Dec 7 1973
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
A major reorganization plan that included two key directorates at Johnson Space Center had been announced by Dr. Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., JSC Director, the JSC Roundup reported. Effective immediately, the reorganization would not be implemented fully until February 1974, Flight Crew Operations and Flight Operations would be combined into a new Flight Operations Directorate devoted entirely to space flight and aircraft activities. A new Data Systems and Analysis Directorate would provide institutional and programmatic data systems and analysis and the onboard software for the space shuttle. Pilot astronauts in the former Flight Crew Operations Directorate would be assigned to the Astronaut Office in the new Flight Operations Directorate. Scientist-astronauts would be assigned to Astronaut Offices in the Science and Applications and Life Sciences Directorates. Skylab Program Manager Kenneth S. Kleinknecht and Flight Control Div. Chief Eugene K. Kranz would be Director and Deputy Director of the new Flight Operations Directorate. They also would continue in their present assignments through completion of the Skylab program. Astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr., would be Chief of the Flight Control Astronaut Office. Howard W. Tindall, Jr., and Lynwood C. Dunseith had been named Director and Deputy Director of the Data Systems and Analysis Directorate. Astronaut Owen K. Garriott was Deputy to Director Anthony J. Calio of the Science and Applications Directorate; Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt would be Chief of the Science and Applications Astronaut Office. Astronaut Joseph P. Kerwin would be Chief of the Life Sciences Astronaut Office, which also would include astronaut physicians F. Story Musgrave and William E. Thornton. In addition to their duties as space shuttle crew candidates, Astronauts Fred W. Haise, Jr., Charles M. Duke, Jr., and Eugene A. Cernan had been assigned duties in project management. Haise would be Technical Assistant to the space shuttle Orbiter Project Manager, Duke would be Technical Assistant to the Acting Manager for space shuttle Systems Integration, and Cernan would be Special Assistant to the Apollo Soyuz Test Project Manager. Of 37 astronauts on active flight status, 26 were pilots. Of these, 16 would participate in space shuttle activities; 10 had been assigned to the 1975 U.S.-U.S.S.R. Apollo-Soyuz Test Project mission. Eight scientist-astronauts would work in the Science and Applications Office, and three in Life Sciences. (Roundup, 12/7/73, 1)
The Senate passed S. 1283 by unanimous vote of 82. The Energy Research and Development Policy Act would provide support for programs in R&D of fuels and energy. (CR, 12/7/73, S22190)
Sir Robert Watson-Watt, Britain's "father of radar," had died in Scotland at age 81, the Washington Post reported. Watson-Watt was credited with directing and accelerating development of radar immediately preceding World War II. He was best known for his work in the use of radio waves to detect aircraft, but also had developed an underwater detection sys-tem for use against German U-boats during the Battle of the North Atlantic. (Hailey, W Post, 12/7/73, C15)
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