European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 10, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 a a a the stars and stripes Friday August 10,1990 turns up mirrors Washington apr mirrors being built for a $747 million series of weather satellites have been found to Warp and become useless in the temperature extremes of space Nasa officials said wednesday. The problem Marks the second time in recent months that a National aeronautics and space administration project has been seriously affected by failed Mirror technology. Engineers found in june that a Mirror aboard the $1.5 billion Hubble space Telescope was ground to the wrong specifications and produces Only a blurred visual image. A Nasa spokesman said the new flaw was discovered by itt aerospace a subcontractor for the project and that the planned weather satellites cannot be com plated and launched until a solution is found. A the visual images from these mirrors would be pretty close to useless a said Bryan Dunbar a space Agency spokesman. The mirrors Are being built for a satellite to be launched in february 1992 As the first of five in a series of robot weather observers. Dunbar said engineers for Nasa itt and Ford aerospace the prime contractor Are scrambling to Correct the problem in time for the 1992 launch and it is possible that there could be no delay if a solution is found quickly. Managers of the Nasa program were not available for comment Dunbar said. Officials said the problem occurs Only when the 12-by-20-Oval mirrors arc exposed to the intense Light of the Stwan space. Dunbar said tests in a vacuum chamber showed that intense sunlight such As experienced by satellites in orbit can Warp the mirrors. That distorts images reflected by the mirrors into instruments aboard the satellite. Nasa is supervising construction of the weather satellites for the National oceanic and atmospheric administration said Frank Lepore an Noaa spokesman. He said the space Agency builds and launches the satellites and the weather Bureau takes Over the Tion once the Craft Are at geostationary orbit 22,300 Miles above the Earth. The weather Craft scheduled for launch in 1992 is to supplement the. Single satellite that Noaa now has for Cloud cover observations Over the United states. Lepore said the current satellite called goes 7, was moved Over the Center of the United states after goes 6 failed last year. He said the weather Bureau prefers to have satellites Over both coasts so the Craft can observe Ocean storm fronts far from . Shores. The weather satellites take pictures of the Cloud cover that Are commonly published in newspapers and broadcast on television. Dunbar said the mirrors for the new series of weather satellites Are made of beryllium Metal coated with Nickel. The reflective surface is then coated with aluminium and silicone dioxide. He said that after two mirrors were made itt discovered in a computer simulation that the mirrors would Warp when exposed to direct sunlight in space. Itt then tested the computer Model in a vacuum chamber and confirmed the problem Dunbar said. The new weather satellites Are to have two of the 12-by-20-Inch mirrors. One will be used to reflect Cloud cover images in visible Light to a camera the other will reflect Light to an infrared Detector which can then determine temperatures in the lower 10 Miles of the atmosphere. Stateside3 killed in Georgia in head on train collision Resaca a. Apr two freight trains collided in Northwest Georgia Early thursday killing three people and injuring four. A authorities said one freight train was on the main Norfolk Southern track when it ran head on into another train that had just moved Oft a Side track shortly before 3 30 . In a Rural area West of Resaca. The conductors on both trains and an Engineer were killed according to a Railroad  other Railroad employees were taken to Gordon county Hospital in Calhoun with injuries. Hospital officials would not release their identities or the nature of their injuries. Crosman announces recall of 53,000 air rifles Washington apr Crosman products is recalling nearly 53,000 air rifles that May have a defective trigger mechanism the consumer product safety commission said wednesday. The company is recalling its Model 3100 air Rifle which has been sold nationally since july 1986 and May contain an improperly hardened sear in its trigger if the sear is not properly hardened it May Wear prematurely and the consumer May not be Able to cock the air gun the commission said. And  consumer does manage to cock a gun with a defective scar it said the Rifle could discharge unexpectedly without the trigger being pulled a even if the safety mechanism is engaged. The commission said no reports of injury or accidental discharge have been received. A Consumers who own Crosman Model 3100 air rifles should discontinue use and Call the company toll free at 1-800-836-3100 for  Rotten in ponies Harpswell Maine apr residents arc keeping their windows shut and an inn has closed As the stench from thousands of rotting fish fills the air. In Quahog Bay Maine a latest kill of menhaden or ponies has suffocated thousands of lobsters crabs snails and other sea life. A the eels Are even dead and the cute hard to kill a said Linda Webber who owns Webber and sons lobster co. With her husband in this seacoast town of 2,500, about 15 Miles from Portland. Webber said the company has lost about $10,000 Worth of lobsters which sell for less than $4 a Pound in Maine this time of year. Robert Waddle owner of Quahog lobster inc., the other lobster dealer at Quahog Bay said he has lost at least that much. Wholesalers commonly keep the crustaceans in holding pens in Bays or harbours. A the Overall loss is tremendous Quot he said. A not just my loss but everyone a loss because everything in the Bay a been  vast schools of ponies were chased into Quahog Bay by feeding bluefish about a month ago Waddle said wednesday. The schools severely depicted the oxygen in the water killing the lobsters and other aquatic life. Dead ponies float in clumps and Are caked onto rocks along the Shore. A a it a been like this for almost a month but the past few Days have been unbearable Quot said Marianne Lavine who has kept a summer Home at Quahog Bay for 20 years. A we be had the doors and windows closed for three Days now it irritates your Throat and nose. Its  the smell is so bad that a bed and breakfast on the Bay closed. One of the inns owners said he and his wife will nut reopen until the odor is gone. Fish kills have happened along ainess coast several times in recent ears but Quot this is certainly a Large die a . A a a a a a v a a it a sea of dead menhaden or ponies surrounds Mike hogans launch As he pushes it away from a Dock at liar Powell Maine. A it Ltd Ltd a it a off a said Marshall Murphy spokesman for the state department of Marine resources. Ponies ail oily fish that can weigh up to 2 pounds Are used for lobster bait fertiliser and cat food. An estimated 3,000 pounds of ponies or 50 bushels washed ashore in Belfast Bay in september 198?. In August 1985, about 8,000 bushels of ponies washed into a Cove in Southport and officials used a huge vacuum cleaner to suck up the rotting fish. In 1984, about 25,000 ponies and 500 bluefish died in the Kennebec River also from oxygen deprivation. Murphy said the slate wont attempt a cleanup in Quahog Bay lie said past cleanups have proved to be a very expensive and less than totally  at tins Point our decision is to allow nature to continue the decomposition process of the menhaden Quot he said. The fish take about 10 Days to decompose. Only winds and tides can flush out the Tish because there is no River at the head of the Bay. A northerly wind last week carried some of the ponies away but a southwesterly wind this week brought the dead fish Back into the Bay Murphy said