October 1973
From The Space Library
Selection of Sen. Barry M. Goldwater (R-Ariz.) to receive the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy for 1973 was announced by the National Aeronautics Assn. The trophy would be presented Dec. 17 in Washington, D.C., for "leadership and inspiration to all elements of aviation in the United States, both military and civilian, and for serving as an articulate spokesman for American aviation and space in the Con-gress and throughout the world." (NAA News, 10/73, 1)
The Air Force System Command's Space and Missiles Systems Organiza-tion (SAMSO) announced the establishment of a system program office to develop the Defense Navigation Satellite System (DNSS) . The space-based radio navigational system would permit suitably equipped users to determine precisely three-dimensional position, velocity, and time in-formation globally. On successful completion of testing, the Dept. of Defense might approve deployment of DNSS to provide a universal positioning and navigational capability for military and civilian users on land, sea, and air. (AFSC Newsreview, 10/73, 11)
The European Space Research Organization had awarded the British Air-craft Corp. Electronic and Space Systems-on behalf of the STAR con-sortium of European electronic and aerospace companies-a $24-million contract for design, development, and manufacture of Europe's first geo-stationary scientific satellite, GEOS, Spaceflight reported. The three-year development program would include 15 companies in 10 European countries. GEOS, scheduled for a summer 1976 launch on a Thor-Delta booster, would carry nine scientific experiments to measure electric and magnetic fields and particle densities and distributions for two years. (SF, 10/73)
A need "to shift gears and return to the main line of development in space flight" was underlined by Michael A. G. Michaud in a Spaceflight article: The purposes of space flight "go far beyond our lifetime. Ul-timately, our journey away from Earth will determine the future of the human race; this millennial, evolutionary effort must not founder now for lack of a satisfying rationale." The basic purpose of space flight was "to expand the realm of Man." Reasons were to challenge human abilities, learn more about the universe we live in, search for extraterrestrial intelligence and prepare for contact with it, develop and test technologies for earth use, stimulate and employ advanced sectors of the economy, improve orbital applications of space technology with immediate benefits, develop and test military technology, and encourage international cooperation. Michaud proposed a medium-term program to the year 2000 to assemble a manned space station in earth orbit, build a base on the moon, land human beings on Mars by 2000, prepare for interstellar flight, search for planets in other systems, and begin the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. A long-term program beyond 2000 would plan to send unmanned probes to the most promising nearby stars, create a permanent colony on Mars, experiment in planetary engi-neering-possibly on Venus, "where orbiting space vehicles could intro-duce materials into the atmosphere that might change its composition" -launch the first manned interstellar flights, and communicate with extraterrestrial intelligence. (SF, 10/73, 362-5)
The Navy was investigating shipboard launch and recovery of remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs), the Office of Naval Research Reviews reported. The RPVs could save in staffing and pilot training and could perform reconnaissance, search, radio relay, and antisubmarine duties if fail-safe recovery on vessels with limited deck space could be developed. A com-mand-and-control data link between the vehicle and a ship command room would track the RPV, monitor its performance, and guide it to touchdown. Candidate systems included vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), including a stoppable rotor which worked as a helicopter rotor during takeoff and landing, a retractable rotor used with auxiliary wings, and a fixed-wing vehicle with rotating jet exhausts to provide takeoff thrust. (ONR Rev, 10/73, 32-3)
The National Science Foundation released Graduate Science Education: Student Support and Postdoctorals, Fall 1972 (NSF 73-315). Graduate enrollment in science doctorate-granting institutions declined 2% from 1971 to 1972; first year enrollment declined 3%. Engineering enroll-ment dropped at the greatest rate, 5%, followed by physical sciences-4%. There were 10% fewer students receiving Federal support in 1972 than in 1971. Full-time students receiving fellowships for trainee sup-port declined by 18% from 1971 to 1972. The loss was reflected in every area of science. (Text)
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