Mar 13 1972
From The Space Library
Two press briefings were held at NASA Hq., Apollo 16 Mission Director's press briefing and press conference on medical aspects of Apollo 15 and 16. In first, press was told hypergolic loading of propellants had begun and countdown demonstration test with fueled spacecraft would begin March 29. MSC was continuing simulations, and prime recovery ship would leave San Diego March 23 and Pearl Harbor April 8 to take position. Launch preparations were proceeding on schedule toward liftoff at 12:45 pm EST April 16. Apollo Mission Director Chester M. Lee said one purpose of microbial ecology evaluation device (MEED; experiment to carry fungi and bacteria) on Apollo 16 was to prepare for future Skylab missions. In Skylab "we are going to have some EVAS and some of these bacteria, fungi, are on the suit before they go out. So the idea is to find out is there anything when we bring those suits back in and stow them for long periods of time like we are going to have on Skylab, do we have anything that we should be considering or concerned about as far as mutants and so forth." Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) Rover had been improved with new seatbelts that could be hung up out of way when not in use and with extra circuit breaker to permit deployment of TV after third extra- vehicular activity period. LRV would not cover as much distance on Apollo 16 as on Apollo 15. "We are planning 25.2 kilometers [15.7 miles] because that gets us to our primary objectives," not including 10% wander factor for missing craters. (Transcript)
In second briefing, Dr. Charles A. Berry, NASA Director of Life Sciences, explained medical problems and procedures on Apollo 15 and changes for Apollo 16. Major concerns on Apollo 15 were cardiac arrhythmia-irregular heart rhythm-and fluid-electrolyte imbalance, with severe loss of potassium. Cardiac arrhythmia occurred occasionally in normal persons and frequently in college students, apparently as a result of fatigue from all-night studying, adrenalin increase from apprehension about grades, drug effect from drinking coffee to stay awake, and heavy workload. Fatigue, adrenalin increase, drug effect, and heavy workload also acted on astronauts. Fluid-electrolyte imbalance was dependent upon intake in food and drink and output in breath, sweat, and body wastes. In space, balance was affected by weightlessness, acceleration, 100%-oxygen atmosphere, abnormal work-rest cycle, and sustained work loads. Countermeasures that could be taken were better control of intake, supplementing electrolytes with intravenous fluids, coordinating exercise, providing lower body negative pressure, and optimizing work-rest cycles.
Medical objectives for Apollo 16 were essentially same as for Apollo 15: to ensure crew safety medically, to improve probability of mission success by providing necessary medical information, and to detect and understand changes incident to space flight and learn more about effects of space flight on man. To improve medical well-being of Apollo 16 astronauts, 72-hr preflight controlled-diet period would determine amount of potassium needed by each crew member. Since potassium could not be preloaded, small amounts of extra potassium would be given in daily diet in flight to ensure adequacy. In addition to regular preflight cardiovascular examination, x-rays of astronauts' hearts would be taken before and after mission to determine whether heart size decreased during flight. Skylab equipment would be used in flight for electroencephalogram, electrocardiogram, and electro-oculogram. Other inflight medical changes were daily sample of improved electrocardiogram data, option to alter bioharness wearing schedule, expansion of crew status report, high-potassium diets with potassium- enriched beverages and snack supplements, measurement of food and fluid intake and urine and fecal output, return to earth of urine and fecal samples for analysis, and provision of anti-arrhythmic drugs lidocaine, procainamide, and atropine. Dr. Berry also announced that Astronaut Donald K. Slayton, who had been removed from Aurora 7 mission (May 24, 1962) and NASA flight status 10 yrs ago because of possible heart malfunction, had been returned to NASA and Federal Aviation Administration flight status. Evidence of atrial fibrillation found in 1959 and treated until 1969 had disappeared and tests completed recently had shown "perfectly normal cardiac function and cardiac anatomy." First space flight for which Slayton could be eligible would be proposed joint mission with U.S.S.R. (Transcript)
U.S. Dept.' of Commerce issued permanent export license to RCA Global Communications, Inc., authorizing sale of earth station installed at Shanghai Airport in People's Republic of China to cover President Nixon's February visit. Transaction was first direct export sale from U.S, to PRC since trade relations were liberalized. (RCA Release 3/15/72)
Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey (D-Minn,) , campaigning for Presidential nomination, told street crowd in Titusville, Fla., that U.S. should be first in space and science. "We can't afford to have the Soviet Union first in space." Later, rival Democratic candidate Sen. Henry M. Jackson (D-Wash.) told Orlando, Fla., crowd that Humphrey had never been recorded on space shuttle issue "until he entered the Florida primary." (C Trib, 3/14/72)
March 13-14: American Astronautical Society (AAS) sponsored 1972 Goddard Symposium, "Transfer of Space Technology to Community and Industrial Activities," in Washington, D.C. Dr. Wernher von Braun, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Planning, in keynote address stressed importance of high technology development to U.S. standard of living. He compared favorable balance of trade in high-technology aerospace products with unfavorable balance in low-technology products. Annual U.S. exports in aerospace products were valued at $3.6 billion over imports; computers, $1.1 billion; and machinery, $1 billion. Motor vehicle imports were $3.3 billion over exports, clothing and textiles, $1.9 billion, and iron and steel, $1.9 billion. (NASA Release 72- 56)
National Space Club awards were presented at Goddard Memorial Dinner at Space Club on evening of March 14. Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy, NSC's highest award, was presented to Sen. Clinton P. Anderson (D-N. Mex.), Chairman of Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences, by former NASA Administrator James E. Webb. Citation read: "His deep knowledge of the space program and his effective leadership in the Senate and the Nation have been invaluable in fostering Congressional under-standing of and support for this program. The benefits to mankind from the U.S. space program flow in large measure from the dedicated efforts of this great American." Astronautics Engineer Award was presented to Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer Dan Schneiderman.
Citation read: "For his management of the Mariner Venus '67 and Mariner Mars '71 missions. His perception, decisiveness, and inspiration have made it possible for man to place a measuring device in orbit around another planet for the first time in the history of the world." Hugh L. Dryden Memorial Fellowship was presented to C. Thomas Snyder of Ames Research Center "so that he may continue to seek and maintain pre-eminence in outer space for the United States." Robert H. Goddard Historical Essay Award for 1971 competition was given Alen B. Christman of Naval Weapons Center for "Robert H. Goddard and the Military." National Space Club Press Award was presented to Howard Benedict of Associated Press for "giving the public authoritative yet highly readable chronicles of the unfolding Space Age." Nelson P. Jackson Aerospace Award was presented to Boeing Co. by Apollo 15 Astronaut David R. Scott. Citation read: "In recognition of great mobility provided by the ingenious Lunar Roving Vehicle. . Exploration of the moon by the Apollo 15 crew, its cameras, and its equipment, covering 28 kilometers [17.3 miles] over the rough terrain, was made possible by this masterful 500-pound [227-kilogram] stowable vehicle." (Program)
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