

312,862. This figure was lO,O00 less than the same 3 months in 1975.

However, the record figures for the 3 months in 1975 are attributed

primarilyto a March [aster vacation period. (NASA News, Release No.

KSC 114-76, dated April 2, 1976.)

19
o Eighty-two Kennedy Space Center employees and four groups were presented awards at the Center's Awards Ceremony. Center Director Lee

R. Scherer and Deputy Center Director Miles Ross announcedthe names

of the recipients.James S. Martin, Viking Project Manager, Langley

Research Center, specificallyrecognizedawardees who participatedin

the two Viking launchesto Mars in 1975.

Recipients of the Center's highest award, the KSC Certificateof Commendation, were William A. Berndt, Mary Sue Carpenter, John O.

Gossett, Chester R. Norris, John R.LZeman, Harold Zweigbaum, William

F. Huseonica,Joseph C. Hand, Jack F. Baltar, John B. Parks, Creighton

A. Terhune, and James L. Womack. A Group Certificateof Appreciation

was awarded to the Bendix Launch Support Division, and an individual

certificateof appreciationwas awarded to Sellard D. Wellman,Technicolor Graphic Services. Also, Group AchievementAwards were made to

Federal Electric's Main Telemetry Branch, the ExpendableLaunch Vehicle Directorate'sViking,Launch Operations team, and to the Information Systems Directorates Operationsand Data Managementteam. Rounding out the 82 awards were Sustained Superior PerformanceAwards (1),

Quality Step IncreaseAwards (5), Cost Reduction Awards (4), Cost Reduction Certificates (12), an Equal OpportunityAward, Federal Woman

of the Year Award, and service recognitionfor 40-, 35-, and 30-year

employees. (NA_,_News, Release No. KSC I16-76,dated April 2, 1976).

April 6: NASA awarded a $235,000contract extensionto New World Services,

Inc., for the continuationof libra_ support services. The fixedprice extension covers the period from April l, 1976, through March

3t, 1977. New World Services,the first minori_ finn at KSC to progress to regular small business status, was awarded the basic con_

tract on April l, 1974. The contract'stotal value since that date is

$620,453. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 117-76,dated April 6, 1976.)

April 12: NASA awarded an $860,800 contract to Fulford Construction,Inc.,

and AssociatedNational Construction,Inc., a joint venture,of Indian

Harbor Beach, Florida. Contract NAS 10-8966 covering the period from

April l, 1976, to Februa_ l, 1977, calls for modificationsto the hypergol maintenance facility. This facility consists of five buildings in the Center's Fluid Test Complex in KSC's Industrial Area.

(NASA News, Release No. KSC 118-76, dated April 12, 1976.)

April 17: Helios 2 sucessfullymade its first perehelionpassage as progremmed and became man's closest approach to the sun. All l0 experiments aboard the spacecraftwere performing perfectly,and all spacecraft systemswere functioningas expected. (Field Report, Titan/Centaur-5 Helios 2, prepared by Centaur Operations Division, KSC-EV,

TR-1447,dated June 30, 1976.)

2O
April 21: NASA awarded the first contract for modifyingKSC facilitiesto

process the European-builtspacelab to Pan American Technical Services, Inc., of Cocoa Beach, Florida. The $129,627contract,Contract

NAS 10-8971, covers architect and engineeringservices for the design of modificationsto KSC's Operationsand Checkout building. The

modificationsinclude changes in utilities (gaseous nitrogen,helium,

high pressure air, water, air-conditioning)and adaptation of the

Apollo AcceptanceCheckout Equipmentrooms for cOmpatibili_ with the :

EuropeanSpace Agency furnishedground support equipmentfor automated

spacelabtesting. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 128'76, dated April 21,

1976.)

April 22: NATO-IlIA, the first of a series of NATO defense related military communicationssatellites,was successfullylaunched into a synchronous transfer orbit by Delta 122 from LC 17A at the Eastern Test

Range. Its measured apogee was 34,884 km and its perigee was 186 km

as against its expected apogee and perigee of 35,480 km and 185 km

respectively.On April 24, the spacecraftwas maneuveredto a position

approximately15 degrees West Longitude (Atlantic)over the equator.

The spacecraftis capable of transmittingvoice, data, facsimile, and

telex messages among military ground stations. (MissionOperations

Report M-492-207-76-O1,dated April lg, lg76 and Mission Operations

Report, same number, dated May 20, 1976.)

_ril 28: A 3-month $219,000contract,Contract NAS 10_96g, was awarded

to the Stevens Company of Lancaster,California. The contract is for

modifyingand remodelinga hangar and hangar annex at North Base, Edwards Air Force Base, to serve as a support unit for the Space

Shuttle Orbiter's Approach an4 Landing Test (ALT) scheduledto begin

in 1977. (NAN News, Release No. KS(:139-76,dated April 28, 1976.)

o NASA awarded a $42,917 contract,Contract NAS 10-8787, to Pan American Technical Services, Inc., for architecturaland engineeringservices during modifications of the Fluid Test Complex for the Space

Shuttle. The contract is a follow-onagreementto monitor modifications to the Complex designed by Pan American TechnicalServices under a contractcovering the period from Janua_ 15, 1975, to December

8, 1975. Total value of the contract and follow-on agreement is

$374,306. (NASA News, Release No. 140-76,dated April 28, 1976.)

L

During April: House and Senate Committeeswill name confereesto iron out

differencesof opinions relating to NASA's budget request for FY 77.

The Senate recommendedan additional$780,000 over the House approved

authorization. Areas of differences on projects and funding are:

Space telescope, Lunar and Planetary program, Landsat C spacecraft

project, Variable cycle engines, Research and Technology Base, and

Tracking and Data Acquisition Program. (Aviation Week and Space

Technology,Volume 104, No. 17, page lg, dated April 26, 1976.)

21
May ].976

May 1: NASA awarded a $610,004,contractfor Standardsand Calibration

Support Services to Bionetics Corporat4on of Hampton, Virginia.

Negotiationsfor the 1-year with renewal optionswere begun on March

23, 1976. The contract,a small business set-aside, is for services

previouslyprovided under the Center'scontract with Federal Electric

Corporation. (NASA News, KSC Release No. 109-76, dated March 23,

ig76; and NASA contractNAS I0-8965,dated May I, i976.)

May 4: NASA awarded a $150,000 contract to Sverdrup & Parcel and

Associates,Inc., of Jacksonville,Florida. The 6 months Architect/

Engineering contract covers the design of modifications to the

Vehicle Assembly Building (Low Bay) for Space Shuttle solid rocket

booster refurbishment,paint, and insulationfacilities. (NASA News,

Release No. KSC 164-76, dated May 4, 1976.)

LAGEOS-1 (Laser Geodynamic Satellite) was sucessfully launched into

orbit by Delta 123 from launch pad'SCL-2W, Western Test Range. The

LAGEOS is a completely passive 60 cm aluminum sphere containing436

retroflectorsmounted almost symmetricallyover its entire surface.

The objectives of the LAGEOS-1 mission are to demonstrate the

feasibilityand utility of a ground-to-satellitelaser ranging system

in contributingto our knowledgeof solid-earthdynamics.

May 1Z: NASA expanded its concessionagreementwith TWAS to include the

operation of the BicentennialExposition. TWAS will sell tickets,

food, and souvenirsand provide security,custodial,hospitality,and

parking services to accommodatethose attending the exposition. TWA

appointeda full-timeoperationssupervisor,and he and his staff have

moved into on-site office facilities. (NASA News, KSC Release No.

169-76, dated May 12, 1976; BicentennialExposition Status Report to

NASA HQS from DY/DeputyDirector,dated May 5, 1976.)

Y

May 13: A 3D mathematicalmodel developedby the Universityof Miami under

contractwith KSC has already been tested at a Florida Power and Light

Co. plant on Biscayne Bay near Miami. This model will be given its

first fresh water test at Lake Belews, North Carolina. -:

NASA/KSC has awarded a $55,000 contract (fund provided by the Duke

Power Co.) to the U of M to use the model to study the extent of

thermal dischargesfrom the Belews Steam Station, a fossil fuel power

Z3
plant east of Winston-Salem,North Carolina, Roy Bland, project study

manager in KSC's ApplicationsProjects Branch, said four NASA-6 overflights will be conducted during the year-long project; the first

flight is scheduledfor May 18. (NASA Spaceport News, Vol. 15. No.

10, dated May 13, 1976,)

o Comstar O-1, the first in a series of Comsat domesticcommunications

satellites,was sucessfullylaunchedby an Atlas-Centaur(AC-_) from

Pad A, Launch Complex 36. The Comstar was built by Hughes Aircraft

Company for Comsat General Corporation, a subsidia_ of Communications SatelliteCorporation. The satelliteis leased to the American

Telephoneand TelegraphCorporationas a part of a nationwidecommunications network and has a capacity to provide more than 14,000 twoway, high quality voice circuits. Three comstarsare planned for the

system. Once it is operational,the system will provide communications to the 48 continentalstates as well as to Alaska, Hawaii, and

Puerto Rico. NASA, as the launch agency for CommunicationsSatellite

Corporation,was reimbursedapproximately$22 million for launch support operations. (Mission Operations Report No. M-4gl-201-76-O1,

dated May 1O, 1976.)

MW 17: In orbit, performanceof the CTS's travelingwave tube and its

power supply has been successfullydemonstrated. The systemwas turned on February 8, lg76, and has been operated 1000 hours. The 200-

watt communicationssystem met all specifications. Between Februa_

17, lg76, and May 17, 1976, spacecraftcompatibilitywith small, lowcost ground terminalswas demonstrated. (MissionOperations Report,

No. E-610-76-Ol,datedAugust 3, 1976.)

May 18: NASA has awarded a $295,000contractmodificationto SverdrupPar

cel and Associatesof Jacksonville,Florida. The contract modification is for architecturaland engineeringservicesfor designmodification to Hangar AF and the area north of the Saturn I dock area at

the Cape CanaveralAir Force Station. The facilitieswill be used

for off-loading and disassemblingspent Space Shuttle Solid Rocket

Boosters. The 233-day contract brings the total contract value to

$445,000.(NASA News, Release No. KSC 175-76, dated May 18, 1976.)

o A fixed-pricecontractcoveringmaterialsand labor for modifyingthe

Ordnance Storage Facility in the KSC IndustrialArea was awarded by

NASA to Frank A. Kennedy, Inc., of Cocoa Beach,Florida. The 108-day,

$65,g89-contractcalls for pa_titinint the main storage room; modifying existing air conditioning, ventilation, interior and exterior

lighting;constructionof a security fence; and the installationof

new exhaust fans and filters.The Space Shuttle's radioisotopethermal generationmotors will be stored in this facility. (NASA News,

Release No. KSC 174-76, dated May 18, 1976.)

24
May 21: KSC's Center Director Lee R. Scherer made the first official

landing on the Orbiter Landing Facility. Mr. Scherer, at the controls of NASA-6, a twin-engine Beechcraft, made two touch-and-go approaches before setting the craft down and taxiing it to the apron at

the southeastern end of the landing facility. Moments later, KSC's

Deputy Center Director, flying a Cessna Cardinal aircraft, made the

second official landing. {Spaceport News, Volume 15, No. 11, John F.

Kennedy Space Center, NASA, May 27, 1976.) Y

May 24: NASA awarded a $74,313 contract extensionto Pan AmericanTechnical Services,Inc., for architecturaland engineeringservicesfor additional designs to the Hypergolic Maintenance Facility at KSC's

Fluid Test Complex area. This facility will be used to process the

Space Shuttle's hypergolic modules. Under the contract extension, Pan

American will design propellant and gas piping, cables, power supply

circuits, platform flip-ups, cable trays, and miscellaneous support

equipment used in the facility. The total value of the contract is

now $150,254. {NASA News, Release No. KSC 179-76, dated May 24,

1976.)

May 27: Sunday drive-throughtours of KSC were suspendedfor the summer

effectiveMay 30. The public will be permitteddirect access to the

BicentennialExposition site in the Launch Complex 39 area, but all

other areas are to be placed off-limits for the durationof the Exhibition. (NASA News, Release No. 188-76, dated May 27, 1976.)

Nay 20-30: The gates to the BicentennialExhibitionopened on May 29 and

May 30 in a 2-day preview shakedown operation. May 29 was designated

"EmployeeDay" and all KSC, Air Force, and contractor personnel and

their families were invited to see the exposition without charge.

On May 30, the exposition was opened to the public without charge.

Approximately 30,000 people attended each day. The 2-day preview

revealed many problems which were either immediatelysolved or would

be solved before the start of the summer tourist season. {Spaceport

News, Volume 15, No. 11, John F. Kennedy Space Center, May 27, 1976.

Also Bicentennial Exposition Status Report to NASA HQS, from

Dy/DeputyDirector,June 2, 1976.)

May 31: Attendance at the Bicentennial Exposition on the second official

day of operation and the first day that admissions were charged was

2,980 persons. The number of people was greater than expected for

this traditionally low tourist period. {Bicentennial Exposition

Status Report to NASA HQS from DY/DeputyDirector,June 2, 1976.)

25
During May: Uncertaintiesdevelopedabout the availabilityof Orbiters 4

and 5 in 1983 and 1984. Neither NASA nor the Department of Defense

wishes to absorb the $1 billion cost of the two vehicles. Malcolm R.

Currie, Director of Defense Research and Engineering, stated that if

the DOD funded the $1 billion, the costs would invalidate the cost

savings to the DOD as a Space Shuttle user. NASA is studying various

funding arrangements and their effects on the agency if it becomes

necessary for NASA to assume the funding responsibilities. Final y

decisions on the matter may be made during a meeting of Dr. James C.

Fletcher, NASA Administrator; Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of

Defense; and James Lynn, Director, Office of Management and Budget.

(Aviation Week and Space Technolo_, Vol. 104, No. 20, May 17, 1976,

page 22; Aviation Week and Space Technolo!_y,"WashingtonRoundup" Vol.

104, No. 21, May 24, 1976.)

26
June 1976

June 1: Following completion of negotiations initiatedon May 6, NASA

awarded a $1,105,930 contract to Management Services, Inc., of

Huntsville, AL. The small business contract is for component Y

refurbishmentand chemical analysis support services. These services

were previously provided under the Center's support contract with

Bendix Corporation. The contract is for 1 year with optional renewals

over the next 2 years. (NASA News, KSC Release No. 167-76, dated May

6, 1976; and NASA Contract,NAS 10-8983,dated January 6, 1976.)

June 3: NASA awarded a contract for $3,926,600 to Frank Briscoe Company,

Inc., of East Orange, New Jersey, for construction of the second phase

of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF). A contract

for $8,733,300 for construction of the first phase was awarded in July

1975. The OPF is being built west of the Vehicle Assembly Building.

It is in this facility that returning Orbiters will be safed, serviced

and maintained, and prepared for the next mission. The new contract

covers the period from May 26, 1976, through August 25, 1977. (NASA

News, Release No. KSC 202-76, dated June 3, 1976.)

o NASA awarded a $14,944,594contract extensionto The Boeing Company's

Field Operations and Support Division for continuing support of NASA's

operations at KSC and the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Under the

contract, Boeing provides support in the areas of test support

management, plant engineering and maintenance, supply and

transportation operations, documentation, fire prevention and

protection, rescue services, quality assurance, security, and

training. The cost-plus fixed-fee extension covers the period from

June 1, 1976, through January 31, 1977. The extension brings the

total value of the Boeing contract, originally signed on March 1,

1971, to $145,568,963. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 202-76, dated June

3, 1976.)

June 4: The Congress enacted Public Law 94-307 authorizing an

appropriation of $3,283,745,000 to NASA for the fiscal year 1977.

This represented a reduction of $413,255,000 in NASA's budget

request. Of this amount, $408,925,000 was cut from the Research and

Development request; $3,730,000 was cut from the Construction of

Facilities request; and $600,000 was cut from the Research and Program

Management budget request. (Public Law 94-307, 94th Congress, H. R.

12453, dated June 4, 1976.)

27
June 9: Marisat 2, the second in a series of three maritime communications

satellites, was successfully launched onboard Delta 124 from Pad 17A

at the Eastern Test Range. The spacecraft was placed in a synchronous

transfer orbit with an apogee of 36,924 km and a perigee of 185 km.

The expected apogee and perigee were 36,788 km and 185 km

respectively. (Mission Operations Report, No. M-492-205-76-02,dated

October 14, 1976.)

June lot NASA awarded a contract for $339,640to PrecisionFabricationand

Cleaning, Inc., of Sharpes, Florida. The contractor will test and

refurbish KSC's 64 compressed-gas trailers. The trailers are used for

mobile distribution of high pressure helium, nitrogen, oxygen,

hydrogen, and air in support of the Space Shuttle, expendable

vehicles, and institutional projects at KSC. (NAN News, Release No.

KSC 222-76, dated June 10, 1976.)

June 11: At Marisat 2's seventh apogee, the Apogee Boost Motor (ABM)was

fired to maneuver the spacecraft over the Pacific ocean to a position

approximately 176 degrees East Longitude and above the equator. Marlsat 2 will provide the same service to Pacific shipping as that provided to Atlantic shipping by Marisat 1. All subsystem checks have

been completed, and the spacecraft is functioning satisfactorily.

(Mission Operations Report, No. M-492-205-76-02, dated October 14,

1976.)

June 14: Speakingfrom the White House, PresidentGerald R. Ford addressed

attendees at a ceremony dedicating 3rd Century America, the

Bicentennial Exposition on Science and Technology. Attending the

ceremonywere Dr. James C. Fletcher,NASA Administrator;KSC Director

Lee R. Scherer; executives of other Federal Agencies; and industrial

firms sponsoring exhibits at the exposition. (NASA News, Release No.

KSC 225-76, dated June 10, 1976.)

June 19: The first of two Viking spacecraftwent into orbit around Mars,

ending a 400-million-mile journey. Viking I was launched aboard a

Titan III Centaur space vehicle from LC-41, Cape Canaveral Air Force

Station, on August 20, 1975. The retrorocket of the spacecraft was

fired at 6:38 p.m.E.D.T. The 37-minute, 49-second burn placed the

spacecraft in a highly elliptical preliminary orbit with an apogee of

31,286 miles and a perigee of 940 miles. Viking I will be placed in a

synchronized orbit with the planet's rotation in preparation for a

landing on June 4, 1976. (Spaceport News, Vol. 15, No. 13, John F.

Kennedy Space Center, NASA, June 25, 1976, page 2.)

28
June 21: The annual increasein Florida tourism which follows the closing

of schools in northern states brought a corresponding increase in

attendance at the Bicentennial Exposition. Attendance, which had

averaged 3000 persons per day during the first 13 days of June,

increased to 4000 on June 13, and remained at that average for the

week.(NASANews, Release No. KSC 251-76, dated June 21, 1976.)

?

June 22: NASA awarded a $19,464,511contract extension for engineering

support services to Planning Research Corporation of McLean, VA. The

contract calls for continued design engineering support services for

the Space Shuttle program. These services are performed at Kennedy

Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Dryden Flight

Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, and at KSC's Western Launch

Operations Division at Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. The contract

extension brings the total amount of the contract originally awarded

in May, 1974, to $44,533,777. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 267-76,

dated June 22, 1976.)

June 25: A $402,146 contract was awarded by NASA to Applicon, Inc., of

Burlington, Mass., to furnish equipment for modification and reconfiguration of KSC's automateddrafting system. This system is used for

production of engineering drawings of Space Shuttle facilities and

ground support equipment. The 1-year contract will become effective

on April l, 1976. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 280-76, dated June 25,

1976; and NASA Contract NAS 10-8973, dated April l, 1976.)

o KSC press release #279-76 announced TRIP 76's existence and summarized

its purpose.

June 25: A five-and-one-halfmonth contract extension was awarded by

NASA to New World Services of Titusville, Florida, for automatic data

processing key punch services. The $211,382 contract will run from

June 16 to November 30, 1976, and brings the total contract value to

$2,245,544. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 281-76, dated June 25, 1976.)

June 29: A press conferencewas held at BicentennialExpositionwith TRIP

investigator tions about their sin attendance work. (Ref. to explain Various theirnewsprograms articles andonanswer 6/30ques] /76

"Today" specifically.)

29
During June: The first major deliveryof Shuttle ground support equipment

arrived at KSC the Microwave Scanning Beam Landing System Ground

Station (MSBLS). The system, in conjunctionwith on-board Shuttle

equipment, will provide data during the final approach and landing

phase to preciselyguide the Orbiter to a safe landing on the runway.

The system was manufactured by the Airborne InstrumentsLaboratories

Division of Cutler Hammer, Inc., of Deer Park, New York, under a Johnson Space Center contract.On March 8, 1976, KSC awarded a $1.4 million contract to this same company for the installation,checkout,

and maintenanceof the system. The first system will be used for the

Orbiter Approach and Landing Tests (ALT) at the Dryden Flight Research

Center/EdwardsAir Force Base. (Spaceport News, Volume 15 No. 13,

John F. Kennedy Space Center, June 25, 1976, pages 5 & 8. Also NASA

Contract NASA 10-8960, dated March l, 1976.)

o Compilationsof facts and figures of NASA's 1976 Savings Bond campaign

placedKSC as number one among all NASA installations. KSC's percentage of participationwas 92.7 percent as compared to a 76.4 percent

participation NASA-wide. Of the 2,289 personnel at KSC, 2,122 are

participating in the Savings Bond program. (Spaceport News, Volume

15, No. 13, John F. Kennedy Space Center, dated June 25, 1976, page

7.)

3O
July 1976

duly 1: Roy Bland of the Sciences,Technology,and ApplicationsOffice

presented a paper titled: Landsat SignatureDevelopmentProgram

(LSDP), at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana,July 1, 1976.

LSDP is a computer program written at KSC by Royce Hall and Kenneth

McGuire, both of Federal Electric Corporation, and is designed to produce an unsupervised classification of a scene from a Landsat tape.

The program will generate a character map that, by identifying each

of the general classes of surface features extracted from the scene

data with a line printer symbol, indicatesthe approximatelocations

and distributionsof these general classes within the scene. ("Machine Processing of Remotely Sensed Data," Symposium Proceedings,

Purdue University,West Lafayette, Indiana,June 29, through July 1,

1976.)

July 8: Palapa-1,the first of a seriesof Indonesiancommunicationssatellites,was successfullylaunched onboard Delta 125 from Pad 17A at

the Eastern Test Range. Palapa, built by Hughes Aircraft Company,

was designed to provide television,voice, and data throughout Indonesia. The satellitehas facilitiesfor relaying12 color television

channelsor up to 4,000 telephonecircuits. Its life expectancy is 7

years. (Mission Operations Report M-492-208-26-01,dated June 24,

1976.)

July 12: NASA awarded a $116,000 fixed-pricecontract to Sanders and Thomas, Inc., Miami, Florida, to design modifications to the parachute

facility in the KSC Industrialarea. This facilitywill be utilized

in the Shuttle program for washing, drying, refurbishing, and repacklng parachutes used in the solid rocket motor recovery operations.

(NASA News, Release No. KSC 329-76, dated July 12, 1976; Contract No.

NAS 10-9003,dated June 17, 1976.)

July 13: Four KSC employeesrecommendedby the ManpowerReview Board were

selected by the Office of Professional Development, NASA Headquarters,

to participate in the 1976-77 Career Development Program. The four,

Ms. Mae Walterhouse; and Messers. Raymond Kimlinger, James Stephens,

and Robert Kimble, will begin the development program on September 7,

1976, in Washington, D.C. (Letter from Mary Fortune, Director, Office

Professional Development to Kennedy Space Center, Attn: Lee R. L

Scherer, Director, dated July 13, 1976. Also, Spaceport News, Vol.

15, No. 16, John F. Kennedy Space Center, dated August 6, 1976, and

Spaceport News, Volume 15, No. 17, John F. Kennedy Space Center,

dated August 20, 1976.)

31
July 14: NASA awarded a $2,250,000 contract for the developmentof the

Space Shuttle Orbiter fuel cell system to the Beech Aircraft

Corporation, Boulder, Colorado. The contract calls for Beech Aircraft

to design, fabricate, test, and deliver the complete cryogenic,

remotely controlled unit which will provide liquid hydrogen and liquid

oxygen for Orbiter fuel cells. Delive_ of the system to KSC is

scheduled for December 1977. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 333-76, dated

July 14, 1976; ContractNo. NAS 10-9017,dated June 29, i976.) ?

July 19: The first phase of a test program to determine the effects of

salty and brackish water on materials to be used in the solid rocket

boosters of the Space Shuttle Orbiter was completed by KSC and MSFC.

The tests were conductedusing a structure2.7 meters long and 3 meters

in diameter constructed from the same materials and protected by the

same sealants and paints planned for the solid rocket boosters.

Attached to the structurewere samples of electronicboxes, electrical

connectors,and other componentsunder considerationfor solid rocket

booster use. The first phase of the test consistedof submergingthe

structure 80 percent of its length in the Atlantic Ocean for 7 days and

in the Banana River for an additional 3 days. The structure was

retrievedand sent to MSFC for corrosion analysis.The second phase of

the testing calls for a refurbished structure to undergo a similar

test. {NASA News, Release No. KSC 341-76, dated July 19, 1976.)

JUly 20: The Viking I Lander landed on Mars at the western margin of the

Chryse Planitia region at 7:63 a.m.E.D.T., 11 months after its launch

from Complex 41. The Viking had gone into Martian orbit on June 29

with the original landing date of July 4. Unexpectedly rough terrain

at the primary landing site forced a delay of the landing until a new

site could be selected. Between July 2 and July 11, spacecraft photographs backed by scans of the Arecibo,Puerto Rico, radio telescoperesulted in the selectionof the Chryse Planitia Site. Touchdownof the

Lander was accomplished without problem. {SpacecraftNews Vol. 15,

No. 14, dated July 9, 1976, and SpaceportNews Vol. 16, No. 16, dated

July 23, 1976. Also Aviation Week & Space Technology,Vol. 105, No. 1,

dated July S, 1976, pp 23-27.)

o NASA awarded a contract for $3,452,000 to the Mayfair Construction

Company of Chicago, Ill., for the installation of an Orbiter procesrem, and an electrical cable system in the Orbiter Processing Facility. Work is to begin July 19, 1976, and is scheduled for completion by August 1, 1977. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 347-76, dated

July 20, 1976, and Contract No. NAS 10-9025, dated July 13, 1976.)

32
July 22: Following an on-site inspection by William E. Eckenrod, FAAAirport Certification Division, Atlanta, Georgia, the 15,000-foot-long

Orbiter Landing Facility was granted a Limited Airport Operations Certificate. The certificate permits certified air carriers to make nonscheduled flights to and from the Orbiter Landing Facility. (NASA

News, Release No. KSC 350-76, dated July 22, 1976.)

o Comstar D-2, the second in a series of three Comstar satellites,was

successfullylaunchedby an Atlas-Centaur(AC-40) from Pad B, Complex

36. Like its predecessor,Comstar D-l, the spacecraftwill be leased

by the American Telephoneand TelegraphCompany as part of a domestic

communicationssystem. NASA providedthe launch support for this mission on a fully reimbursablebasis. For this, Comsat GeneralCorporation, a subsidiaryof the CommunicationsSatelliteCorporation,paid

NASA in excess of $22 million. (MissionOperation Report No. M-491-

201-76-D2, dated July 20, 1976.)

July 23: Dr. James Ragusa of the Sciences,Technology,and Applications

Office, recently completed a study entitled "An Optimum Organizational

Structure for a Large Earth Orbiting MultidisciplinarySpace Base."

Dr. Ragusacarefullyconsidereda number of differenttypes of organizational structures with a view toward choosing the best possible

structurefor a space base. The proposed space base will be designed

for a lO-year operating life. The Space Shuttle will be used to transport materialsneeded to assemble the station and to supply it with

equipment, personnel, and food. Personnel staffing the facility

numberingfrom 50 to 100 engineersand technologistsof varying backgrounds and nationalities- will spend extendedperiods of time at the

base. (NASA SpaceportNews, Vol. 5, No. 16, dated July 23, 1976.)

July 29: NOI_A-5(ITOS-H),the fifth spacecraftof a series of second-generation operational meteorological satellites, was successfully

launched into orbit by Delta 126 from Pad SLC-2W at the Western Test

Range. The ImprovedTiros OperationalSatellite (ITOS) will provide

global cloud cover data, both day and night. Onboard the NOAA-5were

an improved atmosphericsounder and the very high resolution radiometer. {MissionOperations Report No. E-601-76- 17, dated July 30,

1976.)

During July: NASA issued a call for Space Shuttle astronautcandidates.

Applicationswill be accepted until June 30, 1977, and selectionsare

to be announcedby the followingDecember. At least 15 pilots and 15

mission specialistswill be selected to report to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) for 2 years training beginning July 1, 1978.

NASA anticipateshaving women and members of minority races among the

qualified candidates selected for the program. Thirty-one persons

are al33
ready available for the Shuttle program, including nine students.

Twenty-eight are astronauts assigned to JSC, and three had Government

positions in Washington, D.C.

o The Senate AppropriationsCommitteedirectedNASA to submit a reportby

October 1, 1976, on the effects of a possible2-year obligationallimitation on researchand developmentfunds. Senator William Proxmireattempted to includea 2-year obligationallimitationin NASA's FY 77 appropriationbill, but the attempt was rejected by the other committee

members. Senator Frank Moss opposed the 2-year obligationallimitation, but agreed to having NASA report on the proposal. Under the

present system, funds appropriated for research and development am

available for obligation until expended. The proposed change would require NASA to return all unobligated funds at the end of the 2-year

period. The issue will be discussedonce more during FY 78 appropriation hearings. (AviationWeek & Space Technology, Vol. 105, No. 2,

dated July 12, 1976, p. 43.)

34
August 1976

August 3: During July, more than 150,000 people took the guided bus tours

of the Kennedy Space Center and Cape CanaveralAir Force Station. In

addition, more than 160,000 people purchased tickets to 3rd Century ?

America, bringing the total number of visitors to 314,292. Through

the first 7 months of 1976, 749,651 persons have patronized the two

attractions. {NASA News, Release No. KSC 388-76, dated August 3,

1976.)

August 4: A Hanover,Indiana, resident,Mr. David Perry, became the 10

millionth visitor to tour the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral

Air Force Station. Immediately after purchasing his tickets, Mr.

Perry and his family were greeted by officers of NASA and TWA

Services, Inc. Robert Newman, NASA's Assistant Administrator for

Public Affairs, and Chuck Hollinshead, KSC Chief, Public Affairs,

escorted the Perry family to the KSC Headquarters Building where they

met Center Director, Lee R. Scherer. Later, the family was given

tickets to 3rd Century America and a VIP tour of KSC and CCAFS, and

were guests of honor at a dinner hosted by Har_ B. Chambers of TWA

Services, Inc. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 391-76, dated August 4,

1976.)

August 6: Senator Barry Goldwater, ranking minorityme_er of the Senate

Space Committee, praised the value of the space program and criticized

the "uninformed people" who claim that money spent in the space program should be used in other ways. Goldwater firmly believes that

space spinoffs will yield dividends in excess of the total costs of

the space program in the next 10 years. (Defense/SpaceBusiness

Daily, Vol. 87, No. 25, dated August 6, 1976, p. 195.)

August 7: A 39-minute,35-secondburn of its retrorocketinsertedViking

2 into a 932- by 22,126-mile orbit around Mars. Initial photographs

of the primary landing site on the AcidaliaPlains indicatedthe area

was too rough for a safe landing. Alternatelanding sites to the east

and west of the primary site will be surveyed. The Viking 2 is scheduled for touchdown on September 2, 3, or 6, depending upon the landing site chosen. (AviationWeek & Space Technology,Vol. 105, No. 7,

dated August 16, 1976, p. 14. Also, Defense/Space Business Daily,

Vol. 87, No. 27, dated August 10, 1976, p. 216.)

35
August 15: Full service with the two Comsat General Marisat Communications

Satellites began August 15 with the inaugurationof commercial services via Marisat 2. Services to the Navy in the Pacific area began

June 28, 1976. (Defense/SpaceBusiness Daily, Vol. 88, No. 2, dated

September2, 1976, p. 11.)

August 25: Phase II constructionof the Orbiter Landing Facility {OLF) has

been completed. This facility consists of a runway and associated

facilities required for coordinating and controllingterminal navigation of the Orbiter during land or launch abort conditions. In addition to the 15,000-foot concrete runway, the OLF consists of a towway to the Orbiter ProcessingFacility, a Landing Aids Control Building, a Tactical Air Navigation Building, a Microwave Scanning Beam

Landing System, Cloud Height Measuring Equipment, Visibility Measuring Equipment, and Operational Television Equipment. Phase II construction included design and construction of the Landing Aids Control Building, the landing instrumentation facilities, electrical

power and water distribution, and the communications power plant.

Phase I construction,completed on July 14, 1976, consisted of total

site work and construction of the runway, air field lighting, and

feeders for electrical power and water. {Schedules and Status Summary, Volume I, Space Shuttle, KSC, K-SM-03.1, John F. Kennedy Space

Center, NASA, October 29, 1976, p. 11, and ShuttleFacilities_

Baseline Descriptions,K-SM-01, Appendix A, John F. Kennedy Space Cen

ter, NASA, dated June 2, 1975, p. A-1.)

August 27: An awards ceremonywas held in the mission room of the Operations and Checkout Building honoring 55 KSC and AFETR employees. KSC

Director Lee R. Scherer presentedletters of appreciationto four CooperativeEducation Program students assigned to the Digital Electron

ics Systems Division of Design Engineering. A Group Achievement

Award was presented to seven members of Detachment 11, 2nd Weather

Squadron, Patrick Air Force Base. A second Group Achievement Award

was presented to the 17 members of KSC's Viking Lander Team who had

worked on the Viking Lander at both the Martin-Marietta plant in Denver and at KSC. Certificatesof Commendation,the highest KSC honorary award, were presented to 19 KSC employees. In addition, one KSC

employee, Archie F. Young, was awarded a 40-year service award; Leo

J. Cote, Prosper A. Fagnant, and Robert M. Sibert received 35-year

service awards; and 30-year service awards went to Harold E. Canady,

LynnwoodG. Mason, Arthur G. Porcher, Anne. R. Reamsnider,and Charles

E. Welly. (Spaceport News, Vol. 15, No. 19, John F. Kennedy Space

Center, dated September 17, 1976, p. 3.)

August 30-31: The Spacelab Program Director'sReview was held at KSC on

August 30-31. Doug Lord, Director of the Spacelab Program, conducted

the meeting which was attended by Spacelab team members from NASA

Headquarters,KSC, MSFC, and JSC. (SpaceportNews, Vol. 15, No. 18,

John F. Kennedy Space Center, September 3, 1976.)

36
August 31: NASA has narrowed the number of competitorsfor the assembly

and checkout of the Orbiter solid rocket booster assemblies to three:

Boeing Services International,Seattle; United Space Boosters, Inc.,

Sunnyvale, California; and SPATEC Corp., a subsidiary of Chrysler

Corporation. McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company, Huntington

Beach, CA., was eliminated from the competition. The cost-plus-awardfee contract calls for the assembly, checkout, launch, and

refurbishmentof the solid motor assemblies,but does not include the

solid motor which goes back to Thiokol for refurbishment.

(Defense/SpaceBusinessDaily, Vol. 87, No. 28, dated August 31, 1976,

p. 224.)

During August: A railway car transporting a structure simulating the

size of the solid rocket booster aft and forward skirts stopped at

KSC. The 19-foot-6-inchby 13-foot-l-inchstructure simulates the

size, but not the shape, of the SRB components. The unit, carried on

a Southern Railway flat car, is being used to assure that bridge and

overhead clearances are adequate for transporting SRB units from

Thiokol Corporation'sBrigham City, Utah, installationto Vandenberg

AFB or KSC. (SpaceportNews, Vol 15, No. 17, John F. Kennedy Space

Center, dated August 20, 1976.)

o An oversightstudy of NASA'smanagementstructurewas initiatedby the

House Science and Technologyad hoc subcommitteefor special studies,

oversight,and investigation. The new subcommitteeis chaired by Rep.

Olin E. Teague. This subcommitteeexpects to issue an interim report

of its findings by the end of the year. {Aviation Week & Space

Technology,Vol. 105, No. 7, "WashingtonRoundup," dated August 16,

1976, p. 13.)

o At the request of the OMB, NASA and the USAF are making a joint study

to determine which organization should procure the last two Space

Shuttle Orbiters. Recommendations drawn up by Malcolm Currie,

Director,Departmentof Defense Research and Engineeringand by George

M. Low, formerDeputy Administrator,NASA, will be consideredby NASA

in its discussionswith DOD. {AviationWeek & Space Technology,Vol.

105, No. 9, "IndustryObserver,"dated August 30, 1976, p. 11.)

37
4 September 1976

September 1: A. Taiani made an operationalreport to KSC management on

TRIP 76, summarizing the summer's activities. Twenty-one Principal

Investigators from 18 different institutions (including 5 government

agencies) mounted 42 study projects. Researchers and representatives

came from England, Switzerland, and South Africa, as well as from the

U.S. Seven aircraft were involved in the various projects. Three

NASA Centers -- GSFC, JSC, and KSC -- had Principal Investigators.

(Ref: Copy of report.)

Septenkber3: The Viking 2 Lander successfullycompleted an automatic

landing on the Utopia Planitia region of Mars after mission controllers lost the primary communications link through the Orbiter. The

first indication that the Lander had touched down successfully came

at 6:58 p.m.E.D.T, on September 3, as planned. Apparently, the

Viking 2 Orbiter became disoriented during the Orbiter-Lander separation operation, and its communications antenna pointed away from the

earth. It was not until some 8 hours later that the high-gain orbiter

link was restored to operation and the first two pictures of the

landing area were transmitted from the Orbiter's recorder. (Aviation

Week & Space Technology, Vol. 105, No. 11, dated September 13, 1976,

p.28 and Defense/Space Business Daily, Vol. 88, No. 5, dated

Wednesday, September 8, 1976, p. 33.)

Septen_er 7: 3rd Century America, the U. S. BicentennialExpositionon

Science and Technology, closed its door for the last time. The event

was marked by music, fireworks, and a cannon salute. The closing

ceremony, attended by representatives of federal, industrial, and educational groups which had sponsored displays, began promptly at 6:15

p.m. The finish included the firing of some 350 to 400 skyrockets, a

cannon salute by an Army drill team, and finally the lowering of the

American flag as the U. S. Naval Training Center Band played the

National Anthem, officially closing the exposition. Earlier in the

day, a time capsule containing names of exposition patrons and memorabilia of the Nation's current life style was sealed. It will be reopened on July 4, 2075. The time capsule will not be buried, but

will be placed on permanent display at KSC's Visitors Information Center. (Spaceport News, Vol. 15, No. 19, John F. Kennedy Space Center,

September 17, 1976, pp. 5-6.)

Septen_er 8: NASA was overridden by President Gerald R. Ford in the

selectionof the name for the first space shuttle. NASA had spent

many months in research to select a name and finally decided upon

"Constitution," for the U. S. Constitution and the U.S.S.

39
Constitution.However, fans of the TV program "Star Trek," mounting a

letter campaign, influenced the President to name the Space Shuttle

the "Enterprise." It was also suggested that since the Space Shuttle

was to be used for internationalflights, the name Constitutionmight

be too political. (Defense/ Space Business Daily, Vol. 88, No. 6,

dated Thursday,Septemberg, 1976, p.47.)

September 10: NASA awarded a $200,000 firm fixed-pricecontract to Reynolds, Smith & Hills of Jacksonville,Florida, for architect-engineering services for design modifications to the Saturn V/Apollo Mobile

Launcher 2. All three Mobile Launcherswill subsequentlyundergo modificationsto adapt items to the Space Shuttle program. These modifications include removal of the jib crane and the launch tower, and additional openings will be made in the launcher platform to accommodate the exhaust gases of the Orbiter's main engine and two solid

rocket motors. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 441-76, dated September

23, 1976; also NASA Contract No. NAS 10-9045, dated September 10,

1976.)

September 17: NASA awarded a $1,199,610 firm fixed-price contract to the

Chrysler Corporation Space Division for 21 pneumatic regulation and

control panels used in connection with Space Shuttle operations.

These panels are required to control the flow of nitrogen, helium,

oxygen, and hydrogen to the Space Shuttle and ground support systems.

The contract covers the period from September17, 1976, through June

1, 1977. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 442-76, dated September 23,

1976; also NASA ContractNo. NAS 10-9043,dated September17, 1976.)

September 17: Orbiter Vehicle 101, named the "Enterprise"by President

Ford, was rolledout of Rockwell International'sPalmdale,California,

facility during a ceremony attended by federal and state government

representatives,foreign dignitaries, business leaders, NASA employees, news media, and invited guests. The Enterprise, first of five

Space Shuttle Orbiters, is to be transportedoverland to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base. Starting in

March 1977, Orbiter 101 will undergo a series of captive flight and

drop tests. (NASA Activities, Vol.7, No. 10, dated October 1976;

also, Aviation Week & Space Technology, Vol. 105, No. 12 dated

September 20, 1976, pp. 13-14; and Aviation Week & Space Technology,

Vol. 105, No. 13, dated September27, 1976, p.14.)

o Although Orbiter 101, the "Enterprise,"rolled out of the Rockwell International facility on schedule, the Space Shuttle Main Engine

(SSME), being built by Rockwell's Rocketdyne Division, is plagued

with problems. The SSME's turbopump has exhibited shaft vibration

problemswhich limit the speed of the pump. As a result of the vibration, turbine loads are excessive, leading to bearing

4O
failures. Resolving the problem is expected to set the development

approximately4 months behind schedule, but it will not impact the

first Shuttle Orbiter flight planned for mid-1979.Another problem is

that Orbiter 101 exceeds its desired weight margins.NASA is currently

looking for ways to eliminate several hundred pounds. (Defense/Space

Business Daily, Vol. 88, No. 12, Friday,September 17, 1976,p. 93.)

s

Septen_er20: NASA releaseda revisedSpace TransportationSystem Traffic

Model which shows a total of 560 flights for the fiscal years 1980

through 1992. This number is 12 less than the previousmodel released

in October 1974. The new model is under revision,however. The present model shows DOD flights through 1992 as 109, 47 less than previously. Of these, 38 are scheduledto be launchedfrom the WTR as compared tO 80 on the earlier model. The new model also shows 267

flights for NASA, 28 for other U. S. Governmentagencies,60 for U. S.

commercialmissions, and 65 for foreign missions. Of these, 336 are

scheduledto be launched from LC-39 and 84 from the WTR. Of the DOD

missions,71 are scheduledfrom LC-39 and 38 from the WTR. (Defense/

Space BusinessDaily, Monday, September20, 1976, pp. 98-99.)

September 29: NASA awarded a fixed-price contract for $2,537,000 to the

Frank Briscoe Co., Inc., of East Orange, N.J., for modifications to

the VAB. The contract calls for construction of an External Tank Processing Support System in High Bay 4 and a Solid Rocket Booster Processing and Storage Facility in High Bays 2 and 4. Both aspects of

the contract are to be completed in November of 1977. (NASA News, Release No, KSC 449-76, dated October 1, 1976; also, NASA Contract No.

NAS 10-9040, dated September 29, 1976.)

o W.R. Durrett briefed the Center Director and KSC Policy Staff on TRIP

76's accomplishments and presented the proposed budget for TRIP 77.

Mr. Scherer approved the budget and continuation of the program

through 1978. (Ref: Exec Comm 777 of September 30, 1976.)

During Septe_er: NASA is conducting studies to define experimentsand

operations for a possible early Space Shuttle mission to revisit the

Skylab, with the aim of boosting it to a higher orbit. At the current

rate of orbit decay, the Skylab will reenter the earth's atmosphere

during the 1980-81 time period. By boosting it into a higher orbit,

the life of the Skylab can be prolonged and provide time for further

use of the facility. A revisit would also allow for astronautsto recover a capsule containing food and other items. These would be examined to determine the effects of long-timeexposure to the space environment. (Defense/SpaceBusinessDaily, Vol. 88, No. 11, Thursday,

September16, 1976, p. 85.)

41
o NASA plans to propose a new unit for the Space Transportation System

in FY 77. The new unit, the Spinning Solid Upper Stage (SSUS), is to

be a low-cost, unguided propulsion system for boosting small payloads

from the Shuttle orbit into synchronous orbit. The SSUS will be

developed in two weight classes: a "Delta class" unit for boosting

payloads of 2,000 to 2,500 pounds and an "Atlas-Centaur class" for

boosting payloads of 4,200 to 4,500 pounds. The SSUS will complement

the Interim Upper Stage (IUS) currently under development which has Y

the capability of boosting payloads of 5,000 pounds. (Defense/Space

Business Daily, Vol. 88, No. 11, Thursday, September 16, 1976, p. 85.)

o Andrew J. Pickett, Deputy Manager of KSC's Shuttle Projects Office,

was appointed as leader of a special NASA study team by KSC's

Director, Lee R. Scherer. The study team, made up of KSC and NASA

Headquarters personnel, will study optional methods of managing and

conducting Space Transportation System operations during the

operational phase of the program. The team will obtain assistance

from a yet-to-be-selectedmanagementconsultingfirm, and from several

aerospace-orientedsubcontractors. (Letter to: All KSC Civil Service

Employeesfrom Lee R. Scherer,Director,dated September30, 1976.)

42
October 1976

October 1: NASA plans to launch an average of 19 space missions per year

through 1981 from launch complexes at KSC (LC-39),ETR, and WTR. Between October 1, 1976, and December 31, 1981, lOl launches are scheduled, includingseveral currently listed as tentative. Seventy-five

will be unmanned missions from NASA complexes at Cape Canaveral and

the Western Test Range in California. Twenty-six will be manned

orbital Space Shuttle missions launchedfrom the Center's Launch Complex 39. The first Shuttle flight from Complex 39 is scheduled in

early 1979. Delta rockets will launch 35 spacecraft from Cape

Canaveral and ll from the Western Test Range. Atlas-Centaur launch

vehicles are scheduledfor 21 missions and Titan-Centaurvehicles for

two, all from Cape Canaveral complexes. Atlas-F rockets will launch

six missions from the Western Test Range. Seventy percent of the unmanned launcheswill be on a reimbursablebasis, with NASA being paid

for the cost of the launch vehicles and associatedlaunch activities.

Such launches are conducted for private business, other Federal

agencies, other governments, and internationalagencies. Countries

and internationalagencies involved in cooperativespace projects are

Brazil, Canada, Japan, Indonesia, Italy, a group of Arabic nations,

NATO, the EuropeanSpace Agency, and the InternationalTelecommunications Organization. (NASA Fact Sheet, Release No. KSC 4_$0-76,dated

October 1, 1976.)

o The NASA in-orbit engineering evaluation of NOAA-5 took place from

the time of launch (July 29, 1976) until August 20, 1976. The checkout proceededsmoothlywith no serious anomalies. The spacecraftwas

then turned over to NOAA for operationaluse. NASA's objectives,to

launch NO_-5 into an accurate sun-synchronousorbit, to conduct an

in-orbit evaluation, and to turn the operational control over to NO_A,

were achieved.(MissionOperationsReport (MOR)No. E-601-76-17,dated

October l, 1976.)

o During September, more than 42,734 persons took the guided tour of

Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. This

representsan increase of 20.8 percent over the 35,382 figure posted

for September1975. During the first 9 months of 1976, 935,550 people

have taken the tours. While this figure is 2.7 percent less than the

same period in 1975, the tour totals for the year appear certain to

top one million. Should this occur, it will be the fourth year, and

the second in a row, that the one-million figure has been achieved

since the program was started in 1966. (NASA News, Release No.

448-76, dated October I, 1976.)

43
o Janette Gervin of the Sciences, Technology, and Applications Office

submitted a paper, titled: A Landsat Study of Water quality in Lake

Okeechobee, to the ACSM-ASPFaY1 Convention in Seattle, Washington.

The paper reports on the use of multiple regression techniques to investigate the relationshipbetween Landsat radiance values and water

quality measurements. Michael Marshall, of the Central and Southern

Florida Flood Control District, is the co-author of the paper and the

co-investigatoron the project. (PhotogrammetricEngineeringand Re- ?

mote Sensing Journal of the American Society of Photogrammetry,Vol.

XLII, No. 8, Falls Church, Virginia,August 1976.)

October 7: All communicationsequipment in the blockhouseat Launch Complex 37 has been removed, and the blockhouse has been turned over to

Headquartersof the Air Force Eastern Test Range. Racks and consoles

were left in place as part of the turnover plan. The Air Force is

expected to donate them to educational institutions. Turnover of

cryogenictanks and other facilitieswill be accomplishedby February

15, 1977. The blockhouse served as the launch control center for

eight of NASA's Saturn 1 and lB launches. (Notes: Clark, dated

October 7, 1976.)

October 11: Viking 2 was successful in pushing a rock several inches

away and scraping up a soil sample from where the rock had been

situated.The soil was deposited in thehopper of the organic chemistry experimentin another search for signs of organic life. The sample was scheduledto go to the test oven on October 12. So far, Viking biologistshave been unable to find any evidenceof organic substances on Mars. (Defense/SpaceBusiness Daily, Vol. 88, No. 29, Wednesday, October 13, 1976, p. 227.)

October 13: NASA has awarded a contract for $1,103,000to Algernon Blair

Industrial Contractors, Inc., of Norcross, Georgia, for construction

of off-pad facilitiesat Launch Pad 39A. The 365-day contract calls

for installationof Space Shuttle ground support equipment in the pad

area includingpiping, cabling, and other equipment. The work includes the installation of new environmental control system cooling

towers, new hypergol tanks, and piping. {NASA News, Release No.

450-76, dated October 15, 1976; also NASA Contract No. NAS 10-9047,

dated October 13, 1976.)

October 14: KSC acquired a 50-foot gondola railcar from the Department

of Defense excess property to be used as a safety spacer railcar. The

spacer wilt be positionedbetween the railcar used to transportsolid

rocket motors and the locomotiveduring transfer operations from the

storage area and the VAD. Use of the spacer will prevent the locomotive from entering the VAB during the transfer operations.

44
Costs to repair the excess rail car were $612 compared to $30,000

needed to acquire a new one. (Notes: Clark, dated October 14, 1976,

and Gray, dated October 14, 1976.)

o Marisat 3, the third maritime communicationssatellite,was successfully launched from Pad 17A, Eastern Test Range, by a Delta launch

vehicle (Delta 127). Marisat 3 is to serve as an optional backup to

Marisats 1 and 2 and was placed in a synchronous,equatorial orbit

over the IndianOcean. Initially,Marisat 3 will be used only by the

Navy. At its altitude of 23,000 miles, the spacecraft can serve an

area of about one-third of the earth's surface. Comsat General,

which will reimburseNASA for the cost of the launch vehicle, launch

services, and other administrativecosts, arranged for all ground

station support required for the launch and control of the spacecraft. (Defense/Space Business Daily, Vol. 88, No.32, Monday,

October 18, 1976, p, 251; also NASA Activities,Vol. 7, No. ll, dated

November1976, p. 5.)

October 19: General Alexei Leonov and Valeri Kubasov, cosmonautson the

Apollo-Soyuzmission in 1975, and a group of Soviet space scientists

led by Dr. Boris Petrov, chairman of the IntercosmosCouncil, arrived

at KSC, and a series of meetings were scheduledwith NASA officials

under the leadershipof NASA Deputy Administrator,Dr. Alan lovelace.

The purpose of the meetingswas to discuss possible future joint manned missions such as those that would involve the Space Shuttle and

the Salyut. At the close of the meetings, Dr. Lovelace said that the

earliest a joint mission could be scheduledwas about 1981 or 1982.

The Russians accepted this as reasonable. (Defense/SpaceBusiness

Daily, Vol. 88 No. 32, Monday, October 18, 1976, p. 251; Defense/

Space Business Daily, Vol. 88, No. 34, October 20, 1976, p. 266; and

Defense/SpaceBusiness Daily, Vol. 88, No. 39 Thursday, October 28,

1976, pp. 305-306.)

o Astronaut DonaldSlayton predicts a joint flight of U.S. astronauts

and Soviet cosmonautswill be sent to the surface of Mars by the end

of the century. He said the spacecraftwould be designedand built by

the two countries. The trip would take 6 months each way, with a

1-year stay on the planet. (Defense/SpaceBusiness Daily, Vol. 88,

No. 33, Tuesday, October 18, 1976, p. 260.)

October 21: The buildup of the basic Titan-Centaur (TC-6) for the

Mariner-Oupiter-Saturn-B launch has been completed with the erection

of the Centaur stage. Vehicle checkout is scheduled to begin

November 3, by which time the ground support equipment will be completed and additional flight hardware components will have been

received. (Notes,Kapryan, dated October 21, 1976.)

45
October 25: The surface sampler arm on Viking 2 successfully pushed a

Martian rock and delivereda soil sample from the previouslyprotected

area to the biology experiment package. Preparations for the rock

push were initiatedon October 19. Two rocks were under consideration; one of them was in full view of the Viking 2 cameras. All three

instrumentsin the biology package received samples of the material.

(AviationWeek & Space Technology, Vol. 105, NO. 18, dated November

1, 1976, p. 15.)

October 27-28: The KSC Snorkle Unit arrived at the Dryden Flight Research Center. KSC fire personnel {NASA and Boeing) were on site for

vehicle inspection,assembly,and training. Snorkle training started

on October 28 and will continue through November 10, 1976. (Notes,

Kapryan (to CD), dated November4, 1976.)

October 28-29: The Model frustrum built by KSC for parachute/frustrum

testing was completedin mid-October. The model frustrum,which simulates the frustrum of the Space Shuttle solid rocket motor, is being

used to test solid rocket motor retrieval techniques and equipment.

Frustrum buoyancy tests were conducted in the LC-3g turning basin.

On October 28, the model and parachuteswere taken 4 to 5 miles offshore on board the Landing Craft Utility (LCU). Retrievalwes practiced on parachutes and the frustrum individually. The tests were

conducted in winds gusting to over 30 knots and in seas of 3 to 5

feet. The results of the tests on the 28th indicatedthat over-thestern retrieval of the frustrum vs. over-the-sideretrieval was the

better method. Also, provisions must be made to give the parachute

reel operator protection from being tossed overboard while operating

the reel in rough seas. On October 29, the tests were resumed under

similar sea conditions,but at 11 miles offshore. New problems were

incurred. At 50 to 60 yards away, the frustrumwas not detected by

the LCU's radar, set at its lowest range of 2 miles. In addition,

the drift rate of the frustrum/parachutewas greater than anticipated. After modificationsto the frustrum are completed, testing

will resume in November. (Notes (to CD), Gray, dated November 4,

1976.)

During October: Followingthe closing of the BicentennialExposition,work

was started to restore large portions of the area to its originalVAB

parking area status. By the end of October, unwanted trees and bushes

had been removed along with the ticket booths and souvenir stands;

the restroomswere relocatedto the Press Center; and disman-tlingof

the domes was under way by Charter Industriesworkmen. In the VAB,

all exhibits have been removed, and the Plastic Bubble was relocated

to its previous position from where bus tour patrons were once again

viewing the VAB. However, the Air Force X-24B, the NOAA buoy, and

some of the Department of Transportationexhibits remained, but were

scheduled for removal in November. (Notes, Donnelly, dated October

13,19, 26, and November 2, 1976.)

46
o NASA is taking a more detailed look at the feasibilityof revisiting

the Skylab space station, possibly as part of the sixth space shuttle

mission. The purposes of the visit are to retrieve a materials sample

pack and to attach a solid rocket motor pack to the space station to

boost it into a higher orbit, giving it additionalyears of orbital

life. There is some concern that when Skylab returns to the earth's

atmosphere,parts of the vehicle will survive the reentry and impact

on populatedareas. (AviationWeek & Space Technology,Vol. lO§, No. ?

16, dated October 18, 1976, p. 18.)

o Democratic presidentialcandidateJi_ Carter expressed support for

the Space Shuttle program and a range of payloads that will be carried

aboard the vehicle. In a letter to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Carter cited earth resources and satellite communications as priority areas. He said that NASA budgets would receive "close attention" under a Carter Administration. Carter also

said, "Clearly this agency's expertise is needed in emergency civilian programs. One clear priority will be to maintain our clear preeminence as the undisputed leader in aerospace technology. To do

this, we must have steady commitment to the aerospace professionals...

Within limits, these skills are transferable to other domestic sections of technology. But the core of the professionmust be held intact." (AviationWeek & Space Technology, Vol. 105, No. 17, dated

October 25, 1976, "Washington Roundup," p. ll.)

47
November 1976

November I: NASA/KSC awarded a $29,158 contract to Bethune-CookmanCollege of Daytona Beach, Florida, to conduct a KSC EnvironmentalStudy

with emphasis around the Shuttle Runway Area. The contractwill also ?

pay for a computer terminal and time-sharing system expenses incurred

in the study. Vegetation and other types of ground cover were produced in character maps that were printed out on the computer terminal. Dr. P. Poonai and Dr. W. Floyd, both professors at Bethune-Cookman College, are the principal coinvestigators for this study.

(SA-APP Project 20-73 file, November 1976.)

o NASA Tours volume in October was 50,840, a 16.4 percent gain over the

same month in 1975. During October 1975, 43,674 patrons toured the

Center. However, a 10-month comparison for 1975 and 1976 shows the

1976 tour volume at 2 percent below that of 1975. According to P.A.

Fagnant, Chief, Visitors Services Branch, the increased patronage over

the past 4 months indicates that the total 1976 figure will exceed the

1,168,189 figure of 1975. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 482-76, dated

November l, 1976.)

November2: In the recent congressionalelections,Senator Frank Moss of

Utah, chairman of the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space

Sciences, was defeated in his bid for reelection. In New Mexico, astronaut Dr. HarrisonH. Schmitt joinedJohn Glenn as the second astronaut to be elected to the United States Senate. In the House of Representatives,Rep. Olin Teague (of Texas), Chairmanof the House Committee on Science & Technology, and Rep. Don Fuqua (of Florida),

Chairman of the House Subcommittee of Space Science and Applications

of the House COmmittee on Science and Technology, won their bids for

election. (Defense/SpaceBusiness Daily, Vol. 89, No. 4, Thursday,

November 4, 1976, pp. 19-20.)

November 3: The payload for the third flight test of the Space Shuttle

will include, among other experiments, the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) which will be left in orbit for pickup on a later flight,

the Induced Environmental Contamination Monitor (IECM) which will be

used to study gaseous and particulate contaminates in and around the

Orbiter while in orbit, and a free-flying maneuverable TV system

which will be used for closeup inspection of the LDEF and for investigating the effects of the Orbiter's maneuvering engines on small payloads. (Defense/SpaceBusiness Daily, Vol. 89, No. 3, Wednesday,

November 3, 1976, p. 19.)

49
Nove_er 4: Five KSC employees,two KSC groups, and three contractorsreceived NASA awards during a NASA Headquarters ceremony in Washington

today. The awards were presented by NASA AdministratorDr. James C.

Fletcher. William M. Lohse, KSC's Director, Procurement,Supply and

Transportation,received the DistinguishedService Medal, NASA's highest award. He was cited for "exceptional contributionsto KSC and

NASA in providing outstandingmanagement of all Shuttle Program contracting requirements at the Center, his resolution of Bicentennial

Exposition contractingproblems, and his exceptionalcontributionsin

overall Center administrativemanagement matters." Receiving NASA's

Exceptional Service Medal were James F. (Frank) Burke, Wesley H.

Dean, and Darrow L. Webb. Burke, Chief of the Management Support

Office, Directorateof Design Engineering,was honored for his leadership in the management of the directorate's resources; and Dean,

Chief of the Cost and Pricing Staff of the KSC ProcurementOffice,

was cited for his contributionsto the formulationof NASA policy in

the areas of cost and pricing of procurementactions. Webb is project engineer for KSC's Shuttle Launch Processing System solid rocket

booster system. The award was in recognitionof his role in the technical integrationof Launch Processing System hardware and software.

Fernando Esparza received NASA's Equal Employment Opportunity Award

in recognitionof his role in KSC's recruitmentof minority personnel. He is a supervisorymathematicianin the EngineeringApplications Branch of KSC's InformationSystems Directorateand also serves

as the Center's Spanish Speaking Program Coordinator. The Radio Frequency OperationsSection of the TelemetricSystems Division, Information Systems, was presented a NASA Group Achievement Award. The

group was cited for "outstandingtechnical achievements in providing

payload and booster off-the-air data link quality measurements and

launch related in-flighttelemet_ data ac_?sition to the Expendable

Vehicle Directorate's mission operations. Supervisor Raymond N.

Summy, Jr., accepted the award. A NASA Group AchievementAward was

also presented to the Visitors InformationCenter Support Unit of the

LaboratoriesBranch, Support Operations. The award cited continuous

and dedicated effort ensuring that exhibits in the visitors center

are maintained in a manner reflecting credit on KSC. Supervisor

Bernard W. Torrence accepted the award. Stearns-Roger,Inc., Denver,

Colo., an Air Force contractor, was presented a NASA Public Service

Group Achievement Award for its accomplishmentsin restoringComplex

41, Cape Canaveral, following fire damage resulting from the second

Viking launch, to meet the deadline for the launch of Helios-B on

January 15, 1976. Greiner EngineeringSciences, Inc., Tampa, Fla.,

KSC's architect-engineercontractor for Phase I of the Shuttle Orbiter Landing Facility, received a NASA Public Service Group Achievement Award recognizing the company's performance in development of

the design package and expertise in construction inspection and

engineering services. Morrison-KnudsenCompany, Inc., Darien, Conn.,

KSC's constructioncontractorfor Phase I of the Orbiter Landing Facility, received a NASA Public Service Group AchievementAward for its

exemplary performanceand timeliness in managing and constructingthe

facility. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 481-76, dated November 4,

1976.)

5O
November 5: NASA awarded a $284,900 constructioncontract,Contract NAS

10-9067, to Norflor Construction Corporation, Orlando, Fla. The contract calls for the installation of an airlock in NASA's Spin Test

Facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to provide a clean-room

environmentfor the prelaunchpreparationof spacecraft. The 50-foot

by 34-foot by 45-foot high airlock installationwill include a S-ton

bridge crane, air conditioning, high efficiency particle accumulator,

roll-up door, personnel airlock, and electrical, vacuum, compressed y

air, and gaseous nitrogen lines. Construction is to be completed

within 160 days after the contractor's notification to proceed. The

new clean room will be the site for preparationof future Delta--

launchedspacecraft,and later it will be used for Space Shuttle payload processing. Utilization of the new facility will begin immediately upon completion of construction. A number of Delta-launched spacecraft will be processed there during the spring and summer of 1977

while present clean-room installations are occupied by elements of

two Mariner-Jupiter-Saturn spacecraft undergoing preparations for

launches scheduled in August and September. Spacecraft scheduled for

preparation in the Spin Test Facility clean room during the spring

and summer are GEOS, an European Space Agency (ESA) geodynamic experimental ocean satellite,scheduledfor launch in April, 1977; a geostationary operational environmental satellite (GOES), scheduled for

launch in May; OTS, an ESA orbital test satellite, scheduled for

launch in June; Japan/GMS, a Japanese meteorology satellite, scheduled for a July launch; SIRIO, an Italian communications research

satellite,scheduledfor launch in August; and METEOSAT,an ESA meteorology satellite, scheduled for launch in September. (NASA News, Release No. KCS 490-76, dated November 5, 1976.)

November 10: The one-millionth1976 NASA tour patron purchaseda ticket

for an escorted bus tour of KSC and Cape CanaveralAir Force Station.

This makes the seventh time in the 8 years of tour operationthat one

million or more people have toured the facilities. This year's millionth ticket was purchasedby James Price of Elmhurst,Illinois,who

was accompaniedby his wife and three daughters. (NASA News, Release

No. KSC 491-76, dated November 10, 1976.)

November 17: More than 600,000 people attended the U.S. BicentennialExposition on Science and Technology at Kennedy Space Center during its

100 days of operation. This figure was well below the three million

visitor potential considered possible by the original planners, and

the one million expected to attend the exposition. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 493-76, dated November 17, 1976; and Preliminary

Concept, U.S. BicentennialExposition of Science and Technology,prepared by the Office of John R. Stiles, the White House, dated July

10, 1975, p. 12.)

51
o The largest rocket propulsion test ever conducted in Europe was

carried out by the Societe De Propulsion at Vernon, France, with the

firing of all four engines of the first stage of the European Space

Agency's Ariane space vehicle. The initial launch of the three-stage

vehicle is scheduled for June 1979, followed by three additional

developmentflights in 1980. (Defense/SpaceBusiness Daily, Vol. 89,

No. lg, Monday, November 29, 1976, p. 145.)

?

November 18: NASA awarded a supplementalcontract for $2,635,053 to the

Martin-MariettaCorporation'sMichoud Operations,New Orleans, Louisiana. The contract extends through March 31, lg80, and is for the

maintenance and operation of the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen

storage and transfer system at KSC's Launch Complex 39. The supplemental agreement and previouslyawarded contracts for Shuttle external tank launch processing support brings the aggregate value of the

awards to $13,387,873. Both liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen are

propellants used by the Space Shuttle Orbiter's three main engines

from liftoff to just prior to attaining orbital velocity. The two

propellants are carried in a huge external tank carried beneath the

orbiter'sbelly and flanked by twin solid rocketmotors which are also

ignited at liftoff. The existing storage and transfer facilities

which were used to fuel the upper stages of the Saturn V and the

Saturn lB are being refurbishedto service the Space Shuttle, scheduled for launch on its first orbital mission in 197g. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 494-76, dated November 18, 1976.)

November 22: Harold Zweigbaum,TechnicalAssistant to the Director of Expendable Vehicles, has been named chairman of the Ground Support

EquipmentPanel, which is associatedwith the Low Cost Systems Office

at NASA Headquarters. In his new assignment,Zweigbaumwill be serving as the fulltime chairman of a NASA-wide panel with an aim of

effecting the standardization of ground support equipment throughout

the agency. The new assignment is effective immediately. According

to Zweigbaum, the panel's charter extends to the investigationof all

checkout and launch-related ground support equipment. Other NASA

centers are involved, as they also design ground support equipment.

Much airborne equipment - tape recorders are a prime example - has

already been standardizedto help reduce costs. (NASA News, Release

No. 495-76, dated November 22, 1976.)

November 23: A recommendedKSC in-house lightning research program for

1977 was presented to the Center Director, and approved. The KSC

lightning research budget for 1977, including TRIP 77 support, was

$475,000. (Ref: Exec Comm #789 of November29, 1976.)

52
Nove_er 29: The property accountabilityfor the Mobile Service Structure (MSS) was transferredfrom KSC's Master Planningand Real Property Branch to KSC's Supply Branch to be processed as excess. MSS

equipment to be retained for Shuttle use will be removed from the

structure;the remainingitems will be turned over to GSA for distribution and/or sale. The value placed on the MSS was $25.1 million.

(Notes (to CD), Malaga, dated December 9, 1976.)

During Nove_m_r: Negotiationshave been completedwith New Mexico State

Universityfor researchand developmentplus technicaloperations support services for the Spacecraft LaboratoryandTelemetry Station at

the KSC Western Launch Operations Division. The $539,630 contract

covers work to be performed from December 2, 1976, through December l,

1978. (Notes (to CD), Malaga, dated November4, 1976.)

o Whether or not there is life on Mars still remains a mystery. After

3 months above, on, and in the surface of Mars by two Viking landers

and two orbiters,project scientistsare still at a loss in interpreting their findings. Dr. Harold Klain, chief biologist,summed it up:

"Puttingthe facts all together,they do not rigorouslyprove the presence of life on Mars and they do not rigorouslydisprove the presence

of life on Mars." (Defense/SpaceBusiness Daily, Vol. 89, No. g,

Thursday,Novemberll, 1976, p.65.)

o KSC was notifiedthat modificationsto LC-39B for Space Shuttle operations would have to be funded over a 2-fiscal-yearperiod. Of the

$45 million requested in the FY 78 C of F, a maximum of $31 million

will be available.As a result, KSC personnelhave been working with

the HeadquartersOffice of Facilities to develop a design and constructionscheduleto comply with the Headquartersdecision. The prepared funding schedule calls for an expenditure of $27 million the

firstyear and provides for all site preparation,constructionof the

Shuttle Service and Access Tower, all flame deflectors,and the sound

suppressionwater system. Second-yearfunding would cover the Payload Changeout Room and the launch system. {Notes {to CD), Gr_y,

dated November 18, 1976.)

NASA has received more than 600 applications from civilians seeking

new astronautpositions. About 60 of the applicantswere women. NASA

will continue to accept applicationsuntil June 30, 1977. There are

1S openings for Space Shuttle pilots and 15 for Shuttle mission

specialist positions. (Aviation Week & Space Technology, "Industry Observer," Vol. 105, No. 21, dated November 22, 1976, p. 9.)

53
o KSC is soliciting bids for architectural engineering services for

design and modificationsfor LC-39B to convert it from the Apollo to

the Space Shuttle program configuration. Estimated costs for the

conversion range from 30 to 40 million dollars. Work will include

Service and Access Towers, deflectors, Payload Changeout Room, and

mechanical and electrical systems. (Defense/Space Business Daily,

Vol. 89, No. 17, Thursday, November 23, 1976, p. 131.)

o Professor Massimo Trella, Technical Inspector of European Space

Agency, told an internationalconference that European nations have

the capability to provide complete space systems and should use that

capability, both to compete with the United States for future space

projects and to participatein cooperative global space undertakings.

(Defense/SpaceBusiness Daily, Vol. 89, No. 19, Monday, November 29,

1976, p. 148.)

o The European Space Agency has approved a launch schedule and payload

for the four developmentflights of the Ariane space vehicle. The

flights are scheduled for June 1979, December 1979, May 1980, and

October 1980. Among the approved payloads are an Am-Sat satellite

provided by the German branch of the International Radio Amateur

SatelliteOrganization,a GEOS qualificationsatellite of the Geosari

project, an Indian communicationssatellite designed to continue the

experiments under the Satellite Tele-communications Experiments

Project, a flight prototype of the Canadian Telecommunications

Satellite (CTS), and an identification model of the Italian Sirio

Satellite. (Defense/SpaceBusiness Daily, Vol. 89, Nb. 20, Tuesday,

November 30, 1976, p. 156.)

54
December 1976

December 1: NASA Tours volume in November was 56,003, exceeding the ._

November 1975 total by 15 percent. November marked the fourth consecutive month of increased tour volume compared to 1975. The 1976

volume should exceed last year's and will be third highest since the

tour program began in 1966. Patronage during 1972 was 1,389,042 and

in 1973 was 1,264,321. While the year's volume probably will not

reach the 1973 level, the year-end total will probably exceed the

1,168,189 of 1975. A new and dramatically enhanced tour program will

be offered to accommodatea possible record number of visitors during

the Christmas holiday period. The new tour, extending from midDecember through early January, includes popular attractionsat 3rd

Century America, including, a re-creation of the Apollo ll launch in

the Launch Control Center s Firing Room 3 and an opportunity for a

close-up inspection of the mammoth Apollo/SaturnV space vehicle on

display near the Vehicle Assembly Building. Also offered on the

Christmas tour will be a visit to the building where astronauts

trained for missions to the Moon to view a newly developed lunar

diorama. {NASA News, Release No. KSC 505-76, dated December 1976.)

Oecea_er 2: NASA awarded the EngineeringSystems Division of the Ford

MachineryCorporationa contractto design, fabricate,and install the

Payload Ground Handling Mechanism. Work performed under the

$1,314,765 contract is to be completed by June 1, 1978. (Notes

12-2-76,Clark. Also NASA Contract No. NAS 10-9073,dated December 2,

1976.)

December 1 and 3: On December 1, the historic gantryat Launch Complex 14

was toppled by explosives set by the 27th Engineer Battaliondemolition team from Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Constructed in 1957, the

complex was the launch site for 32 NASA and Air Force missions including the first four manned orbital launches in the Mercury-Atlasprogram. Two days later, on December 3, the gant_ on Launch Complex 12

met a similar fate. Complex 12, also completed in 1957, was the

launch site for 37 NASA and military missions including the nine

Ranger and four Mariner missions. (SpaceportNews, Vol. 15, No. 25,

John F. Kennedy Space Center, December 10, 1976.)

December 8: W.R. Durrett reaffirmedKSC's invitationfor TRIP 1977 research to the scientific community at the fall AGU annual meeting in

San Francisco. The meteorologysection of the AGU devoted 2 days to

papers on TRIP 76 findings.

55
The TRIP 77 program was held at KSC as scheduledfromJune 15 through

August 15, 1977. Compilation of the data is now going on. As in

1976, the research aircraft associated with the program (including

KSC's own NASA 6 instrumentedtwin Beechcraft)supported all launches

that occurred during their stay at KSC, gathering data and reporting

upper air electric charge levels in real-time to the KSC meteorologists. This included both Viking launches in 1976 and will include

both Voyager launchesin 1977.

o Program Directive No. 73, "Shuttle Orbital Flight Test Landing and

Post Landing OperationsResponsibilities,"was approved. This Directive establishes the responsibilities of the Johnson and Kennedy

Space Centers for Shuttle Orbiter landing and post-landingoperations

of the Orbiter flight test program. Accordingly, JSC will be lead

center in the landing operations until the Orbiter's wheels stop; at

that point through launch/liftoff,KSC will take over as lead center.

(Notes (to CD), Gray, dated December 16, 1976.)

o Awards for their roles in 3rd Century America, the nation's Bicentennial Exposition on Science and Technology,were presented to employees, employee groups, and supportingorganizationsby NASA Administrator Dr. James C. Fletcher during a ceremony at the Spaceport today.

NASA OutstandingReadership Medals were awarded to KSC Deputy Director Miles Ross, who was general manager of 3rd Centu_ America, and

Space TransportationSystem Processing Director Paul C. Donnelly,who

served as Exposition Project Manager. NASA Exceptional Service

Medals were presentedto Paul C. Gauger, Jr., Design Engineering,who

was Project Engineer for exposition site preparations; Joseph F.

Malaga, KSC Director of Administrationand Management Operations,for

businessmanagementand institutionalsupport; Charles T. Hollinshead,

KSC Chief of Public Affairs, for his role in 3rd Century America

public affairs and promotionalactivities;Ray E. Yost, Jr., depu_ to

the KSC ResourcesManagement Officer, for establishmentand operation

of the expositionbudgetingand accounting system; Sara Sheppard, KSC

Awards Officer,who served as administrativeassistantto the 3rd Century America project manager; William H. Schick, Chief of the Complex

39 Operations and Special Projects Office, 3rd Century America's

chief project engineer; Billy H. Childers, Support Operations, Support ManagementOffice, for his coordinationof expositionsupport requirements;George E. Harrington,recently retired Chief of the Supply and TransportationOffice, for his role in coordinating exposition logistics requirements; and Major James R. Craig, Jr., USAF, Air

Force Eastern Test Range Director of Information,for his role as Department of Defense liaison officer for 3rd Centu_ America. Robert

D. Hays, Shuttle EngineeringDirectorate,3rd Century America technical exhibits designer and installationsupervisor,was also a medal

recipient. On temporary duty at NASA's Dryden Research Center,

Edwards, Calif., Hays was not present to accept the award. Group

AchievementAwards were presentedto:

56
--3rd Century America AdministrativeSupport Team, accepted by James J.

Summa, ProcurementOffice.

--3rd Century America Project Coordinators, accepted by James Devlin,

Support Operations.

--3rd Century America Technical Staff, accepted by James J. Kubasko,

Shuttle Payloads.

--3rd Century America Public Affairs Team, acceptedby Michael W. Bishop,

VisitorsServices Branch.

--3rd Century America Facilities AcquisitionTeam, accepted by John K.

Feussner, Institutionaland Expendable Vehicles Project Engineering

Office.

--3rd Century America Site and Exhibit Activation Team, accepted by

Robert T. Creeden, Support Operations.

Harry B. Chambers, General Manager, NASA Tours Division, TWA Services,

Inc., the prime contractor for facilities construction and concessionaire

for operation of 3rd Centu_ America; and Robert H. Clark, TWA's project

manager for 3rd Century America, were recipients of NASA Public Service

Awards. TWA Services,Inc., is KSC's concessionairefor The Visitors Information Center and NASA Tours operations. Receiving NASA Public Service Group Achievement Awards were:

--The Graphics Unit of the Boeing Company, for art services. The award

was accepted by supervisor Richard Huffman.

--Stottler,Stagg and Associates,also doing business as Brevard Engineering Co., for its role as architect-engineeringcontractor for 3rd

Century America. Brevard Engineering Co. president Richard A.

Stottler, Jr., accepted the award.

--TWA Services, Inc., for management and operation of 3rd Century

America. The award was accepted by J.J. Dillon, president, TWA Services, Inc., a subsidiary of the Canteen Corporation.

<

--Walt Disney World, for assistance in designing the 3rd Centu_ America

logo and the exposition promotional campaign. The award was accepted

by Robert Matheison, vice president of operations (NASA News, Release

No. KSC 502-76, dated December 8, 1976.)

57
Oecen_er 14: Phase II constructionof the Launch EquipmentTest Facility

(LETF) was completed. Phase I construction was completed in May.

Closed loop testing of the LETF's hydraulic system is now under way.

The primary purpose of this facility is to test and qualify launch

critical ground support equipment prior to its installation and to

retest and recertifyequipment between launches, as necessary. The

facility will also be used for development testing of conceptual

ground support equipmentdesign. (Schedulesand Status Summary, Vol. _

l, Space Shuttle, K-SM-03.1, dated January 31, 1977, p. 14; also

K-SM-lO.1.30,Revision l, Section II, par. 2.1, dated June ll, 1976,

p.3.)

o No manned missionswere conductedduring the past year as the buildup

continues for the Space Shuttle, but KSC's ExpendableVehicles Directorate conducted 13 unmanned launches during 1976. It was the first

completely successful year since 1972. The launches included one

Titan-Centaur,three Atlas-Centaur,and nine Delta rockets. Of the

13 missions, ll were launched from KSC's facilitiesat Cape Canaveral

and the remaining2 from the Western Test Range in California. Only

three of the spacecraft -- Helios 2, LAGEOS, and Communications Technology Satellite-- had developmentalor scientificmissions. The remaining l0 satellites were operational weather or communications

spacecraft launched for paying customers. The 1976 mission total was

5 below the 18 launched in 1975, and the launch rate was materially

below that of the 1960s. The number of KSC launches since 1958, when

NASA was created, through 1975 is as follows: 1958--8, 1959--14,

1960--17, 1961--24, 1962--27, 1963--13, 1964--2g, 1965--30, 1966--30,

1967--28, 1969--22, lg70--12, 1971--17, 1972--18, 1973--14, and

1974--10. (NASA News, Release No. KSC 511-76, dated December 14,

1976.)

December 16: Seventeen launches, includingll Deltas, 4 Atlas-Centaurs,

and 2 Titan-Centaurs,have been scheduledin 1977 by KSC's Expendable

Vehicles Directorate. Ten of the Deltas will be launched from Complex 17, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and one from a KSC launch

pad at the Western Test Range, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The

four Atlas-Centaurswill be launched from Complex 36, Cape Canaveral,

and the two Titan-Centaursfrom Complex 41 on the Cape. Two possible

callup missions, an ITOS meteorological satellite that would be

launched from the Western Test Range, and RCA-C, which would be

launched from Cape Canaveral, are also on the tentative 1977 schedule, as is a possible ESA/OTS backup, which would also be launched

from the Cape. All would be launched on Deltas. (NASA News, Release

No. KSC 492-76, dated December 16, 1976.)

December 17: Lee R. Scherer,Directorof KSC, and BrigadierGeneral Don M.

Hartung, Commanderof the Air Force Eastern Test Range, announced today that propellant functions and chemical sampling operations will

58
be consolidatedin contractsserving both NASA'sJohn F. Kennedy Space

Center and the U.S. Air Force Eastern Test Range. The consolidation

will be in effect no earlier than October 1977, and should result in

substantialcost savings to the Government. Propellantfunctionsinclude planning, logistics, operation and maintenance of mobile

liquids and gases equipment, and the operation and maintenance of

fixed pneumatics systems located at the two facilities. The annual

savings to the Government to be achieved by the consolidationare estimated at $1 million in 1978 and in excess of $1 million in 1979 and

succeedingyears. In addition, consolidationwill enable NASA and

the Air Force to dispose of numerouspropellantmobile equipmentitems

which are very costly to maintain. The acquisition value of the

equipmentto be excessed is $4.6 million, and the estimated1977 replacementvalue is $12,7 million. It is expected that the majority

of this equipmentwill be picked up by other Governmentagencies,resulting in a significantcost avoidancefor the Government. The propellants function will be consolidatedunder the KSC Ground Systems

Operationscontracton which bids have already been requestedfrom industry in a recently issued Request for Proposal. Other support

operationspreviouslyconsolidatedby the NASA and Air Force installations to help reduce costs include photographic,medical, timing and

countdown,ordnancestorage and handling,nondestructivetesting evaluation, precision cleaning, electromagneticcompatability,and frequency control analysis services. (NASA News, Release No. KSC

513-76, dated December 17, 1976.)

December 18: After 9 months of competitivenegotiations,United Space

Booster, Inc. (USBI), Sunnyvale, Ca., was selected as the assembly

contractor for the Space Shuttle's solid rocket boosters. The costplus-award-feecontract totalling$122 million is for six design, development, test, and evaluation flights, which extend through March

1980, plus options for 21 operational flights extending into 1982.

USBI will be responsibleto MarshallSpace Flight Center for assembly,

checkout,and refurbishmentof the boosters;and they will be responsible to KSC for final assembly, stacking, integrated checkout,

launch operations, and post launch disassembly of the boosters.

McDonnell Douglas AstronauticsCo., HuntingtonBeach, Ca., and Boeing

Services International, Seattle, Wa., also were in competitive negotiations. (NASA News, Release No. 76-212, released December 21,

1976. A1so, Today Newspaper,Saturday,December 19, 1976.)

December 31: At the close of 1976, the total value of KSC's real property and equipment was placed at $1,472,146,411. Of this amount,

the value placed on NASA's Cape CanaveralAir Force Station facilities

is placed at $60,270,311. KSC facilities are valued at $625,828,304,

including land. More than $720 million are invested in Governmentowned capital equipment. (NASA-KSC Quarterly Real Proper_ Report as

of December 31, 1976.)

59
APPENDIX A

KSC ORGANIZATION CHARTS

A-1

APRIL 197S ...................

A-2

NOVEMBER 1976 ...................

BI CENTENNIAL CHART

A-3

FEBRUARY 1976 ...................
....,_liF,KENNEDY SPACECENTER, NASA OIRECTOR

LEE R .SCHERER

................... I f I I E.................. 1

tiA,tA_,_:_[ PUBLICAFFAIM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OPPORTUNiTy JIFOMEDICAL

AUOaTO'_EiCli OFF_:E COUNSEL STAFF _ROGRAMOFFiCE OFFIc_ OFfiCE

I I !

r ' r '1 *l MANAGER. SCtENCEIk TECiIHOLOGy f,AFETY, #&G&,

S4'IUTTLEPROJECTS ANDAI_L IC,AT_ AA_*PROTECTIV&

O._FICIE OFFICE _-RVK:I[$

I I I

V *l l- '1 "' DIR(I;T08 OF DIRECTOROF DIRECTOROF DIRECTORGF

OESIGtd TECHNICAL AIDMINISTRATION

_*ERATiOt4 _NGINEERIN_ _RJFgGRT AND 14ANAG_M_NT

"T,?
JOHNF.KENNEDYSPACECENTER,NASA

FLORIDA

OIIIECTOR

I LEEIl. SCHEREDI

I ,.°,, I

COrNeL pi _NNIKO, m,

AUDtTO_FiCIE OFfICIL _'_ a_TlONSO_I'tCI ATAff t _OI_RXI,I _RT_JTOFF _ mCIL _kOf _R_llCI NCEL C,_FICE O_flee

I !

_ O_tSAiIONS (XGINE[8*NG

:_'-_ O_I(_IU,?_,:'"' L :'" ':'" aPR9 lsd5 _lf* I'*_lt

_,*lClO*,

,i _,h II
U. S. BICENTENNIAL EXPOSITIOJi__ONSCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

ii iii

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (,

DIRECTOR

LEE R. SCHERER

II

BICENTENNIAL EXPOSITION

TASK GROUP

GENERAL MANAGER

MILES _OSS ...

Ill WI

' " '1 SPECIALGENE ASSISTANTcERNAN!

_ I i,' IIII II1_

> OPERATIONS OFFICE OFFICE OFFICE

PAUL DONNELLY JOSEPHMALAGA CHARLESHOLLINSHEAD

& CONSTRUCTION

PAULGAUGER BILL LOHSE P.A. FAGNANT

"1 I I

SITE ACTIVATION BUDGET & RES CONTROL VISITORS SVCS & OPERATIONS

! BILLSCHICK . RAY YOST . WILLIAIVI...TAYLOR

I!' PROTECTIVE _ · NATIONAL PROMOTION

·- SERVICES & PUBLIC RELATIONS

! CHARLESBUCKLEY BOBBUTTON(WASH.} I

iii

SITE PROMOTION *

& PUBLIC RELATIONS I HUGH HARRIS ,=,1

i iiii

I

FEBRUARY 20, 1976 SPECIAL EVENTS

BASCOM MURRAH

i I
APPENDIX B

MAJOR NASA LAUNCHES

JANUARY THRU DBCHMBER

1976
APPENDIX B

MAJOR NASA LAUNCHES - JANUARY 1 - DECEMBER 31, 1976

LAUNCH TEST

DATE DESIGNATION LAUNCH VEHICLE SPACECRAFT PAD NO. RESULTS

January 15 HELIOS- 2 Titan- Centaur HELIOS- B 41 2675 (S)

12:36amEST TC-5

January 17 CTS Delta 119 CTS 17 2516 (S)

6:28 pm EST

January 29 INTELSAT IV-A Atlas-Centaur INTELSAT IV-A 36B 4740 (S)

, 6:56pm EST F-2 AC-37 k_

February 19 MARISAT1 Delta 120 MARISATB 1TH 4200 (S)

5:32 pm EST

March 26 RCA SATCOM-2 Delta 121 RCA-B 17A 3788 (S)

5:47 pm EST

April 22 NATOIIIA Delta 122 NATOIlia 17B 2190 (S)

3:46 pm EST

May 4 LAGEOS Delta 123 LAGEOS SLC (S)

4:00amEDT -2W

May 13 COMSTAR A-1 Atlas Centaur COMSTAR A-1 36A 2211 (S)

6:28pmEDT AC-38
LAUNCH TEST

DATE DESIGNATION LAUNCH VEHICLE ' SPACECRAFT PAD NO. RESULTS

June 9 MARISAT-B Delta 124 MARISAT-2 17A 2030 (S) 8:09 pm EDT

July 8 PALAPA- 1 Delta 125 PALAPA-A 17A 5660 (S)

7:31 pm EDT

July 22 COMSTAR-A. 2 Atlas'Centaur COMSTAR A-2 36,13 6909 (S)

6:04 pm EI_ AC-40

I

July 29 NCAA-5 Delta !26 ITOS-E-2 SLC (S)

1:07 pm EDT -2W

October 14 MARISAT-3 Delt_ 127 M 'ARISAT-C 17A 691'1 (S) 6:14 pm EDT

q i *',