May 19 1971
From The Space Library
U.S.S.R. launched Mars 2 probe toward Mars from Baikonur at 9:23 pm local time (12:23 pm EDT). At 10:59 pm Baikonur time (1:59 pm EDT) spacecraft was injected into flight trajectory for Mars from "artificial earth satellite" in terrestrial orbit, according to Tass. Instruments were said to be working normally and flight was said to be close to calculated course. Primary objective of six-month, 470-million-km (292-million-mi) mission, Tass said, was to conduct complex research of Mars and its atmosphere and study characteristics of solar plasma, cosmic rays, and radiation along Mars route. Satellite was scheduled to reach Mars vicinity in November, when planet was 129 million km (80 million mi) from earth. Mars 2 was said to weigh 4650 kg (10 250 lbs) -almost five times weight of 1000-kg (2200-1b) Mariner-I scheduled for launch by NASA toward end of May. Size of Mars 2 had led U.S. space experts to predict that it might attempt Mars orbit. Mars 1, launched Nov. 1, 1962, had failed when radio contact was lost 106 million km (66 million mi) from earth. Zond 2, launched Nov. 30, 1964, had also ended in communication failure. (GSFC SSR, 5/31/71; SBD, 5/21/71, 112; Shabad, NYT, 5/20/71, 1; FBIS-SOV-98-71, 5/20/71, LI; A&A, 1962; 1963; 1964)
U.S.S.R. launched Cosmos 421 from Plesetsk into orbit with 464-km (288.3-mi) apogee, 273-km (169.6-mi) perigee, 91.9-min period, and 70.9° inclination. Satellite reentered Nov. 8. (GSFC SSR, 5/31/71; 11/30/71; SBD, 5/21/71, 119)
Vice President Spiro T. Agnew presented Harmon International Aviator's Trophy for 1970 to Apollo 11 Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., and Michael Collins in Washington, D.C., ceremony. Other recipients were RAF Squadron Leaders Graham Williams and Leslie Lecky-Thompson, first to cross Atlantic nonstop in VTOL aircraft, and Turf Wideroe of Norway, first female airline pilot. (W Post, 5/20/71, A28)
Aerobee 150 sounding rocket was launched by NASA from WSMR carrying MSC experiment to study uv spectra. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily. (SR list)
Vanguard satellite whose launch had been attempted Dec. 6, 1957, was presented to National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, by Dr. John P. Hagen, former director of U.S. IGY satellite program. Spherical payload of Test Vehicle 3 (TV-3), first complete Vanguard launch vehicle with three live stages, had been thrown clear when vehicle exploded on pad. (NASA Hist Off; Vanguard-A History, SP-4202, 1970)
Senate, by unanimous vote of 94, passed H.R. 8190, supplemental FY 1972 appropriations bill that authorized use of $10 million provided in Independent Offices and HUD Appropriations Act, 1971, for improvements to mw/Slidell Computer Complex. Before passage Senate voted 58 to 37 to strike from bill $85.3 million for continued SST development and, by vote of 92 to 3, adopted amendment appropriating $155.8 million for expenses to terminate SST program. Expenses included $58.5 million refund to airlines; $85.3 million refund to Boeing Co., prime airframe contractor, and to General Electric Co., prime engine contractor; and $12 million to cover administrative costs. Earlier, White House Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler had told press Administration had decided after May 18 meeting with Boeing officials that it would cost more to continue with SST development than to terminate program. Boeing had added condition to completion of contract; condition called for development, at $350-million cost, of quieter engine for prototypes. (CR, 5/19/71, S7343-63, S7442-56; Lyons, W Post, 5/20/71, Al; WSJ, 5/21/71, 1)
NASA announced award of $61.6-million, cost-plus-award-fee contract to General Electric Co. for hardware development of Earth Resources Technology Satellite (ERTS) system. Under provisions of award-which definitized July 27, 1970, letter contract-GE would develop two flight spacecraft (ERTS-A and ERTS-B), provide equipment and services needed for GSFC ground data-handling system, and develop spacecraft receiver and six ground platforms for remote-site data- collection-system experiment. (NASA Release 71-89)
Administration officials expected U.S.S.R. to test-fire SS-9 ICBMs within few months, New York Times reported. Two silos were being rebuilt at Baikonur test center in Kazakhstan to same dimensions as larger silos that had been appearing all over western Russia since December. (Beecher, NYT, 5/19/71, 1)
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