Conference 7.286::space

Associated Press Thu 12-SEP-1985 11:50                 Space Shuttle-Atlantis

                          By HOWARD BENEDICT
                          AP Aerospace Writer
   CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Atlantis' three powerful engines
roared for 22 seconds on the launch pad today in the last major
pre-launch test for the fourth shuttle in America's space shuttle
fleet.
   The test was to verify all systems of the new shuttle before its
debut flight, scheduled to start Oct. 3 with a crew of five
military officers and a classified Defense Department payload.
   When the test countdown reached zero right on time at 11 a.m.
EDT, the engines flashed to life, engulfing the launch pad in flame
and steam and sending a thunderclap rolling across this spaceport.
   ``Preliminary indications are that we had a completely
successful test,'' said NASA spokesman Jim Ball. ``It looks like
Atlantis has cleared one of the final hurdles before its maiden
flight.''
   For today's firing, the 100-ton space plane was locked firmly on
the launch pad, secured by eight 3-foot-long hardened-steel bolts.
On an actual launch, explosive charges would sever the bolts to
release the shuttle.
   Each new shuttle undergoes pad test-firing before it is
committed to its first flight. Columbia and Discovery passed their
tests with no trouble. But the ignition of Challenger's engines in
late 1982 uncovered a hydrogen leak that required engine
replacement and a repeat of the test, delaying the maiden launch
more than two months.
   The 22-second firing is considerably shorter than the 8 1/2 minutes
the engines burn en route to orbit, but enough time to build up
full thrust of 1.1 million pounds and prove the power plants work
as a unit.
   The exercise was to verify propellant flows, pressures,
temperatures, dyunamics and system performance.
   Atlantis is the final shuttle currently planned for the fleet.
Its first commander will be Air Force Col. Karol J. Bobko. Other
crew members are Air Force Lt. Col. Ronald J. Grabe, Marine Maj.
David C. Hilmers, Army Lt. Col. Robert C. Stewart and Air Force
Maj. William A. Pailes.
   The Pentagon says the exact launch time Oct. 3 is classified but
announced that it will take place between 10:20 a.m. and 1:20 p.m.
EDT. The payload and length of the mission also are secret, but the
Air Force will disclose the landing time 24 hours in advance.
   Military officials said the secrecy makes it more difficult for
Soviet ships that regularly operate off Cape Canaveral to monitor
the launch and to learn the nature of its cargo.

Associated Press Mon 16-SEP-1985 14:41                     Atlantis Rehearsal

     Atlantis Crew `Zipped' Though Rehearsal For Maiden Launch

   CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - A five-member military crew
successfully completed a countdown dress rehearsal Monday for the
Oct. 3 maiden launch of the space shuttle Atlantis.
   ``It was successful in that they zipped right through it,'' said
George Diller, spokesman for the Kennedy Space Center.
   The rehearsal began last Tuesday. The crewmembers entered their
quarters at 8:40 a.m. Monday to take part in the final moments, up
to and including a simulated firing of the shuttle's main rocket
engines and booster rockets.
   The make-believe lift-off came at 11 a.m.
   Because it will be a military mission, the rehearsal linked
Kenndey Space Center and the Johnson Space Center at Houston,
Texas, with Air Force facilities at Sunnyvale, Calif., and
Cheyenne, Wyo.
   Almost all aspects of the flight are classified because of its
military nature. The launch is scheduled between 10:20 a.m. and
1:20 p.m., but the exact time will not be announced until nine
minutes beforehand.
   The crewmembers are Air Force Col. Karol Bobko, the mission
commander who has flown two previous missions; Air Force Lt. Col.
Ronald J. Grabe, pilot; Army Col. Robert Stewart and Marine Maj.
David Hilmers, mission specialists, and Air Force Maj. William A.
Pailes, payload specialist.
   No interviews of the crew were permitted after the launch
rehearsal.

Associated Press Wed 02-OCT-1985 15:35                          Space Shuttle

               Counted In Last Day Before Mystery Launch
                         By HARRY F. ROSENTHAL
                        Associated Press Writer
   CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - An unseen clock counted down the
hours Wednesday to liftoff of the newest space shuttle Atlantis on
its secret mission to launch two nuclear-hardened military
communications satellites.
   Liftoff time, like the mission's objectives, was a secret. The
National Aeronautics and Space Administration would say only that
Atlantis' first flight would begin between 10:20 a.m. EDT and 1:20
p.m. Thursday.
   Officials at Kennedy Space Center said there would be only a
nine-minute warning before launch to make it more difficult for
Soviet satellites and spy ships offshore to monitor. Normally, NASA
radio circuits crackle with conversations between launch pad and
control room and clocks tick down the minutes.
   Weather could spoil the Atlantis debut. Rainshowers were on the
way and there was a 50 percent chance they would be over the
central Florida coast at launch time.
   With addition of Atlantis, NASA's four-shuttle fleet is
complete. The new ship, costing $1.1 billion, is lighter than
Columbia, Challenger and Discovery.
   The all-military crew is commanded by Air Force Col. Karol
Bobko, who has flown two previous missions. Other crew members are
Air Force Lt. Col. Ronald Grabe, Army Lt. Col. Robert Stewart,
Marine Maj. David Hilmers and Air Force Maj. William Pailes.
   The flight is the 21st of a space shuttle but only the second
dedicated to a Defense Department cargo. As on the first last
January, the identity of the payload has leaked to news
organizations.
   Reliable sources have identified the cargo as two Defense
Satellite Communications System satellites, an advanced model known
as DSCS-3. These satellites have been shielded with special
materials against the electromagnetic effects of nuclear
explosions, which could short out or overload unshielded electronic
components.
   They also are designed to make it impossible for an enemy to jam
their comunications and they could be used by the president to send
emergency instructions to nuclear forces around the globe.
   The Pentagon does not classify DSCS-3 satellites as secret, but
as a matter of policy and precedent, it has decided to virtually
black out all information about most military flights of the space
shuttle. The purpose, a directive says, is to ``protect the
identity, mission and operation of DOD cargo'' and ``protect
information concerning vulnerabilities of the shuttle and
facilities.''
   Unlike January's mission, when NASA issued periodic status
reports, only two public announcements are expected once Atlantis
is in orbit. NASA said it will report, four hours into the flight,
about the condition of ship and crew. The second announcement will
be a 24-hour notice to reporters that the ship will land at Edwards
Air Force Base in California.
   Atlantis is named after a two-masted ketch which traveled more
than a half-million miles in ocean research from 1930 to 1966 for
the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
   Unfueled, it weighs 169,680 pounds, 177 less than Discovery.
Columbia, the first ship of the fleet, is more than three tons
heavier.

Associated Press Thu 03-OCT-1985 10:03                          Space Shuttle

                          By HOWARD BENEDICT
                          AP Aerospace Writer
   CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Five astronauts were ready today to
fly the new space shuttle Atlantis on a secret maiden voyage to
deploy two jam-proof, nuclear-hardened military communications
satellites.
   The exact launch time remained a public mystery to make it more
difficult for Soviet satellites and spy ships offshore to monitor
the flight. NASA said only that liftoff would occur between 10:20
a.m. and 1:20 p.m., later extending the period to 2:20 p.m. because
of the possibility of a weather delay.
   Although skies had been clear earlier, heavy clouds began
building up at midmorning and were being watched carefully.
   A van, escorted by security cars flashing red lights,
transported the astronauts to the launch pad shortly after 8 a.m.,
indicating liftoff would be close to 10:20 a.m. if there are no
hitches. The crew normally boards a shuttle about two hours before
launch.
   The precise liftoff time will be disclosed nine minutes in
advance. From then until Atlantis reaches orbit, normal mission
control center announcements will keep the news media informed of
shuttle performance.
   After that there will be a virtual blackout, with only two
in-flight announcements planned. The first, four hours after
launch, will report on the condition of the shuttle and crew. The
second will be an alert that Atlantis will land exactly 24 hours
later at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The flight is expected to
last four to five days.
   If serious trouble develops, it will be reported, defense
officials said.
   Atlantis is the final shuttle currently planned, joining
Columbia, Challenger and Discovery in the fleet. The ship's first
commander is Air Force Col. Karol Bobko, who has flown on two other
shuttle missions. Other crew members are Air Force Lt. Col. Ronald
Grabe, Army Lt. Col. Robert Stewart, Marine Maj. David Hilmers and
Air Force Maj. William Pailes.
   This is the second specifically Defense Department space shuttle
mission. As on the first one, in January, the identity of the
payload has leaked to news organizations.
   Reliable sources have reported the astronauts will deploy two
Defense Satellite Communications System satellites, an advanced
model known as DSCS-3. These satellites are designed so an enemy
cannot jam their communications and they could be used by the
president to send emergency instructions to nuclear forces around
the globe.
   They also have been shielded with special materials against the
electromagnetic pulse effects of nuclear explosions, which could
short out or overload unshielded electronic components.
   Both satellites are attached to the same rocket motor, which is
to boost them to a stationary orbit 22,300 miles high before they
separate and are maneuvered to widely-spaced stations.
   The Pentagon does not classify DSCS-3 satellites as secret, but
as a matter of policy and precedent, it has decided to virtually
black out all information about most military flights of the space
shuttle. The purpose, a directive says, is to ``protect the
identity, mission and operation of DOD cargo'' and ``protect
information concerning vulnerabilities of the shuttle and
facilities.''
   In the past, the Defense Department has made public considerable
information about the DSCS-3 satellites, including the fact that it
uses superhigh frequencies for secure transmissions. Each weighs
2,000 pounds, has a six-channel transponder and has a solar panel
span of 38 feet.
   The Air Force, which manages defense shuttle missions, plans to
launch four DSCS-3 satellites and two spares to give worldwide
coverage for ships, planes and ground troops. Troops in the field
will be able to communicate throught the satellites with portable
antennas only 33 inches in diameter.

Associated Press Thu 03-OCT-1985 16:53                          Space Shuttle

                         By HARRY F. ROSENTHAL
                        Associated Press Writer
   CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - Atlantis joined America's space
shuttle fleet Thursday with a dazzling liftoff on a mission of
mystery, carrying five astronauts and a pair of military satellites
built to withstand nuclear radiation.
   Except for the launch, which could be seen from much of central
Florida, the flight had as much secrecy as the Air Force could
muster.
   ``The crew is doing well and all systems on board the orbiter
are performing satisfactorily,'' said NASA's Billie Deason after
the shuttle had been in orbit nearly five hours.
   That was one of two announcements promised for the hush-hush
flight. The other is to be a 24-hour notice that the shuttle will
land at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
   There was no word when the satellites would be deployed, but it
has been NASA's policy to get payloads out of the cargo bay at the
earliest opportunity, usually on the first day aloft.
   Atlantis' maiden flight, the 21st of the shuttle program, was
the second all-Pentagon mission. A spy satellite was delivered to
orbit on the first and it was deployed 16 hours after liftoff.
   Despite the news blackout, there was reliable information that
the astronauts will deploy two Defense Satellite Communications
System satellites, an advanced model known as DSCS-3. The $100
million satellites are designed to prevent an enemy from jamming
their communications and for use by the president to send emergency
instructions to nuclear forces around the globe.
   The satellites also have been shielded against the radiation and
electromagnetic pulse effects of nuclear explosions, which could
short out or overload unshielded electronic components.
   Both satellites are attached to the same rocket motor, which is
to boost them to a stationary orbit 22,300 miles high before they
separate and are maneuvered to widely spaced stations.
   The DSCS-3 satellites are not classified as secret, but the
Defense Department has decided to black out information about most
military flights of the space shuttle to ``protect the identity,
mission and operation of DOD cargo'' and ``protect information
concerning vulnerabilities of the shuttle and facilities.''
   Considerable information about the DSCS-3 satellites has been
made public by the Pentagon, including the fact that it uses
superhigh frequencies for secure transmissions. Each weighs 2,000
pounds, has a six-channel transponder and has a solar panel span of
38 feet.
   The Air Force, which manages defense shuttle missions, plans to
launch four DSCS-3 satellites and two spares to give worldwide
coverage for ships, planes and ground troops. Troops in the field
will be able to communicate through the satellites with portable
antennas.
   The U.S. shuttle fleet now stands at four. Atlantis, joining
Columbia, Challenger and Discovery, is the last $1.1 billion
orbiter scheduled to be built. Enterprise, which was never intended
to go into space, recently became a visitors' exhibit at Kennedy
Space Center.
   The sky was bright blue when Atlantis roared away from pad 39A
at 11:15 a.m. EDT. Trailing fire and a column of white smoke, the
shuttle arched eastward over the Atlantic and was visible from the
ground for 4 1/2 minutes.
   Sources reported the launch had been set for 10:40 a.m., but was
delayed 35 minutes until rain clouds moved out of the area. The
mission is expected to last four or five days.
   The ship's commander is Air Force Col. Karol Bobko, who has
flown on two other shuttle missions. Other crew members are Air
Force Lt. Col. Ronald Grabe, Army Lt. Col. Robert Stewart, Marine
Maj. David Hilmers and Air Force Maj. William Pailes.

Associated Press Mon 07-OCT-1985 14:04                          Space Shuttle

                          By DENNIS ANDERSON
                        Associated Press Writer
   EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) - The new space shuttle
Atlantis glided out of orbit to a safe desert landing today to end
a clandestine maiden mission which deployed two military
communications satellites under a tight news blackout.
   Commander Karol J. Bobko, an Air Force colonel, guided the
100-ton space plane to a touchdown on a hard-packed sand runway at
1 p.m. EDT after a four-day orbital shakedown cruise of the last of
NASA's four-craft shuttle fleet.
   An hour earlier, Bobko had fired braking rockets higsion Control
lifted its curtain of secrecy to announce the successfal/firing of
the two rockets and to permit live television coverage of the landing.
   Thirty-five minutes after touchdown, the five astronauts, all
smiling, left the shuttle, shook hands with workers and made a
quick walkaround inspection of Atlantis. A van then transported
them to a nearby facility for showers and brief medical exams.
   The National Aeronautics and Space Administration broke three
days of silence on the mission Sunday to give a 24-hour notice of
the planned landing.
   The other crew members were Air Force Lt. Col. RGnld J. Grabe,
pilot; Marine Maj. David C. Hilmers and Army Lt. Col. Robert C.
Stewart, mission specialists, and Air Force Maj. William A. Pailes,
payload specialist.
   Mission Control said the astronauts had conducted a series of
tests of systems aboard the new spacecraft and said Atlantis had
been ``solid throughout the mission.''
   All of Atlantis' main systems functioned ``within parameters
established by her sister ships,'' Mission Control said. The $1.1
billion Atlantis joins Columbia, Discovery and Challenger to
complete NASA's shuttle fleet.
   The main purpose of Atlantis' shakedown cruise was to launch two
$100 million military satellites.
   Neither NASA nor the Department of Defense would confirm that
the satellites had been deployed, but reliable sources said they
had been sent to their planned orbits 22,300 miles above the Earth.
   The two satellites were ganged on a single rocket engine when
they were ejected Thursday from Atlantis' cargo bay, the sources
said.
   The rocket engine later fired and sent the satellites to high
orbit, where they parted and manuevered themselves into separate
stationary positions over Earth.
   Atlantis' prime payload was identified by the sources as two
Defense Satellite Communications Systems satellites, a new type of
craft described as jam-proof and shielded against the
electromagnetic bursts created by nuclear explosions. This
radiation can disable unshielded electronic equipment.
   Following Pentagon policy for military space flights,
information released on Atlantis' flight was limited to terse
announcements. The usual air-to-ground conversations of astronauts
was blacked out, and NASA officialy `ave no briefings during the
mission.
   Even launch time was kept a secret untilnwne minutes before
Atlantis lifted away Thursday from a Kennedy Space Center, Fla.,
launch pad.
   NASA had announced in advance only that the launch would be
between 10:20 a.m. and 2:20 p.m. Atlantis rocketed away at 11:15
a.m.
   Four hours later, NASA announced that the craft was functioning
normally. Public information lines went silent until the Sunday
announcement.
   The secrecy, designed to frustrate Soviet attempts to monitor
deployment of the satellites, was enforced on an earlier military
shuttle flight in which a spy satellite was launched.
   Atlantis' flight was the 21st by a space shuttle. The next
flight, by Challenger, was scheduled for Oct. 30.

    	It was five years ago today, October 3, 1985, that the Space
    Shuttle ATLANTIS was launched on its first flight into space.
    
    	Larry