May 16 1973
From The Space Library
The Air Force launched an unidentified satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base by a Titan IIIB-Agena booster into orbit with a 397-km (246.7-mi) apogee, 134-km (83.3-mi) perigee, 89.8-min period, and 110.4ΓΈ inclination. The satellite reentered June 13 (GSFC SSR, 5/31/73; 6/30/73; SBD, 5/18/73, 108)
Sen. Frank E. Moss (D-Utah), Senate Aeronautical and Space Sciences Committee Chairman, urged in a letter to Dr. James C. Fletcher that the NASA Administrator "promptly appoint an investigative board to make a detailed inquiry" into the malfunction of the Skylab 1 Orbital Work-shop-as ground crews at Marshall Space Flight Center studied options for overcoming the loss of the spacecraft's protective shield, torn away during its May 14 launch, and of augmenting its electrical power. (UPI, NYT, 5/17/73; Marshall Star, 6/13/73, 1)
The Department of Defense had furnished NASA photos of the crippled Skylab 1 Orbital Workshop after it was placed in orbit May 14, to help determine the status of the spacecraft, NASA told the press. Aviation Week & Space Technology later reported that Air Force tracking cam-eras in New Mexico had photographed the Workshop. The photos were not released publicly. (NASA PAO; Av Wk, 5/21/73, 12)
Recent problems with the Soviet Salyut spacecraft and with Skylab emphasized "the great difficulties and substantial expense involved in the creation of even a small station in space, let alone the large manned space laboratories many scientists are looking forward to," a New York Times editorial said. "Under these conditions it becomes more evident than ever that the joining together of the Soviet and American programs, expanded into a truly international effort, would benefit everybody. If manned vehicles are to keep earth permanently under surveillance from space orbits, the interests of peace would be best served if those vehicles flew the flag of the United Nations, not of any one country." (NYT, 5/16/73, 46)
The West German newspaper Ludwigshafen Rheinpfalz commented on the difficulties of NASA's Skylab I Workshop, launched May 14: "The trouble of the Skylab experiment is apt to dampen even more enthusiasm of the U.S. public for costly spaceflight experiments. . . . Combatting cancer is the great project which the United States wants to tackle in this decade. The U.S. Government plans to set aside billions for this re-search, whereas space flights will continue only on a small scale. Since the Russians now likewise suffered setbacks in their space projects, this would be justifiable politically." (FBIS-W Germany, 5/18/73, U4)
Appointment of R. Tenney Johnson, Civil Aeronautics Board General Counsel since 1970, as NASA's General Counsel effective May 21, was announced by NASA. He would replace Spencer M. Beresford, who had resigned to become counsel to the House Select Committee on Commit-tees. (NASA Release 73-101)
NASA and the Univ. of Southern California sponsored a Patent Licensing Conference at the Western Research Application Center at use to aid manufacturers in using NASA-developed technology to produce new commercial products. (NASA Release 73-95)
The Aerospace Industries Assn. of America, Inc., released Monopsony: A Fundamental Problem in Government Procurement. The report, prepared by the Orkand Corp., said the problems of a monopsony-a market dominated by a single buyer-were no longer restricted to defense and space suppliers as Government agencies took increasingly active roles in mass transit, education, health, and environmental protection. Results of Government monopsony power were higher final costs and lowered or nonexistent profits that compounded industry's difficulty in attracting capital. In the end, "what is in jeopardy is not one or two industries but rather our capability, as a nation, to undertake programs in which the resources of government and industry must he committed to the development and implementation of solutions to society's problems. The study recommended: establishment of a Government Procurement Practices Board (GPPB) to limit governmental monopsony power; a continuing review by GPPB of procurement policies, regulations, and practices; a "free market test" criterion to govern the procurement process; and formulation by GPPB of procurement principles that could be submitted to Congress and enacted into law. (Text)
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