Riemann's Contribution to Flight and Laser Fusion

ter, spring water runoff, and manyother aspects of land and sea conditions.The data have opened up enormouspossibilities for agriculturalmanagement, storm and disaster forefcasting, and minerals location.A French LeadIn his opening statement to thehearings, Sen. Harrison Schmitt (R-N.M.), the former Apollo astronautand geologist who chairs the SenateSubcommittee on Science, Transporrtation, and Space, summarized therecent progress in remote sensingtechnology:"The instruments carried by theAmerican satellites of the Tiros andNimbus series in the 1960s, which offereda ground resolution on the orderof 1,000 meters, were the first toreveal the potential of space as a vantagepoint. Second-generation rehmote sensing instruments, with a resolutionon the order of 100 meters,were developed during the 1970s forthe Landsat series of satellites. . . . The1980s will see the introduction of satellite-borneinstruments with resolutionsin the order of 10 meters, whichwill open up many new fields of application."Schmitt then revealed that this quotationwas taken from the introductionto the brochure for the Frenchremote sensing system, called SPOT.The USA, Schmitt stated, has no developmentprogram to follow theLandsat D series of satellites, whichwill be operational in 1983. The IOmeterresolution satellites will not belaunched by NASA but by the French!Because of budget cuts, NASA'sR&D program for remote sensing satellitetechnology has been eliminated,and there is now no doubt the Frenchwill be ahead of the United States by1984, when the SPOT satellites arescheduled to be launched.Both congressional subcommitteesare considering alternatives to get industryto take over part of the operationsof Landsat satellites, groundcollection stations, and data processingfacilities now funded by NASA, tofree up NASA funds for advancedR&D work in remote sensing.An artist's conception of construction in space.NASA's Beggs: Space Station Is NextAt confirmation hearings June 17,incoming NASA Administrator JamesM. Beggs, a former General DynamicsCo. executive, identified a permanentspace center as the most importantnext-step for the space program."It seems to me that the next majorstep is a space station because thatwill make a lot of other things possiblein space in the future," he said.The NASA confirmation hearingswere held by the Senate CommerceCommittee's Subcommittee on Science,Technology, and Space, chairedby former astronaut Sen. HarrisonSchmitt (R-N.M.). Dr. Hans Mark, thenew deputy director and former secretaryof the Air Force, concurredwith Beggs, stating, "I think the nextstep is development of a permanentpresence in space."The Space Shuttle's astronaut corpsand space supporters in the Houseand Senate are already waging a lobbyingeffort for a space station, andNASA is now conducting preliminarydesign studies for the Space OperationsCenter.The new NASA administrators werealso asked their views on the futureNASAof NASA's space science program andthe military use of space.Beggs said he hoped the space scienceprogram could be rejuvenated,as "planetary exploration has been agreat benefit to the country and ahallmark of the agency."On the much debated militaryquestion that came up during thedevelopment of the Shuttle, Markstated, "I support the space act whichseparates the civilian from military activitiesin space," though he addedthat separating the two functions isdifficult when the same vehicle (theShuttle) is to carry both kinds of payloads.Mark said he supports the proposalof Senator Goldwater for a fleetof 10 Shuttle orbiters, some of whichwould be dedicated to military uses.Expand NASA's MandateSchmitt challenged the new NASAteam to also think about expandingthe space agency's mandate to dealwith other transportation issues."Would you see adding a maritime,rail, and automotive R&D effort to theNASA charter?" Schmitt asked. Beggsreplied that "this should be studiedmore in depth."Washington October-November 1981 FUSION 53