Aug 8 1972
From The Space Library
Skylab medical experiments altitude test (SMEAT) crew press conference was held at Manned Spacecraft Center. Astronauts Robert L. Crippen, Dr. William E. Thornton, and Karol J. Bobko answered press questions from inside chamber they had entered July 26. Chamber had atmosphere of 70% oxygen and 30% nitrogen and pressure of 34 500 newtons per sq m (5 psi). Astronauts said they missed wives, families, and variety of outside life most. They had not experienced any stress from close confinement and had no trouble sleeping, but had recommended minor changes in food, waste collection system, and some medical equipment. Dr. Thornton said he was surprised at crew's physiological condition: "There has been literally no change worth mentioning during this period, either physiological or psychological." " One or two items "might have even shown a little improvement. There was a sniffle or two when we came in, and this atmosphere seems to have ... cleared it up." Dr. Thornton said $3-million cost of test was justified and was "a very, very small part of what could be considered insurance and success of the Skylab program." Money being spent on Skylab medical research could build a number of medical institutions with "a great deal of short-term benefits, properly utilized. But . . . what we're seeing in Skylab, from a medical viewpoint, is the first opportunity to medically study man in space. If the medical scientists that are assigned to Skylab obtain the data that they need and do their job properly, this is literally a building block for space medicine . . . . Regardless of what happens in the short run . . the human race is going to be in space more and more as time goes on." (Transcript)
U.S.S.R. requested that international convention on use of artificial earth satellites for direct TV broadcasting be placed on agenda of 27th session of United Nations General Assembly in September. Provisions of draft convention delivered to U.N. Secretary General Kurt M. Waldheim were: (1) Broadcasts were to be "in the interests of peace, progress, development of mutual understanding and stronger friendly relations" and to improve educational and cultural levels and effect wider international exchanges. (2) All states had equal right to receive and disseminate direct TV. (3) Broadcasts to foreign states would be made only with "definitely expressed consent" of receiving states. (4) Transmission to other states without their consent of programs that "prejudice the cause of safeguarding international peace and security, which represent interference into internal affairs of states, which encroach upon basic human rights, which contain propaganda of violence and horrors, which undermine the foundations of local civilization and culture and which misinform the population are considered to be unlawful and involving international liability." (5) States could act to counteract unlawful direct TV broadcasts beamed at them on their own territory, from outer space, and from other places outside national jurisdiction of any state. (6) A state was responsible for all national activities on its direct TV. (TASS, FBIS-Sov, 8/10/72, Al)
Western Union Telegraph Co. outlined plans for possible start of domestic satellite communications system before mid-1974 at New York press briefing. Company said it had signed contract to purchase three satellites from Hughes Aircraft Co. for $20 706 500, with incentive payments to be made after satellites were orbited. Hughes would supply launch support and options for additional satellites and services. Western Union was first company to order satellites under waiver granted by Federal Communications Commission July 26 that permitted ordering spacecraft in advance of issuance of construction permits. (Smith, NYT, 8/9/72)
Reception in House Rayburn Building honored retiring Chairman George P. Miller of House Committee on Science and Astronautics. Rep. Miller (D-Calif.)-defeated June 6 in California primary for nomination for reelection to House-had presided over House Committee in overseeing and funding U.S. space program since 1961. House Speaker, Rep. Carl Albert (D-Okla.) , said that "never had so much been accomplished in the national interest in so short a time" as by Committee. Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, and Secretary of the Air Force, Dr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr., praised work of Committee in evolution of entire U.S. space effort. Rep. Miller responded that U.S. space achieve- ments were "a beginning and not an end" of the national enterprise required to serve Nation and society in the future. National Space Club President Donald R. Rodgers presided over ceremony attended by 300 guests, including Congressmen, NASA and industry representatives, and Senate and House Space Committee staffs. (NASA Hist Off)
High-powered telescopes at Univ. of California at San Diego picked up satellite Toros, "earth's other moon," at distance of 20 million km (12.4 million mi)-closest approach of Toros to earth in centuries. (UPI, W Star-News, 8/9/72, A15)
House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Subcommittee on NASA Oversight held hearing on policies and procedures governing disposal of real property under NASA Administrator's control. Purpose was to determine whether legislation should be enacted to require formal reports to Congress on real estate disposal. General Services Administration surveys had determined that certain lands at Wallops Station, Langley Research Center, and Lewis Research Center were excess to NASA needs. Congress had not previously been apprised of plans for property's disposal by GsA. Subcommittee heard testimony of NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Organization and Management Bernard Moritz. GSA was surveying LeRC's Plum Brook Station, Wallops Station, LaRC, and Marshall Space Flight Center. Final decisions had not been made. (Transcript)
National Academy of Sciences released findings of two-year study of science and its relation to society, made by Physics Survey Committee chaired by Yale Univ. physicist Dr. David A. Bromley. Report, tentatively titled "Physics in Perspective," was in press at release time. It rated 69 program areas in physics in order of priority and emphasized cost to U.S. science and society and to physics if programs were not adopted. Most "striking" aspect of survey had been "renewed discovery of the over-all power and vitality of U.S. physics," but "this strength is in danger." Committee found danger most immediate and obvious in subfields like elementary particle and nuclear physics where major facilities approved in mid-1960s were just becoming operational. Report named 15 programs that had growth potentials warranting high priority for incremental support: macroscopic quantum phenomena including superfluidity and superconductivity, quantum optics, scattering in solids and liquids, heavy-ion interactions, higher- energy nuclear physics, national accelerator laboratory, Stanford linear accelerator, controlled fusion, turbulence, nonlinear optics, lasers and masers, atomic and molecular beams, biophysical acoustics, very large radio array, and x-ray and gamma ray astronomy. Committee concurred with recommendation of Astronomy Survey Committee [see June 1] that High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAD) should be prominent in national effort in astrophysics and astronomy. "Because of the opaqueness of the earth's atmosphere to both X and gamma radiation, these windows on the universe have only recently been opened through rocket and satellite astronomy. Any reasonable extrapolation from the preliminary soundings that have been possible so far suggests a larger return in fundamental insight into the structure and history of the universe. In the total national physics program, the estimated cost of this facility-$400 million .. . is extremely high. To be considered in proper perspective it must be viewed in the context of the total expenditures of the U.S. space program. In anticipated scientific return-both short- and long-range- it merits high priority in that program." (NASA-NRC-NAE News Rpt, 8-9/72, 1-7)
British Airways Board had decided to order six Lockheed L-1011 TriStar jet airliners and to place options on another six, wall Street Journal reported. British Aerospace Minister Michael Heseltine had told House of Commons that British government would aid Rolls-Royce (1971) Ltd. to develop more powerful version of aircraft's RB- 211 jet engine. Lockheed Aircraft Corp. Chairman Daniel J. Haughton had said later that order was "single most significant over- seas order in Lockheed's commercial aircraft programs during the past 25 years." Lockheed estimated value of order at $150 million including spares. (WSJ, 8/8/71, 7)
President Nixon submitted to Senate nomination of Dr. James R. Schlesinger, Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission, to be U.S. representative at 16th session of General Conference of the Inter- national Atomic Energy Agency. Among alternates nominated was Dr. T. Keith Glennan, first NASA Administrator. (PD, 8/14/72, 1225)
August 8-9: Skylab program managers reviewed design of mission's experimental hardware with 11 high school student winners of NASA and National Science Teachers Assn. competition to propose experiments for 1973 Skylab mission [see July 20]. Students attending critical design reviews at Marshall Space Flight Center were those whose experiments required new scientific equipment. (NASA Release 72-161)
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