Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 14, 1983)
Page 10/The Battalion/Thursday, July 14, 1983 Failure causes wrong orbit 11 Satellite program delayed 1^ If United Press International WASHINGTON — The Air Force says a burst gimbal in the steering mechanism sent a $100 million communications satellite into the wrong orbit in April and has forced a delay of months — perhaps years — in the program. Investigators reported Tues day they still do not know pre cisely why the gimbal, an oil- filled rubberized part, failed. The failure prompted the Pentagon to cancel a scheduled secret military payload on a November shuttle flight, and Brig. Gen. Donald Henderson told a news conference the steer ing mechanism may have to be redesigned, a process that could mean a delay of years in the satellite program. The data relay satellite, called TRDS-A, was launched April 5 from the space shuttle Challen ger. The malfunction left it in a useless, egg-shaped orbit, which space agency engineers man aged to correct last month after repeated boosting blasts from thimble-sized directional thrus ters. While it has reached its prop er circular orbit about 22,000 miles above Earth, the TDRS is still 2.37 degrees off its desired track. Gimbal collapse is the most probable cause of the satellite failing to reach proper orbit, Henderson said. The gimbal, 18 inches by 4 inches, is made of synthetic kev- lar and neoprine rubber. It is filled with silicon oil that enables it to withstand pressures of up to 1,000 pounds. Possible causes of its failure were listed as gases from the rocket motor heating up the rubberized gimbal to the bur sting point, a slow leak of the oil or a badly manufactured part. The satellite — the first of a network of three to improve shuttle ground communications — was launched from Challen ger’s cargo bay by a spring mechanism, and then boosted by a two-stage solid-fueled rocket. Henderson, chairman of the investigating board, said “ex haustive tests” are being con ducted to determine whether the gimbals will perform suc cessfully on the next TRDS launch, which has been set “ten tatively for March.” It had been planned for this summer. 45 indicted in smuggling case United Press International BEAUMONT — Forty-five men have been indicted by a fed eral grand jury on marijuana smuggling charges, including one man described as one of the top 10 pot smugglers ever iden tified, officials said Wednesday. The 45 men were indicted June 28, but the indictments were sealed until Tuesday, when law officers from federal, state and local agencies began round ing up the suspects. The group had been under investigation for 18 months, officials said. Included in the indictment are charges against Jose Antonio Fernandez, a fugitive who jumped a $500,000 bond two years ago. Fernandez, a South Florida millionaire, was arrested three months ago in Brazil through Interpol and faces marijuana charges in New Orleans and Florida. Marion Hambrick, head of the Drug Enforcement Admi nistration, said the charges in the indictment were unusually tough. Five of the men were in dicted for operating a con tinuing criminal enterprise which carries a mandatory sent ence of 10 years to life in prison if convicted. “The investigation focused on three major Colombian sources of supply to an organziation headed by Fernandez,” Ham- PEKING GARDEN Chinese Restaurant AIXTOIJ CAN EAT Friday and Sunday Evening Buffet 6-8 p.m. *5 ao Weekly Noon Buffet »f)8 Buffets include: egg roll, fried rice, fried wonton soup, chicken lou mein, sweet and sour pork, beef with broccoli and egg fu yung. _ OPEN DAILY: / 11;?° a ni - ^ J P.m. 131 3 s college cr 5:d0 p.m. to 9:d0 p.m. 822-7661 Texas S. CoUege NAACP ratings grade senators United Press International NEW ORLEANS — The Na tional Association for the Adv ancement of Colored People gave former Vice President Wal ter Mondale the highest marks and failed Sen. Ernest Hollings of South Carolina on its report card of top Democratic pres idential candidates. NAACP officials said Presi dent Reagan — if he were rated — also would have received a failing grade. Get Your Xerox Copies at Northgate Above Farmer’s Market Inexpensive, High Quality Copies Bind your thesis or dissertation in style. Selected hardcovers. Reg. $9.49 NOW $ 7 50 While they last ON THE DOUBLE 331 University 846-3755 Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-IO p.m. Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. The NAACP’s report card at its convention Tuesday gave rat ings in the 80s to Mondale and Sens. Alan Cranston of Califor nia, Gary Hart of Colorado and John Glenn of Ohio. Hollings received an approval ranking of less than 40 percent. Former Florida governor Reubin Askew, the other announced Democratic candi date, was not rated because he has not served in the Senate. The NAACP said its report card does not function as an en dorsement of any candidate. The organization said it will maintain its 74-year tradition of not backing a specific candidate. Althea Simmons, director of the NAACP’s Washington brick said. He described Fernan dez as “one of the top 10 mari juana sources.” The ring smuggled or tried to smuggle about 425,000 pounds of marijuana along the Texas Gulf Coast between 1978 and 1980. It was the first case hand led in the Eastern District of Texas under the new Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, said U.S. Attorney Bob Wortham. bureau, said the ratings were based on 379 recorded congres sional votes from 1965-82 and counted the number of times a candidate agreed with the NAACP’s stated position. Linda Brigham, a junior education major from Miiothian, sits by Harrington Educational The survey addressed school desegregation, voting rights, civil rights enforcement, social funding and job training prog rams, Simmons said. She said each of the rated can didates, who were scheduled to appear before the NAACP con vention this week, would rate a “B,” except for Hollings. She said Hollings’ voting record has improved, but is significantly worse than the other Democra tic candidates. New Soviet grain deal viewed with reservation “For Mr. Hollings there was a definite change in how he voted starting in 1973 and then con tinuing,”/she said. Even though Reagan does not have a congressional voting re cord and was not formally rated, Simmons said his first two years in office would garner him to a failing grade. AGGIE KAR KARE Let us care for your car. 100% customer satisfaction. Wash, wax, buff, whitewalls cleaned. 29.95 Interior cleaned and protect with Armor All. 9.95 Deluxe car treatment. 44.95 You come to us, or we'll come to you! JIM CAREY CLASS OF ’84 Call for appointment 696-9013 “I would say President Reagan, based on the initiatives he sent to Congress last year and this year, would come out lower than 50 percent,” she said. The NAACP gave Mondale a rating of 87.7 percent; Cran ston, 84.7; Hart, 82.1; Glenn, 80.0; and Hollings, 39.8. United Press International WASHINGTON — Rep. Dan Glickman said he believes the Soviets want American grain, but Glickman and Rep. Jim Leach, who met with a top Soviet official, are reserved about the chances for a new grain deal soon. Leach, R-Iowa, said Tuesday he believed chances were 50-50 that a negotiating session later this month would conclude in an agreement. Glickman, D-Kan., said he believed the Soviets “do want our grain,” but he added, “there is some feeling they won’t do anything until they see who the president of the United States is” in 1984. Leach and Glickman were among 20 House members who were invited to visit the Soviet Union. It was the first official visit since 1979. The delegation, led by assistant House Democra tic leader Thomas Foley of Washington, returned Monday night. Foley scheduled a news con ference for Thursday to discuss the trip. A spokesman said Foley was “equally somewhat pessimistic” about getting the Soviets to agree to higher levels for mini mum purchases. U.S. and Soviet negotiators have met twice to discuss a long term agreement. They are sche duled to meet again July 26 and 27. The current agreement, a one-year extension of an old agreement, expires in Sep tember. to a position which we, on ernment, can accept at time,” Leach said. Leach based his estimaifl 50-50 chance for an agree this month on the general of East-West relations how the Soviets assess grain needs. “Their hand been strengthened sometfl good rains in June” in grain-growing regions said. joug works on Johr off playgro Leach said he, Foley and Glickman met with a major Soviet grain negotiator during the trip. “I was left with the strong im pression that the Soviets have not ruled out a grain agreement but definitively haven’t moved Auc 1 he Foley aide cited s®^ lines on Soviet resistanceuP ing the minimum they woL , Rober required to buy each yea'B ; Batta said the Soviet official po “|aculty Evalu large world supplies, pN'fbate,” one of s< for increased productK : |nday during t home and noted that Russ# inquiry int always exceeded the 6 ir«it better ha- ton minimum set in thtr agreements. Grain trade! was indirectly linked uH US-USSR issues, he said. Evaluation: & PIZZA FAST, FREE DELIVERY 846-3768 846-7751 100% MOZZARELLA CHEESE FRESH GREEN PEPPERS AND ONIONS WE ACCEPT COMPETITOR’S COUPONS SUPREME DREAM 16" $ 9.98 plus two cokes Expires 8-31-83 SUPREME DREAM 20" $ 14.18 plus two cokes Expires 8-31-83 30 MINUTES or S 1.00 OFF Good in delivery area only. Expires 8-31-83 ANY ONE ITEM 12" ONLY $ 5.00 plus two cokes Expires 8-31 -83 TGIT Thank God It’s Thursday 500 $ 1 off all Bar Drinks NO COVER ALL NIGHT for more info call 693-2818 Man fre of murdi. charges ie inquiry i ge of Educ; hing Excell neering Exp g held in 701 onclude tod hdtable evali Con United Press InternatiotU ^ FORT WORTH - OffP article ab« released a man they were'■|^ n j lane nt Lb tinning in the murder and i*£' e stated t of a girl, 11. P had inci The man was freed aftet r ' 1 the end o failed to link him to thettp^ y ear 1981 Fort Worth police said. percent in The man was arrested SB PUF was s day in Quanah for publicl^ ^82. ication. He told officials 14 killed a girl in Fort Word] Arlington officials weref fied and held the man 4 Arlington City Jail forinvei tion of murder. The mandl involvement in the case, 4 he made the statement' drunk. IE COMPARE COMPARE COMPARE COMPARE Compare the cost of a complete meal at the Memorial Student Cen ter with the cost of a similar meal anywhere else. Compare the cost of a complete evening meal at the Memorial Student Cen ter with the cost of a ham burger, cola, and french fries anywhere else. Compare the nutritional value of an evening meal at the Memorial Student Cen ter with a snack for the same or similar price anywhere else. Compare the cost ol 1 evening meal at the Me rial Student Cent 1 [ Cafeteria with the costol meal prepared at tion* Many agree that it is le s ; expensive to dine at H ; MSC. IF YOU CAN FIND A BETTER OFFER, LET US KNOW OPEN MON.-SAT. SUN. 6:30-7 p.m. 7 a.m.-7 p.m. “QUALITY FIRST” OPEN MON-SAT 6:30 A.M.-7:00 P.M. SUN 7:00 A.M.-7:00 P.M. “QUALITY FIRST” OPEN MON.-SAT. 6:30-7 p 7 a.m.-7 p My cioud- ent chancec Rowers tf )ut heasterl pL The hi |y n ear 91.