Dec 21 1970
From The Space Library
Capt. Chester M. Lee (USN, Ret.), Apollo Mission Director, described plans and preparations for Apollo 14 mission at Washington, D.C., press briefing: Mission-scheduled for launch from KSC Jan. 31, 1971-would be cut from 10 days to 9 days to provide extra margin of safety by shortening lunar orbit and lunar surface stay time. "On this mission we will have done most of our lunar orbit photography and there is really no substantial reason to stay there. We would like to get home; there is no need to keep them there unless we have to. On Apollo 15. . .we intend to stay around because we can get some good data, but on Apollo 14 we don't have the set-up we will have on Apollo 15." New equipment weighing 293 kg (645 lbs)-including 36-kg (79-Ib) oxygen tank for 141 kg (310 lbs) of oxygen, 61-kg (135-lb) sm. battery, and em storage bags for 18 kg (40 lbs) potable water-had been added to supplement regular equipment in case of emergency. Apollo 14 crew quarantine procedures were most strict to date to prevent possibility of crew illness before flight. ". . for example, when they are moving from the crew quarters to the handball; court. . .they will clear the hallways while they are going down there" by sounding a horn or bell. "Kitty Hawk" had been chosen as name for CM to honor birthplace of aviation. LM would be named after Antares, brightest star in constellation Scorpio, which would be visible out LM window during descent to lunar surface. (Transcript; O'Toole, W Post, 12/22/70, A3)
Grumman Corp. test pilot Robert Smyth flew USN F-14 Tomcat fighter, successor to F-4 Phantom and F-11113; on successful 10-min maiden flight from Grumman test facility at Calverton, N.Y. Air craft, weighing 27 700 kg (61000 lb) and capable of mach 2 speeds, was limited by bad weather to 460-m (1500-ft) altitude and low speeds. Flight was month ahead of schedule. USN planned to buy 722 F-14s at $11.5 million each. (Witkin, NYT, 12/22/70,66; Getler, W Post, 12/23/70, A4)
LeRC's Plum Brook Station began test series to ensure Skylab shroud would separate from Saturn V properly during launch scheduled for late 1972. Shroud, weighing 10 900 kg (24 000 lbs), was composed of quadrants separated by explosives lining seams. Each panel had to be ejected without touching Skylab vehicle in flight. Plum Brook vacuum chamber had been selected for shroud test because tank, 36.6 m (120 ft) tall and 30.5 m (100 ft) wide, could produce hard vacuum equivalent to 483-km (300-mi) altitude and easily house shroud 17 m (56 ft) high and 6.7 m (22 ft) wide. (NASA Release 70-214)
NASA announced appointment of George W. Cherry, Deputy Associate Director of MIT C. Stark Draper Laboratory, as Director of Aeronautical Operating Systems Div., OART. Newly created division was responsible for research and technology programs contributing to solution of problems in navigation, control, reduction of operational hazards, and impacts of aviation on environment. (NASA Release 70-216)
Intergovernmental group studying DOT-DOD-HEW military. assistance for safety m traffic (MAST).program reported at least 61 lives possibly saved by helicopter airlift of accident victims from remote areas to hospitals since introduction of program July 15. About 65% of emergencies had occurred on highways. About 70% of 60 000 highway fatalities in 1969 had occurred in remote areas. (DOT Release 25170)
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