Jan 17 1972
From The Space Library
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), in speech before Na- tional Press Club in Washington, D.C., asked, "Shall we spend our dollars on a space shuttle and an SST for the few to fly the heavens, when many here on earth have simple unmet needs like homes and schools and health?" (Text)
Federal Aviation Administration national plan for development of new microwave instrument landing system for common use by civil and military aircraft was announced by Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe. System covered broad area, would increase number of flight paths and airport acceptance rate, and would ease noise over surrounding communities. It would provide continuous distance information, eliminating need for marker beacons that gave limited progress information on final approach. (FAA Release 72-12)
New satellite Hot Line between White House and Kremlin was targeted to begin operation in 1973, Aviation Week & Space Technology reported. President Nixon's approval had been announced Sept. 24, 1971, of U.S.-U.S.S.R. agreement on direct communication link using two satellite circuits, one established by each country. Agreement had been signed Sept. 30, 1971. (Av Wk, 1/17/72, 9; A&A 1971)
January 17-19: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) held 10th Aerospace Sciences Meeting in San Diego, Calif. Apollo 15 Astronaut James B. Irwin and Nobel Prize-winning physicist Dr. Harold C. Urey reviewed space activities for local high school students. Dr. John C. Houbolt, Executive Vice President of Aeronautical Re-search Associates, delivered Dryden Research Lecture "Atmospheric Turbulence." Lecture had been named in honor of late Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, first NASA Deputy Administrator, in 1967. It succeeded Re-search Award established by AIIAA in 1960. Dryden Lecture award, sponsored by General Electric Co., carried $1000 honorarium and $1500 travel allowance for repetition of lecture before selected AIAA sections. Dr. Houbolt reviewed latest data on atmospheric turbulence and its influence on aircraft design and flight. Dr. Allen E. Puckett, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Hughes Aircraft Co., was installed as 1972 AIAA President at Jan. 19 Honors Banquet. AIAA presented Goddard Award to Gary A. Plourde, project engineer at United Aircraft Corp. Pratt & Whitney Div., and Squadron Leader Brian Brimelow (RAF) and Howard E. Schumacher, both of Air Force Aero Propulsion Laboratory. Trio was honored as team for original research leading to first understanding of gas-turbine compressor stalls induced by turbulent inlet flow conditions. Sylvanus Albert Reed Award was presented to Dr. Max M. Munk, retired engineer, for "enduring contributions to the science of aero- dynamics." Robert M. Losey Award was given to Dr. David Q. Wark, Senior Scientist with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "in recognition of outstanding contributions to the science of meteorology as applied to aeronautics." Edward W. Price, Head of Naval Weapons Center Aerothermochemistry Div., received G. Edward Pendray Award for "continued outstanding contributions to the literature of solid rocket internal ballistics and combustion, particularly for his contributions on combustion instability and ignition." Space Science Award was presented to Dr. Norman F. Ness, Chief of Goddard Space Flight Center Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics, for "significant contributions to the description and understanding of the interplanetary medium and the interactions of this medium with the earth and other large bodies." (AIAA Releases 1/10/72, 1/13/72; AIAA Bull, 1/72, 2/72, 67)
January 17-21: Fourth Annual Earth Resources Program Review was held by NASA at Manned Spacecraft Center. Scientists from foreign nations and organizations, Government, universities, and private institutions attended. Reports were presented on 1971 research and analysis of air-craft and spacecraft remote sensing data. In Jan. 18 press briefing NASA Associate Administrator for Applications Charles W. Mathews said pollution monitoring was natural activity for global surveillance capability because atmospheric pollution was potentially global problem. Not well understood were manner in which pollutants were dispersed throughout globe or manner in which earth corrected itself. "There's a lot of work to be done in this area." In Jan. 21 briefing Dr. John M. DeNoyer, NASA Director of Earth Observations, said program was moving from exploratory to flight phase, from learning to applying techniques. Among applications was spring Arctic ice survey, in which some 80 scientists would be on ice measuring strain rates, meteorological conditions, and ice types, sup-ported by Convair 990 aircraft from Ames Research Center. Also micro-wave techniques in remote sensing could identify ice-free lanes in Great Lakes region, making possible efficient shipping much earlier in spring than at present. Soo Canal into Lake Superior, which carried more tons of freight than any other canal in world, was now open only one half of year. Weather and cloud cover made aircraft surveillance inefficient; microwave techniques from satellite altitude was more practical in this instance. Another important program would be thermal mapping by remote sensing to permit better industrial planning from knowledge of how development would actually affect environment. Land-use planning also would be greatly aided by remote sensing data processed by computerized inventory system being developed at MSC. (MSC Release 72-11; MSC PAO; Transcript)
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