Jan 24 1974
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(New page: Ames Research Center scientists had found more evidence that life on primitive earth might have been triggered by chemical evolution of nonliving matter, NASA announced. Seventeen vari...)
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Ames Research Center scientists had found more evidence that life on primitive earth might have been triggered by chemical evolution of nonliving matter, NASA announced. Seventeen varieties of fatty acids, similar to those used by plants and animals to produce more complex biological molecules, had been discovered in two meteorites. The family of simple carbon-hydrogen acid molecules found in the meteorites had counterparts in biologically formed earth materials, but had not been found in nonorganic sources before. (NASA Release 74-16)
NASA's equal employment opportunity program was reviewed during a hearing before the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences. Dr. George M. Low, NASA Deputy Administrator, said that during the 1970s NASA faced the challenge of catching up in a most important area of human need. The challenge would be difficult because the NASA work force had decreased by nearly one third. In addition, 47% of the NASA work force were scientists and engineers. Of these, 3.4% were minorities, while the nationwide percentage of minorities in this category was 3.5%, and these persons were in high demand in private industry, where starting salaries were $1200 to $1700 per year higher.
Dr. Dudley G. McConnell, NASA Assistant Administrator for Equal Opportunity Programs, said NASA would during 1974 achieve a minority complement of 6.1% of the total permanent work force, hiring 80 minority members and 80 women into professional positions. In addition NASA would help increase the availability of technically trained women and minority members by NASA's cooperative education program and by initiating an aerospace fellowship program. . .
Mrs. Ruth Bates Harris, former NASA Deputy Assistant Administrator for Equal Opportunity Programs, testified that NASA had turned away qualified women and minority applicants. She said NASA ranked 22 out of 26 agencies in percentage of female attorneys. Also, although NASA had a 47% scientific and engineering work force, in the 53% non-scientific and technical category NASA had a 3.7% minority participation, not significantly better than the 3.6% in the scientific and engineering category. (Transcript)
A space shuttle launch processing system (LPS) was being developed at Kennedy Space Center to provide a flexible, reliable, and cost-effective method of testing systems, controlling launch operations, and monitoring status of vehicle, ground support equipment and facilities during ground operation operations. A single automatic system, replacing the multiplicity of systems used in previous programs, would support every technical and management activity required to process the launch vehicles, their payloads, and all ground support equipment. (KSC Spaceport News, 24 Jan 74, 4-5)
Jet aircraft pollution would be measured under a $1.1-million NASA con-tract awarded to United Air Lines, Inc., NASA announced. Under the cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, United would design, develop, test, and fly a Boeing 747-equipped to measure dust particles and gases-to deter-mine the effects of jet exhaust on the natural environment, weather, and human health and to measure changes in the level of the ozone shielding people on the earth from solar ultraviolet radiation. Flights would be made over the continental U.S. and Hawaii in addition to international flights by another 747 under a subcontract with Pan American World Airways, Inc. The instruments were expected to be installed by the end of 1975. NASA would work closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to correlate study results. (NASA Release 74-20)
The Anglo-French Concorde supersonic transport would not go into trans-atlantic service until 1975 and would not fly commercially until 1976, French Minister of the Armed Forces Robert Galley said in Paris. The press reported sources in the French aviation industry as saying that increased fuel prices and possible shortages were responsible for the delay. (UPI, NYT, 25 Jan 74, 53)
A new Air Force air-traffic-control radar system that could track aircraft approaching a runway in heavy rain would be put into full production, the Air Force Systems Command announced. The AN/TPN-19, to be produced by Raytheon Co., consisted of an operational shelter, an air-port surveillance radar to detect aircraft within 97 km and direct them to final approach entry positions, and a precision-approach radar to guide aircraft along the 32-km final approach. The all-weather, $2 617 000 system could be transported anywhere in the world and be operational within two hours. (AFSC Release OIP 181.73)
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