October 9, 1989

View Full Issue Table of Contents

HEADLINE NEWS

Space Station Changes for Lunar Base Would Cost Nasa More Than $1 Billion

WASHINGTON Use of the U. S./intemational space station as a critical staging base for development of a near-term manned lunar outpost would have a “significant impact” on the already hard-pressed station development, NASA has found.

By CRAIG COVAULT5 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Test Pilots Describe Performance, Handling Characteristics of B-2

LOS ANGELES Handling and performance characteristics of the Air Force/Northrop B-2 flying-wing bomber are less sensitive to weight and speed changes than conventional aircraft, according to B-2 test pilots who presented a paper here to the 33rd annual symposium of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.

By MICHAEL A. DORNHEIM5 min

HEADLINE NEWS

Secret Cia Satellite Launched By Shuttle Columbia Observed 'tumbling' By Astronomers in 7 Countries

A secret CIA/U. S. Air Force reconnaissance satellite launched by the space shuttle Columbia malfunctioned initially and may be tumbling in orbit. Extensive ground observations of the satellite by astronomers and information from intelligence sources have raised questions about the mission’s success.

U. S. PLANETARY LAUNCH SURGE

Missions Mark Resurgence of U. S. Planetary Exploration

PASADENA, CALIF. The United States’ first orbiting satellite, Explorer 1, was developed by Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and launched in 1958. Explorer 1 was the forerunner of a long series of stunning U. S. scientific and engineering achievements in space exploration over the past three decades.

By BRUCE A. SMITH15 min

144

SAFETY

Safety Board Analyzes How Aloha 737 Fuselage Failed

The day following the Aloha Airlines accident, the FAA issued Airworthiness Directive (AD) T88-09-51 applicable to all Boeing 737s with more than 55,000 landings, requiring flight at reduced cabin pressure and visual inspections of the lap splices at Stringer (S-) 4 and S-10L and R and circumferential splices between Body Station (BS) 360 and 1016.

U. S. PLANETARY LAUNCH SURGE

Galileo Launch to Jupiter By Atlantis Culminates Difficult Effort with Shuttle

WASHINGTON Launch of the Galileo spacecraft to Jupiter by the space shuttle Atlantis will culminate a tortuous 14-year relationship between the shuttle program and the Jupiter orbiter/probe effort. The Galileo launch requires one of the shortest launch windows of the shuttle program.

By CRAIG COVAULT13 min

October 21989

October 161989

October 9, 1989

October 9, 1989