May 8 1971
From The Space Library
Mariner 8 (Mariner-H) Mars probe, launched by NASA from ETR, Launch Complex 36, Pad A, at 9:11 pm EDT, failed to enter orbit when Centaur stage of Atlas-Centaur booster malfunctioned after normal countdown and liftoff. Anomalies began to appear with Centaur main engine start. Centaur stage oscillated in pitch in diverging manner and subsequently tumbled out of control, engines shut down from starvation caused by tumbling, and Centaur and spacecraft separated and reentered earth's atmosphere approximately 1500 km (900 mi) down range and 400 km (250 mi) north of Puerto Rico. Failure investigation team composed of LeRC, General Dynamics Convair Div., KSC, and JPL personnel had been established to deter-mine cause of failure and recommend corrective action required before launching Mariner-I. (NASA Proj Off)
Interview with Tu-144 designer, Academician Aleksey N. Tupolev, was published in Pravda. Asked to comment on report Tu-144 would go into commercial service before Concorde Anglo-French supersonic airliner, Tupolev said: "In accordance with world standards, a new plane must fly several million kilometers before it is granted a ladder for the boarding of the first passengers. Many stages of development and testing are already behind the TU-144. And things here are good absolutely according to the program." (Fms-Sov-71-97, 5/17/71, L13)
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