Oct 7 1974
From The Space Library
NASA adjudged the mission of Noaa 3 (ITOS-F, launched 6 Nov. 1973) successful. NASA mission objectives-to launch the spacecraft into sun-synchronous orbit of sufficient accuracy for the operational mission, to evaluate and check out the spacecraft in orbit, and to turn operational control over to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-ministration-had been accomplished. (NASA MOR, 8 Oct 74)
Robert Hotz, in an Aviation Week editorial, praised the "stabilizing and peace-keeping functions" of the large U.S. military space program. Scoring the "official government hypocrisy about our non-military space program," Hotz argued the Eisenhower Administration's attempt to separate civilian and military roles in space had "persisted to this day and badly impaired and obscured the truly peaceful role played by military space vehicles." Air Force boosters and military-trained astronauts and managers had played key roles in NASA programs. Military reconnaissance satellites and early warning satellites added up to "one of the biggest forces in deterring major aggression and keeping as much peace as there is left in the world." In contrast, claimed Hotz, the Soviet Union "never made any pretense of separating its military and scientific space activities" and had gone beyond reconnaissance satellites into "offensive space weapons." (Av Wk, 7 Oct 74,11)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
