Feb 24 1971
From The Space Library
NASA development of short-haul jet transportation system was discussed by Dr. George M. Low, Acting NASA Administrator, at Council for Advancement of Science Writing Seminar on Science and Public Policy in Washington, D.C.: "We estimate that the market for short-haul transportation will approach 40 billion passenger miles by 1980, and may well be between 100 and 300 billion passenger miles by 1995. The problems of developing such a system are exceedingly complex. Involved are aircraft, airways, airports, avionics, ground transportation, and appropriate regulations. To be acceptable, the system must be low in noise, low in pollution, and low in its contribution to the congestion of local transportation. The service must be easily accessible, dependable, and comfortable. And the fare must be reason-able." If development were to take normal course, "it would move ahead very slowly. And in the meantime, a domestic need would go wanting." Foreign competition, with funding by foreign governments, "would step in to fill the gap." "Here we have a good case where the government should help. The need exists; an integrated approach involving government and industry is required; and the initial development risk is high." DOT was responsible for overall short-haul transportation system; NASA had responsibility for developing experimental research aircraft. "But NASA will not do this alone we intend to approach this development in partnership-a joint enterprise-with industry. NASA and industry will share the development responsibility . . . and costs. The production airplanes . . . will be built by industry on a purely commercial, competitive basis. But the government will have served the industry in speeding the commercial availability of the aircraft, and will have served the people by speeding the availability of a needed service." (Text)
NASA launched three sounding rockets. Areas launched from Barking Sands, Kauai, Hawaii, carried GSFC experiment to 56.7-km (35.2-mi) altitude to obtain ozone measurements in conjunction with Nimbus IV overpass. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily and pay-load was recovered successfully. Black Brant VB, launched from Wallops Station at 8:14 pm EST, carried 216.8-kg (478-1b) NRL instrumented telescope to 281.6-km (175-mi) altitude for infrared astronomy studies. Telescope was double-walled with unique helium cooling system that maintained unit's temperature at 5.4 K (-450°F) to prevent telescope's own radiation from interfering with measurements. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily; payload would be recovered after daylight Feb. 25. Aerobee 150, launched from WSMR, carried ARC experiment to study micrometeorites. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily. (NASA Rpt SRL; WS Release 71-2; SR list)
ComSatCorp announced election of John L. Martin, Jr., as Assistant Vice President for Domestic and Aeronautical Satellite Systems. (ComSatCorp Release 71-11)
Crises facing airlines in early 1960s and 1970s were contrasted by Floyd D. Hall, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Eastern Airlines, Inc., in speech before northeast region of Aviation/Space Writers Assn. in New York. Jet aircraft had offered "radically improved seat-mile factor" in 1960s. There were no appreciable unit-cost savings in wide-bodied equipment of 1970's. "In sharp contrast with a decade ago, technology promises little help." Economists were predicting no general economic boom of mid- 1960 proportions for at least five years and there was "no traffic surge in sight so great as to mask or counter-balance our other problems." There was "new and ominous militancy" in labor outlook which had "sent costs soaring . , at rate greater than normal even in our inflation-ridden economy." In 1959, U.S. trunkline aviation industry had been committed to $1.7 billion in new aircraft. "Ten years later, in 1969, we were committed to $4.7 billion-$6 billion when the cost of spares and associated ground equipment is added -or more than three times as much. The value of flight equipment on order at the end of 1969 ... equals nearly 87 percent of the net book value of existing flight equipment. The total commitment amounts to more than the debt and equity capital of all eleven trunklines combined as of year-end 1969." In 1960s "when airlines sought new capital to finance their new jet fleets," capital had been more readily available "and airlines were able to compete for it against other industries on fairly favorable terms. Today we, a high-risk industry, are competing for it against low-risk industries, and at a time when the availability of capital is limited." (Text)
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