The Michigan Daily-Friday, January 19, 1979-Page 9
'U' HELPS SEND SPACECRAFT ON THEIR WAY:
NASA blasts off into 1979.
By TIMOTHY YAGLE
An American space fleet, already
scattered across the Solar System as
1979 begins, is ready for a year of the
most wide-ranging planetary ex-
plorations ever attempted.
The National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA), still basking in
the success of its triuimphant and con-
tinuing satellite probe of Venus, laun-
ched last year. It is also commanding
an armada of other space probes that
will hopefully solve some of the
mysteries of the Solar Sysltem that
have puzzled scientists for centuries.
THE VIKING and Venus spacecraft
will continue their surveys of Mars and
Venus respectively. The Voyager
spacecraft will cruise toward close en-
counters with Jupiter and Saturn.
American spacecraftwill apparently
have the Jovian (non earth-like)
planets all to themselves this year
because the Soviets ented their ex-
plorations of the planets with two visits
Hof their own to Venus. The Soviets have
composed mostly of hydr
helium.
Cameras installed on V
began examining it and seve:
moons last week, Voyage
within 174,000 miles from J
March. Voyager 2, trailing
ship, is due there in July.
"tSaturn-a golden globe1
its equator by its famous "ri
be observed by Pioneer 11 a
year, 11/2 billion mile jour
spacecraft will pass between
a space first as it flies b
Pioneer will also study Tit
Saturn's 10 moons. Almostt
Earth, Titan is seen by some
as a likely place to search
terrestrial life because
similarities to Earth.
* Venus, the Earth's sister
wrapped with swirls of clo
make its surface temperatu
900 degrees Farenheit.
NASA HAS SENT severals
"NASA has dubbed 1979 as the
of the Planets
hopeful that ti
and space off
e exploration
ficia is
of
0
ogen and Almost no water is present on Venus.
Donahue says this is one mystery the
Voyager I Pioneer-Venus should clarify. NASA
ral of its 13 scientists believe water was present on
r will be the surface at one time. Scientists want
upiter this to find out where the water went, if it
its sister- was there to beging with, he added.
THE DIFFERENCES between
hugged at Venus and the Earth can be explained,
ings," will by large motions in the atmosphere,"
after a six- Carignan explained. Like Earth,
rney. The Venus' climate is controlled by the
the rings, clouds that hover over the-surface, but
y Saturn. there are fewer local weather
an, one of variations on Venus than on Earth, he
the size of added. For that reason, scientists say
r scietra-Venus offers a way to test climactic
for extra- theories that have been developed to fit
of its circumstances on Earth.
*And finally, Mars, the red dot
r planet, is currently visible in our easternnight
uds which sky. This rust-colored planet, which has
ire around been the fascination of science-fiction
writers for years, has been under the
spacecraf- eye of two Viking landers since July 20,
1976.
Unfortunately, no life has been
discovered around the two landing
spots, but this does not mean life
doesn't exist on Mars. Both landers,
like the Venus probe, are still sending
back weather reports and other infor-
Year mation.
This ultra-busy year of space ex-
are ploration should climax in laste 1979
with the maiden voyage of the manned
the r Space Shuttle.
THE SHUTTLE, designed as the
Sts to workhorse of the current U.S. space
program, will revolutionize near-earth
here, space travel and cut the cost of space
flight expenditures, says James
Loudon, the Exhibit Musem's staff
astronomer. The plane-like spacecraft
could be used for more than 100 flights
and is scheduled to be launched in
December.
One of its first missions is repor-
er-Venus I tedlyu to change the attitude of the
=long orbit Skylab and boost it into a higher orbit.
nation and But due to its current high-drag at-
day to be titude, its rapidly losing its altitude and
could plunge to Earth before the shut-
re virtual tie's debut flight.
different," Continuing problems with the three
chairman main engines has been the primary
heric and reason for the repeated postponement
nt (AOS). of the first shuttle launch.
o "under- THE UNIVERSITY'S Aeospace
nuch from Engineering department is also ac-
tively participating in the Shuttle
well as the program. Prof. William Powers is
on North designing the all-important re-entry
ed in the guidance system while the Aerospac
al parts of Engineering department is conducting
.diometerfa space system design course for
ret and a students interested in designing a shut-
ll study tle payload to be launched possibly in
y 1982.
he Space After 1979, both Voyagers will fly by
tion of Dr. Saturn in the next few years and
Voyager 2 is scheduled to reach
Uranus, the seventh planet from the
Sun, possibly in 1986.
Following its mission at Saturn,
Pioneer 11 will continue on its endless
and silent trek to the stars, It carries a
metal plaque engraved with the image
of a man, a woman and the
astronomical location of the Earth in
case any civilization in a far corner of
the Solar System happens to encouter
it.
planets' atmospheres will help scientis
understand better the Earth's atmosp
weather, and climate."
Vanessa Redgrave's Fili
"THEPALES TINIAN"
Friday Jan. 19, Saturday Jan. 20
7:30 pm both nights
Angell Hall Auditorium B
Admission $1.50
Sponsored by: PALESTINE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN
THE ORIGINAL
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PRODUCED BY LEONARD ROSENMAN
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not planned any other Jovian probes for
this year, according to space experts,
but Soviet space flights are seldomly
announced in advance.
NASA has dubbed 1979 as the "Year
of the Planets" and space officials are
hopeful that the exploration of other
planets' atmospheres will help scien-
tists to understand better the Earth's
atmosphere, weather and climate. The
data may also provide clues as to the
origin, evolution and future of our Solar
System.
"THIS IS BY no means a mundane
endeavor," said Donald Rea of NASA's
Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena,
California. "Space is one of the few
frontiers we have left and there's a lot
to explore out there. It's an adventure,
an escape . . . from our everyday
existence.
The "grand tour" of the Jovian
planets includes:
* Jupiter-a colorful giant 1200 times
bigger than the earth and encircled by
bands of white, gold and brown dust. It
is the largest of all the nine planets in
the solar system and five times farther
from the Sun than the Earth. Jupiter is
ts to the bright planet. Pionee
is currently locked in a year
and will send valuable inform
pictures back to Earth every
analyzed by NASA scientists.
"The Earth and Venus a
twins, yet they are greatly d
said Prof. Thomas Donahue,
of the University Atmosph
Oceanic Science Departmen
American scientists want to
stand why Venus differs so m
Earth."
THE AOS department, as w
Space Physics Research Lab
Campus are actively involv
Pioneer-Venus project. Severa
the probe, including a ra
which measures temperatur
spectrometer, which wi
radiation, "were built-at th
Research Lab under the direc
George Carignan.
Donahue, along with AOSl
drew Nagy, who has been a
with the ambitious project s
will be members of the NASAt
will analyze the data sent bac
th.
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WILL
A TO GROW.
Dataproducts Corporation is the leading independent manufacturer of
line printers selling directly to major computer companies worldwide.
We are recruiting for our two California locations, in Santa Clara and
Woodland Hills, and our Wallingford, Connecticut Division.
Dataproducts will be interviewing on campus:
Monday, January 29,1979
Expanding business has created professional career opportunities in
our California locations of Santa Clara and Woodland Hills and in our
Wallingford, Connecticut division in the areas of:
* ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
" MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
* MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING
* COMPUTER SCIENCE ENGINEERING
We offer an outstanding benefits package, including tuition reimburse-
ment, paid Christmas/New Year week holiday, liberal vacation plan,
profit sharing and stock ownership plan, paid medical/dental/life insur-
ance, credit union and, long term disability insurance.
If you are unable to meet with our recruiter on campus, please forward
resume to:
DON HUTCHISON
College Relations Coordinator
... -nn -..~. ... . nA'IA
I
Q. WHERE IN THE
WORLD CAN YOU FIND
OVER 40 NUCLEAR
RESEARCH FACILITIES
ON ONE "CAMPUS"?
A. In Idaho, at E G
WHE RE YOUR CAREER
HAVE ENORMOUS ROOM
11
E G & G is the operating contractor for the Department of Energy's vast
Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL).
The INEL, our campus, covers about 900 square miles and employs some
7,000 people, of whom roughly 4,000\hold degrees.
If you plan a career in NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY, NUCLEAR REACTOR
SAFETY OR DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATE ENERGY SOURCES, the
INEL offers you a virtually unique world located amid some of the most beau-
tiful, unspoiled mountain and forest lands in the nation.
We have openings and are hiring personnel in the following areas:
ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING " NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
GENERAL ENGINEERING * METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
Please address:
Technical Employment-Dept. CS
E G & G IDAHO, INC.
P.O. Box 1625, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83401
U S Ctizenship Required We Are An Equal Opportunity Employer MIF H'V
CAMPUS INTERVIEWS, JANUARY 19th
IVFR\/I~R 5ITV OF MiruuMAM
I
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