Jul 13 1971
From The Space Library
Apollo 15 completed simulated liftoff at 9:34 am EDT in preparation for launch from KSC July 26. Spacecraft was unmanned and fully loaded with propellants. Astronauts would practice countdown in space-craft without fuel July 14. (SBD, 7/14/71, 56)
Selection of NR Rocketdyne Div. for negotiations leading to award of $500-million, cost-plus-award-fee contract for development and delivery of 35 space shuttle engines by 1978 was announced by NASA. Selection followed 12-mo competition during which NASA had accepted proposals from three firms on April 21. Program would be managed by MSFC and would support space shuttle orbital flights beginning in 1978. (NASA Release 71-131)
NASA launched two Nike-Tomahawk sounding rockets from Wallops Station carrying Univ. of Texas experiments to study ionosphere. Rockets and instruments functioned satisfactorily. (SR list)
Sleep analyzer developed for NASA by Dr. James D. Frost of Baylor Univ. and built by sci Electronics, Inc., Div. of Kt Systems, Inc., as Skylab experiment had been made available as research device to U.S. medical institutions, NASA announced. Device would record quality of sleep of Skylab astronaut during 28-day stay in space by combining and evaluating inputs of electro-encephalogram and electro-occulogram. Medical application of device could be to treat insomniacs and other patients experiencing "sleep neuroses." FAA doctors were considering study of sleeping patterns of air controllers and pilots after stressful duty. (NASA Special Release)
Senate Committee on Banking approved by vote of 10 to 5 revised bill authorizing Government guarantee of loans to companies whose failure would "adversely and seriously affect the economy of the nation." Bill would permit Government to guarantee up to $2 billion in such loans, with limit of $250 million for one company. Bill represented first legislative test of Administration's efforts to save Lockheed Aircraft Corp. from bankruptcy, New York Times said. (Witkin, NYT, 7/14/71, 1)
President Nixon announced appointments to Citizen's Advisory Committee on Environmental Quality, including Apollo 8 Astronaut Frank Borman. (PD, 7/19/71, 1056)
FAA announced award of $530 125 contract to Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory, Inc., for analytical and experimental program to develop new microwave landing system (MLS) for civil-military common use, to replace VHF/UHF instrument landing system (ILS) developed in early 1940s. Microwave system would provide more precise electronic guidance to aircraft on approaches and landings than current system; selectable flight paths to permit greater number of aircraft operations at airports; closer spacing of parallel runways; and procedures to ease noise over surrounding communities. (FAA Release 71-109)
U.S. faced no dire threat from current "numbers or accuracy" of Soviet SS-9 missiles, but must extend its own antimissile system as "bargaining chip" with U.S.S.R. at SALT, Deputy Secretary of Defense David Packard said in testimony before House Committee on Foreign Relations' Subcommittee on Arms Control. (NYT, 7/14/71, 7)
Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe announced FAA was considering major policy change to permit establishment of FAA facilities and services at privately owned airports open to public. Such facilities and services were restricted to publicly owned airports. FAA Administrator John H. Shaffer said policy change would be "in accord with FAA's assigned mission and responsibility of assuring safety and efficiency of all civil aircraft operations and of promoting air commerce and civil aeronautics." (FAA Release 71-110)
Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg, AEC Chairman, was formally presented with membership in Soviet Academy of Sciences by Soviet Ambassador Anatoly F. Dobrynin in ceremony at Soviet Embassy in Washington, D.C. (AEC Release 0-120)
Cornell Univ. and EDP Technology, Inc., announced that contract for sale of Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory by Cornell to EDP had been allowed to expire by mutual consent. (Van Gelder, NYT, 7/14/71, 58)
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