Mar 24 1971
From The Space Library
USAF launched unidentified satellite from Vandenberg AFB by Thorad-Agena booster. Orbital parameters: 235-km (146- mi) apogee, 172.2-km (107-mi) perigee, 88.5-min period, and 81.5° inclination. Satellite reentered April 12. (Pres Rpt 72)
Senate voted 51 to 46 to cut off all Federal funding for SST, apparently ending controversial project. House had voted to stop Federal funding March 18. Specific proposal before Senate had been to provide $134 million more for continued work on two SST prototypes for next three months. Sen. William Proxmire (D-W.) said Nixon Administration had requested $235 million for SST development in FY 1972 budget, but he predicted that if White House continued to seek appropriations it would be defeated, Wall Street Journal reported. (CR, 3/24/71, 53818-69; WSJ, 3/25/71)
President Nixon issued statement following Senate disapproval of funds for SST, calling action "a reversal of America's tradition of staying in the vanguard of scientific and technological advance." He said: "It has always been America's pride, and the source of much of our strength, that we have constantly reached out toward new horizons in the search for knowledge - not from a chauvinistic desire to be number one, but from the conviction that we must continue to develop the countless new benefits that flow from exploration of the unknown. Development of the SST has been a part of that proud, creative, and deeply humanistic tradition. Though the Congress has declined to continue helping fund this development, I shall strive to ensure that the tradition is maintained." (PD, 3/29/71, 541)
Boeing Co. Vice President for Industrial Relations Lowell P. Mickelwait said company would lay off about 7000 workers and disband SST pro-gram as result of Senate's rejection of SST financing. Plans were in anticipation of notice of SST program termination from DOT. Of workers to be laid off within seven weeks of notice, 4500 were force working directly on SST production. Others were clerical and office workers. Mickelwait said Seattle- area work force could drop to 26 500 or remain as high as 31 000 after SST program cancellation. Estimate of 29 000 workers was "reasonable." (AP, B Sun, 3/25/71, Al)
NASA announced selection of RCA Corp. to receive $12-million, cost- plus-award-fee contract for Atmosphere Explorer (AE) satellites C, D, and E. Spacecraft would be launched in 1973, 1974, and 1975 to study upper atmosphere between 80 and 240 km (50 to 150 ml). (NASA Release 71 48)
NASA announced availability of computer information packages NASA/ STIMS (Scientific and Technical Information Modular System) and NASA/RECON (Remote Console) from Computer Software Management and Information Center (cosmic), operated by Univ. of Georgia under NASA contract. Packages would enable users to set up on-line information retrieval systems similar to NASA'S. (NASA Release 71)
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