Nov 20 1969
From The Space Library
U.S. newspaper editorials commented on Apollo 12 landing on moon: Washington Post: "The sheer joy of these two astronauts . . . shines out over everything else. They are obviously moon-struck. Conrad sounded like the most eager and happiest young geology student in the universe as he hummed and laughed his way from rock to rock, grabbing one after the other and complaining that he couldn't get enough. And who would have thought that one of these highly skilled men would resort, as Bean did, to honking the television camera with a hammer in an effort to make it work? Unfortunately, the failure of the camera did deprive us of seeing this frolic. . . . There was much to be learned from it about the moon and about the men who combine such cool technical competence with such zest for a serious and dangerous job." (W Post, 11/20/69)
Detroit News: "To travel 230,000 miles and hit the target on the button is almost unbelievable except that NASA, its crews and its machines are making believers of us all. But there's a lesson to be taken to heart in the camera's freak failure. Conrad and Bean tried to remedy the defect. . . . But they had to drop that to get on with more essential scientific exploratory experiments. Conrad's oxygen limit was four hours. He hadn't time to spare. . . . that should be warning to those euphoric advocates of setting a target date for a trip to Mars. An astronaut limited to four hours work on the moon is a reminder of the vast project ahead in confounding the elements in this untapped lunar mystery. Prophecies of colonizing the moon should be set against that four-hour limit, even though we no doubt will improve on it." (D News, 11/20/69)
Atlanta Constitution: "This second landing, more than 900 miles from where the pioneers of Apollo 11 put down last July, notably extends our knowledge. New landing techniques, a longer lunar stay, nuclear-powered experiments-they all serve to push back a fantastic frontier which only a few short years ago was regarded as a most implausible province of man." (Atlanta Constitution, 11/20/69)
Houston Chronicle: "Our admiration for the coolness and the skill of astronauts Conrad, Bean and Richard F. Gordon, Jr.-the latter still in lonely orbit around the Moon-is boundless. The astronauts continue to perform, one mission after the other, in story-book perfection. We marvel, too, at the ability of the technicians on the ground to quickly respond to unexpected eventualities, like the electrical difficulty just after the launch, and to enable the mission to proceed unimpaired. These achievements inspire all men. They lift our sights for the future." (H Chron, 11/20/69, 2 Sec, 5)
Birmingham News: "The flight has been so predictably on schedule that its very success is certain to help push moon travel back into the ho-hum recesses of blase mankind's mind, as each success in the Mercury and Gemini and early Apollo series made earth orbital spaceflight seem routine." (B News, 11/20/69)
Apollo 8 Astronaut Frank Borman received gold medal for "distinguished service to humanity" from National Institute of Social Sciences in New York. Institute President Frank Pace, Jr." said, "The great scientific adventure in which you extend the reach of man cannot equal for us the moments in which you expanded the human spirit." Borman replied, "The awesome power of today's technology undoubtedly terrifies many social scientists. But far from subjugating man, I think this technology, if properly applied, is the only chance to preserve the dignity of human life. (AP, W Star, 11/21/69, A2)
Second largest lunar sample shown to public to date-67.7-gm moon rock-went on display at USIA "Education-U.S.A." exhibit at Sekoniki Park in Moscow. One of 14 moon rocks thus far released by NASA for publicity tours, rock later would travel with USIA exhibit to Tashkent, Baku, and Novosibirsk, where it would become first U.S. exhibit ever shown in Siberia. Other moon rocks had been scheduled for showing at 30 U.S. museums. Largest lunar sample-Smithsonian Institution's 478.8-gm rock-was expected to be only permanent display. NASA also had approved display of samples entrusted to U.S. scientists who wished to show them in their home towns. (Lardner, W Post, 11/24/69, Al; USIA PIO)
In NASA-funded project U.S. Bureau of Mines was seeking way to get water and air from lunar rocks, build underground lunar shelters like mines, weld and melt lunar materials, and mine planets like Mars and Venus which might bear substances more valuable than those on moon, Associated Press said. First lunar mining would occur during Apollo 13 mission in March . Astronaut would bore 10-ft hole in lunar crust to determine what lay beneath and to test drill designed for NASA by Martin Corp. Scientists at U.S. Bureau of Mines research center in Bruceton, Pa." and at six other locations had been studying since 1965 possible use of lunar materials to build and support manned lunar station. Project Director Thomas C. H. Hutchinson had said, "Even if we found pure platinum on the moon, it would cost too much to bring it back." Goal was to establish manufacturing processes on moon to speed exploration of planets. (AP, W Post, 11/20/69, A78)
Cosmonaut Konstantin P. Feoktistov said in Pravda: "The Americans have not been entirely rational in adapting aviation control panels to the needs for space flight. The control system of the Soyuz ship, for example, seems to me to be simpler, more logical and therefore more perfect." Feoktistov, who toured U.S. Oct. 20 to Nov. 4, congratulated his new acquaintances in U.S. on Apollo 12 lunar landing and wished them "complete success." (AP, W Star, 11/20/69, A6)
Moon "loomed large in Chinese tradition," but 700 million people of Communist China had not been told of Apollo 12 lunar landing, Christian Science Monitor said. Though "elite hierarchy in Peking . . . learned of Intrepid's touchdown as fast as the Soviets," story of Apollo 12 had not passed beyond select group of leaders. "Indeed the Chinese people have yet to be told by their government-controlled press and radio of the flight of Apollo 11. . . ." Some might hear of flight from foreign radio broadcast, but many were jammed by Peking. VOA report to Hong Kong on Intrepid's lunar landing had been "curiously overlaid with martial music from a Chinese Communist radio station on the mainland." (Hughes, CSM, 11/20/69)
Washington Daily News reported song called "The Wondrous Telephone," by Thomas P. Westendorf, had been published in 1877 with cover showing group of men talking by telephone to man in the moon. (W News, 11/20/69, 52)
Apollo 11 CM was being readied at North American Rockwell plant in Downey, Calif." for tour of 50 state capitals and final resting place at Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C." Associated Press reported. NASA was sponsoring tour. (CSM, 11/20/69)
North American Rockwell Corp. announced plans to develop for NASA flying lunar excursion experimental platform (FLEEP)-one-man, jet-propelled craft with adjustable hand controls-to transport astronauts across lunar surface. (AP, NYT, 11/22/69, 38)
Use of space technology in "complete and systematic rehabilitation" of Washington, D.C." was proposed by RCA president Robert W. Sarnoff in speech before Fourth Annual Computer Age Conference of National Industrial Conference Board in New York City. "A comprehensive systems effort to revitalize the city and its environs should invoke a nationwide response . . . as broad and enthusiastic as that inspired by the Apollo moon landing." (Text)
MSFC announced award of $8-million letter contract to McDonnell Douglas Corp. for two sets of structural components for Saturn V 3rd stage (S-IVB ) for Saturn V manned orbital workshop. Work would be completed by January 1972. (MSFC Release 69-249)
Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe announced award of $279,032 contract to Control Data Corp. Melville Space and Defense Systems Div. for 22-mo study of pilot warning instrument (PWI) systems that would improve pilots, ability to detect other aircraft in flight. (FAA Release 69-126)
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