March 1971

From The Space Library

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Current revision

Prestige of U.S. science was being undermined by assaults from many sides-which might leave U.S. "a second-rate power and a third-rate place to live"- Lawrence P. Lessing wrote in Fortune article. Funds had been "damagingly cut in such basic areas as the life and medical sciences . . . while a large amount of advanced but abstract technology, which could begin to solve the problems of overcrowding, energy, pollution, transportation, and waste, . . . are going neglected." New hostility to science and technology had arisen among many "ordinary Americans," even from within science itself, and among young activists. But if man's store of knowledge were torn down, man would "backslide not a few centuries but two hundred thousand years." Severe cutback in research and development because of Vietnam war, inflation, and contracted economy-with Federal R&D expenditures declining in real dollars by more than 20%-possibly endangered whole structure of science. Decline followed post- World War II growth that had produced antibiotics, atomic power, cryogenics, computers, jet planes, rocket vehicles, radar, transistors, masers, and lasers and had spurred U.S. to do its own basic research. "From . only a sparse dozen Nobel Prizes in the forty years up to 1940, U.S. scientists went on in the next thirty years to win forty-five." "While men and talent are .. going to waste the things that need doing ... keep piling up." U.S. was beginning to lag behind other nations in high-energy physics, radioastronomy, plasma physics, conventional energy research, space science, transportation, and life sciences. "With two of the later, more scientifically oriented Apollo moon flights canceled, though equipment is bought and paid for, work on NASA's forward-looking space station, nuclear- powered rocket, and unmanned planetary exploration vehicles has been so cut back that after 1975 almost nothing will be scheduled. And research funds in life sciences were still lagging 20% behind research capacity-in field that held promises for much safer biological insecticides, genetic repair of congenital defects, and basic attacks on cancer and heart ease. (Fortune, 3/71, 88-9, 155)

Production of formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and glycolic acid in uv tests under simulated Martian conditions indicated organic material was probably being produced by sunlight on Mars' surface, JPL scientists Dr. Norman H. Horowitz, Dr. Jerry S. Hubbard, and Dr. James P. Hardy reported in Proceedings of National Academy of Science of USA. Same organic compounds were believed to have been precursors to biological molecules on primitive earth. Dr. Horowitz said findings, obtained from irradiation of fine soil and powdered glass samples by high-pressure xenon lamp and low- pressure mercury lamp, provided "most favorable indication for a possible Martian biological evolution that we have had in the last five years." There were "still many uncertainties, however, which won't be resolved until we land on the planet." (Proceedings of NAS, 3/71, 574-8)

Promise of zero g in manufacturing in space was described by A. R. Sorells in America Illustrated, USIA publication distributed in U.S.S.R. Technicians anticipated future world of factories in space, where machines were grown molecule-by-molecule, as nature grew plants. First space workshops were scheduled to fly during decade as pioneers of later manufacturing islands circling above earth. Even dream of perpetual motion machines might materialize. (Am Ill, 3-71, 337)

NASA published Manned Space Program Accident/Incident Summaries. Result of NASA Safety Office survey of accidents and incidents that occurred during Apollo Program development years could be used in NASA training programs. Of some 10 000 case documents reviewed, 508 mishaps had been studied closely. Of these, 47% had occurred during operational test and checkout. Procedural deficiencies were largest contributor to accidents-46%- and 74% had human error as contributing factor. (NASA Awareness)

Scientific impact of SST was described by James J. Haggerty in Air Line Pilot magazine: "SST ... represents one of the most sweeping aeronautical advances since Kitty Hawk, one that, brought to fruition, will have follow-on impact comparable to the introduction of jet propulsion or the first conquest of the sound barrier. It has particular importance as a research vehicle, because there is no other airplane flying or in development with its particular combination of performance characteristics. It is equally important as an impetus to technology, since the SST contains thousands of components that have never been built before." SST was "atmospheric Apollo, a prober of new regions of flight and .. a thrusting force pushing aeronautical technology to a new plateau." (Air Line Pilot, 3/71)

The Making of an Ex-astronaut by former astronaut Dr. Brian T. O'Leary was reviewed by Edwin E. Salpeter in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: "The most apparent human drama in the book is the clash between two alien cultures, or rather the struggle of a minority culture, the scientist surrounded by the dominant culture of the technologist-test pilot administrator combination." It was interesting psychological sidelight that Dr. O'Leary had not worried about "large but inevitable dangers inherent in spaceflight itself, but bitterly resented the additional danger of flying jets (about a 10 per cent probability of death in a jet accident over a 10-year service in the program)." While jet flights had been emphasized, opportunities for scientist-astronauts to participate in space missions had receded and opportunities for keeping up scientific career in space program "were severely limited." Dr. O'Leary had become, in 1968, first scientist-astronaut to resign. (Bull of Atomic Scientists, 3/71, 44)

Second edition of one-volume Soviet space encyclopedia Cosmonautics was published in Moscow. Book listed as editor Valentin Petrovich Glushko, reputed chief designer of Soviet rockets and missiles, and featured biographical article on him describing his work. Pravda, in post-publication article on encyclopedia, had identified chief editor as "Professor G. Petrovich." (NYT, 3/19/71, 3)

Freeze on missile testing was advocated by Stanford Univ. geneticist Dr. Joshua Lederberg in Bulletin of Atomic Scientists: "From a technical standpoint, the most amenable place for controls is testing; a comprehensive freeze on all missile tests would be most easily verified and would provide the utmost assurance against the perpetuation of a costly technology race. It would complicate some peaceful applications of space technology. However, none of these require precise reentry after a brief, high velocity flight. Furthermore, nothing would be lost in requiring a definite pattern of international participation in space missions to assure that the were a net benefit to the whole earth from which they have embarked." (Bull of Atomic Scientists, 3/71, 4-6, 43)

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