Oct 31 1969
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
NAS-NRC Space Science Board published Lunar Exploration: Strategy for Research 1969-1975. Best use of manned lunar-landing capability in lunar exploration would entail shift of emphasis from technological development to exploitation of existing Apollo technology for scientific objectives. Board recommended: immediately focusing lunar program on optimizing returns on investment already made in Apollo through maximum use of existing Apollo technology; giving priority to current Apollo lunar-exploration phase should choice be necessary in early 1970s between funding major new manned exploration technology and funding extensions of Apollo lunar technology; periodic reevaluation of NASA's proposed lunar landing sites; earliest possible extensions of Apollo technology to increase scientific returns and increasing interval up to six months between missions to allow incorporation of improvements; early provision of roving vehicle to transport astronauts at least 3.1-6.2 mi (5-10 km) from LM ; inclusion in Apollo 16 to 20 time frame, in high-inclination orbit, of experiments in gravimetry by satellite-to-satellite tracking technique, altimetry, magnetometry, x-ray and gamma-ray spectrometry, and medium- and high-resolution photography; and increase in supporting research in orbital sensing techniques, both active and passive. Board also recommended high-priority consideration for long-distance, remotely controlled, traversing vehicle for later missions; careful review of Apollo Program management structure to increase role of scientists in influencing basic policy and mission hardware; specific support to lunar experiment definition as integral part of Apollo Program and more substantial investment in developing experiment packages easily modified and interchanged even shortly before flight; and high-priority attention to management, handling, distribution, and analysis of lunar samples brought to earth. (Text; NRC Release)
NASA announced new quarantine procedures for Apollo 12 lunar landing mission scheduled for launch Nov. 14. Procedures had been recommended by Interagency Committee on Back Contamination. If astronauts, condition was normal at splashdown they would don fresh flight suits and oral-nasal masks instead of biological isolation garments (BIG) used on Apollo 11. BIG would be available in case of unexplained crew illness. Swimmer would swab hatch and adjacent areas with liquid decontamination agent and crew would be carried by helicopter to mobile quarantine facility (MQF) on board recovery ship. Subsequent crew quarantine procedures would be same as for Apollo 11. Spacecraft would be returned to Hawaii by recovery ship, where team would deactivate pyrotechnics and flush and drain fluid systems (except water). It would then be flown to Lunar Receiving Laboratory for storage in special room until release from quarantine Jan. 7, 1970. (NASA Release 69-148A)
Measurement of transient Faraday rotation of Pioneer VI (launched into solar orbit Dec. 16, 1965) as it was occulted by sun Nov. 21 through Nov. 24, 1968, was reported in Science by members of JPL and UCLA staff. JPL's 210-ft antenna at Barstow, Calif." equipped with automatic polarization tracking system, was used to observe three large-scale transient phenomena, measurements of which indicated Faraday rotation of 40° had occurred. Duration of each was approximately two hours. Phenomena appeared to be correlated with observations of solar radio bursts with wavelengths in dekametric region. (Science, 10/31/69, 596-8)
Tektite II project, in which more than 50 scientists would spend varying periods in ocean over seven-month span starting in spring 1970, was announced by Secretary of the Interior Walter J. Hickel. Program would include major marine scientific mission and extensive human behavioral studies, with emphasis on problems of small crews in isolation for extended periods under stress conditions. (Interior Dept Release)
Aerospace industry employment would continue to decline from record achieved in 1968, according to semiannual survey results released by Aerospace Industries Assn. Total employment was expected to drop from 1,388,000 to 1,305,000 (6%) between March 1969 and March 1970 because of reduced expenditures for civilian space program and declining sales of civilian transport aircraft during phase-out of current models and commencement of production on new aircraft. (Au Release 69-45)
Walter Rundell, Jr." of Iowa State Univ. Dept. of History described U.S. Government historical programs at National Convention of Southern Historical Assn. in Washington, D.C.: "NASA's historical program began in 1959 under the leadership of Eugene M. Emme. Two years later Emme launched the official publications with his Aeronautics and Astronautics: An American Chronology of Science and Technology in the Exploration of Space, 1915-1960. This has been followed by similar annual chronologies and chronologies devoted to the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo projects. Since 1966 the office has published several monographs, some written under contract by private scholars, rather than being undertaken by the permanent staff. A good example is This New Ocean: A History of Project Mercury, by Swenson, Grimwood, and Alexander." (Text)
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