May 12 1975
From The Space Library
The Senate passed by voice vote H.R. 4700, the NASA Authorization Bill for FY 1976 and the transition quarter. Reported out of the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences 5 May, the Senate version of the bill authorized $3.545 billion for NASA in FY 1976, an increase of $5.7 million over the original request, and $930 million for the transition period 1 July 1976 to 30 Sept. 1976, a decrease of $29 000 million from the request. (CR, 12 May 75, S7890-96)
Soviet officials gave western newsmen their first glimpse of a Soviet space center during a tour of the main Soviet flight-control center 24 km from Moscow. The Washington Post reported that the group led by the center's technical director, Dr. Alberty V. Militsin, toured a 5-yrold six-story brick and sandstone building acknowledged by Dr. Militsin to be one of several space facilities near Moscow. The operations room, which was similar to the control room at Johnson Space Center, contained five rows of consoles, each with telephones and closed-circuit TV screens. Mission Control Director Aleksey S. Yeliseyev told the newsmen that the consoles were staffed during missions by from 15 to 24 officials and technicians. An illuminated world map on the wall showed tracking, stations and the orbital paths of spacecraft. Electronic screens flashed flight information. Other support consoles, communications systems, and computers were located elsewhere in the building.
Dr. Militsin said that the center had contact with Soyuz spacecraft in each orbit for 5 to 25 min, depending on the orbit.
The newsmen also visited the three-room suite near the main operations room assigned to nine U.S. technicians for the July Apollo Soyuz Test Project. (Osnos, W Post, 13 May 75, A10)
Rockwell International Corp. Space Div. announced the award of an estimated $1 million subcontract to the United Technologies Corp. Hamilton Standard Div. to build the flash evaporator subsystem, a part of the Space Shuttle Orbiter's environmental control and life support system. The evaporator would use excess heat generated by Orbiter subsystems to turn water from the spacecraft's three power producing fuel cells into steam vented into space, handling as much as 60 kg of water per hr. (United Aircraft became UTC in May.)
Rockwell held the prime contract with NASA to build the Orbiter and integrate the complete Space Shuttle system. The evaporator subsystem contract was the third of three contracts totaling more than $27 million awarded to Hamilton. Under previously awarded subcontracts, Hamilton was also developing the Orbiter's atmospheric revitalization subsystem, Freon coolant loop, water boiler hydraulic thermal-control unit, and ground-support equipment hydraulic cart. (Rockwell Int'l Space Div Release SP-17)
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