Jul 25 1974
From The Space Library
The 3-19 July Soyuz 14 mission had prompted concern among U.S. specialists that the U.S.S.R. might be developing a manned spacecraft for military reconnaissance, the Washington Post reported. Soyuz 14 cosmonauts, who had linked up with the Salyut 3 orbiting space laboratory, had used a special coded channel of communications with Soviet ground stations, surprising U.S. stations that usually monitored Soviet flights. In addition, the Soyuz 14 flight carried the first all-military crew since the U.S.S.R, began flying multiple-man crews in 1969. All previous flights had at least one civilian aboard. Also, sources reported that at the time of the flight a series of optical sighting targets was laid out on the ground not far from the launch site. The targets were believed to be much larger than the targets usually laid out to check spaceborne optics, prompting speculation that the U.S.S.R. might by trying to learn what man, rather than cameras, could see from space. (Getler, W Post, 25 July 74, Al)
The Navy Sea Systems Div. awarded a contract with a target value of $285 400 000 to General Dynamics Corp. Electric Boat Div. for construction of the lead submarine in the planned 10-submarine Trident (undersea long-range missile system) program. The submarine, which would carry 16 Trident I missiles with multiple independently targeted vehicle (MIRV) warheads, would be faster, quieter, and better equipped than the Poseidon-class submarine. And the Trident I would have far greater range than the Poseidon missile. (DOD Releases 335-74, 336-74; AP, W Post, A4)
Preliminary studies of the use of laser beams to monitor water temperature, turbidity, salinity, and other factors affecting quality were under way at the University of Miami under Kennedy Space Center con-tract. No method had been known for remote sensing of vertical temperature profiles in bodies of water, but now high-energy, coherent laser beams could penetrate deep into the water. Measuring the return radiation was expected to yield data on a number of factors, offering a potential ecology tool. (KSC Release 121-74)
John W. Crowley, Jr., NASA Director of Aeronautical and Space Research from the agency's establishment in 1958 until his retirement in 1959, died in Denver, Colo., at the age of 75. Crowley had joined NASA's predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, at Langley Aeronautical Laboratory in 1921, becoming Chief of the Aeronautics Div. in 1940 and Head of the Research Dept. in 1943. He came to NACA Hq. in 1945 as Acting Director of Aeronautical Research and was appointed Associate Director for Research in 1947. Crowley received NASA's first Distinguished Service Medal in 1959. (W Post, 1 Aug 74, C7)
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