Aug 14 1973
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An Apollo command module atop its Saturn IB launch vehicle was rolled out from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39, Pad B, at Kennedy Space Center. Vehicle readiness had been ordered by Skylab Program Director William C. Schneider for a possible rescue mission of Skylab 3 astronauts (launched July 28) when two of the four quadrants of the service module's reaction control system, used for maneuvering the command and service module, failed and raised doubts about the ability of the CM to return safely to earth. If a rescue system were not ordered, the vehicle would carry Skylab 4 astronauts-Gerald P. Carr, Dr. Edward G. Gibson, and William R. Pogue-to a Nov. 9 rendezvous with the Skylab Orbital Workshop. (Marshall Star, 8/15/73, 1; Thomas, Today, 8/14/73)
An Intergovernmental Agreement on U.S. and European cooperation in space shuttle development was signed in Paris by the U.S., Belgium, France, West Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The agreement included European funding and development of the Spacelab for the space shuttle. A NASA-European Space Research Organization (ESRO) Memorandum of Understanding that supplemented the agreement was initialed by NASA and ESRO representatives in Europe. The memorandum would be signed in Washington, D.C., by Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, and Dr. Alexander Hocker, ESRO Director General, Sept. 24. (NASA Release 73-191; NASA Int Aff)
Government investigations of the Skylab 1-2 mission (May 14-June 22) had indicated "we have put too much reliance on computers, on management systems, on brilliant paper designs and on theory," columnist Ray Crowley said in the Washington Star-News. Neglected had been "human intuition, communications between the men working on different aspects of major programs and practical experience." The system had submerged the individual. Missing had been "the old-fashioned `chief engineer' with few managerial duties who brought his total experience and spent most of his time integrating all elements of the system." A major cause of Skylab 1-2 anomalies had been "lack of discussion between the groups of men working on the project." The investigators had cautioned that management must counteract the natural tendency of engineers to believe a drawing is the real world. One team had found that extensive use of computers for complex analyses could serve to remove the analyst from reality. Attention to rigor, detail, and thoroughness, "if carried too far, can inject an undue emphasis on formalism and documentation." This caused too little thought to be given to "how does it work." (W Star-News, 8/14/73, All)
NASA and the Soviet Academy of Sciences had approved the report of the June 7-15 Moscow meeting of the U.S.-U.S.S.R. Joint Editorial Board preparing the publication "Foundations of Space Biology and Medicine," NASA announced. Publication of the first volume was planned for May 1, 1974, and the second and third by July 1, 1974. (NASA Release 73-151)
Ames Research Center selected California Airmotive Corp. for negotiations leading to a replacement for the Convair 990 instrumented aircraft Galileo lost in an April 12 mid-air collision over Moffett Field, Calif. Negotiations would be based on NASA's acquisition of a Convair 990 aircraft with spare parts and modifications to prepare the aircraft for airborne scientific missions. If negotiations were successful, NASA would continue its airborne science program with an identical aircraft. (NASA Release 73-156)
NASA launched a Nike-Apache sounding rocket from White Sands Missile Range carrying a Univ. of Pittsburgh payload to a 117.1-km (72.8-mi) altitude. The experiment studied mesopheric composition with an optical mass spectrometer measuring both the minor atomic and the molecular species in the presence of major atmosphere constituents. The rocket and instrumentation performed satisfactorily. (NASA Rpt SRL)
A Cleveland Plain Dealer editorial commented on the first anniversary of the ERTS 1 Earth Resources Technology Satellite: "For Ohio alone, ERTS is telling truer tales about strip mining and pollution. For others it is doing such diverse things as charting safe routes for ocean shipping and forecasting water requirements of inland areas. The list of what already has been done and is yet to be done is almost endless." (CI PD, 8/14/73)
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