Mar 23 1972
From The Space Library
House Committee on Science and Astronautics unanimously approved H.R. 14070, $3.429-billion FY 1973 NASA authorization bill, $50 million above NASA budget request of $3.379 billion. Bill, reported to House April 11, allocated $2.651 billion for research and development (R&D), $77.3 million for construction of facilities, and $700.8 million for research and program management. NASA budget request of $163.4 million for aeronautical research and technology was increased $48.5 million to $211.9 million. In House report, Committee scored previous cut in funding for aeronautics and recommended increase to support 1971 Civil Aviation Research and Development (CARD) Policy Study of NASA and Dept. of Transportation by expediting solution of "major problems in aviation today: noise pollution and safety." Bill allocated $41 million of the increase (for $50-million total) toward R&D to retrofit civil aviation fleet with noise reduction modifications and $7.5-million increase (for $24.7-million total) for aviation safety. Of safety funds, $3.8 million was for technology to modify civil aircraft to use Federal Aviation Administration's new microwave landing system by 1978, $700 000 for turbulence research, and $3 million for research on aircraft collision avoidance. Bill increased NASA budget request for technology utilization from $4 million to $5.5 million. Of increase, $1.2 million was to be spent in applying NASA technology to problems in urban structures, fire safety, transportation systems, and energy conversion and $300 000 for applications engineering products and patent licensing. Committee deleted $4 million from $59.6-million NASA request for High Energy Astronomy Observatory (HEAD) and restored $4 million deleted by Office of Management and Budget for Earth Observation Satellite (EOS), follow-on development to Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS). Committee said it was expressing concern that NASA placed "higher priority upon certain expensive scientific projects .. . than it does upon space applications project which Congress considers most important." Committee considered level of funding for space applications "inadequate" and urged "a substantial increase in the budget for fiscal year 1974." (H Rpt 92-926; Com Off)
Dr. John S. Foster, Jr., Director of Defense Research and Engineering in Dept. of Defense, testified before Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences on DOD coordination with NASA on space shuttle development during hearings on NASA FY 1973 authorization: "I firmly believe that the U.S. must retain a strong national commitment to scientific and technological progress. The NASA space program is a vital element of this overall effort." In space area, DOD was "becoming increasingly dependent on space systems, particularly in . . . communications. Other agencies and the public are becoming increasingly dependent on the use of space for communications, weather forecasting, and natural resource exploration. The Department of Defense supports the NASA space shuttle as an important part of the President's program, which will lead to a greater and more effective use of the space environment in the future." Dr. Foster discussed Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) for military needs not satisfied economically and reliably by more traditional communications systems. First DSCS, currently operational, employed "simple, low-power satellites and ground terminals originally designed for experimental and test programs. To replace the existing satellites ... we are deploying new DSCS satellites that have roughly 10 times the communications capability. . We are also developing improved terminals which will supplement the existing DSCS terminal complex." (Transcript)
Collection of sketches and notes on rockets and spacecraft and original manuscript on astronomy by Dr. Wernher von Braun, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Planning, were placed on permanent exhibition at Alabama Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. Display opening coincided with rocket pioneer's 60th birthday, (Birmingham Post-Herald, 3/24/72)
New York Times editorial commented on March 19 visit of its science writer John N. Wilford to U.S.S.R.'s Star City, home of cosmonauts. Visit "implied a major change in Soviet policy toward space cooperation. No Western journalist had previously been permitted inside this key center of Soviet manned space activities" Wilford's report had suggested U.S.S.R. might be willing to explore moon jointly with U.S. "If so, the idea catches the United States at an embarrassing point in development of its space program. After the scheduled flights of Apollos 16 and 17 ... this country plans to focus most of its future activity in space on earth-orbiting space stations and development of a space shuttle." (NYT, 3/23/72)
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