European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 14, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday. May 14. 1986 the stars and stripes Page 7 air Force focuses on satellite launching backlog Washington not the air Lorca into my to buy dozens of additional rockets to help Clear its Sale Lille launching backlog a top military official said. Edward Aldridge acting air Force Secretary said the service would seek la buy a new launching vehicle capable of lining medium weight satellites that could compete with the european Arian Rockol. That vehicle. Official said last week could be ready in Aboul two years. He said the air Force also would seek to double the number at rockets it buys la Bunch heavy military Sal a lilacs and id expand its program of refurbishing old  Listic missiles to launch Light satellites. Aldridge said the plan was contained in advice to a special into Agency group considering How la replace the capability Tost when the space shuttle challenger exploded Jan. 28, Hilling the seven people aboard and the other shuttles were grounded pending n safety investigation. The group also will recommend building another space shuttle to replace the challenger. President Reagan is expected to decide whether to accept the group s recommendations in the very near future Aldridge said. Aldridge said thai by he time inc three remaining. Shuttles resume service in about 14 months the defense department will have approximately 15 satellites wailing id Fly it  to whittle Down the backlog officials have said. The . Aerospace Industry currently docs not produce any Rockol Thill competes directly will ariane in lifting medium weigh  such As civilian communication satellites. Ariane rockets Are built by a consortium off uru can companies. The air Force plan would help the Domestic Industry by paying by  research and development expenses in de signing such is Nickel. We the government will establish the production line an air Force spokesman said. The government also would allow Industry i use Nasa bunching pads if civilian customers arc found who want in use the new rockets. The air Force spokesman said. Aldridge said Ilic air orce would seek to buy 12 of the new a vets which it would use 10 launch navigation sat Ellics Nav stars. At n rate of four a year beginning around the Nav Star satellites provide precise navigation Dilalo weapon systems anywhere on Earth. He orc the Challing. Or Accident the air Force planned to launch a Prosi Macly a Down Nav stars beginning this year making the full system operational in 1988,. That schedule made Nav Stur the single must frequent pny1oad scheduled to Fly on the space shuttle in the period. In which the shuttle is now expected to be out of service. The newly designed rocket which the air Force Calls the medium lift vehicle or Melv would be capable of lifting a 10,000-Pound satellite to a Low orbit around the Earth. Smaller objects could be carried higher. The air Toree wants is 2.200-Pound Nav Star satellite up Sitione d  a Titi above Hurll i. Many military satellites weigh  than  and Nisi occupy orbits thai Din he twice As High. For such asks the Pentagon last year asked the Martin Marietta corp. La design and build a heavier rocket known As the  expendable Launchi vehicle or , ten of these Mckels were ordered Al a Cost of approximately s 2 billion. Aldridge said the air Force would increase Insil order roughly by a Factor of  lie said the sen ice would also extend its program to convert Titan ii inter comic a Lal missiles which arc being removed from the Arsenal of so Ralcgie nuclear missiles into rockets thai can launch smaller satellites. The air Force already has ordered 13 of the converted Titan us. Aldridge said another of the service s problems in launching military satellites should be resulted six once in investigation is Toni plied into the april explosion of a Titan 34d rocket in a liftoff from Vandnberg Al l. Calif. The Tilan j4d is a much larger and More powerful rocket than the Titan ii. I Don t believe we have a design flaw in the Titan 34d rockets Aldridge said. An earlier failure in the flight of a similar Rockol last year was nol related to the most recent Accident he said. A tall order to fill it took some in Long but a plan was Castle hamburger restaurant in Colum cooked up and this 35-Ycar-uld while bus Ohio was placed on wheels and moved its Dcell Malinn wus a or Lilac museum in Orient 20 Miles away. Balloon Pilot 5 others Hurt at High school Norristown a. A a gust of wind blew a hot air balloon being used in a High school science Experiment into a Power line injuring inc Pilot and a nun and four students on the ground were hurl by a mooring rope officials said. Pilot James Holefelder. -12, of Aslon. Was in inc Gondola monday a lion the balloon was swept from its mooring across a fish l Ball Field and onto a Utility pole said ran Ald j. Valenti principal of Ilis hop Kenrik High school. An electrical explosion blew the balloon into two pieces thai drifted onto the tops of apartment houses Vul Ali said. Power to nearby Homes and Hie school was knocked out for about in minutes. The nun and students were injured by a thick mooring rope Asil whipped through a crowd of onlookers he said the balloon was run of ceremonies Mark ing the Start of National science week the principal said. Noleff Lucr was treated at sacred heart Hospital for a minor injury to a leg and re leased. One student was in stable condition no tic Hospital and the Resl of the injured were treated unit released. 2 seamen saved whip Morffi was warned she testifies 8 of missing Walker s wife says she doubted him m " f. � m t after freighter sinks san Juan puerto Rico a two seamen who Clung to a life raft for nearly 48 hours after their freighter Sank were rescued by a Ucli Copler monday but eight other crewmen were still missing the . Coast guard said. Officials said inc two seamen told them that the 179-foot freighter of Dineia out of St. Thomas capsized when the cargo shifted saturday and went Down within minutes in the Eastern Caribbean. A coast Cuard Ucli Copler from puerto Rico picked up he two men at 3 . Mon Day about 39 Miles Wen of the French is land of St. Martin Petty officer . Reginald Reese said in san Juan. Reese said Lite two seamen who were nol unidentified were taken to the coast guard Cutter decisive whose Home port is St. Petersburg fla., and were to be transferred to san Juan. San Francisco a the sex wife of confessed spy John Walker on monday said she told his alleged recruit Jerry while world in 1973 that her Hus band could t be  Barbara Walker testifying at while world s trial also said her husband gave her Twa Black eyes when she confronted him in 1968 with evidence of his spying. In a conversation with Whitworth in 1973, i told Jerry that 1 knew John was trying to recruit him to spy mrs. Walker testified. He said he hesitated because John Bunij Igod too much and could t be trusted. 1 said something to the same effect that he could t be  mrs. Walker who turned in her former husband in i9k4, was granted immunity in Exchange for her testimony. She testified monday thai while Polh asked me if i could Ever turn John in. I said i did not want  Walker who last week described his former spouse As n hard drinking Black Mailer pleaded guilty last october to spy ing for inc soviet Union for 17 years and has already testified against Whitworth. Whit Worth is accused of Selling secrets about Navy code and communications systems for $332.000 to Walker for relay to the soviets Between 1974 and 1483. Walker s son Michael has pleaded guilty to espionage and his brother Arthur was convicted by a Federal judge. Walker has testified that he paid his sex wife to keep quiet after she Brake into his desk in 1968 and found instructions from soviet agents about dropping off secret information. Mrs. Walker said monday that she waited three weeks before con fronting her husband Aboul the evidence in his desk  when she did she said he struck her in the face two or three limes and gave her two Black eyes. It was then that she thought about turning him in. I though about it she said. I tried 10call the Fri. Bui 1 could  mrs. Walker said she tried to turn her husband in about four times. The first Lime she said she Only made it As far As the phone rinsing the second time she asked the person on inc other line if an informer would get immunity. When inc person said. No i said. Forget in and Hung up she said. Mrs Walker described accompanying her husband on  drops of classified material the first Lime at her suggestion. Painter Dies at 81 Seattle a Kenneth Callahan a Painter whose works were displayed in some of he nation s leading museums has died at Thea Geotsi