May 1982:news from KSC

NEW SHUTTLE FACILITIES

Anticipating increased launch rates, NASA will invest $13 million for additional Shuttle facilities in 1982. A third firing room of the Launch Control Center will be outfitted for military missions, the first involving STS-4 tentatively scheduled for mid-July. More buildings will be constructed to process and store solid booster rockets: a main structure 100 feet high equipped with two 200-ton capacity cranes, capable of storing two sets of boosters to support 20 launches per year. Each rocket contains four segments with a total of 1,110,000 lbs of propellants.

SHUTTLE LOSES PAYLOADS

Three US communications companies have contracted for five Ariane satellite launches, the first in December 1983, the others in 1984, because the ESA vehicle will cost them about $20 million per launch in contrast with a price tag of $27 million for the American Delta vehicle.

Western Union, General Telephone & Electronics and Southern Pacific Corp. chose the European booster. While NASA believes its reusable Shuttle will be competitive with Ariane because it can carry several spacecraft in one mission, the agency recognises that users wanting their satellites to reach geo stationary orbit must pay $3-$5 million extra for booster rockets.

FOURTH SHUTTLE TANK

The external propellant tank for STS-4 began its five day journey from the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to the Kennedy Space Center on 17 January. After arriving at the Kennedy Center aboard NASA’s "Orion” barge, the tank was moved into the Vehicle Assembly Building for flight preparation.