Mar 1 1972

From The Space Library

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Current revision

Air Force launched unidentified reconnaissance satellite from Air Force Eastern Test Range by Titan IIIC booster at 4:39 am EST. Satellite entered orbit with 35 964-km (22 347-mi) apogee, 35 418.5-km (22 008-mi) perigee, 1429.9-min period, and 0.2° inclination. (Pres Rpt 73; SBD, 3/2/72, 15)

U.S.S.R. launched Cosmos 476 from Plesetsk into orbit with 634-km (394-mi) apogee, 615-km (382.1-mi) perigee, 97.1-min period, and 81.2° inclination. (csFC SSR, 3/31/72; SBD, 3/2/72, 16)

NASA announced initiation of cooperative program with Air Force to establish technology base needed by USAF and industry for development of military and civil short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft. Memorandum of Understanding signed by Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, and Dr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr., Secretary of the Air Force, called for close coordination of USAF advanced, medium STOL transport (AMST) program and NASA quiet, experimental STOL (QUESTOL) pro-gram to ensure that "the STOL technology developed will ... serve both areas of interest without undue compromise to either." Program would be managed by new Air Force/NASA STOL Coordinating Council, co-chaired by Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Research and Development Grant L. Hansen and NASA Associate Administrator for Aeronautics and Space Technology Roy P. Jackson. (NASA Release 72 44)

Nimbus 4 meteorological satellite (launched by NASA April 8, 1970) was continuing to gather data, working with ground IRLS (interrogation, recording, and location system). Satellite earlier had tracked weather balloons floating around world, floating ocean buoys, wild animals, and British Aviatrix Sheila Scott, who set several aviation records while circling globe in 1971. In October 1971 IRLS platform had been placed in buoy off Arctic ice island T3 to measure atmospheric pressure, surface and water temperatures, and, in tandem with Nimbus 4, platform position. In April six more buoys would be installed on ice floes in Arctic Ocean north of Alaska to obtain basic weather information during summer. Data had never before been obtained because ice islands melted into brackish ponds and streams covered by fog and rain and were impossible to reach. Monitoring platform in Ohio was transmitting water-quality data from Great Miami River near Cincinnati. RLS platforms would also be attached to fixed stations in Lake Erie to monitor water oxygen con-tent, electrical conductivity, alkaline and acid content, and temperatures and to test efficiency of collecting water data quickly and repetitively from many different areas simultaneously. Drifting platform in Lake Ontario would collect water data and information on currents. About 15 sensors on Mt. Kilauea, Hawaii, volcano would monitor temperatures to determine relationship between temperature rise and volcano eruption. (NASA Special Release)

Atomic Energy Commission's new particle accelerator near Batavia, Ill., reached design energy of 200 bev on schedule and within $250 million cost estimate. (AEC Release P-52)

Lewis Research Center engineers were running first pure jet engine designed and assembled at LeRC to power single- and twin-engine light aircraft, Cleveland Press reported. Prototype of engine-expected to usher in generation of safe, easy-to-fly aircraft that could cruise at 644 km per hr (400 mph) and costing less to produce than current piston engined aircraft-was about 31 cm (12 in) in diameter and 122 cm (48 in) long. (Cl Press, 3/1/72)

NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Science Vincent L. John-son testified before House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Sub-committee on Space Science and Applications during hearings on NASA FY 1973 authorization. Johnson reported that in 1971 Thor-Delta launch vehicle had had five launches with four successes. One failure, on ITOS-B mission Oct. 21, had been caused by leak in 2nd-stage oxidizer system. Review board recommendations had been carried out and Jan. 31 launch of Heos 2 had been successful. Thorough design review and certification was in process for launch by new-configuration Thor-Delta of ITOS-C in April. All critical components of old and new configurations had been completely and intensively reviewed by independent group and most previous qualifications had been verified. Estimated cost of responding to review board recommendations was $2 million for FY 1972, $3 million for FY 1973, and $5 million per year thereafter. (Transcript)

Harry H. Gorman, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Management, Manned Space Flight, testified on in-house portion of manned space flight R&D budget, during FY 1973 authorization hearings before House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight: In FY 1973 Manned Spacecraft Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, and Kennedy Space Center capabilities specializing in project management would be "in the midst of a changeover as current programs are phasing down and the Shuttle program and related activities are getting underway. Our laboratory and technical facilities will be dedicated to developing the technology for on-going programs and to payload planning." In FY 1973, manned space flight's civil service strength at the three Centers would be 11 350, "a continuing reduction from previous years. This level is the minimum necessary for carrying out our responsibilities for Apollo, Skylab, and Space Shuttle, while still providing support to new technology development and planning for future missions." On top of planned reduction of 619 positions in FY 1972 budget, Centers were further cut by 636 positions under Federal employment control in FY 1972 and 1973, or 10% loss in those two years. Added reduction of 361 positions in FY 1972 and 275 more positions in FY 1973 would require further reduction-in-force procedures and continue to con-tribute to aging of overall personnel complement. Of civil service total, 5% were in program planning and definition, 15% in program management, 30% in engineering and development, 5% in science and medicine, 20% conducting flight and launch operations, with rest in general management and administration. (Transcript)

Adelbert O. Tischler, Director of Shuttle Technologies Office in NASA Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology (OAST), testified on progress of shuttle transportation system before House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Subcommittee on Aeronautics and Space Technology during NASA FY 1973 authorization hearings: "Methods for rapidly assessing the aero-heating and flight handling characteristics of the shuttle are being developed. A base for applying new design methods and for use of new materials in the sensitive problem of structural mass has been laid. Thermal protection systems, some comprising materials which were virtually unknown at the start of the program, will be brought to . technological readiness. The questions of long-lived propulsive and power equipment, suitable for repeated re-use, will be answered." Computerized index and search procedure for access to all published shuttle technology was nearing completion. "While technology issues remain, the continuing progress of the technology program conducted by . . . NASA centers and industrial contractors is building a technological base that is far deeper and stronger than that which has heretofore underlain new development programs. This base will assure successful Shuttle development." David S. Gabriel, Manager of AEC-NASA Space Nuclear Systems Office, described NASA-funded electrophysics research program con-ducted by Ames, Langley, and Lewis Research Centers and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Program was concerned "with understanding and, ultimately, using electrons, nuclei, atoms and molecules. Such work is of central importance to future sciences, for example, to laser beam generation, transmission and conversion; superconductivity; or plasma power devices."

In FY 1972, research had been completed on continuous-flow plasma accelerator to simulate spacecraft reentry conditions accurately, new contributions to understanding plasma turbulence had been made, knowledge of uranium plasma properties had been improved, and carbon monoxide lasers had been demonstrated to be highly efficient. New superconductor made up of thin films of vanadium and silicon had been discovered. For FY 1973 $3.4 million had been requested for programs in plasma dynamics, lasers, superconductivity, and nuclear physics. Roy P. Jackson, Associate Administrator for Aeronautics and Space Technology, testified that "clearly the space shuttle orbiter, a rather sophisticated piece of machinery, is not only a launch vehicle and a spacecraft but also a high speed airplane, with all the attendant considerations of aircraft-type control and landing. It offers NASA an opportunity to apply aerodynamic, structural, and materials technology that has been developing over the past 10 or 15 years for high performance aircraft. Reciprocally the shuttle work offers much to benefit aircraft in the next 10 to 15 years." NASA had also capitalized on early Air Force technology oriented toward manned high-speed flight in the atmosphere as well as reentry into the atmosphere, such as Dyna-Soar and X-15 projects.

Francis J. Sullivan-Director of Guidance, Control, and Information Systems in OAST-testified on nuclear electric power system research for spacecraft: Nuclear electric power systems offered "attractive alternatives" to batteries for long-life orbiting systems, "in terms of minimizing structural constraints and the economic considerations of supplying several kilowatts of power. Current research is directed primarily toward two types of nuclear systems, isotope systems for low power levels of about 1 kilowatt, and the intermediate reactor power systems for levels in the range of several kilowatts up to 1020 kilowatts." Isotope systems were radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTES). Intermediate reactor power system consisted of zirconium hydride reactor to generate heat and thermoelectric power-conversion components to convert this heat into electricity. Program was directed toward reactor test in 1976-1977 period to demonstrate long-life capability. Stable performance had been achieved on thermoelectric converter test modules. Effort in FY 1973 would concentrate on verifying this performance. Conversion system would be developed for testing with the reactor to verify the integrated system performance. (Transcript)

Appointment of Kenneth B. Gilbreath, Manager of White Sands Test Facility, as Deputy Director of Center Operations at Manned Spacecraft Center was announced by MSC. He would be succeeded at White Sands by Chief Jesse C. Jones of MSC's Engineering and Development Directorate's Laboratory Operations. Appointments would be effective April 1. (MSC Release 72-50)

Atomic Energy Commission published Global Inventory and Distribution of Pu-238 from SNAP-9A, report on study of plutonium accidently injected into stratosphere when U.S. Navy Transit satellite failed to reach orbit after launch from Vandenberg AFB April 21, 1964. Accident had caused threefold increase in global fallout of plutonium isotope over that usually injected into atmosphere by atmospheric nuclear weapon tests. SNAP-9A nuclear generator, designed to convert heat from Pu-238 into electrical energy, had burned up during reentry and had ablated into small particles at 46-km (28.6-mi) altitude. Concentrations of Pu-238 in stratosphere had been measured through end of 1970 and soil samples had been collected at more than 60 sites to estimate global distribution of fallout from the accident. Of the 17 kilo-curies of Pu-238 originally in the generator, 13.4 plus or minus 2.2 kilocuries had been deposited, with 3.1 plus or minus 0.8 in northern hemisphere and 10.3 plus or minus 2.1 in southern hemisphere. Al- though plutonium was one of most enduring and deadly radioactive poisons known, amounts inhaled when Pu-238 settled to earth were so small they were not considered hazardous. (Text)

Los Angeles Times editorial said, despite insistence of military authorities that regulations restricted supersonic flights to isolated areas, sonic booms were menacing Death Valley National Monument in California. It was "continuing sport for military pilots" to "make low level super-sonic assaults on the peace and tranquility of that remarkable recreation and sightseeing area. Rangers counted 35 booms in January, three times the number [of] the preceding January." (LA Times, 3/1/72, 8)

March 1-2: Fourteenth Israel Annual Conference on Aviation and Astronautics was held in Tel Aviv and Haifa. Fifth Theodore von Karman Memorial Lecture, "Perspectives in Aeroelasticity," was delivered by Langley Research Center scientist I. Edward Garrick. (Off Naval Re-search London, European Scientific Notes, ESN-26-4, 4/28/72, 91)

March 1-3: NASA-wide conference on equal employment opportunity was held at Kennedy Space Center at request of Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator. During conference chaired by Dr. George M. Low, NASA Deputy Administrator, Dr. Fletcher said: "Our successes in space exploration have been outstanding . . . . However, in spite of the efforts of many and a number of significant accomplishments, our achievements in equal employment in NASA, here on earth, do not match what we have done beyond our planet." Dr. Fletcher said he would insist "that as fast as humanly possible, by transfer, training, promotion, and whatever other means are available, and appropriate, our offices move toward the goal of the balanced staffing that will achieve true equal employment opportunities." NASA was planning to get members of minority groups into space. Space shuttle would be important factor in accomplishing this goal. NASA also would consider establishing annual awards for outstanding performance in Office of Equal Opportunity and would insist that "spirit as well as the letter" of contractors' equal employment obligations be fulfilled. (Text)

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