NASA thinks rocket booster ruptured By HARRY F. ROSENTHAL Associated Press Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. NASA officials, increasingly confident they can identify the cause of Challenger's disaster and fly again soon, believe a rupture in the right rocket booster may have triggered the explosion that destroyed the shuttle and killed its crew. NASA Sources apparently feel so close to a solution to last Tuesday's tragedy that they are talking about flying again as early as June if the testing and correction procedures are completed. A flight that had been scheduled by the shuttle Columbia for June 24 appeared to be the earliest possible Sources, speaking only on condition they not be identified, say investigators are almost certain that the spurt of fire from a booster rocket seen on launch films sparked the blast that tore apart the shuttle's fuel tank, taking the orbiter with it. NASA's interim investigating board took time out from its probe yesterday to attend memorial services for the Challenger crew at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. But search teams, fighting strong Atlantic cur rents, continued to bring in Challenger's spreading debris, including a 10,000 pound rocket fragment. The search area was extended to more than 40,000 square miles. "We're finding a lot of empty ocean today," said Lt. Cmdr. James Simpson, a Coast Guard spokes man. The apparent rupture in the strong rocket casing whether at a seam or elsewhere had the effect of pointing a torch at the side of Challenger's fuel inside e The State College Municipal Council will vote tonight on whether or not to endorse the proposed Emergency Prepared ness Plan, which would replace the current individual municipal run emergency systems with a regionally-based plan Page 2 • The head of the federal Envi ronmental Protection Agency warns Congress that the EPA may . begin shutting down the Superfund program this month if funding for the toxic waste clean-up program is not re newed Page 7 index arts comics... 'opinions sports.... weather This afternoon we'll have typical State College weather. Yes, it will be damp and dismal but with one good note —tempera tures will be mild as the high reaches 41. Tonight, cloudy with rain showers and a low of 34. Tomorrow, once again, lots of clouds with periods of rain and a high near 40 Heidi Sonen the daily tank. The theory is that the flame either burnt through the tank or a "destruct package," causing the explosion, or raised the tank pressure to intolerable limits with the same result. This theory remained just that. NASA's acting administrator, William Graham, the only agency official speaking on the record, said yesterday that the agency still is looking for other causes for the explosion. -. Photographs released by NASA show a tongue of flame apparently lashing upward from the ex haust of the right booster rocket into an area that films of previous launches showed to be clear of fire or flame. The flame appeared in the last 15 seconds of flight. The flame was "somewhere in this vicinity," Graham said as he made the rounds of television talk show's yesterday. He pointed to a "field joint" the seam between the lowest segment of the right booster and the second segment. The name comes form the fact that the segments arrive here individually and are put together "in the field" at the center. "We haven't yet finished the analysis and mea surements on film to identify the exact point at which the plume (of flame) appeared," Graham said on CBS' "Face the Nation." And on NBC's "Meet the Press," he said "we haven't done the measurements yet to see whether it was at the seam or near the seam." There has been published speculation, based on unidentified sources, that the finger of flame either burned through the fuel tank wall and ignited its huge supply of liquid hydrogen, or that it set off the destruction mechanism by lighting a primer cord. Herman announces he will seek re-election By ERIC SCHMIDT Collegian Staff Writer State Rep. Lynn Herman said be cause of support from his constitu ents and his voting record he will seek re-election as State College's rep resentative to the General Assembly. Herman, R-Centre, serving his sec ond term, said Friday that passing the 1985 state budget on time was the highlight of the year for him. He said the balanced budget helped control spending and reduced personal in come tax. • Several problems remain to. be solved, Herman said. Rep. Lynn Herman o lle g iall "No issue in 1986 will be more important than strengthening Penn sylvania's economy," Herman said. "Our ecomomy is on the rebound from the double-digit unemployment of a few years ago, but more needs to be done." `Our ecomomy is on the rebound ... but more needs to be done.' —Rep. Lynn'Herman Herman said the legislature must create jobs by improving the business climate. This could be done by reduc ing business taxes and supporting programs that provide low interest loans. He 'also said the legislature must reform the worker's compensa tion system and support efforts to develop markets for coal. Basic education in the state must be supported, especially the areas of vocation and technical learning, Her man said. "Without a literate and skilled work force, no amount of effort to improve the buSiness climate will succeed," Herman said. Pennsylvania must also face envi ronmental concerns including the dis posal of its trash, low-level radioactive wastes and hazardous wastes, Herman said. But Charles Redmond, a NASA spokesman, said just heating the tank would have turned the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to gas, thus increasing the pressure beyond the bursting point. Hydrogen must be kept at minus 423 degrees Fahrenheit and oxygen at 297 degrees below zero to remain in liquid states. Graham, asked how soon shuttle flights might resume, replied that there was "no way to say what time we can go forward." But he added, "This is a fundamentally sound system. It's gone through 24 successful flights. There was obviously an accident. There is a problem there. But the overall configuration and design, we believe to be fundamentally sound and we believe it won't take a very long time to get this problem corrected." Yesterday, ships, planes and helicopters were searching three main areas • 6,300 square miles from Melbourne, Fla., to St. Augustine and 80 miles offshore. $ An area from Cape Canaveral to Savannah and 150 miles offshore, 33,000 square miles. • The shore to*three miles out from Ponce de Leon,. Fla., to Jacksonville. Speculation had been that the object recovered off the Georgia coast was the top of the fuel tank. But when the object arrived here, it was identified as part of the left booster rocket. It could shed no light on the accident because it was a segment that contained the parachutes designed to lower the 149-foot long booster into the ocean for retrieval and refurbishment. Please see related story, Page 4 Fundraising chair says job is delicate By DAMON CHAPPIE Collegian Staff Writer David Gearhart leans across his desk and in a soft Southern accent says, "you're not going to get money if you don't ask for it." Asking for money has been Gear hart's job for the past 10 months and will most likely remain his job for the next five years. Gearhart directs the University's unprecedented fundraising campaign that is now expected to bring in $2OO million during the next five years. Much of his time is spent on adminis tering a growing staff and instructing volunteers on how to get people to donate money to the `.`Campaign for Penn State." "It's a long process. It's very rare that you can get a person to make a gift the first time you talk to them," Gearhart says. "It usually takes sev eral months and even several years to cultivate the person."• That cultivation includes explain ing why the University needs the money and exactly what the money will be used for. "So many people don't understand that a gift of $50,000 can change the character of an institution," he ex plains. "The money can be used for scholarships or for an endowed chair that can bring a respected faculty member to teach here." The campaign is depending on the voluntary efforts such as from Mer rill Lynch Chairman William Schrey er, a 1948 University graduate, to solicit donations from his peers in the corporate world. "Showing that your peers are giv- Democrat to seek Herman's seat By PHIL GALEWITZ Collegian Staff Writer Building his candidacy around the notion that Penn State is the most important thing in Centre County, Democrat George Field will oppose Republican Lynn Herman in the battle for Herman's seat in the state House of Representatives. "Ore of my top concerns will be representing Penn State and gaining more funding for the University," Field said yesterday in announcing his candidacy. Field, a Penn State labor studies graduate, is supervi sor of Engineering Services at the University. The Demo cratic hopeful from Port Matilda said his diversity of backgrounds make him best suited to serve this region in the state legislature. Through working in labor and management, Field said he has made numerous contacts with the high tech industry. He has also worked in Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer and as a journeyman machinist at the Univeri ty's Applied Research Lab With higher education receiving diminishing appropria tions from the state, Field said it is "now getting danger ously close for too many students who may soon not be able to come to this University." Field blamed Reaganomics, President Reagan's at tempts to give states more control and reduce the federal spending, and Gov. Dick Thornburgh for cutting spending to many vital social services "At the state level we need to use Pennsylvania's budget surplus to help take up the slack for cuts to student aid," Field said. Up to this point the people in Harrisburg haven't pushed hard enough for Penn State, Field said, adding that the University administration has done its job, but state legislators must look more closely at higher education in the state. Although Field is a Democrat in a largely Republican district, he said because most Centre County citizens are "fiercely independent" the party will not be a factor in who wins the November election. The Taylor Township resident cites the many Democrats in county offices as proof of that. Monday, Feb. 3, 1986 Vol. 86, No. 122 20 pages University Park, Pa. 16802 Published by students of The Pennsylvania State University ©1986 Collegian Inc. Lt. Gov. officially affirms candidacy HARRISBURG (AP) Lt. Gov. William Scranton 111, ready to wrap up eight years as under study, scheduled a hectic loop of appearances around Pennsylva nia today to officially declare his ambition for the governorship. Scranton, 38, who climbed out of a crowded primary field in 1978 to claim nomination to his current elected office, his first ever, likely will be unopposed for the Republi can gubernatorial nomination in the May 20 primary. Preparing in earnest for most of 1985, Scranton already has more than $1 million in his campaign account, putting him well ahead of any of the Democratic•hopefuls. He will start his declaration day with an 8:30 a.m. rally at a subur ban motel and convention center here, then fly to Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Erie and the Wilkes- Barre-Scranton airport before fin ishing with an evening rally in Scranton. Scranton has been taping key people for the 1986 campaign over the past five days. On Saturday, he ing is a critical factor in major giv ing," said Gearhart. Once a potential donor is located, the University development office, through confidential research, deter mines how much the person might be able to give. Meanwhile a volunteer like Schrey er or Head Football Coach Joe Pater no will meet with the donor to explain what the University needs and how a contribution will help with a pro gram. "They have to tell the person what Penn State is about and what a contri bution will mean. And then the volun teer needs to look the person in the eye and ask him to consider a contri bution," Gearhart says. "It's absolutely vital that you ask for the money at some point," he adds. "Usually, the research staff puts together a proposal for the donor that outlines how the contribution can be spread out and where the money will go. "The key is not to ask someone for a million dollars if that individual doesn't have a million dollars to give. But I've found in my 11 years in this business that you don't insult a per son if you ask for too much." Gearhart, who led the University of Arkansas's fundraising before com ing to Penn State in March, says the Campaign is going well despite staff ing problems. "I didn't expect to be this far after just 10 months but its going to take another couple of years until I feel Please see related stories, Page 20 Field and Herman are both currently running uncon tested in the May 20 primary. Pennsylvania must take action to attract more busi nesses to the state, Field said. Most importantly, he said, is to build a more efficient transportation system begin ning with repairing the roads. He added state lawmakers should be cautious before lowering the corporate income tax. Field was born and raised in Altoona and is currently secretary-treasurer for the Bald Eagle Area Democrats. The first-time politician is married and has two children. William W. Scranton 111 announced his support for Chester County Commissioner Earl Baker to be the Republican State Com mittee chairman. On Thursday, he said he would like state Sen. D. Michael Fisher of Allegheny Coun ty to be the GOP candidate for lieutenant governor. things are running like a sewing machine," he said. Gearhart said his biggest problem is finding a qualified staff to help run the Campaign. He said his depart ment is understaffed by about 30 people compared with other universi ties engaged in capital campaigns. Despite that, the University is still ahead of last year's contributions by 18 percent. During the first half of fiscal year 1986, the University raised $16.2 million. He says he is pleased with those results because the contributions do not yet include any major gifts, such as last year's $5.6 million Braddock bequest that boosted the College of Science. University President Bryce Jordan said the Campaign will be formally kicked-off on Sept. 13 at a special dinner. Fundraising campaigns are not of ficially begun, Jordan said, until more than 30 percent of the goal has been collected. Between now and then, Gearhart said he hopes to hire a new executive development officer and to install development officers in each college to help with fundraising. Gearhart is adamant that he needs "top-flight people if I'm going to be successful." "We're growing but we need to grow more because of the Campaign. But on the other hand, I'm not going to hire a chimney sweep if we don't have a chimney." George Field
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