Jun 19 1973
From The Space Library
Soviet cosmonauts had telegraphed congratulations for new achievements in the conquest of space to the Skylab 2 crew orbiting the earth in the Skylab 1 Workshop, the Moscow Domestic Service reported. The astronauts, launched May 25, had surpassed the world manned- space-flight endurance record June 18 after repairing the Workshop. Maj. Gen. Vladimir N. Shatalov, director of cosmonaut training, wired on the cosmonauts' behalf, wishing the astronauts a successful conclusion to their program and a safe return to the earth. (FBIS-Sov, 6/20/73, G4)
Rep. Edward P. Boland (D-Mass.), Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Housing and Urban Development-Space-Science-Veterans, introduced H.R. 8825, FY 1974 HUD-Space Science-Veterans appropriation bill that included a $2.989-billion NASA appropriation-$2.194 billion for research and development, $87.8 million for construction of facilities, and $707 million for research and program management. The bill would cut NASA's requested $2.197 billion for R&D by $3 million and the $112 million requested for construction of facilities by $24.2 million. Research and program management funding would remain at NASA's requested $707 million. The Subcommittee had reduced NASA's requested $28 million for supersonic flight research to $11.7 million; strongly urged NASA to continue advanced nuclear technology development "within the total funds provided in this appropriation"; urged NASA to reprogram funds to launch ERTS-B as early as possible if the malfunction in ERTS 1 Earth Resources Technology Satellite (launched July 23, 1972) continued to degrade performance; urged continued development of the quiet, experimental, short takeoff and landing (QUESTOL) aircraft "to insure American competitiveness in this largely underdeveloped area of commercial aviation"; and allocated $2.5 million to replace NASA'S instrumented Convair 990 aircraft (lost in an April 12 mid-air collision). Reductions in construction of facilities funding would defer amounts for space shuttle facilities construction. (CR, 6/19/73, H4994, H Rpt 93-296)
The Senate, by a vote of 90 to 5, passed H.R. 7528, $3.046-billion FY 1974 NASA authorization bill [see May 30], after rejecting an amendment proposed by Sen. J. William Fulbright (D-Ark.) that would have reduced the authorization by 4% ($122 million). (CR, 6/19/73, 511476-503)
Secretary of State William P. Rogers and Soviet Foreign Minister Andrey A. Gromyko signed new U.S.-U.S.S.R. agreements on cooperation in transportation and ocean studies and a General Agreement on Contacts, Exchanges, and Cooperation in the Fields of Science, Technology, Education, and Culture, during State Dept. ceremonies attended by President Nixon and visiting Soviet Communist Party General Secretary Leonid I. Brezhnev. The General Agreement reaffirmed commitments for cooperation in environmental protection, medicine and public health, space exploration and the use of outer space for peaceful purposes, and science and technology signed during the May 22-29, 1972, U.S.-U.S.S.R. summit meetings in Moscow. (PD, 6/25/73, 791-800)
Deputy Chairman Vladimir A. Kirillin of the U.S.S.R. Council of Ministers discussed U.S.-U.S.S.R. cooperation in science and technology in a Moscow TV interview while President Nixon and Soviet Communist Party General Secretary Leonid I. Brezhnev met for summit talks in the U.S. The broadening of cooperation in "the solution of the energy problem, space research, the study of the world's oceans, the struggle against disease, environmental protection . . . would mean not only a tremendous saving in national resources but would also go far beyond the confines of relations between the two states in its significance. This cooperation in fact is becoming a necessary condition for the solution of a number of complex problems facing mankind in the last quarter of the 20th century. `'(Tass, FBIS-Sov, 6/21/73, G3-7)
A delegation from the National Academy of Sciences-headed by Dr. Philip Handler, NAS President-arrived in Moscow to develop contacts between NAS and the Soviet Academy of Sciences. Dr. Handler told Soviet newsmen on arrival, "We have no doubt that these talks will promote development of Soviet-American scientific and technical cooperation." (Tass, FBIS-Sov, 6/20/73, G4)
Cornell Univ. astronomer Dr. Thomas Gold replied to former astronaut Dr. Brian T. O'Leary's June 5 New York Times article in a letter published by the Times: "NASA believes that it is only with the public interest in manned flight that it can continue to collect the funds needed to feed its organization. Is it not time to evaluate the national priorities and to inform NASA of the result? The space successes of the next decade or more will be in the fields of greatly expanded communication systems, better weather prediction and earth surveys and in the deeper understanding of the earth and the solar system that space science can bring. It is true that this looks like hard work and not much glamour, but it is a program the country could stand behind, even in the face of occasional failures." NASA could and would carry out such a program if public support was evident, "and many persons inside NASA would be much happier if the facade and the make-believe of the present era could be abandoned." (NYT, 6/19/73, 36)
The National Science Foundation released National Patterns of R&D Resources: Funds & Manpower in the United States 1953-1973 (NSF 73-303). Total U.S. research and development spending was expected to reach $30.1 billion in 1973, 3% above the $29.2-billion 1972 level. R&D was expected to account for 2.4% of the gross national product (GNP) in 1973, down from 2.5% in 1972 and 3.0% in peak year 1964. The Federal Government would support 53% of U.S. R&D in 1973, with about 70% concentrated in defense and space programs. Almost 40% of R&D spending in the U.S. was for research, with 1973 basic research expenditures estimated at $4.5 billion and applied research at $6.8 billion. Development spending was estimated at $18.8 billion. Colleges and universities would perform nearly three fifths of U.S. basic research, with industry leading in applied research and development. An estimated 525 000 R&D scientists and engineers were employed in the U.S. in 1972, 1% fewer than in 1971. Of these, nearly 70% were employed by industry. (Text)
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