May 25 1973
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
Skylab 2 was launched from Kennedy Space Center Complex 39, Pad A, on a two-stage Saturn IB launch vehicle to carry Astronauts Charles Conrad, Jr., Dr. Joseph P. Kerwin, and Paul J. Weitz to join the Skylab 1 Orbital Workshop for repairs and a 28-day mission [see May 14-June 22 Skylab 1-2 mission]. (NASA prog off)
The U.S.S.R. launched Cosmos 561 from Plesetsk into orbit with a 290-km (180.2-mi) apogee, 205-km (127.4-mi) perigee, 89.4-min period, and 65.4° inclination. The satellite reentered June 6. (GSFC SSR, 5/31/73, 6/30/73; SBD, 5/30/73, 162)
A New York Times editorial commented on the manned Skylab 2 launch: "The possibility of repairing a damaged spaceship, now brought to the fore by the last two weeks' developments, points up one of the advantages of man's presence in space. If something goes awry with an unmanned spaceship, and there are no arrangements for bringing repair men to it, it is more probable than not that little can be done to save the mission. Now the world is faced with a major effort to overcome unexpected difficulties by assigning additional duties to the astronauts originally involved. The success or failure of these repair efforts in the period immediately ahead will provide important evidence for the future debates between the advocates of manned and unmanned efforts to explore space." (NYT, 5/25/73, 32)
Approval by both countries of results of the Feb. 12-17 Moscow meeting of the U.S. U.S.S.R. Joint Working Group on the Natural Environment was announced by NASA. NASA and the Soviet Academy of Sciences had agreed to a cooperative project for detecting features linked to changes in structure of the earth's crust, for recognizing them on space images to develop a classification system, and for studying the relationship be-tween the space imagery features and previously known subsurface geologic structures. The Group identified as a possible project development of remote-sensing methodology to determine vegetation productivity and agreed to develop a plan for a joint project to measure soil moisture content using microwave techniques. The U.S. would study a Soviet proposal to coordinate satellite water-temperature measurements with surface measurements obtained by a Soviet ship and to compare temperature, plankton, and color measurements by Soviet ships with U.S. satellite observations. The U.S.S.R. would study U.S. proposals to test a hydrological simulation model using remote-sensing data and environmental factors to infer the presence of shallow aquifers-areas of water underground and close to the surface. (NASA Release 73-106)
Neutron-activation analysis of 27 Apollo 16 lunar samples for 17 trace elements was reported in Science by Enrico Fermi Institute chemists. Several breccias had been found to be strikingly rich in volatile elements. Similar enrichments had been found in smaller quantities in all lunar highland soils. "It appears that volcanic processes took place in the lunar highlands, involving the release of volatiles, including water." Measurements suggested that the moon's original water content could not have exceeded the equivalent of a layer 22 m (72 ft) deep. "The cataclastic anorthosites at the Apollo 16 site may represent deep ejecta from the Nectaris basin." (Krahenbuhl et al., Science, 5/25/73, 858-61)
NASA launched an Aerobee 170 sounding rocket from White Sands Missile Range carrying a Princeton Univ. galactic astronomy payload to a 178,0-km (110.6-mi) altitude. The primary objective was to observe stellar ultraviolet spectra using an Echelle spectrograph and a TV camera. The rocket and instrumentation performed satisfactorily. (GSFC proj off)
Establishment of the impact origin of Lonar Crater in Maharashtra, India, at less than 50 000 yrs ago was reported in Science by a team of U.S. and Indian geologists. Fission-track dating of shock-melted glass had also shown the preservation state to be in accord with such comparative youthfulness. As the only known terrestrial impact crater in basalt, Lonar Crater provided unique opportunities for comparison with lunar craters. Microbreccias and glass spherules from Lonar Crater had close analogs among Apollo lunar specimens. (Frederiksson et al., Science, 5/25/73, 862-4)
Installation of 150 additional Minuteman III multiple-warhead missiles at Grand Forks, N. Dak., had brought the Air Force more than halfway toward completion of its 550-missile program, the Air Force announced. (UPI, LA Times, 5/26/73)
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