May 10 1971
From The Space Library
Dr. James C. Fletcher held first press conference as NASA Administrator. In response to questions Dr. Fletcher said strength of U.S. depended critically on development of new technology. "And this means new technology of all kinds--electronics, computers, materials, as well as military technology. And I think that's . . . why NASA . . . programs should be vigorously pursued." NASA had studied possibility of second Skylab and "many other manned missions in space, most of them some-what cheaper than the second Skylab; and we intend to look at these very carefully to see what programs, if any, made sense after ... the first Skylab is flown." Dr. Fletcher thought NASA STOL experimental aircraft program was "long overdue." Asked his personal plans for NASA, Dr. Fletcher said, "I can't say that I want to go in a new direction from the way NASA has been going, except maybe up instead of down." He was interested in international cooperation in space and "whole business of commercial use of the things that NASA has been developing," including "strides in the applications satellites area." He was "great supporter of the shuttle," and had been "for many years before coming to NASA." With development of shuttle, or "a cheap transfer system to orbit .. it'll open up all kinds of new things you can do in space. Since the costs will be much less-the costs per launch will be so much less. That is, all kinds of new applications, all kinds of new science programs, new manned, near-earth programs, almost anything you can think of can be done much cheaper once you have the shuttle developed." With sufficient. funds, NASA would probably pursue space station. "But in my judgment, if you have to decide between the shuttle and the space station, you pick the shuttle first because you have to have that for the second." (Transcript)
U.S.S.R. launched Cosmos 419 from Baikonur into orbit with 340-km (211.3-mi) apogee, 203-km (126.1-mi) perigee, 87.5-min period, and 51.5° inclination. Satellite reentered May 12. (SBD, 5/18/71, 88; GSFC SSR, 5/31/71)
NASA announced signing of contract with Telesat Canada under which NASA would launch two Telesat satellites for Canadian Domestic Communications System. Telesat's Anik (Eskimo for "brother") satellites would each provide 12 RF channels-l0 for commercial use and two in reserve. Each RF channel would be capable of carrying one color TV channel or up to 960 voice channels. System would be first operational comsat system established entirely for domestic communications. Two satellites would be launched from resc, one in late 1972 or early 1973 and one six months later. Telesat would reimburse NASA for Thor-Delta booster and launch services and would have options for additional launches as required. (NASA Release 71-85)
LRV qualification test unit, replica of flight LRVs, was delivered to MSFC by Boeing Co., prime LRV contractor. Second flight model LRV, scheduled for use on January 1972 Apollo 16 mission, would be turned over to NASA May 12 and stored at Boeing's Kent, Washington, Space Center until after Apollo 15 mission in July 1971. (MSFC Release 71-80)
MSFC announced new projects in research program on application of remote sensing techniques. Land-use survey of five north Alabama counties would photograph area from air with remote sensing camera to study how land was being used. Results would be used by Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments. In "ground truth survey" with Alabama A&M Univ., MSFC would supplement aerial photography; university personnel would make sample ground study to correlate remote sensing information. (MSFC Release 71-79)
Experiments by airlines to fill "growing gap in transportation for small isolated communities" caused by rising operating costs of larger air-craft, loss of train service, and steady population drop were described in New York Times. Frontier Airlines was using 15- passenger Beech-craft 99s to serve seven communities in rural Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota. Trans-Texas International Airlines was using Beechcraft on some routes and planned to evaluate other small aircraft as replacement for full sized airliners, and Allegheny Airlines had turned over its service in 16 cities to nine small air taxi lines, some of which used Beechcraft 99s. More than 50 small towns had lost regularly scheduled air service in past five years. Growing number of independent air taxi commuter airlines using 10- to 20-passenger aircraft were gaining economic stability, improving safety records, and carrying increasing number of passengers over short routes that regular airlines did not want. (Lindsey, NYT, 5/10/71, 29)
May 10-14: International Solar Energy Society held conference at GSFC. In keynote speech Dr. Manfred Altman, Univ. of Pennsylvania nuclear engineer, said there was "great need" for U.S. and other countries to develop energy sources "for which they will not have to compete," There was "total absence of air and water pollution" in use of solar energy. "We are facing an uncertain future as far as energy resources and energy converters are concerned. One thing which we have learned .. in the aerospace industry is that one cannot make choices among alternatives unless they are all roughly at the same stage of development. Let us make sure that solar energy is brought up to the level of the other contenders-lest we make poor choices later on. Solar energy is not just a dream-if we will it-it can play a major, beneficial role in our lifetime." (CR, 6/4/71, S8262)
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