Apr 21 1970
From The Space Library
Apollo 13 Astronauts James A. Lovell, Jr., John L. Swigert, Jr., and Fred W. Haise, Jr., described their initial reaction to Apollo 13 accident to press at MSC. Lovell explained: "Fred was still in the lunar module, Jack was back in the command module in the left hand seat, and I was halfway in between the lower equipment bay... when all three of us heard a rather large bang, just ore bang. Now, before that, Fred... had actuated a valve which nominally gives us the same sound... so when this bang came we really didn't get concerned right away, but I looked up at Fred and Fred had that expression like it wasn't his fault, and we suddenly realized that something else had occurred, but exactly what we didn't know." Swigert said he had felt vibration accompanying bang and then noticed master alarm and main bus B undervolt light. ",I transmitted to Houston that we had a problem and proceeded to... look at the voltage... [which] at that time was completely normal. . . ." Swigert thought bang had occurred in LM and Haise, in LM, thought it had occurred in CM. Lovell said his first impression was "that we had had an electrical problem that caused this bang.... That quickly went away and then I looked out the window and saw this venting and my concern was increasing all the time. It went from I wonder what this is going to do to the landing to I wonder if we can get back home again. It was apparent... that the only way to survive the situation was to transfer to the LM. Lovell said decision on date; crew, and destination of Apollo 14 would be made after debriefings and investigation by Apollo 13 Review Board. If NASA "wants this crew to go back to Fra Mauro, we'll be glad to go. If they decide to send another crew or not to go to Fra Mauro, that's their decision." (Transcript)
NASA announced appointment of members of Apollo 13 Review Board, headed by LaRC Director Edgar M. Cortright: Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong; Robert F. Allnutt, Assistant to NASA Administrator; Dr. John F. Clark, GSFC Director; B/G Walter R. Hedrick (USAF), Director of Space, DCS/R&D; Vincent L. Johnson, OSSA Deputy Associate Administrator (Engineering); Milton Klein, Manager of AEC/NASA Space Nuclear Propulsion Office; and Dr. Hans Mark, ARC Director. (Off NASA Administrator; Wilford, NYT, 4/22/70, 27)
Rep. Lou Frey, Jr. (R-Fla.), discussed space program spinoff on House floor: "Between 1965 and 1971 NASA awarded grants and research contracts for 1640 programs to 223 colleges and universities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The total university expenditures by NASA from 1959 through 1969 totaled $2.7 billion and contributed to this Nation's educational goals by the development of new scientific disciplines, technologies and educational facilities." NASA's educational efforts in secondary and elementary schools had been "many and varied, but one of the unpublicized and most important has been its programs to assist underprivileged youth in the inner city. The problem has been tackled in a number of locations by a wide variety of techniques, including special materials, instructors, and so forth." (CR, 421/70, H3317-25)
New standards for certification of transport aircraft over 5670 kg (12 500 lbs), effective May 8, were announced by Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe. Standards included warning system to alert pilots to failing power-operated control system; operating procedures for flight in turbulence; design of airframe for dynamic loads from continuous turbulence, with flight load measurements required for new aircraft with unreliable methods of predicting load intensities; system for preventing condensation on inside of windshield during flight and taxiing; greater redundancy in control system designs; flight tests to demonstrate freedom from flutter through transonic speed range; protection of empennage from bird strikes; more comprehensive airframe lightning protection criteria; additional fire protection for powerplant; dual locking for all critical removable fasteners; protection of fuel system components in event of gear-up landing; design precautions to minimize hazards of turbine rotor failure; fail-safe criteria for aircraft systems; changes in design standards to accommodate modern instrumentation and to require basic flight and navigation instrument at each pilot station; and improvements in reliability of hydraulic systems. (FAA Release 70-35)
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