The Complete Book of Spaceflight: From Apollo 1 to Zero Gravity

from a highly elliptical orbit. Before launch it was known
as Exos-B.
Launch
Date: September 16, 1978
Vehicle: M-3H
Site: Kagoshima
Orbit: 251 × 21,192 km × 31°
Mass: 100 kg
Jindai
See MABES (Magnetic Bearing Satellite).
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
A Chinese launch center, also known as Shuang Cheng
Tzu, located in the Gobi desert at 40.6° N, 99.9° E. It is
used for launches into low Earth orbit with inclinations
of 57° to 70°.
JMEX (Jupiter Magnetospheric Explorer)
A mission to study the magnetosphere of Jupiter. JMEX
would be an Earth-orbiting ultraviolet telescope optimized
for detecting light from Jupiter’s aurora, from Io’s
atmosphere, and from the plasma ring around Jupiter,
which is generated by Io. It was selected for study by
NASA as a possible SMEX (Small Explorer).
Jodrell Bank
The site in Cheshire, England, of a large radio telescope
with a paraboloidal receiver (76 m in diameter, 18 m
deep) used to track space probes and conduct radio
astronomy. This instrument, completed in 1957 and
operated by the radio astronomy department of the University
of Manchester, was the first giant steerable dish in
the world. It was used by NASA to receive signals from
the Pioneer series of Moon probes and as a sensitive
receiver of signals bounced off the passive Echo satellites.
John C. Stennis Space Center
See Stennis Space Center.
John F. Kennedy Space Center
See Kennedy Space Center.
John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field
See Glenn Research Center.
Johnson, Clarence L. “Kelly” (1910–1990)
A prominent American aircraft designer. As the head of
the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation’s famous “Skunk
Works” design center, Johnson led the effort to build
the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft in the 1950s. He also
Johnsville Centrifuge 215
worked on the F-80 Shooting Star—the first American
jet aircraft—and the SR-71 Blackbird reconnaissance
plane that still holds speed records. During World War
II, he was responsible for the design of the P-38 Lightning
twin-tailed fighter. Johnson worked for Lockheed
from 1933 until his retirement as senior vice president
in 1975. 159
Johnson Space Center (JSC)
NASA’s primary site, located in Houston, Texas, for the
development and operation of manned space missions,
including the selection and training of astronauts, JSC
was established in 1961 as the Manned Spacecraft Center
and, in 1973, renamed in honor of the late president and
Texas native Lyndon B. Johnson. Since 1965, it has
served as Mission Control for the Gemini (beginning
with Gemini 4), Apollo, and Skylab projects, through to
today’s Space Shuttle and International Space Station
(ISS) programs. It operates separate control centers for
Shuttle and ISS missions. JSC also houses the program
offices that direct the development, testing, production,
and delivery of all U.S. manned spacecraft—including
Shuttle Orbiters and Station components—and coordinates
Station development efforts among NASA centers
and between the United States and its partner nations.
Additionally, JSC leads NASA’s efforts in space medicine,
and houses and investigates the agency’s collection
of Apollo lunar samples and of meteorites believed to
have come from Mars. 77
Johnsville Centrifuge
A facility at the Aviation Medical Acceleration Laboratory
of the Navy Air Development Center, Johnsville,
Pennsylvania, used throughout the early American space
program; it was the most powerful centrifuge then in
existence. With a 17-m radius, it had a rate change of
10g/s and could reach 40g. The 10-m-diameter gimbalmounted
chamber was fully air-conditioned.
Johnsville Centrifuge The centrifuge at the Naval Air Development
Center, Johnsville, Pennsylvania. NASA/U.S. Navy