Aeronautics and Space Report 

of the President 

1983 Activities 
NOTE TO READERS: ALL PRINTED PAGES ARE INCLUDED, 

UNNUMBERED BLANK PAGES DURING SCANNING AND QUALITY 

CONTROL CHECK HAVE BEEN DELETED 
Aeronautics and Space Report 

of the President 

1983 Activities 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Washington, D.C. 20546 
Contents 

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Aeronautics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Applications to the Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Space Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Space Research and Technology 

Space Tracking and Data System 

Aeronautical Research and Tech 

Department of Defense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

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Space Support Activities . . . . . . . . . . 

Space and Atmospheric Research . . . . . . . . 

Aeronautical Programs . Department of Energy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Space and Special Applications of 

Remote Sensing of the Earth 

Nuclear Test Detection . . . . . . . . . . . 

Department of the Interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Earth Resources Observation Systems . . . . Monitoring the Environment . . . . . . 

Nuclear Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

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International Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Department of Agriculture 

Federal Communications C 

Communications Satel 

International Confere 

New Specialized Satellite Systems . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . 

Department of Transportation . . . . . . . . Aviation Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Environniental Res 

Air Navigation and Traffic Control . . . . . . . 

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Environmental Protection Agency . . . . . . . . . . . PEPE/NEROS Resu 

Cloud Venting Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Future Activities . . . 

National Science Foundation . . . 

Astronomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Atmospheric Sciences . . . . . Smithsonian Institution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Space Sciences . . . . . Planetary Sciences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Department of State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Activities within the United Nations . . . . . . Communications Satellites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Remote Sensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Technology Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arms Control and Disarmament Agency . . . . . . International Discussions of Space Arms 

Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Space Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . United States Information Agency . . . . . . . . . . . 

Other Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

. . . . . . . . . 

Space Shuttle . . . . . ... 

Appendixes 

A- 1. U.S. Spacecraft Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

A-2. World Record of Space Launches 

Successful in Attaining Earth Orbit or 

Beyond ........................... A-3. Successful U. S. Launchings - 1983 . . . . . . 

B- 1. U. S. -Launched Applications Satellites, 

B-2. U.S.-Launched Scientific Satellites, 

B-3. U.S.-Launched Space Probes, 1975-1983 

C. U.S. and Soviet Manned Spaceflights, 

D. U.S. Space Launch Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . 

E-1. Space Activities of the U.S. Government: 

Historical Budget Summary - Budget Authority . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-2. Space Activities Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-3. Aeronautics Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F. Expendable Launch Vehicles: 

Presidential Policy Announcement . . . . 

1978-1983 ........................ 

1978-1983 ........................ 

1961-1983 ........................ 

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iii 
Aerospace Events of 1983 

Four operational flights of the Space Shuttle 

make a busy schedule. On STS 6, above left, 

astronauts Story Musgrave and Donald Peterson practice using tools in Challenger‘s cargo bay 

in April- the first U.S. spacewalk in nine years. 

Procedures are to be used in repairing an ailing 

satellite on a later mission. Above right, 

Challengds remote manipulator arm grasps the 

free-orbiting Shuttle Pallet Satellite, SPAS 01, 

during exercises in June on STS 7, which deployed and later retrieved the satellite. Astronaut Sally Ride at left, mission specialist on STS 

7, uses a screwdriver to clean an air filtering 

system in the Shuttle mid-deck. “TFNG on her 

constant-wear garment stands for “thirty-five 

new guys,” the 1978 class of astronauts. On STS 

8 in August, astronaut Guion Bluford, below 

left, mission specialist, checks the sample pump 

on the continuous-flow electrophoresis experiment, designed to separate biological materials. 
Spacelab 1, at right, is installed in the orbiter 

Columbia for launch on STS 9 in November. 

The crew access tunnel, the only major piece 

of Spacelab hardware made in the United 

States, connects the European-built pressurized laboratory to the orbiter’s crew compartment. Beyond the laboratory module, 

the pallet exposes experiments directly to the 

space environment. STS 9 carried the largest 

crew launched into space to date. Clustered 

in the aft end of Spacelab (below, clockwise 

from bottom center) are John Young; Ulf 

Merbold, European Space Agency payload 

specialist from West Germany; Owen Garriott; Brewster Shaw; Byron Lichtenberg; 

and Robert Parker. 

A projection of the entire sky assembled from data 

from the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (ZRAS, 

launched in January) shows more than 250,000 infrared point sources. The plane of our galaxy runs 

horizontally across the middle. The bright region 

above the center is in the Ophiucus constellation, 

and the similar region at right just below center is in 

Orion. Both are intense regions of star formation. 

Two white blobs below center toward the right are 

the Large and Small Magellenic Clouds, small 

galaxies orbiting the Milky Way. 
A Global Mapped Vegetation Index image, compiled 

from June 19-26 data from NOAA 7 and 8 satellites, 

depicts the extent and “greenness” of vegetation in the 

United States and parts of Canada and Mexico. The 

weekly composite is produced from global data collected daily. The darker the shading, the more vegetation present. 

Aeronautical research continued during the year. The 

X-29 forward-swept-wing aircraft (below) began extensive ground testing in the Defense Advanced 

Research Projects Agency-Air Force-NASA program 

to develop integrated, advanced aerodynamic, structure, and flight control technology. At bottom, in the 

USAF-NASA advanced fighter technology program, 

the AFT1 F- 16 aircraft incorporates digital fly-by-wire 

control and canard surfaces. Flight tests of the digital 

flight control system were completed in 1983. 
J 

The 25th anniversary year of the official United 

States aeronautics and space program was marked by 

four operational Space Shuttle missions and twentyseven other U.S. payloads launched into orbit. Space 

Shuttle missions- three of them flown by the fleet’s 

second orbiter, Challenger - deployed satellites in space 

for commercial and government users, retrieved a 

satellite from space for the first time, and carried commercial, university, and government experiments in 

many disciplines in addition to the 10-day maiden 

flight of the European-built Spacelab with its more 

than 70 experiments in life sciences, astronomy, solar 

physics, space plasma physics, earth observations, and 

materials processing. 

The Shuttle carried into space the first U.S. woman 

astronaut, the first black astronaut, and the first European specialist aboard a U.S. spacecraft. On one mission, two astronauts left the orbiter’s cabin for extravehicular activity to work in the open cargo bay. The 

Shuttle’s Spacelab mission in November carried a crew 

of six, the largest launched into space to date. 

Of the 31 U.S. payloads launched into orbit during 

1983, 11 were by the Department of Defense and 20 by 

NASA (1 for DoD). These launches included 4 Shuttle 

orbiter flights and 5 satellites launched from the Shuttle; 22 satellites were put into orbit on 18 expendable 

launch vehicles, with 1 DoD vehicle launching 3 

satellites at once and 2 launching 2 each. Satellites included 10 launched by NASA for communications (all 

but 1 for paying customers), 3 to monitor the weather 

(2 by NASA for the National Ocean and Atmospheric 

Administration and 1 by DoD), 1 navigation satellite 

by DoD, and 4 scientific satellites (3 by NASA in international projects and 1 for DoD). DoD launched 9 

other military satellites. Both NASA and DoD began 

actions responding to the Administration’s endorsement of increased commercial development in space 

activities. 

The Infrared Astronomical Satellite (ZRAS) 

launched in January in a U.S.-NetherlandsUnited Kingdom project surveyed the entire sky to 

make hundreds of new discoveries in the universe, including five comets, many asteroids, formation of new 

stars, and the possible beginning of solar systems 

around Vega and other stars. Three other scientific 

satellites also began studies in space during the year, as 

four planetary spacecraft launched in the 1970s continued to return data on the interplanetary medium. 

Pioneer 10 left the solar system in June 1983, the first 

man-made object to do so. The International SunEarth Explorer ISEE 3- which completed its studies of 

the sun begun in 1978 -was maneuvered onto a path 

to encounter the Comet Giacobini-Zinner in 1985. 

New satellites were launched to upgrade communications, navigation, and weather networks. 

Cooperative international space activities increased 

with operational use of the Shuttle in addition to 

cooperative satellites; scientists from 14 nations supported experiments on Spacelab 1. In the United Nations, however, differences arose over the role of the 

Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in 

questions of use of the geosynchronous orbit and of 

military use of space, which the United States believes 

are appropriate to other U.N. committees or the International Telecommunications Union. 

In March, a presidential directive called for a longterm research and development program to explore 

strategic defense technology to eliminate threats from 

ballistic missiles. DoD prepared a program that will 

seek to develop a nonnuclear system that could destroy 

enemy ballistic missiles and warheads throughout their 

launch-to-impact sequence, to protect military and 

civilian resources in the United States and allied countries. 

During the year, both DoD and NASA made advances in aeronautical technology for improved aircraft, and the Federal Aviation Administration, 

NASA, and DoD continued research to improve the 

safety of the nation’s airways. 

This summary chapter surveys calendar 1983 

achievements in the U.S. space and aeronautics program by function. The succeeding chapters present the 

work of individual agencies in more detail. 

Communications 

Both international and domestic communications 

networks increased and improved their services in 

1983 to meet the still expanding demand. Of the 10 

communications satellites launched by NASA during 

the year, 5 were for commercial U.S. domestic use, 4 

were international, and 1 was leased by NASA for 

satellite communications. An increasing number, 4 of 

the 10, were launched from the Space Shuttle, and 6 

were put into orbit by expendable launch vehicles. 

European competition for launch services increased - 

1 
with a European Ariane launching one of the two 1983 

Intelsat satellites. U. S. commercial expendable 

vehicles may compete in the near future. U.S. industry 

remained the dominant supplier of communications 

satellites to the world community. Both government 

and industry continued developing new technology, 

with NASA pursuing high-risk advanced technology 

for potential use of the multiple-frequency bands. 

Operational Space System 

INTELSA T and INMARSAT. The International 

Telecommunications Satellite Organization’s revenues 

and circuit use continued to grow.at a rate of more 

than 20 percent, and the sixth and seventh Intelsat V 

series satellites were launched in May and December. 

One more Intelsat V and two V-A satellites were 

scheduled for 1984 launch. INTELSAT placed orders 

for five Intelsat VI satellites with about 25 percent 

greater capability than the V series. Six new ground 

stations joined the global system. 

The International Maritime Satellite Organization’s 

activities also continued to grow in its second year of 

operation, providing communications for ships at sea. 

INMARSAT requested proposals from industry for 

additional maritime capability, as it began leasing 

services through Intelsat satellites already in orbit. 

Domestic Communications Satellites. The Federal Communications Commission reduced the orbital spacing 

requirement between domestic satellites to permit further growth and the introduction of new systems. In 

addition to the 5 domestic communications satellites 

launched in 1983, the FCC has authorized the launch 

of 19 new satellites, to bring the total to 38 by 1987. 

The commission also granted permits to eight companies to construct Direct Broadcast Satellites for 

direct-to-home television service, received three other 

applications, and invited new proposals. It intends to 

use the international satellite plan agreed on at the 

1983 Region 2 Regional Administrative Radio Conference held in Geneva as the primary basis for 

domestic direct broadcast. 

Military Communications Satellites. Military Satellite 

Communications (MILSATCOM) and leased commercial SATCOM circuits continued to support the 

command and support forces and the strategic and tactical, nuclear and conventional forces worldwide in 

1983. In the Defense Satellite Communications System 

serving the command and support forces, the first 

DSCS I11 satellite, launched late in 1982 with improved physical and electronic survivability over the 

existing DSCS I1 series, became fully operational in 

May 1983 for superhigh-frequency, high-data-rate 

communications of the Department of Defense, 

Department of State, and allied nations. Other DSCS 

111s are in production and ground and ship terminals 

continued to be upgraded. 

The Air Force Satellite Communications System 

(AFSATCOM), serving tactical nuclear-capable 

forces, achieved full operational capability in 

December. Four Leased Satellites (LEASATs) - the 

first planned for launch from the Shuttle in 1984 - and 

three FLTSATCOM satellites - the first in late 1985 - will extend the Navy Fleet Satellite Communications 

System’s more than 17 spacecraft years of almost 

worldwide low- or moderate-rate service to strategic 

and tactical conventional forces. 

A contract was awarded for full-scale development of 

the MILSTAR communications satellite and for a control capability able to survive conflict, as the three 

military services continued development of terminals 

with maximum commonality and interoperability. 

Terminals will be tested on FLTSATCOM 7 and 8. 

Technology development also continued for laser communications from space to submarines, with tests expected in 1984-1985. 

Military Navigation Satellites. Two improved 

TRANSIT navigation satellites, NOVA 2 and 3, were 

delivered in October 1983 for upgrading the Navy’s 

five-satellite constellation serving numerous military 

and civilian users for the past eight years. The jointservice Navstar Global Positioning System began production with the award of a contract for 28 GPS 

satellites. GPS deliveries beginning in 1986 are to lead 

to full operational capability by the end of 1988, to provide precise radio-positioning and navigation information supporting DoD missions worldwide. 

Space Communications Experiments 

Experimental Satellites. The international COSPASSARSAT satellite-aided search-and-rescue program 

demonstrated that satellites could save lives by finding 

aircraft and vessels in distress. The first U.S. satellite 

carrying SARSAT equipment, NOAA 8, was launched 

in March 1983, as well as the second Soviet COSPAS 

satellite, and program performance has equaled or exceeded expectations. By late 1983, the program had 

assisted in saving 120 human lives. 

NASA and several companies filed separate petitions with the FCC for developing commercial landmobile service from satellites to provide telephone 

service in rural areas, vehicle dispatch and position 

determination, data transmission, message distribution, and emergency communications. 

Communications Research. Development of high-risk 

advanced technology for future communications 

systems continued in 1983, with emphasis on potential 

use of multiple-frequency bands to support both 

government and industry users. NASA concentrated 

on developing and ground-testing technology for 

satellites, as industry moved forward in developing its 

own commercial satellites. 

Earth Resources and Environment 

In 1983, Spacelab introduced new capabilities for 

use of space, and new satellites were added to those 

2 
already orbiting the earth to observe its surface; 

monitor its resources, weather, and geologic hazards; 

and study the composition and dynamics of its atmosphere. 

Inventorying and Monitoring Earth Resources. The joint 

NASA-European Space Agency Spacelab 1 -orbiting 

the earth in the Space Shuttle’s cargo bay November 28 

to December 8, 1983 -took radiometer microwave 

measurements of the earth and obtained infrared and 

visible film coverage of specific targets, among its 

many, multidiscipline experiments. The metric 

camera returned high-resolution images of many 

previously unmapped regions of the earth. 

The Landsat 4 satellite, in orbit since July 1982, acquired more than 7,000 scenes of the earth with its new 

remote sensor, the thematic mapper, by the end of 

1983, contributing to the monitoring of earth 

resources. Although two solar-array panels failed, the 

remaining two maintained power for the spacecraft 

and for multispectral-scanner data collection. When 

power fails on another panel, the satellite is to be 

moved down to an orbit where the Shuttle can retrieve 

it. Meanwhile, Landsat D (D prime; to be renamed 

Landsat 5 when launched) was readied for March 1984 

launch. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) assumed operational responsibility for Landsat 4 in January and will also operate 

Landsat 5 in its land satellite system, distributing images and data to U.S. and international users. 

NOAA collected daily satellite data for a global 

mapped-vegetation index as part of the multiagency 

AgRISTARS (Agriculture and Resources Inventory 

Surveys through Aerospace Remote Sensing) program 

led by the Department of Agriculture. Landsat data 

were particularly useful in estimating acreage for major crops in seven states. AgRISTARS also began 

evaluating the possible use of data from meteorological 

satellites for earth observations. 

The Department of the Interior used satellite data in 

developing data bases for mineral resources assessment, soil survey maps, a national water summary, irrigation analysis, and maps of wildland fire fuels, as 

well as using aerial radar data for energy-resource and 

mineral research. Both Interior and the Department of 

Agriculture used Landsat 4‘s higher-resolution data to 

classify vegetation, land cover, and land use for inventory, management, and research. Landsat 4’s greater 

spectral sensitivity identified detailed landmarks and 

resources for improved maps. Aerial photographs also 

aided land inventory, assessment of wildlife habitats, 

and monitoring of volcanoes and geologic hazards. 

Monitoring the Seas. The Navy’s GEOSAT geodetic 

and geophysical satellite was prepared for a late 1984 

launch to measure the ocean’s surface for improving 

the accuracy of the maritime geoid. Plans went forward for the late 1980s launch of the oceanographic 

satellite N-ROSS (Navy Remote Ocean-Sensing 

System), which will use technology developed in 

NASA’s 1978 Seasat. The Navy, Air Force, NASA, and 

NOAA are cooperating in this project to gather 

oceanographic and atmospheric data for military and 

civil uses. 

Environmental Analysis and Protection 

Weather Satellite Operations. Three new meteorological 

satellites, two for NOAA and one for DoD, were added 

in 1983 to those already monitoring the earth‘s environment. The GOES 6 Geostationary Operational 

Environmental Satellite, launched in April as the new 

“GOES-West” weather satellite for NOAA, joined 

GOES 5 (“GOES-East”) to make full-disk earth pictures 

every half hour or scan north-south portions at shorter 

intervals. Radiometric data help provide a threedimensional structure of atmospheric temperature and 

humidity; analyzed weather data and forecasts are 

relayed from a central facility for immediate 

dissemination to users. NOAA 8- the first Advanced 

Tiros-N “stretched” spacecraft, with expanded capabilities-replaced NOAA 6 in March, joining NOAA 7 in 

NOAA’s low-earth-orbit operational weather system. 

DoDs second block 5D-2 DMSP satellite was 

launched in November 1983, following DMSP F-6 

launched in November 1982, in the Defense 

Meteorological Satellite Program to provide highresolution visible and infrared imagery of clouds, 

soundings of atmospheric moisture and temperature, 

and monitoring of the ionosphere for the Army, Air 

Force, Navy, and Marine Corps. Each satellite provides full earth coverage twi’ce a day, and weather 

forecasts are available 24 hours a day for all areas of the 

globe. 

High-resolution, 15-minute-interval GOES imagery 

gave weather support to Space Shuttle missions during 

the year, and GOES information aided monitoring 

and warning of the unusually large number of tropical 

cyclones in the Pacific Ocean from November 1982 to 

May 1983, as well as hurricanes in the Atlantic. 

Satellite data assisted interagency monitoring of the 

snowmelt that flooded Salt Lake City and the Colorado 

basin in 1983 and warned of flooding from river ice in 

Alaska, of forest fires in Brazil, and of eruptions of 

volcanoes elsewhere. 

Customers for weather satellite photos continued to 

increase; weather facsimile broadcast schedules and 

radiofax services expanded. The GOES Data Collection System relayed almost immediate environmental 

data to 78 national and some 950 international users. 

Data-collection platforms in the system were expected 

to reach 5,000 platforms during 1984. 

Atmospheric Research. Spacelab 1’s 7 1 experiments on 

the STS 9 Shuttle mission included investigations of 

space plasma physics and atmospheric physics. 

Preliminary returns at the end of the year indicated 

that most of the experiments were highly successful, including first observations of carbon dioxide in the thermosphere and of water and methane in the 

3 
mesosphere. The first six-member Shuttle crew - including four science specialists - was able to conduct 

scientific operations around the clock. DoDs Space 

Test Program (STP) flew a get-away-special experiment on STS 7 in June that obtained earthbackground radiation data. Another STP mission, 

launched on a Scout vehicle in June, studied effects of 

ionospheric plasma on radio propagation. 

Work continued on the Active Magnetospheric Particle Trace Experiment (AMPTE), a three-spacecraft, 

NASA-German-United Kingdom mission scheduled 

for a first launch in 1984. Two new programs began: 

The NASA-Italian Tethered Satellite System (TSS), to 

be deployed from the Shuttle on a tether up to 100 km 

long, will study the space plasma surrounding the earth 

and the atmosphere below the Shuttle. CRRES, the 

Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite to 

be launched from the Shuttle in a joint NASA-USAF 

project, will release chemicals at high altitudes to study 

upper atmosphere motion and magnetospheric electric 

fields. Development also continued on instruments for 

the proposed Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite 

(UARS) to study composition and dynamics of the 

stratosphere. 

The Department of Commerce’s National 

Geophysical Data Center compared data from U.S., 

European, and Japanese satellites with ground-based 

data for magnetic, upper atmospheric, and ionospheric 

studies. The National Center for Atmospheric 

Research, supported by the National Science Foundation, found that termites are a major source of the 

world’s supply of methane gas. Methane is a trace gas, 

but contributes to the ‘‘greenhouse effect” of the atmosphere. 

The Environmental Protection Agency continued to 

cooperate with NASA in studies of atmospheric processes. 

Materials Processing 

Operational Space Shuttle missions expanded 

studies of materials processing in space. The seventh 

Shuttle flight, in June, carried NASA and West German studies of the stability of mercury-gallium dispersions and cesium-chloride solidification phenomena. 

McDonnell Douglas Corporation’s continuous-flow 

electrophoresis system was flown again in 1983 to experiment with separating biological materials to produce pure pharmaceutical fluids in the low gravity of 

space. As part of the joint-endeavor agreement with 

McDonnell Douglas, NASA made eight electrophoresis separations in the Shuttle to compare with 

control experiments on the ground. The monodisperse-latex reactor was also reflown, to produce 

high-quality beads of latex for precise calibrations and 

medical research. On Spacelab 1’s flight, silicon 

crystals for electric components were grown three to 

four times larger than on earth, and two human proteins for pharmaceutical use were grown 27 to 1,000 

times larger. 

Space Science 

Scientific satellites and space probes, Space Shuttle 

science specialists and experiments, suborbital 

vehicles, and ground-based observations made 

discoveries and obtained new data in 1983 to contribute to our knowledge of the origin and evolution of 

life, the earth, the solar system, and the universe. 

Medical and biological studies in space also continued. 

Sun-Earth Studies 

ZSEE 3, the International Sun-Earth Explorer 

launched in 1978, completed its studies of the solar 

wind and was moved into an orbit swinging through 

the earth’s magnetic tail, behind the moon, and on 

toward a September 1985 rendezvous with Comet 

Giacobini-Zinner. The spacecraft obtained the first 

field and particle measurements made from inside the 

magnetic tail, contributing to understanding of the 

flow of the sun’s energy and its effects on the earth. 

ZSEE 3 was renamed International Cometary Explorer 

(ICE), leaving earth orbit December 22, 1983, on a 

close lunar swingby and toward the comet’s path. 

NASA, the European Space Agency, and Japan 

began planning for a 1989-1992 series of international 

missions to study solar-terrestrial physics, integrating 

measurements requiring simultaneous monitoring of 

the plasma source and storage regions as well as solar 

seismology and corona. 

Study of the Planets 

Pioneer 10, still returning data after its 1972 launch 

across the asteroid belt and past Jupiter and its radiation belts and moons, left the solar system June 13, 

1983. It will continue to return data for several years, 

seeking the heliopause, the boundary between the 

region controlling the sun’s magnetic field and true interstellar space. 

Pioneer- Venus 1, studying the atmosphere of Venus 

since 1978, found evidence of possible volcanic activity 

on that planet. Vyager 1 and 2 continued journeys 

begun in 1977, sending back data on the interplanetary 

medium after earlier dramatic images and data on 

Jupiter, Saturn, and their moons. Vyager 2 was 

scheduled for 1986 and 1989 meetings with Uranus 

and Neptune, while Voyager 1 continued toward the orbit of Uranus on its way out of the solar system. 

Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory scientists 

analyzing data from Voyager 2 discovered a volcanic 

eruption on Jupiter’s satellite Europa and evidence of 

electrostatic discharges in Saturn’s B ring. 

Plans went forward for a 1986 launch of the Galileo 

mission in cooperation with West Germany. The 

4 
spacecraft, to reach Jupiter in 1988, will release an 

atmospheric probe into Jupiter’s atmosphere, while the 

spacecraft itself orbits the planet for 20 months investigating the moons and magnetosphere. 

Study Ofthe Universe 

ZRAS, the Infrared Astronomical Satellite launched 

in January 1983, observed the formation of stars 

throughout our galaxy, discovered five comets and 

many asteroids, found dust clouds above and below the 

sun, and observed possible beginnings of the formation 

of planetary systems around Vega and several other 

stars. Designed by U.S., Netherlands, and United 

Kingdom astronomers, ZRAS surveyed the entire sky, 

covering almost three-fourths of it twice and cataloging 

some 225,000 infrared sources including 20,000 galaxies and numerous newly observed phenomena. 

Spacelab 1’s ultraviolet telescope orbited on the Shuttle 

detected many stars not seen before. 

Manufacturing of major components for the Hubble 

Space Telescope was completed during the year, after 

earlier technical and cost difficulties. Assembly and 

testing began for this spaceborne astronomical observatory to be launched by NASA in 1986 for use by the 

international astronomy community. 

Analysis of data received from the HEAO 2 satellite 

in past years continued at the Smithsonian Observatory in 1983 and resulted in detection of x-rays from 

a radio pulsar spinning about 20 times faster than the 

most rapid pulsar known until then. The data were 

also used to develop an x-ray classification scheme for 

clusters of galaxies, with the conclusion that many 

clusters are dynamically young. Analysis of observations by the International Ultraviolet Explorer (WE; 

in orbit since January 1978) revealed the first 

ultraviolet flare recorded on a giant star 

Research from the Ground 

Infrared observations from the ground, aircraft, and 

high-altitude balloons included imaging and spectroscopy of astronomical objects. National Science 

Foundation-supported scientists using optical 

telescopes witnessed the birth of a star and discovered 

what may be the first black hole (superdense space object) outside the Milky Way. Others found the first 

large nebula seen outside any galaxy. 

Thirty sounding rockets launched in Peru studied 

ionospheric and atmospheric phenomena peculiar to 

the geomagnetic equator. An international balloon 

series in July compared ozone measuring devices. 

Analyses of the data continued at the end of the year. 

NASA transferred mobile very-long-baselineinterferometry (VLBI) technology to NOAA’s National Geodetic Service for establishing the National 

Crustal Motion Network to monitor the earth‘s rotation and polar motion. The networks yield data on the 

dynamic behavior of the earth, including earthquakes. 

Lye Sciences 

NASA made progress in studying space adaptation, 

cardiovascular deconditioning, and loss of mineral 

content in bones during manned spaceflight, as well as 

the response of living organisms to gravity. Spacelab 1 

flew 15 life sciences experiments, and results will be 

analyzed during 1984. 

Achievements in NASA’s biological research included detection of genetic-code precursor molecules in 

meteorites and primitive earth simulations, identification of biological sources of methane gas, and assessment of methane on global atmospheric chemistry. 

Space Transportation 

Extensive U.S. research continued to develop new 

space transportation systems and improve operation, 

economy, and versatility of existing systems. 

Space Transportation System (STS) 

Four operational launches of the Space Shuttle and 

the first launch of its reusable research laboratory 

Spacelab continued to demonstrate the versatility of 

the Shuttle for carrying personnel, equipment, and 

scientific and commercial payloads into space and 

back, as well as for launching satellites into orbit. A 

second orbiter was added to the STS fleet and a third 

delivered for preparation. 

Space Shuttle. The first flight of the year was also the 

first flight of the second operational orbiter, Challenger. 

Carrying a crew of four into orbit in April, STS 6 

deployed TDRS 1, the first spacecraft in NASA’s 

Tracking and Data Relay System. Two astronauts 

tested new tools and techniques in extravehicular activity in the cargo bay, and experiments tested an electrophoresis system, produced monodisperse latex 

spheres, and studied lightning, in addition to commercial and Air Force get-away-special experiments. 

STS 7 in June, Challenger’s second mission, carried a 

crew of five, including the first U.S. woman astronaut 

in space; deployed and retrieved the German-built, 

free-flying Shuttle Pallet Satellite SPAS that carried a 

number of scientific experiments; launched communications satellite Anik C-2 for Canada and Palapa 

B-l for Indonesia; and carried materials processing experiments and seven get-away specials. Launched in 

August, STS 8, Challenger’s third mission, also carried a 

five-member crew, including the first black astronaut. 

It deployed Znsat I-B for India, exercised the 

Canadian-built remote manipulator arm with its most 

massive load to date, and tested effects of the space environment on human beings and materials. 

The orbiter Columbia flew STS 9, launched in 

November carrying Spacelab on its first voyage. The 

mission conducted 7 1 experiments in 5 disciplines, 

with a European Space Agency payload specialist from 

5 
West Germany on board and participation of more 

than 100 investigators in 14 countries. The sixmember crew was the largest launched to date and the 

10-day mission the longest Shuttle flight. 

The third orbiter, Discovery, was delivered for 

preparation for its first mission, planned for 1984. 

Delivery of the fourth, Atlantis, was scheduled for late 

1984. 

Spacelab. Spacelab 1, developed and funded by 10 

nations of the European Space Agency (ESA) over 10 

years and carried in the STS 9 cargo bay November 28 

through December 8, provided a pressurized environment for experimenters and experiments, as well as a 

pallet for instruments exposed directly to space. 

Payload weight was shared equally by NASA and 

ESA. The laboratory permits scientists, for the first 

time, to fly in space without long and intensive 

astronaut training. During the mission, scientists from 

a number of countries communicated from the ground 

directly with the orbiting crew performing their experiments in astronomy, solar physics, atmospheric 

earth observations, life sciences, and material sciences. 

Shuttle Upper Stages. NASA negotiated contracts for 

Centaur upper stages for Galileo and International 

Solar Polar (ZSPM) missions scheduled for launch in 

1986. A joint NASA-DoD program will develop two 

configurations of the stage for the Shuttle: Centaur G 

for common use and a stretched Centaur G for the two 

interplanetary missions. 

The DoD-developed inertial upper stage (IUS) 

began service with the Shuttle to boost payloads to 

higher orbits. On the first use (on STS S), a gimbal 

mechanism in the IUS second-stage motor malfunctioned, but the TDRS 1 satellite, launched into elliptical orbit, was eventually maneuvered in a series of 39 

firings of the satellite thrusters into operational geosynchronous orbit. TDRS 1 supported communications 

for Shuttle missions 8 and 9 and relayed volumes of 

data for Spacelab 1. IUS flights were expected to 

resume in late 1984 after motor correction. 

The commercially developed payload assist module, 

PAM-D, launched nine satellites during 1983, three 

from the Shuttle in orbit and six from expendable 

launch vehicles. NASA signed an agreement for commercial development of a larger upper stage, the 

transfer-orbit stage (TOS). 

Facilities. DoD essentially completed construction of 

the major Shuttle launch and landing facilities at 

Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, for launches 

into polar orbit. Construction began in May on DoDs 

Consolidated Space Operations Center near Colorado 

Springs, with completion planned for 1985. Two major 

elements - the Satellite Operation Complex and the 

Shuttle Operations and Planning Complex - will provide a secure environment and adquate capacity for expected Shuttle missions and backup for satellite and 

Shuttle control. 

Advanced Programs. Contract studies completed by 

eight companies in 1983 for a potential Space Station 

recommended a manned base and unmanned platform 

in low earth orbit, an Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle, 

and a second unmanned platform for earth observations in a near-polar orbit, to be serviced by the Space 

Shuttle. A NASA Concept Development Group 

formed in 1983 to integrate the study recommendations into a number of concepts anticipated a station 

with living quarters for a crew of six to eight, but designed for evolutionary growth in size and capability. 

Concept definition studies were completed for the 

Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV) as a proposed 

evolutionary capability growing from the Shuttlebased placement and retrieval of spacecraft. A commercial project of NASA with Fairchild Industries 

defined Lemecraft as part of the Space Transportation 

System. Leasecraft would be an unmanned, free-flying 

platform for launch from the Shuttle in 1987. The 

Shuttle would later rendezvous with the platform to 

service or exchange commercial and government 

payload modules. 

DoDs Space Test Program planned to fly 5 experiments among the 57 to be carried on the first mission of NASA's Long-Duration Exposure Facility 

(LDEF), to be deployed into orbit from STS 13 in 

April 1984 and retrieved by another Shuttle flight in 

1985. 

Expendable Launch Vehicles 

The year again set a perfect launch record for expendable launch vehicles - the seventh year for NASA, 

which launched 11 satellites on 11 vehicles (in addition 

to 5 satellites put into orbit from Space Shuttle flights). 

All but 1 of NASA's launches were reimbursable 

operations for commercial, international, or other 

U.S. government users. DoD launched 11 payloads on 

7 launch vehicles, including 1 triple and 2 dual 

launches, in addition to 1 launched for DoD by NASA. 

(See table of 1983 launches in appendix A-3 and 

launch vehicles in appendix D.) 

DoD began termination of Titan I11 production, 

and both NASA and DoD began activities to facilitate 

commercial operation of expendable vehicles, following the President's May 1983 policy statement endorsing commercial operation by the private sector (see appendix F). 

Aeronautics 

Improvement of Operational Systems 

Both civilian and military programs made advances 

in aeronautical development in 1983, to improve 

operational U.S. airborne systems and national airways. 
Aircraji and Airborne Systems 

BOMBER AIRCRAFT. DoDs first production B-1B 

multirole bomber, a modernized derivative of the 

B-lA, is scheduled to roll out in October 1984. A fleet 

of 100 aircraft is planned to be fully operational by 

1988. Testing of a B-1B prototype continued in 1983 as 

part of the President’s strategic program announced in 

198 1. The aircraft, with newly developed offensive 

systems and increased takeoff weight, will provide 

transition to a mixed force to serve through the 1990s 

and into the next century. 

FIGHTER AIRCRAFT. In March 1983, the Secretary 

of Defense approved production of the F/A-18 Hornet 

naval strike fighter, a multimission, twin-engine, mid: 

wing, tactical aircraft to replace the Navy’s F-4 and 

A-7. The Air Force began two projects in the Advanced Tactical Fighter Technologies prograd - an 

advanced fighter engine and a new airframe design. 

TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT. DoD completed development and testing of a modified wing for the C-5A intertheater cargo aircraft to permit full mission capability 

and to extend its service life to 30,000 flight hours. A 

new program was begun using the same basic design 

for the C-5B. Testing and analysis continued toward 

full-scale development in 1985 of the C-17 for 

transporting large equipment over intercontinental 

distances. Results of analyses thus far have met or exceeded specifications. 

REMOTELY PILOTED VEHICLE (RPV). In the 

Army’s RPV program, integration of the data link and 

television sensor was tested, software certification was 

completed, and flight tests resumed. The small unmanned air vehicle will carry out target-acquisition, 

laser-designation, aerial-reconnaissance, and artilleryadjustment missions. 

HELICOPTERS. The Air Force restructured its night 

and adverse-weather HH-GOD Night Hawk program 

from $5 billion for 243 aircraft to $2.8 billion for 155 

aircraft for combat rescue and special operations. The 

first production CH-47D medium-lift helicopter was 

delivered in an Army modernization program, with 

436 aircraft eventually to be modified for the improved 

performance and reliability demonstrated by prototypes. A production prototype of a version of the H-53 

helicopter, the MH-53E, was fabricated in a Navy 

development program, for towing equipment to 

counter large, sophisticated mines that could paralyze 

shipping. Flight testing began in the fall. The Army’s 

first production AH-64 Apache antitank helicopter - to 

be armed with laser-guided missiles - rolled off the 

assembly line in September, two months ahead of 

schedule. Flight tests began, for first delivery in early 

1984. 

V/STOL AND V/TOL. Preliminary design began in 

April 1983 to define full-scale development of the joint 

services advanced vertical-lift aircraft UVX), a selfdeployable, multimission V/STOL for the 1990s and 

beyond. The JVX is planned to provide assault vertical 

lift for the Marine Corps, combat search and rescue for 

the Navy, and special operations for the Air Force. 

Flight testing was two-thirds complete on four full-scale 

development AV-8B vertical or short takeoff and landing aircraft for the Marine Corps. The improved, 

vectored-thrust aircraft will provide twice the range or 

payload performance of the AV-8A. 

CRUISE MISSILES. The Air Force completed 

development and initial flight testing of the groundlaunched cruise missile (GLCM) in July 1983 and 

reached initial operational capability in December. 

Development and operational testing was conducted 

on the antiship and land-attack Tomahawk missiles 

(TASM and TLAM), with TASM fleet capability 

achieved on two ships. 

ANTISATELLITE SYSTEM. DoD development of an 

antisatellite system to deter and counter hostile satellite 

threats focused on a miniature vehicle interceptor and 

a two-stage missile to be launched from F-15 aircraft. 

Airway Systems. The Federal Aviation Administration 

(FAA) of the Department of Transportation, responsible for the nation’s airways, conducts development programs to improve the safety of airways and airports, 

increase efficiency of air navigation and traffic control, 

and ensure the compatibility of air operations with the 

environment. Many programs are conducted with 

other agencies, including NASA, DoD, and the 

Department of Commerce. 

AIR SAFETY. DoD, NASA, and FAA continued 

studies of weather hazards to aviation, including 

lightning, wind sheer, and turbulence. The National 

Research Council also studied the wind-sheer data collected, and NASA used a jet transport simulator to 

assist FAA and airlines in training pilots to meet 

hazards. Flight research investigated ways to combat 

atmospheric icing of aircraft, as well as ways to aid in 

stopping aircraft on wet and snowy runways. 

FAA and NASA continued to develop lightweight 

fire-resistant materials to reduce the threat of fire in 

aircraft cabins. Fire-blocking layered seat cushions, 

tested in postcrash fire conditions, increased occupant 

escape time by one minute, and new wall panels being 

developed promised further increased time. FAA 

issued a notice of proposed rulemaking for fitting aircraft seats with the layered materials and another for 

marking escape paths for passengers. 

FAA tests with retired aircraft demonstrated the 

ability of the antimisting fuel additive FM-9 to reduce 

the severity of postcrash fires. A remotely controlled 

crash of a jet transport scheduled for 1984 will test the 

antimisting-kerosene safety fuel, measure structural 

loads, and evaluate metallic and composite structures. 

FAA research into devices to detect explosives in aircraft baggage and cargo found x-ray absorption and 

thermal-neutron activation devices had potential for 

meeting requirements, while additional research was 

needed for evaluation of a nuclear magnetic-resonance 

device and development of a walk-by detector. The 

7 
agency explored construction of runway pavements 

from indigenous materials at remote sites and began 

research to develop a mixed rubber and asphalt concrete that would recycle discarded rubber tires. 

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL. FAA updated its National 

Airspace System Plan for modernizing its navigation 

and traffic control system to meet traffic demands of 

the next two decades. The agency awarded design contracts in 1983 for a new computer to meet needs of the 

en route air traffic control system into the early 1990s 

and planned a total new automation system for needs 

beyond that time. Upgrading proceeded for other 

automation systems, navigation aids, instrument landing systems, radar surveillance, and integrated communications. 

Aeronautical Research 

NASA and DoD continued to make advances in 

aeronautical research and development in 1983, to 

maintain U. S. leadership in world air transportation 

and military aeronautics. 

FACILITIES. NASA began operation of the ManVehicle Systems Research Facility, a sophisticated fullmission, full-system flight simulator at Ames Research 

Center that will make major contributions to cockpit 

design and use for future generations of aircraft. 

Langley Research Center began operation of its 

Avionics Integration Research Laboratory (AIRLAB) 

and the National Transonic Facility, a cryogenically 

cooled wind tunnel. Lewis Research Center completed 

a laboratory for basic combustion research. 

NASA's new computer science applications program 

opened the Research Institute for Advanced Computer 

Science (RIACS) at Ames, awarded a grant to the 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop a 

center for aerospace computing, and sought to develop 

core skills within the agency as well as pioneering applications of computers to aerospace problems. 

ENGINES. New NASA methods in compressor-blade 

design permitted increased operating pressure with 

fewer blades, promising significantly reduced development time and cost for advanced engine designs. In 

NASA's Energy-Efficient Program, an engine core integrated with low-spool components in a test vehicle 

showed excellent starting and transient capabilities, 

improved thrust, and greater efficiency with less fuel. 

A new manufacturing process produced silicon carbide 

crystals for electronic instrumentation above 5OO0C, 

for use in hot sections of gas turbines and other projects 

requiring high-temperature electronic components. 

A joint USAF-NASA program demonstrated a 

variable-cycle engine, transonic and supersonic compressor system, and advanced superalloys in 

augmented flameholders, as well as verifying the life of 

single-crystal turbine blades. Another USAF-NASA 

program proceeded with competitive development of 

two prototype demonstrators of a multiapplication core 

engine, the joint advanced fighter engine UAFE). 

AERODYNAMICS AND CONTROL SYSTEMS. A 

NASA program studying low-drag laminar flow over 

wings demonstrated a 20-percent reduction in turbulent air friction over aircraft wing surfaces. 

Research using new materials, fabrication methods, 

and analysis and design techniques indicated that practical systems for control of laminar flow may be 

developed. NASA began tests of two leading-edge test 

articles installed on a JetStar aircraft to focus on the 

most difficult problems in laminar flow. 

In the joint USAF-NASA advanced fighter 

technology integration (AFTI) program, an F-16 aircraft incorporating digital fly-by-wire control and 

canard surfaces completed flight tests of the digital 

flight-control system. Modifications of the aircraft 

were begun for further tests in 1984. The advanced 

system was to be integrated with a fire control system 

and new infrared sensor and tracker for highly accurate maneuvering at very low altitude to 

demonstrate technology to improve future fighter aircraft. During the year, mission-adaptive wings 

(MAWS) were delivered for installation and checkout 

on the AFTUF-111 for 1984 flight research. These are 

supercritical wings using smooth leading-edge and 

trailing-edge devices that can assume many shapes for 

optimum performance. 

The first X-29 experimental forward-swept-wing 

aircraft began extensive ground testing for its first 

flight in mid-1984, in the joint DARPA-USAF-NASA 

program to develop integrated, advanced 

aerodynamic, structural, and flight control technology. 

Wind-tunnel tests at Ames and Langley obtained 

aerodynamic and structural data on the airframe, and 

Dryden Flight Research Facility conducted piloted 

simulation tests. 

MATERIALS AND STRUCTURES. Fabrication of the 

static test airframe and the flight test vehicle began in 

DoDs Advanced Composite Airframe Program 

(ACAP) applying advanced materials to helicopter 

structures. Static and dynamic, and then flight, tests 

were to begin in 1984. NASA studied new powderaluminum alloys that showed higher strength, lower 

density, and greater temperature capability for more 

efficient airframes. A Navy-NASA study investigated 

lightweight graphite-polyimide composites for gasturbine engines, successfully testing a new outer fan 

duct. 

ROTOR RESEARCH. Modification and subsystem 

fabrication began for the DARPA-NASA X-wing 

rotor flight investigation. The X-wing concept combines vertical lifting efficiency of a helicopter with the 

speed, range, and altitude of a transonic fixed-wing 

aircraft. When aloft, the rotating rigid rotor will be 

stopped to convert to a fixed-wing configuration in forward flight. Flight testing of the concept on the rotor 

systems research aircraft (RSRA) is planned in 1985. 

NASA delivered one RSRA to the contractor for 

, 
modification and ferried the other to Dryden for tests 

as a fixed-wing aircraft (without the S-61 rotor). 

Flight and ground tests on the NASA-Army XV-15 

tilt-rotor research aircraft continued to add to the 

technology base for the proposed DoD joint vertical-lift 

aircraft UVX). Fabrication of advanced rotor blades 

was completed for testing. The Navy, Marine Corps, 

and Army evaluated the XV- 15 for a number of operational uses. Test aircraft were modified, and flight 

evaluations expanded the flight envelope. 

The Army began the Advanced Rotorcraft 

Technology Integration (ARTI) program in support of 

1987 development of a family of light helicopters 

(LXH). The ARTI program will study design and 

specifications for advanced, integrated, and automated 

cockpit and associated electronics for improved communications, navigation, weapon management, and 

pilot workload. An advanced digital-optical control 

system (ADOCS) - also to improve handling and 

reduce pilot work load-completed 80 percent of the 

detailed design phase, with flight testing scheduled for 

1984. 

POWERED LIFT. Models of two single-engine supersonic short-takeoff and vertical-landing fighter attack 

aircraft were designed in a NASA program. One, using an ejector augmentor, began wind-tunnel testing. 

The other, based on plenum burning, will be tested in 

1984. 

AVIONICS. Ajoint Air Force-Army advanced development contract was awarded in 1983 for multiband 

digital avionics tor the Integrated Communication, 

Navigation, Identification Avionics program. Testing 

also was completed on an inertial navigation system for 

Army helicopters. 

9 
National Aeronautics 

and Space Administration 

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Communications 

(NASA), established in 1958, is responsible for planning, directing, and conducting civil research and 

development in space and aeronautics. A number of 

other federal, state, local, and foreign governments 

share in these activities, and collaboration with industry is expanding, with increasing emphasis on the 

commercial use of space. The Department of Defense 

and NASA cooperate extensively, since DoD is responsible for the nation’s military space and aeronautics 

programs. 

NASA’s long-standing goals in space have been to 

develop technology to make space operations more effective; to enlarge the range of practical applications of 

space technology and data; and to make scientific investigations of the earth and its immediate surroundings, the natural bodies in our solar system, and the 

origin and evolution and physical processes of the 

universe. In aeronautics, the goal has been to improve 

the aerodynamics, structures, engines, and overall performance of aircraft, to make them more efficient, 

more compatible with the environment, and safer. 

On October 1, 1983, President Reagan issued a proclamation honoring the 25th anniversary of the founding of NASA, citing its record of “scientific and 

technical achievements which has established the 

United States as the world leader in aerospace research 

and development.” 

Applications to the Earth 

Research in 1983-supported by the Space Shuttle 

and earth-orbiting satellites - continued to improve 

and increase the applications of space technology for 

man’s use on earth. Development of high-risk advanced technology continued, with the aim of providing advanced communications systems for the 

future, while search-and-rescue demonstration 

satellites helped save human lives on vessels and aircraft in distress. New orbiting sensors on board 

satellites studied the earth‘s atmosphere and the environment and monitored the earth‘s weather and 

resources. Investigations expanded in the use of the 

low gravity of space to improve production of materials 

for medical and industrial needs. 

Advanced Research and Development. The goal of 

NASA’s satellite communications R&D program is to 

develop the advanced communications technology that 

has the potential for application in multiple-frequency 

bands to support a wide range of future communications systems for NASA, other government agencies, 

and industry. 

Research continued in support of an advanced communications satellite, operating in the 30-20 GHz frequency band. NASA’s program focused on developing 

and ground-testing the technology for advanced 

satellites, in view of industry programs now developing 

commercial satellites. 

Search and Rescue. By late 1983, 120 human lives had 

been saved in separate incidents in Canada, the United 

States, and Western Europe with the assistance of the 

COSPAS-SARSAT satellite-aided search-and-rescue 

program, and the number continued to grow. This international cooperative program demonstrates satellite 

technology to detect and locate aircraft or vessels in 

distress. The United States, Canada, France, and the 

Soviet Union developed the system; Norway, The 

United Kingdom, and Sweden are also participating. 

The first satellite within the framework of the joint 

COSPAS-SARSAT project was launched by the 

Soviet Union on June 30, 1982. During March 1983, 

the second COSPAS satellite and the first SARSATequipped U.S. satellite, NOAA 8, were launched. All 

were operating well at the end of the year, providing 

three satellites for the balance of the demonstration 

phase of the program. Ground stations and control 

centers are in regular operation in the United States, 

Canada, France, the USSR, Norway, and the United 

Kingdom. The performance of the combined satellite 

and ground system has equaled or exceeded expectations for sensitivity, accuracy, and ground coverage. 

Environmental Observations 

New sensors on the Space Shuttle and free-flying 

satellites returned increasingly refined data on the 

earth’s atmosphere and environment. 

Upper Atmosphere. Spacelab 1, the first flight of the 

joint NASA-ESA (European Space Agency) ShuttleI1 
borne laboratory built by ESA - was launched on 

Space Transportation System mission 9 (STS 9) in 

November. It achieved a number of firsts and included 

among its 71 experiments 11 investigations in space 

plasma physics, atmospheric physics, and earth observations. While analysis of the data has not yet been 

completed, preliminary returns indicate that most of 

the experiments were highly successful. Preliminary 

results include the first observation of carbon dioxide 

in the thermosphere and of water and methane in the 

mesosphere, coverage of targets by the metric camera 

using visible and infrared film, and radiometer 

microwave measurements of the earth. The flight of a 

six-member crew, for the first time, permitted scientific operations around the clock. 

The Active Magnetospheric Particle Tracer Explorers (AMPTE satellites) continued on schedule for 

launch in 1984, in a three-spacecraft cooperative mission among NASA, the Max-Planck Institute in West 

Germany, and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in 

the United Kingdom. 

Two new programs were started in 1983 for the 

Tethered Satellite System (TSS) payload and the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite 

(CRRES). TSS, a joint project between NASA and the 

Italian government, is to deploy a payload at the end of 

a long tether from the Space Shuttle to study the space 

plasma surrounding the earth and the atmosphere 

below the Shuttle. CRRES, a joint NASA-Air Force 

satellite, will release chemicals at high altitudes to 

study the motions of upper atmosphere and the electric 

fields in the magnetosphere. 

In addition, development continued on instruments 

for a proposed Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite 

(UARS), for launch from the Shuttle in the 1980s to 

make integrated global measurements of the composition and dynamics of the stratosphere. 

Lower Atmosphere. The Geostationary Operational 

Environmental Satellite GOES 6 was launched April 

28, 1983, for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA) to replace the NOAA 

“GOES-West” satellite at 135’ west longitude. GOES 6 

joined GOES 5, the GOES-East satellite at 75’ west 

longitude, to complete NOAA’s two-satellite geosynchronous operational system. GOES 6, equivalent to 

earlier satellites in this series, can make full-disk earth 

pictures in the visible and infrared spectrum every half 

hour or scan any north-to-south portion of the earth‘s 

disk in a proportionately shorter interval. Radiometric 

data will help determine the three-dimensional structure of atmospheric temperature and humidity. A 

satellite weather-facsimile system will relay analyzed 

weather data and forecasts from a central facility to 

small operational units for immediate dissemination to 

users. A number of design changes in GOES 6 increased redundancy and should prolong sensor 

lifetimes. 

NOAA 8 (NOAA-E before launch)-the first of the 

Advanced Tiros-N spacecraft - was launched into an 

early morning sun-synchronous orbit on March 28, 

1983, replacing NOAA 6 as NOAA’s operational morning spacecraft and joining NOAA 7, to complete the 

two-satellite low-earth-orbiting operational system. 

Advanced Tiros-N spacecraft are “stretched versions 

of the original Tiros-N series and expand capabilities 

for additional operational R&D instruments. NOAA 8 

is the first to carry instruments provided by Canada 

and France for the cooperative SARSAT project. 

Future sensors will measure amounts and distributions 

of atmospheric ozone, as well as the earth‘s radiation 

budget. 

Resource Observations 

Landsat 4, launched into orbit July 16, 1982, to 

monitor earth resources and to test its new remote sensor, had acquired more than 7,000 thematic mapper 

scenes of the earth by the end of 1983. Limited tests 

run through the preoperational Tracking and Data 

Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) showed that this data 

link can transmit high-quality thematic mapper scenes. 

Despite a failure of two of Landsat 4‘s four solar-array 

panels, sufficient power was available to maintain all 

spacecraft subsystems and to acquire multispectral 

scanner data. Landsat 4 will be moved down into an orbit where the Shuttle can retrieve it when power begins 

to fail on either of the two remaining solar-array 

panels. The Landsat-D (D prime) spacecraft was being 

reintegrated and tested for launch readiness by 

March 1, 1984. 

Materials Processing in Space 

In 1983, NASA expanded its orbital-flight investigations of materials processing in space, taking advantage of the Space Shuttle’s operational missions. On 

STS 7 in June, the materials experiments assembly 

(MEA) flew in OSTA 2, a cooperative payload of 

NASA and the West German Federal Ministry for 

Kesearch and Technology (BMFT). Three BMFTsponsored experiments flew in get-away-special cannisters: two studies of the stability of mercury-gallium 

dispersions and a study of cesium-chloride solidification phenomena. The experiments operated as 

planned. The MEA, an autonomous battery-powered 

system designed to carry rocket-class experimental 

hardware in the Shuttle cargo bay, carried an isothermal furnace, a gradient furnace, and an acoustical 

levitational furnace. The MEA will continue to be used 

for precursor experiments of microgravity phenomena 

with simple rocket-class hardware. Two Shuttle missions carrying these and other experiments are 

scheduled for 1984. During 1983, final checkout was 

made of an experiment designed to grow and monitor 

tryglycerine sulfate crystals from solution and mercuric 

oxide from vapor. It was delivered to Kennedy Space 

12 
Center for installation in Spacelab 3, to fly in late 

1984. 

Shuttle mid-deck experiments in 1983 included 

reflights of McDonnell Douglas Corporation’s 

continuous-flow electrophoresis system (CFES; an experiment to separate biological materials to produce 

pure pharmaceutical fluids in the low gravity of space) 

and the monodisperse-latex reactor (MLR; an experiment to produce uniform, high-quality beads of latex 

in space for precise calibrations and medical research). 

Following results from the CFES, McDonnell Douglas 

plans to purify sufficient quantities of its “proprietary” 

protein mixture in 1984 for clinical studies of the commercial practicality of separating materials in space 

that are difficult to separate on the earth. As part of the 

joint-endeavor agreement with the corporation, NASA 

performed eight CFES separations on the Shuttle to 

study generic advantages of the process over control 

experiments on the ground. Materials separated included polysaccarides, red blood cells, live rat pituitary 

cells, and live kidney cells. The NASA results were 

being analyzed at the end of the year. 

Science 

During 1983, spacecraft discovered surprising new 

phenomena as NASA continued investigations into the 

origin and evolution of the universe and solar system 

and into the causes and processes of the earth‘s environment. Space technology and the low gravity of 

space also were applied to medical and biological 

studies. 

Study of the Sun and Its Earth EffeGts 

International Sun-Earth Explorer ZSEE 3, launched 

in 1978, completed its original mission of monitoring 

the solar wind and was maneuvered into an orbit 

swinging through the earth‘s magnetic tail and behind 

the moon, using the moon’s gravity to boost the 

spacecraft toward rendezvous with a comet. ZSEE 3 obtained the first in situ field and particle measurements 

in the earth‘s magnetotail, to give a better understanding of the sun’s energy flow and effects on the earth. It 

was renamed International Cometary Explorer (ICE) 

and on December 22, 1983, left earth orbit at close 

lunar swingby on a trajectory to encounter Comet 

Giacobini-Zinner in September 1985. 

Also in 1983, NASA, the European Space Agency, 

and the Japanese Institute of Space and Astronautical 

Science (ISAS) began planning for an international 

program in solar-terrestrial physics. The plan is for a 

series of collaborative missions for 1989-1992 to pursue internationally recognized scientific objectives. 

The proposed program integrates solar and plasma 

physics measurements requiring simultaneous monitoring of the plasma source and storage regions as well 

as solar seismology and diagnostic measurements of 

the corona. 

Study of the Planets 

Plans proceeded toward a May 1986 launch of the 

Galileo mission in cooperation with the republic of West 

Gemany, to reach Jupiter in 1988. The mission will include an atmospheric probe to study the chemical composition of Jupiter’s atmosphere. The spacecraft itself 

will orbit Jupiter for 20 months, studying the planet’s 

satellites and investigating the physical dynamics of its 

magnetosphere. 

On June 13, 1983, Pioneer 10, launched in 1972, 

became the first man-made object to leave the solar 

system. It was still returning data after its long journey 

as the first spacecraft to cross the asteroid belt and fly 

by Jupiter to study and photograph that planet, its 

radiation belts, and moons. Pioneer 10 will continue to 

return data for the next several years, with its immediate mission being the detection of the heliopause, 

the boundary between the region of space controlling 

the sun’s magnetic field and true interstellar space. 

Pioneer- Venus 1, observing the atmosphere of Venus 

since 1978, found evidence of possible volcanic activity 

on that planet. Its ultraviolet spectrometer detected 

sulfur dioxide and sulfuric acid haze at the cloud tops, 

as its radar mapper identified topography resembling 

terrestial volcanic regions. Attempts to reestablish 

communications with Viking Lander 1 on Mars, 

which had ceased transmissions in late November 

1982, ended in 1983. The lander had sent back six 

years of data and thousands of photos from the surface 

of that planet. Voyager 1 and 2, launched in 1977, continued their journeys through the outer solar system, 

providing data on the interplanetary medium after 

their earlier spectacular discoveries about Jupiter, 

Saturn, and the moons of these planets. Voyager 2 

headed toward its January 1986 encounter with 

Uranus and 1989 meeting with Neptune. Voyager 1 

continued toward the orbit of Uranus on its way out of 

the solar system. 

Study ofthe Universe 

ZRAS. The Infrared Astronomical Satellite 

ZRAS-designed by U.S., Netherlands, and United 

Kingdom astronomers and launched in January 

1983 -promises enormous advances in our understanding of the universe. ZRAS exceeded its requirements for surveying the entire sky. During its 10 

months of operation, it surveyed almost three-fourths 

of the sky twice and made more than 10,000 detailed 

observations with its cryogenically cooled infrared 

telescope. 

The new sensitivity of IRAS permitted exploration 

of a previously unexplored gap. IRAS observed the 

formation of stars throughout our galaxy, discovered 

five comets and many asteroids, found dust clouds 

13 
above and below the sun, and observed possible beginnings of the formation of planetary systems around 

Vega and several other stars. Infrared sources 

catalogued before IRAS numbered about 1,000. The 

IRAS catalog will contain some 225,000 sources, including 20,000 galaxies and numerous newly observed 

phenomena. 

Space Telescope. Scheduled for launch in June 1986, 

the Hubble Space Telescope will become an unprecedented spaceborne astronomical observatory for use 

by the international astronomy community. The 

observatory will measure objects from the ultraviolet to 

the infrared that are appreciably fainter and more distant than those accessible from the ground. After 

earlier technical difficulties, delays, and cost increases, 

manufacturing of the major components such as the 

primary and secondary mirrors has been completed 

and mainline assembly and testing is beginning. The 

five basic scientific instruments have been manufactured and are being verified for acceptance. Four of the 

instruments were developed in the United States and 

one by the European Space Agency. The five guidance 

sensors are considered the sixth scientific instrument 

when operating in the astrometry mode. 

Research from the Ground 

Thirty sounding rockets launched in Peru during 

1983, in conjunction with ground-based observations, 

studied ionospheric and atmospheric phenomena 

peculiar to the geomagnetic equator. 

In the United States, NASA-developed, mobile, 

very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) technology 

was transferred to the National Geodetic Service of 

NOAA for establishment of the National Crustal Motion Network (NCMN). Fixed VLBI technology 

developed by NASA was used for the Polar Motion 

Analysis by Radio Interferometric Systems (Polaris) 

Network. This network is now being used by NOAA to 

fulfill its operational responsibility to monitor the 

earth's rotation rate and polar motion. Data from the 

networks aid understanding of the effects of the 

dynamic behavior of the earth, including earthquake 

mechanisms. 

In an international balloon-borne intercomparison 

of remote-sensing instruments, 14 instruments flown 

in the fall of 1982 and 17 in the spring of 1983 returned 

excellent scientific data. Complementary ground and 

aircraft-based measurements were also made. The 

nearly simultaneous measurements were taken of a 

wide variety of atmospheric components that are the 

key to understanding the chemistry of the stratosphere. 

Measured species included the hydroxyl radical, nitric 

acid, nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen chloride, 

chloride monoxide, hydrogen fluoride, water vapor, 

methane, and ozone. The data were being analyzed at 

the end of the year. In July, an international balloonborne intercomparison of ozone measuring devices was 

also conducted. In situ and remote sensing devices and 

operational radiosondes returned data for analysis. 

NASA has developed a variety of sensor systems in 

the past to distinguish materials on the earth's surface 

by measuring the intensity of solar radiation reflected 

from the surface. During 1983, an entirely new 

technology was employed to fabricate an advanced airborne sensor, the airborne imaging spectrometer 

(AIS), which could measure surface radiation 

simultaneously in more than 100 discrete spectral 

bands. Previously designed systems could make 

measurements in only 4 to 10 bands. The improved 

spatial and spectral capabilities of the Landsat 4 

thematic mapper also have yielded major advances in 

vegetation and geological discrimination, as indicated 

by analysis of data received from the middle reflective 

and thermal bands, new to the Landsat series of sensors. 

Lqe Sciences 

The NASA life sciences program seeks to provide a 

sound scientific and medical basis for productive, safe 

manned spaceflight and to enhance understanding of 

biological processes. The success of the program is a 

key to attaining a permanent manned presence in 

space and to using the environment of space to study 

living systems. Major elements of the program include 

operational medicine, biomedical research, advanced 

life support systems, gravitational biology, exobiology 

research, and biospheric research. 

Significant progress was made during the year in the 

operational use of the Space Shuttle and in the study of 

space adaption and cardiovascular deconditioning. Fifteen of the seventy-one experiments flown on Spacelab 

1 on the November Shuttle mission were in life 

sciences. Data were taken for all the experiments and 

will be analyzed during the upcoming year. Study continued toward understanding why bones lose mineral 

content in space and understanding the responses of 

living organisms to gravity. 

Planning continued during 1983 to fly future life 

science experiments on Spacelab flights. 

NASA's biological research program studies the 

origin of life as influenced by solar system evolution, its 

role as a modulator of global chemical cycles, and its 

adaptation to the force of gravity. Significant 

achievements were made in all areas, including detection of genetic-code precursor molecules in meteorites 

and primative earth simulations, identification of 

biological sources of methane gas and assessment of 

impact on global atmospheric chemistry, and 

characterization of plant-cell organelles, which sense 

and transduce gravity. 

Spacelab Flight Program 

Spacelab flight experiments continued to show good 

results in 1983. The OSTA 2 payload on STS 7 in 

14 
June demonstrated and verified a cost-effective NASAdeveloped carrier system. It also demonstrated the 

materials-processing multi-use facility - the materials 

experiment assembly - which permits flight on the 

Shuttle of previously used materials-processingexperiment hardware developed for suborbital, rocketlaunched experiments. Orbital flight extends operational flexibility and length of exposure to microgravity 

conditions for these investigations (see “Materials 

Processing in Space” in the Applications section 

above). Reflights of the assembly in 1984 and 1985 are 

expected to advance microgravity processing still 

further. 

German Federal Ministry of Research and 

Technology experiments in OSTA 2 (described in the 

Materials Processing in Space section) improved 

operational use of NASA’s low-cost get-away-special 

arrangement. 

Many small payloads and investigations can take advantage of low-cost space available in orbiter mid-deck 

lockers or compartments, permitting crew attention, 

and can be scheduled for flight on relatively short 

notice. The orbiter mid-deck payload program was 

developed for this class of users and to provide full use 

of Shuttle capability. Examples of such payloads flown 

in 1983 include the monodisperse-latex reactor on STS 

6 and STS 7 and an experiment on STS 6 to study 

lightning. 

The most significant 1983 advance in the development of operational Shuttle payload systems was the 

cooperative NASA-ESA Spacelab 1 mission that flew 

on STS 9 in November. In addition to achieving a 

significant milestone in a complex cooperative effort 

with the Europeans, Spacelab provides a flexible, 

Shuttle-based science research capability for diverse 

scientific investigations throughout this decade (see 

also “Upper Atmosphere,” in the Applications section 

above, as well as the Space Transportation section 

below). A number of multi-user facilities (life sciences 

minilab, materials science facility, etc.) and major instruments have been built as a result of Spacelab 1, to 

accommodate scientific investigations of future Shuttle 

flights. And processing Spacelab 1 through the centralized experiment and payload integration facility at 

Kennedy Space Center verified that the KSC facility 

was ready to support all future Spacelab missions. 

The Payload Operations Control Center at Johnson 

Space Center also was declared operational, supporting Spacelab 1 during flight. The facility verified the 

payload ground systems that supported Spacelab and 

was used during simulations to train the ground crews. 

The Payload Crew Training Complex at Marshall 

Space Flight Center also trained the flight crews for 

this first mission in which representatives of the science 

community flew and operated their own experiments 

in orbit. Dr. Byron K. Lichtenberg flew as the NASA 

payload specialist and Dr. Ulf Merbold as the ESA 

payload specialist. 

The final four payload-specialist candidates were 

selected for the Spacelab 3 mission, scheduled to fly in 

late 1984. This group of four scientists includes one experiment principal investigator and two COinvestigators. Two are fluid-dynamics specialists and 

two are experts in crystal growth. The designation of 

prime and backup payload specialists was scheduled 

for the spring of 1984. Ground operations planning 

and payload selection continued for Spacelab 2, 

scheduled to fly in 1985 with experiments in solar 

physics, high-energy astrophysics, infrared astronomy, 

plasma physics, life sciences, and space technology. 

Space Transportation 

Space Shuttle 

In 1983 the Space Shuttle continued to demonstrate 

its versatility and capability as the world’s most 

sophisticated launch vehicle - the first reusable earthto-orbit vehicle for flying personnel, equipment, scientific and commercial payloads, even laboratories, into 

space and back to earth. With four successful Space 

Shuttle missions and the first launch of the reusable 

research facility called Spacelab, 1983 was an important year in NASA’s operation of the nation’s Space 

Transportation System (STS). A second orbiter was 

added to the Shuttle fleet and a third was delivered for 

preparation. 

Other Space Shuttle achievements included the first 

retrieval of a satellite in space, the German-built SPAS 

spacecraft, using the Canadian-built remote 

manipulator system (RMS); first STS night launch 

and landing; America’s first extravehicular activity 

(EVA), or spacewalk, in more than nine years; and 

launch of five satellites into orbit. The deployment of 

NASA’s first spacecraft in its Tracking and Data Relay 

Satellite System (TDRSS) and the launch of three 

foreign communications satellites and a reusable, freeflying platform again demonstrated the Shuttle’s potential. The missions also showed that, with the advent of 

the Shuttle, use of space need not depend on sex and 

age. 

Space Shuttle Missions 

STS 6, carrying a crew of four into orbit April 4-9, 

was the first flight of the Space Shuttle program’s second operational orbiter, Challenger. The mission placed 

the TDRS 1 satellite in orbit with the first deployment 

from the Shuttle of the Air Force-developed inertial 

upper stage (IUS) and assistance of the TDRS 1 onboard attitude control system. Two astronauts worked 

in EVA in the cargo bay during three orbits, testing 

new tools and equipment-handling techniques. Three 

self-contained get-away-special experiments were 

sponsored by a Japanese newspaper, a South Carolina 

seed company, and the Air Force Academy. Other ex15 
periments on Challenger’s first flight tested a continuousflow electrophoresis system (CFES), produced small 

monodisperse latex spheres, and studied lightning 

associated with thunderstorms. 

The STS 7 flight, from June 18 through June 

24 - Challenger’s second mission - carried the Shuttle’s 

first crew of five, the largest number launched into 

space up to that time. It included the first U.S. woman 

astronaut. The first full photographs of a Space Shuttle 

in orbit were taken from the free-flying Shuttle Pallet 

Satellite SPAS, developed by West Germany. A 

reusable platform for mounting a variety of scientific 

instruments, SPAS was deployed and retrieved by the 

remote manipulator system (or arm). SPAS was the 

first Shuttle cargo commercially financed by a European company, Messerschmitt-Boelkow-Blohm. This 

pallet-style satellite carried a number of scientific experiments sponsored by the German Ministry for 

Research and Technology and the European Space 

Agency (ESA). An example was the German 

government-sponsored remote-sensing device, the 

modular optoelectronic multispectral scanner 

(MOMS) that observed the earth from SPAS. 

Two communications satellites, Anik C-2 for Canada 

and Palapa B-l for Indonesia, were launched from the 

Shuttle’s cargo bay into geosynchronous orbits. And, 

along with SPAS, OSTA 2 was carried into orbit and 

returned to earth in the cargo bay. Remaining fixed in 

the bay, OSTA 2 carried four instrument packages 

developed jointly by the United States and the Federal 

Republic of Germany for materials processing experiments to test the potential for mixing, melting, or 

crystallizing substances such as metal alloys and glass 

in the weightless vacuum of space. 

The STS 7 mission also carried, attached to the walls 

of the Challenger’s cargo bay, 7 get-away-special 

canisters with 22 experiments sponsored by high school 

and university students, a private company, and two 

government agencies. Two more experiments, also 

performed on previous Shuttle missions, were carried 

in Challenger’s mid-deck cabin, the continuous-flow 

electrophoresis system and the monodisperse-latex 

reactor (see “Materials Processing in Space” in the Applications section and “Spacelab Flight Program” in the 

Space Science section above). 

On Challenger‘s third mission into space, August 30 

through September 5, the five-member crew of STS 

8 -including America’s first black astronaut and 

America’s oldest astronaut (54) -carried out the first 

Shuttle-to-ground communications via Tracking and 

Data Relay Satellite TDRS I, deployed India’s Insat 

I-B satellite into geosynchronous orbit, and exercised 

the Shuttle’s remote manipulator system with its most 

massive load to date, the payload flight-test article. 

The crew of STS 8 also tested effects of the space environment on astronauts and man-made materials. 

Challenger‘s third flight was the first Shuttle launch and 

landing at night. 

The ninth flight of the Space Shuttle, November 28 

through December 8, marked the return of the orbiter 

Columbia and the maiden voyage of the Space 

Transportation System’s newest facility, Spacelab, 

developed by the European Space Agency (see 

“Spacelab” below). The STS 9 flight was a fulfillment 

of the most comprehensive multinational space project 

to date. With an onboard ESA payload specialist, Ulf 

Merbold of West Germany, and participation of more 

than 100 investigators from 11 European nations, 

Canada, Japan, and the United States, the mission 

conducted 7 1 experiments in 5 scientific disciplines. 

For the first time during a spaceflight, principal investigators were able to monitor data directly, as soon 

as collected, and communicate with the crew-the 

largest crew (6 members) to date and the longest Shuttle mission (10 days). (Mission results are discussed 

under “Upper Atmosphere” in the Applications section 

above.) 

Orbiter 

Continued progress was made in 1983 to certify the 

Space Transportation System orbiter fleet. The second 

delivered orbiter, Challenger, flew three successful missions, and the third orbiter, Discomy, was delivered to 

the Kennedy Space Center for preparation of its first 

mission in mid-1984. Major structural elements for the 

fourth, Atlantis (OV-104), were delivered to the 

Rockwell International Palmdale plant during 1983, 

and mating of wings, payload bay doors, vertical 

stabilizer, and mid-fuselage was begun. Thermalprotection tile installations began, with nearly 41,000 

tiles placed on the vehicle. Atlantis is scheduled for 

delivery in December 1984. The structural spares plan 

was defined and procurement and fabrication of these 

orbiter elements began. Several facility support 

elements for the Space Shuttle were activated to accommodate the program’s accelerating flight rate. 

Main Engine (SSME) 

The Space Shuttle’s three main engines continued to 

prove an unusual advance in propulsion technology, 

maintaining a record of successful flight performance 

during the four 1983 Shuttle missions. With no performance anomalies during the four flights, the main 

engines demonstrated once again their remarkable reusability. certification of the main engines at 109 percent of the present rated power level, to full power level 

(FPL), was completed (see appendix D). The certification process included 400 tests of more than 40,000 

seconds of firing operation. During 1983, 4 complete 

main engine sets were delivered and 36 major components were manufactured. 

External Tank (ET) 

The Space Shuttle’s external fuel tanks continued to 

perform well in 1983, and the first lightweight tank 

16 
(LWT 1) was flown on the STS 6 mission. A number 

of design changes had reduced the weight of the tank 

by some 4,000 kilograms, permitting the Shuttle to 

carry a heavier payload. This improvement and others 

such as the reduction of ablator on the external tank 

and the first use of plasma arc welding brought savings 

in costs. Thirteen other lightweight tanks were in varying stages of production at the Michoud Assembly 

Facility at the end of the year. 

Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) 

The Shuttle’s solid-fueled rocket boosters continued 

to perform well in 1983’s four missions. On each 

spaceflight, two SRBs burn in parallel with the 

orbiter‘s main engines for the initial ascent, before 

dropping away to be recovered for reuse. Ten rockets, 

or five flight sets, were delivered in 1983, and a new 

lightweight case was first flown on STS 6. The first 

high-performance solid-fueled rocket motor flew on 

STS 8. Development of a design continued for a new 

filament-wound case that, when operational, will 

significantly reduce weight and increase ascent performance. A request for proposals for a new boosterassembly contract was released, and work continued at 

Kennedy Space Center to expand SRB refurbishment 

and assembly facilities to permit production of 16 flight 

sets. 

Launch and Landing Operations 

Challenger‘s third mission’ in 1983 (STS 8) 

demonstrated that the Space Shuttle can be launched 

and landed at night. The year also reflected improved 

efficiency in preparing the Shuttle fleet for flight. Certain flight center contracts were consolidated; approval 

requirements, detailed instructions, and daily serial 

work were either simplified or reduced. A single, consolidated, on-site support organization was formed and 

one consolidated contractor established for all launch 

and landing operations at both Kennedy and the 

Vandenburg Air Force Base launch site. The leadtime 

for the payload integration plan (PIP) was reduced 50 

percent. The additional operational experience 

gathered in 1983 has reduced hardware turnaround 

time from the 187 working days required between STS 

1 and STS 2 to 55 working days between STS 7 and 

STS 8. Continuous planning and the best use of flight 

hardware, support equipment, and launch facilities 

should reduce the turn-around time to 35 working days 

in early 1985. 

Spacela b 

The highly successful Spacelab 1 mission, the largest 

international cooperative space effort yet undertaken, 

concluded more than 10 years of intensive. work by 

some 50 industrial firms and 10 nations. Costing the 

Europeans approximately $1 billion, the reusable 

laboratory - carrying experimenters in a pressurized 

environment to orbit and back in the Shuttle’s cargo 

bay-was designed, developed, funded, and built by 

the European Space Agency. Established in 1973 by an 

international agreement among the United States and 

Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, 

The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and United 

Kingdom, the Spacelab project provided an opportunity on its first mission for scientists worldwide to experiment in space in astronomy and solar physics, space 

plasma physics, atmospheric physics and earth observation, life sciences, and material sciences. 

Spacelab 1 also opened the era of “payload 

specialists,” scientists who are not required to take the 

normally long and intensive astronaut training in 

order to participate in Shuttle missions. 

STS 9, carrying Spacelab 1 and launched from Kennedy Space Center November 28, operated in a 

250-km circular orbit inclined to the equator at 57O. 

All of the mission objectives of verifying Spacelab’s 

modules were met, and earth-based scientists communicated directly with the orbiting space crew that 

performed their experiments, collected data immediately, and offered directions for the experiments. 

The principal investigators worked from the newly activated Payload Operations Control Center (POCC). 

Other major activities during 1983 were the staging 

of Spacelab 2 (SL 2) pallets and the delivery by ESA of 

nine more experiment racks under the international 

cooperative agreement. Spacelab 3 integration also 

began, and hardware was provided to Germany for 

staging the first Spacelab mission dedicated to European use. In late 1984, NASA will launch the first 

operational mission of Spacelab, Spacelab 3. 

Expendable Launch Vehicles 

In addition to the Space Shuttle launches, NASA 

launched 11 satellites on 11 expendable launch 

vehicles, using 8 Deltas, 1 Atlas E/F, 1 Atlas-Centaur, 

and 1 Scout. The year marked NASA’s seventh perfect 

launch record. The European Space Agency’s 

EXOSAT x-ray observatory was carried to a highly 

elliptical polar orbit by a Delta launch vehicle and at 

the end of 1983 was still transmitting important data 

on the x-ray sky. The Delta has been the most widely 

used and successful launch vehicle for NASA since its 

initial use in 1960. It has been used in 173 launches 

with a success rate of 92 percent, and both the Delta 

and the Atlas-Centaur are under consideration for 

commercial operations. Following the President’s 

policy statement on May 16, 1983 (see appendix F), 

NASA is proceeding to facilitate commercial operation 

of the expendable launch vehicle program. At present 

NASA is reimbursed for services of expendable 

vehicles by commercial and foreign users. 

Other 1983 payloads launched into orbit on NASA 

expendable launch vehicles were the NASA17 
Netherlands Infrared Astronomy Satellite IRAS, 

NOAA 8 and GOES 6 for NOAA, HILAT for the Air 

Force, Zntelsat VF-6 for INTELSAT, Galaxy I and 2 for 

Hughes Communications, Telstar 3A for AT&T, and 

RCA-Satcom IR and 2R for RCA-all except IRAS 

reimbursable. (See launch table in appendix A-3 and 

launch vehicle descriptions in appendix D.) 

Upper Stages 

NASA negotiated contracts in fiscal 1983 with 

General Dynamics, Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney, and 

Teledyne for design, development, and procurement 

of Centaur upper stages for the Galileo and International Solar Polar (ZSPM) missions scheduled for flight 

in 1986. The Air Force will share with NASA in 

designing and developing a common Centaur upper 

stage. The major activity of 1983 resulted in completion of the Centaur G-Prime preliminary and critical 

design reviews. 

The first inertial upper stage (IUS) - being 

developed by DoD to extend the reach of the Shuttle 

into higher orbits - was launched from the Space Shuttle on flight STS 6. Carrying the first satellite in 

NASA’s new Tracking and Data Relay Satellite 

System (TDRSS), the IUS second stage failed to place 

the satellite in its final geosynchronous orbit. The 

satellite and stage tumbled and communications were 

lost, but TDRS I was eventually stabilized and small 

onboard thrusters began a three-phase series of 39 

maneuvers to place it in the required functional orbit. 

TDRS 1 reached its operational orbit June 29. A joint 

NASA-USAF study team determined the problem was 

in the gimbal mechanism of the second stage, and 

motor correction was planned. 

These and other upper-stage activities are being supplemented by a number of commercial development 

projects for NASA. McDonnell Douglas Corporation 

developed the payload assisst module-D (PAM-D), 

and in 1983 this upper stage launched nine communications satellites, three from the Space Shuttle’s 

cargo bay and six from expendable launch vehicles. 

NASA and the Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC) 

signed a joint agreement for commercial development 

of a new, larger, upper stage-the transfer-orbit stage 

(T0S)-in 1983, and development was begun with 

Martin Marietta Corporation providing technical 

capability for OSC. The TOS will be designed as a 

three-axis-stabilized upper stage to be available for use 

commercially. 

Advanced Planning 

The advanced development phase of the Tethered 

Satellite System (TSS), a joint program with Italy, was 

completed in 1983. TSS, to be jointly developed by 

NASA and Italy and operated by NASA, will provide 

a unique capability for conducting experiments in the 

upper atmosphere and ionosphere while tethered to the 

Space Shuttle as its orbiting base. 

Concept definition studies for an Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV) were completed and the planning 

structured as a proposed evolutionary capability growing from Shuttle-based placement and retrieval of 

spacecraft for the future Space Station-based operation. Development began toward a flight demonstration of the ability to refuel propellant tanks of an orbiting satellite safely. Hydrazine fuel will be transferred by an astronaut in an extravehicular activity to a 

simulated satellite, to gain confidence in a new technique that could extend the life of, orbiting satellites. 

Additionally, a prototype-demonstration astronaut suit 

was constructed that operates at 0.54 atmospheres (8 

psi) rather than the present 0.29 (4.3 psi) to permit 

astronauts to perform EVA without the lengthy prebreathing of pure oxygen now required to prevent 

onset of the “bends.)) Advanced planning studies continued for more powerful boosters using Shuttle components, novel applications of space tethers, Orbital 

Transfer Vehicles (OTV), and other elements of the 

anticipated space infrastructure that will be required 

by the year 2000 along with a Space Station. 

Space Station Task Force 

The Space Station Task Force continued planning 

throughout 1983 toward development - pending approval by the Administration and Congress - of a station for low earth orbit in the 1990s. Study contracts 

awarded to eight aerospace firms in 1982 were completed in 1983. Recommendations from the studies 

essentially would provide a manned base and unmanned platform in low earth orbit at an inclination of 

28.5’ to the equator, an Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle 

operating in tandem with the station, and a second unmanned platform for earth observations in a near-polar 

orbit, to be serviced by the Spaced Shuttle. Study conclusions indicated that a permanent presence in space 

would provide advantageous opportunities for science 

and applications, satellite servicing, commercial applications such as materials processing, and other 

technology-development investigations. 

Designed for evolutionary growth in both size and 

capabilities, the Space Station would also provide opportunities for international cooperation. A Concept 

Development Group was formed in 1983 to integrate 

the eight study teams’ recommendations into a number 

of architectural concepts, which at present indicate living quarters for a crew of six to eight. Two smaller contracts were also awarded in 1983 to explore and define 

potential commercial uses and improve coordination 

between the private sector and government organizations. 

Operation of the Space Transportation System 

Two Space Shuttle orbiters, with solid rocket 

boosters, external tank, and upper-stage components, 

18 
joined by the reusable Spacelab, demonstrated that the 

Space Transportation System was close to fully operational. The broad applicability of the system is 

reflected in new opportunities provided to a new class 

of scientific investigators through the smalI selfcontained payload program, or get-away specials. 

Some 370 get-away-special experiments were booked 

in 1983, which will provide new opportunities to investigate a broad range of disciplines for high school 

and college students, small businesses, foreign governments, and the Department of Defense. Experiments 

performed in 1983 included investigations with 

planets, seeds, metals and materials, snow crystals, 

and ants. 

The orbiter’s mid-deck also offered new opportunities for space researchers and investigators. Since 

the STS 6 mission, a number of experiments have been 

conducted on the mid-deck, and the student Shuttleinvolvement project (SSIP) also uses it. Another new 

program explored in 1983 would permit private 

citizens to fly on Shuttle missions, possibly as early as 

1985. Leasecraft, a commercial effort of NASA and 

Fairchild Industries, also was defined in 1983 as part of 

the Space Transportation System. A $200-million program plans to develop an unmanned, free-flying platform for launch from the Shuttle in 1987, to offer 

another low-cost opportunity for commercial and 

government access to space and its unique environment. The Shuttle is to rendezvous with Leasecraft to 

service or exchange payload modules. 

Space Research and Technology 

NASA’s space research and technology program 

provides the scientific and technological development 

enabling the United States to lead in the exploration of 

the solar system, space applications, and space transportation. The key disciplines include chemical propulsion, computer science and electronics, space communications and sensors, materials and structures, 

space energy conversion, controls and flight management, and aerothermodynamics. NASA technology 

also supports research by other government agencies, 

private industry, and the university community. 

Research and Technology Programs 

NASA made progress during the year in a number 

of the key disciplines forming the technology base for 

its research and technology program. 

Chemical Propulsion. In 1983, technology for advanced reusable earth-to-orbit propulsion systems continued to focus on understanding and analytically 

simulating the internal dynamic environment of highperformance staged-combusion rocket engines and on 

extending the life of critical life-limited components. 

Rig tests of thermal-barrier coatings applied to turbine 

blades with a new vacuum plasma-spray technique 

, 

showed great promise for eliminating severe spalling 

previously experienced both in rig tests and in actual 

Space Shuttle main engine (SSME) testing. Testing of 

subscale liquid-hydrogen hybrid bearings in a bearing 

tester and in an actual pump provided the experimental data needed to design and fabricate SSME-class 

hybrid bearings. 

Conceptual design studies of high-performance 

expander-cycle engines compatible with the requirements of an advanced, spaced-based, aeroassisted 

orbital transfer vehicle have identified critical 

technology advances needed to confirm and strengthen 

concept feasibility. The use of oxygen as a combustor 

coolant and as a turbine-drive working fluid appears 

most promising, and work began toward identifying 

oxygen-compatible materials and establishing oxygen 

heat-transfer characteristics and cooling capabilities. 

Techniques for improving component efficiencies, 

critical to high-combustion-pressure operation are also 

being developed. These include partial-admission turbines for high efficiency over a broad operating range, 

and high-performance combustors for enhanced heat 

transfer through the walls into the turbine-drive working fluid, to improve engine cycle efficiency. The 

design and fabrication of lightweight, high-expansionratio, carbon-carbon nozzles is also being explored. 

Computer Science and Electronics. The massively parallel 

processor (MPP), a multibillion-operations-per-second 

computer consisting of 16,384 processors designed for 

image processing, was completed and delivered to 

Goddard Space Flight Center. The MPP will permit 

modeling of complex space science phenomena not 

possible with conventional computers. This advanced 

computer system is typical of the mission-specific computational systems critical to U.S. preeminence in 

space information science. 

Monolithic integrated optical devices are of major 

interest to remote sensing from space. Electronics 

research in 1983 demonstrated molecular-beam 

epitaxy (oriented growth of one crystalline substance 

on another) for growing new semiconductor devices. 

An indium arsenide-galium arsenide heterojunction 

was grown, and its theoretical limits were determined. 

These devices offer the possibility of new and 

technologically revolutionary semiconductors for lasers 

and photoconductors with tailored spectral and electronic properties for advanced sensors. 

In initial laboratory tests, a computer program using 

artificial intelligence techniques to plan automatic 

spacecraft operations increased productivity of the mission planners by nearly tenfold. The planning system 

has been tailored for use by the Voyager project during 

that spacecraft’s encounter with the planet Uranus in 

January 1986. This will be the first use of an expert 

system in an actual mission environment and will serve 

as an important test of this technology for the Galileo 

Jupiter probe in 1986 and other science and applications missions. 

19 
Space Communications and Sensors. A new travelingwave tube called the tunneladder was operated for the 

first time in 1983 and produced 400 watts of radiated 

power at 29 GHz in laboratory tests, making it an excellent candidate for the high-power amplifier for highdata-rate ground terminals in future communications 

satellite systems. 

In sensors, a 5-watt Stirling-cycle refrigerator 

(65-kelvin temperature) was fabricated with magnetic 

bearings and operated continuously for 2,000 hours - a 

much needed breakthrough that can extend the 

lifetime of cooled spacecraft instruments, limited until 

now by the amount of stored cryogen carried by the 

spacecraft. 

Materials and Structures. The advanced space structures program focused on new structural concepts for 

more efficient use of the Space Shuttle. To decrease 

transportation costs to orbit, structural configurations 

must be packaged efficiently in high-density modules 

with minimum use of Shuttle volume. Once in orbit, 

the structural element must be deployed, erected, or 

assembled with a high degree of reliability. The 

primary areas being investigated are lightweight structural members, packaging techniques, structurally 

predictable behavior, and reliable deployment. 

Analysis methods for advanced structural truss components have been correlated with ground-test results 

in preparation for in-space flight experiments that will 

verify concepts and deployment and assembly techniques. Deployment and erectable structures (beams, 

platforms, and volumes) will be useful for large space 

structures such as large-aperture antennas or space station modules. 

A unique space-environmental-effects facility 

became operational in 1983 at Langley Research 

Center. The facility simulates the space environment 

(electrons, protons, vacuum, ultraviolet) to study effects on materials. Composite materials have been 

tested and changes in structural properties observed. 

The facility provides ground-based evaluation of the 

long-term environmental effects of space on materials 

and will facilitate development of new materials and 

protection techniques. 

Space Controls and Human Factors. Theoretical analyses 

of distributed control systems for large flexible structures are being developed, including concepts for active shape and vibration control, modeling techniques 

for control system design, and adaptive systems for increased performance. Initial laboratory tests 

demonstrated the potential of adaptive control systems 

for accommodating unanticipated changes in space. 

An advanced videobased technique for rendezvous and 

docking was being evaluated in 1983. The human factors program, begun in fiscal 1983, emphasizes manmachine function allocation, teleoperations, extravehicular activity, and crew station design. 

Aerothermodynamics. Studies of aerodynamic heating 

to be encountered by orbital transfer vehicles using the 

earth‘s atmosphere for retro-braking on return to low 

earth orbit have shown the need for precise estimates of 

non-equilibrium radioactive heating. This component 

of the heat load on the return vehicle can be as much as 

five times that due to convection and may alter first 

concepts of the thermal protection system. The complex chemical reactions are difficult to check experimentally in ground facilities; hence the theroretical 

approaches are making full use of the latest supercomputer systems. 

Space missions in low earth orbit propose the use of 

large lightweight structural systems that will have 

minute but important torques and drag forces imposed 

by the thin atmospheric gases. New analyses have been 

developed using the so-called Monte Carlo methods 

that permit estimation of spacecraft reactions to the 

free molecular flows at orbital altitudes. The newly extended methods can also predict the contaminating effects of control jets on sensitive sensor systems and mirrors carried on the spacecraft. 

Space Energy Programs. A cooperative three-agency 

(DOE-DoD-NASA) program established February 1 1, 

1983, began evaluating approaches to nuclear-reactor 

space power systems. Nuclear reactors can greatly expand opportunities and performance of future civil and 

defense missions. (See also the Department of Energy 

chapter.) 

Photovoltaic concepts using concentrators for converting solar energy to electricity may greatly reduce 

costs from those of present planar photovoltaic approaches. The efficiency of high-concentration-ratio 

gallium arsenide cells was increased to more than 19 

percent - more than a third higher than that possible 

with previous technology. A concept recently 

developed by NASA for a large-area, weldedinterconnect, silicon solar array was selected for use in 

DoDs MILSTAR communications satellite program, 

and other uses of that technology are expected to 

materialize rapidly. 

Future space systems will require power levels far 

beyond those of present spacecraft, and major extensions of present thermal management concepts will be 

needed. NASA began a space thermal management 

project, which has demonstrated on the ground a heat 

pipe with a tenfold increase in transport capability (to 

20,000 watt-meters) and a flight feasibility test on STS 

8 of a two-phase heat pipe for high-capacity applications. 

Intensive work continued to define effects of the 

space environment on space power systems. A space 

test evaluated the power loss and breakdown 

phenomena of photovoltaic systems as voltage level 

and area varied. This information will be used to correlate interaction phenomena measured in space and 

ground tests for eventual design guidelines for highpower space systems in low earth orbit. 

In electrochemical energy, work continued on both 

advanced batteries and fuel cells. The first preliminary 

20 
assembly (breadboard) of an energy storage system using fuel cell and water electrolysis was completed and 

at the end of the year was being tested in simulated 

low-earth-orbit environment in the laboratory. 

Shuttle Flight- Test Results 

Flying research experiments on the Shuttle orbiter 

has expanded the data base on orbiter performance 

and characteristics. The high-resolution accelerometer 

package (HIRAP) was flown on STS flights 6 through 

8 to determine the orbiter’s lift-to-drag ratio in the free 

molecular flow regime. 

In-space technology experiments continue research 

begun in the ground-based laboratory when the unique 

environment of space (micro-gravity, vacuum, and 

combined radiation) is essential to the development of 

technology for future space missions. 

In 1983, several experiments completed fabrication 

and began assembly and integration for launch in 

1984. The solar-array flight experiment to validate 

lightweight and high-power solar-array technology will 

begin payload integration in 1984 for a mid-year Shuttle launch. The tribology experiment already integrated into Spacelab 1 will provide data on zerogravity effects on hydrodynamic films formed in journal bearings. Verification of technology will be sought 

with an early 1984 flight of the feature identification 

and location experiment (FILE). 

Experiments for the long-duration exposure facility 

(LDEF) completed final acceptance tests in preparation for integration into the facility in early 1984. The 

facility, carrying 50 experiments, is planned for 

deployment in mid-FY 1984 and will be retrieved and 

delivered back to earth in a year. Experiment data will 

define the effects of long-term space exposure on 

various materials and components. 

Space Tracking and Data Systems 

NASA’s space tracking and data systems provide 

tracking, command, telemetry, and data-acquisition 

support for all NASA programs - earth-orbital science 

and applications missions, planetary missions, expendable launch vehicles, sounding rockets, balloons, 

research aircraft, and the Space Transportation 

System. The Deep Space Network (DSN), the 

Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network (STDN), the 

Space Network (SN), and various facilities provided 

this support during 1983. A global communications 

system links tracking sites, control centers, and dataprocessing facilities that provide real-time data processing for mission control and orbit and attitude determination, as well as routine processing of telemetry 

data for space missions. 

After many years of planning and preparation, a 

new concept in space operations, the Tracking and 

Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS), was begun in 

1983. TDRSS is expected to enhance-greatly the data 

retrieval from low-earth-orbital missions and to increase the benefits from space exploration. With 

TDRSS, the versatility and operational effectiveness of 

the Space Shuttle, Spacelab, Space Telescope, NOAA 

operational Landsat satellites, and others are expected 

to be markedly increased over that provided by ground 

tracking stations. 

Space Network Operations 

The Space Network is a combination of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System and the NASA 

ground systems providing flight support to low-earthorbital missions compatible with the TDRSS. The major elements include the TDRS l satellite and the 

White Sands ground terminal, the Network Control 

Center (NCC), the Operations Support Computing 

Facility (OSCF), and the Simulations Operations 

Center (SOC). 

A major change was made in the TDRSS service 

contract. TDRSS was originally conceived as a shared 

system providing both commercial satellite communications and government mission support 

capabilities. In December 1982, the contract was 

modified to dedicate its support to government space 

missions. The contractor .will remain the owneroperator but relinquished its right to use the commercial segment. NASA will have the dedicated use of all 

spacecraft provided through the service contract, and 

spacecraft formerly dedicated to the commercial communications service will be used as spares to extend the 

system lifetime or enhance system capabilities. 

The first TDRS satellite was launched on the STS 6 

mission in April 1983 and was deployed into a low orbit because of an anomaly during the second-stage 

burn of the Air Force-provided inertial upper stage 

(IUS). In May, NASA began maneuvers using the 

spacecraft’s small thrusters to boost it into geosynchronous orbit. In late June, TDRS 1 reached geosynchronous altitude and, from August 30 through 

September 5, successfully supported the STS 8 mission. In November, the TDRSS elements supported 

the STS 9 Spacelab mission, with the satellite relocated 

to 41° west longitude. 

The schedule for launching TDRS-B and -C is 

dependent on the availability of qualified IUS stages. 

Planning schedules at the end of 1983 indicated 

launches in the fall of 1984 and the first half of 1985. 

Ground Network Operations 

The Ground Network consists of the Spaceflight 

Tracking and Data Network, the Deep Space Network, and ground facilities support for aeronautical 

research, balloon flights, and sounding rockets. During the year, the Ground Network supported both 

near-earth-orbiting satellites, including the Space 

Shuttle operational flights, and deep space probes. 

21 
Among the numerous applications and scientific earthorbiting missions were the Space Shuttle missions 

(STS 6, 7, 8, and 9), TDRS I launch and deployment, 

Nimbus 7, Landrat 4, International Ultraviolet Explorer, International Sun-Earth Explorers, Applications Technology Satellites, Solar Maximum Mission, 

Infrared Astronomical Satellite, Dynamic Explorer, 

and the Solar Mesospheric Explorer. Solar system exploration support continued for Pioneer 10 and 11, 

Pioneer-Venus, the Viking lander, and Voyager I and 2, 

as well as limited support for Helios and earlier Pioneer 

missions. 

In May, the 64-meter antenna at Goldstone, 

California, operating as a planetary radar instrument, 

detected the recently discovered comet IRAS-ArakiAlcock and made measurements of its physical properties that could not be made by other methods. 

After supporting the STS 8 night landing in 

September, the Buckhorn special-purpose tracking station at Dryden Flight Research Facility, California, 

was phased out and operations terminated. This station had been established to support the Space Shuttle 

approach and landing tests and the operational flight 

test landings. 

Control Centers and Datu Processing 

NASA’s control and data-processing facilities command and control the unmanned scientific and applications satellites: payload operations control centers and 

related mission support systems receive, process, and 

display spacecraft telemetry data and transmit commands to the spacecraft. Some 17 spacecraft were 

monitored and controlled during 1983 by five control 

centers operated under the Space Tracking and Data 

Systems Office. A new control center was being 

developed for dedicated support to the Space Telescope. 

Hardware had been delivered and installed and early 

releases of software development had been completed 

by the end of the year. The Spacelab Data Processing 

Facility was completed and tested in time to process 

data from the November Spacelab mission. 

Aeronautical Research and Technology 

The advances in technology derived from NASA’s 

aeronautics program ensure the continued success of 

the U. S. aeronautics industry, thereby contributing to 

the development of a superior military capability and 

to a safe and efficient civil air transportation system. 

These advances depend on maintaining an expert 

technical staff to conduct the research as well as on providing superior research facilities, including the latest 

state-of-the-art simulation and high-performance computational facilities. 

During 1983, NASA began operation of a highly 

sophisticated full-mission and full-system flight 

simulator - the Man Vehicle Systems Research Facility at Ames Research Center. Human error is responsible for, or a contributing factor in, 60 to 80 percent of 

domestic aircraft accidents. This facility will make major contributions to design and use of the cockpits of 

future generations of aircraft. 

Lewis Research Center significantly enhanced its 

computational capabilities during 1983 with the acquisition of a Cray 1s computer. This new “supercomputer” will permit researchers to predict accurately the 

internal physics and overall performance of propulsion 

systems. 

The Avionics Integration Research Laboratory 

(AIRLAB) at Langley Research Center also began 

operations in 1983. This unique facility addresses the 

major research problems in the integration of avionics 

and control systems in future aircraft by providing 

tools to evaluate and demonstrate the safety, reliability, performance, and economics of fully integrated 

systems. 

Also at Langley, the National Transonic Facility, a 

cryogenically cooled wind tunnel that can simulate 

conditions of flight Reynolds numbers (ratio of 

momentum to viscous ‘forces in fluid flow about a 

body), began operations in 1983 after shakedown and 

acceptance tests were completed. 

Maintaining a Strong Technolou Base 

NASA’s disciplinary research seeks to improve the 

understanding of basic physical phenomena and 

develop new concepts in fluid and thermal physics, 

materials and structures, controls and human factors, 

and computer science and electronics. 

Fluid and Thermal Physics. During the past year, new 

computational methods applied to transonic 

compressor-blade designs permitted increased pressure 

rise with fewer compressor blades. These methods 

could result in significant reductions in both experimental development time and cost for advanced 

engine designs. The turbine hot section is the lifelimiting component in aircraft gas-turbine engines, 

and the largest future gains in engine performance will 

come through future increases in operating pressures 

and temperatures. During 1983, Lewis Research 

Center completed an in-house laboratory for basic 

combustion research that will enhance our ability to 

analyze gas turbine combustion and heat transfer processes. 

A program to evaluate low-drag laminar flow over 

wings demonstrated under the laboratory conditions a 

potential 20-percent reduction of turbulent air friction 

over aircraft surfaces. 

Materials and Structure. The NASA program in advanced metallic systems for more efficient airframes 

made steady progress in the characterization of new 

powder-aluminum alloys exhibiting higher strength, 

lower density, and greater temperature capability. 

Lightweight graphite-polyimide composites reached a 

new level of acceptance for gas-turbine engines as a 
result of a joint NASA-Navy study. Under the program, a graphite-polyimide outer fan duct for the 

General Electric F-404 turbine engine was successfully 

manufactured and tested. The new duct replaces a 

heavier and more expensive one made of titanium. 

As part of the research program in aeroelasticity, a 

“decoupler pylon” for the passive alleviation of flutter 

induced by the attachment of weapons, fuel tanks, etc., 

on an F-16 aircraft was developed, fabricated, and 

ground-tested in preparation for an early 1984 flight by 

NASA on an aircraft provided by the Air Force. 

Controls and Human Factors. During 1983, flightcrucial systems research was a major element in the 

controls and guidance program. Engineering models of 

the fault-tolerant multiprocessor (FTMP) and the software-implemented fault-tolerant (SIFT) computer 

have been installed for further testing in the newly 

opened AIRLAB facility at Langley Research Center. 

CARE 111, the computer-aided reliability estimation 

program, an important analytical tool for assessing the 

reliability of fault-tolerant systems, has been developed 

and installed in AIRLAB. CARE I11 was used at the 

Grumman Aerospace Company to assess the reliability 

of the flight control system on the X-29A aircraft. Concern with the effects of lightning on digital electronics 

has led to increased research in lightning phenomena 

and developing protection techniques. The research 

program for flight management continued to develop a 

basic understanding of information transfer, decision 

making, and resources management in the cockpit to 

provide a data base for improved cockpit systems and 

operational procedures. 

Computer Science and Electronics. Completing its first 

year of activity, the new computer science and applications program developed a technical foundation within 

NASA to exploit advancing computing technology in 

aerospace applications. Focusing on concurrent processing, reliable computing, software engineering, and 

information management, the program awarded a 

block grant to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop a center of excellence in aerospace 

computing, opened the Research Institute for Advanced Computer Science (RIACS) at Ames Research 

Center, and began research and development programs at Ames and Langley Research Centers to 

develop core skills within NASA. Equally important is 

the development of pioneering applications of the computer to aerospace problems. 

Systems Research for Future Applications 

Systems research and technology programs focus on 

the technology needs of future aircraft, integrating the 

various aeronautical disciplines to provide an 

understanding of interactions among system components. Work during 1983 was directed at improved 

performance and fuel efficiency, short- and verticaltakeoff and landing capability, and supersonic cruise 

technology. 

Powered Lift. Models of two promising single-engine 

supersonic short-takeoff and vertical-landing fighter attack aircraft were designed and fabricated. One uses 

an ejector augmentor; the other is based on plenum 

burning. The ejector model began wind-tunnel testing 

in 1983, and the plenum-buring model will be tested in 

the spring of 1984. A free-flight model of the ejector 

concept, for flight controls evaluation, is scheduled for 

wind-tunnel testing in the fall of 1984. A 0.3-scale 

model of the ejector configuration will be tested for 

ejector performance and ground effects in the wind 

tunnel in late 1984. 

Testing aircraft models with a realistic representation of a propulsion system is expected to provide more 

valid predictions of full-scale aircraft characteristics. 

New propulsion simulators were checked out and installed in a twin-engine fighter model. Wind-tunnel 

testing will be conducted to compare data previously 

obtained on the same fighter model equipped with 

single flow-through nacelles to data obtained with a 

nacelle with simulated jet-exhaust effects but no inlet 

airflow. 

Supersonic Cruise Technolopy. The technology for 

supersonic military aircraft focused on integration of 

“two-dimensional” nozzles, with both thrust vectoring 

and thrust reversing. Studies of advanced aircraft incorporating these features indicate they can operate 

from short field lengths (less than 300 meters) with a 

radius of action of more than 900 kilometers at mach 

2.0 cruise, at the same size and weight as today’s 

fighter aircraft. 

Analytical research in supersonic inlets included the 

development of three-dimensional viscous analysis 

codes that can analyze axisymmetric nozzles at angles 

of attack and yaw. After experimental verification, it 

will be possible to design three-dimensional conformal 

inlets for improved integration of propulsion and airframe to meet both design and off-design conditions. 

Energy-Efficient Engines. In research to increase efficiency of engines, an advanced engine core was combined with low-spool components in an integrated 

research test vehicle. An engine that was operated over 

the complete range of conditions possible at sea level, 

including the full takeoff power rating, gave good 

integrated-component performance and showed excellent engine starting and transient capabilities. The 

test vehicle’s full-scale mixer exhibited about eight percent better mixing than obtained in scale model tests, 

with the attendant improvement in thrust and efficiency. New logic for full-authority digital engine control 

permitted normal engine operation with as many as 

three control sensors intentionally failed. The integrated core and low spool, composed of research 

components, used 13.2 percent less fuel than did the 

engine representing existing technology. With full 

development of these components, an advanced23 
turbofan production engine is expected to use more 

than 15 percent less fuel than existing engines. 

Propulsion. A technological barrier was overcome in 

high-temperature electronic instrumentation. Silicon 

carbide offered the properties needed for electronic instrumentation capability above 5OOOC for use in hot 

sections of gas turbines, but no repeatable manufacturing process was available. During 1983, a practical, 

repeatable, chemical-vapor-deposition process was 

developed that produced crystals of excellent quality. 

Work began on diodes using the silicon carbide 

crystals. In addition to the instrumentation applications, the new manufacturing technology will benefit a 

variety of future development projects requiring hightemperature electronic components. 

Stall recovery tests on a representative high-bypass 

engine produced repeatable nonrecoverable stalls. The 

tests provided valuable data for verifying engine 

simulations recently developed to predict nonrecoverable stalls in future turbofan engines. Future investigations of nonrecoverable stall phenomena will 

build on these data. 

Advanced Turboprop Program. The preliminary design 

of a large-scale (2.7- to 3-meter-diameter) propeller 

was approved, and the propeller will be fabricated and 

ground-tested in preparation for potential airframe integration and possible flight research. Experimental 

programs in acoustics include both cabin-environment 

and far-field noise measurements. Acoustic test data 

showed that structure-borne noise was produced 

primarily by propeller-wake effects on the wing. Inflight measurement of propeller far-field noise 

characteristics indicated that single-rotation propeller 

noise would be well within noise levels of Federal Aviation Regulation 36, stage 3, and lower than comparable turbofan-powered aircraft levels. 

Helicopter Technology. NASA and four major U.S. 

helicopter companies represented by the American 

Helicopter Society launched a program in 1983 to 

reduce helicopter noise. The program will coordinate 

NASA contracts and in-house and company research, 

as well as FAA and Army research, to avoid duplication and to share results. A data base on two-bladed 

rotors (AH-1J helicopter) was completed, using flight 

and wind-tunnel testing, and hardware was being procured to assemble a more extensive data base on a 

modern, four-bladed rotor (UH-60 helicopter). Smallscale wind-tunnel testing began on the rotor to investigate aerodynamic and acoustical interaction 

among the main rotor, tail rotor, and fuselage. 

Initial flight tests of a rotor-blade de-icing boot were 

completed; however, further work remains to make the 

concept efficient. Studies of the feasibility of 

significantly augmenting engine power by injecting 

water into the cooling air film for turbines were completed and a program to develop hardware was begun. 

Transport Aircraft Laminar Flow. Laminar flow control 

is a technology with great potential for drag reduction 

and, hence, fuel savings. Laminar boundary layers can 

be stabilized by either favorable pressure gradients 

(natural laminar flow) or small amounts of wall suction 

(laminar flow control). NASA's program for development of a laminar-flow technology base for application 

to commercial transports has made significant progress 

toward exploiting new materials, fabrication methods, 

analysis techniques, and design concepts and is providing convincing evidence that practical control 

systems could become a reality. The most difficult 

problems in achieving laminar flow appear to be 

associated with the leading-edge region of the wing, 

which is subjected to foreign object damage, insect impingement, rain erosion, icing, and other contaminants. Present efforts focus on developing a practical, 

durable leading-edge structure that contains a suction 

system, cleaning system, and an anti-icing system. 

Two fully functional leading-edge test articles were 

designed, fabricated, and installed on a JetStar aircraft. Systems evaluation and performance testing 

began in November 1983. 

Technical Support for the Military 

A primary goal of the NASA aeronautics program is 

the continued superiority of U.S. military aviation, 

and to that end NASA conducts a number of programs 

in cooperation with the Department of Defense. These 

include both high-performance aircraft and rotorcraft. 

Advanced Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI). The 

joint Air Force-NASA AFTI effort consists of two 

technology programs directed at future fighter applications. The AFTI/F-16 incorporates an advanced 

digital fly-by-wire control system and canard surfaces 

for direct force control. Flight tests of the digital flightcontrol system (DFCS) were completed in late July 

1983. At the end of 1983, the vehicle was being 

modified to test the automatic maneuvering-attack 

system (AMAS), scheduled to begin in the spring of 

1984. 

The AFTI/F-111 mission-adaptive wing (MAW) 

will demonstrate improvements in aerodynamic performance provided by a smooth, variable-camber airfoil. The supercritical wing, using smooth leading- and 

trailing-edge devices, can assume many shapes for optimum performance over a wide operating envelope. 

During 1983, Boeing Aerospace Company delivered 

the wings to Dryden Flight Research Facility for installation and checkout on the F-111 aircraft. Flight 

research was scheduled to begin in the summer of 

1984. 

X-29 Forward-Swept- Wing Flight Demonstrator. NASA 

supports development of the X-29A forward-sweptwing flight demonstrator funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Windtunnel tests at Ames and Langley Research Centers 

obtained aerodynamic and structural data on the airframe, and piloted simulation tests were conducted at 

24 
the Dryden facility. Technical support was also provided for instrumentation, structural dynamics, handling qualities, and control systems. First flights were 

scheduled for mid-1984. 

RSRA/X- Wing Flight Demonstration. NASA also supports a DARPA-led program to fly the stopped-rotor 

X-wing concept on the rotor systems research aircraft 

(RSRA). In 1983, NASA delivered one RSRA to the 

contractor for modification and ferried the other to 

Dryden to begin tests as a fixed-wing aircraft (without 

the S-61 rotor). Technical support also included twodimensional airfoil testing and the first testing of a 

unique, convertible fanlshaft engine. 

Tilt Rotor/JVX Aircrgt Support. NASA continues to 

augment the technology base for the proposed DoD 

joint vertical-lift aircraft UVX). Flight testing on the 

NASA-Army XV- 15 aircraft included short takeoff 

and landing performance, maneuvers, wake surveys, 

control system evaluations, and operational suitability 

demonstrations such as external lift and air-to-air 

refueling. Ground-based testing centered on smallscale wing-rotor download investigations as well as 

research using the vertical motion simulator and 

preparations for full-scale testing in 1984 and 1985. 

Fabrication of advanced rotor blades was completed 

for a series of tests that also included XV-55 and 

preliminary JVX blades. 

Improving Aircraft Safety and EfficienGy 

Providing a safe and efficient transportation system 

for the nation’s growing number of air travelers is a 

continuing challenge. NASA helps meet that challenge 

through research activities coordinated closely with the 

Federal Aviation Administration. 

Aviation Safeg. Progress continued in 1983 in defining atmospheric hazards and advancing technology for 

fire and crash safety. Major advances in the 

characterization of atmospheric lightning continued, 

with the accumulation of 226 direct lightning strikes on 

the Langley F- 106B research aircraft bringing the fouryear program total to 402. DoD and NASA are using 

this data to design new lightning protection for advanced aircraft systems. 

NASA participated in an extensive study by the National Research Council on wind-shear hazards to 

aviation. Wind-shear data collected in the interagency 

program making Doppler radar measurements in 

Denver during 1982 have been used in research at 

Langley. Ames is also using this data in ajet transport 

simulator to assist FAA and airlines in pilot training to 

cope with this recurring hazard. 

Flight research continued in atmospheric icing conditions, using the Lewis Twin Otter to gather data and 

compare inflight performance of instrumentation and 

advanced anti-icing and de-icing concepts with the 

results of tests in the Lewis Icing Research Tunnel. 

Langley, in cooperation with FAA, began research on 

aircraft stopping performance on wet and snowcovered runways, using various ground vehicles to 

measure loss of braking traction. The Langley B-737 

transport systems research vehicle and four ground 

vehicles collected high-quality friction data under these 

nonstandard conditions during 450 test runs on controlled runway surfaces at the Wallops Flight Facility 

and FAA Technical Center. The data will be used for 

aircrew training and operational decisions in degraded 

weather conditions. 

In cooperation with the FAA, NASA continued 

development of advanced, lightweight, fireworthy 

materials to reduce the threat of fire in aircraft cabins. 

The new Ames fire-blocking layered seat cushions, in 

FAA tests under full-scale postcrash fire conditions, increased occupant escape time by one minute. Ames 

began development of interior wall panels for aircraft 

cabins that show promise of further increasing occupant survival times. NASA-FAA safety research continued preparation for a remotely controlled crash of a 

civil jet transport, scheduled for 1984 at Dryden Flight 

Research Facility. This demonstration will include use 

of antimisting-kerosene safety fuel, measurement of 

structural loads, and evaluation of the crashworthiness 

of metallic and composite structures. 

Advanced Transport Operating System. A research facility has been developed to test crew systems in a full mission environment. High-fidelity simulation of 

mid-1990s generic transports examines cockpit and 

crew integration concepts that will permit efficient 

transfer of information between the flight crew, onboard systems, and air traffic control; improve situation awareness; and improve the pilot’s ability to function effectively. 

25 
Department of Defense 

The Department of Defense (DoD) pursues advances in space communications, navigation, 

meteorology, surveillance, and aeronautics to maintain the security of the United States. Cooperation 

with NASA and other federal agencies also produces 

civil benefits. In 1983, a presidential directive provided 

another new focus for the DoD space systems. This 

focus, the Strategic Defense Initiative, is an effort to 

define a long-term research and development program 

to explore strategic defense technology for the ultimate 

goal of eliminating the threat posed by ballistic 

missiles. 

Also in 1983, the Navstar Global Positioning System 

entered the production phase with the award of a 

multiyear contract for 28 GPS satellites. The first 

Shuttle inertial upper stage was launched in April 1983 

to place the first Tracking and Data Relay Satellite 

(TDRS 1) in orbit. And ground-breaking ceremonies 

marked the start of construction of the Consolidated 

Space Operations Center near Colorado Springs. 

In keeping with this increased emphasis on space, 

the Navy consolidated its space activities, establishing 

the Naval Space Command at Dahlgren, Virginia. 

This command will be the functional equivalent of the 

recently established USAF Space Command. 

Space Activities 

Military Satellite Communications 

MILSATCOM. Satellite communications systems 

provide a unique solution to many communications 

problems and are therefore an indispensable element of 

our force structure in peacetime, in crises, and in war. 

Because these systems play a vital role in our 

worldwide commitments, it is imperative that they be 

both reliable and able to survive and sustain operations 

at any level of conflict. These considerations led DoD 

to develop a Military Satellite Communications 

(MILSATCOM) system responsive to a wide range of 

requirements and threats. MILSATCOM ensures 

support to three main user communities: (1) command 

and support forces of the commanders-in-chief and 

military services and agencies; (2) strategic and tactical 

nuclear forces; and (3) strategic and tactical conventional forces. 

In 1983, support continued to be provided primarily 

by a range of first-generation MILSATCOM systems 

and lease of selected commercial SATCOM circuits. 

Approaches for enhancing the survivability of 

SATCOM to augment DoD systems during periods of 

national emergency are being studied under the 

guidance of the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC). 

Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS). The 

command and support forces continued to be served 

primarily by the Defense Satellite Communications 

System (DSCS). The space segment in 1983 was composed mostly of DSCS Phase I1 spacecraft. The first 

DSCS I11 satellite, launched in late 1982, was declared 

fully operational in May 1983, with significantly improved physical and electronic survivability for the 

high-data-rate communications of DoD, Department 

of State, and allied nations. Additional DSCS I11 

satellites are in production for launch as required. 

DSCS operates at superhigh frequency (SHF) in supporting a large population of fixed and mobile terminals worldwide. 

The DSCS program continued to retire obsolete 

ground terminals, and nearly all of 21 previously approved AN/GSC-39 terminals were delivered. The 

first of 39 medium terminals reflecting the latest 

technology will not be delivered until early 1985. A 

contract for the satellite-configuration-control element 

(SCCE) was awarded in September 1983. The SCCE 

is a major component of the DSCS operational system 

for automated control of DSCS satellites and allocation 

of their resources among users. The Navy’s SHF 

SATCOM terminal AN/WSC-6, with the OM-55 

modem, will be installed aboard fleet flag ships to provide jam-resistant communications for commanders of 

numbered fleets. The AN/SWC-6 will also be installed 

aboard 12 surface-towed-array surveillance system 

(SURTASS) ships with the MD-1030A modem. First 

flagship installation is scheduled for early fiscal 1985 

with SURTASS installation to begin March 1984. 

The DSCS system is also converting from analog 

communications to totally digital transmission by the 

late 1980s. Nearly three-quarters of the DSCS sites at 

the end of 1983 had a digital communications subsystem. The first of eight operation centers in the 

DSCS operations control system became operational at 

27 
Sunnyvale, California, in May. All eight centers will 

be operational by 1987. 

Air Force Satellite Communications System 

(AFSA TCOM). The strategic and tactical nuclearcapable forces are also served by the Air Force Satellite 

Communications System. AFSATCOM consists of 

packages on the Satellite Data System (SDS), the Fleet 

Satellite Communications System (FLTSATCOM), 

and other host satellites. Full operational capability for 

the AFSATCOM system was achieved in December 

1983. 

Fleet Satellite Communications System (FL TSA TCOM). 

The Navy-managed four-satellite Fleet Satellite Communications System continued to provide almost 

worldwide low- or moderate-data-rate service to 

strategic and tactical conventional forces. More than 

17 spacecraft years of service have been provided to the 

Navy, to commanders-in-chief of the Unified and 

Specified Commands, and to other high-priority users. 

Ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) SATCOM is the 

primary military communication link for strategic and 

tactical mobile forces of the Unified and Specified 

Commands. Navy’s UHF SATCOM system, provided by FLTSAT and GAPFILLER space segments, 

form the backbone of day-to-day communications and 

crisis management capability for forces afloat. GAPFILLER is the leased segment of three commercial 

Marisat satellites positioned for optimum ocean 

coverage. Present FLTSAT satellites, launched 

February 1978 through October 1980, are expected to 

provide service into 1985-1987. GAPFILLER 

satellites launched in 1976-1977 are expected to provide service well into 1985. 

The need for DoD UHF SATCOM capability will 

continue at least into the 21st century. To continue 

these services, launching of four Leased Satellites 

(LEASATs) by Space Shuttle will begin in June 1984. 

The long-established FLTSAT system will be extended 

with the launch of three satellites, beginning in late 

1985 with FLTSAT 6. FLTSAT 7 and 8 will incorporate an extremely-high-frequency (EHF) package 

for a limited MILSTAR capability and EHF terminal 

development. 

Army Satellite Communications Activities. The Army 

funds development of satellite communication ground 

terminals for use by all the armed services and other 

government agencies. This program provides rapid, 

reliable, effective communications to support command and control requirements for tactical and 

strategic commanders, as well as the National Command Authority and the Defense Communications 

System. 

Use of satellite communications by ground formations continued to increase. Delivery of AN/TSC-85A 

and AN/TSC-93A tactical satellite terminals will begin 

in July 1984. The terminals operate in the SHF band, 

which greatly enhances traffic handling and resistance 

to enemy jamming. First article test for the UHF manpack and vehicular-mounted satellite terminals 

AN/PSC-3 and VSC-7 began in July 1983. Distribution of these units to the field in support of special 

operations forces will begin in 1984. 

New Satellite Communications Initiatives. Concept 

validation studies for the EHF MILSTAR satellite 

communications system were concluded. The Air 

Force Joint Milstar Program Office (JMPO) awarded 

a contract to Lockheed Missiles and Space Company 

for full-scale development of the satellite and a control 

capability able to survive in conflict. Development of a 

scaled-down, MILSTAR-compatible package by MIT 

Lincoln Laboratory for FLTSATCOM satellites, to 

support operational testing of terminals, continued. 

The Navy was designated to head the Joint Terminal Program Office (‘JTPO), which is overseeing 

MILSTAR terminal development by each of the services to maximize commonality, interoperability, and 

logistic supportability. The Navy began its full-scale 

development program in 1982, to develop terminals 

for shipboard use. The Air Force awarded the first 

phase of a two-phase contract in September 1983, using a leader-follower procurement approach designed 

to promote competition during production. The Air 

Force program will develop terminals for all airborne 

applications. The Army planned to award a low-rate 

initial production contract in January 1984 for its 

single-channel-objective tactical terminal (SCOTT). 

SCOTT will operate in the EHF band, which 

enhances its resistance to enemy jamming. Some 100 

terminals will be procured to support early needs of the 

National Command Authority, Joint Chiefs of Staff, 

and Army. 

All these terminals will be tested using the Lincoln 

Laboratory-developed MILSTAR-compatible EHF 

package to be launched on FLTSATCOM 7 and 8 

satellites. The package will also permit early verification of MILSTAR spacecraft technology and operational concepts. 

Army development of a multichannel terminal in the 

EHF band, for high-traffic-volume users, continued, 

as well as exploratory analysis for lighter, advanced, 

manpack terminals operating in EHF. 

Development of technology continued for communication from space through clouds and water to 

submarines at operational depths without comprising 

their security or limiting their flexibility, in the 

Defense Advanced Research Project Agency 

(DARPA) and Navy’s Submarine Laser Communications (SLC) program. Early tactical SLC capabilities 

are expected from an airborne system to cover limited 

areas. A space-based SLC system could provide global 

coverage, survivability, and flexibility in both tactical 

and strategic operations, but presents formidable 

technical challenges. 

Program strategy is to test, by 1984-1985, under 

realistic conditions, the technology supporting airborne tactical SLC and to assign that part of the pro- 
gram to the Navy for engineering development and exploitation. In the far term, the program is to support 

an informed decision on whether to deploy an SLC 

satellite system. In 1983, two receivers for tactical airborne applications were delivered to the government 

for laboratory testing, with the transmitter in final 

fabrication. Atmospheric-compensation field experiments test transmission of beams to a high-altitude 

aircraft, and technology for a deformable mirror was 

demonstrated. 

Studies were begun to reexamine requirements of 

the Command Support Forces through the 1990s and 

to plan improvements in the DSCS system if they are 

required. Additional studies were begun to define 

methods of providing follow-on UHF service after the 

end of the FLTSAT and LEASAT systems in the early 

1990s. 

Advanced Space Communications Technology. DoD’s Advanced Space Communications program develops 

technology, techniques, and concepts for improving 

present and future military satellite communications 

systems. A contract was awarded to provide a 

MILSTAR-compatible modem for the AN/ASC-30 

airborne command post terminal for early testing of 

EHF communications. Solid-state and traveling-wavetube amplifier development continued, for reliable, 

long-life transmitters for future satellite downlinks. Efforts to develop radiation-resistant signal-processing 

technology for use on future satellites began. A 

cooperative NASA and Air Force program in satelliteto-satellite crosslink technology development also 

began in 1983. 

Navigation and Geodesy 

The TRANSIT navigation-satellite constellation 

consists of five satellites that have been used by Navy 

strategic-ballistic-missile submarines and numerous 

military and civil users for the past 18 years. Production of three improved TRANSIT satellites called 

NOVA was completed in 1983 with delivery of NOVA 

2 and NOVA 3 in October. NOVA I has been operational since July 1981. The NOVA satellite have improved orbit determination and stationkeeping, extending the time between updatings from ground stations. 

In 1983, the Navstar Global Positioning System 

(GPS) entered the production phase with the May 

award of a multiyear contract for 28 GPS satellites. 

Deliveries starting in fiscal 1986 will lead to a full 

operational capability by the end of 1988. Two contractors, Rockwell/Collins and Magnavox, are continuing their development of a family of GPS user equipment for participating services and agencies. Equipment has been delivered to the government for testing 

on eight multiservice platforms including fighters, 

tanks, bombers, an aircraft carrier, and a submarine. 

The M-35 truck continued field tests. A May 1983 

“pre-run” of the manpack developmental test and 

evaluation gave excellent results, partially exceeding 

specification values. Some missions were conducted in 

rugged terrain in order to mask satellites for longer 

periods. Installation in the UH-1D helicopter and 

M-60 tank was completed in preparation for operational test and evaluation in 1984. A production decision is expected early in 1985. 

Work on the Defense Mapping Agency’s GPS 

geodetic receivers continued, with successful operation 

of these systems also indicated. These units, which will 

provide information on precise geodetic positions 

worldwide in support of DoD missions, will be phased 

into operation during 1984. 

The Navy geodetic and geophysical satellite, 

GEOSAT, is scheduled to be launched in September 

1984 to measure the ocean’s surface accurately for a 

precise marine geoid. This precision is necessary to 

support the increased accuracy requirements of the 

Trident I1 (D-5) missile. The GEOSAT program was 

begun in 1982, and the geodesy portion of the satellite’s 

mission will be completed in 18 months. Engineering 

modifications are being considered to extend the life of 

the altimeter sensor for an additional oceanographic 

mission of 18 months, to measure wave heights and 

surface winds and to locate ocean fronts and eddies. At 

the end of 1983, the spacecraft had been assembled and 

was undergoing flight-qualification tests before integration with the refurbished Atlas E launch vehicle. 

Meteorology and Oceanography 

The first block 5D-2 DMSP satellite was launched in 

December 1982, followed by the second 5D-2 satellite 

in November 1983, in the Defense Meteorological 

Satellite Program to provide high-resolution visible 

and infrared imagery of clouds, atmospheric soundings 

of moisture content and temperature, and ionospheric 

monitoring for DoD strategic and tactical weather requirements. Data support Air Force, Navy, and 

Marine Corps mobile readout stations or Navy carrier 

task forces. Each DMSP satellite provides full earth 

coverage twice a day. In 1983, Congress approved and 

the Air Force began multiyear procurement of four 

block 5D-2 spacecraft and imaging sensors. These 

satellites will provide DMSP coverage until transition 

to the Space Shuttle. 

Meteorological information stored on DMSP 

satellites is played back over the United States and 

processed by the Air Force Global Weather Center and 

the Navy Fleet Numerical Oceanography Center 

before being merged with Department of Commerce 

satellite information. Environmental data and 

forecasts are transmitted through a worldwide network 

of weather stations to Army, Navy, and Air Force 

operating units. Tactical aviation forecasts and general 

and severe weather forecasts - in addition to tailored 

forecasts for specific weapons, sensors, and platforms - are routinely available 24 hours each day for 

all areas of the globe. 

29 
The Air Force and Marine Corps are procuring a 

new generation of deployable tactical vans that can be 

transported in C-130 aircraft. The first units have been 

operationally deployed. The vans, established tactical 

ground stations, and Navy forces at sea receive data 

directly from each satellite as it passes over their vicinity. This local-area readout is used by the deployed 

forces for immediate decision assistance. 

The Navy Remote Ocean-Sensing System 

(N-ROSS) - a Navy oceanographic satellite capitalizing 

on technology developed and demonstrated by NASA’s 

Seasat in 1978 -is planned for launch in the late 1980s. 

The Navy manages the project with cooperation and 

contributions from NASA (sensor), National Oceanic 

and Atmospheric Administration (space bus and integration money), and Air Force (launch vehicle and 

command and control services). N-ROSS will transmit 

data describing the state of the surface of the world’s 

oceans, improving the accuracy of the atmospheric and 

oceanographic tactical information required by U.S. 

military forces. Although begun to meet the needs of 

DoD, the data will also be made available to the civil 

government and scientific communities. 

Surveillance and Warning 

Early-warning satellites provide early-warning data 

on missiles to the National Command Authorities, 

Strategic Air Command, and the North American Air 

Defense Command. DoD is developing a nearly instantaneous, fully responsive space-based spacesurveillance system that can survive attack and will 

monitor threats from space-based systems in the 1990s. 

The DoD system is the key element of a comprehensive 

space-surveillance plan completed last year for evolutionary development of advanced systems to meet 

needs through the year 2000. It also has application to 

surveillance for defense against ballistic missiles. 

DARPA continued to support advanced surveillance 

technology for infrared and radar sensors deployable 

on surface, airborne, and space-based platforms. Projects are to develop and demonstrate critical elements of 

electrooptical sensor technology, space-based radar 

concepts, and space signal processing. The DARPA 

Teal Ruby program - a space-based experiment begun 

in 1977 to evaluate infrared surveillance and prove 

concepts for other multimission surveillance functions - completed the major portion of its qualification 

test program in 1983, including acoustical and 

radiometric testing. Responsivity noise and uniformity 

levels for the focal plane were being determined at the 

end of the year. The Teal Ruby flight-sensor components were being tested in preparation for sensor 

assembly. Also during 1983, the DARPA Infrared 

Surveillance Technology Base Program was developing critical components for future capabilities in detecting hostile missions and aircraft and satellite targets. A 

breadboard model of an advanced onboard signal 

processor (AOSP) was demonstrated. This program is 

developing a multiapplication signal processor using 

advanced design and high-speed and low-power 

microelectronic technology, for support of all projected 

military space missions to the year 2000. A larger 

brassboard AOSP is planned to demonstrate a specific, 

large-scale, infrared signal-processing application. 

The multiyear modernization program to improve 

accuracy and sensitivity of the U.S. Naval Space 

Surveillance System (NAVSPASUR) continued during 1983. As part of the North American Aerospace 

Defense System’s Detection and Tracking System 

(SPADATS), NAVSPASUR tracks satellites and 

other space objects and maintains a catalog of them at 

Dahlgren, Virginia. 

Space-Based Laser. The Space Laser Triad program, 

the three-project DARPA portion of the joint Air 

Force-DARPA Space-Based Laser effort, continued to 

work toward demonstration of the key technology required for a space-based laser weapon system. 

Antisatellite System. A U.S. antisatellite (ASAT) 

system is being developed to deter and counter hostile 

satellite threats to U.S. land, sea, and air forces. The 

main components are a miniature vehicle interceptor 

and a two-stage missile consisting of SRAM and 

ALTAIR boosters. The missile - to be launched from 

air-defense F- 15 aircraft -began captive-carry flight 

tests in December 1982 and continued during 1983. 

Ballistic Missile Defense. In 1983, following the 

presidential direction announcing a goal of eliminating 

the threat posed by ballistic missiles, a long-term 

research and development program was prepared to 

develop the technology required for a highly effective 

ballistic-missile defense. This program is a departure 

from previous ones, which emphasized point-defense 

systems that would protect selected military targets by 

intercepting reentry vehicles in the terminal phase of 

their flight with nuclear-tipped interceptors. The new 

program is designed to lead to a system that could 

engage ballistic missiles and warheads throughout the 

launch-to-impact sequence, providing a multilayered 

defense to protect military and civilian resources in the 

United States and allied countries. The new defense 

system would rely on nonnuclear mechanisms 

(possibly including directed-energy weapons) to 

destroy an enemy’s missiles and reentry vehicles. 

The program focuses on technology associated with 

system concepts and battle management; surveillance, 

tracking, and discrimination; directed-energy and conventional weapons as possible destruction mechanisms; 

system survivability and lethality; and command, control, and communications. 

Space Nuclear Power. The joint NASA-DARPA 

Technology for Advanced Space Power (TASP) program was begun in 1982 to complement the Department of Energy (DOE) technology development for 

space nuclear power. The program includes research 

for a space nuclear-power system, appropriate for 

military and civil applications, and for a system that 

30 
may eventually be necessary to support directedenergy weapons in space. 

During 1983, competitive concept definition was 

begun. A shielding technology program began, and a 

high-power heat pipe and fuel were tested in concert 

with DOE. A safety plan is being completed. The 

TASP program is exploring alternate concepts and 

technology for a 1985-1986 decision on whether to 

begin engineering development. 

Space Transportation 

Expendable Launch Vehicles. During 1983, DoD 

launched 11 missions on expendable launch vehicles, 

using Titan I11 and Atlas E vehicles, in addition to 1 

launched by NASA for DoD on a Scout. In June 1983, 

the Air Force began termination of production of Titan 

I11 vehicles. DoD also began to assist in carrying out 

the President’s May policy statement on commercialization of expendable launch vehicles (see appendix F). 

The department began identifying information and 

facilities available to commercial users and pricing 

services required by the users. 

Space Shuttle. The National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration and DoD are partners in developing 

and operating the Space Shuttle. NASA has the 

development and operation responsibilities for the 

Space Shuttle vehicle; the East Coast Shuttle launch 

and landing facilities at Kennedy Space Center, 

Florida; and the Mission Control Center at Johnson 

Space Center, Texas. The Air Force responsibilities 

include development of the inertial upper stage (IUS) 

and development and operation of the West Coast 

Shuttle launch and landing facilities at Vandenberg 

Air Force Base, California, for both defense and civil 

missions. The Air Force is also funding modifications 

of existing NASA facilities and equipment to accommodate classified operations at Johnson, Kennedy, 

and Goddard Space Centers. Construction of the major facilities at Vandenberg is essentially complete, and 

installation of support equipment is well under way. 

Planning began on DoD payloads for a first flight in 

October 1985. Vandenberg will provide a Shuttle 

capability to launch satellites into polar orbit, which 

cannot be reached from the eastern launch site at Kennedy. 

Upper Stage Programs. Space Shuttle upper stages include the commercial PAM-D and PAM-A (which can 

carry 450 to 1,400 kilograms to geosynchronous orbit), 

the Air Force IUS (2,300 kg to geosynchronous orbit), 

and the joint NASA-Air Force Centaur (4,500 kg to 

geosynchronous orbit). In October 1983, the Air Force 

awarded a multiyear contract for 28 PAM-D vehicles 

to support the Navstar Global Positioning System. 

Following the first launch of the IUS on a Titan I11 

in October 1982, successfully placing a DSCS I1 

satellite in orbit, the first Shuttle IUS launched the 

Tracking and Data Relay Satellite TDRS I in 1983. 

Because of a malfunction of the IUS, the satellite was 

placed in an elliptical orbit. Subsequently orbit adjustments by the TDRS propulsion system moved the 

satellite into its proper orbit. An anomaly investigation 

team determined the problem to be in the gimbal 

mechanism of the second-stage motor. A recovery plan 

to correct the motor was established, and IUS flights 

are expected to resume in late 1984. 

The joint Centaur program will develop two configurations. The first is the Centaur G (6 meters long 

with 4,500-kg-to-geosynchronous capability), which 

will be the basic configuration for common use by 

NASA and DoD. The second configuration will be a 

stretched Centaur G, with increased performance for 

the 1986 Galileo and International Solar Polar (ZSPM) 

missions. 

Space Station. During 1983, DoD evaluated a number 

of contractor and Air Force studies of the potential 

military utility of a national manned space station and 

the appropriate level of USAF and DoD participation 

and investment. DoD determined that it would take 

the role of a user of the station for research, development, test, and evaluation and would continue to .participate with NASA during NASA’s planned three-year 

definition of requirements. 

Space Vehicle Subsystem R&D. The Air Force continued development of advanced spacecraft technology 

in space navigation, power, and computers and electronics. Autonomous-navigation, star-sensor-based 

hardware for increased survivability was built for 

laboratory testing. Hardened computer and electronics 

components were also built for fiscal 1984 testing. Advanced space technology planning was conducted 

through continued development of the Military Space 

Systems Technology Model (MSSTM). MSSTM provides Air Force technology planners a broad overview 

of potential military space missions and defines technology development areas for projected future mission 

capability. Of particular importance is identification of 

the critical need for hardened electronics. The Air 

Force Space Test Program’s Spacecraft Charging at 

High Altitude (SCA THA) spacecraft, launched into 

geosynchronous orbit in 1979, continues to provide extensive data on spacecraft electrical-charging 

phenomena. 

Space Test Program. The Space Test Program (STP) 

launched two space missions during 1983. The first, 

consisting of a Naval Research Lab EUV spectrometer 

and other instrumentation, was launched on June 18 

aboard STS 7 in a get-away-special container. This experiment obtained earth-background-radiation data 

and used the first flight container with an opening 

lid- a joint NASA-STP development. The second, 

consisting of Defense Nuclear Agency and Air Force 

Geophysics Laboratory experiments to study the effects of ionospheric plasmas on radio progagation, was 

launched on a Scout launch vehicle from Vandenberg 

AFB on June 27. The mission experiments were integrated on a surplus Navy TRANSIT satellite. The 

31 
Scout launch vehicle was obtained from NASA (it was 

surplus to NASA program needs). 

NASA and the Air Force Space Test Program are 

developing the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES). This joint program will 

develop and fly from the Shuttle a free-flying 

spacecraft that will perform a NASA chemical-release 

mission during three months in a low earth orbit and 

then will boost itself into a high-altitude, elliptic orbit 

for a DoD mission to evaluate the performance of advanced microelectronic components in a high-radiation 

space environment. The Air Force will fund the 

CRRES spacecraft, and NASA will fund the Shuttle integration and launch of the spacecraft. Data from both 

of the CRRES missions will support development of 

future DoD and NASA spacecraft. 

In another joint effort, the Space Test Program will 

fly five DoD experiments on the first NASA LongDuration Exposure Facility (LDEE;) mission. The 

LDEF was scheduled to be deployed from STS 13 in 

April 1984 and retrieved about May 1985 by a to-bedetermined STS mission. 

Aeronautical Activities 

Fixed- Wing Program 

Bomber Development. The B- 1B multirole bomber, 

produced by Rockwell International, is a derivative of 

a proved product, the B-lA, with about 80 percent of 

the two designs in common. Production of the B-1B 

began in January 1982, with a plan to acquire 100 

B-1Bs for an estimated cost of $20.5 billion (in constant 

1981 dollars). The first production B-1B is scheduled 

to roll out in October 1984, with its first flight in 

December 1984 and full operational capability in June 

1988. 

On March 23, 1983, B-1A number 2, a fully instrumented prototype, began test and evaluation for 

stability and control, vibration and acoustics, dynamic 

response, propulsion, flutter, and weapon carriage and 

separation tests. Analysis will continue until July 1984, 

when B-1A number 4, which was deployed to the Farnborough Air Show in September 1982, will begin its 

portion of the B-1B flight test. This B-1A prototype 

will be modified with the complete B-1B offensive and 

defensive system groups and will begin heavyweight 

buildup, offensive and defensive avionics integration, 

and terrain-following evaluation. 

To date, the B-1 program has flown more than 2,000 

flight-test hours. The major fuselage components of 

the first B-1B have been shipped to Palmdale, California, for assembly, and the program remains ahead of 

schedule and within budget. The program during 1983 

emphasized design of hardware and software as well as 

the redesign of the forward-looking and terrainfollowing radar systems. The Air Force budget request 

for the B-1B program in fiscal 1984 will support continuation of full-scale development activities, engineering fabrication, and assembly of the.first B-1B flighttest aircraft. 

F/A-18. The Secretary of Defense in March 1983 approved full production of the F/A-18 Hornet naval 

strike fighter - a twin engine, mid-wing, multimission 

tactical aircraft. Final trials had been completed in 

1982. The F/A-18 will replace the Navy's F-4 fighter 

and A-7 light attack aircraft. The program emphasizes 

use of proved technology and places highest priority on 

reliability, maintainability, survivability, and operational versatility. At the end of 1983, three Marine 

squadrons and two Navy strike fighter squadrons had 

completed transition into the F/A- 18, and preparations 

had begun for first Navy deployment on the U.S.S. 

Constellation. 

Advanced Tactical Fighter Technologies (A TFT). The 

ATFT program will develop technology and concepts 

and refine required characteristics for the USAF's 

next-generation tactical fighter aircraft. The Air Force 

began two ATFT projects in 1983 in accordance with 

congressional direction: the joint advanced-fighterengine project, which begins development of new 

engine design concepts and related technology; and the 

ATFT airframe concept-development-investigation 

project, which begins the conceptual studies for an 

ATFT design. During September 1983, engine contracts were awarded to Pratt & Whitney Aircraft 

Group and General Electric Company to begin engine 

design and long-lead critical component hardware. 

Conceptual airframe contracts were awarded to seven 

major airframe manufacturers - Boeing Aerospace 

Corp., General Dynamics Corp., Grumman Aircraft 

Company, Lockheed California Company, McDonne11 Douglas Aircraft Company, Northrop Corp., and 

Rockwell International - to begin ATF technology and 

concept development studies. The ATFT program is 

expected to achieve full-scale engineering development 

during the late 1980s and produce an advanced tactical 

fighter with an initial operational capability during the 

mid-1990s. 

C-5A. The RDT&E program to develop and test a 

modified wing for the C-5A aircraft, begun in 1976, 

was completed in late 1983. The program included 

105,000 cyclic test hours of full-scale wing components 

without any major failures. 

The wing-modification production program for the 

C-5A fleet proceeded on schedule in 1983, with 

modifications completed on 13 aircraft. Modification 

of the entire fleet of 77 aircraft is scheduled for completion by July 1987. The wing modification permits the 

C-5A to attain full mission capability and extends aircraft service life to 30,000 flight hours. A new production program for the C-5B will use a wing of the same 

basic design. The projected service life of both the 

C-5A and C-5B is 30,000 flight hours for their design 

mission use for intertheater airlift for all kinds of 
military cargo. They are expected to be operable for 

this mission well into the next century. 

The fixed-price contract for production of 50 new 

C-5B aircraft was awarded in early 1983. The program 

is on schedule, with the first aircraft to be delivered in 

December 1985. Management responsibility for the 

C-5A wing-modification RDT&E program and the 

C-5B production program is under the Air Force 

Systems Command. The C-5A wing-modification production program is managed by the Air Force Logistic 

Command. 

C-17. The C-17 transport aircraft is designed to 

meet U.S. airlift needs efficiently into the 21st century. 

It will provide the final increment of intertheater airlift 

capability needed to reach the minimum specified by 

the congressionally mandated Mobility Study. The 

1983 and 1984 development was increased with the addition of $60 million to complete necessary actions for 

beginning full-scale development in fiscal 1985. Work 

continued on wind-tunnel testing, full-scale mockups, 

reliability and maintainability technology, systems integration, logistics support analysis, and general 

design analysis and evaluation. All analyses thus far 

have met or exceeded C-17 design specifications. 

T-46A (Next-Generation Trainer). The T-46A will 

replace the aging, operationally deficient T-37 primary 

trainer in Air Force undergraduate pilot training. Fairchild Republic Company and Garrett Turbine Engine 

Company have completed more than one year of fullscale development on the airframe and engine. The 

first test aircraft is scheduled to fly in fiscal 1985, and 

the first deliveries of production aircraft will be in 

1986. The initial operational capability will be in 1987, 

and a total purchase of 650 aircraft is planned through 

1992. 

VTXTS (Undergraduate Jet-Flight- Training System). 

The VTXTS will integrate aircraft, simulators, 

academics, and a computer-based training integration 

system (for the dynamics of system operation) to train 

Navy and Marine Corps pilots in jet flight. It will 

replace the intermediate and advanced phases of the 

present jet training program. Turbofan technology 

and integrated hardware will enable the Navy to cut its 

cost to train a jet pilot by about one-half. McDonnell 

Douglas Corporation was awarded an initial development contract as the prime contractor in September 

1982. In-depth analysis of program costs, including 

alternatives, and preparation of detailed specifications 

were completed in 1983. 

Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV. The Army remotely 

piloted vehicle will perform target-acquisition, 

designation, aerial-reconnaissance, and artilleryadjustment missions. A small unmanned air vehicle, 

including its mission payload, is controlled from a 

ground station, and video imagery and target-location 

information are returned via a jam-resistant data link. 

In 1983, contractor system-integration tests were conducted to include integration of the data link and TV 

sensor. Software certification was completed and flight 

tests resumed. Twenty soldiers were trained to operate 

the system, and a soldier-operated capability was activated at Ft. Hood, Texas, in November 1983 for 

early concept testing. 

Cruise Missile Programs 

Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM). At the end of 

1983, three B-52G aircraft squadrons were operational 

with the ALCM-B, and the Strategic Air Command 

was conducting follow-on operational test and evaluation. The ALCM is a key element in the Triad of U.S. 

land, air, and sea forces. It provides the bomber force 

weapon accuracy, flexible routing and targeting, 

reduced exposure to enemy defenses, and saturation of 

defenses. Initially, the B-52G aircraft are carrying 12 

ALCMs loaded on two external pylons, while still retaining the internal capability of carrying short-range 

attack missiles and gravity weapons. Beginning in 

fiscal 1986, ALCMs will be loaded externally on 

B-52H aircraft. Future plans include internal loading 

of cruise missiles on the B-52Hs for a total of 20 

missiles each. The B-1 will also be capable of carrying 

cruise missiles. A total of 1,475 missiles were under 

contract through 1983, with an additional 240 planned 

for 1984. 

Ground-Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM). In 

December 1979, the NATO ministers agreed to deploy 

the GLCM and Pershing I1 to counter Soviet modernization and to pursue arms control negotiations with 

the Soviet Union. The Air Force GLCM can survive 

an enemy first strike and has a very long range and 

thus will help offset opposing numerical superiority in 

both conventional and nonstrategic nuclear forces. 

GLCM completed its development and initial operational flight testing in July 1983 with seven successful 

flights, two partial successes, and one failure. Production assets were deployed to Greenham Common, 

United Kingdom, in late 1983, and initial operational 

capability was achieved in December 1983. The 

deployment plan, unless altered by arms talks, calls for 

464 missiles based in five European countries by 1988. 

Sea-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM). The SLCM is a 

key element in the Navy’s tactical and strategic 

weapons inventory. The Harpoon weapon system is 

operational with the U.S. Navy, extending the range 

for antiship attack by submarines, surface ships, and 

aircraft. During 1983, Harpoon installation continued 

on U.S. Navy ships and submarines. 

The Tomahawk SLCM provides both land-attack 

and antiship cruise missiles sized to fit torpedo tubes 

and can be launched from submarine and surface platforms against land and surface-ship targets. The antiship Tomahawk missile (TASM) can deliver a conventional warhead against heavily defended surface combatants at extended ranges. The land-attack 

Tomahawk missile (TLAM) can carry either a conven33 
tional or a nuclear warhead and provides Navy 

operating forces a distributed strike capability with survivability. During 1983, developmental and operational testing of the TASM and TLAM was conducted 

at Pacific Missile Test Center, Point Mugu, California, and fleet capability for TASM was achieved on 

U.S.S. New Jersty (BB-62) and U.S.S. Atlanta 

SH-GOB Seahawk. The Navy received the first production SH-GOB Seahawk helicopter, a derivative of 

the Black Hawk helicopter, to serve as the airborne 

platform for the LAMPS MK I11 antisubmarine 

weapon systems. At the end of the year, the Navy was 

awaiting approval to begin development of the SH-60F 

to replace the aging SH-3H Sea King, which provides 

close-in antisubmarine protection for the battle groups. 

HH-GOD Night Hawk. The Air Force began full-scale 

development in late 1982 of a night and adverseweather version of the Army UH-GOA for combat 

rescue and special operations. Congressional concern 

about the Air Force requirement and total cost resulted 

in restructuring the 243-aircraft, $5-billion program to 

a 155-aircraft, $2.8-billion program to field 69 night 

and adverse-weather HH-GODS and 86 night-visualcondition HH-GOES. Production is scheduled to begin 

in 1986 with initial operational capability in 1988. 

CH-47 Modernization. Ceremonies at Ft. Campbell, 

Kentucky, February 28, 1983, marked delivery of the 

first CH-47D medium-lift helicopter. The receiving 

unit already had 100 percent of its initial requirement 

of spares, repair parts, and organization tools, and its 

maintenance and training cadre were fully qualified. 

Fielding continued throughout 1983 and will be completed for the first tactical unit in February 1984. Prototype CH-47Ds flying at Ft. Campbell and at other 

U.S. Army stations continued to demonstrate improved performance and reliability. A production contract to modernize 24 additional CH-47 helicopters 

was awarded on September 30, 1983, and one to 

modernize 36 more is planned for 1984. Eventually a 

total of 436 CH-47s will be modernized. 

MH-53E. The Navy is developing a version of the 

H-53 helicopter, the MH-53E, for airborne mine 

countermeasures. The project is to provide an airborne 

platform that can tow equipment to counter large, 

sophisticated mines capable of paralyzing naval and 

commercial shipping. A contract was signed in 1982, 

and the project is scheduled for completion in 1984. 

During 1983, a production prototype helicopter was 

fabricated and development continued for missionequipment provisions and airframe modifications. The 

helicopter flew its first flight in September, and flight 

testing began. 

AH-64 Apache Advanced-Attack Helicopter. The Apache 

development, the Army’s number one aviation program, will provide a lethal antitank capability 24 hours 

a day. Armed with a laser-guided Hellfire missile, the 

Apache provides significant improvements in tank- 

(SSN-7 12). 

destruction ability over existing systems. The first production helicopter rolled off the Mesa, Arizona, final 

assembly line on September 30, 1983, two months 

ahead of schedule. Flight test began in November, and 

the first production aircraft is scheduled for February 

1984 delivery to the Army. 

V/STOL Programs 

AV-8B. The AV-8B for the Marine Corps is an improved, vectored-thrust, vertical or short takeoff and 

landing (V/STOL) aircraft based on the AV-8A aircraft and the Pegasus 11 engine. It will provide up to 

twice the range or payload performance of the AV-8A 

with improved reliability and maintainability. Flight 

testing of four full-scale development aircraft is twothirds completed and includes some 1,000 hours of flying, six dedicated Navy development periods, and four 

initial operational test and evaluations. A Navy limited 

production review in July 1983 approved the fiscal 

1983 procurement and long-lead commitments for 

1984. The first of 328 production AV-8Bs was 

delivered as scheduled. 

Joint Services Advanced Vertical-L$ Aircraft (JVX). The 

Navy in late 1982 was designated the executive service 

for the joint program developing a vertical-lift (tiltrotor) JVX aircraft using advanced, but mature, 

technology to provide the USMC, USN, and USAF a 

self-deployable, multimission V/STOL for the 1990s 

and beyond. The JVX is to satisfy operational requirements for Marine Corps assault vertical lift, Navy 

combat search and rescue, and Air Force special operations. 

The preliminary design phase began in April 1983 to 

define the scope, risk, cost, and schedule of full-scale 

development starting in fiscal 1985. It will substantiate 

the JVX design; discover and reduce potential 

technical problems early in the program; reduce 

technical and schedule risks; and study design tradeoffs 

among operational requirements, design criteria, and 

configuration variations. A 23-month contract awarded to the team of Bell-Boeing April 15, 1983, includes 

wind-tunnel testing to determine aerodynamic performance characteristics, piloted flight-simulation 

testing, construction of selected subsystem mockups, 

avionics definition, critical structure testing, and 

technical and support tradeoff studies. The Marine 

Corps is to reach initial operational capability in 

mid-1991, with aircraft for other services expected by 

1993. 

Aeronautical Research and Development 

X-29 Advanced Technoloa Demonstrator. A joint 

DARPA-USAF-NASA program continued development of advanced aerodynamic, structural, and flight 

control technology integrated in a forward-swept-wing 

experimental aircraft. The first X-29 aircraft was 

assembled and began extensive ground testing at 

34 
Grumman Aerospace Corporation for a first flight in 

mid-1984. The X-29 is an advanced-technology 

demonstrator similar in size, weight, and performance 

to Northrop’s F-20 Tigershark aircraft. Final design 

and fabrication began formally in January 1981, 

following four years of preliminary design analysis and 

structural and aerodynamic testing. 

Advanced Fighter Technology Integration (AFTI). The 

Air Force AFTI test aircraft integrates a tripleredundant, digital-flight-control system with canard 

control surfaces to achieve independent six-degree-offreedom control, improving agility and flexibility. 

Flight tests began in 1982, and investigation of the new 

flight control features and handling qualities was completed in August 1983. During the second phase of the 

program, beginning February 1984, the advanced 

system will be integrated with a fire control system and 

new infrared sensor and tracker for highly accurate 

maneuvering attack at very low altitude. Technology 

demonstrated in the AFTI program will be used to improve the performance of future fighter aircraft. 

Rotorcraft System Integration Simulator (RSIS). The 

Army is developing an aviation-engineering-research 

simulator in a joint program with NASA. The Rotorcraft System Integration Simulator (RSIS) will enable 

the Army and NASA to simulate rotorcraft flight 

dynamics, providing information for developing 

helicopters, for validating system designs, and for aircraft improvements. The RSIS will help solve many 

problems in flying qualities, system integration, and 

weapon system effectiveness on rotorcraft. The Army 

also will formulate a software package for potential use 

in all flight training simulators, from the aircraft 

engineering software developed in the RSIS program. 

The RSIS demonstration and validation will be completed in 1986. 

Army’s Aeronautical Technology Research. The Army 

conducts exploratory development and aeronautical 

research, in house and under contract, to increase 

operational effectiveness of helicopters, reduce lifecycle costs, improve availability, reduce vulnerability, 

and improve flight simulation and analysis of 

helicopter system integration. Disciplines include 

aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, reliability and 

maintainability, safety and survivability, aircraft subsystems, mission support, flight simulation, and manmachine integration. During 1983, work included accomplishments across a wide range of technology. 

The Army began a technology development program entitled Advanced Rotorcraft Technology Integration (ARTI) in support of full-scale development 

in early fiscal 1987 of a family of light helicopters 

(LHX). Previous research demonstrated that a highly 

integrated and automated cockpit and associated electronics could improve communications, navigation accuracies, and weapon system management and reduce 

target-acquisition times and pilot work load. The 

ARTI program is to develop the design requirements 

and system specifications for an advanced integrated 

and automated cockpit and associated electronics and 

to determine the practicality of a single crew member 

with the rapidly emerging electronic technology. 

ARTI phase I contracts were awarded at the end of 

December 1983 for LHX mission analysis, cockpit and 

architecture system design and fabrication, flight 

simulation, and flight test. These efforts will result in 

recommended design requirements and system concepts for LHX development. A follow-on competitive 

procurement in late 1985 is anticipated for an ARTI 

phase 11, which will investigate incorporating projected 

1992 technology into the advanced integrated and 

automated cockpit for future Army rotorcraft. 

Preplanned product improvement for the LHX will 

also be studied. 

Advanced Digital-Optical Control System (ADOCS). The 

ADOCS program is providing the technology base for 

engineering development of a battlefield-compatible 

flight control system to improve aircraft handling and 

decrease pilot work load. Component development 

programs, control-media mechanization studies, and 

advanced-actuation concept studies feed into the 

ADOCS flight-demonstration program, which will 

evaluate the performance of the system. The ADOCS 

will be installed in a UH-GOA for flight testing to verify 

development, progress, and handling improvement. 

The goals are to demonstrate the feasibility of control 

solely by optical signal paths with no degradation in 

performance below that of mechanical flight control 

systems, to provide data for future production of 

digital-optical control systems, and to provide handling 

qualities and control laws for the ADOCS. 

The ADOCS flight-demonstration program, awarded to Boeing Vertol in 1981, had completed about 80 

percent of the detailed design phase at the end of 1983, 

with flight testing scheduled for completion in June 

1984. 

Air Mobility. The Army plans and carries out basic 

research in aerodynamics specifically for rotor systems, 

rotary-wing and V/STOL aircraft, advanced propulsion systems, and development of materials, structures, and aviation electronics that enhance the survivability, mission effectiveness, and safety of future 

Army aircraft. Accomplishments in 1983 were made in 

each of the technology areas of aeromechanics, propulsion, structures, mathematics, and electronics - particularly in materials, aerodynamics, and aviation electronics. To support future helicopter designs, durability data was obtained from primary and secondary 

structures of Bell 206L helicopters flown more than 

8,500 hours in a wide variety of weather conditions. 

Another group of independent researchers developed innovative techniques and analytic procedures 

resulting in the first clear understanding of the 

mechanisms responsible for impulse noise generated 

by helicopter rotors. This work also established the 

validity of scaling laws to permit extrapolation from 

35 
small-scale to full-scale rotors. In still another research 

area, several methods of constructing single-mode, 

coherent, 10.6-micrometer fibers were explored to support the carbon dioxide-heterodyne laser systems being 

developed for obstacle avoidance, terrain following, 

and Doppler navigation. The fiber will significantly 

reduce the heavier, bulkier optics in present systems, 

permitting placement of the laser at various locations 

within the aircraft. 

Advanced Composite Airframes. The Advanced Composite Airframe Program (ACAP) established the 

design data, fabrication experience, and test experience for using advanced composite materials in 

primary and secondary airframe structures of 

helicopters. Two competitive contracts with Bell 

Helicopter and Sikorsky Aircraft provide a broad base 

of technology development, with participation of major 

subcontractors from the fixed-wing industry - Grumman Aerospace, Vought Corporation, and Hercules 

Inc. The contractors developed a computer-aided 

design and manufacturing capability that has saved 

significant design and analysis time over that of conventional techniques. 

ACAP designs include the most complete and advanced military requirements (crashworthiness, 

ballistic tolerance, radar cross-section reduction) yet 

attempted for a helicopter airframe and have provided 

criteria and substantiating test data for critical interface with aircraft components and subsystems. The 

Bell ACAP aircraft will use components from the Bell 

model 222 commercial helicopter; the Sikorsky ACAP 

aircraft, components from Sikorsky’s commercial S-76. 

Fabrication of the static test airframe and the flight 

test vehicle has begun. Static and dynamic testing of 

the airframe and assembly of the test vehicle with 

operational components will begin in 1984, with flight 

tests later in 1984 and completed in 1985. 

Avionics. The avionics program in 1983 included an 

award of a joint Air Force-Army advanced development contract for future multiband digital avionics of 

the Integrated Communication, Navigation, Identification Avionics (ICNIA) program. Developmental 

and operational testing was completed on an inertial 

navigation system (AN/ARC- 132) for improved 

navigation of Army helicopters. The electronics for the 

light helicopter (LHX) family of helicopters was examined in great detail in 1983. Sufficient technology 

will exist to give serious consideration to a single-crewmember configuration in the LHX. Extensive efforts 

will continue in 1984. Testing of an army digital 

avionics system (ADAS), which has a very good potential for the LHX, included verifying the adequacy of 

the software. ADAS flight tests will begin in early 

1984. A digital map generator and voice-interactive 

capability will be integrated in prototype form in 1984, 

to be followed by airborne testing. 

The Air Force was designated the lead service for the 

DoD microwave landing system (MLS) project in 

January 1983. In August 1983, a triservicecoordinated DoD MSL implementation plan was 

adopted. Fixed-based MLS equipment for DoD is to 

be procured through the Federal Aviation Administration beginning in fiscal 1987. Plans are to evaluate integrating GPS user equipment with MLS avionics. 

Joint- Technolou Demonstrator Engine UTDE). A joint 

USAF-USN program demonstrates advanced propulsion technology in full-scale, realistic operating environments, substantiating performance, structural integrity, and reliability. The program provides a technology base for correcting fleet problems, operating existing systems, and developing new engines. The technology accepted for tests is derived from USAF, USA, 

USN, NASA, and contractor efforts. Significant during 1983 were the demonstration of the General Electric Company’s variable-cycle engine, transonic and 

supersonic compressor system demonstration, verification of life of single-crystal turbine blades, and 

demonstration of advanced superalloys in augmentor 

flameholders. 

Multiple-Application Core Engine. A joint Navy-Air 

Force program identifies, analyzes, and designs 

(preliminary design) propulsion systems for future use. 

The prime effort is to identify the minimum number of 

cores to satisfy advanced propulsion requirements 

through the year 2010 and beyond. Thirty systems 

have been studied (USN and USAF), and detailed 

preliminary design is complete for the first application, 

the joint advanced fighter engine (JAFE). The first 

year of funding for JAFE was fiscal 1983, and the Air 

Force is proceeding with competitive development of 

two prototype demonstrators of this core engine. 

Lightweight Hydraulic System. Investigation continued 

in 1983 on a lightweight hydraulic system as one candidate for reducing weight in future aircraft. Reduction in subsystem weight has increased in importance 

with the increasing hydraulic power requirements in 

complex aircraft such as the F-14, the reduced space 

availability in aircraft such as the F/A- 18, and the need 

for minimum weight in V/STOL aircraft such as the 

Naval Air Development Center investigation of the 

lightweight hydraulic system culminated in a 

laboratory system simulating an aircraft installation. 

This simulator is in operation, with more than 400 test 

hours on actuators, pumps, and related subsystems. 

The end result of the simulator phase will be flightworthy hardware to be test flown in an A-7 aircraft. 

Design analysis, using test results, indicates that, for 

typical carrier-based tactical aircraft, 30 percent of the 

weight and 40 percent of the volume of the total 

hydraulic system can be saved. 

Maneuvering-Flight-Path Display System. A significant 

accomplishment in 1983 was the feasibility demonstration of a new all-weather flight-guidance-display concept integrating all guidance information into a single 

“highway in the sky” which the pilot follows. Reference 

AV-8B. 

36 
data (altitude, airspeed, etc.) can be provided on the 

display in accordance with pilot needs. The system, 

which requires extensive computational capability to 

maintain real-time path guidance, was installed in the 

Air Force’s total inflight simulator (TIFS) aircraft to 

assess effectiveness. Future efforts will be directed to 

extending its application to combat maneuvering, lowaltitude terrain following, and avoidance of surface-toair missiles in all weather conditions. 

XV-15 Tilt-Rotor Research Aircraft. The XV-15 tiltrotor research aircraft - the product of several years of 

technology development managed by a joint NASAArmy Project Office team at the Ames Research 

Center, Moffett Field, California- continued to make 

progress in 1983, with the Navy and Marine Corps 

evaluating the tilt-rotor concept for a number of operational uses. Air-combat manuevering tests at Yuma, 

Arizona, helped defined conditions that may be encountered during aerial combat. Modifications in both 

test aircraft were made to improve and refine flight 

handling, including modifications of the roll-and-pitch 

stability-and-control augmentation system. Flight 

evaluations expanded the flight envelope and improved 

understanding of pilot work load and aircraft controllability. The aircraft was shown at a variety of airshows, including the Naval Air Station Moffett 50th 

Anniversary Airshow July 2-4, 1983. The concept of 

the XV-15 has been proved, and further studies are investigating uses, such as in the special-electronicmission aircraft role for the Army. 

X- Wing. During 1983, rotor system design and basic 

design data were completed and modification and subsystem fabrication begun for the DARPA X-wing, an 

innovation in vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft design that combines the vertical lifting efficiency 

of a helicopter with the speed, range, and altitude performance of a transonic fixed-wing aircraft. This novel 

concept has been tested in wind tunnels and whirl 

towers, and a rotor will be flight-tested in fiscal 1985 in 

a joint NASA-DARPA program. The X-wing operates 

as a rigid rotor helicopter that uses circulation control 

instead of blade pitching for lift and control. When 

aloft, the X-wing aircraft converts to a fixed-wing configuration in forward flight. The rotor is stopped and 

the blades become fixed elements swept both forward 

and aft, and the aircraft will be capable of high subsonic speeds. 

Space and Aeronautics Support 

Satellite Control Facility (AFSCF) 

The Air Force controls satellites for DoD from the 

Satellite Test Center (STC) at Sunnyvale, California, 

a worldwide network of seven tracking stations. During 1983, the network supported 27 launches, including 9 DoD and 11 NASA orbital missions and 7 

ballistic flight tests. Of special note was support by the 

AFSCF and its New Hampshire tracking station for 

the sixth Shuttle mission, sending commands to the 

spacecraft to separate the inertial upper stage from the 

Tracking and Data Relay Satellite and saving that mission. 

The data-system modernization program continued 

development, with operations scheduled to begin at 

both the Satellite Control Facility and the Consolidated 

Space Operations Center in 1986. The new system will 

form the core data-processing system for this evolving 

Satellite Control Network. Development of the Advanced Remote-Tracking Station began with the late 

1983 release of a request for proposals to replace or 

refurbish the existing remote tracking stations and 

complement data system modernization. 

Consolidated Space Operations Center (CSOC) 

May 1983 ground-breaking marked the beginning 

of construction of the CSOC facility near Colorado 

Springs. On completion, CSOC will consist to two major elements: the Satellite Operations Complex and the 

Shuttle Operations and Planning Complex. The 

satellite controI capability is needed because of the 

vulnerability and severely limited growth capacity of 

the present Air Force Satellite Test Center. The Shuttle control capability is needed because DoD plans to 

rely on the Space Shuttle for its missions. CSOC will 

overcome limitations of interim Air Force Shuttle control facilities at NASA’s Johnson Space Center by providing a secure environment from which to conduct 

space missions, a site to minimize environmental and 

man-made hazards, adequate capacity to support the 

expected Shuttle traffic, and the capability to conduct 

military space operations from dedicated DoD 

facilities. CSOC and the present Satellite Test Center 

will provide mutual backup for satellite control, while 

CSOC and Johnson Space Center can provide mutual 

backup for Shuttle control. 

Facility construction is planned for completion in 

1985. The first satellite mission control center will be 

operational in 1986, with additional centers activated 

in 1987 and 1988., To support the DoD Shuttle flight 

schedule, the CSOC Shuttle Flight-Planning Element 

will become operational in 1987. The Shuttle FlightReadiness and Flight-Control Elements will be activated in time to provide a year of crew training, 

rehearsals, and active flight (in parallel with NASA 

control operations) to validate CSOC operational 

readiness before the first CSOC-controlled Shuttle 

flight. 

Eastern Space and Missile Center (ESMC) 

ESMC, at Patrick AFB in Florida, provides launch, 

range-safety, and data-acquisition support for 

developmental and operational test launches of ballistic 

missiles of the Navy’s Poseidon and Trident fleet, 

Army’s Pershing I and I1 missiles, and Air Force’s 

37 
short-range attack missile (SRAM). ESMC also supports low-inclination-orbit DoD, NASA, and NASAsponsored space programs. During 1983, ESMC supported 11 major space test operations, including the 

first flight of the European Spacelab aboard Space 

Shuttle Columbia in November. 

Western Space and Missile Center (WSMC) 

WSMC, at Vandenberg AFB in California, provides launch, range-safety and data-acquisition support for development and operational test launches of 

Minuteman and Peacekeeper missiles and for DoD 

and NASA space programs requiring polar orbit. The 

cruise missile and B- 1 B bomber dominated the 

aeronautical tests supported during 1983. Construction of the Space Transportation System's Western 

Launch Site continued at a fast pace. In 1983, WSMC 

supported 11 major space test operations and the first 2 

launches Gf the Peacekeeper (M-X) missile. 

White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) 

WSMR, White Sands, New Mexico, continued to 

support DoD and NASA aeronautics and space programs in 1983. NASA programs supported were the 

Space Shuttle, upper atmospheric sounding by rockets 

and balloons, and a variety of astronomical test programs. Launch and flight recovery services included 

ground and flight safety, range surveillance, command 

and control as needed, and data acquisition and 

analysis. Space Shuttle activities at WSMR include 

qualification tests on the orbital maneuvering system 

and on forward and aft reaction control systems, 

evaluation of Shuttle spacecraft materials, training of 

astronauts to land the Shuttle, preparation of a satellite 

system to track and relay Shuttle data back to earth, 

and Shuttle flight and landing support. WSMR continues to maintain readiness for Shuttle landings, including training of chase aircraft pilots for rendezvous, 

tracking-acquisition tests, data-transmission tests, and 

support system operations. 

Kwajalein Missile Range (KMR) 

Kwajalein Missile Range continued support to DoD 

and other users, as the major test range for defensive 

missile forces and terminal-area testing of strategic 

missile forces. Activity at the range increased during 

1983 with the initiation of a major Ballistic Missile 

Defense flight experiment, the Homing Overlay Experiment, and the start of Peacekeeper (M-X) flight 

testing. The increased pace is expected to continue in 

the year to come. KMR is unique in that there is no 

other comparable U.S. facility to collect signature data 

on objects outside the earth's atmosphere, record 

missile reentry phenomena, provide terminal trajectory and impact data, recover reentry vehicles, and 

transmit nearly immediate data to mission sponsors. 

The data collected on nearly all KMR missions met requirements of both strategic offensive and defensive 

developmental communities, for mutual accomplishments of test objectives and continuous interchange of 

data at a significant saving in costs. 

Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) 

AEDC at Tullahoma, Tennessee, participates in 

developing and continuing the operational effectiveness of advanced-technology aerospace systems by 

conducting tests, engineering analyses, and technical 

evaluations. A national facility with both government 

and commercial users, AEDC over the past year supported such projects as the Peacekeeper, Space Shuttle, 

B-lB, F-16, F-100 engine, next-generation trainer, 

and advanced medium-range air-to-air missile. AEDC 

operates and maintains some 25 aerospace ground-test 

facilities, which provide aerodynamic, propulsion, and 

spaceflight environment simulations. 

Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) 

AFFTC, at Edwards AFB in California, conducts 

development tests and evaluations of manned and unmanned aircraft systems, aerospace research vehicles, 

and aerodynamic deceleration devices. Tests range 

from engineering simulations before flight through 

flight tests of fully integrated weapon systems. The 

large air space, dry lake beds, isolation, and highly instrumented ranges provide a unique support capability 

for many users including three major tenantsNASA's Dryden Flight Research Facility, Army's 

Aviation Engineering Flight Activity, and Air Force 

Rocket Propulsion Laboratory. During 1983, the 

center supported space, tactical, and stragetic systems 

including the Space Shuttle, F-15, F-16, F-16XL, advanced fighter technology integration (AFTI), F-20, 

B-52 integrated weapon system, KC-l35R, and airand ground-launched cruise missiles. 

4950th Test Wing 

The 4950th Test Wing, an Air Force Systems Command (AFSC) unit based at Wright-Patterson AFB, 

Ohio, flight-tests military systems, subsystems, and 

components. It operates and modifies test and test support aircraft and is the AFSC test organization responsible for Class I1 aircraft modification policy. One of its 

primary support aircraft is the advanced rangeinstrumentation aircraft (ARIA), which serves key 

telemetry, data-processing, and command-control 

functions during both aeronautical' test flights and 

space missions. A major project is improving ARIA 

capabilities by converting from the existing C-135 to 

C- 18 (Boeing 707) aircraft while concurrently updating 

installed data-acqusition equipment. 

38 
Relations with NASA 

Aeronautics and Astronautics Coordinating Board 

The Aeronautics and Astronautics Coordinating 

Board (AACB), cochaired by the Under Secretary of 

Defense for Research and Engineering and the NASA 

Deputy Administrator, is the major forum for review 

of policy and programmatic issues of mutual DoD and 

NASA interest. Its active panels complement the interagency coordination process. During 1983, the 

AACB met twice (the 89th and 90th meetings), taking 

up subjects related to the Space Transportation System 

and to aeronautics. As a result of the 90th meeting, the 

board began NASA-DoD preparation of a Space 

Transportation System long-range planning document. The document will be reviewed annually to 

assist in budget planning and program review. 

Cooperative Programs 

DoD-through the Army, Navy, Air Force, and 

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency - continued research and development programs with 

NASA in space and aeronautics technology. A NASAUSAF program continued to develop components for a 

satellite communications system in the 20-GHzfrequency range. The Navy-with NASA, NOAA, 

and Air Force support - will develop the Navy Remote 

Ocean Sensing System (N-ROSS), an oceanographic 

satellite to provide tactical information to operating 

forces. 

Major joint efforts continued toward a fully operational Space Transportation System, including the 

Space Shuttle, inertial and Centaur upper stages, 

launch and landing facilities at Kennedy Space Center 

and Vandenberg AFB, and mission control elements at 

Johnson Space Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, 

and the Consolidated Space Operations Center to be 

located near Colorado Springs. And in 1983 NASA 

and DoD completed assessments of requirements for a 

Space Station. 

DoD and NASA continue to support each other in 

expendable launch vehicle operations and spaceflight 

opportunities for technology development experiments. Cooperative aeronautical activities include 

wind-tunnel and flight-test support for aircraft 

technology development discussed in the preceding 

text. 

39 
Department of Commerce 

Department of Commerce agencies participating in 

the nation’s aeronautics and space program during 

1983 were the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Bureau of Standards 

(NBS), and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). 

NOAA’s mission is to ensure the safety of the public 

and improve the quality of life through better 

understanding of the earth’s environment and more efficient use of its resources. It operates the nation’s civil 

operational environmental satellite systems, using 

their data to assess the effect of natural factors and 

human activities on global food and fuel supplies and 

on environmental quality; to observe and forecast 

weather conditions, provide warnings of severe 

weather, and assist community-preparedness programs for weather-related disasters; to prepare charts 

and coastal maps for geodetic research; to improve 

assessment and conservation of marine life; to meet the 

needs of public and private users including scientists; 

and for research to improve the nation’s environmental 

monitoring and warning service. 

The National Bureau of Standards maintains and 

develops national standards of measurement and provides government, industry, and academia the 

measurement services and fundamental physical, 

chemical, and engineering data to achieve national 

goals. NBS supports space systems, atmospheric and 

space research, and aeronautical programs. 

The National Telecommunications and Information 

Administration is the principal telecommunications 

adviser to the President. It develops and coordinates 

executive branch policy in telecommunications and information. NTIA also is responsible for managing the 

radio spectrum assigned for federal use, providing 

technical support to international telecommunications 

conference activities, and providing technical 

assistance in telecommunications matters to other 

federal agencies. 

Space Systems 

Satellite Operations 

Polar Orbiting Satellites. At the end of 1983, the operational, polar-orbiting weather satellites were NOAA 7 

and NOAA 8, orbiting the earth about the poles in sunsynchronous orbits and providing environmental 

observations of the entire earth four times each day. 

NOAA 7 crosses the equator northward at 2:30 p.m. 

local time, and NOAA 8 crosses in a southward direction at about 7:30 a.m. These satellites carry four 

primary instruments: the advanced very-highresolution radiometer (AVHRR), the Tiros operational vertical sounder (TOVS), the Argos datacollection and platform-location system (DCLS), and 

the space environment monitor (SEM). 

NOAA 8, launched in March 1983, is the first in a 

series of new Advanced Tiros-N (ATN) spacecraft and 

carries additional instruments for search and rescue 

(SAR). NOAA 6, the former operational morningdescending spacecraft, was placed on standby and is 

planned for deactivation by April 1, 1984. 

“NOAA-Next. ” Planning was completed for purchase 

specifications for a NOAA-series of low-orbit, polarorbiting meteorological spacecraft for the 1990s. Plans 

include providing the capability for launching on the 

Space Transportation System (Shuttle). 

Geostationary Satellites. GOES 5 and 6 were the operational satellites in NOAA’s Geostationary Operational 

Environmental Satellite system at the end of 1983. 

GOES 6 was launched on April 28, 1983, and on June 1 

replaced GOES 1, which by then could provide only 

visible imagery. In orbit at about 35,000 km above the 

equator, GOES 6 is at 135O west longitude, and GOES 

5 is at 75’ west. Both are equipped with the visibleinfrared spin-scan radiometer (VISSR) atmospheric 

sounder (VAS). 

The VAS relays traditional images of the earth‘s surface and cloud cover, as well as thermal images of atmospheric temperatures and the water vapor content 

at various altitudes. Its 12 infrared channels provide 

temperature and moisture profiles in noncloudy areas 

at a much higher viewing frequency than can balloon 

soundings or polar-orbiting satellites. The GOES 5 and 

6 operational demonstration program so far indicates 

that the VAS capability is excellent, and a ground 

system is being developed to use VAS data to improve 

NOAA’s operational weather analysis and forecasting. 

GOES satellites also carry a space environment 

monitor, a data-collection system, and a weatherfacsimile broadcast service, Other in-orbit spacecraft 

(GOES 1, 2, 3, and 4) remain on standby, providing 

limited operational support for weather facsimile and 

data collection. 

41 
“GOES-Next. ”After almost two years of joint studies 

by a NOM-NASA team, purchase specifications were 

completed (July 14, 1983) for the next generation of 

GOES satellites. NASA, acting for NOAA, will purchase “GOES-Next” satellites for flight during the 

1990s. Improvements include concurrent imaging and 

atmospheric sounding (not available with present 

GOES), additional information for atmospheric movement of water vapor, and relocation of picture 

elements, to permit better calculation of winds from 

images showing cloud motions. 

Land Satellites. NOAA, authorized to manage an 

operational land satellite system based on the Landsat 

D and D satellites constructed by NASA, assumed 

operational responsibility for the first of these satellites 

January 31, 1983. NASA had launched Landsat D 

(renamed Landrat 4 after achieving orbit), on July 16, 

1982, and completed the operational testing of the 

satellite in November. NOAA established a technical 

staff at Goddard Space Flight Center in 1982 to 

manage the day-to-day operation of the Landrat 4 

system. 

Landrat 4’s operational instrument, the multispectral 

scanner (MSS), measures reflected solar radiation over 

four bands of the visible and near-infrared wavelengths 

at 80-meter resolution. Its experimental thematic mapper (TM) measures radiation over six bands in the visible and near-infrared wave-lengths at 30-meter resolution and one band in the thermal-infrared wave-length 

region of 11 micrometers at 120-meter resolution. 

MSS data are available for most of the contiguous 

United States, Alaska, most of Central and South 

America, northern Europe, the northwest Soviet 

Union, Japan, and near neighboring areas of Asia and 

Australia. Limited, unscheduled TM data are 

available for the contiguous United States and 

Canada. Data are distributed through the Department 

of the Interior’s Earth Resources Observation System 

(EROS) Data Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 

and through foreign facilities in countries with Landsat 

ground stations (Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Sweden, 

Italy, South Africa, India, Australia, Japan, and 

Thailand). Landrat 5 (called Landsat D before launch) 

is scheduled to be launched March 1, 1984, to replace 

Landrat 4. 

During 1983, NOAA continued its agreement with 

the EROS Data Center for production, distribution, 

and archiving of Landsat products. NOAA had assumed this responsibility in October 1982, including 

data products from Landrat I, 2, and 3. The prices of 

products are set with the intention of recovering the 

cost of operating and managing the Landsat system. 

Satellite Data Services 

GOES- Tap. Customers of the GOES-Tap system, 

which became operational in 1975 to disseminate 

weather satellite images over telephone circuits, continued to increase. The original 50 Weather Service 

Forecast Office Taps increased by the end of 1983 to 

about 225 GOES Taps. 

WEFAX. The Goes Weather Facsimile (WEFAX) 

broadcast schedules were expanded on the operating 

satellites to make 357 daily broadcasts of satellite imagery sectors, meteorological analyses and prognoses, 

and operational and ephemeris messages. Known 

users totaled 192, with 92 of them domestic and 100 

non-U.S. In June, the first International Direct Broadcast Services Users’ Conference was held in the 

Washington, D.C., area. Nearly 400 attended, including representatives from several foreign 

meteorological agencies, academia, industry, and 

amateur enthusiasts interested in WEFAX and other 

direct readout services provided by NOAA-operated 

spacecraft. 

DCS. The GOES Data Collection System (DCS) 

relays almost immediate environmental data from 

remotely located data-collection platforms. At the end 

of the year it had more than 4,300 platforms, an increase of 700 during the year. Data goes to 78 national 

and some 950 international users and 21 direct readout 

stations. GOES DCS reliability has been in excess of 

99 percent during the year. The Random Reporting 

Operating Mode was operationally tested for 18 

months, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and 

the Bureau of Reclamation participating, and NOAA 

was expected to adopt this mode of operation within 

the next few months. The present NOAA ground 

system is expected to reach saturation sometime during 

calendar year 1984, when 5,000 platforms will be in 

the system. NOAA and several federal user agencies 

are examining joint funding of an expansion or 

replacement of this ground system. A comprehensive 

description of the GOES DCS was published in June 

as NOAA Technical Memorandum NESDIS 2. 

Radiofax. NOAA expanded its radiofax service to 

more areas to provide more and better information to 

marine interests. A new service designed to provide all 

marine interests operating in the Gulf of Mexico with 

weather and oceanographic data began on January 1, 

1983. Facsimile charts generated by NOAA’s Ocean 

Service Unit in Slidell, Louisiana, are transmitted via 

phone line to Mobile Marine Radio, Inc. (WLO), in 

Mobile, Alabama, for broadcast to mariners. Oil interests, fishermen, commercial shipping, and 

yachtsmen all benefit from the new service. 

Dissemination of Satellite Imagery. In 1983 a prototype 

device, the satellite imagery acquisition via telephone 

terminal (SIATT), was placed in operation at the 

Chattanooga Weather Service Office. With the device, 

small Weather Service Offices with weather warning 

responsibilities can, for the cost of a 10-minute longdistance telephone call, receive high-resolution GOES 

satellite imagery almost as fast as weather changes 

occur. 

42 
Geophysical Datu Base. The National Geophysical 

Data Center archives, analyzes, and publishes data on 

the solar-terrestrial, geomagnetic, and cryospheric environments. The archive of visual and swath imagery 

for the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program 

(DMSP) was transferred from the University of 

Wisconsin to the center. This collection of Department 

of Defense and Air Force imagery shows cloud patterns 

and the distribution of snow and ice cover. A new 

satellite, DMSP F-6, became operational in early 1983, 

and auroral imagery and precipitating-chargedparticle data from it are sent to the center. DMSP F-6 

also carries a new scanning auroral x-ray sensor that 

can record data during daylight as well as in darkness. 

The center, Aerospace Corporation, and USAF staff 

are discussing technical cooperation to integrate this 

new data base into the other DMSP archives and to 

derive new products from it. Another DMSP satellite 

was launched in late 1983. 

Satellite data from U.S., European, and Japanese 

space agencies are being compared with results from 

the National Geophysical Data Center’s analysis of 

ground-based magnetometer data. Computed electric 

fields, joule heating in the upper atmosphere, fieldaligned currents, and ionospheric currents are being 

compared with instantaneous data from satellites passing through the critical regions. Ground-based 

magnetic and ionospheric data archived at the center 

are compared with magnetic field operations by the 

Magnetic Satellite Magsat, launched in 1979 and 

operated jointly by NASA and the U.S. Geological 

Survey. Calculations of total energy deposits from particle measurements by NOAA and Tiros satellites are 

made available from the center in cooperation with the 

Space Environment Laboratory. 

Satellite Data Base. The Satellite Data Services Division of the National Climatic Data Center manages 

data collected by environmental satellites and the products that NOAA prepares from the data. The environmental satellite data base includes complete digital data 

from the present generation of NOAA’s operational 

polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites, selected 

sensors aboard NASA’s experimental Seasat and Nimbus 

7 satellites, and DMSP satellites, as well as a limited 

amount of digital data from earlier NOAA and NASA 

satellites. The volume of digital data is equivalent to 

more than 150,000 computer tapes and an additional 

16,000 videocassettes of geostationary satellite data. 

The data base includes 10 million film images from 

36 satellites, dating back to the first Tiros satellite 

launched in 1960. Each month in 1983 the equivalent 

of about 3,000 computer tapes, 150 videocassettes, and 

15,000 images were added. 

Satellite Data Uses 

Space Shuttle Support. Weather support to the 1983 

Space Shuttle flights was aided by the timely receipt of 

high-resolution 15-minute-interval imagery from a 

GOES satellite. The NOAA Spaceflight Meteorology 

Group at the Johnson Space Center in Houston used 

the data extensively to monitor weather conditions for 

preselected recovery sites in the continental United 

States. The weather criteria for Shuttle landings are 

stringent, and the high-resolution imagery provided 

information not available from other sources. 

Airline Flight 007. NOAA provided ppecial satellite 

images and interpretations to the Department of 

Defense and other agencies supporting the investigation of the Korean Airlines Flight 007 incident over the 

Sea of Japan. 

El Nino. The NOAA 7 AVHRR has been a vital tool 

for monitoring the 1982-1983 El Nino warm current in 

the Pacific Ocean. Developing somewhat atypically 

from past El Ninos (such as in 1956, 1968, 1972)’ this 

El Nino began during the summer of 1982, nearly six 

months out of phase. It also developed in the midtropical Pacific rather than along the South American 

coast. By late 1982, it spread eastward to the South 

American coastline in a fashion and severity not seen 

in the modern record. As warming developed in the 

mid-Pacific, west of the date-line, the satellite’s 

measurement of sea surface temperature augmented 

the few ship reports of that temperature to provide an 

excellent record of the El Nino event. This El Nino 

produced positive temperature anomalies of 6’ to 9’C 

off the Peru and Ecuador coasts during its peak 

(January, February, March, and April 1983). By summer 1983, the warm current seemed to be easing its 

grip on the eastern tropical Pacific. Although evidence 

was reduced in the satellite-derived measurement of 

sea surface temperatures because of atmospheric 

aerosol from the El Chicon volcano early in the El 

Nino episode, the surface development and evolution 

of the warmer water were better portrayed than they 

had been previously. 

Food Shortage Alerts. NOAA developed and began 

testing a system that uses AVHRR data to improve existing operational alerts of drought-related food shortages for the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance of the 

Agency for International Development (AID). The 

system monitors crop conditions using time-series index displays and a new color coordinate system for images to enhance the existing system, which uses surface 

reports and satellite rainfall estimates to monitor the 

potential for drought in 72 tropical countries 

Global Mapped Vegetation Index. NOAA has been 

funded by the AgRISTARS project to produce a 

global mapped vegetation index. AgRISTARS 

(Agriculture and Resources Inventory Surveys 

through Aerospace Remote Sensing) is a joint program 

of NASA, NOAA, and Department of Agriculture to 

evaluate the use of satellite data in providing crop 

estimates. The index depicts the extent and “greenness” 

of vegetation worldwide. Global AVHRR data are collected daily, and a vegetation index is computed and 

mapped to a polar stereographic projection. A weekly 

43 
composite vegetation index is produced from the daily 

data. 

Polar, stereographic, mapped vegetation index 

products are provided in tape and image form to 

AgRISTARS for evaluation. In addition, other groups 

have expressed interest in the product, especially the 

United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, 

and copies are available to any interested party. Production began in April 1982 and will continue at least 

through September 1984. 

Fisheries. NOAA continues to use the ATS 3 and 

Argos satellite communication systems to relay 

biological and environmental data from NOM and 

state research vessels to shore stations for distribution 

to users. The data are a vital part of the Southeast Area 

Marine Assessment Program (SEAMAP), a cooperative state-federal program to improve the quantity, 

quality, and timeliness of fisheries data in the Gulf of 

Mexico. The satellite communications link permits 

state and federal fishery management organizations 

and fishing fleet operators to receive data from the 

research vessels within one day of collection. 

As part of SEAMAP, NOAA developed a technique 

to use data from the coastal-zone color scanner (CZCS) 

flown on the NASA Nimbus 6 satellite to chart hypoxic 

waters in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Hypoxic waters 

have very low concentrations of dissolved oxygen near 

the bottom and apparently form in response to 

phytoplankton blooms coupled with strong thermal 

stratification. The location of hypoxic waters is of concern to fishermen because these waters are almost 

devoid of finfish and shrimp. NOAA, NASA, and the 

Scripps Institution of Oceanography began providing 

nearly instantaneous CZCS data to NOAA for hypoxic 

water charts. NOAA also began developing instruments to measure dissolved oxygen in bottom 

water. 

In cooperation with the University of Rhode Island, 

NOAA developed charts using NORA 7 AVHRR data 

to depict thermal conditions on the continental shelf off 

the East Coast of the United States. The charts can 

guide fishermen to temperature fronts where surface 

and mid-water fish species tend to congregate. NOAA 

also continued the Coastal Habitat Assessment 

Research and Mensuration Program (CHARM), using Landsat multispectral scanner data to quantify 

changes in productivity, biomass, and areas of principal coastal-zone vegetation from North Carolina to 

Maine. A report on the classification of MSS imagery 

for the base year (1978-79) is available on request. A 

trial run to produce tables of statistics by state, county, 

and water catalogue unit proved successful. Tables for 

the entire area will be developed. 

The development and improvement of techniques 

for visualizing and analyzing remotely sensed data 

continues. Techniques for clustering AVHRR and 

CZCS data proved useful in identifying ecologically 

coherent areas. Products illustrating these areas in the 

Gulf of Maine-Georges Bank region were included in 

the Ecology Annex of the U.S. Counter Memorial on 

the Maritime Boundary Delimitation (Canada-United 

States of America), now in the International Court of 

Justice. 

NOAA, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, 

and Jet Propulsion Laboratory developed a cooperative program to distribute experimental sea-surface 

color charts to albacore tuna fisherman, directing 

fisherman to ocean color boundaries where tuna tend 

to aggregate. 

Hurricanes. GOES satellite information was the key 

in NOAA’s warning services for Hurricane Iwa’s strike 

on the Hawaiian Islands in November 1982. Halfhourly picture interpretation at the Honolulu Satellite 

Field Services Station was the only information 

available for following the storm and was the basis for 

the hurricane warnings that helped keep the death toll 

to one, although damage in the heavily settled coastal 

areas totaled $234 million. 

GOES pictures were even more important in 

monitoring the unprecedented succession of tropical 

cyclones in the Pacific Ocean south of the equator. The 

Honolulu station followed a dozen storms during the 

Southern Hemisphere summer (November to May), 

issuing position and intensity bulletins to all affected 

weather centers in the South Pacific. Five of the storms 

were in the eastern area around Tahiti and the Society 

Islands, where a hurricane strike is considered a oncein-50-years event. Lives were lost and damage was 

much greater than in any previous tropical storm 

season. Satellite pictures provided the only information 

on the location of each storm, how intense it was, 

where and how fast it was moving, and whether it was 

curving back, strengthening, or weakening. Satellite 

imagery was similarly used by the Miami station to 

monitor hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean. Operational 

support was provided to the Weather Service’s National Hurricane Center. 

Snowmelt. The National Environmental Satellite, 

Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) participated 

in the interagency “Snow Watch ’83 ,n monitoring the 

unusually heavy snowpack (150-300 percent of normal) in the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada 

mountains. The runoff from melting snow flooded Salt 

Lake City and the Colorado River Basin in the spring 

of 1983. The Satellite Field Services Stations in San 

Francisco and Kansas City produced snow cover charts 

routinely for some 30 river drainage basins in the 

western United States, as often as once a day during 

rapid snowmelt, based on GOES and polar orbiter 

data. These charts were available to the Soil Conservation Service, Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Forest 

Service, National Weather Service, Department of 

Energy, U.S. Geological Survey, and state water 

resource agencies, for predicting runoff. The San 

Francisco station also provides daily polar-orbiter im44 
agery of selected portions of the Rocky Mountains on 

special request to the Weather Service. 

On June 2, a press conference publicized the danger 

of flooding and demonstrated techniques used to 

monitor the snowpack. Examples of Landsat, polarorbiter, and GOES imagery showed the heavy 

snowpack in various areas, as well as images from a 

normal year for comparison. Images were used in national and local news broadcasts, newspapers, and 

magazines. A video tape from GOES-East satellite imagery for the Colorado Rockies April 6 through July 5 

clearly defines the snowmelt pattern that resulted in 

record flooding on the Colorado River. 

Rainfall. NOAA continued to use GOES images to 

provide rainfall estimates for thunderstorms. The 

estimates supplemented rain-gauge observations and 

radar estimates during flash flood conditions. An improvement, the interactive flash-flood analyzer 

(IFFA), was made operational in July 1983, improving 

the timeliness and accuracy of the satellite estimates. 

These estimates are transmitted as events occur to the 

National Weather Service Forecast Offices responsible 

for flash flood watches and warnings. The IFFA 

replaces the manual technique of the past five years. Its 

speed of operation, coupled with rapid communications, combine to give field forecasters estimates of 

rainfall extracted from imagery before they receive the 

copy of the image in their office. 

During the spring river breakups in Alaska, a large 

ice jam was observed on the Yukon River at the town 

of Circle. Satellite images permitted the River Forecast 

Office to alert the town of pending flooding, and no 

lives were lost. Usually river ice breakup is monitored 

by aircraft, which is costly; in this situation, the need 

for aerial reconnaissance time was minimized. 

During 1983, work continued on categorizing and 

understanding the meteorology of subtle signatures of 

heavy rainfall in the satellite imagery. Work also continued on verifying an algorithm developed to predict 

convective precipitation by tracking cloudtops in the 

GOES images; this algorithm includes a fully 

automated precipitation-estimating technique. In addition, extratropical and tropical cyclone rainfall 

estimating techniques were developed and used operationally. The extratropical cyclone technique provided 

the National Weather Service with estimates of rainfall 

and snowfall from winter storms. The tropical cyclone 

technique provided the precipitation estimates (hourly 

rates and accumulated amounts). 

Forest Fires. Large areas of fires in western Brazil, 

most likely associated with slash and burn agriculture 

and deforestation, were detected in visible imagery 

from NOAA polar-orbiting satellites. The main line of 

fires was 570 km long and the smoke area covered 

some 800,000 sq km. 

Animated GOES images identify wind circulation 

patterns over mountainous terrain as far north as the 

Arctic Slope. Thunderstorm squall-line development 

and movement can be observed, and the accompanying windshift and wind gusts can be predicted within 

one to two hours before they occur. The fire-weather 

programs have found this information invaluable in 

defining thunderstorms and large grass and forest fires 

in Alaska. 

. Volcanic Eruptions. NOAA polar-orbiting satellites 

monitored eruptions from Galunggung and Una Una 

volcanoes. The height of the plumes was determined 

from thermal data. Both eruptions clogged and stalled 

passenger aircraft engines, although the aircraft 

managed to restart their engines and land safely. As a 

result of these near-disasters, the Federal Aviation Administration formed an informal working group on 

volcano hazards to aviation. Early discussions indicate 

the need for an operational volcanic-hazards warning 

system with satellite data playing a major role. FAA 

will request NOM participation in establishing the 

warning system. 

During 1983, NOAA expanded its volcano reporting. As volcanic activity was observed by NOAA 

polar-orbiting satellites and GOES, information was 

sent to the Smithsonian Events Alert Network, the 

FAA, the World Vision Relief Organization, and 

NASA. A new NESDIS service provides data on 

observable phenomena such as volcanoes, hurricanes, 

and fires to NASA when Shuttle missions are in space. 

With this information, NASA photographic experts 

determine schedules for onboard photographs by astronauts. 

NOAA satellite sightings of the eruption of the 

volcano on Ostrov Bennet in the Eastern Siberia Sea 

were reported to the CIA, NOAA Atmospheric 

Laboratory, and the University of Alaska's Geophysical Institute. In June, eruptions of the Veniaminof volcano near Perryville, Alaska, were reported to 

the U.S. Geological Survey, as well as to the FAA to 

permit rerouting aircraft around a potential ash plume. 

Ice Imagery. Satellite imagery can locate the 5" isotherm and pockets of colder temperatures in Alaskan 

waters, critical to forecasting the severity of icing. In 

Alaskan waters, superstructure icing is a major problem for vessels of all sizes. Various agencies use special 

ice imagery in analysis products, forecasts, outlooks, 

and special operations and rescue efforts. Oil shippers 

also use the products to monitor ice conditions for shipping and drilling. 

Sea Fog. Improvements in the accuracy of shortrange forecasts of hazardous sea fog and information 

on dissipation are expected as a result of empirical 

studies relating changes in sea fog to changes in the 

surface wind flow and temperature patterns observed 

from GOES satellites and NOAA 7. 

Amazon Efluent. During 1983, NESDIS satellites 

monitored changes in the effluent pattern of the 

Amazon River. The visible-band images noted the 

transport of sediment northward, paralleling the coast, 

45 
and confirmed earlier studies that relied solely on surface observations. 

Other Uses of Satellites 

International Activities 

Economic Summit. The 9th Economic Summit of Industrialized Nations took place at Williamsburg, 

Virginia, in May 1983. NOAA coordinated U.S. 

preparation for discussions of expanding cooperation 

on satellite remote sensing within the framework of the 

Summit’s Working Group on Technology, Growth 

and Employment. Discussions included increased international cooperation in meteorological satellite 

systems, land-satellite data products and archives, 

ocean satellite systems, remote-sensing research sensors, and remote-sensing training. The Williamsburg 

Summit endorsed the working group report and 

stressed the importance of further cooperation. 

International Satellite Land-Surface Climatology Project. 

About 30 scientists, including 3 from NOAA, participated in the First Workshop to define the International Satellite Land-Surface Climatology Project 

(1SLSCP)-meeting in Boulder, Colorado, June 27- 

July 1, 1983. Initial funding for the workshop came 

from ,the United Nations Environment Program in 

connection with its responsibility for the World 

Climate Impact Program, but the World Meteorological Organization, International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics, and Committee on 

Space Research (COSPAR) of the International Council of Scientific Unions are also interested in the project 

in connection with the World Climate Research Program. The project will provide satellite data for 

monitoring changes on the land surface resulting from 

climatic variability or the actions of man and for improving climate models. 

Landsat Data Distribution. Negotiations with foreign 

countries for direct reception and distribution of Landsat data continued, and several countries signed a 

memorandum of understanding with NOAA. The first 

NOAA-chaired meeting of the Landsat Ground Stations Operations Working Group (LGSOWG) was 

held in Washington, D.C., in November 1983. 

CGMS. The Coordination of Geostationary Meteorological Satellites (CGMS) group met in April. 

Representatives from Japan, the European Space 

Agency (ESA), India, USSR, and the United States 

participated in plans to make the different meteorological satellite systems more complementary and 

compatible. 

International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project. ISCCP 

is the first project of the World Climate Research Program, jointly sponsored by the World Meteorological 

Organization and the International Council of Scientific Unions, with U. S. participation coordinated by 

the National Climate Program Office. Satellites of 

various nations, including NOAAs operational satellites, will gather visible and infrared radiance data. 

The data will be reduced and merged to produce a set 

of calibrated, global, radiance and cloud data for the 

international scientific community, Data collection 

began July 1, 1983. When completed, the cloud climatology will increase understanding of climate systems 

and improve climate forecasting. NOAA will provide 

the central archive for this data set. 

Satellite Soundings. Satellite soundings in combination 

with conventional data, used by the operational 

numerical weather prediction model of the Israel 

Meteorological Service, reduced 48-hour forecast errors by 5 to 30 percent. Results varied and appeared to 

depend upon the synoptic situation, which may or may 

not be favorable for the effective ingestion of large 

quantities of new data. The largest and most consistent 

reduction in forecast error was over ocean regions 

where the satellite data were introduced. The use of 

satellite soundings without any conventional radiosonde data produced surprisingly good results, as good 

as and sometimes surpassing results from conventional 

radiosonde data. 

Argos. The Argos data-collection and location system 

provided by France operates on present NOAA polarorbiting satellites. More than 400 instrumented platforms (82 percent requiring location data) were 

operated by organizations from 17 countries at the end 

of 1983. Final amendments to the Argos agreement -under which the French National Center for 

Space Studies (CNES), NOAA, and NASA cooperate 

in satellite data collection- were agreed on, reflecting 

interest in continuing the program. Eleven countries, 

including the United States, concluded a joint tariff 

agreement for the use of the Argos system in 1983. The 

agreement allows a substantial reduction in the cost to 

signatory countries in exchange for a guaranteed level 

of use. The telephone concentrator at Suitland, Maryland (which gives users direct access to their disk files 

in Toulouse, France, without making a transatlantic 

telephone call), was being used by 40 platform 

operators at the end of the year. The French Coordination Center placed a full-time representative at 

Suitland to provide timely technical support to North 

American users. 

Satellite Communications 

Radio Conference. The National Telecommunications 

and Information Administration (NTIA) is responsible 

for developing the federal government’s proposals to 

the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 

the United Nations specialized agency that establishes 

and administers international regulations concerning 

the use of the radio spectrum, including its use by 

spacecraft. In preparation for the ITU’s 1983 Regional 

Administrative Radio Conference on broadcast-satellite service, which convened in Geneva in July, NTIA 

46 
participated in several bilateral and multilateral coordination meetings with conference planners from 

other administrations in the ITU’s Region 2. (ITU 

Region 2 encompasses the Western Hemisphere and 

part of the Pacific Ocean area.) NTIA’s Institute for 

Telecommunication Science (ITS) and its Office of 

Spectrum Management also conducted studies to assist 

in determining orbit-spectrum capacity and how this 

spectrum resource could be shared equitably with other 

ITU Region 2 countries. During the conference, 

NTIA provided four members to the U.S. delegation 

and two technical support staff members. 

World Radio Conference. In addition, NTIA continued 

to lead government agencies in preparations for the 

two-part 1985 and 1988 World Administrative Radio 

Conference for space services. In May 1983, the ITU 

adopted the agenda for the 1985 session of this conference. U. s. proposals to the space conference are due 

to the ITU in the fall of 1984. NTIA is developing a 

technical basis for planning for use of the space service 

spectrum and will present its planning techniques to 

the ITU’s special preparatory meeting for the 1985 

Space WARC to be held in June-July 1984. NTIA will 

provide five members to the delegation and one 

member to the support staff. Also, NTIA has been 

developing a computer-based model, the Geostationary Satellite Orbit Analysis Program (GSOAP), 

for analyzing geostationary orbit and spectrum use and 

intersystem interference. 

Comsat Corporation. In cooperation with the Department of State and the Federal Communications Commission, NTIA participates in overseeing the Communications Satellite Corporation’s activities in the 

International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT) and the International Maritime 

Satellite Organization (INMARSAT). INTELSAT’s 

annual growth in revenues and circuit use continued at 

a rate of more than 20 percent, its capital ceiling was 

increased to $2.3 billion, and orders were placed for 

five Intelsat VI series communications satellites, which 

will have about 25 percent greater capacity than the Intelsat V series. 

Geodesy 

Polaris Network. In 1983, NOAA completed a threestation radio telescope network, designated the Polaris 

network, with stations in Westford, Massachusetts; 

Fort Davis, Texas; and Richmond, Florida. This network, using the very-long-baseline-interferometry 

(VLBI) measurement technique, replaced the optical 

telescope system operated for 80 years and measures 

earth rotation and polar motion with a twentyfold improvement in accuracy. 

Global Positioning. NOAA began using Global Positioning System (GPS) geodetic receivers for precise 

identification of positions on the surface of the earth. 

The GPS receivers have proved more accurate and 

more economical than conventional geodetic techniques. Over the next decade, GPS receivers are expected to become the primary technology used to 

maintain national geodetic networks. 

Elevation Profiling. NOAA began a joint project with 

NASA to demonstrate an ability to make high-accuracy elevation profiles of ice, land, and ocean surfaces 

when using GPS receivers for navigation and altimeters to determine height difference. Test flights are 

planned for 1984 with NOAA GPS instrumentation 

mounted on a NASA P-3 aircraft equipped with both 

laser and radar altimeters. 

Time. 

National Bureau of Standards scientists developed a 

system to synchronize the rate of clocks at remote locations with an accuracy to less than 10 billionths of a 

second. Global Positioning System satellites built by 

the Department of Defense provide navigational data, 

and NBS scientists developed receivers with a billionth 

of a second stability in the delay time of the receiver 

circuit. In addition to comparing remote high-accuracy 

clocks, the technique has promise for synchronizing the 

frequencies of Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s deep-space 

tracking stations at Goldstone, California; Madrid; 

and Canberra, Australia. 

Space Support Activities 

Software Development 

NBS provides technical assistance to NASA in planning software for the Space Station. Because the Space 

Station project will demand greater cooperation among 

the NASA field centers, a new approach will be required for managing software. The Bureau’s Institute 

for Computer Sciences and Technology is a technical 

consultant helping NASA establish a program of 

guidance, automated support, training, and information services to support the updated software policies. 

Inpared Spectroscopy 

NBS developed a new tunable source for far-infrared 

spectroscopy that can make significant contributions to 

atmospheric chemistry, radio astronomy, laser communications, and position location through the atmosphere. Before this development, sufficient power for 

far-infrared spectroscopy was available only at the 

fixed frequencies of laser sources. Now the entire range 

from 500 to 4,000 GHz can be covered by mixing infrared sources on a point-contact device in such a way 

that the difference frequency is radiated to free space. 

As much as 0.2 microwatts of tunable, continuouswave radiated power has been generated. 

Space Shuttle Support 

NBS is assisting Rockwell International in developing sensitive, nondestructive devices for inspecting the 

Space Shuttle’s main engine. The discovery of small 

47 
cracks in fuel lines focused attention on the need for 

reliable inspection of subcritical cracks. Inspection is 

difficult because of the small size of the cracks, the configuration of the fuel tanks, and the nature of the 

alloys. The joint effort will evaluate a new eddycurrent inspection device developed at NBS, which 

operates at higher frequencies and broader bandwidths 

than the conventional, commercially available eddycurrent probes. The NBS probe may be more sensitive 

to small cracks in components made of alloys with very 

high electrical resistance. The design of the NBS probe 

also makes it more suitable for quantitative work. 

At NASA's request NBS is determining whether 

vortex-shedding flow meters are suitable for use on the 

Shuttle. The Shuttle's main engines consume large 

quantities of liquid oxygen and hydrogen while lifting 

off and accelerating to orbital velocity. The flow rates, 

which reach 57 meters per second, must be measured 

accurately to achieve maximum thrust from the 

engines. Because flow meters with moving parts present a hazard in the liquid oxygen duct, NASA asked 

whether a vortex-shedding flow meter would be 

suitable. In feasibility tests, using water for simulation, 

the flow meter performed satisfactorily at flow rates up 

to 46 meters per second, establishing the capability of 

such an instrument to measure high-speed flows. NBS 

is now modifying existing designs to allow more precise 

counting of the vortices. 

NBS also is studying heat transfer to assist NASA in 

assessing the feasibility of recovering unexpended 

liquid oxygen and hydrogen propellant from the Shuttle's main tank after the orbit burn has terminated. 

Recovery of the remaining propellant would extend 

the time the Shuttle could remain in orbit. In a related 

project, NBS has measured the thermal conductivity of 

liquid hydrogen at very high temperatures, completing 

a 22-year series of measurements of the thermophysical 

properties of liquid hydrogen and oxygen for the 

manned space programs. 

Fiber- Rein forced Composites 

NBS is cooperating with NASA's Langley Space 

Research Center, the University of Illinois, and 

several manufacturers of composites to develop a way 

to measure the resistance of composites to crack 

growth. The use of fiber-reinforced composites in aircraft bodies substantially reduces the overall weight, 

permitting an increase in fuel or payload. However, 

the development of cracks in the polymer material 

binding the fibers is a major concern. Because such 

cracks may occur in the interior they are difficult to 

detect; little is known about how to repair them or even 

how important they are. For this reason it is essential 

to obtain polymers that resist cracks and to develop test 

methods to evaluate this resistance. 

Spectrometer Calibration for Solar Irradialzce Measurements 

Use of the NBS synchrotron ultraviolet light source 

(SURF-11) to calibrate ultraviolet spectrometers is 

significantly improving measurements of the solar 

ultraviolet irradiance. Solar radiation at wavelengths 

shorter than 298 nanometers is totally absorbed by the 

earth's atmosphere and provides the dominant source 

of energy for atmospheric heating, dissociation, and 

ionization. An accurate knowledge of the irradiance in 

the ultraviolet is therefore fundamental for studies of 

the photochemistry of the upper atmosphere. Until 

recently, the few available measurements have been 

plagued by major uncertainties. In January 1983 

scientists at the University of Colorado measured the 

full-disk solar ultraviolet irradiance from a rocket 

flown above White Sands Missile Range. They report 

that the use of SURF-I1 to calibrate their spectrometers has substantially reduced the errors in their 

measurements. 

Detector Calibration for Space Telescope 

NBS made absolute calibrations of a group of farultraviolet detectors to be used in experiments on 

NASA's Space Telescope, scheduled for launch into orbit 

in 1986. These digicon detectors will resolve stellar 

spectra from the high-resolution spectrograph and the 

faint-object spectrograph, two of the five experiments 

on the Space Telescope. The NBS project provided 

NASA engineers an important clue to identifying a 

problem in the optics of one of the spectrographs. The 

calibration, with a knowledge of the efficiency of the 

optical systems, will permit precise measurement of the 

photometric performance of the two spectrographs. 

Ozone Concentrations 

In response to a request from the Environmental 

Protection Agency, NBS designed and constructed a 

new ultraviolet photometer for calibrating ozone 

monitors. The new photometer yields the concentration of ozone in a sample by measuring the amount of 

ultraviolet mercury radiation at 470 km (254 nm) that 

it absorbs. Accuracy is limited to about two percent by 

uncertainty in the value of the ozone absorption crosssection at 470 km. NBS was completing studies at the 

end of 1983 of the dependence of ozone absorption on 

temperature, to improve accuracy of ozone absorption 

measurements. The new photometer was the standard 

for calibrating 19 instruments that will fly in the NASA 

Balloon Ozone Intercomparison Campaign. It will 

replace the existing NBS standard-ultraviolet-ozone 

photometer and will serve as a primary standard for 

EPA laboratories. 
Space and Atmospheric Research 

Gravitational Waves 

NBS is exploring the feasibility of an experiment to 

detect gravitational waves in space. The first major objective is to search for gravitational-wave pulses with 

periods of minutes to a few hours and with fractional 

strain amplitudes of roughly lO-*O. Detection of such 

pulses would provide a unique capability for studying 

events associated with very large masses in the 

universe. Events include current collisions of massive 

black holes, which may exist at the centers of many 

galaxies and probably provide the energy source for 

quasars. They also include collisions of such objects 

during the earlier history of the universe when galaxies 

were forming. The second objective is to detect continuously emitted gravitational waves from both 

known and unknown rotating binary stars. The experiment includes three test masses in orbit about the sun 

with a separation of 106 km or more. Variations in the 

separations would be determined by laser heterodyne 

measurements. 

Materials Processing in Space 

NBS is measuring the effects of fluid flow on the 

solidification of materials. Of particular interest are 

gravity-driven flows that can arise from differences in 

temperature or composition and can affect the 

homogeneity of the solidified material, substantially 

degrading its performance. In space, gravity-driven 

flows will be greatly reduced. 

Meteorology 

Mesoscale and Severe Storms. In support of NOAA 

research, the University of Chicago continued investigating the behavior, identity, and dynamics of 

severe thunderstorms, particularly those producing 

tornadoes and destructive downbursts. One study 

determined that the crash of PanAm flight 759 in New 

Orleans on July 9, 1982, was due to a microburst, a 

small but intense downdrift of air. The FAA concurred 

in this conclusion. A microburst can generate a powerful radial outflow of air at or near the surface, causing 

aircraft passing through it to experience sudden winds 

that dangerously alter lift or flying ability. Many storm 

systems are identified in satellite and radar imagery as 

potential hazards, but many are indistinguishable 

because of their small size and shallow vertical development. For the air traffic problems, the university investigator recommended a study to test the ability of 

Doppler radar to detect and give sufficient warning of 

microbursts at or near air terminals. 

Improved Forecasts. NOAA's Prototype for Regional 

Observing and Forecasting System (PROFS) is 

developing and testing techniques to combine data 

from satellite, radar, and surface meteorological networks, plus ground-based atmospheric soundings to 

produce improved, short-term (0- to 1 2-hour), localscale forecasts. Initial applications emphasize warnings 

of severe storms and flash floods. 

NOAA's weather research program used its satellite 

rain-estimating technique for the summer 1983 

PROFS experiment. The unique capability is a first 

step toward testing and ultimately using satellite rain 

estimates for regional forecasting. Rain estimates for 

tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean 

were made from the PROFS data base during this 

year's hurricane season to support the pilot project of a 

joint NOAA-NASA aircraft program. 

Wind Sensing. Under contract to NOAA's Wave Propagation laboratory, RCA Astro-Electronics showed 

that it is feasible to carry an infrared Doppler lidar for 

global wind sensing on an Advanced Tiros-N spacecraft. This Windsat Free-Flyer would be able to measure 

wind at 10 to 15 levels in the atmosphere at an accuracy within a few meters per second. 

Radiation Budget. A complete and extensive set of 

satellite observations was carried out to measure the 

planetary radiation budget. Both wide field-of-view 

and narrow field-of-view Nimbus 7 data were processed 

and analyzed for November 1978 through October 

1979. Comparisons between the two fields show excellent agreement in their spatial and temporal 

variability. Also developed for the Nimbus 7 earth 

radiation budget experiment (ERBE) were angular 

reflection and emission models and models depicting 

the dependency of albedo on solar zenith angle. The 

models also will be used to estimate radiation budget 

parameters obtained from the AVHRR aboard 

NOAA operational spacecraft. 

Processing of AVHRR data from the NOAA TirosN satellites continued. Almost nine years of dataabout four years from pre-Tiros-N satellites and almost 

five from the Tiros-N series- have been processed. 

The estimates of emitted flux indicate that despite different equator-crossing times the daily average values 

are reasonably consistent, permitting construction of a 

climatic data base for diagnosing year-to-year 

anomalies. 

Cloud Studies. An improved algorithm was developed 

for estimating low, middle, and high cloud from Nimbus 7 observations. The new approach supplements the 

11- and 6.7-micrometer data from the temperaturehumidity infrared radiometer (THIR) with concurrent 

surface temperature and with reflectance measurements from the total-ozone-mapping spectrometer 

(TOMS). This additional information improves 

definition of the cloud or no-cloud thresholds, greatly 

improving estimates of cloud cover. A four-year cloud 

data set from April 1979 through March 1983 will be 

produced. 
Solar Activity 

Sun Charts. Observations of activity on the sun were 

processed into newly developed charts, much like those 

depicting weather patterns over the earth's surface. 

Current charts serve the NOAA Space Environment 

Laboratory's solar-terrestrial forecast warning service. 

A catalog of historical charts was compiled for the past 

two solar cycles (22 years). These provide better definitions of the solar surface activity and establish boundary conditions for magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) 

computer models of the propagation of the effects of 

solar disturbance through the interplanetary medium 

to the earth. Development and testing of full threedimensional models began, and predictions of 

geophysical disturbances obtained from extended twodimensional models are being tested against observations. 

Geomagnetic Field. An innovative mathematical 

technique was developed to analyze observations of the 

geomagnetic field by a North American Network of 

magnetometers. The technique promises to enhance 

the ability to irfer the characteristics of ionospheric 

currents and of their responses to solar-induced, interplanetary disturbances that cause geomagnetic 

storms. 

Sun Energy. A statistical model of the total power 

delivered to the polar atmosphere was developed by 

analyzing energetic-particle-detector data from Tiros-N 

in 1978 through the present NOAA 7 and 8 spacecraft. 

Data from each satellite pass over the polar regions 

were used to infer the immediate global solar energy 

contribution of importance to the electrical properties 

and the meteorology of the ionosphere and upper atmosphere. 

Aeronautical Programs 

Flyway Charts 

NOAA, which produces aeronautical charts and 

chart-related products for navigation in U.S. air space, 

announced that effective August 4, 1983, VisualFlight-Rules Flyway Planning Charts would be printed 

on the back of the existing Los Angeles and San Diego 

VFR Terminal Area Charts (TAC). Previously, TAC 

charts were printed back-to-back. VFR Flyway Planning Charts are designed to assist pilots in planning 

their flights through or around areas of high-density 

aircraft operations. The Federal Aviation Administration will solicit aviation user groups to determine product acceptability. If the response is positive, additional 

VFR flyways will be considered for congested terminal 

areas. 

Aeronautical Research 

NOAA continued to study weather hazards for aviation and Space Shuttle flights. Turbulence, wind 

shear, gust fronts, downbursts, and lightning location 

and characteristics are investigated with a network of 

weather radars, dual-Doppler weather radars, automated surface observations, rawinsondes, a 44-meter 

meteorologically instrumented tower, and satellite and 

aircraft observations. Identification of these phenomena for warnings and investigation of precursors that 

may be used in forecasting hazards are included in 

joint cooperative projects with NASA, FAA, and DoD. 

In conjunction with the multiageny Next-Generation 

Radar (NEXRAD) Joint Systems Program Office 

USPO), techniques for data acquisition, processing, 

and display of aviation weather hazards are being investigated along with the development of criteria for effective placement of Doppler weather radars to service 

aviation and public interests. 

50 
Department of Energy 

The Department of Energy (DOE) and its 

predecessor agencies have performed specialized 

research and development in support of the military 

and civilian space programs since the early 1960s. 

Nuclear sources of electrical power for space applications have been key elements of some of the more ambitious U.S. astronautical undertakings. Compact 

size, light weight, and long life are the unique 

characteristics of the nuclear power systems that enable 

spacecraft, satellites, and other remotely located 

devices to operate without external sources of energy 

for long periods of time. Nuclear systems have provided the self-sufficiency that has made possible many of 

the space missions of NASA and the Department of 

Defense. 

Space and Special Applications 

of Nuclear Power 

Research and development in the Space and Special 

Applications Program provide safe, compact, and environmentally acceptable energy systems to federal 

agencies for earth-orbital and interplanetary space missions, as well as for other special-purpose applications. 

The program in 1983 consisted of three major projects: 

(1) the static outer-planetary radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG) projects, developing RTGs for 

NASA's Galileo spacecraft to be launched to Jupiter in 

1986 and the International Solar Polar Mission (ZSPM) 

spacecraft to be launched in 1986 to study the sun; 

(2) the space reactor technology program (SP-loo), an 

advanced technology readiness program; and (3) a terrestrial RTG project. 

Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators. 

Since 1961, the United States has used 34 RTGs 

developed by DOE and its predecessors as electrical 

power supplies in 19 space systems, including navigation and communication satellites launched by DoD 

and the Nimbus, Apollo, Pioneer, Viking, and 

Voyager spacecraft launched by NASA. These RTGs 

have encompassed six design concepts spanning 

beginning-of-mission power ranges from 2.7 to 159.2 

watts of electricity. RTGs have proved to be reliable, 

long-lived sources of electrical power. Most of them, 

from the SNAP-3A to the multihundred-watt RTG 

(MHW-RTG), have exceeded their mission requirements by providing power at or above the levels 

required and for longer than the planned lifetimes of 

the missions. 

The general technological objective of each RTG 

design has been to improve generator performance, efficiency, and specific power. This has led to improvements in the technology of thermoelectric 

materials, from the lead telluride (PbTe) used in the 

first five RTG designs to the silicon germanium (SiGe) 

used in the MHW-RTG and the RTGs being built for 

future space missions. The performance of these 

generators has demonstrated that nuclear power 

sources can be safely and reliably engineered to meet a 

variety of space mission requirements. 

In 1983, research and development included fabrication of thermoelectric converters for qualification and 

flight-unit general-purpose heat-source (GPHS) RTGs 

to be used in an advanced silicon-germanium 

generator for ISPM and Galileo. The 55.5-kilogram 

GPHS RTG is designed to provide a versatile, 

modular, plutonium-238 fuel unit suitable for 

numerous space applications. It offers a minimum of 

285 watts of electricity, with a fuel loading of 4,410 

thermal watts. During 1983, thermal and dynamic 

testing of the engineering unit was completed, and life 

testing was begun. The RTG Assembly and Testing 

Facility was completed. Production, component 

fabrication, and tests of the Galileo radioisotopic heater 

units also were completed. The isotope-fueled modules 

were assembled, and loading into thermoelectric converters will begin in 1984. The fueled power units will 

be tested at qualification and flight acceptance levels. 

Fueling and testing of the qualification converter will 

begin in early 1984; fueling and testing of the flight 

converter are planned for later in 1984. 

Advances in Supporting Technology 

Development of a new RTG concept, the modular 

isotopic thermoelectric generator (MITG), made 

significant progress. The MITG offers the potential for 

a more advanced, much lighter generator for future 

space missions. The basic design will be adaptable for 

many space uses, since the power output can be scaled 

in 20-watt increments by varying the number of 

generator slices (identical sections of the standard 

design), usually without other design changes. Any in51 
termediate power level can be provided by minor 

modification of the radiator fin dimensions. In the 

earlier multihundred-watt isotopic generator, changing the power level required major redesign and requalification of the heat source. Even in the GPHS 

generator, which uses the same modular heat sources 

as the MITG, changing the power level would usually 

require major changes in the thermoelectric couples 

and circuit. 

The MITG promises substantially higher specific 

power than provided by the present RTGs, with no 

reduction in safety and with increased reliability. It 

permits performance checking of individual thermoelectric modules in the assembled converter and 

replacement of any deficient ones. It should also be 

more economical, because of its modularity, scalability, and flexibility. 

During 1983, DOE completed fabrication and 

began performance-testing eight MITG test modules. 

The test data will help determine further development 

of this new concept. Design of a ground demonstration 

system using the MITG approach began in 1983, and 

program plans call for fabrication of thermoelectric 

modules for testing in 1984, fabrication of the ground 

demonstration system in 1985, and testing in 1986. 

Space Reactor Technology 

Space nuclear-reactor systems can provide high 

levels of electrical power- usually 25 kilowatts or 

more - for a variety of applications in space. In early 

1983, the Los Alamos National Laboratory continued 

development of critical components for a specific reactor power system using heat pipes for its heat transport 

and radiator subsystems. 

In February the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), NASA and DOE signed a 

memorandum of agreement on developing technology 

for space nuclear-reactor power systems. The resulting 

SP-100 program will support both civilian and military 

space applications. The three agencies established a 

management organization to meet the immediate objective of assessing whether present technology is sufficient to permit a commitment in mid-1985 to proceed 

to a ground-engineering test phase beginning in 1986. 

A technology assessment and advancement phase 

(phase I) began in May 1983 to 

Evaluate the ability of the nuclear-reactor heatsource and power-conversion concepts to meet 

certain performance requirements, leading to the 

selection of baseline, backup, and growth designs; 

Initiate a number of key technology and safety 

development tasks; 

Analyze mission requirements to determine 

whether they can be met by nuclear power and to 

assess how reactors can be em,ployed for specific 

applications. 

Four major contractors evaluated several conceptual 

designs during 1983, and one or more will be selected 

52 

in early 1984 to continue with their proposed designs. 

Technology suitability and performance were investigated in a number of areas: nuclear fuels, refractory alloys, and other materials for high-temperature 

applications; heat pipe, liquid metal, thermoelectric, 

and thermionic conversion; nuclear safety aspects; and 

nuclear radiation and shielding. These activities will 

continue in 1984. Mission analyses and requirement 

studies began in 1983, and DoD and NASA review 

groups were established to examine the requirements 

identified. These activities will also continue in 1984. 

Success in these three activities - system design, 

technology development, and mission analysis - will 

determine whether the SP- 100 program proceeds into 

its ground-test phase (1986-1989) and flightqualification phase (1990-1993). 

A related effort, the development of a multimegawatt space power reactor (as opposed to the 

smaller 100-kilowatt level of SP-loo), proceeded in 

parallel but at a much lower level of effort, as part of 

the SP-100 program. This effort may be expanded in 

1984 in response to the needs of several potential 

civilian and military missions, in particular the proposal to develop a space defense against ballistic 

missiles. 

Remote Sensing of the Earth 

Satellites carrying instruments that monitor the 

earth's surface and atmosphere continued to provide 

useful data for geological and environmental research 

applications. For example, remote-land-sensing 

systems were being used in development of exploration 

technology for natural resources, in research conducted for DoD by the national laboratories and in 

other research operations. 

Nuclear Test Detection 

DOE supports the national nuclear-test-detection 

mission by supplying spaceborne nuclear detector 

systems used in monitoring tests to ensure adherence 

to the nuclear test-ban treaty. Optical and radiation 

detectors are flown as secondary payloads on DoD and 

NASA systems. The mix ofsatellite systems, when tully deployed, will permit worldwide surveillance for 

nuclear testing, both inside and outside the earth's atmosphere. 

The national laboratories are responsible for designing, fabricating, and testing detector packages, which 

consist of' sensing elements, their electronic circuitry, 

and the downlink telemetry logic. A DOE research and 

development program seeks to upgrade radiation 

hardening and increase sensitivity and coverage, to improve data processing and reporting, and to provide a 

means of distinguishing background signals from 

nuclear events in order to prevent false alarms. During 

1983, DOE delivered a number of detection systems, 

including the most complex piece of equipment yet 

developed by DOE for space monitoring. 
Department of the Interior 

As {rincipal steward of the nation’s n‘atural 

resources, the Department of the Interior administers 

more than 2 million square kilometers of federal land 

and has trust responsibilities for an additional 200,000 

sq km of Indian reservations and island territories. The 

department promotes the wise use of public land, 

mineral, and water resources; protects the nation’s fish 

and wildlife; preserves the national parks and historical 

sites; and provides services for Indians and for native 

peoples of Alaska. Management and monitoring for 

such diverse responsibilities over vast areas are 

facilitated by data acquired by sensing systems on aircraft and satellites. Capabilities are enhanced by 

research and advancement in spatial data-handling 

technology. 

Bureau and agencies of the Department of the Interior participating in remote-sensing studies during 

1983 included the Bureau of Land Management, 

Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, 

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Surface Mining 

Reclamation and Enforcement, and the Water 

Resources, Geologic, and National Mapping Divisions 

of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). 

Earth Resources Observation Systems 

During 1983, the Geological Survey’s EROS Data 

Center (EDC) near Sioux Falls, South Dakota, assumed direction of the EROS interbureau mission for 

developing and demonstrating applications of remotely 

sensed and other digital data sets for earth science. 

This responsibility had previously been shared with a 

headquarters office in Reston, Virginia, which was 

closed as part of an administrative realignment within 

the National Mapping Division of USGS. EDC 

cooperates with divisions of USGS and other Department of the Interior bureaus to develop and test 

methodologies for supporting department responsibilities. EDC also conducts research in hardware and 

software development for merging and manipulating 

disparate kinds of digital data and for digital image 

processing. 

EROS has represented the department on the 

Source Evaluation Board for Civil Space Remote Sensing. This board is developing, under direction from the 

Secretary of Commerce, a request for proposals to 

transfer the operational civil weather satellites (geostationary and polar) and land (Landsat) remote-sensing 

satellites to the private sector. Issues of particular concern include continuity of data, nondiscriminatory and 

open dissemination of data to all users, and maintenance of archives so that data will continue to be 

available for departmental programs. 

Digital Data-Base Development and Applications 

The USGS National Mapping and Geologic Divisions completed a pilot project on the Medford, 

Oregon, quadrangle for the Federal Mineral Lands Information System. The project demonstrated the concept of an operational system synthesizing information 

on federal surface and subsurface ownership, mining 

restrictions, mineral assessment, etc., into a computerized spatial-data base and analyzing the data to 

help formulate national policy governing mineral use. 

Products of the investigation include the digital data 

base, large-format prints, 35-mm slides, and a report 

on potentials and limitations of a digital approach for 

national-level data bases. 

The Geological Division, EROS Data Center, and 

Missouri Geological Survey cooperated in research to 

develop and test a digital geologic-data base for 

mineral resource assessment of the Rolla, Missouri, 

quadrangle. The data base consists of 20 numerically 

encoded layers of surface and subsurface geological, 

geochemical, and geophysical data that were digitized 

from 1 :250,000-scale maps. Two additive numerical 

models were applied to the data base to identify and 

rank areas considered to have a significant potential for 

lead and zinc resources. 

Using U.S. GeoData (digital USGS data) and Landsat digital data in a digital spatial data base, the EROS 

Data Center, Bureau of Land Management, and the 

Soil Conservation Service generated soil survey maps 

for five quadrangle areas in Idaho and Wyoming. 

Slope class maps from the digital terrain data and 

topographic maps, used with orthophoto-quadrangles, 

produced preliminary maps employed in the field to 

complete the soil mapping process. Digital data make it 

possible to list terrain, spectral, and other information 

from the data base for each mapping unit. A two-year 

field evaluation has proved that these products are accurate and reliable for soil mapping. In addition to saving time during the field work, the maps are valuable 

for updating old surveys, quality control, correlation 
efforts, and soil interpretations. They also provide an 

effective tool for land management in areas where 

detailed soil surveys are not yet complete. 

The EROS Data Center and the Bureau of Indian 

Affairs developed a geographic information system for 

resource management on the Ft. Berthold Indian 

Reservation, North Dakota. Geographically registered 

map data from published government reports and 

surveys, digital terrain data, digital line graphs, and 

Landsat data were analyzed by computer to produce 

map and text data for resource management. Products 

include reservation-wide management-opportunity 

maps and corresponding tabular data. An automated 

procedure was developed to determine rangeland base 

premiums for Indian trust land according to production potential 

In a proof-of-concept test for a national water 

resources summary, EROS cooperated with the USGS 

Water Resources Division to register 50 data sets from 

digitized maps and digital data files for the Fox-Wolf 

River basin of east-central Wisconsin. The merged sets 

were used to describe quantity, quality, and problems 

of the water resources. This computer processing offers 

an objective method of showing facts and relationships, 

in readily understandable maplike forms. 

The EROS Field Office in Anchorage, Alaska, and 

the Water Resources Division are developing a digital 

data base containing the geographic location, an index 

number, acreage, and other attributes, such as water 

quality, for lakes greater than five acres on the North 

Slope of Alaska. The basic data are water classes derived from a digital land-cover classification of Landsat 

data covering the National Petroleum Reserve, 

Alaska. The data base was completed for nine 

quadrangles within the reserve and work began on six 

additional quads on the North Slope. It will be used by 

the Bureau of Land Management in its on-shore oil 

and gas assessment and leasing program. 

Data Handling 

The EROS Data Center operated the final data 

processing, data archives, and product generation and 

distribution portions of the Landsat ground segment 

for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) during 1983. Data Center computer and photographic processing systems were 

modified to handle new formats for the Landsat 4 

multispectral scanner (MSS) data and data from the 

new thematic mapper (TM) sensor. EROS added 

some 18,000 MSS and 300 TM images to the existing 

Landsat 1, 2, and 3 archive of almost 600,000 scenes. 

As part of the USGS side-looking airborne radar 

(SLAR) program, a contract was awarded to Intera 

Environmental Consultants Inc., of Houston to acquire some 610,000 sq km of aerial SLAR coverage in 

the eastern United States. The data will be acquired 

and entered into the public domain in 1984. The program, begun in 1980, has acquired partial or complete 

radar image data for 22 states, including Alaska. The 

data are expected to aid both private-sector and 

government scientists in energy-resource and mineral 

research projects in the use of these data for cartographic and hydrologic applications. In addition, the 

Geological Survey has supported more than 50 

geologic applications. 

Remote Information Processing 

The second phase of the remote informationprocessing system (RIPS) began with the procurement 

of 18 commercially built RIPS units based on an 

EROS Data Center prototype. Eleven units were installed at sites of the five government agencies that 

joined in this procurement. Employees at the agencies 

began operational use of RIPS, designed to extend the 

use of Landsat and other remotely sensed data to users 

in the field. A RIPS task team is completing baseline 

software to support traditional image processing, 

which includes basic map-overlay analysis and color 

graphics. The software allows access to the EROS 

computer network for ordering data products and 

custom image-processing. EROS also provides Landsat digital data on floppy disks for 7.5-minute map 

quadrangle areas. 

Monitoring the Environment 

Land Cover Inventories 

The EROS Field Office in Anchorage has 

cooperated during the past three years with state and 

federal .resource management agencies in Alaska to 

classify vegetation and land cover for comprehensive 

planning, research, and management mandates of the 

Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 

1980 and for inventory requirements of the Forest and 

Rangeland Renewable Resource Planning Act of 

1974. The vegetation and land-cover classifications 

were derived from Landsat computer-compatible tapes 

using standard digital-image-processing techniques, 

and a standardized classification map is being produced for Alaska. To date, some 600,000 sq km have 

been classified through digital processing of Landsat 

data and merging with digital terrain data. These data 

are used primarily for estimating land-cover acreage 

and for producing habitat-suitability models for 

various wildlife species. 

The Bureau of Reclamation uses aerial photographs 

in several land-inventory and wildlife-habitatassessment investigations. The impact on croplands 

and wildlife of construction associated with the Grand 

Valley Salinity Control Project in western Colorado is 

monitored by comparison of preconstruction and 

postconstruction aerial photographs. Early morning 

aerial photographs to inventory roosting sandhill 

cranes in Nebraska, coupled with river transect 

measurements, enabled biologists to monitor roosting 
habitat preferences. Overexposed color-infrared aerial 

photographs are being used to map submersed aquatic 

vegetation on national wildlife refuges along the James 

River in North Dakota. Similarly, aerial photographs 

have been used to map wetland habitat along the proposed right-of-way for the New Rockford Canal. A 

methodology for monitoring noxious weeds is being 

developed by analyzing aerial photos of areas in Montana to determine at what scale and time of year the 

weeds are most easily detected. 

Cultural Re.sources Inventories 

The National Park Service, Southwest Region, used 

large-scale aerial photographs (1 :3,000) to support inventory and evaluation of the archeological resources 

of the Chaco Culture National Historical Park in the 

southwestern United States. Direct plotting of archeological sites by visual comparison with the aerial 

photos provides a faster, more accurate method of 

recording the sites, more usable description of the 

physical environment, and reduced requirement for 

collection of field data. 

Forest Fuel Mapping and Fire Control 

Bureau of Land Management fire managers require 

a low-cost, effective means of mapping fire fuels for 

thousands of square kilometers of public lands. The 

Bureau, EROS Data Center, and NOAA jointly 

evaluated the use of data from the NOAA’s satelliteborne, advanced very-high-resolution radiometer 

(AVHRR) for mapping wildland fire fuels over 

170,000 sq km in eastern Oregon. They developed a 

geographically referenced data base containing terrain 

information, road network, ownership, and AVHRR 

data acquired during April, May, and June to produce 

a map of wildland fire fuels at a cost of 25 cents per 

square mile (2.6 sq km). The final fuel information was 

portrayed as a 1:250,000-scale map that is being used 

by fire management officers to help predict ignition 

probabilities, fire intensities, and rates of spread. An 

additional 368,000 sq km were mapped in Montana, 

Colorado, and Arizona. 

The National Park Service also is using 

1 :250,000-scale digital terrain tapes and Landsat TM 

data for mapping vegetation and modeling fire fuels in 

Alaska. 

Water Resource Analysis 

The Bureau of Reclamation developed a technique 

for atmospheric correction of Landsat data to permit 

estimating the state of nutrition in reservoir waters 

from remotely sensed images without concurrently 

gathered surface-truth data. It was successfully demonstrated with the processing of scenes of Flaming Gorge 

Reservoir from 1976, 1977, and 1978, during which 

time the reservoir had not been sampled. The bureaus 

also used aerial photographs to find sources of saline 

water within the drainage basin of the Dirty Devil 

River in Utah under the Colorado River Salinity Control Act. 

Side-looking airborne radar images of a portion of 

New Jersey are being studied to determine if fractures 

in the outcrop area of the Woodbury clay can be 

mapped. This cooperative project of USGS and the 

New Jersey Geological Survey is designed t.0 detect 

areas where fractures in the clay bed may limit or prevent its use for waste disposal. 

Irrigation Analysis 

A digital image-processing system was being installed in 1983 in the USGS Denver laboratories for 

mapping crops periodically on the High Plains in an 

eight-state area. The crop maps are used to select 

specific sites where the amount of ground-water 

pumped out is measured during the irrigation season. 

Pumpage is correlated with the drawdown of water 

from the Ogallala aquifer and requires continued 

monitoring to determine the benefits or adverse effects 

of the ground-water use. 

The Water Resources Division is using Landsat images to map crops during the irrigation season in the 

lower Colorado River Valley to aid in determining the 

amount of water diverted for irrigation, used by the 

crops, and returned to the river. The repetitive Landsat coverage is more cost-effective than repeatedly acquiring aerial photographs for the same purpose. 

The Bureau of Reclamation and the state of Wyoming are applying remote-sensing techniques to assessing the beneficial use of water in the 39,000-sq-km Upper Green River basin. Data from satellite images and 

aerial photographs are statistically linked to provide irrigated area estimates. Estimates of reservoir surface 

areas assist in computation of evaporation losses. An 

investigation also is comparing the capabilities of three 

digital image sets - Landsat MSS data, thematic mapper simulator data, and airborne MSS data-for inventorying irrigated agriculture near Delta, Utah. A 

computer-enhanced Landsat MSS image of geologic 

structures aided the Wyoming Water Development 

Commission in choosing a site for a deep well for irrigation east of Greybull, Wyoming. 

Weather Monitoring 

The Bureau of Reclamation uses a Geostationary 

Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES), managed and operated by NOAA, as a source of real-time 

cloud images for all Division of Atmospheric 

Resources research field projects, and digital satellite 

data are used for the Sierra Cooperative Pilot Project. 

The data aid in forecasting experimental events, controlling activities, and analyzing results. Specific 

analyses include identification of cloud types, time 

histories of cloud systems, and studies of potential 

downwind effects from cloud seeding. The analyses 
will contribute to understanding winter orographic 

storm systems. 

The bureau is continuing its data collection using 

portable meteorological monitoring or PROBE (portable remote observation of environment) stations. 

Each station is solar powered and measures wind speed 

and direction, temperature, relative humidity, 

barometric pressure, precipitation, and battery status. 

The measurements are transmitted hourly to a geostationary satellite, which relays the data to a ground 

station in Denver. The ground station can receive and 

record data from up to 240 stations per hour and disseminate the data to project scientists as weather 

developments occur. The Bureau of Land Management has begun to use the GOES satellite to relay data 

collected from remote automatic weather stations 

(RAWS) to its ground station at the Boise Interagency 

Fire Center, Boise, Idaho. 

Mine Development and Safety Monitoring 

Large-scale aerial photographs of active surface coal 

mine areas in the Appalachian and Midwest coal 

basins are used by the Office of Surface Mining in inspection and enforcement, to detect, inventory, and 

monitor active areas. A manual for interpretation of 

low-altitude aerial photographs of surface mining 

operations was completed to aid the mine inspection. 

Aerial coverage of alluvial valley floor areas in the 

western U.S. coal states also supports review of mine 

plans and examination of the impact of mining on an 

entire watershed. Thermal-infrared scanner images 

aid in mapping underground mine fires. 

Landsat data help the Bureau of Land Management 

monitor for possible unauthorized removals of federally owned mineral resources in Arkansas, Missouri, 11- 

linois, and Ohio. 

Geology 

Geologic Hazards 

Aerial photographs aided the compilation of a report 

on volcanic hazards to Bureau of Reclamation dams in 

the Cascade Range of Oregon and California. Aerial 

photographs also helped find potential geologic 

hazards, including faults and landslides, at nine dam 

sites scattered throughout the western United States. 

Aerial thermal-infrared-scanner images of two dam 

sites were analyzed to try to locate paths of water 

seepage from the reservoirs. 

Glaciological and Geological Studies of Antarctica 

The Satellite Glaciology Project of USGS used 

remotely sensed data to support a variety of 

glaciological and geological investigations in Antarctica. Because the Landsat image contains the precise 

time of acquisition, time-lapse measurements have 

been made of the dynamics of the coast of Antarctica. 

Landsat images of the Amery Ice Shelf and terminus 

of the Lambert Glacier were made into a mosaic as a 

1 :500,000-scale base for compilation of 1- and 5-meter 

contours derived from 45 traverses by the Seasat 

satellite’s radar altimeter. The experiment reconfirmed 

the usefulness of satellite image mosaics and maps as 

the compilation base for various geological, 

glaciological, and geophysical data. Preliminary 

research with the British Antarctic Survey established 

that Landsat images of Antarctica can be used to 

prepare 1 : 1,000,000-scale planimetric maps of coastal 

areas, bedrock exposures, and blue-ice areas. 

Space Shuttle Radar Imaging 

During the second flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia in November 1981, 24-centimeter-wavelength 

electromagnetic signals from the Shuttle imaging radar 

experiment (SIR-A) penetrated the extremely dry sand 

sheets, dunes, and drift sand of the eastern Sahara in 

Egypt and the Sudan to reveal previously unknown 

buried valleys, geologic structures, and probable Stone 

Age occupation sites. 

Under the sponsorship of NASA, the USGS 

Geologic Division and the Egyptian Geological Survey 

and Mining Authority conducted ground reconnaissance of parts of the SIR-A swath in Egypt. Many 

test pits were dug in the eolian veneer along the radardetected valleys, and alluvium was found in most of the 

pits at depths of a few centimeters to 0.3 meter. At one 

site artifacts were discovered from all three of the 

known episodes of human occupation. 

The ability to map ancient, sand-buried drainage 

patterns - and, by inference, potential sources of nearsurface ground water and possible placer deposits - offers earth scientists a new means of exploring the 

resources of the earth‘s hyperarid regions. Because the 

electrical properties of the extremely dry Sahara sands 

approach those of the average surface on Mars, the 

results of the SIR-A mission have generated interest in 

the potential use of imaging radar for further studies of 

Mar’s geologic history. 

Cartography 

Landsat 4 

The EROS Data Center investigated the effect of the 

combined attributes of finer spatial resolution (28.5 

meters versus 59) and greater spectral sensitivity 

(seven bands versus four) for TM data versus MSS 

data acquired from Landsat 4. TM data provided four 

channels of unique information for resource management, in contrast to two in the MSS data. The improved spatial resolution of TM data aided in locating 

roads, small stock ponds, and many other land 

features, permitting positive identification of land- 
marks. It also permitted more efficient manual interpretations of land use, better identification of 

resources, and improved assessment of ecological 

status of natural vegetation. 

Improved spectral resolution of TM data provided a 

new source of information for natural-resource assessment. TM band 5 and band 7 aided in defining water 

resources, wetland vegetation resources, and other important terrain features. The added information was 

useful for both manual interpretation and digital data 

classification of vegetation and land features. If TM 

products become available regularly, they will have a 

high potential for reducing field work needed to 

monitor rangeland vegetation and land conditions. 

Image Mapping 

The National Mapping Division continued its 

research into conversion of Landsat data into image 

maps. During the year several experimental maps were 

produced-all based on different kinds of data and 

meeting national map accuracy standards for the most 

part: 

Las Vegas 1 :250,000-scale satellite image map 

(color), covering a standard 1 O by 2" quadrangle 

from a digital mosaic of four Landsat 3 MSS images. The conventional map and the image map 

were printed back to back. 

Dyersburg 1 : 100,000-scale satellite image map 

(color), covering a standard 30- by 60-minute 

quadrangle and produced from one Landsat 4 TM 

image. It was also published in dual form with the 

line map. 

New Bedford 1 : 100,000-scale, return-beam-vidicon (RBV) satellite image map of the Cape Cod 

area, covering an area 30 by 67 minutes. 

Alaska - Several 1 :250,000-scale quadrangles of 

the North Slope area were published with various 

treatments of MSS and RBV data. 

Foreign areas - USGS cooperated with other 

U.S. and foreign agencies to produce Landsat image maps of portions of Morocco, Tunisia, Saudi 

Arabia, and Kenya. 

USGS and NOAA. The maps indicate the Landsat 

path and row system for Landsat 1, 2, 3, and 4 (and 5 

when flown). The maps also summarize the U.S. 

(EROS Data Center) holdings of Landsat I, 2, and 3 

global coverage. 

Aerial Profiling of Terrain System 

The aerial profiling of terrain system (APTS), under 

development since 1974, will be a precision, airborne, 

surveying system that can measure elevation profiles 

across various terrains from a light aircraft at flight 

heights up to 1,000 meters above the ground. Fabrication, integration, and extensive laboratory testing of 

the components (navigation, tracker, profiler, and 

video subsystems) have been completed at the Charles 

Stark Draper Laboratory in Cambridge. The components have been installed in a Twin Otter aircraft 

based at Hanscom Field, Massachusetss. Both ground 

and flight tests will determine system accuracies and 

identify and correct any remaining problems. 

International Activities 

Workshops 

During 1983, two five-week remote-sensing 

workshops for a total of 22 scientists from 12 countries 

were held at the EROS Data Center. Twenty-one 

workshops over the last 10 years have trained more 

than 400 participants from more than 70 countries. 

Subjects included basic considerations of remote sensing, sources of data, information extraction techniques, and applications for resource management and 

planning. 

International Cooperation in Fuels Exploration 

The EROS Data Center and the People's Republic 

of China's Scientific Research Institute for Petroleum 

Exploration and Development completed a cooperative 

investigation of applications of remote sensing to 

petroleum exploration. Geologic characteristics of the 

Oaidam Basin in China and the Uinta Basin in the '1 ~ 

United States were interpreted. Digital geologic data 

bases were developed, and digital techniques for processing image and ancillary data were tested. 

Index Maps 

Twenty-six Landsat index maps covering the world 

at the scale of 1:10,000,000 were jointly published by 

57 
Department of Agriculture 

During 1983, the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

(USDA) continued development of aerospace remotely 

sensed data as a source of information for research and 

operational programs and took steps to enhance the use 

of data from civil weather and land-observing satellite 

systems in present global crop-monitoring activities. 

By the end of 1983, the midpoint of the 

AgRISTARS (Agricultural and Resources Inventory 

Surveys through Aerospace Remote Sensing) program, several significant milestones had been reached. 

AgRISTARS - a multiyear, multiagency research 

program to test applications of aerospace remotesensing technology to agriculture and renewable 

resources - continued to focus on priority information 

requirements, notably those related to monitoring crop 

conditions and improving crop acreage and land-use 

statistics. AgRISTARS is the focal point for spacerelated remote-sensing research within USDA, and includes research activities in the Statistical Reporting 

Service, the Agricultural Research Service, and the 

Soil Conservation Service, as well as other member 

agencies of the department. In a continuing effort to 

achieve greater efficiency, the organizational structure 

of AgRISTARS was reviewed again and modified to 

assign individual research agencies in USDA specific 

research topics. The AgRISTARS Program Management Group will coordinate the individual tasks and 

projects. 

Significant technical achievements in the 

AgRISTARS program in calendar 1983 included 

development of processing and analysis capabilities for 

thematic mapper (TM) data from the Landsat 4 earth 

resources satellite, which has been circling the earth 

since July 1982. The TM, a new, experimental sensor, 

produces data that have much higher resolution than 

the data from the Landsat’s multispectral scanner 

(MSS). Evaluation and assessment of advantages to be 

derived from the higher-resolution TM data is 

proceeding. Landsat MSS data were a basic source of 

information for a land-use and land-cover classification 

system prepared for Missouri, and gridded data bases 

were developed for the central United States. The data 

bases - which contain soil information, crop statistics, 

meteorological data, vegetative index numbers, and 

related data in crop stress and soil moisture-will 

facilitate present research and will provide a 

framework for later operational assessment of crop 

conditions, crop acreage, and delineation of areas 

where major changes are taking place. Of particular 

note is AgRISTARS’s use of Landsat data in making 

and improving acreage estimates for major crops in 

seven states. 

Analysis of data from meteorological satellites intensified in an effort to explore alternatives to Landsat 

data. In particular, data from the advanced very-highresolution radiometer (AVHRR), a sensor on the 

polar-orbiting meteorological satellites in the National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s NOAA 

series, are being scrutinized in an attempt to extend the 

use of meteorological satellites in observations of the 

earth. A significant achievement of the AgRISTARS 

program was the holding of a “technical interchange” 

for topics on the AVHRR in June 1983. This special 

workshop brought together researchers from USDA, 

the academic research community, and other federal 

members of AgRISTARS - NOAA, of the Department of Commerce, and the National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration - in a productive exchange of information in this relatively new applications area. 

Within the AgRISTARS program, an independent 

evaluation of meteorological satellite products was 

begun as routine production of these products continued, including global-vegetation-index maps, 

Northern Hemisphere snow maps, and data on 

Western Hemisphere insolation. Routine production 

of daily maximum, minimum, and plant-canopy 

temperatures based on meteorological satellite data 

also began during the year. 

An important feature of AgRISTARS is research 

toward a better understanding of basic environmental 

factors that influence plant growth and that must be 

considered in the development of sensing systems. Soil 

moisture is one of the basic determinants of plant 

growth, and AgRISTARS research included an experiment using an aircraft-mounted microwave sensor 

to determine soil moisture conditions over a Minnesota 

watershed. Studies of the influence of weather on crop 

yields continued, and models of weather and crop 

growth relationships were developed, tested, and 

evaluated. 

To achieve greater efficiency in using aerospace 

remotely sensed data to monitor global crop conditions, the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) moved 

59 
its Foreign Crop Condition Assessment Division from 

NASA’s Johnson Space Center USC) in Houston to 

Washington, D.C. The division had been placed at 

JSC to facilitate the transfer of technology from the 

NASA center. The move reflects the FAS desire to integrate more effectively crop assessments derived from 

Landsat and weather satellite data with information 

from the other sources, such as attach6 reports, foreign 

government and commodity trade reports, and information from the press and other media. 

60 
Federal Communications Commission 

International and domestic satellite communications 

networks continued to grow and to improve services in 

1983 to meet the expanding demand. The International Telecommunications Satellite Organization 

(INTELSAT) upgraded its 17-satellite global service 

with launches of the sixth and seventh satellites of the 

Intelsat V series. Five new U.S. domestic satellites 

were launched, and orbital spacings between domestic 

satellites were reduced to permit growth of existing 

systems and provide for introduction of new systems. 

The International Maritime Satellite Organization 

(INMARSAT) requested proposals from industry for 

additional maritime satellite capability. INMARSAT 

has a lease agreement with INTELSAT to provide 

maritime communication service through 1985 using 

Intelsat V and V-A satellites. Several new specialized 

satellite systems were proposed for mobile and dataacquisition services, as well as two new commercial 

systems proposed for international services. 

Communications Satellites 

ZNTELSA T 

The INTELSAT global communications system at 

the beginning of 1983 consisted of two Intelsat IV 

satellites, five Intelsat IV-As, and five Intelsat Vs. Zntelsat VF-6 and VF-7 were launched during 1983, with 

V F-7 in October as the first Intelsat satellite launched 

on a European Space Agency Ariane launch vehicle. 

During the year, the operational satellites were reconfigured in the operational zones: two IVs, three IV-As, 

and four Vs in the Atlantic Ocean Region; three Vs in 

the Indian Ocean Region; and two IV-As and one V in 

the Pacific Ocean Region. Zntelsat V F-8 was scheduled 

for early 1984 launch on an Ariane. Intelsat V F-9 and 

V-A F-10 were to be launched in 1984 on NASA AtlasCentaur launch vehicles. 

Four new Communications Satellite Corporation 

(Comsat) ground stations in the Federated States of 

Micronesia and two in the Marshall Islands joined the 

INTELSAT global system via the Pacific Ocean 

satellites. Comsat’s Santa Paula, California, station 

provides leased television channels to Australia via the 

Pacific Ocean satellites; and Andover, Maine, and 

Santa Paula stations were equipped to provide Armed 

Forces Radio TV services to military personnel stationed in Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Ocean regions. 

Time-division multiple-access digital-speech (TDMADSI) modulation was introduced in the Atlantic Ocean 

Region served by Intelsat V satellites. INTELSAT 

also approved the use of Standard E and Standard Z 

antennas for ground stations using satellites for digital 

business service and domestic services. 

Maritime 

The commission on January 20, 1983, completed 

action to make its rules for ship stations conform to 

INMARSAT equipment and operational rrquirements. Environmental specifications for equipment 

were adopted using an option for “recommended” 

status; equipment authorization procedures were 

based on a new verification method; INMARSAT approval methods were adopted; witnessing of procedures was left at the option of the manufacturer; 

ship-station licensing and dissemination of 

INMARSAT documentation to U.S. entities were 

provided for. INMARSAT began to lease services 

through the Zntelsat V F-5, F-6, and F-7 satellites in the 

Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions. 

National and international efforts continued toward 

establishing a future global maritime distress and safety system. The system proposes a distress alerting 

capability by using emergency-position-indicating 

radio beacons for both polar and geostationary 

satellites and using INMARSAT in ship distress positions. The United States participated in a coordinated 

trial program conducted by the International Radio 

Consultative Committee to evaluate the effective 

isotrophic radiated power of satellites being developed 

by countries. The system is planned to be in operation 

by 1990. 

Domestic Commercial Communications Satellites 

The domestic commercial communications satellite 

network consists of 16 satellite locations with satellites 

operating in the 4-6 Gigahertz bands and 3 using the 

12-14 GHz bands. Two aging 4-6 GHz satellites 

operate in several of the 4-6 GHz locations, for higher 

efficiency. Westar 1, which was the first U.S. commercial domestic satellite (launched in 1974), was retired 

and kicked out of orbit after serving nine years. The 

commission has authorized the launch and assigned or61 
bital positions for 19 additional domestic satellites, 

which will bring the total number in orbit to 38 by 

1987. 

The commission reduced the orbital separations between domestic satellites in the 12-14 GHz bands from 

3" to 2" and adopted 2" as the basic, long-term orbital 

spacing criterion in the 4-6 GHz bands, instead of the 

present 4" separation. While it concluded that 2" orbital separation in the 12-14 GHz bands are technically feasible immediately with little cost to users, in the 

4-6 GHz bands the costs and difficulties warrant a 

more cautious approach, combining 3", 2.5" and 2" 

spacing. The average orbital spacing of 2.5" provides a 

transition to uniform 2" separations in the future and 

permits several years for amortizing and upgrading or 

replacing existing ground stations for the 4-6 GHz 

bands before operations begin with 2" spacing. Although 3O spacing in the 4-6 GHz bands would be the 

most expedient way to satisfy present orbital requirements, the commission concluded that this would 

be insufficient to meet future demands for orbital positions and would limit expansion. It also concluded that 

2" spacing is feasible technically with proper satellite 

and ground-station design, that operational standards 

and existing ground-station antennas will probably 

have to be upgraded or replaced, and that greater coordination will be needed between system operators. 

Benefits of the additional in-orbit capacity would 

outweigh the increased costs of these changes. Finally, 

an improved antenna-performance standard was 

adopted as a revision of part 25 of its rules, to reduce 

unwanted transmissions from ground-station antennas 

into satellites adjacent to intended receiver satellites. 

The commission noted that its action on reduced orbital spacing of U.S. domestic satellites does not prevent other Region 2 administrations from implementing their own domestic satellite systems and it reaffirmed its commitment to cooperate fully with other 

countries in the Western Hemisphere through the frequency coordination procedures of the international 

radio regulations. The FCC announced an agreement 

with Canada and Mexico on positioning satellites for 

the three countries between 100" and 120" west 

longitude. 

New technology for more efficient use of satellites 

and the frequency spectrum continues to bring economic benefits and improved services to satellite users. 

In addition to such new techniques as companded 

(compressing the voice channel for transmission and 

then expanding the received transmission) frequencydivision multiplexed-frequency modulation (CFDMFM) and companded single sideband (CSSB), the 

FCC has authorized a digital data transmission service 

that transmits a low-data-rate spread-spectrum signal 

(SSS) from 1.2-meter ground-station antennas in the 6 

GHz band. In the 12 GHz band, the FCC has authorized the use of domestic satellite transponders to provide satellite-to-home television service to subscribers. 

Direct Broadcast Satellite Service 

Following a comprehensive inquiry and rulemaking, 

the commission granted construction permits to eight 

companies to construct Direct Broadcast Satellites 

(DBS). Specific frequency and orbital assignments 

were agreed to at the Region 2 Regional Administrative Radio Conference in 1983 (RARC-83). 

Following the conference, the FCC outlined further 

procedures for processing the proposals of the eight 

companies that have construction permits. It accepted 

three other applications for filing and invited other new 

proposals. All proposals will be modified to conform to 

the Final Acts of the RARC-83 conference or a showing will have to be made that the proposals can be 

technically and procedurally consistent with the agreement. The FCC intends to use the international plan 

as the primary basis for domestic use of the DBS service. The technical specifications used for planning at 

RARC-83 provide significant technical flexibility for 

system variations that are not inconsistent with them. 

The FCC expects that U.S. licensees will wish to take 

full advantage of this flexibility. 

International Conference Activities 

The United States prepared position papers and proposals for submission to the RARC-83 Conference, 

held in Geneva from June 13 to July 17, 1983. The 

satellite plan that evolved from the conference was 

satisfactory to the U.S. The first eight Direct Broadcast 

Satellite applicants approved by the FCC can be ac-. 

commodated, as well as the three that are pending. 

The United States was assigned 8 orbital positions with 

32 channels allotted to each, and the Final Acts of the 

conference contain sufficient flexibility for a wide 

variety of system configurations within the U.S. The 

United States reserved its position on two technical 

issues: the satellite power incident on a service area 

and the polarization assigned to channels in a service 

area. Although not all the U.S. proposals were accepted by the conference, the plan adopted is acceptable and causes little concern to domestic implementation of DBS. 

FCC continued to prepare for the first session (July 

1985) of the World Administative Radio Conference 

(Space WARC). The second session will be held in 

1988. The conference will seeek to guarantee for all 

countries equitable access to the geostationary satellite 

orbit and the frequency bands allocated to space services. FCC released a Third Notice of Inquiry in October 1983, requesting public comment on preparations and the initial views expressed in the notice. The 

FCC Advisory Committee for Space WARC, bringing 

the nongovernment participants into the preparations, 

met in February, June, September, October, and 

December 1983. The committee developed a number 

of reports on its charter of work. A final report was 

submitted December 1983. 
New Specialized Satellite Systems 

In late November of 1982, NASA filed a Petition for 

Rulemaking urging the FCC to begin a proceeding 

toward establishing a commercial Land-Mobile 

Satellite Service. The service NASA envisioned would 

provide mobile telephone service in rural areas, longrange vehicle dispatch functions, data transmission 

and data collection, vehicle position determination, 

message distribution (paging), and emergency communications. It would operate on frequencies at 

821-825 MHz and 866-870 MHz during the developmental phase and would expand, if necessary, to frequencies at 845-851 MHz and 890-896 MHz in the 

operational phase. These 800 MHz frequencies are 

now reserved for the land-mobile service. The public 

was given an opportunity to comment on NASA's petition until April 1983. NASA was also exploring with 

the Canadian Department of Communications the 

possibility of obtaining channel capacity from a 

planned Canadian-government mobile satellite program under a cooperative arrangement. The channel 

capacity would be used by NASA for experimental 

purposes. 

Since NASA's petition, the FCC has received several 

applications from companies seeking developmental 

authority to construct and operate mobile satellite 

systems. The Mobile Satellite Corporation applied for 

a system to provide land-mobile satellite service at 800 

MHz and at 1500 MHz (L-band) along with 

aeronautical-mobile satellite service at the L-Band; the 

functions of the land-mobile service would be similar to 

those envisioned by NASA, while the aeronauticalmobile service would provide air-to-ground telephone 

service, airline-operation communications, and some 

air traffic control. The Skylink Corporation applied for 

a system to provide land-mobile service and thin-route 

point-to-point service at 800 MHz; the functions 

would be similar to those envisioned by NASA, with 

emphasis on data collection from remote sensors and 

on provision of rural telephone. The Geostar Corporation applied for a satellite system to provide dataacquisition satellite services at 1600-2400 MHz; the 

functions would include vehicle position and velocity 

determination for land and air, as well as message 

distribution. Geostar also petitioned the FCC to make 

frequency allocations to support this system in the 

bands 1610-1626.5 MHz, 2485-2500 MHz, and 

6425-7075 MHz. As a result of this new U.S. industry 

interest, NASA and the Canadian Department of 

Communications have agreed to examine an expanded 

framework for cooperation that would include both 

government and appropriate commercial telecommunications carriers in the two countries. 

Orion Satellite Company and International 

Satellite, Inc., filed proposals for new satellite systems 

for commercial international services. At the end of the 

year, the executive agencies were evaluating the potential foreign policy implications for INTELSAT of these 

proposals. 

63 
Department of Transportation 

Under the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, as amended, 

the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) - the aviation component of the Department of Transportation 

(DOT)- has the responsibility of both regulating and 

fostering civil aviation. In discharging this dual mission, FAA promotes aviation safety, controls the national airspace to ensure its safe and efficient use, 

operates a common system of air navigation and air 

traffic control for the benefit of civil and military aviation, fosters the development of civil aeronautics at 

home and abroad, promotes an effective national airport system, regulates airport safety, promotes aviation security, and sees to it that civil air operations are 

conducted in such a way as to do a minimum of harm 

to the environment. 

FAA conducts a variety of research programs. 

Research is done for the most part by FAA contractors, 

but FAA’s Technical Center at Atlantic City and its 

Civil Aeromedical Institute at Oklahoma City also take 

part, as does DOT’S Transportation Systems Center at 

Cambridge. At the same time, FAA conducts joint 

research and development with NASA, the Department of Commerce (DOC), and the Department of 

Defense (DoD) and works with foreign governments 

from time to time on projects of mutual benefit. 

FAA’s research programs fall into three principal 

areas: aviation safety, environmental research, and air 

navigation and traffic control. 

Aviation Safety 

Fire Safe& Research 

FAA has for some years conducted fire safety 

research to ensure that airline passengers in crashes 

they otherwise could survive are not trapped inside the 

planes by postcrash fires when fuel spewing from ruptured wing tanks ignites to form a fireball engulfing the 

plane. Research, development, and introduction of 

new standards and equipment to carry out the 1980 

recommendations of the Special Aviation Fire and Explosion Reduction (SAFER) Advisory Committee continued in 1983. 

The committee was made up of members from the 

airlines, aircraft industry, universities, public and 

private research organizations, and flight and cabin 

crews and was supported by 150 top technical experts 

in various fields of aviation fire safety. Its principal 

recommendations after two years’ study were the 

development of antimisting kerosene (AMK) to reduce 

or suppress postcrash fires, the design and use of 

emergency fuel-shutdown and explosion-suppression 

devices, the design and procurement of fuel tanks and 

fuel- tank systems capable of resisting rupture 

regardless of the deformation or failure of the surrounding aircraft structure, and the use of fire-resistant 

cabin interior materials, including fire-blocking 

cushion materials. 

In the next two years, evacuation slides and fire extinguishers were improved; new standards were 

established for flight-attendant seats, aircraft wheels 

and aircraft tires, life preservers, and child restraint 

systems. Fire-resistant cabin windows were developed, 

and more effective breathing devices and smoke venting equipment were introduced. The Air Canada inflight lavatory fire in June 1983, in which most of the 

fatalities were from smoke inhalation, gave new impetus to the effort. The year was marked by a number 

of further fire safety actions, also stemming from the 

1980 report: (1) fitting passenger and crew seats with 

layers of fire-resistant materials; (2) improving 

emergency light-marking systems to help speed 

evacuation; and (3) validating an antimisting kerosene 

technology. 

For the fire-blocking layers, which would encapsulate the seats with fire-resistant materials, a notice of 

proposed rulemaking was issued establishing performance criteria (keyed to the average weight loss of the 

material after it had been subjected to a high-intensity 

flame for two minutes). The standard, which would 

permit airline operators to use a variety of commercially available materials to meet their particular needs, 

was tentatively to go into effect within three years after 

the rule became final. On light-marking, FAA was 

satisfied that smoke from burning cabin materials was 

likely to be so heavy as to wholly obscure existing 

overhead emergency lighting and hinder evacuation. 

Accordingly, FAA issued a notice of proposed 

rulemaking establishing a standard for “floor proximity, escape path marking,” which would let airlines 

work out systems best suited to individual needs. The 

standard was to go into effect within two years of its 

adoption. 

In 1970 FAA, working with the British Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) and NASA, began ex- 
perimenting with a fuel modifier developed by the 

British and known as FM-9. When mixed in small 

amounts with jet kerosene, the modifier, a long-grain 

polymer, markedly reduced the tendency of fuel to 

mist and form a fireball when fuel ignited in crash 

landings. FAA built a wing-spillage facility at its 

Technical Center and demonstrated that, when ignited, conventional fuel quickly developed into a 

fireball, while the same kind of fuel modified by FM-9 

produced a minimal and easily controlled fire. The 

agency achieved the same result when it rammed a 

retired aircraft filled with regular, unmodified fuel into 

a mound of earth and later drove another plane with 

FM-9 added to its fuel into the same mound. The first 

plane burst into flame and was wholly consumed 

minutes after it hit the mound; there was scarcely any 

fire in the second plane, even though its fuel tanks 

burst and its fuel was ignited by burning particles from 

the crash. 

FAA was preparing a striking demonstration of 

FM-9's effectiveness for 1984. FAA will fill an old, 

four-engine jet transport with FM-9 modified AMK, 

and NASA will fly it by remote control into the floor of 

the Mojave Desert, simulating a survivable crash. The 

controlled impact will also provide FAA an opportunity to measure the crashworthiness of the aircraft and 

the effect of crash forces on the human body. The 

plane's fuselage, wings, and floor will be wired with 

sensors to collect data on their response to the crash. 

Dummies also will be wired to measure the force of the 

impact on human beings. The entire area of aircraft 

cabin safety is expected to be the subject of proposed 

rulemaking in 1984. 

Aviation Security Research 

FAA's aviation security program again emphasized 

research in detecting explosives. Long-standing programs developing devices to detect explosives in air 

cargo, checked baggage, and baggage carried by individual persons continued, and a new program on 

automatic detection of flammable liquids began. A nationwide explosive-detection conference reviewed the 

state of the art and examined new developments. FAA 

pursued four continuing explosive detection programs 

during 1983, named for the most part for the basic 

scientific principle on which each is based. 

X-Ray Absorption. A new device detects explosives by 

automatic, computer-based analysis of the size, shape, 

and x-ray density of the baggage checked. Operational 

evaluation of the device, the first of its kind to be 

developed anywhere in the world, indicated that it has 

the potential of meeting FAA requirements for a 

dependable explosive-detection system. An advanced, 

adoptive algorithm was designed to enhance its detection capability and reduce false responses. A 90-day 

operational evaluation of the device at Dulles Interna66 

tional Airport revealed its performance to be greatly 

improved by the new algorithm. 

Thermal-Neutron Activation. In an advanced system, 

explosives are detected by identifying the nuclear reaction peculiar to the explosive material present when it 

is bombarded with thermal neutrons. Test data taken 

at Pittsburgh and Boston airports showed the system 

had good possibilities for detecting explosives in air 

cargo and checked baggage. The research and development contract was modified in 1983 to enhance the 

detection algorithm of the system and to provide for 

gathering additional operational data. 

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. The basic principle of 

another device is to capture and display the 

characteristic reponse of molecules of explosives when 

they are subjected to magnetic and pulsed radio frequencies. Analysis of the data obtained with a 

laboratory model revealed that the concept was feasible 

experimentally, but test results during a two-week 

evaluation at Dallas-Fort Worth Regional Airport 

were disappointing. A scheduled operational evaluation was postponed, and the contract was extended to 

permit additional research. 

Walk-By Explosives Detector. FAA has spent a great 

deal of effort in the recent past trying to develop a 

device that would routinely detect explosives carried by 

individual persons, but without success. However, 

because of recent developments in vapor-collection and 

sampling technology, DOT'S Transportation System 

Center has been authorized to contract for new private 

development of explosive detectors suitable for the purpose. 

Further, in a departure unlike anything it had tried 

before, the center undertook in 1983 the development 

of a flammable-liquid detector for preboarding screening of passengers and their carry-on baggage. The ease 

with which Cubans from the Marie1 boatlift have been 

able to carry bottled gasoline aboard air carrier aircraft 

made such a development necessary. In the laboratory, 

it has been possible to determine the vapor signatures 

of gasoline and gasoline's leakage rates from sealed 

containers. Doing this operationally, however, has 

proved difficult. Commercially available flammableliquid detectors do not have the sensitivity needed to 

meet FAA's requirements. The center is pursuing the 

problem. 

In April 1983, FAA hosted a conference of representatives from the federal government, universities, 

and industry to review past and present FAA 

explosive-detection programs and to suggest new 

methods. Recommendations of the 65 attendees, 

formed in working groups, were turned over to the 

center and FAA. 

Medical Safety Research 

FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute at Oklahoma City 

researches medical aspects of aviation safety and 

publishes its findings in research studies. 
The following were among studies published in 

1983 : 

Crashworthiness: An Illustrated Commentary on Occupant Survival in General Aviation Accidents. The illustrated commentary presents some basic concepts of crash dynamics and crash forces, explains 

the mechanisms responsible for injuries to occupants, and makes clear the value of effective 

restraints, including shoulder harnesses, lapbelts 

and properly designed and secured seats. 

Characteristics of Medically Disqualified Airline Pilots. 

The study - after summarizing the section in 

Federal Aviation Regulation Part 67 that specifies 

the physical and mental conditions that can result 

in denial of the first-class medical certificate to a 

pilot - examines the record to ascertain at what 

ages and why pilots had been denied certificates. 

The study found that age-specific denial rates for 

airline pilots increased with age to the highest rate 

interval, age 55-59, and that the most significant 

causes for denial were cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric. 

Some Effects of Smoking Withdrawal on Complex Performance and Physiological Responses. Seventeen 

habitual smokers, nine women and eight men, 

23-59 years of age, were studied at simulated aircraft cabin altitudes of 2,000 meters. They were 

given monitoring, tracking, and problem-solving 

tasks to do, and their performance was measured 

while smoking and during withdrawal. The study 

found a significant drop in alertness and a tendency toward longer reaction times during withdrawal. The study suggested that the decrease in 

attentiveness during withdrawal might possibly 

require prohibition of smoking on the flight deck 

by air crew members. 

An Analysis of Potential Protective Breathing Devices Intended for Use by Aircraft Passengers. A series of tests 

evaluated concepts for developing an effective 

breathing device to protect aircraft passengers 

against toxic smoke and fumes from inflight fires. 

The study concluded that, of the devices tested, an 

oxygen mask modified to incorporate a controlleduse rebreather reservoir offered the best protection. 

Airport Pavement Research 

Congress, in the Airport and Airway Improvement 

Act of 1982, directed FAA to give top priority to improving aircraft braking and directional control on wet 

runways. Congress was especially concerned with runways used by turbojet aircraft, which have higher landing speeds and a greater potential for hydroplaning on 

wet runways than do other aircraft. Research by the 

agency in previous years has led the way. In the past 

six years, 363 airports using federal airport development funds have improved one or more of their principal runways either by grooving the surfaces, using 

porous-friction-course overlays on them, or covering 

them with aggregate friction-seal courses or rubberized 

friction courses - improvements that FAA had helped 

develop in most instances. 

Among present major research projects of the agency are studies to establish structural criteria for bearing 

high traffic levels at hub airports. Some existing pavement designs are extrapolations of post-World War I1 

concepts, and their adequacy for present hub traffic requires verification. FAA is reviewing them with the 

Department of Defense and the U.S. Army Waterways 

Experimental Station at Vicksburg, Mississippi, which 

has also begun to study criteria for rigid and 

bituminous airport-runway overlays to find a more 

competitive approach. 

FAA is exploring the practicability of building 

pavements from indigenous materials at remote sites 

where conventional building materials are not readily 

available. Local sand and silt, put under pressure in 

honeycomb mats, may be converted into uniform grids 

or cells several inches deep to form an unusually strong 

and easily constructed pavement. Such pavements 

have been successfully built by the military in Alaska 

and may be useful for remote utility airports. Criteria 

are being developed and validated for their possible use 

at airports where conventional materials cannot easily 

be justified because of cost. 

In 1983, a pavement research project also was begun 

to develop a practicable mixed rubber and asphalt concrete that would use discarded rubber tires, a 

recyclable waste available throughout the country in 

great abundance. While there has as yet been no proof 

that the use of an extender of this sort will, when mixed 

with asphalt, make a safe and durable pavement, 

preliminary investigation suggests that there is a good 

possibility that it will. A contract was awarded and 

work begun on the mix specification, construction procedures, and quality control techniques required. 

When the research reaches the point that pavements 

incorporating a rubber-asphalt mix can be laid down, 

the ability to sustain heavy air traffic will be checked. If 

they prove durable, the savings of rubber-asphalt mix 

over asphalt will be impressive. 

Environmental Research 

In 1983, to carry out FAA's mission to limit adverse 

environmental effects of aviation, research centered on 

two principal areas: the reduction of helicopter noise 

and the control of aircraft engine emissions. In a third 

area, efforts were begun to establish an early warning 

system to limit harm from clouds of volcanic ash on inflight aircraft. 

In 1982, FAA joined NASA and four major U.S. 

helicopter manufacturers in a five-year research pro67 
gram to advance helicopter noise control and to improve ability to predict noise levels - aspects of the 

problem that are essential to FAA development of 

standards for civil helicopters. During the summer of 

1983, FAA made noise measurements of seven modern 

helicopters at Dulles International Airport, which, 

with previous research in the area, will help formulate 

standards. 

The Environmental Protection Agency revised its 

existing aircraft engine emission standards in 1983, 

making it necessary for FAA, under the Clean Air Act, 

to enforce these new standards. FAA issued regulations 

putting them into effect for newly manufactured 

engines in 1984. 

During 1983, a new environmental research problem caused by an outbreak of volcanic eruptions 

throughout the world engaged the attention of FAA 

and NASA. Jet aircraft were increasingly flying into 

clouds of volcanic ash in the atmosphere and having to 

shut engines down when they began ingesting the ash. 

The solution was a system to detect ash-filled clouds, or 

volcanic plumes, in sufficient time for air traffic controllers to route traffic around them. FAA proposed to 

use the total-ozone-mapping system (TOMS) of 

NASA’s Nimbus 7 satellite to detect the volcanic plumes 

by their sulfur dioxide content. TOMS is believed to 

have the capability to detect the clouds; whether it is 

practical to provide information rapidly enough to 

route aircraft around them was being investigated by 

both agencies as 1983 ended. 

Air Navigation and Traffic Control 

National Airspace System Plan 

FAA improved management, procurement, and 

contracting procedures to carry out the 450-page National Airspace Systems (NAS) Plan it had issued in 

January 1982 for modernizing its air navigation and 

traffic control system to meet the projected traffic 

demands of the next two decades. The plan called for 

replacing existing air traffic control computers with 

faster and more powerful units, introducing improved 

controller work stations with the latest state-of-the-art 

equipment, and upgrading the entire air traffic control 

function to higher levels of automation. Other key 

elements of the plan include acquiring improved 

radars, deploying an improved secondary radar 

system, establishing advanced airport landing aids, introducing new software add-ons to improve the 

automated air-traffic-control radar-terminal system, 

replacing outdated vacuum-tube communications and 

navigation equipment with the latest in solid-state 

technology, and upgrading at all levels the weather 

services provided to the nation’s pilots. FAA recognized that to carry out the plarl would require obligations of about $10 billion for the first 10 years alone. 

In April 1983, the agency issued an updated edition 

of the plan, detailing “the system definitions and subsystem decisions” made during the year to modernize 

the air navigation and air traffic control system. Four 

months later, the agency established a high-level, sixmember Federal Aviation Advisory Committee, 

drawn in large part from the private sector, to provide 

independent analysis of the plan and its component 

programs. 

En Route Air TraffiG Control System 

The en route traffic control system was automated in 

the late 1960s and early 1970s. Its initial capabilities included the automatic processing and distribution of instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plans, automatic 

beacon and radar tracking of controlled aircraft, and 

presentation of aircraft location, identity, speed, and 

altitude on controller displays. In time, computer software and hardware enhancements and new microprocessors provided conflict alerts and minimum-safealtitude warnings as well as a direct-access radar channel (DARC), which could take over and operate the 

air-route traffic control center’s radar data-processing 

(RDP) system when the main computer complex failed 

or was shut down for maintenance. The basic problem 

at the control centers at the time the NAS plan was 

published was their central IBM 9020 computers. An 

excellent computer in its time, the 9020 is outdated and 

cannot take care of the projected traffic growth at the 

end of the decade or accommodate the higher levels of 

automation or the integration of the en route and terminal automation functions. To meet the near-term en 

route needs, the 9020 must be replaced by a host computer that will provide the hardware reliability and 

capacity for air traffic needs of the late 1980s and early 

1990s. To meet the longer term needs for the 1990s 

and beyond, a total new automation system design will 

be required. 

In December 1982, FAA issued a request for proposals for replacing the IBM 9020 computers. The new 

mainframe computers will be using the existing 9020 

software. In September 1983, two major industry 

teams were awarded competitive design contracts for 

the new computer. They are to deliver their designs in 

early 1985, and plans are to award the production contract for the new host computer in mid-1985, with installation a year later. The new computers will provide 

for traffic at the largest centers through 1995, increase 

hardware reliability, and reduce energy consumption, 

as well as handle some additional air traffic control 

functions. 

Concurrently with the host computer procurement, 

FAA will award contracts for the design, development, 

and production of an advanced automation system 

(AAS). The AAS is to be a total automation system 

that includes new controller sector suites (or work stations), new computer software, and a computer hard- 
ware system built around an improved communications network. The new sector suites will replace 

today’s radar displays and add an electronic flight-datapresentation capability, providing a more efficient environment for the controllers. 

FAA issued a request for proposals for the AAS 

design competition in April 1983. Industry proposals 

were received in September 1983. The full deployment 

of the AAS is scheduled for 1992. 

Terminal Air Trajic Control Systems 

At the time the NAS plan was published, the radar 

terminal system included ARTS (automated radar terminal system) 111s at 63 medium and high-density 

radar-terminals and 84 ARTS-I1 systems at low- and 

medium-traffic airports, whose traffic volume did not 

justify the much more expensive ARTS-111. The 

ARTS-I11 system was fully operational in the 

mid-l970s, the ARTS-I1 system in 1981. 

Using broadband radar and digital alphanumerics in 

the same display, ARTS-I11 systems tracked airborne 

radar beacon traffic and informed terminal controllers 

of aircraft identity, altitude, and ground speed in 

digital, electrically written data tags that appeared on 

the radar displays beside the target radar “blips.” 

Significant software enhancements were added to the 

basic system at the busiest terminals: conflict alert and 

minimum-safe-altitude warning, ability to track aircraft not equipped with transponders, and the software 

and hardware to take over and operate the system in 

any computer failure. Terminal systems with these 

capabilities were named ARTS-IIIAs. 

Under the NAS plan, the ARTS-IIIAs will be upgraded further by adding sufficient memory to take 

care of traffic growth until the advanced automation 

system can replace ARTS. A contract for the additional memory will be awarded in March 1984, and it 

is expected to be in place at all ARTS-IIIA terminals 

by April 1986. 

The NAS plan also provides for upgrading the 84 

ARTS-11s in the system. This ARTS-I1 was built 

around a minicomputer that gave the controller a 

direct, alphanumeric readout of the identity and 

altitude of transponder-equipped aircraft whose radar 

beacon it was interrogating. Unlike the ARTS-111, 

however, it does not compute or display their ground 

speed. Nor does it track aircraft whose flight data it is 

receiving, whether they are transponder equipped or 

not. Under the NAS plan, add-on software and expanded computer capability will give the ARTS-11s the 

same conflict-alert and minimum-safe-altitude 

capabilities as the en route centers and ARTS-I11 terminals, as well as the same aircraft-tracking ability. 

The development, begun in March 1982, was continued in 1983 and scheduled to be completed in May 

1984. 

Ground-to-Air Systems 

FAA’s ground-to-air systems include (in addition to 

the communications equipment tying them together) 

navigation aids, instrument landing systems, and 

primary and secondary radar surveillance systems. 

The NAS plan provided for the substantial upgrading 

of all three groups. 

Under the plan, all existing vacuum-tube navigational aids, including the very-high-frequency omnidirectional ranges (VORs) with distance-measuring 

equipment and VORs with tactical air navigation units 

(VORTACs) will be replaced by 950 new solid-state 

VORs and VORTACs, a total sufficient to cover the 

entire country. The advanced design of the new aids 

will make them much more efficient than the vacuumtube units and much less susceptible to failure. The 

new equipment will include remote-control 

maintenance, permitting adjustments from miles away 

without the need for costly trips to the transmitter site. 

Procurement is well advanced, and all VORs and 

VORTACs contracted for are expected to be in place 

by the year 2000. In addition, FAA plans to integrate 

all the navigation surveillance and communications 

facilities into “networks” that will ensure coverage of 

the country by a reduced number of facilities at significant savings over the existing system. 

The need to replace the instrument landing system 

(ILS) was recognized in the late 1960s after a comprehensive review of the projected aviation needs through 

the year 2000. The microwave landing system (MLS) 

was developed and internationally adopted. In 

November 1981, the International Civil Aviation 

organization (ICAO) officially approved a transition 

from ILS to MLS and approved initial standards for 

the new system. 

The MLS, with 1,250 units planned in the National 

Airspace System, is to be completely phased in around 

the world by the late 1990s. In addition to providing 

precision landing guidance to the full range of civil and 

military aircraft and for all landing categories, the 

MLS, unlike the ILS, is only minimally affected by 

surrounding terrain, structures, and weather conditions. And, again unlike the ILS, whose singleapproach path limits airport capacity and exacerbates 

noise and congestion as traffic density increases, the 

MLS adapts well to noise-abatement procedures and 

provides an improved approach-and-landing capability 

ranging from a straight-in-approach to meet simple 

needs to a three-dimensional, wide-angle capability for 

curved approaches, permitting automatic landings on 

closely spaced runways in all weather conditions. 

In 1978, FAA began service-testing three MLS prototype systems - a basic, wide-aperture system for 

large airports; a basic, narrow-aperture system for 

medium-size airports; and a small community system 

for small airports. Two commuter airlines and two 

helicopter operators made the tests, for development 

69 
by 1985 of the operational procedures and criteria. 

FAA and NASA also began to develop complex 

(curved) approach procedures. Engineering specifications for the MLS production contract were completed 

in 1982. In April 1983, the Secretary of Transportation 

approved procurement of all 1,250 MLS units called 

for in the NAS plan. That month, FAA issued a request for proposals to acquire the first 172 units over a 

five-year period. A contract for the 172 will be awarded 

early in 1984, with first units scheduled for installation 

in 1986. 

A further key component of the NAS plan is the 

Mode S radar beacon system, a new secondary radar 

system of advanced ground sensors and radar beacon 

transponders that will replace the existing air-trafficcontrol radar-beacon system (ATCRBS) as the 

primary tracking and surveillance system for FAA’s 

automated air traffic control. Mode S is superior to the 

present radar beacon system in that it interrogates 

transponder-equipped aircraft individually and selectively instead of calling all aircraft. This capability 

eliminates overlapping and garbled responses in congested airspace, provides more accurate positional information on the aircraft being interrogated, and 

avoids the radar beacon interference that is a problem 

with ATCRBS. Mode S also provides a channel for a 

future automatic data link between pilot and ground 

and opens the possibility of a whole new range of automatic safety services for the pilot. 

Under development for the past several years, the 

Mode S system reached the procurement stage in 

1983. A contract for 137 ground stations was expected 

to be awarded in May 1984, with the first delivery in 

1987. 

Delivery of the new long-range ARSR-3 air-route 

surveillance radars, procured in a previous period, was 

completed with the commissioning at Honolulu in 

January 1983 of the 23d and last radar. 

In September, FAA let one of the largest radar contracts in the agency’s history, for 137 ASR-9 airportsurveillance radars. The ASR-9s, which are of solidstate construction with built-in fault-detection and selfdiagnostic capabilities, will begin delivery in 30 

months. The new radar has separate channels for the 

detection of aircraft targets and weather. Unlike earlier 

air traffic control radars, the weather channel will be 

able to present six levels of weather intensity, permitting terminal controllers to guide pilots away from turbulence, wind gusts, lightning, and hail. 

The NEXRAD next-generation Doppler-weatherradar project, a key program of the NAS plan, proceeded apace during the year. Jointly sponsored by the 

Departments of Commerce, Defense, and Transportation, the program is developing a network of commonuse Doppler weather radars to meet the country’s aviation needs in the 1990s and beyond. NEXRAD will 

replace today’s outdated weather radars. The plan calls 

for definition, development, procurement, and installation of the system by the joint sponsors and for an 

initial procurement of a limited number of prototypes, 

followed by the rest of the production units. FAA’s 

share of the cost is 20 percent of the total. 

In August 1979, the NEXRAD Joint System’s Program Office was established to plan and manage the 

procurement and eventual deployment of NEXRAD. 

In February 1982, two contracts were awarded in the 

design competition; by June 1983, both contracts had 

advanced to the validation and test of their designs. 

Under the announced schedule, the design and validation will continue until August 1986, when a prime 

contractor will be awarded a limited production contract for 10 units. NEXRAD is expected to become 

fully operational by 1992. 

Flight-Service-Station Modernization 

FAA has 3 17 flight service stations in the contiguous 

United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. The 

NAS plan provides for automating 61 stations and consolidating the remaining stations into the 61 automated 

facilities. A contract for the automated system was 

awarded in September 198 1. 

Two basic systems will be produced. Delivery, 

scheduled for completion by 1989, will be in three 

steps. Delivery of a model 1 system to provide limited 

specialist information (computerized weather information only) was scheduled to begin in 1984. It is to be 

followed by a model 2 system to provide full specialist 

information: automated weather information, charts, 

and graphics, plus limited user access to the computer 

data base. The final step would come with the addition 

of model 2 enhancements providing full, direct user access to the computer data base. 

Of the 61 systems, 37 model 1s to be produced first 

are designed to permit later retrofit as enhanced model 

2s. The remaining 24 systems will be delivered as 

enhanced model 2s in 1989 as the final stage of the procurement, with automation scheduled for completion 

in 1990. 

Of particular value to the flight service stations in 

the future will be the development of the automated 

weather-observing system (AWOS). The system consists essentially of a numkr of standard weather sensors, including sensors for wind speed and wind direction, temperature, ceiling visibility, and dewpoint. A 

modular system was developed to produce immediate 

weather observations for pilots, controllers, flight service specialists, and others. Contracts for demonstration 

systems were awarded in 1982. Demonstrations of 

these systems began at 14 airport locations in 1983 to 

obtain user viewpoints. Installation of the first production units at airports is scheduled for 1986. 

Interfacility Communications Systems 

As a first step in modernizing its interfacility communication systems, FAA in late 1980 awarded a four70 
year (1981- 1985) multimillion-dollar contract for integrating all FAA interfacility communications into a 

single, nationwide computerized message switching 

system, the National Airspace Data Interchange Network (NADIN). This integration of ground-to-ground 

communications that tied together the air traffic control centers, towers, radar sites, and remote, groundto-air transmitter sites had been needed for a long 

time; during the previous 40 years, a variety of 

separate, independently operated, low-speed communications networks had become increasingly costly 

to operate and could be neither expanded nor upgraded to meet future communication needs. 

NADIN is a computerized system with two major 

message switches, one at the Atlanta center, the other 

at the Salt Lake City center. It also has computerized 

communications equipment, or concentrators, at 20 

other sites. These would take care of the communication needs of flights operating between airport terminal 

areas in the 50 states and Puerto Rico and would serve 

as regional collection and dissemination points for 

messages originating at all of the agency’s air traffic 

control facilities, including centers, airport control 

towers, and flight service stations. According to the 

plan, the Atlanta switch will collect and disseminate 

data from the eastern half of the country, and the Salt 

Lake City switch from the western half. The two switches will provide alternative routing to bypass failed or 

saturated areas. They will be mutually supporting, and 

each will be able to manage the entire system alone if 

necessary. 

In 1982, the Salt Lake City switch was installed, as 

was the first concentrator. In 1983, the Atlanta switch 

and the remaining 20 concentrators were installed. 

Two switches were scheduled for commissioning in 

1985. 

71 
Envimnrnental Protection Agency 

In 1983, the Environmental Protection Agency 

(EPA) continued cooperation with NASA in two 

studies of fundamental atmospheric transport processes. These studies have helped to explain the role of 

cumulus clouds in long-range transport of air 

pollutants. 

PEPWNEROS Results 

In one study, data taken by NASA during the summer of 1980 as part of the field study called 

PEPE/NEROS (Persistent Elevated Pollutant 

Episode/North East Regional Oxidant Study) was 

analyzed. Data obtained with NASA's high-spectralresolution lidar (HSRL) and ultraviolet-differentialabsorption lidar (UV-DIAL) indicated that a parcel of 

air with high concentrations of ozone (0,) and aerosols 

drifted long distances above the boundary layer. This 

parcel of air did not encounter any rain systems during 

the period of the measurement. 

Cloud Venting Study 

The field data of the other study was obtained in 

1981. The NASA Electra aircraft, fitted with the 

HSRL and the UV-DIAL system, obtained data on 

ozone and aerosols during flights over North Carolina. 

These data, supplemented with in-situ measurements, 

surface sampling data, and back-trajectory studies, 

show that ozone gains entrance to the region of the 

troposphere above the boundary layer via clouds; that 

is by cumulus convection. 

Data from this experiment provide substantial 

evidence that cloud pumping and cloud venting 

theories are indeed correct. Cloud pumping is typical 

of summer fair weather situations. Between noon and 

about 4 p.m., warm moist air rises, condenses, releases 

heat of condensation, becomes bouyant, and rises further. In this way white cumulus clouds-round on top, 

flat underneath - are born. Cumulus clouds are rooted 

in the boundary layer, their flat undersides marking its 

top. Depending on how moist the surrounding air is 

and other factors, cumulus clouds may enlarge; they 

may develop a head; they may thicken, become 

cumulo-nimbus clouds, and rain out; or they may remain thin and drift away, sometimes ultimately 

evaporating. If it doesn't rain, the pollutants that 

cumulus clouds pump into the troposphere above the 

boundary layer remain there. 

Although the hard data have been obtained only for 

ozone, cloud venting very likely transports all boundary layer pollutants, including sulfur dioxide and 

sulfate particles. Thus, cloud venting may be a key 

phenomenon on the long-range transport of acid rain 

and acid rain precursors. 

The expensive phase, the gathering of field data, occurred in 1980 and 1981. Work in 1983 entailed some 

data analysis and the preparation of reports and 

papers. 

Future Activities 

Analysis of the PEPE/NEROS data will likely continue for several years. The cloud venting work will be 

completed in 1984. 

In the planning stage are future field experiments to 

elucidate cloud pumping further. In November 1983, 

EPA held a workshop at Research Triangle Park to 

design a Gulf Coast study. The Gulf Coast area is 

humid and therefore conducive to cumulus convection 

during summer fair weather conditions, an ideal situation for cloud pumping studies. 

The HSRL and UV-DIAL systems used in these 

studies were developed by NASA with partial funding 

supplied by EPA's Interagency Energy/Environment 

Program. No cooperative development work on these 

remote measurement systems was done in 1983, but in 

1984 NASA and EPA will be working together again 

under a new interagency agreement to advance UVDIAL technology. An excimer laser, which NASA is 

developing for use on the Space Shuttle, will be 

evaluated for use in a smaller UV-DIAL system. The 

excimer laser is tunable and so theoretically should be 

capable of producing light pulses of the wavelength 

that can be absorbed by sulfur dioxide and ozone. 

Using it, the UV-DIAL system should be able to determine atmospheric level of both pollutants with a single 

laser. The ultimate goal is a small UV-DIAL system 

with low power requirements that can be operated 

from a light aircraft. This system will have many environmental applications, including acid rain studies. 

73 
National Science Foundation 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports 

research in both astronomy and atmospheric science. 

In the first area, NSF‘s 1983 support for ground-based 

and theoretical astronomy came through five grant 

programs benefiting more than 140 universities, plus 

backing for 5 National Astronomy Centers. 

In atmospheric science, NSF provides the primary 

backing for research by both universities and privatesector groups in the United States. It also supports the 

National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) 

and the Upper Atmospheric Facilities (UAF). NCAR, 

in Boulder, Colorado, conducts large scientific 

research programs that could not he done easily by a 

single university. The UAF supports four incoherentscatter radar facilities in a chain stretching from 

Greenland through the United States and from Puerto 

Rico to Peru. 

Astronomy 

Among major advances during 1983, scientists using 

optical telescopes at Cerro Tololo Inter-American 

Observatory in Chile witnessed the birth of a star-a 

first for astronomers-and discovered what may he the 

first black hole (superdense space object) found outside 

the Milky Way galaxy. Astronomers using a telescope 

at the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center in 

Puerto Rico found the two fastest-spinning radio 

pulsars discovered in 15 years (see also Smithsonian 

Institution chapter). Another NAIC team spotted the 

first large nebula, or gas cloud, seen outside any 

galaxy. 

More general achievements included discovery by 

observations at radio wavelengths of a gaseous interstellar medium rich in more than 60 species of 

molecules, many of them organic and cornplex. New 

and more sensitive electronic-array detectors made it 

possible to map radiating sources hundreds of times 

fainter and more distant than anything mapped before. 

Astrophysicists were able to assess many of the effects 

of such phenomena as mass loss, binary star interactions, magnetic fields, and rotation on the structure 

and evolution of the stars. Observational work at 

radio, optical, gamma-ray, ultraviolet, and x-ray fre- . 

quencies uncovered a profusion of explosive objects 

and high-energy, short-term phenomena. Their existence had been unknown before. 

Atmospheric Sciences 

In 1983, atmospheric studies yielded new information about small-scale but severe weather systems, atmospheric chemistry, and climate in general. The 

probable benefits are noteworthy: immediate improvements in the accuracy of weather forecasts and 

warnings about such phenomena as lightning, better 

climate-prediction techniques, cost-effective and environmentally sound control strategics to deal with acid 

rain, and protection of the ozone layer. 

Atmospheric scientists also studied El Niiio, a 

periodic phenomenon that has preoccupied 

oceanographers for years. An upwelling of unusually 

warm water along the coast of Peru and Ecuador, El 

Nifio apparently has a strong effect on climate in other 

parts of the world as well as in these countries. Atmospheric and ocean scientists hope that their research 

efforts-both individually and jointly-will result in 

better long-range forecasts and warnings about El 

Niiio in the future. 

NCAR scientists also made the surprising discovery 

that termites are a major source of the world’s supply 

of methane gas. Though only a trace gas, methane 

seems to be increasing in the atmosphere and contributes to the well-known “greenhouse effect.” The 

termites apparently produce large quantities of the gas 

as a byproduct of their digestive systems, which are 

anaerobic (active in the absence of free oxygen). 

75 
Smithsonian Institution 

The Smithsonian Institution supports national space 

goals through a broad and varied program of basic 

research at its Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory 

(SAO) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and through the 

exhibits, public programs, and educational activities of 

its National Air and Space Museum (NASM) in 

Washington. Research in both planetary science and 

space history are also conducted at NASM. 

Space Sciences 

High - Enercq Astrophysics 

Reduction and analysis of scientific data from the 

two High Energy Astronomy Observatory satellites 

(HEAO I and 2, 1978-1981) continued in 1983. 

Research at SA0 based on these data covered many 

astronomical topics, including stellar coronas, supernova remnants, globular star clusters, binary x-ray 

systems, various kinds of galaxies, BL Lac objects, 

quasars, clusters of galaxies, and identifications of 

x-ray sources with objects observed in other regions of 

the electromagnetic spectrum. Operation of the 

Einstein (HEAO 2) Guest Observer Program continued. 

Analysis of data from the HEAO 2 (Einstein) observatory satellite detected x-rays from the newly 

discovered “fast” radio pulsar, which is spinning 

about 20 times faster than the most rapid pulsar known 

until 1983; determined an x-ray luminosity function 

for quasars and strong evidence of evolution in 

luminosity with cosmic time; and developed an x-ray 

classification scheme for clusters of galaxies, with the 

conclusion that many galaxy clusters are dynamically 

young. It also found that clusters may be divided into 

two major classes-those with and without a dominant 

central galaxy-and that this dominant galaxy is present at an early stage in the cluster’s dynamical evolution. 

In collaboration with scientists in the United States 

and in Europe, SA0 researchers used Einstein stellar 

observations to obtain new information about stellar 

rotation, x-ray variability (especially in OB-type stars), 

and the structure of young stellar clusters. Interpretations of solar x-ray observations are being used to place 

constraints on solar-dynamo models and to yield 

greater insights into the structure and heating of the 

outer solar atmosphere. X-rays were also detected 

from both polar regions of Jupiter, probably as the 

result of line emission from oxygen and sulfur ions 

migrating to the planet from volcanic eruptions on Io, 

Jupiter’s nearest large satellite. 

Infrared Astronomy 

Infrared observations from the ground, NASA aircraft, and high-altitude balloons included imaging and 

spectroscopy of astronomical objects, such as regions of 

star formation and galaxies, and high-resolution spectroscopy of key molecules near the ozone layer in 

Earth‘s stratosphere. For example, the flight of a 

balloon-borne one-meter telescope made far-infrared 

observations of star-forming regions in our galaxy as 

well as observations of the galactic center and diffuse 

emission from dust in the galactic plane. A far-infrared 

spectrometer was flown as part of the International 

Balloon Intercomparison Campaign in the spring of 

1983 to assess the accuracy of the remote sensors for 

measuring constituents of the upper atmosphere. 

Geophysics and Geodynamics 

The SA0 laser satellite-tracking network continued 

tracking support of geophysical research at the observatory and at other institutions in the United States 

and abroad, as well as providing periodic mean positions of Earth‘s pole of rotation. The upgraded laser 

system in Arequipa, Peru, operated at the prescribed 

specifications and achieved ranging accuracy within 

about three to five centimeters. The SA0 laser from 

Natal, Brazil, was relocated to Matera, Italy, where it 

became operational in July. On October 31, SA0 terminated all network operations and transferred its 

responsibilities to the Bendix Corporation. Thus, 1983 

marked the last in an important and productive 

quarter century of SA0 satellite tracking. 

Solar and Stellar Physics 

Ultraviolet observations carried out with the International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) satellite encompassed a variety of research programs at SA0 during 

1983. Among them were ZUE observations of the 

chromospherically active star Lambda Andromedae, 

which revealed the first ultraviolet flare recorded on a 

giant star, and perhaps the most energetic stellar flare 

77 
yet observed. Investigation of the optical and 

ultraviolet spectra of shock-wave regions in supernova 

remnants proceeded on several fronts. For example, 

optical spectra of remnants obtained at SAO’s Whipple 

Observatory were combined with IUE observations to 

obtain abundance gradients in the M33 galaxy and to 

improve shock-model calculations. 

Planetary Sciences 

SA0 scientists continued to participate in analyzing 

data from the imaging experiment aboard the Voyager 2 

mission to Saturn. Highlights included discovery of 

optical evidence for electrostatic discharges in Saturn’s 

Ring B, discovery of an active volcanic eruption on 

Jupiter’s satellite Europa (following well-observed 

volcanic activity on the satellite Io), and detection of 

low-level activity on Europa during a close encounter 

of this satellite and the Voyager 2 spacecraft. 

Research at NASMs Center for Earth and 

Planetary Studies included analysis of remote-sensing 

data from the advanced very-high-resolution 

radiometer (AVHRR) in an effort to discriminate, 

from orbit, specific terrestrial rock types based on their 

signatures in the infrared. Although originally taken 

by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for atmospheric studies, these data are now being 

used to classify surface materials in conjunction with 

more conventional orbital sensors. Over a test area in 

Saudi Arabia, the AVHRR data were significant in 

discriminating carbonate rock types from those with a 

greater silica content. 

Investigations into the structural evolution of the 

planets indicated that the hereditary effects of ancient 

basins were more important on Earth‘s moon than on 

Mars. On the moon, topographic lows created by the 

impacts localized volcanic flooding, which later provided the driving force for vertical movements. In contrast, plains volcanism on Mars occurred over much 

broader areas. Compressional features in the Martian 

plains, as mapped from Viking orbiter images, indicate global-scale contraction coupled with regional 

sources of stress. 

78 
Department of State 

The United States continued in 1983 to pursue an 

expanding program of international cooperation in its 

civil space activities, with international activities increasing since the first operational flight of the Space 

Transportation System in November 1982 (see NASA 

chapter). In addition, the Administration encouraged 

the private sector to pursue commercial development 

for outer space and took actions to facilitate such 

endeavors. 

International interest in remote sensing from space 

continued to grow, with other countries developing 

their own satellite systems. The French developed their 

SPOT system, to be launched in early 1984, and the 

Japanese are developing an Earth Resources Satellite 

(ERS I) to be launched in the 1990s. 

International interest and cooperation in space was 

reflected in plans of a number of new countries for the 

use of space. The openness and cooperative spirit of 

U.S. civil space programs continued to attract strong 

international scientific, technical, political, and commercial interest throughout 1983. 

The Department of State works with NASA, 

Department of Defense, Office of Science and Technology Policy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and National Security Council in formulating U.S. positions on international aspects of 

space policy. The department carried out its regular 

responsibilities in the United Nations Committee on 

the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), United 

Nations General Assembly, International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT), and 

International Maritime Satellite Organization 

(INMARS AT). 

Activities within the United Nations 

Outer Space Committee 

Within the United Nations, the 53-member Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space has served 

as a focal point for multilateral cooperation in the use 

and exploration of outer space and the further development of international law governing outer space activities. By the end of 1983, however, developments in 

the 38th General Assembly affecting the work of the 

committee raised serious questions about the ability of 

the committee and its two subcommittees to function 

effectively in the future. 

The committee began its 1983 cycle of meetings with 

the annual session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee in New York February 8-17, 1983. The 

37th General Assembly in December 1982, acting on 

legal principles governing direct television broadcasting by satellite, had voted 107 to 13 (including the 

United States) against, with 13 abstaining-the first 

departure in the U.N. from the consensus principle 

covering the work of the committee. The 20th session 

of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee, however, functioned relatively smoothly and effectively. 

The principal focus of the session was on the use of 

nuclear power sources in space, the U.N. Space Applications Program, and the implementation of the 

recommendations of the Second U.N. Conference on 

the Exploration and Use of Outer Space (UNISPACE 

’82), held in Vienna in August 1982. Because of concern in the subcommittee with the reentry of the Soviet 

nuclear reactor-powered satellite Cosmos 1402, the subcommittee recommended that a working group on 

nuclear power sources be reconvened at its 2 1 st session 

in 1984 to review existing guidelines for use of nuclear 

sources. The subcommittee also recommended, following UNISPACE recommendations, that the committee 

undertake three technical studies on space technology 

(;.e., remote sensing, spacing satellites in the geosynchronous orbit, and educational direct-broadcast 

satellites). 

The Legal Subcommittee’s 22d session, in New York 

in March 1983, continued consideration of the legal 

implications of civil remote sensing of the earth from 

space, with the aim of formulating draft principles. It 

considered the possibility of supplementing the norms 

of international law on using nuclear power sources in 

space and also matters related to the definition and 

delimitation of outer space, including questions related 

to the geostationary satellite orbit. A number of issues 

continued to require resolution in the remote-sensing 

field, and little progress was achieved. The subcommittee did, however, agree on a text concerning the format 

and procedure for notification if a spacecraft carrying a 

nuclear power source malfunctioned. The subcommittee continued to be divided as to the need for new legal 

principles on a delimitation of outer space and the use 

of the geosynchronous orbit. The United States and 

79 

r 
other Western delegations maintained that there was 

no practical or scientific basis for a delimitation of 

outer space and that discussion of the geosynchronous 

orbit should be left to the International Telecommunication Union. 

In June 1983, the Committee on the Peaceful Uses 

of Outer Space met to review the work of the two subcommittees and to consider the UNISPACE ’82 

recommendations. The committee endorsed the 

recommendations proposed in the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee to convene expert groups to conduct three studies on space technology. It also endorsed 

the program of work proposed by the two subcommittees for 1984. 

U. N. General Assembly 

The 38th session of the General Assembly adopted 

by a vote of 124 to 12 against (including U.S.), with 8 

abstentions, resolution 38/80, International Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. That resolution is the omnibus resolution covering all activities 

associated with the Outer Space Committee, 

COPUOS, that is debated annually in the General 

Assembly and that previously has always been adopted 

by consensus. This year’s resolution provides for 

COPUOS to take up subjects the United States and its 

allies believe are inappropriate to this committee’s 

work, such as questions related to the “militarization” 

of outer space and the elaboration of legal principles to 

govern the geostationary satellite orbit. In explanation 

of its negative vote, the United States stated its view 

that COPUOS was embarked on an agenda of confrontation which, in the absence of any commitment to 

consensus, would mean an end to prospects for accomplishment and that the United States would have 

to reexamine its participation in COPUOS as a result. 

Communications Satellites 

Space communications continued to be the most 

commercially oriented space application. The activities 

of INTELSAT and INMARSAT continued to grow, 

with strong support from the U.S. government. U.S. 

industry remained the dominant supplier of communications satellites to the world community, with a 

number of satellite launches provided by NASA. Competition for launch services for INTELSAT satellites 

increased between the U.S. Space Shuttle and the 

European Ariane. U. S. commercial expendable 

launch vehicles may also compete in the near future. 

The INMARSAT organization, providing communications services to ships at sea, is now operating 

and includes in its global satellite network the commercial capacity of the Marisat satellites (see also the 

Federal Communications Commission chapter). 

INMARSAT issued a request for proposals for its new 

generation of satellites, and U.S. industry is expected 

to play a major role in designing and constructing 

them. 

Remote Sensing 

The department was represented on the Source 

Selection Board that drew up the request for proposals 

for commercial operation of land remote-sensing satellites. The State Department’s concern has been to ensure that any arrangements reflect U.S. international 

space policies and obligations. 

Technology Transfer 

The number of countries that seek to develop indigenous capability in satellite and launch vehicle technology is increasing as space technology matures and 

its economic importance is more widely appreciated. 

The number of requests for commercial transfers of 

space technology whose export must receive approval 

under export and munitions control regulations increased accordingly. The department coordinates an 

interagency effort to review the technology transfer 

issues and provide guidelines tor specific actions as 

necessary. 

80 
Anns Control 

and Disarmament Agency 

Outer space arms control issues occupy an important place in the work of the U.S. Arms Control and 

Disarmament Agency. The agency participates in 

policy formulation for many of the United States activities in space. 

The National Space Policy announced by the President July 4, 1982, stated that the United States will 

continue to study space arms control options. It will 

consider verifiable and equitable arms control measures that would ban or limit testing and deployment of 

specific weapon systems when compatible with national security. 

During 1983, the agency participated in international discussions of outer space arms control and continued to examine the arms control aspects of U.S. 

space policy. It also continued to review the arms control implications of bilateral governmental space activities and sales of space-related items. In its research 

into outer space arms control options, and the many 

problems associated with such options, ACDA has 

worked closely with Department of Defense, Department of State, and NASA officials, as well as other 

U.S. government agencies. 

International Discussions of 

Space Arms Control 

During 1983 the Committee on Disarmament in 

Geneva devoted considerable time to discussion of the 

agenda item, “Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer 

Space.” ACDA provides the principal staffing and support for the U.S. delegation to the Committee on Disarmament, which meets in two sessions for a total of 

five months each year. A major issue was whether to 

form a working group to deal with the outer space 

issue. After intensive discussions, the Western Group 

(including the United States) proposed a mandate for 

the working group, with broad acceptance within the 

committee; however, agreement on the mandate 

became impossible because of opposition late in the 

session by the Soviet bloc. 

Another arena for serious discussion of outer space 

issues has been the First Committee (Arms Control 

Matters) of the United Nations General Assembly each 

fall. In 1982, the United States and the other Western 

allies laid the groundwork at the U.N. for their common position on outer space that later emerged at the 

Committee on Disarmament in Geneva. ACDA also 

participated in preparations for the U.N. Committee 

on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, where arms control issues have been discussed in spite of U.S. insistence that they properly belong in the Committee on 

Disarmament. 

Space Policy 

ACDA has participated actively in the Senior Interagency Group (SIG) on Space, established by the 

President’s 1982 space policy. The Director of ADCA 

is a member of the SIG; other ACDA officials have 

represented the agency in the Interagency Group (IG) 

on Space and in working groups established under the 

SIG, working closely with the National Security Council, the Department of Defense, the Department of 

State, the Department of Commerce, the intelligence 

community, the Organization of the Joint Chiefs of 

Staff, NASA, the Office of Management and Budget, 

the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the 

Department of Transportation. ACDA was represented in the working groups that made recommendations to the SIG on the commercialization of expendable launch vehicles and on options for a permanently 

manned U.S. space station. ACDA will continue to 

participate in subsequent discussions of both issues and 

in SIG consideration of other policy issues. 

81 
United States Information Agency 

Promoting worldwide awareness of U.S. achievements in the exploration and peaceful uses of space 

continues to be a significant communications goal in 

the public diplomacy efforts of the U.S. Information 

Agency (USIA). Using direct satellite television and 

live radio broadcasting, on-the-spot news coverage, 

feature stories, interviews, exhibits, visits of astronauts 

to overseas posts, and video tape programs for TV, 

USIA focused on the Space Shuttle missions, stressing 

international cooperation in the launchings of the 

Canadian, Indonesian, and Indian satellites and the 

European Space Agency-built Spacelab, carried in the 

Shuttle. 

Highlights of the 1983 Shuttle missions emphasized 

in USIA programming included the flights of the first 

U.S. woman astronaut, first black astronaut, and first 

German crew member. USIA countered Soviet disinformation activities that sought to discredit these 

achievements by accusing the United States of pursuing military aims. 

The 25th anniversary of NASA afforded an opportunity to chronicle U.S. achievements in the exploration of space in the last quarter century and to look 

ahead to developments in the commercialization and 

industrialization of space. 

Space Shuttle 

Live broadcasts by Voice of America (VOA) of 

launches and landings and up-to-the-minute coverage 

of missions in progress provided foreign audiences 

worldwide detailed news of the flights of the Shuttle orbiters Challenger and Columbia. Events were reported 

live from the launching and landing sites via a worldwide network in English. Selected events were also 

reported live in such languages as French, Spanish, 

Russian, Polish, Indonesian, and Hindi, which was 

also used by All India Radio. Of an estimated total 

VOA audience of 100 million listeners, thousands of 

letters from listeners indicated greatly increased audience for the space program broadcasts. More than 

1,400 listeners requested VOA’s Shuttle news references after only three VOA offers. 

With NASA cooperation, the American Participant 

Program continued to arrange meetings of U.S. astronauts with foreign scientists, government officials, 

academics, and journalists. In 1983, six astronauts 

visited a total of 15 countries. In April, Vance D. 

Brand spent a week supporting USIA efforts in Brazil. 

Dr. Don L. Lind visited Germany, Bahrain, and 

Egypt in June. Also in June, Dr. Franklin R. ChangDiaz visited Colombia, Chile, and Uruguay. From 

September 24 through October 14, Dr. Sally K. Ride 

and Frederick H. Hauck were jointly programmed in 

the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Belgium, 

Norway, Yugoslavia, Italy, Hungary, and Germany. 

Public response to the programs has been high. 

The Wireless File, USIA’s press service to 202 posts 

in 135 countries, also covered the Shuttle missions, 

scientific experiments, and improvements in Shuttle 

design, as well as NASA exhibits at the Paris Air Show 

in May. Emphasizing the deployment of the communications satellites, the Wireless File provided USIA 

posts numerous articles for background, post publications, and placement in the local press. 

USIA magazines featured Space Shuttle missions. 

America Illustrated, the agency’s monthly illustrated 

magazine sold in the Soviet Union under a reciprocal 

arrangement, highlighted the flight of Columbia in a 

cover story, “The Space Shuttle’s Scientific and Commercial Uses.” Topic, distributed in sub-Saharan 

Africa, analyzed benefits to mankind from the missions. The bimonthly Problems of Communism published 

essays and reviews of books on the politics of space, including the role of NASA and the Columbia mission. 

The USIA television service included feature programs about the scientific achievements of the Shuttle 

flights and profiles of Dr. Ride and Guion S. Bluford 

on its weekly “TV Satellite File” for TV stations 

abroad. NASA film footage of Space Shuttles 7 and 8 

was distributed to posts, and the television service produced a videotape program on the launching of Znsat 

Z-B for Indian TV. Cooperative ventures included a 

German TV production in cooperation with USIA/TV 

with a profile of a NASA engineer of German descent 

who participated in preparing for STS 7. 

USIA provided visual materials for post-mounted 

exhibits in Izmir, Budapest, Prague, Warsaw, 

Moscow, Bucharest, Sofia, and Belgrade and filled 20 

other post requests for display items such as space 

models, artifacts, spacesuits, space food tray, moon 

rocks, posters, booklets, and slides. It also assisted 

foreign institutions in mounting space exhibits. For example, “Space Science Exhibit,” organized by the 

83 
Japanese L.I.C. International Company, toured 30 

cities in Japan, and “The Great Space Shuttle Exhibition,” organized by the America-Japan Society, was 

shown in 20 places in Japan. 

Other Programs 

“Deep Space,” a paper show distributed to 73 posts 

worldwide, covered recent U.S. achievements in the 

fields of astronomy, astrophysics, and radio and optical 

telescopy. The cover of the 1984 VOA calendar will 

carry a NASA photo from space, as will the new VOA 

poster in six language versions. 

USIA’s Exhibits Service is preparing the official 

U.S. participation in World’s Fairs scheduled for 1985 

and 1986. The U.S. national exhibition for Expo 85 

World’s Fair in Tsukuba, Japan, will include an exhibit on robotics in space. For Expo 86 in Vancouver, 

Canada, the topic for the U.S. exhibition will be “Exploration,” emphasizing space ventures. 

As Pioneer 10 left the solar system in June, the Press 

Service’s Wireless File recapped the spacecraft’s adventures in space over the past 11 years. A 10-picture set 

on NASA’s plans for planetary exploration through the 

year 2000 was sent to all posts. 

To commemorate NASA’s 25th anniversary, USIA/ 

TV offered posts the NASA-produced documentary 

outlining the space agency’s achievements. Exerpts 

were also used in USIA/TV’s weekly “TV Satellite 

File.” 

84 
Appendixes 

APPENDIX A-1 

U.S. Spacecraft Record 

(Includes spacecraft from cooperating countries launched by U.S. launch vehicles.) 

Calendar Earth Orbit” Earth Escapea Calendar Earth Orbita Earth Escapea 

Year Year 

Success Failure Success Failure Success Failure Success Failure 

1957 .................. 

1958 .................. 

1959 .................. 

1960 .................. 

1961 .................. 

1962 .................. 

1963 .................. 

1964 .................. 

1965 .................. 

1966 .................. 

1967 .................. 

1968 .................. 

1969 .................. 

1970 .................. 

0 

5 

9 

16 

35 

55 

62 

69 

93 

94 

78 

61 

58 

1 

8 

9 

12 

12 

12 

11 

8 

7 

12 

4 

15 

1 

0 

0 

1 

1 

0 

4 

0 

4 

4 

7 

10 

3 

8 

0 

4 

2 

2 

2 

1 

0 

0 

1 

lb 

0 

0 

1 

1971 . . 

1972 . . 

1973 . . 

1974 . . 

1975 . . 

1976 . . 

1977 . . 

1978 . . 

1979 . . 

1980 . . 

1981 , . 

1982 . . 

1983 . . 

................ 

................ 

................ 

................ 

................ 

................ 

................ 

................ 

................ 

................ 

................ 

................ 

................ ~ 

45 2 8 1 

33 2 8 0 

23 2 3 0 

27 2 1 0 

30 4 4 0 

33 0 1 0 

27 2 2 0 

34 2 7 0 

18 0 0 0 

16 4 0 0 

20 1 0 0 

21 0 0 0 

- 

31 0 0 0 

36 1 3 0 Total ............ .1,029 134 79 15 

a The criterion of success or failure used is attainment of earth orbit or earth escape rather than judgment of mission success. “Escape” flights 

include all that were intended to go to at least an altitude equal to lunar distance from the earth. 

This earth-escape failure did attain earth orbit and therefore is included in the earth-orbit success totals. 

APPENDIX A-2 

World Record of Space Launchings Successful in Attaining Earth Orbit or Beyond 

(Enumerates launchings rather than spacecraft; some launches orbited multiple spacecraft.) 

People’s United European U.S.S.R. France Italy Japan Republic Australia Kingdom Space India Calendar United 

Year States of China Agency 

1957 ...................... 

1958 ................ 

1959 ................ 

1960 .................... 16 

1961 .................... 29 

1962 .................... 52 

1963 .................... 38 

1964 .................... 57 

1965 .................... 63 

1966 .................... 73 

1967 .................... 57 

1968 .................... 45 

1969 ................... 40 

1970 .................... 28 

1971 .................... 30 

1972 .................... 30 

1973 .................... 23 

1974 .................... 22 

1975 .................... 27 

1976 .................... 26 

1977 .................... 24 

1978 .................... 32 

1979 .................... 16 

.............. 13 .............. 18 

n L ...................................... 

1 ...................................... 

....................................... 

....................................... 

6 .............................................. 

20 .............................................. 

17 .............................................. 

30 .............................................. 

48 ........ 1 ..................................... 

44 ........ 1 ................................ 

66 ........ 2 ........ ........................ 

74 .............................................. 

70 .............................................. 

81 ........ 2 ........ 1” ...... .l........l .......... 

83 ........ 1 ........ 2a.......2........1.......... 

............................. 

............................. 

............................. 

............................. 

............................. 

............................ 

............................. 

............................. 

............................. 

............................. 

............................. 

............................. 

............................. 

............................. 

...... 1 ..................... 

............................. 

............................. 

............................. 

............................. 

............................. 

............................. 

............................. 

............... 1 ............. 

......................... l... 

....... .... 2 ......... l... ............................. 

1983 .................... 22 98 ................. 3 ........ .................................................. 

Total .............. ,814 1,636 ....... 10 ......... 8 ....... 24 ....... 11 ........ 1........1........5.........3... 

a Includes foreign launchings of U.S. spacecraft. 

74 ................. 1 1 

86 .............................................. 

81 ................. 2a ....... 1 ................... 

89 ........ 3 ........ 1........2........3.......... 

........ ................... 

................... l..... 

................... 2.... 

88 .......................... 3..... 

87 .......................... 2 ................... 

89 .......................... 2 ........... 

98 3 l.......... 

101 .......................... 1 .......................... ........ 

85 
APPENDIX A-3 

Successful U.S. Launches-1983 

Launch Date (GMT), 

Spacecraft Name, 

COSPAR Designation, 

Launch Vehicle 

Mission Objectives, 

Spacecraft Data 

Apogee and 

Perigee (km), 

Period (min), 

Inclination to 

Equator (") 

Remarks 

Jan. 26 

IRAS 

4A 

Delta 3910 

Feb. 9 

Defense 

8A 

Atlas H 

Defense 

8E 

Defense 

8F 

March 28 

NOAA 8 

22A 

Atlas E 

April 4 

Space Shuttle 

Challenger (STS 6) 

26 A 

Objective: To make first all-sky survey for objects that 

emit infrared radiation, provide a catalog of infrared 

sources and infrared sky maps. 

Spacecraft: Satellite body is cylindrical, 3.6 m long, 

2.16 m in diameter. Telescope system consists of 

telescope, focal-plane detectors and associated electronics, cryogenic equipment, insulation shield, sun 

and earth radiation shield, and interface skirt. 

Spacecraft system, mated to launch adapter and to infrared equipment, consists of 2 deployable solar panels, 

attitude control subsystem; data storage provided by 

redundant tape recorders. Weight at liftoff: 1,076 kg. 

Objective: Development of spaceflight techniques and 

Spacecraft: Not announced. 

technology. 

Objective: Development of spaceflight techniques and 

Spacecraft: Not announced. 

technology. 

Objective: Development of spaceflight techniques and 

Spacecraft: Not announced. 

technology. 

Objective: To launch spacecraft into sun-synchronous 

orbit of sufficient accuracy for dependable daytime and 

nighttime meteorological observations of the earth. 

Spacecraft: Launch configuration including apogee kick 

motor (AKM), 4.91 m long, 1.88 in diameter. Structure composed of 4 major elements: reaction-controlequipment support structure (RSS), equipment support module (ESM), instrument mounting platform 

(IMP), and solar array. Instruments include advanced 

very-high-resolution radiometer (AVHRR), Argos 

data-collection system (DCS), space environment 

monitor (SEM) consisting of three sensors (total energy 

detector, medium-energy proton-electron detector, 

and high-energy proton-alpha detector), seaich and 

rescue (SAR) instruments, and Tiros operational vertical sounder (TOVS) composed of 3 instruments 

(high-resolution infrared-radiation sounder, stratospheric sounding unit, and microwave sounding unit). 

Search and rescue instruments, provided by Canada 

and France, capable of detecting and locating 

emergency transmitters operating at designated frequencies on earth. Weight at launch: 1,712 kg; weight 

in orbit after apogee motor firing; 1,030 kg. 

Objective: To deploy TDRS I with IUS stage, accomplish assigned experiments and tests. 

Spacecraft: Shuttle orbiter carrying satellite for tracking 

and data use, continuous-flow electrophoresis system 

(CFES), monodisperse latex reactor (MLR), 

nighttime-daytime optical survey of lightning (NOSL), 

3 get-away specials (GASs), and aerodynamic91 1 

894 

103.0 

99.1 

1,169 

1,052 

107.5 

63.4 

1,156 

1,060 

107.4 

63.4 

1,156 

1,160 

107.4 

63.4 

829 

806 

101.2 

98.8 

Cooperative U.S.-Netherlands-United 

Kingdom satellite launched by 

NASA. Onboard instruments detected unidentified cold astronomical 

objects, bands of dust in solar system, 

infrared cirrus clouds in interstellar 

space, infrared radiation from visually 

inconspicuous galaxies, 5 new comets, 

formation of new stars, possible 

beginnings of new solar systems 

around Vega and other stars. 

Spacecraft ceased operation Nov. 21. 

Still in orbit. 

Launched by DoD with 8E and 8F in 

triple launch on 1 launch vehicle. 

Still in orbit. 

Still in orbit 

Still in orbit 

First of Advanced Tiros-N (ATN) 

spacecraft; launched by NASA for 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration. Stretched version of 

original Tiros-N series. Spacecraft attitude control problem corrected April 

18. Operational June 20, 1983. 

284.3 Second operational flight of Space 

284.3 Transportation System. Orbiter 

94.5 ChnllenEm piloted by astronauts Paul J. 

28.45 Weitz and Karol J. Bobko. Mission 

specialists were Donald H. Peterson 

and Story Musgrave. Shuttle lifted off 

from KSC at 1:30 p.m. EST. Satellite 

80 
APPENDIX A-3-Continued 

Successful US. Launches-I983 

Launch Date (CMT), 

Spacecraft Name, 

COSPAR Designation, 

Launch Vehicle 

Mission Objectives, 

Spacecraft Data 

coefficient identification package (ACP). Total payload 

weight (including 1,860 kg for crew and crew equipment): 23,148 kg. 

TDRS 1 

26B 

Objective: To launch TDRS satellite to stationary geosynchronous orbit with sufficient stationkeeping propulsion fuel on board to meet support requirements 

and to initiate user support services; to provide improved tracking and data-acquisition services to 

spacecraft in low earth orbit. 

Spacecraft: Three-axis stabilized, momentum-biased 

configuration with sun-oriented solar panels attached. 

TDRS measures 14.4 m from tip to tip of deployed 

solar panels, 14.2 m from outer edge to edge of 2 

deployed single-access antennas. TDRS composed of 3 

modules: (1) equipment module houses attitude control, electrical power, propulsion, telemetry, tracking, 

and command subsystems; (2) payload module consists 

of processing and frequency-generation equipment; (3) 

antenna module supports deployable and fixed antennas, multiple-access array, and remainder of telecommunications hardware. Weight at launch, including 

IUS-1 upper stage: 20,328 kg. 

April 11 Objective: To place spacecraft in stationary geosynchronous orbit to provide TV, voice channels, and 

high-speed data transmission to Alaska, Hawaii, and 

Spacecraft: Box-shaped 1.2 x 1.2 x 1.6 m high; 2 rectangular solar panels on short booms give satellite span 

of 15.8 m. Hydrazine-propellant tanks protrude from 

east and west panels of spacecraft body. Three-axis 

stabilized. Weight in orbit, after apogee kick motor firing: 598.6 kg. 

RCA-Satcom 6 

30A 

Delta 3924 contiguous U.S. 

Objective: Development of spaceflight techniques and 

Spacecraft: Not announced. 

technology. 

Apri 15 

Defense 

32A 

Titan IIIB 

~prii 28 

GOES 6 

41A 

Delta 3914 

Objective: To launch spacecraft into geosynchronous 

orbit to provide near-continual high-resolution, visual 

and infrared imaging over North and South America 

and surrounding oceans. 

Spacecraft: Cylindrical, 2.15 m in diameter and 4.43 m 

long from top of S-band omni antenna rod to bottom of 

apogee-boost motor. Weight at launch: 838 kg. Weight 

in orbit, after ejection of apogee-boost motor: 444 kg. 

Apogee and 

Perigee (km), 

Period (min), 

Inclination to 

Equator (") 

Remarks 

- 

35,806 

35,762 

1,435.9 

1.7 

35,795 

35,781 

1,436.2 

0.0 

263 

126 

96.5 

88.4 

35,798 

35,783 

1,436.2 

0.1 

was deployed from cargo bay. First 

spacewalk (extravehicular activity; 

EVA) in more than 9 years, 3 $4 -hour 

duration. Challenger landed on concrete runway at Edwards AFB, Calif., 

1 :53 p.m. EST, April 9. Total mission 

time: 5 days, 24 min. Orbiter was 

returned to KSC for overhaul for next 

flight. 

Launched April 4 from Shuttle orbiter 

Challenger on first Shuttle-borne inertial upper stage (IUS-1). First of 3 

Tracking and Data Relay Satellites 

(TDRS). IUS-1 malfunction 

prevented delivery to planned geosynchronous orbit. Subsequent series of 

39 orbit-adjust firings by satellite's attitude control system maneuvered 

TDRS 1 to geosynchronous altitude at 

67O west longitude by June 1983. 

Leased by NASA, satellite supported 

STS 8 and STS 9 with Spacelab 1. 

Second in new series of commmunications satellite launched by NASA for 

RCA. Satellite, to replace RCA-Safcom 

I launched in 1975, placed above 

equator at 128' west longitude. 

Reentered Aug. 21. 

Launched by NASA for National 

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), spacecraft 

joined GOES 5, launched May 1981, 

as part of two-satellite operational 

system. Apogee-boost motor fired 

April 30. Arrived on station May 12 

at 135OW. longitude. Turned over to 

NOAA May 27; became operational 

June 1. 

87 
APPENDIX A-3-Continued 

Successful U.S. Launches-1983 

Launch Date (GMT), 

Spacecraft Name, 

COSPAR Designation, 

Launch Vehicle 

Mission Objectives, 

Spacecraft Data 

Apogee and 

Perigee (km), 

Period (min), Remarks 

Inclination to 

Equator (") 

May 19 

Intelsat- V F-6 

47A 

Atlas-Centaur 

May 26 

EXOSA T 

51A 

Delta 3914 

June 9 

Defense 

56A 

Atlas H 

Defense 

56C 

June 18 

Space Shuttle 

Challenger (STS 7) 

59A 

Anik C-2 

59B 

Palapa B-1 

59C 

Objective: To place spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit Sixth of series of 9 satellites: launched 

for INTELSAT to provide 12,000 voice circuits and 2 by NASA for 108-member-nation Incolor TV channels simultaneously. 1,436.1 ternational Telecommunications SatSpacecraft: Modular main body, 1.7 x 2 x 1.8 m, with 0.1 ellite Organization (INTELSAT). 

winglike solar arrays spanning 15.6 m. Overall height, Placed in geosynchronous orbit after 

6.4 m; width deployed, 6.8 m; 6 communications apogee-motor firing May 22; positionantennas- 2 global-coverage horns, 2 hemi- ed over Atlantic Ocean. 

spherical/zone offset-fed reflectors, and 2 offset-fed 

spot-beam reflectors. Double the capacity of Intelsat 

IV-A series. Weight at launch: 1,996 kg. 

35,804 

35,770 

Objective: To launch satellite with sufficient accuracy 189,834 Launched by NASA for European 

to permit it to accomplish its scientific mission, con- 2,178 Space Agency. Returning data. 

119.1 

Spacecraft: Box-shaped, covered in a superinsulating 72.3 

tinuous observations of x-ray sources. 

thermal blanket, 2.1 m in diameter, 1.35 m high and 

solar array 1.85 m high. Weight at liftoff: 500 kg, 

scientific payload accounting for 120 kg. 

Objective: Development of spaceflight techniques and 

Spacecraft: Not announced. 107.4 orbit. 

1,165 Launched by DoD with satellite 56C in 

technology. 1,050 dual launch on 1 vehicle. Still in 

63.4 

Objective: Development of spaceflight techniques and 1,164 Still in orbit 

Spacecraft: Not announced 107.4 

63.4 

Objective: To launch Anik C-2 (Telesat F), Palapa B-1; 296.3 Third operational flight of Space Transcomplete assigned experiments and test objectives. 296.3 portation System. Orbiter Challenger 

Spacecraft: Shuttle orbiter carrying satellites Anik C-2, 90.3 piloted by Robert I,. Crippen, 

Palapa B-1, and reusable SPAS 01, as well as ex- 28.4 Frederick H. Hauck. Mission 

periments CFES, MLR, and 7 get-away specials. specialists: John M. Fabian, Sally K. 

Total payload weight (including 1,855 kg for crew and Ride (first woman astronaut), and 

crew equipment): 18,631 kg. Dr. Norman E. Thagard. Shuttle 

launched from KSC at 7:33 a.m. ELIT. 

Deployed both communications 

satellites, carried out experiments including launching and recovering 

SPAS 01. Challenger landed at Edwards 

AFB, Calif., 9:57 a.m. EDT, June 24. 

Total mission time: 6 days, 2 hrs, 24 

min. Orbiter returned to KSC for 

overhaul for next flight. 

Objective: To launch satellite into transfer orbit per- 35,796 Launched June 18 from Shuttle Chalmitting spacecraft propulsion system to place it in sta- 35,777 

tionary synchronous orbit for communications 1,436.1 

technology. 1,052 

lenger for Telesat Canada. In orbit. 

coverage over Canada. 0.0 

Spacecraft: Cylindrical; in orbit, satellite deployed to 

height of 6.6 m. Spin-stabilized. Weight at launch: 

4,443 kg. 

Objective: To launch satellite into transfer orbit of suf- 35,799 Launched June 19 from Shuttle 

ficient accuracy to permit spacecraft to achieve geosyn- Challenger for Republic of Indonesia. 

chronous orbit for communications. 1,436.2 In orbit. 

35,777 

Spacecraft: Cylindrical, identical to Anik C-2. 0.1 

88 
APPENDIX A-3-Continued 

Successful U.S. Launches-I983 

Launch Date (GMT), 

Spacecraft Name, 

COSPAR Designation, 

Launch Vehicle 

Mission Objectives, 

Spacecraft Data 

Apogee and 

Perigee (km), 

Period (min), Remarks Inclination to 

Equator (") 

SPAS 01 

59F 

June 20 

Defense 

60a 

Titan 34 D 

Defense 

60C 

June 27 

HILAT (P83-1) 

63A 

scout 

June 28 

65A 

Delta 3920 

Galaxy 1 

July 14 

Naustar 8 

72A 

Atlas E 

July 28 

Telestar 3A 

7 7A 

Delta 3920 

July 31 

Defense 

78A 

Titan IIIB 

Aug. 30 

Space Shuttle 

Challenger (STS 8) 

89A 

Objective: To launch and retrieve reusable Shuttle 

Palet Satellite (SPAS). 

Spacecraft: Basic platform structure with complement 

of experiments. Managed by Messerschmitt-BolkowBlohm, GMBH, Space Division (MBB). Weight: 

1,448 kg. 

Objective: Development of spaceflight techniques and 

technology. Spacecraft: Not announced. 

Objective: Development of spaceflight techniques and 

technology. Spacecraft: Not announced. 

Objective: To place satellite into orbit permitting 

achievement of Air Force mission objectives. Satellite 

to evaluate certain propagation effects of disturbed 

plasmas on radar and communication systems. 

Weight: 102 kg. 

Spacecraft: Modified TRANSIT satellite. 

Objective: To launch spacecraft with sufficient accuracy 

to permit it to achieve stationary geosynchronous orbit 

for communications. 

Spacecraft: Cylindrical body, 216 cm in diameter, and 

277 cm high in stowed launch configuration. In orbit, 

aft solar panel deploys, and antenna reflector erects for 

height of 683 cm. Weight: 519 kg. 

Objective: To launch navigation satellite into planned 

Spacecraft: Same basic configuration as Naustar 6, 

oribit. 

launched in 1980. Weight: 873 kg. 

Objective: To launch satellite with sufficient accuracy 

to permit PAM-D and spacecraft propulsion system to 

place spacecraft in stationary geosynchronous orbit. 

Spacecraft: Cylindrical body, 216 cm in diameter, and 

274 cm in height in stowed configuration. Height with 

antennas and telescoping solar panel deployed, 684 

cm. Weight in orbit: 653 kg. 

300 

295 

90.5 

28.5 

220 

165 

96.4 

1,287 

111.3 

96.7 

833 

767 

100.9 

82.0 

88.4 

1,284 

35,794 

35,778 

1,436.1 

0.0 

20,446 

19,917 

718.0 

62.8 

35,794 

35,781 

1,436.2 

0.0 

Objective: Development of spaceflight technique and Not available 

Spacecraft: Not announced. 

technology. 

Objective: To deploy Insat I-B, and accomplish assigned 

Spacecraft: Shuttle orbiter carrying satellite Insat I-B, 

electrophoresis (CFES), 4 get-away-special experiments, and postal covers. Payload weight (without 

crew): 13,986 kg. 

310 

experiments and test objectives. 299 

90.6 

payload flight test article (PFTA), continuous-flow 28.4 

Deployed in free-flying orbit June 22 

from Shuttle Challenger and then 

retrieved. Performed scientific experiments, tested remote manipulator 

arm, and photographed Challenger. 

Launched by DoD with 60C on 1 launch 

vehicle. Still in orbit. 

Still in orbit. 

Launched by NASA for USAF. Still in 

orbit. 

Launched by NASA for Hughes Communications, Inc., positioned at 135' 

west longitude. 

Global Positioning System satellite 

launched by DoD in joint military services' developmental network. Still in 

orbit. 

Launched by NASA for American 

Telephone and Telegraph Company. 

Apogee boost motor fired July 29. 

Satellite on station at 87O west longitude above equator. 

Still in orbit. 

Fourth operational flight of Space 

Transportation System. Challenger 

piloted by astronauts Richard H. 

Truly, Daniel C. Brandenstein. Mission specialists: Dale A. Gardner, 

Guion S. Bluford, and Dr. William E. 

Thornton. Challenger lifted off from 

KSC at 2:32 a.m. EDT. Satellite was 

deployed from cargo bay Aug. 31. 

First night launch and landing, first 

black American in space (Bluford). 

89 
APPENDIX A-3-Continued 

Successful U.S. Launches-I982 

Launch Date (GMT), Apogee and 

Spacecraft Name, Mission Objectives, Perigee (km), 

COSPAR Designation, Spacecraft Data Period (min), 

Launch Vehicle Inclination to 

Remarks 

Equator (") 

Orbiter Challenger landed on runway 

22 at Edwards AFB, Calif., 3:41 a.m. 

EDT, Sept. 5. Total mission time: 6 

days, 1 hr, 9 min. Challenger returned 

to KSC for overhaul and refurbishment, 

Znsat IB 

89B 

Sept. 8 

RCA-Salcon 7 

94A 

Delta 3924 

(11 R) 

Sept. 22 

Galaxy 2 

98A 

Delta 3920 

Nov. 18 

113A 

Atlas E 

DMSP F- 7 

Nov. 28 

Space Shuttle 

Columbia (STS 9) 

116A 

Objective: To launch satellite into transfer orbit of sufficient accuracy to permit payload to achieve orbit for 

communications. 

Spacecraft: Box-shaped in stowed configuration; PAM-D 

attached to satellite body. Weight: 3,391 kg. 

Objective: To launch satellite into sufficiently accurate 

transfer orbit to permit spacecraft to achieve geosynchronous orbit. 

Spacecraft: Box-shaped 1.2 x 1.2 x 1.6 m high; 2 rectangular solar panels on short booms give satellite span 

of 15.8 m. Three-axis stabilized. Weight in orbit, after 

apogee kick motor fire: 598.6 kg. 

Objective: To launch satellite with sufficient accuracy to 

permit the PAM-D and spacecraft propulsion system 

to place spacecraft in a stationary geosynchronous 

orbit for communications. 

Spacecraft: Cylindrical body, 216 cm in diameter and 

277 cm high in stowed launch configuration. In orbit, 

aft solar panel deploys, and antenna reflector erects for 

height of 683 cm. Weight: 519 kg. 

Objective: To launch meterological observation satellite 

Spacecraft: Same basic configuration as DMSP F-6. 

into planned orbit. 

Weight: 1421 kg. 

Objective: Primary, to verify Spacelab system and subsystem performance and capability, determine 

Spacelab-orbiter interface capability, and measure induced environment. Secondary objective: to obtain 

scientific, applications, and technology data from 

U.S.-European multidisciplinary payload and to 

demonstrate, to user community, broad capability of 

Spacelab for scientific research. 

Spacecraft: Shuttle orbiter carrying Spacelab 1 consisting of long tunnel and pressurized laboratory 

module plus exposed pallet, with scientific airlock and 

Spacelab window adapter assembly. Spacelab 1 carried 

more than 70 experiments in 5 areas of scientific 

research: astronomy and solar physics, space plasma 

physics, atmospheric physics and earth observations, 

life sciences, and materials science. Weight, including 

Spacelab, ancillary equipment, cables, fixtures, cargo 

bay equipment, not crew): 15,265 kg. 

35,526 

35,647 

1,436.1 

0.2 

35,805 

35,771 

1,436.2 

0.1 

35,790 

35,786 

1,436.2 

0.1 

830 

810 

101.3 

98.7 

254 

242 

89.5 

57.0 

Launched from Shuttle Aug. 31 for 

government of India. Stuck solar array corected. Satellite operational in 

final parking slot at 74' east 

longitude, over equator south of 

India. 

Third in series of advanced satellites; 

launched by NASA for RCA to replace RCA-Satcon 2 launched in 1976. 

Satellite placed above the equator at 

72' west longitude. 

Second in series of 3 satellites, launched 

by NASA for Hughes Communications, Inc. Satellite stationed above 

equator at 74' west longitude. 

Launched by DoD and still in orbit. 

Second block 5D-2 spacecraft in 

Defense Meterological Satellite Program (DMSP). Provides full earth 

coverage twice daily. 

Fifth operational flight of Space Transportation System. Orbiter Columbia 

piloted by astronauts John W. Young, 

Brewster W. Shaw. Mission 

specialists: Owen K. Garriott and 

Robert A. R. Parker. Payload 

specialists Byron K. Lichtenberg and 

West German Ulf Merbold. Columbia 

lifted off from KSC at 11:OO a.m. EST. 

First flight of European-built 

Spacelab, first flight of 6-person crew, 

first flight of a payload specialist, and 

first flight of non-American on U.S. 

mission. Columbia landed on runway 

17 at Edwards AFB, Calif., 6:47 p.m, 

EST, Dec. 8. Total mission time: 10 

days, 7 hrs, 47 min. Columbia and 

Spacelab returned to KSC for 

overhaul and refurbishment for later 

flights. 

90 
APPENDIX B-1 

U.S.-Launched Applications Satel I i tes 1978- 1983 

Date Name Launch Vehicle Remarks 

Jan. 7, 1978 

Feb. 9, 1978 

Mar. 5, 1978 

Mar. 31, 1978 

Apr. 7, 1978 

May 11, 1978 

June 29, 1978 

Nov. 19, 1978 

Dec. 14, 1978 

Dec. 16, 1978 

May 4, 1979 

Aug. 9, 1979 

Nov. 21, 1979 

Dec. 2, 1979 

Jan. 18, 1980 

Oct. 31, 1980 

Nov. 15, 1980 

Dec. 6, 1980 

Feb. 21, 1981 

May 23, 1981 

Aug. 6, 1981 

Sept. 24, 1981 

Nov. 20, 1981 

Dec. 15, 1981 

Jan. 16, 1982 

Feb. 26, 1982 

Mar. 5, 1982 

Apr. 10, 1982 

June 9, 1982 

Aug. 26, 1982 

Sept. 28, 1982 

Oct. 27, 1982 

Oct. 30, 1982 

Nov. 11, 1982 

Nov. 12, 1982 

Apr. 4, 1983 

Apr. 11, 1983 

May 19, 1983 

June 18, 1983 

June 19, 1983 

June 28, 1983 

July 28, 1983 

Aug. 31, 1983 

Sept. 8, 1983 

Sep. 22 1983 

May 1, 1978 

June 16, 1978 

Oct. 13, 1978 

Intelsat IVA F-3 

Fltsatcom 1 

Oscar 8 

Intelsat IVA F-6 

BSE (Yuri) 

OTS 2 

Comstar D-3 

NATO IIIC 

Anik 4 (Telesat D) 

Fltsatcom 2 

Westar 3 

DSCS II-11,12 

DSCS II-13,14 

RCA-Satcom 3 

Fltsatcom 3 

Fltsatcom 4 

SBS 1 

Intelsat V F-2 

Comstar D-4 

Intelsat V F-1 

Fltsatcom 5 

SBS 2 

RCA-Satcom 3-R 

Intelsat V F-3 

RCA-Satcom 4 

Westar 4 

Intelsat V F-4 

Insat 1A 

Westar 5 

Anik D-l 

Intelsat V F-5 

RCA-Satcom 5 

DSCS 11, 

DSCS I11 

SBS 3 

Anik C-3 

TDRS 1 

RCA-Satcom 6 

Intelsat V F-6 

Anik C-2 

Palapa B-1 

Galaxy 1 

Telstar 3A 

Insat 1-B 

RCA-Satcom 7 

Galaxy 2 

AMS 3 

GOES 3 

Tiros-N 

COMMUNICATIONS 

Atlas-Centaur 

Atlas-Centaur 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Atlas-Centaur 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Atlas-Centaur 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Titan IIIC 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Atlas-Centaur 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Titan IIIC 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Atlas-Centaur 

Atlas-Centaur 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Atlas-Centaur 

Atlas-Centaur 

Atlas-Centaur 

Atlas-Centaur 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Atlas-Centaur 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Atlas-Centaur 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Atlas-Centaur 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Titan III(34) D/IUS 

Space Shuttle, 

Space Shuttle, 

Space Shuttle, IUS 

Delta 3924 

Atlas-Centaur 

Space Shuttle, 

Space Shuttle, 

PAM-D 

Delta 3920/PAM-D 

Delta 3920/PAM-D 

Space Shuttle, PAM-D 

Delta 3924 

Delta 3920/PAM-D 

PAM-D 

PAM-D 

PAM-D 

Positioned over Indian Ocean. 

First of new Defense series. 

Secondary payload with Landsat 3, replacement for Oscar 6 for 

Positioned over Indian Ocean. 

Japanese experimental direct-broadcast satellite for television; doEuropean Space Agency experimental relay satellite; domestic satellite. 

Positioned south of U.S. over the equator by Comsat; domestic satellite. 

Final one of this military series. 

Defense communications (dual launch). 

Launched for Canada; domestic satellite. 

Second of new DoD series. 

Launched for Western Union Co. as part of its domestic comDefense communications (dual launch). 

Launched for RCA, but contact lost during orbit circularization. 

Third of DoD series. 

Fourth of DoD series. 

Launched for Satellite Business Systems as part of its domestic communications links. 

First of new series, positioned over Atlantic. 

Fourth in series for Comsat General Corp. 

Second in series for INTELSAT, positioned over Atlantic. 

Fifth in DoD series. 

Second in series for Satellite Business Systems. 

Fourth in series for RCA, replacement for RCA-Satcom 3. 

Third in series. To be positioned over Atlantic. 

Fifth in series for RCA. 

First in a series of second-generation for Western Union Co. 

Fourth in series; positioned over Pacific. 

First in series for India Department of Space. 

Second in series of second-generation for Western Union Co.; replaces 

Launched for Telesat Canada as replacement for in-orbit satellites. 

Fifth in series; positioned over Indian Ocean. 

Joined 4 operational satellites launched for RCA. 

Defense communications (dual launch), including first in series of 

Third in series for Satellite Business Systems. 

amateur radio communications. 

mestic satellite. 

munications links. 

Westar 2. 

uprated satellites. 

Second in new series for Telesat Canada 

First in series. System to provide continuous satellite communication. 

Leased by NASA from Space Communications Co. (Spacecom). 

Replacement for RCA-Satcom 1, launched for RCA. 

Sixth in series; positioned over Atlantic Ocean. 

Launched for Telesat Canada. 

Inddhesian domestic communications. 

Launched for Hughes Communications, Inc. 

Launched for American Telephone and Telegraph Co. 

Indian domestic communications. 

Replacement for RCA-Satcom 2, launched for RCA. 

Second in series, launched for Hughes Communications, Inc 

WEATHER OBSERVATION a 

Thor-Burner 2 DoD meteorological satellite. 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Atlas F 

Third of this series for NOAA. 

First of third-generation for NOAA, also experimental satellite for 

NASA. 

91 
APPENDIX B-1-Continued 

U.S.-Launched Applications Satellites 1978-1983 

Date Name Launch Vehicle Remarks 

Oct. 24, 1978 

June 6, 1979 

June 27, 1979 

May 29, 1980 

Sept. 9, 1980 

May 22, 1981 

June 23, 1981 

Dec. 21, 1982 

Mar. 28, 1983 

Apr. 28, 1983 

Nov. 18. 1983 

Mar. 5, 1978 

Apr. 26, 1978 

June 27, 1978 

July 16, 1982 

Apr. 9, 1975 

May 4, 1976 

Feb. 22, 1978 

May 13, 1978 

Oct. 7, 1978 

Dec. 11, 1978 

Feb. 9, 1980 

Apr. 26, 1980 

May 15, 1981 

July 14, 1983 

Nimbus 7 

AMS 4 

NOAA 6 

NOAA-B 

GOES 4 

GOES 5 

NOAA 7 

NOAA 8 

GOES 6 

DMSP F-6 

DMSP F-7 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Atlas F 

Atlas F 

Atlas F 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Atlas F 

Atlas E 

Atlas E 

Delta 3914 

Atlas E 

Last of this experimental series for NASA. 

DoD meteorological satellite. 

Second of 8 planned third-generation satellites for NOAA; first was 

Failed to achieve useful orbit. 

Fourth of this series for NOAA. 

Fifth of polar-orbiting series for NOAA. 

Replacement for NOAA-B. 

DoD meterological satellite. 

Joined NOAA 7 as part of 2-satellite operational system; launched for 

Launched for NOAA, operational as GOES-West. 

Second in block 5D-2 series, DoD meteorological satellite. 

Tiros-N. 

NOAA. 

EARTH OBSERVATION 

Landsat 3 Thor-Delta (TAT) 

HCMM (AEM 1) Scout 

Seasat 1 Atlas F 

Landsat 4 Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Geos 3 Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Lageos Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Navstar 1 

Navstar 2 

Navstar 3 

Navstar 4 

Navstar 5 

Navstar 6 

Nova 1 

Navstar 8 

Atlas F 

Atlas F 

Atlas F 

Atlas F 

Atlas F 

Atlas F 

scout 

Atlas E 

Third experimental earth resources satellite. 

Experimental, low-cost, limited-function heat-capacity mapping misProof-of-concept oceanographic-phenomena data-collection satellite. 

Fourth experimental earth resources satellite. First use of thematic 

sion for earth resources. 

mapper (TM). 

GEODESY 

To measure geometry and topography of ocean surface. 

Laser geodynamic satellite. 

NAVIGATION 

Global Positioning System satellite. 

Global Positioning System satellite. 

Global Positioning System satellite. 

Global Positioning System satellite. 

Global Positioning System satellite. 

Global Positioning System satellite. 

First of improved Transit system satellites, for DoD. 

Global Positioning System satellite. 

aDoes not include Department of Defense weather satellites that are not individually identified by launch. 

92 
APPENDIX B-2 

U.S.-Launched Scientific Satellites 1978-1983 

Date Name Launch Vehicle Remarks 

Jan. 26, 1978 

July 14, 1978 

Aug. 12, 1978 

Oct. 24, 1978 

Nov. 13, 1978 

Jan. 30, 1979 

Feb. 18, 1979 

Feb. 24, 1979 

June 6, 1979 

Sept. 20, 1979 

Oct. 30, 1979 

Feb. 14, 1980 

Aug. 3, 1981 

Oct. 6. 1981 

Oct. 6, 1981 

Jan. 26, 1983 

Mav 26. 1983 

IUE 

Geos 2 

ISEE 3 

Cameo 

Heao 2 

Scatha 

Sage 

Solwind 

Ariel 6 

Heao 3 

Magsat 

SMM 

Dynamics 

SME 

Explorers 1, 2 

UOSAT 

IRAS 

EXOSAT 

(Oscar 9) 

I, 

June 22, 1983 . SPAS 01 

June 27, 1983 HILAT (P83-1) 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Atlas-Centaur 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

scout 

Atlas F 

scout 

Atlas-Centaur 

scout 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Thor-Delta (TAT) 

Delta 3910 

Delta 3914 

Space Shuttle 

scout 

Ultraviolet observation of astronomical phenomena, in elliptical geoEuropean studies of magnetosphere, in geosynchronous orbit. 

International Sun-Earth Explorer in halo orbit near earth-sun libration point; moved in 1983 to path to meet Comet Giacobini-Zinner in 

1985. 

Barium and lithium cloud experiments, carried in rocket body of Nimbus 7 launcher. 

High-resolution observations of astronomical x-ray sources. 

Measurement of sources of electric charge buildup on spacecraft. 

Measurement of stratospheric aerosols and ozone. 

Measurement of solar wind, electron buildup in polar regions, aerosols, 

Measurement of cosmic radiation (United Kingdom payload). 

Gamma and cosmic ray emissions. 

Detailed current description of earth's magnetic field and of sources of 

Solar Maximum Mission. 

DE 1 and 2 to measure magnetospheric-ionospheric energy coupling, 

Solar Mesosphere Explorer to measure changes in mesospheric 

Secondary payload with SME, for amateur radio and science 

Infrared sky survey. 

European Space Agency study of x-ray sources. 

Reusable free-flying platform deployed and retrieved during STS 7; 6 

scientific experiments from West Germany, 2 from ESA. NASA 

experiments tested spacecraft technology. 

Propagation effects of disturbed plasma on radar and communication 

systems, for DoD. 

synchronous orbit. 

and ozone. 

variations. 

electric currents and fields, plasmas. 

ozone. 

experiments. 

93 
APPENDIX B-3 

U.S.-Launched Space Probes 1975-1983 

Date Name Launch Vehicle Remarks 

Aug. 20, 1975 

Sept. 9, 1975 

Jan. 15, 1976 

Aug. 20, 1977 

Sep. 5, 1977 

May 20, 1978 

Aug. 8, 1978 

Viking 1 Titan IIIECentaur 

Viking 2 Titan IIIECentaur 

Helios 2 Titan IIIECentaur 

Voyager 2 Titan IIIECentaur 

Voyager 1 Titan IIIECentaur 

Pioneer Venus 1 Atlas-Centaur 

Pioneer Venus 2 Atlas-Centaur 

Lander descended, landed safely on Mars on Plains of Chryse, Sept. 6 

1976, while orbiter circled planet photographing it and relaying all 

data to Earth. Lander photographed its surroundings, tested soil 

samples for signs of life, and took measurements of atmosphere. 

Lander descended, landed safely on Mars on Plains of Utopia, July 20, 

1976, while orbiter circled planet photographing it and relaying all 

data to Earth. Lander photographed its surroundings, tested soil 

samples for signs of life, and took measurements of the atmosphere. 

Flew in highly elliptical orbit to within 41 million krn of sun, 

measuring solar wind, corona, electrons, and cosmic rays. Payload 

had same West German and U.S. experiments as Helios 1 plus 

cosmic-ray burst detector. 

Jupiter and Saturn flyby mission. Swung around Jupiter in July 1979, 

arrived Saturn in 1981, going on to Uranus by 1986, Neptune by 

1989. 

Jupiter and Saturn flyby mission. Passing Voyager 2 on the way, swung 

around Jupiter in Mar. 1979, arrived at Saturn in Nov. 1980, headed 

for outer solar system. 

Venus orbiter; achieved Venus orbit Dec. 4, returning imagery and 

data. 

Carried 1 large, 3 small probes plus spacecraft bus; all descended 

through Venus atmosphere Dec. 9, returned data. 

94 
APPENDIX C 

U.S. and Soviet Manned Spaceflights 1961-1983 

Spacecraft 

Vostok 1 

MercuryRedstone 3 

MercuryRedstone 4 

Vostok 2 

Mercury-Atlas 6 

Mercury-Atlas 7 

Vostok 3 

Vostok 4 

Mercury-Atlas 8 

Mercury-Atlas 9 

Vostok 5 

Vostok 6 

Voskhod 1 

Voskhod 2 

Gemini 3 

Gemini 4 

Gemini 5 

Gemini 7 

Gemini 6-A 

Gemini 8 

Gemini 9-A 

Gemini 10 

Gemini 11 

Gemini 12 

soyuz 1 

Apollo 7 

soyuz 3 

Apollo 8 

soyuz 4 

soyuz 5 

Apollo 9 

Apollo 10 

Apollo 11 

Soyuz 6 

soyuz 7 

Soyuz 8 

Highlights Flight Time 

Launch Date Crew (days : hrs : min) 

Apr. 12, 1961 

May 5, 1961 

July 21, 1961 

Aug. 6, 1961 

Feb. 20, 1962 

May 24, 1962 

Aug. 11, 1962 

Aug. 12, 1962 

Oct. 3, 1962 

May 15, 1963 

June 14, 1963 

June 16, 1963 

Oct. 12, 1964 

Mar. 18, 1965 

Mar. 23, 1965 

June 3, 1965 

Aug. 21, 1965 

Dec. 4, 1965 

Dec. 15, 1965 

Mar. 16, 1966 

June 3, 1966 

July 18, 1966 

Sept. 12, 1966 

Nov. 11, 1966 

Apr. 23, 1967 

Oct. 11, 1968 

Oct. 26, 1968 

Dec. 21. 1968 

Jan. 14, 1969 

Jan. 15, 1969 

Mar. 3, 1969 

May 18, 1969 

July 16, 1969 

Oct. 11, 1969 

Oct. 12, 1969 

Oct. 13, 1969 

Yuriy A. Gagarin 

Alan B. Shepard, Jr. 

Virgil I. Grissom 

German S. Titov 

John H. Glenn, Jr. 

M. Scott Carpenter 

Andriyan G. Nikolayev 

Pavel R. Popovich 

Walter M. Schirra, Jr. 

L. Gordon Cooper, Jr. 

Valeriy F. Bykovskiy 

Valentina V. Tereshkova 

Vladimir M. Komarov 

Konstantin P. Fzoktistov 

Boris G. Yegorov 

Pavel I. Belyayev 

Aleksey A. Leonov 

Virgil I. Grissom 

John W. Young 

James A. McDivitt 

Edward H. White I1 

L. Gordon Cooper, Jr. 

Charles Conrad, Jr. 

Frank Borman 

James A. Lovell, Jr. 

Walter M. Schirra, Jr. 

Thomas P. Stafford 

Neil A. Armstrong 

David R. Scott 

Thomas P. Stafford 

Eugene A. Cernan 

John W. Young 

Michael Collins 

Charles Conrad, Jr. 

Richard F. Gordon, Jr. 

James A. Lovell, Jr. 

Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. 

Vladimir M. Komarov 

Walter M. Schirra, Jr. 

Donn F. Eisele 

R. Walter Cunningham 

Georgiy T. Beregovoy 

Frank Borman 

James A. Lovell, Jr. 

William A. Anders 

Vladimir A. Shatalov 

Boris V. Volynov 

Aleksey S. Yeliseyev 

Yevgeniy V. Khrunov 

James A. McDivitt 

David R. Scott 

Russell L. Schweickart 

Thomas P. Stafford 

John W. Young 

Eugene A. Cernan 

Neil A. Armstrong 

Michael Collins 

Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. 

Georgiy Shonin 

Valeriy N. Kubasov 

Anatoliy V. Filipchenko 

Viktor N. Gorbatko 

Vladislav N. Volkov 

Vladimir A. Shatalov 

Aleksey S. Yeliseyev 

0: 1:48 

0: 0:15 

0: 0.16 

1: 1:18 

0: 4:55 

0: 4:56 

3 : 22 : 25 

2 : 22 : 59 

0: 9:13 

1 : 10 : 20 

4:23: 6 

2 : 22 : 50 

1: 0.17 

1: 2: 2 

0: 4:53 

4: 1:56 

7 : 22 : 55 

13 : 18 : 35 

1: 1:51 

0 : 10 : 41 

3: 0:21 

2 : 22 : 47 

2 : 23 : 17 

3 : 22 : 35 

1: 2:37 

10:20: 9 

3 : 22 : 51 

6: 3: 1 

2 : 23 : 23 

3: 0:56 

10: 1: 1 

8: 0: 3 

8: 3: 9 

4 : 22 : 42 

4 : 22 : 41 

4 : 22 : 50 

First manned flight. 

First U.S. flight; suborbital 

Suborbital; capsule sank after landing; astronaut 

First flight exceeding 24 h. 

First American to orbit. 

Landed 400 km beyond target. 

First dual mission (with Vostok 4). 

Came within 6 km of Vostok 3. 

Landed 8 km from target. 

First U.S. flight exceeding 24 h. 

Second dual mission (with Vostok 6). 

First woman in space; within 5 km of Vostok 5. 

First 3-man crew. 

safe. 

First extravehicular activity (Leonov, 10 min). 

First U.S. 2-man flight; first manual maneuvers 

21-min extravehicular activity (White). 

Longest-duration manned flight to date. 

Longest-duration manned flight to date 

Rendezvous within 30 cm of Gemini 7 

First docking of 2 orbiting spacecraft (Gemini 8 

Extravehicular activity; rendezvous. 

First dual rendezvous (Gemini 10 with Agena 10, 

First initial-orbit docking; first tethered flight; 

Longest extravehicular activity to date (Aldrin, 5 

Cosmonaut killed in reentry accident. 

First U.S. 3-man mission. 

in orbit. 

with Agena target rocket). 

then Agena 8). 

highest earth-orbit altitude (1,372 km). 

hrs 37 min). 

Maneuvered near unmanned Soyuz 2. 

First manned orbit(s) of moon; first manned 

departure from earth's sphere of influence; 

highest speed attained in manned flight to date. 

Soyuz 4 and 5 docked and transferred 2 cosmonauts from Soyuz 5 to Soyuz 4. 

Successfully simulated in earth orbit operation of 

lunar module to landing and takeoff from 

lunar surface and rejoining with command 

module. 

Successfully demonstrated complete system including lunar module descent to 14,300 m from the 

lunar surface. 

First manned landing on lunar surface and safe 

return to earth. First return of rock and soil 

samples to earth, and manned deployment of 

experiments on lunar surface. 

Soyuz 6, 7, and 8 operated as a group flight without actually docking. Each conducted certain 

experiments, including welding and earth and 

celestial observation. 

95 
APPENDIX C-Continued 

U.S. and Soviet Manned Spaceflights 1961 -1983 

Crew Flight Time 

(days : hrs : min) - 

Spacecraft Launch Date Highlights 

Second manned lunar landing. Explored surface of moon and retrieved parts of Surveyor 

3 spacecraft, which landed in Ocean of Storms 

on Apr. 19, 1967. 

Mission aborted; explosion in service module. Ship circled moon, with crew using 

LM as “lifeboat” until just before reentry. 

Longest manned spaceflight to date. 

Third manned lunar landing. Mission demonstrated pinpoint landing capability and continued manned exploration. 

Docked with Salyut 1, but crew did not board 

space station launched 19 Apr. Crew recovered 

Apr. 24, 1971. 

Docked with Salyut 1 and Soyuz 11 crew occupied 

space station for 22 days. Crew perished during 

final phase of Soyuz 11 capsule recovery on 

June 30, 1971. 

Fourth manned lunar landing and first Apollo “J” 

series mission, which carried Lunar Roving 

Vehicle. Warden’s inflight EVA of 38 min 12 sec 

was performed during return trip. 

Fifth manned lunar landing, with Lunar Roving 

Vehicle. 

Sixth and final Apollo manned lunar landing, 

again with roving vehicle. 

Docked with Skylab 1 (launched unmanned 

May 14) for 28 days. Repaired damaged station. 

Docked with Skylab 1 for more than 59 days 

Apollo 12 Nov. 14, 1969 Charles Conrad, Jr. 

Richard F. Gordon, JI 

Alan L. Bean 

James A. Lovell, Jr. 

Fred W. Haise, Jr. 

John L. Swigert, Jr. 

Andriyan G. Nikolayev 

Vitaliy I. Sevastyanov 

Alan B. Shepard, Jr. 

Stuart A. Roosa 

Edgar D. Mitchell 

Vladimir A. Shatalov 

Aleksey S. Yeliseyev 

Nikolay N. Rukavishnikov 

Georgiy T. Dobrovolskiy 

Vladislav N. Volkov 

Viktor I. Patsayev 

David R. Scott 

Alfred M. Worden 

James B. Irwin 

John W. Young 

Charles M. Duke, Jr. 

Thomas K. Mattingly I1 

Eugene A. Cernan 

Harrison H. Schmitt 

Ronald E. Evans 

Charles Conrad, Jr. 

Joseph P. Kerwin 

Paul J. Weitz 

Alan L. Bean 

Jack R. Lousma 

Owen K. Garriott 

Vasiliy G. Lazarev 

Oleg G. Makarov 

Gerald P. Carr 

Edward G. Gibson 

William R. Pope 

Petr I. Klimuk 

Valentin V. Lebedev 

Pave1 R. Popovich 

Yuriy P. Artyukhin 

Gennadiy V. Sarafanov 

Lev S. Demin 

Anatoliy V. Filipchenko 

Nikolay N. Rukavishnikov 

Aleksey A. Gubarev 

Georgiy M. Grechko 

Vasiliy G. Lazarev 

Oleg G. Makarov 

Petr I. Klimuk 

Vitaliy I. Sevastyanov 

Aleksey A. Leonov 

Valeriy N. Kubasov 

Thomas P. Stafford 

Dorcld x. Slayton 

Vance D. Brand 

Boris V. Volynov 

Vitaliy M. Zholobov 

Valeriy F. Bykovskiy 

Vladimir V. Aksenov 

10 : 4: 36 

Apollo 13 Apr. 11, 1970 5 : 22 : 55 

17 : 16 : 59 

9: 0: 2 

soyuz 9 

Apollo 14 

June 1, 1970 

Jan. 31, 1971 

soyuz 10 Apr. 22, 1971 1 : 23 : 46 

soyuz 11 June 6, 1971 23 : 18 : 22 

Apollo 15 July 26, 1971 12 : 7 : 12 

Apollo 16 Apr. 16, 1972 11 : 1 : 51 

Apollo 17 Dec. 7, 1972 12 : 13 : 52 

Skylab 2 May 25, 1973 28 : 0 : 50 

Skylab 3 July 28, 1973 59: 11 : 9 

Checkout of improved Soyuz 

Docked with Skylab 1 in long-duration mission; 

last of Skylab program. 

Astrophysical, biological, and earth resources exDocked with Salyut 3 and Soyuz 14 crew occupied 

Rendezvoused but did not dock with Salyut 3. 

Test of ASTP configuration. 

Docked with Salyut 4 and occupied station. 

Soyuz stages failed to separate; crew recovered 

Docked with Salyut 4 and occupied station. 

Target for Apollo in docking and joint experiDocked with Soyuz 19 in joint experiments of 

periments. 

space station. 

after abort. 

ments of ASTP mission. 

ASTP mission. 

soyuz 12 

Skylab 4 

Sept. 27, 1973 

Nov. 16. 1973 

1 : 23 : 16 

84: 1.16 

Dec. 18, 1973 

July 3, 1974 

Aug. 26, 1974 

Dec. 2, 1974 

Jan. 10, 1975 

Apr. 5, 1975 

May 24, 1975 

July 15, 1975 

July 15, 1975 

7 : 20 : 55 

15 : 17 : 30 

2: 0:12 

5 : 22 : 24 

29 : 13 : 20 

0: 0:20 

62 : 23 : 20 

5 : 22 : 31 

9: 1:28 

Soyuz 13 

Soyuz 14 

Soyuz 15 

Soyuz 16 

Soyuz 17 

Anomaly 

Soyuz 18 

soyuz 19 

Apollo (ASTP) 

soyuz 21 

soyuz 22 

July 6, 1976 

Sept. 15, 1976 

48: 1.32 

7 : 21 : 54 

Docked with Salyut 5 and occupied station. 

Earth resources study with multispectral camera 

system. 
APPENDIX C-Continued 

U.S. and Soviet Manned Spaceflights 1961-1983 

Launch Date Crew Flight Time 

(davs : hrs : min) Spacecraft Highlights 

Soyuz 23 

Soyuz 24 

Soyuz 25 

Oct. 14, 1976 

Feb. 7, 1977 

Oct. 9, 1977 

Dec. 10, 1977 

Jan. 10, 1978 

Mar. 2, 1978 

June 15, 1978 

June 27, 1978 

Aug. 26, 1978 

Vyacheslav D. Zudov 

Valeriy I. Rozhdestvenskiy 

Viktor V. Gorbatko 

Yuriy N. Glazkov 

Vladimir V. Kovalenok 

Valeriy V. Ryumin 

Yuriy V. Romanenko 

Georgiy M.. Grechko 

Vladimir A. Dzhanibekov 

Oleg G. Makarov 

Aleksey A. Gubarev 

Vladimir Remek 

Vladimir V. Kovalenok 

Aleksandr S. Ivanchenkov 

Petr I. Klimuk 

Miroslaw Hermaszewski 

Valeriy F. Bykovskiy 

Sigmund Jaehn 

2: 0: 6 

17 : 17 : 23 

2: 0:46 

37 : 10: 6 

64 : 22 : 53 

7 : 22 : 17 

79 : 15 : 23 

7:22: 4 

67 : 20 : 14 

Failed to dock with Salyut 5 

Docked with Salyut 5 and occupied station 

Failed to achieve hard dock with Salyut 6 station 

Docked with Salyut 6. Crew returned in Soyuz 27; 

crew duration 96 days 10 hrs. 

Docked with Salyut 6. Crew returned in Soyuz 26; 

crew duration 5 days 22 hrs 59 min. 

Docked with Salyut 6. Remek was first Czech cosmonaut to orbit. 

Docked with Salyut 6. Crew returned in Soyuz 31; 

crew duration 139 days 14 hrs 48 min. 

Docked with Salyut 6. Hermaszewski was first 

Polish cosmonaut to orbit. 

Docked with Salyut 6. Crew returned in Soyuz 29; 

crew duration 7 days 20 hrs 49 min. Jaehn was 

first German Democratic Republic cosmonaut 

to orbit. 

Docked with Salyut 6. Crew returned in Soyuz 34; 

crew duration 175 days 36 min. 

Failed to achieve docking with Salyut 6 station. 

Ivanov was first Bulgarian cosmonaut to orbit. 

Docked with Salyut 6, later served as ferry for 

Soyuz 32 crew while Soyuz 32 returned unmanned. 

Docked with Salyut 6. Crew returned in Soyuz 37. 

Crew duration, 184 days 20 hrs 12 min. 

Docked with Salyut 6. Crew returned in Soyuz 35. 

Crew duration 7 days 20 hrs 46 min. Farkas was 

first Hungarian to orbit. 

Docked with Salyut 6. First manned flight of newgeneration ferry. 

Docked with Salyut 6. Crew returned in Soyuz 36. 

Crew duration 7 days 20 hrs 42 min. Pham 

was first Vietnamese to orbit. 

Docked with Salyut 6. Tamayo was first Cuban to 

orbit. 

Docked with Salyut 6. First 3-man flight in Soviet 

program since 1971. 

Docked with Salyut 6. 

Docked with Salyut 6. Gurragcha first Mongolian 

cosmonaut to orbit. 

First flight of Space Shuttle, tested spacecraft in 

orbit. First landing of airplanelike craft from 

orbit for reuse. 

Docked with Salyut 6. Prunariu first Romanian 

cosmonaut to orbit. 

Second flight of Space Shuttle, first scientific payload (OSTA 1). Tested remote manipulator arm. 

Returned for reuse. 

Third flight of Space Shuttle, second scientific 

payload (OSS 1). Second test of remote 

manipulator arm. Flight extended 1 day because 

of flooding at primary landing site; alternate 

landing site used. Returned for reuse. 

Docked with Salyut 7. Crew duration of 211 days. 

Crew returned in Soyuz T-7. 

Docked with Salyut 7. Chretien first French 

cosmonaut to orbit. 

Soyuz 26 

soyuz 27 

Soyuz 28 

soyuz 29 

Soyuz 30 

Soyuz 31 

Soyuz 32 

soyuz 33 

soyuz 34 

Feb. 25, 1979 

Apr. 10, 1979 

June 6, 1979 

Vladimir A. Lyakhov 

Valeriy V. Ryumin 

Nikolay N. Rukavishnikov 

Georgi I. Ivanov 

(unmanned at launch) 

I08 : 4; 24 

1:23: 1 

73 : 18 : 17 

Leonid I. Popov 

Valeriy V. Ryumin 

Valeriy N. Kubasov 

Bertalan Farkas 

55 : 1 : 29 

65 : 20 : 54 

soyuz 35 

Soyuz 36 

Apr. 9, 1980 

May 26, 1980 

soyuz T-2 

soyuz 37 

June 5, 1980 

July 23, 1980 

Yuriy V. Malyshev 

Vladimir V. Aksenov 

Viktor V. Gorbatko 

Pham Tuan 

Yuriy V. Romanenko 

Arnaldo Tamayo Mendez 

Leonid D. Kizim 

Oleg G. Makarov 

Gennadiy M. Strekalov 

Vladimir V. Kovalenok 

Viktor P. Savinykh 

Vladimir A. Dzhanibekov 

Jugderdemidiyn Gurragcha 

John W. Young 

Robert L. Crippen 

Leonid I. Popov 

Dumitru Prunariu 

Joe H. Engle 

Richard H. Truly 

3 : 22 : 21 

79 : 15 : 17 

soyuz 38 

SOYUZ T-3 

Sept. 18, 1980 

Nov. 27, 1980 

7 ; 20 : 43 

12 : 19: 8 

74 : 18 : 38 

7 : 20 : 43 

2: 6:21 

SOYUZ T-4 

soyuz 39 

Space Shuttle 

Columbia 

(STS 1) 

Soyuz 40 

Space Shuttle 

Columbia 

(STS 2) 

Space Shuttle 

Columbia 

(STS 3) 

Mar. 12, 1981 

Mar. 22, 1981 

Apr. 12, 1981 

May 14, 1981 

Nov. 12, 1981 

7 : 20 : 41 

2: 6:13 

Mar. 22, 1982 Jack R. Lousma 

C. Gordon Fullerton 

8: 4.49 

SOYUZ T-5 

SOYUZ T-6 

May 13, 1982 

June 24, 1982 

Anatoliy Berezovoy 

Valentin Lebedev 

Vladimir Dzhanibekov 

Aleksandr Ivanchenkov 

Jean-Loup Chretien 

211 : 9: 5 

7 : 21 : 51 
APPENDIX C-Continued 

U.S. and Soviet Manned Spaceflights 1961-1983 

Flight Time 

(days : hrs : min) Spacecraft Launch Date Crew Highlights 

Space Shuttle 

Columbia 

(STS 4) 

SOYUZ T-7 

Space Shuttle 

Columbia 

(STS 5) 

Space Shuttle 

Challenger 

(STS 6) 

SOYUZ T-8 

Space Shuttle 

Challenger 

(STS 7) 

SOYUZ T-9 

Space Shuttle 

Challenger 

(STS 8) 

Space Shuttle 

Columbia 

(STS 9) 

June 27, 1982 

Aug. 19, 1982 

Nov. 11, 1982 

Apr. 4, 1983 

Apr. 20, 1983 

June 18, 1983 

June 28, 1983 

Aug. 30, 1983 

Nov. 28, 1983 

Thomas K. Mattingly I1 

Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr 

Leonid Popov 

Aleksandr Serebrov 

Svetlana Savitskaya 

Vance D. Brand 

Robert F. Overmyer 

Joseph P. Allen 

William B. Lenoir 

Paul J. Weitz 

Karol J. Bobko 

Donald H. Peterson 

Story Musgrave 

Vladimir Titov 

Gennady Strekalov 

Aleksander Serebrov 

Robert L. Crippen 

Frederick H. Hauck 

John M. Fabian 

Sally K. Ride 

Norman T. Thagard 

Vladimir Lyakhov 

Aleksandr Aleksandrov 

Richard H. Truly 

Daniel C. Brandenstein 

Dale A. Gardner 

Guion S. Bluford, Jr. 

William E. Thornton 

John W. Young 

Brewster W. Shaw 

Owen K. Garriott 

Robert A. R. Parker 

Byron K. Lichtenberg 

Ulf Merbold 

7: 1: 9 

7 : 21 : 52 

5: 2:14 

5: 0:24 

2: 0.18 

6: 2:24 

149 : 9 : 46 

6: 1: 9 

10: 7: 47 

Fourth flight of Space Shuttle, first DoD payload, 

additional scientific payloads. Returned July 4. 

Completed orbital flight testing program. 

Returned for reuse. 

Docked with Salyut 7. Savitskaya second Soviet 

woman to orbit. Crew returned in Soyuz T-5. 

Fifth flight of Space Shuttle, first operational flight; 

launched 2 commercial satellites (SBS 3 and Anik 

C-3); first flight with 4 crewmembers. EVA test 

canceled when spacesuits malfunctioned. 

Sixth flight of Space Shuttle, launched TDRS 1. 

Failed to achieve docking with Salyut 7 station 

Seventh flight of Space Shuttle, launched 2 commercial satellites (Anik C-2 and Palapa B-l), also 

launched and retrieved SPAS 01; first flight with 

5 crewmembers, including first woman U.S. 

astronaut. 

Docked with Salyut 7 station. 

Eighth Flight of Space Shuttle, launched one commercial satellite (Insat 1-B), first flight of U.S. 

black astronaut 

Ninth flight of Space Shuttle, first flight of Spacelab 

1, first flight of 6 crewmembers, one of whom was 

West German, first non-U.S. astronaut to fly in 

U.S. space program. 

98 
APPENDIX D 

U.S. Space Launch Vehicles 

Max. Pavload (ke\b 

Vehicle Stages 

, \ 0, 

Thrust Max. Dia. First Height 185-Km Geosynch.- Circular 

(m) Orbit Orbit 

Orbit Transfer Sun-Synch. Propellanta (kilonewtons) 

scout 

Delta 2900 Series 

(Thor-Delta) 

Delta 3900 Series 

(Thor-Delta)e 

Atlas E 

Atlas-Centaur 

1. Algol IIIA ....... .Solid ............. 

2. Castor IIA ....... .Solid ............. 3. Antares IIIA ..... .Solid ............. 

4. Altair IIIA ....... .Solid ..... 

1. Thor plus ........ LOX/RP-1 ....... 9 TX 354-5 .... .Solid ............. 

2. Delta ............ N20,/Aerozine-50 .. 

3. TE 364-4 ........ .Solid ............. 

1. Thor plus ........ LOX/RP-l ....... 9 TX 526-2 .... .Solid ............. 

2. Delta ..... N20,/Aerozine-50 . . 1. Atlas booste 

& sustainer ..... LOX/RP-1 

1. Atlas booster & 

sustainer ....... LOX/RP-1 ....... 2. Centaur ......... .LOX/LHZ.. ........ 

431.1 

285.2 

83.1 

25.6 

912.0 

147 each 

44.2 

65.8 

912.0 

375 each 

44.2 

,722.0 

,913.0 

146.0 

1.14x22.9 255 - 155d 1979(60) 

205d 

2.44 x 35.4 2,000 705 1,250d 1973(60) 

1,410d 

2.44 x 35.4 3,045 1,275 2,135d 1982(60) 

2.180d 

3.05 x 28.1 2,OWf - 1,500d 1972(67) 

3.05 x 45.0 6,100 2,360 - 1,984(62) 

SunDirect Synch. 

185-Km Geosynch. Transfer 

Orbit Orbit Orbit 

Titan IIIB-Agena 

Titan III(34)D/ 

IUS 

Titan II1(34)D/ 

Transtage 

1. LR-87 ........... NzO,/Aerozine .... 2. LR-91 ........... N,O,/Aerozine .... 3. Agena .......... .IRFNA/UDMH ... 

1. Two 5 $4 segment, 

3.05 m dia ...... Solid ............. 

2. LR-87 ........... N,O,/Aerozine .... 3. LR-91 ........... N,O,/Aerozine .... 4. IUS 1st stage ..... .Solid ............. 5. IUS 2nd stage .... .Solid ............. Same as Titan III(34)D plus: 

4. Transtage ........ N,O+/Aerozine .... 

2,341.0 3.05 x 48.4 3,600’ - 3,060’ 1966 

455.1 

71.2 

11,564.8 3.05~48.0 14,920 1,850’ - 1982 

2,366.3 

449.3 

115.7 

69.8 

275.8 

3.05~46.9 14,920 1,855d - 1984h 

280- to 420-Km Orbit 

Space Shuttle 

(reusable) 

1. Orbiter; 3 main 

engines (SSMEs) 

lire in parallel 

with SRBs ...... LOX/LHz ........ 1,670 each 

2. Two-solid-fueled 

rocket boosters 

(SRBs) lire in 

parallel with 

SSMEs ........ AL/NH,CLO,/ 

Mounted on externaltank(ET) ................................ 

PBAN .......... 11,790 each 

29,500 1981 

in full 

performance 

23.79 x 37.24 configuration 

wing long 

span 

3.71 x 45.45 

8.40 x 46.88 

Propellant abbreviations used are as follows: liquid oxygen and 

a inodilied kerosene = LOX/RP,RJ; solid propellant combining in a 

single mixture both luel and oxidizer = solid; inhibited red-fuming 

nitric acid and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine = 

IRFNANDMH; nitrogen tetroxide and UDMH/NzH, = N20J 

aerozine; liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen = LOX/LH,; 

aluniinum, ammonium perchlorate, and polybutadiene acrolonitrile 

terpolymer = AL/NH,CLO,/PBAN. 

’> Due east launch except as indicated. 

‘ The date of first launch applies to this latest modilication with a 

d Polar launch. 

e Maximum performance based on 3920, 3920/PAM contiguraf With dual TE 364-4. 

g With 96’ tlight azimuth. 

h Initial operational capability in December 1982; launch to be 

date in parentheses lor the initial version. 

tions. PAM = payload assist module (a private venture). 

scheduled as needed 

No.rl;: Data should not be used for detailed NASA mission planning without concurrence of the director of Space ‘Transportation System 

Support Programs. 
APPENDIX E-1 

Space Activities of the U.S. Government 

HISTORICAL BUDGET SUMMARY - BUDGET AUTHORITY 

(in millions of dollars) 

Fiscal Year NSF :ii2 NASA 

Defense Energy 'Om- Interior Agricul- Total Spacea merce ture 

1959 .................. 330.9 

1960 . . . . . . . . . . . 523.6 

1961 . . . . . . . . . . . 964.0 

1962 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,824.9 

1963 _. .__. .... .... .... 3,673.0 

1964.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,099.7 

1966 ,__.._.. 

1967 ........ 1968 _.__...... 

1969 .......... 

1974 ......... 

1976 _.__.......... 

Transitional Quarter 

1977 __._......... 1978 ............. 

1982 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,043.gb 

1983 .......... 6,875.3' 

1984 est. . , . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,217.5 

1985 est. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,491.4 

260.9 

461.5 

926.0 

1,796.8 

3626.0 

5,016.3 

5,137.6 

5,064.5 

4,830.2 

4,430.0 

3,822.0 

3,547.0 

3,101.3 

3,071.0 

3,093.2 

2,758.5 

2,915.3 

3,225.4 

849.2 

3,440.2 

3,622.9 

4,030.4 

4,680.4 

4,992.4 

5,527.6 

6,327.9 

6,590.4 

6,804.3 

489.5 

560.9 

813.9 

1,298.2 

1,549.9 

1,599.3 

1,573.9 

1,688.8 

1,663.6 

1,921.8 

2,013.0 

1,678.4 

1,512.3 

1,407.0 

1,623.0 

1,766.0 

1,892.4 

1,983.3 

460.4 

2,411.9 

2,738.3 

3,035.6 

3,848.4 

4,827.7 

6,678.7 

9,018.9 

10,590.3 

12,912.7 

34.3 

43.3 

67.7 

147.8 

213.9 

210.0 

228.6 

186.8 

183.6 

145.1 

118.0 

102.8 

94.8 

55.2 

54.2 

41.7 

29.6 

23.3 

4.6 

21.7 

34.4 

58.6 

39.6 

40.5 

60.6 

38.9 

34.1 

33.5 

... ... ... ... ... ... 50.7 ... 

43.2 ... 2.8 ... 12.2 ... 

26.5 ... 29.3 ... 

28.1 0.2 

20.0 .2 

8.0 1.1 

27.4 1.9 

31.3 5.8 

39.7 10.3 

60.2 9.0 

64.4 8.3 

71.5 10.4 

22.2 2.6 

90.8 9.5 

102.8 9.7 

98.4 9.9 

92.6 11.7 

87.0 12.3 

144.5 12.1 

177.8 4.6 

234.8 4.7 

254.6 4.2 

... ... ... 0.1 

... .6 

... 1.3 

... 1.5 

... 3.0 

... 3.2 

... 3.2 

... 2.8 

0.5 3.2 

.7 1.9 

.8 2.4 

.8 2.4 

1.6 2.8 

1.9 2.6 

3.1 1.8 

2.3 2.0 

3.6 2.4 

.9 .6 

6.3 2.4 

7.7 2.4 

8.2 2.4 

13.7 2.4 

15.5 2.4 

15.2 2.0 

20.4 O.Od 

23.0 O.Od 

16.0 O.Od 

784.7 

1,065.8 

1,808.2 

3,294.8 

5,434.5 

6,831.4 

6,955.5 

6,969.8 

6,709.5 

6,528.9 

5,975.8 

5,340.5 

4,740.9 

4,824.9 

4,640.3 

4,914.3 

5,319.9 

1,340.5 

5,982.8 

6,518.2 

7,243.5 

8,688.8 

9,977.8 

12,440.7 

15,588.5 

17,477.3 

20,025.3 

4,574.7 

a Excludes amounts for air transportation (subfunction 402). 

Includes $33.5 million unobligated funds that lapsed. 

Includes $37.6 million for reappropriation of prior year funds. 

NSF funding of balloon research transferred to NASA. 

SOURCE: Office of Management and Budget. 

. 

100 
U. S. Space 

miuowo~ 

OOllAR( 

0 NASA' 

APPENDIX E-2 

Space Activities Budget 

(in millions of dollars by fiscal year) 

Budget Authority Budget Outlays 

Federal Space Programs 1983 1984 1985 1983 1984 1985 

Actual Estimate Estimate Actual Estimate Estimate 

Federal agencies: 

NASA" .................................... 

Defense ................................... 

Energy .................................... 

Commerce ................................. 

Interior .................................... 

NSF ..................................... 

Agriculture ................................ - 

Total 

6,327.9 

9,018.9 

38.9 

177.8 

4.6 

0.0 

20.4 

15,588.5 

6,590.4 

10,590.3 

34.1 

234.8 

4.7 

0.0 

23.0 

17,477.3 

6,804.3 

12,912.7 

33.5 

254.6 

4.2 

0.0 

16.0 

20,025.3 

6,100.9 

6,246.7 

39.6 

178.0 

4.8 

0.0 

20.4 

12,590.4 

6,426.8 

8,062.1 

37.2 

234.9 

4.7 

0.0 

23.0 

14,788.7 

6,676.6 

10,888.4 

35.0 

254.3 

4.3 

0.0 

16.0 

17,874.6 

NASA: 

Space flight ................................ 4,085.4 4,047.5 3,821.0 4,052.8 4,091.0 3,884.2 

Space science, applications, and technology ...... 1,596.0 1,735.0 2,018.8 1,486.2 1,589.6 1,898.6 

Air transportation ........................... 547.4 627.1 687.1 563.0 641.4 693.4 

Supporting operations ....................... 646.5 807.9 964.5 561.9 746.2 893.8 

Total NASA ............................. 6,875.3 7,217.5 7,491.4 6,663.9 7,068.2 7,370.0 

a Excludes amounts for air transportation. Includes $37.6 million 

for reappropriation of prior year funds. 

b NSF funding for balloon research transferred to NASA. 

SOURCE: Office of Management and Budget. 

101 
APPENDIX E-3 

Aeronautics Budget 

(in millions of dollars by fiscal year) 

Budget Authority Budget Outlays 

Federal Aeronautics Programs 1983 1984 1985 1983 1984 1985 

Actual Estimate Estimate Actual Estimate Estimate 

NASAa ...................................... 547.4 627.1 687.1 563.0 641.4 693.4 

D~~~~~~~~~ ofDefenseb ........................ 3,220.9 3,807.0 4,466.3 2,920.1 3,642.3 4,192.3 

Department of Transportation' .................. 103.0 263.5 269.0 71.2 192.3 252.0 

Total ..................................... 3,871.3 4,697.6 5,422.4 3,554.3 4,476.0 5,137.7 

a Research and Development, Construction of Facilities, Research 

and Program Management. 

Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation of aircraft and 

related equipment. 

Federal Aviation Administration: Research, Engineering, and 

Development; Facilities, Engineering, and Development. 

SOURCE: Office of Management and Budget. 

102 
APPENDIX F

Expendable Launch Vehicles: 

Presidential Policy Announcement 

Announcement of U. S. Government Support for Commercial Operations by the Private Sector. May 16, 1983 

The President today announced that the U.S. Government 

fully endorses and will facilitate commercial operations of Expendable Launch Vehicles (ELV's) by the U.S. private sector. This policy applies to both those ELV's previously 

developed for U.S. Government use, as well as new space 

launch systems developed specifically for commercial applications. This policy is consistent with the President's National 

Space Policy and represents a positive step toward encouraging U.S. private sector investment and involvement in civil 

space activities. 

The basic goals of U.S. space launch policy as stated in the 

President's Directive on Commercialization of Expendable 

Launch Vehicles are to: (a) ensure a flexible and robust U.S. 

launch posture to maintain space transportation leadership; 

(b) optimize the management and operation of the Space 

Transportation System (STS) program to achieve routine, 

cost-effective access to space; (c) exploit the unique attributes 

of the STS io enhance the capabilities of the U.S. space program; and (d) encourage the U.S. private sector development 

of commercial launch operations. The policy specifies that: 

* The U.S. Government fully endorses and will facilitate 

the commercialization of U. S. Expendable Launch Vehicles 

(ELV's). 

The U.S. Government will license, supervise, and/or 

regulate U.S. commercial ELV operations only to the extent 

required to meet its national and international obligations 

and to ensure public safety. Commercial ELV operators 

must comply with applicable international, national, and 

local laws and regulations including security, safety, and environmental requirements. 

* The U.S. Government encourages the use of its national 

ranges for U. S. commercial ELV operations. Commercial 

launch operations conducted from a U.S. Government national range will, at a minimum, be subject to existing U.S. 

Government range regulations and requirements. Consistent 

with its needs and requirements, the U.S. Government will 

identify and make available, on a reimbursable basis, 

facilities, equipment, tooling, and services that are required 

to support the production and operation of U.S. commercial 

ELV's. 

* The U.S. Government will have priority use of U.S. 

Government facilities and support services to meet national 

security and critical mission requirements. The U.S. 

Government will make all reasonable efforts to minimize impacts on commercial operations. 

* The U.S. Government will not subsidize the commercialization of ELV's but will price the use of its facilities, 

equipment, and services consistent with the goal of encouraging viable commercial ELV launch activities. 

The U.S. Government will encourage free market competition among the various systems and concepts within the 

U.S. private sector. The U.S. Government will provide 

equitable treatment for all commercial launch operators for 

the sale or lease of government equipment and facilities consistent with its economic, 

tv interests. 

foreign policy, and national securi- 

- The U.S. Government will review and approve any proposed commercial launch facility and range as well as subsequent operations conducted therefrom. Near-term demonstration or test flights of commercial launch vehicles conducted from other than a U.S. Government national range 

will be reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis using 

existing licensing authority and procedures. 

Notwithstanding the U.S. Government policy to encourage and facilitate private sector ELV entry into the space 

launch market, the U.S. Government will continue to make 

the space shuttle available for all authorized users - domestic 

and foreign, commercial and governmental - subject to U.S. 

Government needs and priorities. Through FY 1988, the 

price of STS flights will be maintained in accordance with the 

currently established NASA pricing policies in order to provide market stability and assure fair competition. Beyond this 

period, it is the U.S. Government's intent to establish a full 

cost recovery policy for commercial and foreign STS flight 

operations. 

Implementation 

An interim working group under the Senior Interagency 

Group (SIG) for Space on Commercial Launch Operations 

will be formed and co-chaired by the Department of State 

and NASA. The Working Group will be composed of 

members representing the SIG (Space) agencies and 

observers as well as other affected agencies. Additional 

membership, at a minimum, will include the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Communications Commission. This group will be used to (a) streamline the procedures used in the interim to implement existing licensing 

authority, (b) develop and coordinate the requirements and 

process for the licensing, supervision, and/or regulations applicable to routine commercial launch operations from commercial ranges, and (c) recommend the appropriate lead 

agency within the U.S. Government to be responsible for 

commercial launch activities. Until a final selection of the 

lead agency is made, the Department of State will serve as the 

U.S. Government focal point for all inquiries and requests 

relative to seeking U.S. Government approval for commercial ELV activities. 

Background 

The National Space Policy identified the STS as the 

primary launch system for the U.S. Government. The U.S. 

Government is in the process of phasing out its current ELV 

operations (i.e., Delta, Atlas, and Titan launch systems) as 

the capabilities of the STS become sufficient to meet its needs 

and obligations. Increasing private sector interest in continuing these ELV systems has resulted in requests for a U.S. 

Government policy on such activities. In addition, an increasing number of new enterprises have been established 

103 
with the express purpose of developing commercial space 

launch capability. 

The SIG (Space) was asked to review these issues and 

make recommendations to the President. This 4-month interagency study concluded that a U.S. commercial ELV 

capability would offer substantial benefits to the Nation and 

would be consistent with the goals and objectives of the President’s Space Policy. 

The existence of a viable commercial ELV industry would 

add to the general economic vitality of the United States and 

provide the United States with a more robust space launch 

capability. 

The creation of a domestic ELV industry would also maintain a high technology industrial base unequaled in the free 

world and provide jobs for thousands of workers while adding 

to the Federal tax base of the U.S. and a number of States. 

Each commercial launch conducted in the U.S., rather than 

by foreign competitors, would strengthen our economy and 

improve our international balance of payments. Further, 

continuing commercial ELV operations are expected to 

spawn numerous spinoffs and supporting activities and 

strengthen the U.S. position in what is projected to be a 

growing commercial market, thereby providing substantial 

long-term economic benefits to the United States. 

In addition to the general economic benefits, both NASA 

and the Department of Defense would benefit from continuing commercial ELV production and launch. It would provide a more robust U.S. launch capability and offer a 

domestic backup for the shuttle at essentially no cost to the 

U.S. Government. The private sector would assume all costs 

of ELV production now borne by the U.S. Government. 

There would also be a market for U.S. Government facilities 

and equipment that would otherwise be underutilized or no 

longer required. This would also reduce or eliminate U.S. 

Government close-out costs for discontinuing its ELV operations. It would provide a potential market for excess flight 

hardware, special purpose tooling and test equipment, as well 

as propellants which will become excess as the Air Force 

deactivates the Titan I1 ICBM’s. 

In summary, partnership between the U.S. private sector 

and the U.S. Government will strengthen the U.S. space 

launch capability, develop a major new industry, contribute 

favorably to the U.S. economy, and maintain U.S. leadership in space transportation. 

From National Archives and Records Service’s Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents for May 16, 1983, pp. 721-723 

104 * U.S. G O V E R N M E N T P K I N T I N G OFFICE: 1984-452-120:19298