Apr 12 1972
From The Space Library
Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, and other NASA officials testified before Senate Committee on Appropriations' Subcommittee on HUD-Space-Science-Veterans Appropriations during hearings on NASA FY 1973 appropriation. Dr. Fletcher and Dr. George M. Low, Deputy Administrator, demonstrated model of space shuttle and explained configuration and costs. Dr. Fletcher said that in halving cost of original plans main sacrifice was that "we are not reusing all the parts. We use this expendable gas tank to supply the orbiter. . . . That, however, had an enormous effect on the size. We were able to bring the size of the orbiter down so that we were able to use solid fuel rockets." Dr. Low added, "We sacrificed nothing in terms of what kinds of satellites, what kinds of payloads we can put into orbit." Estimates of larger costs by shuttle opponents had been derived by adding in cost of "all the satellites it will carry, the weather satellites, the communications satellites, and all of those things that would be carried anyway, whether there is a Shuttle or not," Dr. Low said. "And this could be likened to charging to the cost of a freight train the cost also of all of the freight that it is going to carry."
In reply to question on cooperation with U.S.S.R., Dr. Low cited decision to build docking and rendezvous systems compatible between U.S. and U.S.S.R. manned spacecraft. Shuttle "will have a system on it so it can attach to another satellite and we will make that system so it is the same as the Russians will use on their satellites, so that if we need to rescue each other . . . or if we want to conduct joint experiments in space, we can do that." Queried on comparison of U.S. and U.S.S.R. space programs, Dr. Fletcher said, "It is quite apparent that over the last 3 or 4 years, the Soviet space effort has grown in dollar volume and in number of launches per year, during the period that ours has declined. So that ... they are spending quite a bit more in space than we are. It is estimated that perhaps 2 percent of their gross national product is spent for space, whereas a half of a percent of our GNP is spent on space... . Our number of launches per year has steadily declined from a peak of something [like] almost 80 in 1966, down to . . . the order of 30 or 35 in 1970 and 1971; whereas, the number of their launches has steadily climbed . . . and is now higher than even our peak. In 1971, they launched over 80 spacecraft, whereas our launches were down to less than half that." (Transcript)
Physicist Dr. Ralph E. Lapp testified on space shuttle economics before Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences during FY 1973 NASA authorization hearings, Following testimony by Dr. Oskar Morgenstern, Chairman of Board of Mathematica, Inc., and Dr. Klaus P. Heiss of Mathematica, on corporation's study of space shuttle economics [see Jan. 31], Dr. Lapp criticized calculations and said entire issue of launch vehicle choices for future should be restudied. He said shuttle payloads would average "10 times more expensive than their weight in solid gold." Cost would be $5100 per 03 kg (1 lb) for launches 1979-1990. Cost projection prepared for NASA had indicated $7-billion saving for shuttle launches in program that would cost $42 billion using current methods, Dr. Lapp said. He added that no such $42-billion program had been authorized for the 1980s. U.S. tax-payers could save $19 billion by not building space shuttle and by using existing rockets for space program. (Transcript)
NASA Space Shuttle Technology Conference was held in San Antonio, Tex., in conjunction with 13th Structures, Structural Dynamics and Materials Conference of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and Society of Automotive Engineers. Topics discussed included aeroelasticity and loads, structure and liquid interactions, vehicle dynamics test and analysis, thermal protection systems, and structural design. Apollo 8 Astronaut James A. Lovell, Jr., was member of panel for high school students that discussed benefits to be derived in space shuttle use. (AIAA Release)
U.S.-U.S.S.R. talks on space cooperation were progressing successfully and internationally manned space laboratories might be launched in "nearest future years," Soviet space expert Leonid I. Sedov said in article published in Soviet defense ministry newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star). (AP, IT Post, 4/13/72, All)
U.S.S.R. celebrated Cosmonauts Day with annual memorial meeting on 11th anniversary of Vostok 1, first manned space flight, piloted by Cosmonaut Yuri A. Gagarin. Soviet Academy of Sciences president Mstislav V. Keldysh summarized Soviet space achievements and de-scribed Soviet space programs. (Tass, FBIS-Sov, 4/18/72, Li)
India's Minister of State for Home Affairs K. C. Pant, told Indian Parliament, Lok Sabha, that India had developed large number of high-precision and sophisticated components and assemblies needed for control and guidance system of satellite launch vehicle and had flight-tested some components. Sriharikota launch site had become operational, but use of facilities at Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) would continue. (FBIS-India, 4/14/72, P2; State Dept plo)
Kennedy Space Center announced award of grants to Florida Technical Univ (FTU) in Orlando and Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) in Melbourne for ecological studies of spaceport area, much of which was a wildlife refuge. Grants, each totaling $90 000, were for one year. FIT would study living processes in ecosystem which could be used as indicators of significant changes in environment. FTU would divide land areas and associated waters at KSC into geographical zones that would be intensively sampled for life forms for comparative academic studies. (KSC Release 80-72)
National Science Foundation announced issuance of Solar Energy in Developing Countries: Perspectives and Prospects. Report of NAs Board on Science and Technology for International Development said solar energy had "capability to meet energy needs substantially beyond the applications now being made." But best course was to study general energy needs of developing nations and methods of satisfying these needs without placing excessive hope in promising but unproved applications of sun's energy. Report recommended establishment of regional centers in developing nations to evaluate supplies and uses of all kinds of energy and to begin research and development efforts on applications suitable to local conditions. (NAS Release)
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