Jan 10 1972
From The Space Library
European participation in space shuttle development was discussed by NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight Dale D. Myers during press briefing at Manned Spacecraft Center. European space officials had released to European industry "fairly extensive study . . leading to the definition of the tug that the Europeans might build for the shuttle to carry." Tug was 3rd stage of shuttle transportation system. Myers said NASA had examined three possible areas for European participation: "One would be in elements, physical pieces of the shuttle that would be managed ... as the prime contractor manages a subcontractor. We will expect the prime con- tractors to work directly with the European industries in that case." Europeans would supply money for parts developed by Europe. Second area was tug. "If the tug were developed, we would expect it to be paid for by the Europeans." Third area was sortie can, "experiment-carrying device to be carried in the payload compartment," which would give them "an opportunity to enter into the use of the shuttle very extensively." European space officials would meet with NASA within two months to respond on interest in participating, Timetable called for selection of industrial contractors in summer 1972, with subsonic and suborbital test flights beginning in 1975, manned orbital tests in 1978, and first fully operational mission by 1980. Site evaluation board would make its next report to NASA within few weeks, and site for shuttle launch and recovery would be selected by spring. One site would be selected initially, with another or others selected later according to program needs, "We don't see the shuttle as a highly limited operation. And, I think that eventually there will be more than one site." Location depended on mission. "Today . , , there is a preponderance of due-east missions out of KSC [[[Kennedy Space Center]]], and . . . different azimuths out of the West Coast. We can't go due east out of the West Coast very well . . . because of the populated areas east ... and we can't get as efficient in polar orbits out of Kennedy . . . so there is a tendency to ... go to the two coasts. Now whether that really ends up being that way in the shuttle system, we don't know yet." (Transcript)
Events leading to President Nixon's endorsement of space shuttle development were reported by Aviation Week & Space Technology: "The struggle between NASA and OMB [Office of Management and Budget] officials reached the point of acrimony when the latter suggested design changes and demanded to know from NASA engineers the dollar savings that would result. Dr, James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, finally appealed directly to the office of the President with a complaint that 0Ms was attempting to design the U.S. space shuttle rather than merely budget it." President Nixon had removed oMB accountant from conference with NASA and demanded shuttle agreement. "The dispute culminated in Fletcher's triumphal flight to San Clemente ... to join in the announcement that the space shuttle had been approved by the Administration." (Av Wk, 1/10/72, 15)
NASA notified staff of Civil Service Commission directive canceling special salary rates for engineers, scientists, accountants, mathematicians, and others. Approximately 500 NASA employees affected would be converted to General Schedule and placed on saved pay rates or in higher pay steps with longer waiting periods for step increments, effective Feb. 6. Persons hired to affected positions after Feb. 6 would be paid General Schedule rates. (NASA Hq WB, 1/10/72, 2)
European space leaders were "growing increasingly impatient" over U.S. Government's failure to resolve controversy over method for participation in international air traffic control satellite program (aerosat), Aviation Week & Space Technology reported. European Space Research Organization official had said European space community was concerned that U.S. would not honor agreement between Federal Aviation Administration and ESRO for joint backing of twin-satellite systems covering Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, but would back Communications Satellite Corp. proposal that aerosat be developed under international consortium. Concern had arisen "from the fact that the [U.S.] executive branch has not taken a firm stand on what its policy is to be." (Av Wk, 1/10/72, 20)
Washington Daily News quoted Harvard Univ. nutritionist Dr. Jean Mayer, Presidential Adviser on Nutrition, as saying some scientists had let their opposition to war, poverty, and pollution lead them into unscientific distortions and exaggerations. As result, laymen were confused about nuclear testing, defoliation, antiballistic missiles, super-sonic transport, and extent of hunger and malnutrition in U.S. Dr. Mayer had said credibility of all scientists would be undermined as long as a few insisted on offering opinions "with little basis in fact." (W News, 1/10/72, 16)
New York Times editorial praised "encouraging response" of public and major corporations that would enable Science and Technology Div. of New York Public Library to reopen Jan. 17 after shutdown for lack of operating funds [see Jan. 3]. "But it is evident that the fate of the privately financed research divisions has merely been deferred-unless continuous and long-range efforts are made to put this vital facility on a sound financial footing." (NYT, 1/10/72, 32)
January 10-13: Third Annual Lunar Science Conference held by NASA and Lunar Science Institute at Manned Spacecraft Center was attended by more than 600 researchers from U.S. and 16 foreign countries. Foreign visitors included Soviet scientists Y. I. Belyayev, M. S. Chupakhin, and K. P. Florenskiy, who participated in conference, consulted with U.S. scientists, looked at lunar samples stored at MSC, and helped select samples to return to their colleagues in U.S.S.R. NASA provided three grams (one tenth ounce) of lunar material collected on Apollo 14 mission as part of U.S.-U.S.S.R. agreements for exchange of samples. Samples included chip from widely studied crystalline rock, small piece of 9-kg (20-lb) boulder, and core samples soils, and polished thin sections. Conference papers dealt with scientific results of Apollo lunar landing missions, analysis of Soviet Luna 16 samples, and results of study of lunar surface by U.S.S.R.'s Lunokhod 1. Apollo 15 Astronauts David R. Scott, James B. Irwin, and Alfred M. Worden discussed their observations of lunar surface made from lunar orbit during July 26-Aug. 7, 1971, mission. Dr. N. C. Costes, Marshall Space Flight Center representative of Apollo Soil Mechanics Investigation Science Team, discussed mechanical properties of lunar soil. Washington Post later compared conference with First Lunar Science Conference in 1970, when "there were few facts available and many theories." At third conference, "situation seemed to have reversed." Dr. Paul W. Gast, Chief of MSC Planetary and Earth Sciences Div., said, "You're not throwing facts out into a vacuum any more." Among facts stated at conference were; moon once had strong magnetic field, of which remnants remained to suggest moon once had metallic core up to 280 km (175 mi) thick; lunar crust was 65 km (40 mi) deep and layered; existence of extinct plutonium 244 in Apollo 14 samples indicated plutonium had been trapped when lunar crust solidified shortly after origin of solar system; and Copernicus Crater had been gouged 850 to 950 million yrs ago, making process one of more recent major lunar events. Dr. James R. Arnold of Univ. of California at San Diego reported that moon's radioactive elements were concentrated in two broad plains, Ocean of Storms and Sea of Rains. "As we go away from this region . we drop to quite low levels of radioactivity." Scientists agreed that these radiation emissions should not prove hazardous to astronauts who might visit for short period. Dr. Isidore Adler, Goddard Space Flight Center scientist, reported that map of lunar surface chemistry produced from Apollo 15 x-ray data indicated highlands of moon contained more aluminum than did plains. Finding supported hypothesis that moon's early crust was rich in feldspar. Dr. Gary V. Latham of Columbia Univ., Apollo Program chief seismic investigator, debated presence of volcanoes on moon with Cornell Univ. astronomer Dr. Thomas Gold. Dr. Latham said that while main episode of lunar vulcanism seemed to have ceased 3 billion yrs ago, "it's by no means certain that we do not have continuing vulcanism on a very minor scale on the moon." Dr. Gold continued to support theory that moon was dead, rigid body with basins of compacted dust. Dr. Leon T. Silver of California Institute of Technology proposed theory of "parentless lead" on moon to explain presence in some lunar locations of more lead than could have been produced by decay of radioactive uranium. In moon's extreme vacuum it was possible for vaporized lead to travel great distances from its parent, uranium. Dr. Silver said other materials could be distributed over lunar surface in same way, all of which could confuse analysis of moon's age. Dr. John A. Wood of Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory dis- cussed tiny piece of green glass among Apollo 14 samples that scientists had nick-named "Genesis bean." Bean and other glass fragments were almost identical chemically to rare meteorites, Howardites. Evidence suggested green glass had originated on moon and not from meteorite impacts on earth and thus might be some of earliest material of solar system. Consensus of conference on bulk composition of moon was summarized by Dr. Gast: feldspar-rich highland material with anorthosite as one prevalant component, basalts (solidified lava, low in radioactive elements and relatively young) in plains and basins, and KREEP (highly radioactive material rich in potassium, rare earth elements, and phosphorus). Conference closed with discussion of geologic setting of Apollo 16 Descartes landing site and plans for mission's extravehicular activity. Soviet scientists returned to U.S.S.R. Jan. 23 with lunar samples for Soviet Academy of Sciences. (MSC Release 72-06; NASA Release 72-18; Marshall Star, 1/12/72, 1; Wilford, NYT, 1/14/72, 22; NASA Trans Sect)
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