Mar 1 1971
From The Space Library
President Nixon submitted to Congress nomination of Dr. James C. Fletcher as NASA Administrator [see Feb. 27]. (PD, 3/8/71, 437)
President Nixon presented NASA Distinguished Service Medal to. Apollo 14 Astronauts Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Edgar D. Mitchell, and Stuart A. Roosa at White House dinner. President recalled briefing of President Eisenhower after Soviet launch of Sputnik I : '"And the briefing was a very exciting one by one of the scientific advisers to the President. But then I shall never forget that at the conclusion . . . the one who was briefing the President . . . turned to him and said, `Mr. President, members of the Cabinet, I simply want to say that probably the most important discovery we will make in our exploration of space is not on this chart.' And that was a lesson for me. It was a great lesson for the American people. Exploration involves going into the unknown." In space, "we think we know what we want to find and what we may find, but the more we explore we break into new vistas of knowledge. ... America must continue to be a great nation. We must explore the unknown, not because of what we are going to find or think we are going to find, not because of the uses that we expect to get from space, but because there is something there, something there that we must explore. It's there to find.... this Nation with all of its capability and with all of its promise is first in space today and America, as a great nation, must set as its goal remaining first in space, because that's the way to continue to be a great nation. This is a goal that we must set for ourselves. "Now, to do this requires thousands of men and women on the ground, devoted and dedicated men in the scientific field, in the engineering field and other areas. It requires very brave men going on these journeys into outer space with all of the uncertainties that we saw on Apollo 13 and very brave women waiting at home with their children, their fathers, and their mothers." (PD, 3/8/71, 407- 11)
Apollo 14 Astronauts Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Edgar H. Mitchell, and Stuart A. Roosa held news briefing in Washington, D.C. Crew showed film and slides and described mission and preliminary results. To question on future of manned space flight Shepard said: "The relative comparison of the efficiency of the manned versus the unmanned systems, I think we tried over the years to show where we feel that man has his point, has his place in space . . . and with 14, certainly, there were several instances where basic reflexes, basic judgment, and human instincts made it a successful flight where it would not have been successful otherwise. "Obviously, we brought back a lot more rocks than the Lunokhod has brought back. But I don't think that is the point. I think the point is that we have chosen to exercise part of the expenditures of our money along the areas that we have found to be successful; that is, manned flight. I think we have shown on the 14 ... that manned space flight can contribute on a scientific basis and contribute efficiently when it comes to assessing the dollar value put on it." (Transcript)
NASA announced selection of Mississippi Test Facility near New Orleans, La., as site for sea-level testing of space shuttle rocket engines. Testing under simulated altitude conditions would be done at USAF's Arnold Engineering Development Center at Tullahoma, Tenn. Test program would include some 1200 development and acceptance tests from 1973 through 1979, with 45 to 50 sustaining engineering tests per year after-ward, and some 100 development tests under simulated altitude conditions from 1974 through 1976. Site Evaluation Board had selected sites after surveying existing Government-owned or controlled proper-ties. Space shuttle engine would be reusable, high-performance, high chamber-pressure engine using liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. First stage would be larger than J-2 engine in Saturn V, with 249 500-kg (550000-1b) thrust. Orbiter stage engine would have extendable nozzle skirt for use in space. (NASA Release 71-30)
MSFC issued RFPS to Aerojet-General Liquid Rocket Co., United Aircraft Corp. Pratt & Whitney Div., and NR Rocketdyne Div. on development of main engines for two-stage reusable launch vehicle (space shuttle). Companies had been performing preliminary design and definition studies of shuttle under independent, $6-million, parallel contracts since June 1970. In June 1971 one company would be chosen to develop engine. (MSFC Release 71-37)
National Civil Service League announced selection of 10 Federal officials to receive annual Career Service Awards. Recipients included NASA Associate Deputy Administrator Willis H. Shapley, cited for "his administrative expertise which enables him to help design major policy directions at NASA and interpret them to the Congress and the public." Honorees would receive $1000, watches, and citations at banquet April 23 in Washington, D.C. (W Star, 3/2/71, A2)
Aerobee 170 sounding rocket was launched by NASA from WSMR carrying Univ. of Wisconsin experiment to study stellar uv. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily. (SR list)
Multipurpose system of three large in-orbit satellites and network of 132 earth stations to provide nationwide communication services to various customers was proposed by ComSatCorp President Joseph V. Charyk in letter to FCC Chairman Dean Burch. Proposal would require initial investment of $250 million. (Text)
AIAA published The Supersonic Transport: A Factual Basis for Decision. Report by ad hoc committee concluded that DOT plans for SST prototype program were "reasonable and proper and in the best interests of this nation." Committee found SST performance objectives could be met "with as high a confidence level as on any previous developmental program prior to flight test." Technically, successful production SST could be built following prototype phase, which was estimated to require additional Federal funding of $250 million over two years. Stretchout in prototype funding would cause "extensive immediate cost increases"; resulting delay in production aircraft market penetration would "cur-tail total revenues, reduce new job opportunities and impair favorable impact on international balance of trade." Abandonment of U.S. SST program could lead to "takeover of U.S.'s traditional civil aircraft sales dominance by foreign interests," SST would meet demands for intercontinental air travel during 1980s while providing productivity program. SST would "meet or better all engine-noise specifications" and two prototype SST's would "not produce any equilibrium environmental changes." (Text)
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