Oct 26 1973
From The Space Library
Skylab 4, the third manned Skylab mission-crewed by Gerald P. Carr, commander; Dr. Edward G. Gibson, science pilot; and William R. Pogue, pilot-was scheduled for launch Nov. 10 at 11:40 am EST, Skylab Program Director William C. Schneider announced. Plans called for a 60-day or more, open-ended mission carrying enough con-sumables for 85 days. Mission extensions would be considered on the 56th, 63rd, 70th, and 77th days of the flight. Up to five extravehicular activities would be scheduled, to install and retrieve Apollo Telescope Mount film and experiment samples, repair an antenna on an earth resources experiment, and photograph the Comet Kohoutek on Dec. 25, just before it swung around the sun. An extended 85-day mission would splash down Feb. 3, 1974, at 12:15 pm EST off the Pacific Coast near San Diego. (NASA Release 73-233)
President Nixon signed H.R. 8825, FY 1974 Dept. of Housing and Urban Development-Space-Science-Veterans appropriations bill that included a $3.002-billion NASA appropriation and $569.6 million for the National Science Foundation. The funds appropriated were those agreed upon by the House-Senate Conference Committee July 26, but submission of the bill for presidential signature had been delayed by subsequent confer-ence reports of Aug. 1, Sept. 7, and Oct. 11, all dealing with extraneous matters. With the President's signature, the bill became Public Law 93-137. (P.L. 93-137; PD, 11/5/73, 1307; CR, 10/13/73, S19181-2)
Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, dismissed Mrs. Ruth Bates Harris, NASA Deputy Assistant Administrator for Equal Opportunity. In a Nov. 2 memorandum to NASA employees he said: "Mrs. Harris has made public a paper she wrote me criticizing NASA's Employment Oppor-tunity Program and recommending the reassignment of the Assistant Administrator." Dr. Fletcher was "deeply and personally committed to the goal of equal employment opportunity for members of minority groups and women" and "was not satisfied with NASA'S performance in this field." He said NASA would consider Mrs. Harris' recommendations and suggestions and "will adopt those we feel will be helpful." He ap-preciated her effort and respected her "for having expressed her opin-ions." But, "because Mrs. Harris has not demonstrated the degree of administrative and management skill required of her position, because she has been unwilling to share the broader problems of management with her peers, and because she became a seriously disruptive force within her own office, I concluded that she should not continue to serve. . . In so concluding, I also concluded that Dr. [Dudley G.] McConnell [Assistant Administrator for Equal Opportunity] can successfully do the job he has been assigned provided he has the good will and working support of all NASA employees." Dr. McConnell, a former civil rights activist, had said most of Mrs. Harris' report had been on public record already "but the time they spent preparing it should have been devoted to more positive kinds of things," the Baltimore Sun reported. (O'Brien, W Post, 10/29/73, A5; Text, B Sun, 10/29/73, A3)
Robert E. Smylie-Chief, Crew Systems Div., Johnson Space Center-was appointed Deputy Associate Administrator (Technology) for NASA'S Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology (OAST). He would be re-sponsible for research and technology offices dealing with space propul-sion and power; guidance, control, and information systems; materials and structures; aerodynamics and vehicle systems; aeronautical man-vehicle technology, aeronautical propulsion; and research. (NASA Re-lease 73-234)
NASA announced selection of General Electric Co. Aircraft Engine Group for negotiations leading to a 56-mo, cost-plus-award-fee, $31-million contract to design, fabricate, test, and deliver two quiet, clean short-haul experimental engines (QCSEE). The contract was part of a program to demonstrate technology to reduce aircraft engine noise and exhaust emissions and relieve airway and airport congestion. (NASA Release 73-232)
Signing of a $17.9-million, three-year, fixed-price-incentive contract with award fees with LTV Aerospace Corp. for complete system management of the Scout launch vehicle was announced by NASA. Work would be per-formed by LTV Vought Systems Div. with Langley Research Center monitoring. Processing of 6-12 Scout launches of U.S. and foreign pay-loads was to be included in the system management. LTV, Scout con-tractor since 1958, had built some 80 Scout vehicles for NASA. (NASA Release 73-231)
Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, presented 104 Skylab awards to employees from NASA Hq., Johnson Space Center, Kennedy Space Center, and Marshall Space Flight Center during an MSFC ceremony attended by Skylab 2 crew Charles Conrad, Jr., Dr. Joseph P. Kerwin, and Paul J. Weitz. Also participating were Dr. George M. Low, Deputy Administrator, Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight Dale D. Myers, and Skylab Program Director William C. Schneider. (NASA Release 73-156; Marshall Star, 10/31/73, 1)
Wallops Station announced it had awarded the largest contract to date under NASA's Minority Business Enterprise Program. Optimal Data Corp. would receive a first-year increment of $535 300 on a potential $1.7-million contract to operate data-programming and data-reduction services at Wallops' information and data-processing laboratory. (WS Release 73-12)
A Science article commented on President Nixon's Oct. 3 speech announc-ing National Medal of Science winners [see Oct. 3] : "How serious Nixon is about achieving the objectives cited in his remarks will be indicated by future budgetary activities. In recent months, however, there has been plenty of evidence that the Administration wants to make changes not only in the substance of science policy, but also in the way that policy is made. The most obvious indicator was the shift of the science advisory apparatus from the White House to NSF. Underlying the change seems to have been not just a dissatisfaction with the science advisory machinery, but also with the basic relationship between the scientific community and its federal patrons which has prevailed since World War II." It would be wise for the scientific community to examine carefully the new terms which President Nixon seems to be offering. "However, the recent invitation from the White House did, figuratively, seem to be directed to scientists and engineers in general." (Walsh, Science, 10/ 26/73, 365-8)
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