Apr 26 1971

From The Space Library

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Current revision

NASA launched series of four Nike-Cajun sounding rockets from Arenosillo, Spain, carrying Spanish experiments to study luminescent clouds. Rockets and instruments functioned satisfactorily. (SR list)

"The short and uneventful flight of Soyuz 10 suggested ... that the Soviet Union ran into technical difficulties in its first attempt at establishing a manned workshop in earth orbit," Thomas O'Toole said in Washing-ton Post. "Just what the difficulties might have been is unclear, but the landing of Soyuz 10 after only two days in space, the brief time Soyuz spent docked with the Salute workshop and the apparent failure to transfer crew members . . . all added up in American minds to a bungled mission." (W Post, 4/26/71, A21)

Possibility of using electrically controlled optical sensors and signal processes-techniques used to guide military missiles to targets-was being examined as substitute for sightless eyes by Huntington Institute of Applied Medical Research team led by Dr. Robert H. Pudenz, New York Times reported. Electrical impulses, as coded messages, would stimulate visual cortex of central nervous system and communicate pulses of information to brain by way of optic nerve. Artificial system would bypass eyes and optic nerve and radio signals directly to brain. (Holies, NYT, 4/26/71, 23)

House Committee on Armed Services' subcommittee investigating Dec. 30, 1970, crash of USN F-14 Tomcat fighter aircraft during test flight at Grumman facility in Calverton, N.Y., received communication from identified source containing 13 allegations of defects and deficiencies in F-14A design, manufacture, testing, and administrative controls. Rep. F. Edward Hebert (D-La.), as Chairman of investigation sub-committee, ordered full inquiry into charges. (Subcom Rpt, 12/20/71)

Sonic booms from USAF jets had smashed prehistoric ruins and caused disintegration of cliff faces at Yellowstone and Teton National Parks, Director of National Park Service George B. Hartzog said in testimony before House Committee on Appropriations' Subcommittee on Department of the Interior and Related Agencies. He believed jets originated in California but had received no meaningful response from correspondence with us. (Testimony)

April 26-28: NAS held annual meeting for first time in $4.25-million Washington, D.C., facility that contained 684-seat Dryden Auditorium. Auditorium had been funded in part by Hugh L. Dryden Memorial Fund as tribute to former NACA director and NASA Deputy Administrator who died in December 1965. Dr. Dryden had been NAS Home Secretary for 10 yrs. Dr. Frederick Seitz, former NAS President, paid tribute to Dr. Dryden at opening session: "I am particularly pleased that these remarks can be made .. following several successful lunar manned missions. In a sense, Dr. Dryden's professional life was directed as by fate to the scientific and technological watershed represented by a successful Apollo program. Today we stand beyond that watershed and are privileged to inspect new vistas." Dr. Dryden had become "perhaps the central figure" in U.S. transition to space age following 1957 launch by U.S.S.R. of first successful Sputnik. He had helped prepare legislation to establish NASA. "In this process, he . . drew upon his creative genius in helping to devise an administrative and operational instrument which would make flexible use of the existing and potential resources of our country and at the same time, focus, in a relentlessly systematic way, upon well-defined missions: Many individuals have contributed to the success of our space program, but none have been more crucial than Hugh Dryden working at his broadest as the scientist, the administrator, and the visionary." Dr. Seitz estimated Dryden Memorial Fund contribution to auditorium's construction represented nearly 40% of total cost. Following Dr. Seitz' remarks, bust of Dr. Dryden presented to NAS by National Space Club was unveiled. At business session, NAS announced decision to increase membership to include leaders in medical, social, and behavioral research. Limit of 50 new members elected annually would be raised to 75 in 1972 and 100 ,in 1973. Thereafter limit would be reduced over several years to 60. (NAS-NRC-NAE New Rpt, 3/71, 1; Text; NASA Special Ann; Program; Schmeck, NYT, 4/28/71, 3:32)

April 26-29: American Physical Society held spring meeting in Washington, D.C. Dr. Gary V. Latham, chief Apollo program seismologist, said most quakes shaking two Apollo seismometers left on moon appeared to be coming from one place that could be 644 km (400 mi) below lunar surface. Dr. Latham guessed quakes were result of molten rock being moved about under moon by tidal forces on earth. Larger quakes were too deep to be caused by escaping gas, which led to his theory that sublunar volcano caused quakes. He was unable to pinpoint quake source, except that they emanated from somewhere along 1290-km (800-mi) line between seismometers left on moon by Apollo 12 and Apollo 14 astronauts. (O'Toole, W Post, 4/27/71, A3)

Discovery by Ulauru (Explorer 42) Small Astronomy Satellite (launched Dec. 12, 1970) of slowdown in spin rate of x-ray star Centaurus X-3 in Milky Way Galaxy was reported by Dr. Riccardo Giacconi and Dr. Wallace Tucker of American Science and Engineering, Inc. Change, deduced April 12 from star's pulsation's, was caused, scientists' thought, by some violent event, such as vast in-fall of material onto star. (Sullivan, NYT, 4/29/71, 52)

Possible first interception of solar neutrinos-"ghost" particles that sped earthward from sun's core-was described by Dr. Raymond Davis, Jr., of Brookhaven's National Laboratory. Using tank containing cleaning fluid 1.6 km (1 mi) underground in gold mine in South Dakota, Dr. Davis was detecting average of one solar neutrino every third day. Detection was difficult because neutrinos had no electric charge and floated freely through atom unless they hit its nucleus squarely. If Dr. Davis' observations were confirmed, they would contribute to understanding of how sun produced energy. Neutrinos were thought to be largely produced by reactions that began with fusion of two hydrogen nuclei (protons). (Sullivan, NYT, 4/30/71, 3:23)

Dr. V. Paul Kenney of Notre Dame Univ. told press briefing that "every 20 years or so we get a 1000 fold increase in the energy of our accelerators and each time we enter a new era of physics." (Lannan, W Star, 4/30/71, A16)

Forty-second annual scientific meeting of Aerospace Medical Assn. was held in Houston, Tex. Approximately 5000 aerospace doctors attended. Dr. Charles A. Berry, MSC Director of Medical Research and Operations, was out-going president. (MSC Release 71-22)

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