June 1974

From The Space Library

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Current revision

NASA began "Outlook for Space," a comprehensive planning study to identify potential roles for space exploration and exploitation 1980-2000. The year-long study, headed by Deputy Director Donald P. Hearth of Goddard Space Flight Center, would seek to relate goals of potential civilian space activities to national interests, to develop a list of desirable and practical U.S. civilian space activities, to group activities with specific sets of goals, to define research and development tasks required for potential commercial and operational uses of space, and to identify social and economic challenges that could benefit from the use of space. NASA would consult representatives from universities, other Government agencies, and' industry. The study would supplement "The 1973 NASA Payload Model" planning effort, which had evaluated potential uses of the space shuttle, space tug, and Spacelab and which had been completed in October 1973. The new study would continue through June 1975. (NASA Activities, 15 Sept 74, 2-6; GSFC proj off, interview, 17 July 74)

The National Academy of Sciences issued Scientific Uses of the space shuttle, report of a July 1973 conference in Woods Hole, Mass., sponsored by the NAS Space Science Board. The conference, attended by 61 U.S. and European scientists from seven scientific disciplines, concluded the shuttle could be an important asset to scientific research. Increased size, weight, and simplicity permitted for payloads would be of chief importance. But many potential advantages depended on innovative management and clear-cut, efficient, and flexible procedures for flying multi-purpose missions. Small experiments could be flown cost-effectively on small standardized pallets with integrated experiments, put on standby and flown when space was available. The projected 28-day sortie mission would be valuable for most disciplines but major programs requiring longer observation times should be carried out on free-flying automated spacecraft launched from a pallet in the shuttle's payload bay.

Cost-effectiveness of recovering and refurbishing payloads in orbit required additional study. A sophisticated Large Space Telescope-proposed for launch on the shuttle-might be worth the cost to revisit and service or return to earth. But visits to less expensive spacecraft in in-convenient orbits might prove too costly. Limits on recoverable payload weight might also restrict recovery.

Scientists expressed concern that weight requirements for men in addition to a crew might limit scientific payloads. A manned Spacelab module was considered essential for biomedical research but other disciplines could often use a smaller module housing a payload specialist and his console. Because of weight penalties, real-time control and evaluation might be best supplied by a ground-based control using a shuttle-to-ground communications system, such as the proposed Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) , giving continuous global coverage with a high rate of data interchange. (Text)

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