Sep 28 1972
From The Space Library
Claims that Government, news media, and public had pessimistic view of space program's future were refuted by Dr. George M. Low, NASA Deputy Administrator, in speech before National Space Club in Washington, D.C. With decision to build space shuttle, President Nixon had "committed his administration and the Nation to a continuing viable space program" that "meets the needs of the United States' future." President had taken another "great initiative in space" in signing U.S.-U.S.S.R. space cooperation agreement. Senate had supported space shuttle by vote of 61 to 21. "And for the first time in NASA'S history, the Congress appropriated every last penny that we asked for." Editorial comment in U.S. had run 9 to 1 in favor of shuttle, 18 to 1 in support of Apollo 16, and "we have yet to encounter serious editorial criticism of the Apollo Soyuz Test Project." While some segments of public were apathetic to space program, less than one percent of the 2200 letters NASA received from public daily was against space program. Most NASA mail was "in out-right support of what we are doing" or sought additional information about space. One reason for pessimism "syndrome," Dr. Low said, was that "so many people in Washington ... tend to equate 'program' with 'budget,' or . . . 'accomplishment' with 'dollars available.' " Space program challenges existed, "and whether or not we can meet them is relatively independent of whether NASA's budget is $3.4 billion, or $3.6 billion." But it "does depend strongly on the results we continue to achieve; ... on our ability to create and innovate, on, our skill and our dedication," (Text)
Tenth anniversary of Canada's Alouette 1 satellite launched by NASA from Vandenberg Air Force Base by Thor-Agena B booster. Satellite, designed and built by Canada to study ionosphere, was still transmitting data from 960-km (600-mi) circular orbit. Canada celebrated anniversary with special ceremonies Sept. 29, highlighted by official opening of new Spacecraft Assembly and Test Facility of Dept. of Communications Research Centre at Shirley Bay near Ottawa. Canadian Communications Minister Robert Stanbury said Alouette 1, as the "oldest satellite still sending back useful information from space, symbolizes the high standards of technology which Canada has maintained ... and ... has helped to meet two important national needs-expertise in space-age technology, and improved communications." (SBD, 9/27/72, 118; A&A 1962)
U.S.S.R. apparently was testing spaceborne satellite intercept system at high altitudes, Aerospace Daily reported. "In five earlier tests of the system . Russian satellites had shown they could disable target satellites flying at relatively low altitudes." But Cosmos 520, launched Sept. 19 "into practically the same inclination as the earlier . . . vehicles, has gone into a highly elliptical orbit with an apogee of more than 39,000 kilometers [24 000 miles]. This could mean that the Russians are showing that their interceptor can reach to synchronous orbit . . . where more than half of future U.S. military satellites will orbit." Orbit of Cosmos 520 was not equatorial-as was that of U.S. vehicles in Air Force and TRW Program 647 ballistic- missile early-warning satellite system-and its high point was apparently over Northern Hemisphere and its intermediate altitude rather more than the 32 000-km (20 000-mi) altitude of U.S. satellites. Military implications of Cosmos 520 mission were strong "since all SS-9 launched satellites are military vehicles. SS-9s have launched not only the interceptor series but all Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS) satellites and another class of satellites . . . strongly related to weapons development." (Aera Daily, 9/28/72)
Roll-out ceremony for multinational European airbus and France's second Anglo-French Concorde supersonic transport was held in Toulouse, France. Aircraft were scheduled for maiden flights in few weeks. Concorde 2, similar to three service models entering production, was said to have eliminated smoke and noise that made Concorde 1 unwelcome in U.S. Airbus was standard preproduction model of 330-passenger, short- to medium-haul transport for 1975 operation. During ceremony British Aerospace Minister Michael Heseltine said British government was ready to confer with other European governments on possibility of integrated European aviation industry. (Lewis, NYT, 9/29/72, 8)
U.S.S.R. was dismantling huge booster rocket at Tyuratam launch site [[[Baikonur]] Cosmodrome] near Aral Sea, unidentified U.S. intelligence sources told New York Times. Ground support equipment also had been removed. Booster had not been used for manned launch, but it was not known whether it had been used for unmanned mission. (Lyons, NYT, 10/1/72, 9)
Soviet scientists had suggested system of time registration for moon in lunar stellar days, hours, minutes, and seconds, Tass announced. They had also calculated positions of 72 stars and of Jupiter for every 10 days of lunar year. Work was outlined in book Formulas and Ephemerides far Field Observations on the Moon. (FBIS-Sov, 10/2/72, Ll)
Air Force F-111 swing-wing jet bomber aircraft was lost over Vietnam on first day of F-ills' return to combat in Indochina since 1968. North Vietnam later claimed it had shot aircraft down but Dept. of Defense said it was unable to explain disappearance. (W Post, 10/3/72, A25)
House Committee on Science and Astronautics, at closing session of term, elected to defer action on S.R. 193, bill passed by Senate July 21 to return Cape Kennedy to original name of Cape Canaveral, and on similar House bill originated by Rep. Lou Frey, Jr. (R-Fla.), in 1971. (0 Sen, 10/1/72)
Swing-wing Fitter-B fighter-bomber aircraft never before seen outside U.S.S.R. had been delivered to Egypt by U.S.S.R. shortly before Egyptian government ordered Soviet pilots and military advisers to leave Egypt in July, New York Times reported. Some U.S. Government analysts believed aircraft, version of fixed-wing Sukhoi aircraft which U.S.S.R. had supplied to Egypt for several years, had heightened Egyptian disillusionment with U.S.S.R. "The Egyptians wanted an advanced fighter-bomber and thought they had Russian promises to get some. But what was delivered is barely better than the Sukhoi-7, except that the swing-wings allow it to take off from a shorter field." (Beecher, NYT, 9/29/72, 19)
September 28-29: Oxidizer tank of Apollo 17 command and service module (CSM) reaction control system was overpressurized during test at Kennedy Space Center. Preliminary data indicated no bladder leak scheduled but problem was not expected to delay Apollo launch scheduled Dec. 6. (NASA PAO; SBD, 10/2/72, 139)
September 28-30: Symposium on High Energy Phenomena on the Sun was held at Goddard Space Flight Center to present recent findings to scientists from U.S., Australia, U.K., France, and Japan. Detection of first direct evidence of nuclear reactions on solar surface, during Aug. 4 and 7 by NASA's OSO 7 Orbiting Solar Observatory (launched Sept. 29, 1971), was reported by Univ. of New Hampshire physicist Dr. Edward L. Chupp and team. Evidence had been obtained from two gamma-ray emission lines-radiation indicators of nuclear processes-during first observation of these radiations from sun. Findings proved that nuclear reactions did occur in large solar flares, and might contribute to goal of generating pollution-free electrical power from sustained thermonuclear reactions in laboratory. (NASA Release 72-193)
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