Harvard Scientist Plans Satellite For Scanning Sun

University astronomer has proposed to the National Aeronautics and Space adminstration that Harvard oversee the design and construction of a sun-scanning satellite to be launched early in 1968.

This would be the first orbiting spacecraft planned solely by a group at Harvard, although researchers here have done some experiments with space vehicles. Harvard would not do all the work, but G. Richard Huguenin, assistant professor of Astronomy would supervise the entire program.

Huguenin said yesterday that he submitted the idea last fall. The vehicle would be called Pilgrim and is intended to look at the sun's radio emissions in ranges not detectable from earth, Huguenin said.

Pilgrim would be launched during a period of major sunspot activity, and Huguenin hopes to find new facts about the atmosphere of the sun and about sunspot emission.

The Space Systems Division of Avco Corporation in Lowell will construct the Pilgrim craft and might even design the launching craft, Huguenin said. This question will not be decided until the project gets final government approval expected early this summer.

Special Instruments

Harvard would supply the special instruments for the satellite. Huguenin and his 'staff would design this equipment and would then sub-contract for its construction, he said. Avco would put all these pieces together and would probably produce the power supply and the ground communication links.

The first phase of the Pilgrim Project is already under way, Huguenin pointed out. He has already given Avco a $149,000 contract for the construction of an instrumented spacecraft to test some of the Pilgrim equipment. NASA has approved this contract.

Huguenin hopes that this test vehicle, to be called Probe I, will be sent up near the end of this year. It will not orbit the earth, and its flight will last for only 30 minutes, he said. The test vehicle will include one of the two antennas planned for Pilgrim and two of the three spectrometers. Probe I will be launched from a NASA base in Virginia.

NASA Grant

Huguenin has been working under a NASA grant for about two years, and he employs a staff of about 15, supported by the grant. Using earlier grants, he organized his staff in 1960. Its formal title is the Space Radio Project. The members range from engineers to secretaries.