Mar 11 1971
From The Space Library
Senate confirmed nomination of Dr. James C. Fletcher as NASA Administrator. (CR, 3/11/71, S3088)
Goddard Memorial Trophy for 1971 was presented by Mrs. Esther Goddard to James E. Webb, NASA Administrator from 1961 to 1968, at 14th annual Goddard Memorial Dinner in Washington, D.C. National Space Club award-named for late Dr. Robert H. Goddard, "father of American rocketry"-was given to Webb for "unprecedented accomplishments." Citation said his management of Apollo program leading to manned lunar landing "was matched only by the accomplishments in international scientific cooperation, the technology utilization program, the sustaining university program and the greatest industrial team ever assembled." Astronautics Engineer Award was presented to Dr. Rocco A. Petrone, Apollo Program Director, "for his outstanding personal leadership of the Apollo mission to the Moon."
Wallace H. Deckert of ARC Advanced Aircraft Programs Office was awarded Hugh L. Dryden Memorial Fellowship "in recognition of the need for the continued scientific and intellectual growth of the individual, who is already pursuing the challenges of research, exploration and administration in astronautics, so that he may continue to seek and maintain a pre-eminence in outer space for the United States." Nelson P. Jackson Aerospace Award was presented to NASA-NO Space Meteorology Team "for opening a revolutionary dimension in observing earth's weather, and for significant help in mankind's perpetual battle with the elements." National Space Club Press Award was presented to Kenneth F. Weaver of National Geographic magazine "for his illuminating and imaginative editorial contributions to astronautics and his excellence in conveying to the public at large man's expanding concept of his cosmos." Dinner, which honored "decade and more of international cooperation in space," was attended by Apollo 14 astronauts, Soviet Ambassador Anatoly F. Dobrynin, Indian Ambassador Lakshmi Kant Jha, comedian Bob Hope, and U.S. Ambassador to U.N. George Bush. (Program; Dean, W Star, 3/13/71, Cl)
NASA OART officials testified before House Committee on Science and Astronautics during hearings on FY 1972 NASA authorization. Roy P. Jack-son, Associate Administrator for Advanced Research and Technology, said aeronautics was largest part of OART program for first time. In military aviation, "work is under way at the Centers in support of the F-14 for the Navy. . . . Over a dozen wind tunnels and simulators . . are used in this support. We are helping the USAF with ... the F-15, their new B-1 bomber and we plan to assist" with the A-X. One ARC facility was on indefinite loan to USA. "In all, we use over a third of our available facility time to support military needs. Research on transonic aerodynamics, the NASA supercritical airfoil, fly-by-wire flight controls, spin stabilization, and advanced structures using beryllium or composites are some of the areas where NASA is making research contributions to meet military requirements in the future." In civil aviation effort, DART was providing DoT with assistance on SST. ARC was assisting FAA in certification studies of Concorde and SST. ARC flight simulator for advanced aircraft was "proving to be the most useful facility available in the free world for studying airworthiness standards for supersonic transports." NASA and DOT were completing joint study of "relationships between the benefits that accrue to the Nation from aviation and the level of R&D effort. The study displays the ways in which civil aviation can affect regional development, population distribution, [and] land use, and contribute to many other social and economic goals of the Nation." Problems under study included aircraft noise, air pollution from aircraft engine emissions, and aeronautical operating problems "such as approach and landing safety, delays, congestion, and community noise caused by operation of air-craft." DART Aeronautical Operating Systems Div. had established joint STOL operating problems experiments program with DOT and FAA, and Aeronautical Life Sciences Div. "to study man's role in advanced aeronautical systems . . . as an operator, as a passenger, and as a member of the community exposed to air operations."
Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, Deputy Associate Administrator (Aeronautics), described improvements in aircraft materials and structural design: "I have been particularly impressed with the progress of the composite materials. The potential of boron and carbon fibers embedded in an epoxy resin matrix to provide high strength, low weight structures has been discussed with you for several years. This year the testing of special glass fibers has revealed the possibility that low cost, stiff composites may be fabricated with much greater strengths than previously thought possible. Composites are finding application both as a replacement for metallic components and by augmenting metal strengths using selective reinforcement. In the forthcoming year we propose to construct several airplane components of primary structure for installation and flight demonstration. We believe that these new materials will find widespread use in the industry when the technical risk has been demonstrated to be acceptable."
Milton Klein, Manager of Space Nuclear Systems Office, reported on progress of NERVA program: "Through the systematic engineering design process . . . design concepts to be incorporated in NERVA were formulated, requirements were specified, and a baseline engine design has been established. The design provides a thrust level of 75 000 lbs [334 000 newtons], and a specific impulse of 825 seconds. High reliability and safety in operation are provided through the use of redundancy in critical areas and conservative design approaches. The endurance goal for the reusable system is 10 hours, coupled with the ability to undergo 60 start-and-stop cycles, and the key fuel element technology continued to make good progress toward that goal." (Transcript)
RCA Corp. announced it had filed application with FCC for construction and operation of $198-million domestic satellite system for 50 states and Puerto Rico. System would consist of three satellites and 13 major earth stations. At Washington, D.C., news conference, Howard R. Hawkins-President of RCA Global Communications, Inc., and RCA Alaska Communications, Inc.- said system could begin first phase in 1974. System would include distribution of motion pictures by closed circuit telecasts instead of film. (AP, NYT, 3/12/71, 62)
NASA announced award of $18 704 300 cost-plus-award-fee contract to Boeing Co. for installation and technical support services at KSC. Contract was for 11 mos with four one-year options. New contract combined work previously performed under three separate contracts. TWA, which had been performing support services, had been denied preliminary injunction to halt contract award, in Federal court March 10. (NASA Release 71-39; WSJ, 3/12/71)
Sen. George McGovern (D-S.D.) introduced, for himself and cosponsors, S. 1191 "to assist workers whose jobs may be terminated by reduction in defense and space spending, to establish a system of benefits to ease the transition of such workers to civilian occupations, to minimize the hardships encountered by communities which are dependent upon defense industry and employment, to encourage cooperation between the United States and defense contractors in meeting the challenge of economic conversion and diversification brought on by changing defense needs, . . and to facilitate the transfer of public and private resources to new national priorities." Bill would require that portion of profits from military, space, and atomic energy contracts be deposited in reserve to be administered by National Commission on Peacetime Transition. Funds would be available to benefit workers who lost income as a result of cutbacks. Bill was referred to Senate Committee on Government Operations. (CR, 3/11/71, 52926-35)
Kansas City Times editorial commented on appointment of Dr. James C. Fletcher as NASA Administrator: Dr. Fletcher had "earned respect at Utah as a master of administrative analysis and detail, a man able to wring the last measure of usefulness out of every available dollar and, at the same time, to command intense loyalty from those who work with him. No qualities are likely to prove of more service to a man responsible for leading the American space program out of its nadir of tight money and flagging morale." (KC Times, 3/11/71)
New York Times commented on orbiting of second Communist Chinese satellite: It had provided "impressive evidence of the advance of Communist China in war-related technology. It hardly needs underlining that a rocket capable of orbiting a sputnik could also deliver a hydrogen bomb to a distant target on earth." It was evident that "Mao Tse-tung has been trying to insulate a small group of scientists and their activity in weapons development from the general turmoil of the cultural revolution as well as from the inadequate supply of practically everything in normal Chinese economic life. That effort has apparently been successful." (NYT, 3/11/71, 38)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 2829 30 31
