May 7 1971
From The Space Library
U.S.S.R. launched eight Cosmos satellites from Plesetsk on one booster. Each satellite was about 0.8 m (2.5 ft) in diameter, 0.9 m (3 ft) long, and weighed 36--45 kg (80-1001bs) . Cosmos 411 entered orbit with 1493-km (927.7-mi) apogee, 1317-km (818.3-mi) perigee, 113.8-min period, and 74° inclination. Others entered following orbits: Cosmos 412, 1536-km (954.4-mi) apogee, 1482-km (920.9-mi) perigee, 116.1-min period, and 74° inclination; Cosmos 413, 1508-km (937-mi) apogee, 1476-km (917.2-mi) perigee, 115.7-min period, and 74° inclination; Cosmos 414, 1495-km (928.9-mi) apogee, 1428-km (887.3-mi) perigee, 1151-min period, and 74° inclination; Cosmos 415, 1501-km (932.7-mi) apogee, 1453-km (902.9-mi) perigee, 115.4-min period, and 74° inclination; Cosmos 416, 1493-km (927.7-mi) apogee, 1373-km (853.1-mi) perigee, 114.4-min period, and 74° inclination; Cosmos 417, 1494-km (928.3-mi) apogee, 1345-km (835.7-mi) perigee, 114.1-min period, and 74° inclination; Cosmos 418, 1494-km (928.3-mi) apogee, 1401-km (870.5-mi) perigee, 114.8-min period, and 74° inclination. (GSFC SSR, 5/31/71; SBD, 5/11/71, 53)
Nonexplosive Sprint missile guided by Safeguard radar system success-fully intercepted Polaris missile warhead over Pacific Ocean during DOD test. DOD spokesman later said Sprint, launched from Kwajalein Missile Range in Pacific, had passed close enough to target fired from USN missile-firing ship U.S.S. Observation Island to have destroyed it if it had been armed with operational nuclear warhead. (UPI, W Post, 5/13/71, A4)
French President Georges Pompidou was passenger aboard Concorde 001, French prototype of Anglo-French supersonic airliner, in 75-min flight from Paris to Toulouse. Aircraft reached twice speed of sound. Later, Concorde 002, British prototype, was forced to turn back after taking off from Toulouse because of faulty landing gear. Aircraft circled for half hour at 600 m (2000 ft) but made perfect landing 38 min after takeoff. (Reuters, B Sun, 5/8/71)
AIA President Karl G. Harr, Jr., told press in Washington, D.C., that aerospace industry employment would decline almost 12% during 1971-much less than the 17 1/2% loss in 1970. "This lends support to our expectations that 1972 will see a reversal of the declining employment trends experienced during the past three years." AIA fore-cast industry's payroll would shrink by year's end to 943 000 persons, first drop below one million since record keeping began in 1959. From 1969 to 1970, industry had been forced to release more than one third of its labor force, AIA survey indicated aircraft industry employment would decline by 67 000 to 506 000; missiles and space by 39 000, to 291 000; and commercial transport aircraft by 14 000, to 76 000. (AP, W Star, 5/7/71, A3)
Wallops Station announced selection of Lockheed Aircraft Service Co. to receive $300 000, cost-plus-award-fee contract for aircraft maintenance and operations at Wallops Station. Contract would cover one year, beginning in July, with two one-year options. (WS Release 71-7)
Library of Congress Congressional Research Service released report, The Soviet SST. Report by John D. Holmfeld summarized progress of Tu-144 from press reports and U.S. and U.K. technical journals. Tu-144 was "clearly an aircraft which is competitive with the Concorde." It had 27.1-m (89-ft) wing span and Concorde's was 25.6 m (84 ft) ; it was 56 m (184 ft) long and Concorde was 62.1 m (204 ft). Tu-144 weighed 149 700 kg (330 000 lbs) ; Concorde weighed 174 600 kg (385 000 lbs). Tu-144 would cruise at 2490 km per hr (1550 mph) at 19 800-m (65 000-ft) altitude; Concorde cruised at 2170 km per hr (1350 mph) at altitude of 18 000 m (60 000 ft) . On New York-London route, Concorde flight time was estimated at 3 hrs and 30 min; Tu-144 probably would require 3 hrs and 10 min. Tu-144 maximum range was estimated to be 6400 km (4000 mi). Tu-144 was powered by four Kuznetsov NK-144 turbofan engines with 127 480-newton (28 660-lb) thrust. Concorde's four Rolls-Royce Olympus engines had 146 000-newton (32 825-lb) thrust. (Text)
May 7-8: Working Group on Philosophy, Science, and Technology met at MIT. NASA Associate Administrator, Dr. Homer E. Newell, reviewed U.S. space program: "It is improper, I believe, to claim the ability to assess at this time the impact of space on human history. Our involvement in space has not been an isolated event, nor even a short term episode, in man's growing awareness of his universe and his built-in drive to dominate it. Space is simply another dimension of human endeavor, of success and failure, of progress and achievement. The reasons that the Space Age began when and how it did could be discussed at length; the fact of the matter is that we stand now well within it, and cannot have the perspective to grasp its full implications. But one can discern numerous impacts, many of which contribute in a variety of ways to our country and to the world. Among these contributions have already been: An uplifting of the human spirit, with an undoubtedly major impact on the human horizon, the scale of man's thought, and his estimate of his own capabilities. The opening of a new frontier. Major advances in technology and in our expectation of technology, The development of practical applications, with the special long range impact of a quantum jump in communications. Substantial contributions to the advancement of science and human knowledge. The exploration of our solar system. "These benefits are worth a substantial investment of the Nation's resources, not to the neglect of other needs of our Nation and humanity, but as part of our investment in the continuing future and strength of our Nation." (Text)
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