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THE BATTALION Page 13
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1981
ASA faced with budget cuts;
oyager 2 project in jeopardy
I United Press International
WASHINGTON — The space
Igency is facing budget cuts so se
vere that it is considering aban-
ning the Voyager 2 spacecraft
Iv heading toward a 1986 re-
kzvous with Uranus, a space
Incy source said Wednesday.
■The Galileo project, scheduled
I later this decade, also is in
Ipardy because of anticipated
ibacks, the source said.
his project is designed to send
jtellite into orbit around Jupiter
and to probe its atmosphere.
Such actions would leave the
space telescope project as NASA’s
only major new scientific effort.
The telescope, which has been
given top priority among NASA’s
scientific projects, is scheduled to
be orbited by the space shuttle in
1985.
The Washington Post reported
Wednesday that abandoning the
highly successful Voyager spacec
raft would save the National Aero
nautics and Space Administration
$222 million in the next eight
years. This would be the amount
required to control and track the
spacecraft and analyze its data
from Uranus and when it goes on
to Neptune in 1989.
Neither Uranus nor Neptune
has yet been explored by a spacec
raft from Earth. Voyager 2 already
has returned valuable scientific
data from Jupiter and Saturn.
The agency source said NASA
had not made a decision on aban-
lonkeys used to determine
fleets of space travel on bone
United Press International
ETROIT — Monkeys carried
nigh space in a USSR satellite
be used in an international
|dy dealing with the abnormal
loss suffered by men on ex-
ded stays in space, an Amer-
researcher says.
Dr. Michael Parfitt, head of
byalnry Ford Hospital’s Bone and
tian-lneral Research Laboratory,
Jtlifidhe will be given bone samples
■n the monkeys in the Soviet
iie«lelhte and may be able to experi-
tlidlnt with live specimens when
(IkB monkeys return from space,
siilAstronauts who have spent as
■resile as a month in space have suf-
ntnled an abnormal rate of bone loss
■up to 5 percent of their bone
■ss—and its cause remains un-
BtJ.i
■ Parfitt, who already has con
ned extensive experiments on
■eloss, has received a $145,(KX)
E ntfrom the National Aeronau-
and Space Administration to
Idythe effects of weightlessness
■bones.
■’arfittsaid solving the bone loss
pie not only will help astro-
;ts but could help treat elderly
t -fsons suffering from “brittle
nes. Brittle bones fracture
easily and require a long mending
time, he said.
NASA studies show the effects
of spaceflight and the absence of
gravity on bone is similar to what
occurs in people during prolonged
bed rest. Bone loss in either case
can and does increase the possibil
ity of fractures.
"If we can understand why the
bone loss occurs, we can try to
prevent it, Parfitt said.
Nearly $1 billion is spent
annually on treating bone frac
tures, Parfitt said. Hip fractures
are the 12th most frequent cause
of death in the United States, he
added.
“The human skeleton is con
stantly being repaired,’’ he said.
“As a piece of bone ... becomes
(worn out), it is removed by the
action of cells called osteoclasts.
Then, in the cavity' that is created
(in the bone) new bone is replaced
by cells called osteoblasts. ”
Parfitt said the body’s repair
mechanism of replacing worn out
bone is normally effective but “af
ter the age of about 45 the repair
mechanism is defective,” he said.
“The amount of bone put back is
less than the amount taken out.
Each repair site is therefore only
partially repaired.”
In the astronauts, however,
bone loss occurs at an accelerated
rate. Parfitt said overall bone mass
loss is 2 to 3 percent or five times
faster in astronauts than in a nor
mal aging human.
He said the deterioration most
severely affects the heel bone in
astronauts, a bone commonly re
ferred to as “spongy.” In many
cases the heel bone had not regen
erated three months after the
astronaut had returned to Earth,
he said.
One question bothering scien
tists is whether bone loss proceeds
at a steady rate or stabilizes after a
few months in space.
“If it (bone loss) increases at the
same rate, it would place a serious
limitation on the duration of space
flight,” Parfitt said. “On the other
hand, it’s entirely possible that in
a few months you’d lose all you’re
going to lose.
Recent Soviet experiences on
the Salyut 6 space station in which
men have been weightless for six
months at a time suggest the bone
loss is no greater at six months
than it is at three.
% United Press International
AUSTIN — The number of
Irders in Texas decreased in the
It six months of the year but
Ipartment of Public Safety offi-
■s report major crime is up 3.3
percent from the same period last
year.
DPS Director Jim Adams said
aggravated assaults were up 3.8
percent, and rape and robbery in
creased 3.5 percent, leading to the
overall 3.3 percent increase.
“Although this is a significant
increase, it does indicate that the
volume of major crimes in our
state is rising at a lower rate than
we saw last year,” Adams said.
IT'S HERE!
HOWDY
New T-shirts &
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On Sale all
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UDANCEU
This Thursday at Hall
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bonnaires. Get in for $1
when you wear your
Howdy shirt. (18 yr.
olds welcome!)
GENERAL MEETING
Thurs. Oct. 8th
7:30-8:30 301 Rudder
GUEST SPEAKER:
KEN JOHNSON
STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT
Also present will be Class of ’83 Senators for you to
meet and talk to.
‘This will be your last chance to sign up for Ball Committee.
‘Don’t forget to give your suggestion for the class gift!
‘Class T-shirts will be available at the meeting.
MAKE IT HAPPEN!!
doning Voyager 2. Space agency
officials met Wednesday to discuss
the budget situation.
NASA has been directed to cut
an additional $367 million from its
spending plan for the current
year, the source said. In addition,
the White House Office of Man
agement and Budget has told
NASA to expect sizable reductions
in funds sought for fiscal 1983 and
1984, he said.
Texas murders down, overall crime up
First
Presbyterian
Church
1100 Carter Creek Parkway, Bryan
823-8073
Dr. Robert Leslie, Pastor
Barbara Ridlen, DCE
SUNDAY:
Worship at 8:30AM & 11:00AM
Church School at 9:30 AM
College Class at 9:30 AM
(Bus from TAMU
Krueger Dunn 9:15AM)
Youth Meeting at 5:00 PM
Nursery: All Events
HEADING FOR
LAW SCHOOL?
CONSIDER
HARVARD.
Come ask us questions on Thurs
day, Oct. 15 at 9 a m. in Place
ment Lobby 10th Floor. Everyone
welcome. Women and minorities
especially.
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