Sep 17 1969
From The Space Library
Space Task Group report to President on post-Apollo space program [see Sept. 15] was released at White House press conference by Vice President Spiro T. Agnew and Space Task Force Group members Dr. Thomas O. Paine, NASA Administrator; Dr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr." Secretary of the Air Force, Dr. Lee A. DuBridge, Presidential Science Adviser; and William A. Anders, NASC Executive Secretary. Vice President Agnew said Task Group had rejected "crash program of the magnitude that would turn loose every bit of our technological ability" to achieve quickest possible manned Mars landing because "there are competing priorities in a difficult time of inflation." Task Group had also rejected "foregoing the substantial benefits that have come out of the Apollo Program, the benefits of National prestige." Dr. Paine said all three options recommended to President in report would enable NASA to "hold together the team" and provide "major challenge." Dr. DuBridge said all three options held "heavy emphasis on earth applications, satellites, for studying the geology, the geography, the atmosphere of the oceans of the earth and bringing space technology directly and immediately to the benefit of the people on earth. All three programs also . . . include heavy emphasis on scientific programs, to extend our scientific knowledge of the earth itself, of the moon, through additional lunar expeditions, interplanetary space and additional scientific information about the moon and the planets." He also cited emphasis on international collaboration. (Transcript)
NASA released America's Next Decade in Space: A Report for the Space Task Group. Major points had been incorporated in Task Group report. (Text)
Aerobee 150 MI sounding rocket was launched by NASA from WSMR with VAM-20 booster. Rocket carried AFCRL payload to 135.5-mi (218-km) altitude to calibrate Harvard College Observatory spectrometer on board orbiting OSO VI by telemetering, grazing incidence, scanning EUV monochromator to study active regions of sun simultaneously at 300 to 1,400 A. Pointing was marginal but data were 100% satisfactory. (NASA Rpt SRL)
AH-56A helicopter, under development by Lockheed California Co. for USA, was destroyed when it broke loose and moved downwind inside wind tunnel at ARC. Flying debris punctured steel wall and injured two men in control room. (NASA Release 69-154)
First day of public display of lunar rock at Smithsonian Institution attracted 8,200 visitors, including former NASA Administrator James E. Webb. Webb said: "The rock represents all the work and all the submergence of personal ambitions that thousands put into the space effort. It proves we have the scientific, technical and managerial capability of expanding our space values for use under the sea, on the land and in the air." (Schaden, W Star, 9/18/69, B4)
Senate adopted by 85-0 vote amendment offered by Sen. William Proxmire (D-Wis.) to S. 2546, FY 1970 military procurement authorization, which would require study and review by Comptroller General of profits made by Government agencies, including NASA, on contracts for which there had been no formally advertised competitive bidding. (CR, 9/17/69, S10743-52)
Rep. George A. Goodling (R-Pa.) introduced H.R. 13838 "to provide for the distribution to the several States, for display to the public . . . samples of the lunar rocks and other lunar materials brought back by the Apollo 11 mission." (CR, 9/17/69, H8098)
New York Times editorial: "The space age is here to stay, but the precise contours of how far and how fast this nation will go in the decades ahead will have to be determined on a pragmatic basis, almost year by year and Administration by Administration." (NYT, 9/17/69, 40)
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