Jul 9 1971
From The Space Library
NASA began distribution to 24 U.S. scientists of lunar soil samples returned by Soviet Luna 16 spacecraft and exchanged by U.S.S.R. for Apollo 11 and 12 samples June 10. About 50% of total three grams (one tenth ounce) of material would be distributed to principal U.S. experimenters in stages. First lot was about 600 mg (9 gains), or about 20% of total sample. Dr. Paul Gast, chief of MSC Planetary and Earth Sciences Div., had said Soviet scientists had implied samples from Sea of Fertility differed from U.S. lunar samples because regolith was thinner and closer to underlying strata than soil of other lunar mare areas. Dr. Gast said Soviet samples contained wider grains than did U.S. samples. (NASA Release 71-128)
Aerobee 170B sounding rocket was launched by NASA from WSMR to 191.5-km (119-mi) altitude on flight performance mission. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily and payload was recovered. (SR list; Proj Scientist)
President Nixon, in Proclamation 4066 proclaiming Oct. 24 United Nations Day, said: "Through the UN, we all share stewardship over the planet Earth : together we face the challenges of coordinating measures to heal and protect the world's fragile ecosystems; of ensuring that the new resources of the sea are developed for the benefit of all mankind; of promoting international cooperation in the use of outer space." (PD, 7/12/71, 1044)
Appointment of Robert E. Bower, Director of Advanced Development for Grumman Aerospace Corp., as Director for Aeronautics at LaRC had been announced by LaRC Director Edgar M. Cortright, Langley Researcher reported. Bower succeeded Laurence K. Loftin, Jr., who had become Special Assistant for Aeronautics to Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for R&D [see July 1]. (Langley Researcher, 7/9/71, 1)
Award to Global Associates of $4-million, one-year, cost-plus- award-fee contract to provide institutional support services at MTF was announced by MSFC. Selection had been made following competitive negotiations during which eight firms had submitted proposals. Contract included maintenance of rocket stage testing facilities in standby status and support services for other Federal agencies using MTF. (MSFC Release 71-117)
International Galabert Prize, awarded annually by French for outstanding successes in exploration of outer space, had been presented to Soviet Academy of Sciences for Luna 16, Tass reported. (FSis-Sov-71-133, 7/9/71, L2)
Sen. Hugh Scott (R-Pa.) said at Washington, D.C. press conference, "I hope to see the day when our astronauts go up in Russian space-craft and the Russian cosmonauts in ours." He would explore idea with Soviet Ambassador Anatoly F. Dobrynin before he left for visit to U.S.S.R. in August, "if our own government will permit me to do so." (DPI, IV Post, 7/10/71, A3)
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