Jul 1 1971
From The Space Library
Bodies of dead Soyuz 11 cosmonauts, killed during return from June 6-30 mission, lay in state in flower-decked biers in Central House of Soviet Army in Moscow. Thousands of persons waited in miles-long line to pay last respects. Top Communist Party and U.S.S.R. government leaders appeared shortly after hall was opened. Bodies would be cremated in preparation for July 2 funeral. (Gwertzman, NYT, 7/2/71, 14; B Sun, 7/2/71)
Newspaper editorials commented on death of Soyuz 11 cosmonauts: Chicago Tribune: "Any one of a million things could have gone wrong, because there are a million things that have had to go right for each Soviet and American success in space. It is no discredit to Russian scientists that something went wrong at the last moment. It is testimony to the good fortune and skill and care of the United States space program that something of this kind hasn't happened yet to us." (C Trib, 7/1/71)
Christian Science Monitor: "... those men who fly such missions are taking the risk for the aspirations of mankind to break the limitations of earth's gravitational and atmospheric fields. They depend on the accumulating technological knowledge of mankind to protect them. As a result, the Soyuz 11 event argues the more determinedly that nations-for the moment chiefly the United States and the Soviet Union-should share their space research efforts," (CSM, 7/1/71)
Washington Post: "The special sorrow that must be felt at this event does not proceed from their numbers-three deaths next to, say, thou-sands among the world's more recently savaged refugees. Nor does it proceed alone from their conspicuous bravery, their willingness to take the ultimate risk in pursuit of a national mission: daily, men in combat make the same commitment and do so minus the glory and unambiguous sense of purpose that cosmonauts and astronauts share. So it is more than the death of three men on a high risk venture that must move the earthbound to a special sorrow: it is the death of these men in pursuit of the ultimate adventure, exploration of the outer limits of human knowledge and endurance-and beyond." (W Post, 7/1/71)
New York Times: ". . it should be apparent that the staggering dangers of space can be met most effectively by mobilizing all the knowledge and talent available irrespective of nationality. It is time to abandon the wasteful irrationality of prestige-motivated competition. The real lesson of this tragedy is ... that space exploration ought to be a cooperative endeavor of all nations." (NYT, 7/1/71)
Baltimore Sun: "The three cosmonauts lived in space for almost 23 days, and by all indications the station's operation came up to its designers' hopes. Only in the final brief stage, a stage often successful before, did disaster intervene. It is tragedy, but it is not defeat." (B Sun, 7/1/71)
MSC announced award of four, four-month, fixed-price extensions to contracts for space shuttle preliminary design. McDonnell Douglas Corp., North American Rockwell Corp., and General Dynamics Corp. would each receive $2 800 000, and Lockheed Aircraft Corp. would receive $1 400 000. (MSC Release 71-96)
NASA issued invitation to scientists to participate in definition phase for Planetary Explorer missions to Venus. Emphasis would be on low-cost approach using spin-stabilized Explorer spacecraft launched by Delta booster. From respondents to invitation NASA would select scientists to play active role in defining typical payload for initial missions in 1976 and 1977 and to make recommendations for subsequent orbiter and probe missions in 1978 and 1980. (Text; NASA Release 71-124)
Apollo 11 Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., retired from NASA to become Commandant of Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards AFB, Calif. He had logged 289 hrs 53 min in space during astronaut career. (AP, W Post, 7/2/71, A3)
LaRC Director of Aeronautics Laurence K. Loftin assumed for one year post of Special Assistant for Aeronautics to Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for R&D Grant L. Hansen. (Av Wk, 5/31/71, 23)
Robert F. Froehike was sworn in as Secretary of the Army. (USA PIO)
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