Jun 6 1972
From The Space Library
Dr: James C. Fletcher reviewed space program accomplishments during his first year as NASA Administrator in speech before Salt Lake City, Utah, Rotary Club. He had been asked at his first NASA Hq. press conference if he "did not feel like the captain of the ill-fated ship Titanic." Ten "good reasons" why reporters no longer asked that question were:
- (1) NASA had defined space program for 1970s that was "as challenging, as exciting, and as rewarding as our space achievements of the last decade, but less costly."
- (2) New program had been approved by President and Congress "with a strong bi-partisan majority."
- (3) Program could be carried out over next six or eight years at present $3.4-billion NASA budget level "which calls for steady space progress at a cost the country can afford,"
- (4) Balanced program meant increased capability for "useful work in all the major areas of space activity."
- (5) "We have chosen the re-usable Space Shuttle as our major investment in new space technology . and . . . have succeeded in redesigning the Shuttle to cut estimated development costs in half without significant losses in performance."
- (6) "We have settled the argument over whether to stress manned or unmanned space missions in the Seventies. Th:e shuttle will be used for both."
- (7) Space shuttle in military service "will make an important contribution to our national security."
- (8) Program was "relevant to the needs of modern America." Information culled from Earth Resources Technology Satellites would "help protect the environment of spaceship Earth."
- (9) Space shuttle program to develop future uses of space provided "necessary base for increased international cooperation," adding significance to U.S: U.S.S.R. space cooperation agreement.
- (10) NASA again had "national commitment to make space progress a clear expression of our national character and a symbol to the world of what America stands for and works for." (Text)
Crew compartment fit and function test of Skylab airlock module (AM). and multiple docking adaptor (MDA) was completed at McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co. in St. Louis, Mo. Astronauts had activated AM and MDA to demonstrate that modules would support all activities planned for Skylab mission in 1973. They worked with experiments, installed and stowed hardware to verify mechanical and electrical functions, and verified on-orbit operations. Skylab crew members pares ticipating in test included Charles Conrad, Jr., Paul J. Weitz, Dr. Joseph P. Kerwin, Russell L. Schweickart, Dr. Story Musgrave, Bruce McCandless II, and Dr. William B. Lenoir. (MSFC Release 72-72, MSFC, Skylab ,Chron, 83)
Dr. Gary V. Latham of Columbia Univ. Lamont-Doherty Geological Observatory, principal investigator for Apollo seismic experiments, said seismic signals from May 13 crash of meteorite onto moon had confirmed that moon had crust 61 km (38 mi) thick over a mantle and, possibly, a core. Lunar crust measured near Apollo 14 site in Fra Mauro region was about twice as thick as crust on earth. Lunar high- lands appeared to have solid rock beneath thick regolith. Change in reflected seismic waves below crust to 8.2 km per sec (5.1 mps) showed moon had mantle similar to earth's. Measurement of same layer during Apollo 15 mission had been 9 km per sec (5.6 mps), but 8.2 km per sec was more nearly valid and more consistent with known rock types at pressures expected at that depth. Rocks rich in ferromagnesian minerals such as olivine and pyroxene were dominant in earth's mantle and also produced seismic velocities of about 8.2 km per sec. Signals also appeared to show change of state in lunar material at depth of 1000 km (600 mi), suggesting possibility of core. (MSC Release 72-126)
Rep. George P. Miller (D-Calif.), Chairman of House Committee on Science and Astronautics since 1961, was defeated as candidate for reelection to Congress during Democratic primary in California. (Dem Natl Com; Science, 6/16/72, 1219)
Manned Spacecraft Center announced contract activity: TRW Systems Group had received two study contracts totaling $134 160, one for safety criteria study for space shuttle sortie payload and one for pay-load systems compatibility criteria study, both to be concluded by May 18, 1973. Grumman Aerospace Corp. had received $248 500 contract to study and develop test samples of closed pore insulation for possible thermal use on space shuttle orbiter. (MSC Releases 72-124, 72-125)
RCA announced it had received $360 000 NASA contract to develop system to reduce, by 10 times, the size and weight of signal cabling in space-craft onboard data-management systems. RCA would demonstrate use of common data bus to transmit signals to large number of onboard systems. Commands and data would be transferred from central computer through a twisted shielded-pair cable instead of bundle of cabling. (RCA Release)
First fighter squadrons of Navy F-14 jet fighters would be formed "sometime this fall," Grumman Corp. Vice President Michael Pelehach said at meeting of Long Island Assn. of Commerce and Industry in Woodbury, N.Y. Eleven test F-14 prototypes had logged 400 flights and nearly 1000 hrs. (NYT, 6/7/72, 11)
Patent No. 3 667 358 for cold camera for photographing stars was awarded to William D. Williams, Jr., 19-yr-old Univ, of Michigan student, and Scott Usher, packaging engineer for Lehn & Fink Products Co. Camera, mounted on telescope and loaded with film supersensitized after chilling with dry ice, permitted deep sky photography in very dim light with brief exposure time. Camera was simpler and less ex-pensive than other cold-emulsion cameras and was expected to appeal to schools and clubs. (Jones, NYT, 6/10/72, 37; Pat Off Pio)
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