Jun 15 1972
From The Space Library
Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, and Apollo 16 Astronauts Charles M. Duke, Jr., John W. Young, and Thomas K. Mattingly II met with President Nixon at White House to discuss April 16-27 Apollo 16 mission and joint U.S.-U.S.S.R. rendezvous and docking mission scheduled for 1975. Following discussion Dr. Fletcher and astronauts held press conference. Dr. Fletcher said President was "very pleased" with progress made toward joint mission. "The President particularly wanted to emphasize that ... this is only the beginning of what he conceives as a long association with the Soviet Union in many other areas of space cooperation. . . . we are busy working on other kinds of things that we can do together . . . perhaps through the turn of the century, doing things together for economic reasons and because he feels strongly that the international aspect of this is important in improving relationships. If we can do this together, we can do other things together." President also emphasized worldwide space cooperation. As areas for U.S.-U.S.S.R. cooperation in future, Dr. Fletcher thought "the ones we can be sure of" were "the cooperative program on Mars [and] a new cooperative program on Venus, where we explore the upper atmosphere and the entire atmosphere and they explore the surface. We are going to be doing that together." (Other NASA officials explained later these would be coordinated efforts rather than joint missions.)
July meeting of principals at Manned Spacecraft Center would "iron out the management" of joint docking mission. Astronaut Young said that "real problem" was communication; "once we solve that problem we can prove that we can work together in a lot of other areas besides." Dr. Fletcher said plans for joint astronaut and cosmonaut training had not been concluded, "but it is going to be absolutely essential that the cosmonauts come over here and train on our equipment and vice versa. That much has been agreed to." Training program probably would start "within about a year." Dr. Fletcher summed up progress made on joint mission since May 24 signing of cooperation agreement: "We have set up the agenda for the meeting which will primarily involve the management aspects. . . . We also have, at home, worked out some of the details of the specifications ... and now are waiting approval." Perhaps most "spectacular" progress had been "great enthusiasm from Congress for the mission, particularly when we told them this was not going to cost any more money." (Transcript; WSJ, 6/16/72)
Dr. George M. Low, NASA Deputy Administrator, testified before House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Subcommittee on International Cooperation in Science and Space on U.S.-U.S.S.R. agreement on cooperation in space [May 24]. He described events that led to agreement on joint rendezvous and docking mission: Dr. Thomas 0. Paine, then NASA Administrator, had suggested to Soviet Academician Anatoly A. Blagonravov during April 1970 meeting in New York "possibility of cooperation in the area of astronaut safety, including compatible docking fixtures for space stations and shuttles." National Academy of Sciences President, Dr. Philip Handler, had conveyed NASA's interest to Soviet Academy President Mstislav V. Keldysh. "In July, Dr. Paine suggested directly to President Keldysh that this possibility be considered." Dr. Low said if docking mission was successful, "both countries will have increased their chances of rescuing astronauts in distress without commensurate increase in the costs of a standby rescue capability. It is here that the joint test mission is particularly important. It will give us the opportunity to identify and resolve under the best possible conditions the problems we can expect to flow from differences in language, equipment, and operational procedures." Joint working groups were making significant progress. Space meteorology group was organizing experiments to advance temperature sounding from satellites and microwave measurement of precipitation zones, ice conditions, and sea surface roughness and temperature. Another joint working group had provided for coordination of meridional sounding rocket networks in Eastern and Western Hemispheres and had begun to exchange operational and scientific meteorological data. Working group on natural environment was defining coordinated experiments in remote sensing of the environment related to vegetation, geology, and the oceans. Oceanographic effort would continue satellite and ship measurements over same ocean area. In group on scientific investigation of near-earth space, moon, and planets, "experts from both sides have been working on a common system of lunar coordinates and a program for compiling a complete map of the moon on the scale of 1:5,000,000." Group on space biology and medicine was "considering certain common standards and procedures to increase the comparability of information." If U.S. and U.S.S.R. could work together to achieve "intimate and complex common goal" like joint space mission, "we will have built mutual confidence and trust. The symbol of US and Soviet spacemen meeting in orbit before the eyes of the entire world cannot help but ameliorate attitudes, viewpoints and expectations throughout the world." (Transcript)
Apollo 16 astronauts attended state dinner at White House honoring Mexican President Luis Echeverria Alvarez. (PD, 6/19/72, 1060)
Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, rejected premise of critics that U.S.-U.S.S.R. arms limitation agreements would perpetuate strategic disadvantage to U.S. During congressional briefing at White House he said: "Our present strategic military situation is sound. Much of the criticism has focused on the imbalance in number of missiles" To assess overall balance "it is necessary to consider those forces not in the agreement; our bomber force which is substantially larger and more effective than the Soviet bomber force, and our forward base system." U.S. had "major ad-vantage in nuclear weapons technology and in warhead accuracy." With its multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVS), U.S. had two- to-one lead in warheads. Lead would be maintained during agreement period, "even if the Soviets develop and deploy MIRV's of their own." U.S.S.R. had more missile launchers than U.S., "but when other relevant systems such as bombers are counted there are roughly the same number of launchers on each side. We have a big advantage on warheads. The Soviets have an advantage on megatonnage." at was disadvantageous to U.S. was "trend of new weapons deployment" by U.S.S.R. and "projected imbalance 5 years hence based on that trend." Relevant question was "what the freeze prevents; where would we be by 1977 without a freeze?" Considering current Soviet momentum in intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles, "ceiling set in the Interim Agreement can only be interpreted as a sound arrangement that makes a major contribution to our national security." (Text)
Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects was received by Senate, which removed injunctions of secrecy from treaty and referred it to Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. (CR, 6/15/72, D681)
White House announced exchange of diplomatic notes on bilateral agreements between U.S. and Mexico in scientific and technological fields during state visit of Mexican President Luis Echeverria Alvarez to Washington, D.C. Remote Sensing Agreement extended until July 1, 1974, a 1968 agreement covering cooperative research in remote sensing for earth surveys. Agreement also modified 1968 agreement by providing that NASA acquire and process Earth Resources Technology Satellite data over Mexico and train qualified Mexican technicians in sensing techniques. Agreement for Scientific and Technological Co- operation called for commission for formulation, orientation, and review of programs to strengthen economic and social development, intensify relations between scientists and technicians, and facilitate and increase exchange of persons, ideas, skills, experience, and in-formation between U.S. and Mexico. (PD, 6/19/72, 1054)
Two-man crew of Air Force F-111 fighter-bomber aircraft bailed out safely after explosion in aircraft during flight from Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Aircraft crashed in Nevada. Accident was being investigated. (W Post, 6/21/72, A5)
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