European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 26, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes wednesday february 26, 1986 voyager 2 begins 3-year journey to Neptune Pasadena Calif. A voyager 2, completing its nearly four month exploration of uranus tuesday sped toward its 1989 encounter with Neptune after receiving new orders from engineers on Earth. The orders basically a computer pro Gram were radioed 1.8 billion Miles to the probe monday and took control of it tues Day ending the Post encounter phase of voyager s uranus studies and starting the cruise phase of the flight to Neptune said George Textor of the Jet propulsion Laboratory. Engineers who earlier turned off the probes two television cameras also were shutting Down most of its sensors said tax Tor voyager Mission director at jul which operates America s unmanned space exploration program for the National aeronautics and space administration. The new orders will control voyager s actions for the next six weeks. Another 25computer programs will be periodically transmitted until the probe begins its observations of Neptune m May 1989, Textor said. On feb. 14, engineers fired voyager s thrusters for 2u hours in a major course correction that will bring the probe closest to Neptune on aug. 25, 1989. Another correction is planned in 1987, according to jul. Tuesday voyager was about 25 million Miles from uranus and about 1.8 billion Miles from Earth Textor said. Radio Sig nals take about 2% hours to reach it. The wandering explorers voyager 1 Jupiter Jupiter july 9, 1979 March 5, 1979 aug. 26. 1981 1986 Chicago Tribune graphic source Nasa Jsn 24, 19oo font 1 1989 the spacecraft was launched in 1977 and explored Jupiter in 1979 and Saturn in 1981. Its exploration of uranus the solar system s third largest planet and seventh from the Sun began with the Observatory phase nov. 4, followed by the near and close encounter  probe s closest approach to uranus was 50,679 Miles on Jan. 24. Since the Post encounter phase began Jan. 26, the space Craft s cameras and sensors have been looking Back at the  2 discovered 10 More Moons or biting uranus another five had been known. It also found at least two new eng Sand fragments of 10 others around he planet in addition to nine thin rings discovered from Earth in 1977. The discovery that uranus has a magnetic Field strengthened the theory that the planet is covered by a 5,000-mile-Deepocean of superheated water methane am Monia and electrically charged particles surrounding an Earth size Core of molten Rock said Deputy project scientist Ellis Miner. He said no additional evidence to support that theory has been gathered since the Dis covery of the magnetic Field was announced Jan. 23. But the planet s composition and density suggest vast numbers of comets believed to be dirty snowballs of Rock and ice were pulled into the planet by Gravity to give uranus a greater proportion of Rock and water than the other outer planets. Miner said. The comets probably came from a vast Cloud of billions of comets astronomers be Lieve surrounds the solar system. He also said new analysis of uranus rings and Moons casts further doubt on the so called Shepherd Moon theory which holds that the Gravity of Small Moons herds most of the uranian rings into their narrow shapes. Fornia Australia and Spain and by connecting another set in new Mexico to those in California. Engineer against shuttle launch Felt pressure to change stance Washington a an Industry space Engineer testified tuesday that Nasa officials protested when his firm initially opposed launching the shuttle challenger for safety reasons. I Felt pressure from them to change my mind said Engineer Allan Mcdonald. Recounting a Long debate on the eve of the launch Over whether cold temperatures would damage Booster rocket safety seals Mcdonald said he told space Agency officials at one Point that if anything happened to this launch i would t want to be the person standing before a Board of inquiry explaining the decision to go ahead. One of Mcdonald s supervisors under intense question ing acknowledged later that the company did not know the full effect of the cold when it approved the coldest launch in the shuttle s nearly five year history. Mcdonald said the lengthy discussions amounted to a reversal of the practice he had seen in his Long association with the space program. The contractor always had to get up to prove it was Safe to Fly. In this Case we had to prove it want Mcdonald said. Mcdonald manager of the rocket Booster program for Morton Thi Okol inc., gave his testimony before the presidential commission investigating the explosion that destroyed the shuttle and its Crew last month. There s no doubt in my mind. I Felt pressure Mcdonald said adding that he resisted the decision to launch even after his superiors at Morton Thi Okol reversed their initial opposition and approved it. The company manufactures the solid fuel Booster rockets used to help propel the shuttle into orbit. In 100 minutes of testimony Mcdonald said others might not consider the remarks he heard from Nasa officials As pressure and he said he was t overruled by his company. But he said be refused to sign a company memo approving the decision to launch a document that Nasa executives asked for following Morton Thi Okol s initial opposition. On Jan. 28, the shuttle blew up eight Miles above the launch pad killing All seven Crew members. Mcdonald was followed to the witness table by Jerry Mason a top Morton Thi Okol manager in Utah who was quickly pressed by commission members to defend his firm s decision to approve the launch despite tests showing that the safety seals might give Way in cold weather. Commissioner Sally ride an astronaut who has twice flown the shuttle asked whether the firm paid adequate attention to the fact that seals arc considered by Nasa to be criticality one items meaning that a failure would be catastrophic. Mason replied that despite the designation Morton Thi Okol managers did consider that there was some Protection from secondary seals if be primary Seal failed in the flight t Early moments. But ride replied i Don t think the system allows such an interpretation. Mason said i can t really address the propriety of  pressed further. Mason acknowledged we did t have enough data to quantify the effect of the cold. We did t know for sure the effect of the  Mcdonald was the Lead off witness at the first of two Days of Public hearings a session that began with a statement from chairman William Rogers that the Caus of the Accident May involve human error As distinguished from equipment  he said be would try to give the right of reply swiftly to anyone who Felt wrongly portrayed by any testimony. Search for shuttle wreckage widens Cape canaveral. A. Up shuttle wreckage spread across the Ocean floor has prompted Salvage Crews to add 100 Square Miles to the search zone for challenger s submerged remains with about one third of the area now mapped by sonar. Four weeks to the Day after challenger exploded in a Ball of flame the shuttle Salvage Fleet includes nine sur face ships two submarines and three robot submersible. The search zone was expanded monday to include 351 Square Miles off the coast of Florida. So far Only about one third of the zone has been mapped by sonar. Wreckage from challenger s right Side Booster rocket has been located and a debris Field thought to contain the remains of the left hand rocket also has been identified both More than 40 Miles offshore. Expansion of the search zone was based on analysis of radar tracking and sonar data that indicate Long Finger like trails of submersed wreckage from the boosters stretching away from known debris Sites closer to Shore where Navy divers previously located wreckage from challenger s payload Bay. Over the weekend the Johnson sea link 2, a four Man submersible under contract to the National aeronautics and space administration for $12,600 a Day recovered a Large piece of wreckage that later was determined to be part of the skin of the giant external fuel tank. James Beggs up1hmmwo Nasa director Beggs resigns Washington a indicted space Agency administrator James m. Beggs resigned tuesday allowing president Reagan to  a new top space Agency executive congressional officials said. An aide who refused to be identified by  Jaid Beggs telephoned rep. Manuel Lujan r n.m., and notified him he had submitted his letter of resignation to the White House. This aide said Beggs did not talk about a Succes Sor at All even though he has been quoted in re cent Days As disparaging his stand in the acting administrator William Graham. He said Beggs told Lujan he had initially Hope to stay in his Job while he fought criminal charge unrelated to his Nasa tenure but Hei Aid the tragedy the loss of the challenger on Jan. 28 changed the ramification of the  Beggs 60, had been administrator of the nation 7 rst.?"13 and space administration since july n k,81ii"1iee el0""11 after the Firat ice shuttle night he a been on unpaid leave since dec. 2, when he and three other former general dynamic executives were indicted by a grand jury on charge Uey plotted to bide Cost overruns Outhet Fol Fth