May 8 1973
From The Space Library
An earthlike atmosphere, 70/0 oxygen and 30% nitrogen, would be used for the first time in a U.S. manned spacecraft on the Skylab mission, Marshall Space Flight Center announced. Pure oxygen had been an acceptable atmosphere for relatively short U.S. flights, but long-term breathing of pure oxygen might cause the red blood cells to become fragile. Three tons of breathing oxygen and three fourths ton of nitrogen would be launched aboard Skylab and combined into atmospheric distribution, circulation, and control systems at a nominal pressure of 3.45 newtons per sq cm (5 psia). (MSFC Release 73- 7)
The crew of Skylab 2-Charles Conrad, Jr., Dr. Joseph P. Kerwin, and Paul J. Weitz-participated in a simulated launch-to-rendezvous training session at Johnson Space Center. (AP, B Sun, 5/9/73, A10)
Lunokhod 2, the U.S.S.R. automatic vehicle landed on the moon Jan. 16 by Luna 21 (launched Jan. 8), began its fifth lunar day. The panel of the solar battery was opened and the onboard systems checked. The vehicle left the large tectonic fracture explored the previous lunar day and started northeastward toward the shore cusp of the Taurus Massif to continue exploration of the Le Monnier Crater. Lunokhod's Rifma radiation analyzer was sending data on the solar x-ray spectra and making comprehensive readings of a broad band of solar radiation. (Tass, FBIS-SOV, 5/11/73, L1; Av Wk, 5/21/73, 20)
Award of a 12-mo, $234 788, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to General Electric Co.'s Valley Forge Space Center to study future earth resources systems was announced by NASA. GE analysts would assist Johnson Space Center's Earth Resources Program Office in planning projects to be started at the decade's end. Guidelines would include unique space shuttle contributions to earth resources surveying. The study would focus on hardware and procedures to be developed for use from 1978 to 1982. (NASA Release 73-94)
Completion of nine test flights in the Air Force Systems Command Flight Dynamics Laboratory's control-configured vehicle (CCV) program to produce a superstable aircraft was announced by AFSC. The flights, to validate the Laboratory's active-ride-control system design, were completed under part of a $4.1-million contract with Boeing Co. A second series of flights was expected to end in October. Tentative plans called for tests on fighter aircraft later. (AFSC Release 051.73)
U.S. and U.S.S.R. delegates met in Vienna to continue Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT). (Tass, FBIS-Sov, 5/9/73, Hl)
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