Nov 2 1972
From The Space Library
American Astronautical Society presented its 1971 awards and honored newly elected fellows at Washington, D.C., luncheon. Flight Achievement Award was presented to Apollo 14 Astronauts Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Stuart A. Roosa, and Edgar B. Mitchell for "achievements in flight testing which have contributed significantly to the advancement of manned space flight." Lloyd V. Berkner Award was presented to Willard F. Rockwell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of North American Rockwell Corp., for "outstanding contributions to the commercial utilization of space technology." Space Flight Award went to Joseph G. Gavin, Jr., Grumman Aerospace Corp. President, for "outstanding efforts and achievements which have contributed significantly to the advancement of space flight and space science." Victor A. Prather Award was presented jointly to Robert E. Breeding of United Aircraft Corp. Space Systems Dept. and Leonard F. Shepard of ILC Industries, Inc., for "outstanding contributions in ... extra-vehicular protection in space." Randolph Lovelace II Award went to Dr. Maxime A. Faget, Manned Spacecraft Center Director of Engineering and Development, for "outstanding contributions in space technology." Melbourne W. Boynton Award for "significant research contributions to space flight safety" was presented to Dr. Willard R. Hawkins, Deputy Director for Medical Operations at MSC, and Dr. Harald J. von Beckh, Naval Air Development Center Director for Medical Research. Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, and Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan were among newly elected Fellows. (A&s Release)
British Interplanetary Society statement expressing urgent need for United Kingdom space authority was forwarded by BIS to British Prime Minister. Space responsibilities in U.K. traditionally had been divided among several ministries. "There is not a British space programme as such, but only an assemblage of user projects co-ordinated by some undisclosed Cabinet machinery, which does not lead to any publicly discernible positive line of policy in relation to space as a whole." Statement urged immediate establishment of U.K. National Space Authority to plan and coordinate scientific, commercial, and social aspects of space development and act as liaison point with government departments responsible for telecommunications, meteorology, environment, aeronautics, marine affairs, and education and with international agencies. (Text)
Boosted Arcas I launched by NASA from Churchill Research Range carried Univ. of Houston payload to 57-km (35.4-mi) altitude. Primary objective was to supplement comprehensive investigation of auroral zone disturbances conducted by Black Brant carrying Univ. of Texas payload and launched 60 sec later. Secondary objective was to study auroral phenomena in region above altitude already investigated, using balloons, and below altitude investigated, using rockets. Rocket and instrumentation performed nominally although one of two telemetry receivers provided marginal response. Recovery could not be effected because winds blew payload over Hudson Bay. NASA Black Brant, launched from Churchill Research Range 60 sec after Boosted Arcas, reached 240-km (149.1-mi) altitude. Primary objective of Univ. of Texas payload was to provide complete data on auroral precipitation events, analyze particle spectrum over wide energy range and observe spectrum in and above aurora, and observe optical emissions and ionospheric parameters. Rocket performed nominally but only one of nine experiments was successful because of faulty nosecone ejection mechanism. Nosecone did not deploy until descent portion of trajectory. Payload was recovered. (NASA Rpt SRL, NASA proj off)
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