Space Flight:

The world's largest communication satellite 1930 Kg Intelsat-V, was launched on Decem­ber 6, 1980. The seven meter satellite went in to its transfer orbit 50 minutes after launching.

From the transfer orbit, Intelsat V—sponsored by the International Telecommunication Satellite Organisation of 105 countries—will move into a stationary orbit of 22300 miles height. It will be able to handle up to 12000 telephone calls and two television channels simultaneously, twice the capacity of any previous communication satellite.

Intelsat V, first of the planned nine similar satellites, was built by Ford Aeroplane Communication Corporation with some of the components manufactured in Britain, France, Italy, Japan and West Germany.

Computer-link Soyuz and Salyut

Three Soviet cosmonauts orbited the earth on November 29, 1980 after a computer was used for the first time to link a Soyuz space ship and the Salyut-6 orbit space station.

The computer system one of the major innovations in the Soyuz T-3 space craft worked perfectly during link up manoeuvre.

Valdimir Aksyonoy, who had made the first flight in a soyuz-T space craft, described the success of the computer system as a "new step-forward in space techonology", a step in to the future especially in terms of distance flight. Soyuz T-3 was blasted off from the Baikonur Space Centre in Soviet Central Asia on November 27 and the computers took central as room as it entered earth orbit.

Voyager's Research On Saturn

Voyager-I began its close encounter with Saturn and icy moon with it by revealing yet another mind boggling mystery within the planets, complex and glimmering rings. The space ship sailed out and was away from Saturn on November 13, 1980 after sending hundreds of readings and pictures back to earth and leaving behind a trail of broken, scientific theories about Saturn.

Almost every preconception about the beautiful ringed planet fell as the 400 million dollar space craft passed within the 12400 Km. of yellow, brown and grey cloud tops of Saturn and turned its cameras on most of the 15 known moons and the mysterious rings.

Saturn giant moon Titan, appears to be a world of liquid nitrogen ocean with ammonia and methane icebergs too cold to support and a kind of organic life. The scientist, who had hoped the space craft pass near Titon would provide clues to the origin of life on earth, said that all concept of what the moon might be like, appeared to be worng. Astronomers had previously expected Titan's atmosphere to be made up of clouds of hydrogen, carbons-the basic chemicals building-blocks of organic life rained on to a surface of frozen water.

India Enters Satellite Telecamera

India entered the satellite era for domestic telecommunication when the Prime Minister formally inaugurated the Delhi Satellite Earth Station located at Sikandrabad about 70 Km. from New Delhi on November 14. 1980. In the first phase of the satellite project five remote areas Car Nicobar, Portblair, Kavasatti Leh and Aizewal—will have instant communication facilities with the rest of the countries through this satellite station. The domestic satellite project will be complete early in 1982 when India's own satellite—INSAT—is placed in orbit.

Manned Flights to Mark

A Soviet scientist has said that it was possible to send a manned satellite to Mark before the turn of the century, provided certain medical problems are solved by them. Other scientists were planning to conduct experiments on these problems also.

Bhaskant II

Work on the flight model of Bhaskara II, India's second earth observation satellite has begun. Director of Satellite Center of Indian Space Research Organisation, said on October 26, 1980 that the first model to verify the integrated performance of the satellite was ready and going through final testing.

Cosmonaut Grow Taller in Space

Two Soviet cosmonauts Mr. Leonidpopov and Mr. Valery Ryumin grew taller by 3 cm. during their recorded six month space flight. Doctors who examined the cosmonauts after their return to earth found their muscular tissues and the cartilages slightly stretched.