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President Nixon submitted to Congress Science Indicators, 1972, the fifth annual report of the National Science Board of the National Science Foundation. The proportion of the gross national product spent for research and development 1963-1971 declined in the U.S., France, and the United Kingdom, but increased in the U.S.S.R., Japan, and West Germany. By 1971, U.S. R&D expenditures were 2.6% of GNP, Soviet 3.0%, U.K. and West Germany 2.0%, and Japan and France 1.8% each. The number of scientists and engineers engaged in R&D per 10 000 persons declined in the U.S. after 1969, but continued to increase in the U.S.S.R., Japan, West Germany, and France. All countries reduced the national defense proportion of their R&D expenditures significantly between 1961 and 1969. U.S. defense expenditures dropped from 65% to 49% of total Government R&D spending. Increases in the U.S. and most other countries occurred in space, community services, and eco-nomic development. The U.S. had a favorable but declining "patent balance" between 1966 and 1970, with a reduced number of patents of U.S. origin in France, West Germany, and the U.K. and increased U.S. patents of Japanese origin. The U.S. had an increasingly favorable position in the sale of "technical know-how"-including patents, techniques, formulas, franchises, and manufacturing rights-during 1960-1971; Japan was the major purchaser, surpassing all of Western Europe after 1967. The favorable U.S. balance of trade in technology-intensive products grew 1960-1971, but was increasingly negative in nontechnology-intensive areas. Within technology-intensive areas, products with the fastest rising trade surplus were aircraft, computers, and plastics. ''(PD, 9/10/73, 1069; Text)''

September 5, 7, 8, 10, 26: The House Committee on Science and Astro-nautics' Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight held hearings on NASA's proposed space tug. The hearings sought to determine the tug's role in the [[space shuttle]] program, the tug's fiscal impact on the program and the overall manned space flight budget, the operational impact on NASA'S latest proposed mission model and on projected cost-per-flight of the shuttle, the Dept. of Defense role in development and use of the tug, and NASA'S and industry's progress in tug conceptual design. Charles V. Donlan, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight, and Capt. Robert F. Freitag (USN,  Ret,), Deputy Director of Advanced Programs, presented an overview of the tug program Sept. 5 but made no recommendations, pending completion of a study. NASA would later recommend program approach and supporting rationale. Representatives of General Dynamics Corp. [[Convair]] Div., [[McDonnell Douglas]] Astronautics Co., [[Lockheed Missiles & Space]] Co., [[Martin Marietta]] Co. Denver Div., and [[Grumman]] Aerospace Corp. presented results of efforts to date, with supporting data to substantiate the options afforded NASA in proceeding with tug development. Options under study included liquid-storable and cryogenic systems for a growth-stage tug, the Centaur as an expendable or recoverable launch vehicle, an expend-able [[Thor-Delta]] vehicle, an expendable or recoverable Agena vehicle, and an expendable or growth-stage Transtage vehicle. ''(Transcript)''

*[[August 1973|August]]
*[[September 1973|September]]
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*[[October 1973|October]]