Aug 5 1971
From The Space Library
U.S.S.R. launched Cosmos 432 from Baikonur into orbit with 252-km (156.6-mi) apogee, 200-km (124.3-mi) perigee, 89.1- min period and 51.7° inclination. Satellite reentered Aug. 18. (GSFC SSR, 8/31/71, SBD, 8/9/71, 179)
ESRO and FAA announced in Madrid agreement on program for use of satellites to control civil air traffic. At least four satellites would be launched over Atlantic and Pacific beginning in 1975. System would be used for air-to-air communications and as navaid to avoid midair collisions. Committee to administer program would be appointed from ESRO, FAA, and representatives of Australia, Canada, Ireland, Philip-pines, Japan, and Portugal. (Reuters, B Sun, 8/6/71, A2)
British aviatrix Sheila Scott arrived at London Airport in Piper Aztec aircraft to complete 55000-km (34 000-mi) solo flight during which she participated in NASA Nimbus 4 experiment [see June 1]. Miss Scott claimed seven records. (W Post, 8/6/71, A6)
First commercial flight of McDonnell Douglas DC-10 jet transport air-craft was flown by American Airlines between Los Angeles and Chicago. More than 80% of seats were occupied during 3 hr 18 min flight. (CR, 8/6/71, E9096-7; Yarborough, W Star, 8/18/71, D10; AAL PRO)
Soviet engineer O. Sashin described in Sotsialisticheskaya Industriya activities of U.S.S.R.'s Lunokhod 1 lunar rover, landed on moon by Luna 17, Nov. 17, 1970: At time of launch "it was supposed that the whole ... program could be fulfilled in 3 lunar work days. . . . Over these three days Lunokhod-1 . . - visited a multitude of craters, repeatedly surmounting rock fields. . . In all, during the 3 working days envisaged by the initial program, 42 radio communications sessions were held with Lunokhod-1, during which 8,924 radio commands were issued and fulfilled. . . . the route covered by the apparatus amounted to 3,551 meters [3883 yards], the television cameras transmitted to earth more than 80 high-quality panoramas of the surrounding locality and the scientists obtained vast information about the moon. The fourth working day passed, then a fifth, and a sixth... . Each was succeeded by a 2-week lunar night with all its `charms' including an outside temperature which drops to below minus 150 degrees. But the next morning came and Lunokhod-1, roused by a radio command from earth, obediently set about its work. "The work of the self-propelled lunar scout . . continues. . . . 132 radio communications sessions have been held .. . in which 22,792 radio commands have been given. A route 10,226 meters [11 183 yards] ... over the lunar surface has been covered. The 10th work- ing day on the moon has arrived. And again the indefatigable scout [is] continuing its search." (Fsts-Sov-158-3, 8/16/71, L1-3)
Results of Harris survey of 1614 U.S. households on priority areas for cuts in Federal funding were published in Washington Post. Top three candidates for cuts were Vietnam war, foreign aid, and space program; 50% of those polled favored cut in space program; 13% would cut program least of Federal spending areas listed. Support for spending in education, urban aid, and environmental areas, Harris said, "appears to be on the rise." (Harris, W Post, 8/5/71)
August 5-7: At 241:58 GET (11:32 am EDT Aug. 5) Worden left CSM for inflight EVA to retrieve panoramic and mapping camera film cassettes from SIM on SM. He made three trips to SM bay, two to retrieve cassettes and one to observe condition of instruments, reentering CSM after 38-min 12-sec EVA.
CM Endeavour separated from SM at 294:44 GET. Drogue and main parachutes deployed but one of three main parachutes partially closed during descent, causing harder landing than expected. CM splashed down in mid-Pacific about 10.1 km (5.5 nm) from recovery ship U.S.S. Okinawa at 295:12 GET (4:47 pm EDT Aug. 7)-12 days 7 hrs 12 min after liftoff. Astronauts, wearing fresh flight suits, were carried by helicopter to biomed area on recovery ship for post-flight examinations. After being declared in very good shape, astronauts were flown on following day to Hickam AFB, Hawaii, and to Ellington AFB, Tex. CM was retrieved and placed on board recovery ship. Lunar samples, data, and equipment were flown to Ellington AFB, and CM was off-loaded at San Diego.
Mission achieved primary Apollo 15 objectives: to make selenological survey and sampling of materials in preselected area of Hadley- Apennine region, emplace and activate surface experiments; evaluate capability of Apollo equipment to provide extended lunar surface stay time, increased EVA operations, and surface mobility; and conduct inflight experiments and photographic tasks from lunar orbit. Launch vehicle and spacecraft systems performance were near nominal except for intermittent short circuit in Delta V thrust switch A, CSM-LM failure to undock properly, and increase in CM tunnel pressure preceding LM jettison. Flight crew performance was excellent. Accomplishments included first use of LRV, lunar surface navigation device, direct lunar communications without LM relay, and ground-controlled remotely operated TV camera on moon; largest payload in earth orbit (140 310 kg 309 330 lbs) and largest pay-load in lunar orbit (33 803 kg; 74 522 lbs) ; longest lunar surface stay time, lunar surface EVA, distance traversed on lunar surface (28 km; 17.4 mi), and lunar orbit time (74 orbits); first subsatellite launched in lunar orbit; and largest amount of lunar samples brought to earth. Apollo 15 was 12th Apollo mission to date, 9th manned Apollo mission, and 4th successful lunar landing mission. Apollo 14 mission had been conducted Jan. 31-Feb. 3. Apollo program was directed by OMSF; MSC was responsible for Apollo spacecraft development, MSFC for Saturn V launch vehicle, and KSC for launch operations. Tracking and data acquisition was managed by GSFC under overall direction of OTDA. (NASA Proj Off; NASA Release 71-245; NYT, 7/26-8/7/71; W Post, 7/27-8/8/71, GSFC SSR, 7/31/71; NASA Special Release; NASA Release 71-119K, Lannan, W Star, 7/30/71, Al; AP, W Star, 8/1/71, A10)
