Dec 14 1971
From The Space Library
USAF launched four unidentified satellites from Vandenberg AFB by Thorad-Agena booster. Orbital parameters: 999.4-km (621-mi) apogee, 983.3-km (611-mi) perigee, 104.9-min period, and 70° inclination. (Pres Rpt 72; SBD, 12/16/71,210)
Team of ARC astronomers headed by Dr. Charles P. Sonett had found evidence that sun's spin rate 4.6 billion yrs ago was one revolution every three hours rather than current one rotation every 27 days, ARC announced. Study of melting histories of meteorites recovered on earth and observations of young stars in constellation Taurus led astronomers to believe high rotation rate and other mechanisms typical of newly formed suns had forced flow of electric gases from sun, causing sun to lose one third of its original mass in a few million years and stripping away primordial atmosphere of Mercury, earth, and Mars. Complete melting could have occurred in asteroids. Radio-active dating had established that many meteorites were melted about 4.6 billion yrs ago. ARC astronomers believed inertia of gas molecules thrown out by sun and tied to sun by solar magnetic field, with inter-planetary magnetic field itself, would have slowed sun's rotation over 4.6 billion yrs. (ARC Release 71-71)
House Committee on Science and Astronautics published For the Benefit of All Mankind: A Survey of the Practical Returns From Space Investment. Report updated and expanded study of tangible benefits and practical returns from space investment based on material from Government, industry, and press--including extensive NASA research in technology utilization at Committee's request. Committee concluded that illustrations in report were "extra dividends which are a fallout of ingenious application of space experience by business, industry, commerce, science, government, the medical profession and the academic community. Those dividends already paid, coupled with those in sight for the near-term future, affect practically every facet of human convenience and concern. They promise continuing and increasing return on the space investment for the benefit of mankind on earth today." (H Rpt 92-748)
FAA Administrator John H. Shaffer, in speech before Aviation/Space Writers Assn, in Washington, D.C., said Anglo-French Concorde supersonic jet transport would be quiet enough to land at U.S. air- ports. Concorde would be used over North Atlantic and would not cause potentially destructive sonic booms over U.S. Shaffer predicted U.S. would build SST eventually. (Reuters, W Post 12/15/71, E10)
President Nixon inspected Concorde Anglo-French supersonic airliner at Lajes Field, The Azores, before departing for U.S. aboard Presidential aircraft Spirit of '76 after meeting with French heads of state. (PD, 12/20/71, 1670)
DOD Project MAST (military assistance to safety and traffic) was example of "major role" of transfer of technical knowledge from DoD laboratories to civilian scientific community in "technological revolution," Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird said at meeting of Domestic Action Council in Washington, D.C. Since July 1970 inception of program, military helicopters had flown 767 missions and evacuated 983 civilian patients for civilian agencies. (Text)
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