[sci.space] NASA Headline News for 12/20/89

yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) (12/21/89)

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Wednesday, December 20, 1989                  Audio: 202/755-1788
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This is NASA Headline News for Wednesday, December 20....


Work continues at launch pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in 
preparation for the STS-32 space shuttle mission now scheduled 
for no earlier than January 8.  Workers continue to validate 
fuel loading systems.  



Aerospace Daily says U.S. astronauts and Soviet cosmonauts will 
be monitored in orbit to develop databases of information 
relative to the effects of long duration space flight.  The 
compatible databases were negotiated by officials from NASA and 
the Soviet space organization last month.  NASA's Director of 
Life Sciences Dr. Arnauld Nicogosian says a NASA team will go to 
the Soviet Union in January to train Soviet technicians to use a 
Holter heart monitor and ultrasound equipment for use aboard the 
Mir space station.  U.S. astronauts will be monitored on space 
shuttle flights in 1990 and 1991.   


Orbital Sciences Corporation and Hercules Incorporated have 
signed a reservation agreement with the Swedish Space Corporation 
for a 1992 launch of a scientific satellite using the Pegasus air 
launched orbital space booster.   The Swedish satellite will 
carry instruments to investigate the aurora and other 
magnetospheric phenomena.


President Bush formally authorized the export of three U.S.-built 
communications satellites to China yesterday.  The chief 
executive said the delivery "is in the national interest of the 
United States".  The satellites were built by Hughes Aircraft 
Company...two for an Australian consortium...the other for a 
British-Chinese consortium.


The scheduled launch of a commercial Titan 3 rocket carrying two 
communications satellites from Cape Canaveral was postponed last 
night for the fourth time.  The reason....high winds over the 
Cape area. 


And....the Kennedy Space Center has awarded McDonnell Douglas 
Space Services Co. a three-year extension to an existing contract 
for payload ground operations services.  The extension was valued 
at approximately $192 million.

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Here's the broadcast schedule for public affairs events on NASA 
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Thursday, December 21.....

      11:30 A.M.       NASA Update will be transmitted.


All events and times are subject to change without notice.

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