Mar 8 1972
From The Space Library
Mariner 9 probe (launched by NASA May 30, 1971) completed 232 orbits of Mars. Primary mission objective of photographing Mars from south pole to northern hood had been completed. Jet Propulsion Laboratory was preparing to assemble map of Mars, using more than 100 overlapping pictures taken by Mariner 9 and data from onboard instruments for corresponding surface and atmospheric characteristics. (NASA Release 72-48)
NASA Associate Administrator for Applications Charles W. Mathews testified on earth resources program during FY 1973 authorization hearings before House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Sub-committee on Space Science and Applications: Program was probably most significant present element of earth observations program, using advanced satellite and ground-based techniques. FY 1973 funding of $48.4 million would go for procurement (including spacecraft development) and flight operations, data- handling system development, and aircraft program already underway. Queried on pace of program, Mathews said NASA had "good basic program" that would merit expansion. Results from ERTS-A satellite-to be flown with high degree of participation by users from Government, industry, and universities-should show program merited extension and how it should be done. Mathews also cited need for regulation and control of information as it was gathered more nearly completely and accurately. Gathering information was "less of a problem and less of a challenge than the proper use of this information." (Transcript)
Manned Spacecraft Center announced award of $299.250 contract to Lockheed Missiles & Space Co. to study and develop program for weld-bonding materials for space shuttle. (MSC Release 72-55)
Attorney for widow of Astronaut Virgil I. Grissom, killed in Jan. 27, 1967, Apollo spacecraft fire, said Mrs. Betty Grissom had agreed to $350 000 out-of-court settlement of her $20-million suit against North American Rockwell Corp. and three subsidiaries for negligence in construction of spacecraft. (AP, W Post, 3/9/72, A17)
NASA launched two sounding rockets. Nike-Tomahawk was launched from Poker Flat Rocket Range, Fairbanks, Alaska, carrying Goddard Space Flight Center fields and neutral winds experiment. Rocket and instrumentation performed satisfactorily. Nike-Tomahawk was launched from Wallops Station, carrying Univ. of New Hampshire energetic particle experiment. Rocket performed satisfactorily. Scientific requirements were not satisfied. (SR list)
President Lyndon B. Johnson had made "impulsive decision" in "intensity of emotion" when he changed name of Cape Canaveral to Cape Kennedy, Circuit Judge James R. Knott of West Palm Beach, Fla., said in testimony before Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. Committee began hearings on S.R. 193, to redesignate Cape Kennedy as Cape Canaveral. Judge Knott testified that President Johnson had acted on request by widow of President John F. Kennedy following Kennedy assassination and said original name should be restored. (W Post, 3/9/72, A25; CR, 3/8/72, D224)
Completion of satellite communications station at Emeq Haela, Israel, was announced by Jerusalem Domestic Service. Station would become operational in about three months. Israeli Post Office Director General Simha Sorokov said opening of station "will speed up the possibility that every resident in the state will be able to dial directly from his house to anyone abroad without . . . an operator. When the system goes into operation, Israeli residents will be able to watch a man walking on the moon at the exact moment he is doing it." (FBISIsrael, 3/9/72, H3)
Canadian-built Black Brant VC rocket was launched from Natal, Brazil, carrying West German and Brazilian payload. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily. (Reuters, W Post, 3/10/72, F3)
Germ-control and dust-purging technique developed by NASA and aerospace industry was being used by St. Luke's Hospital in Denver, Colo., to lower infection risk in surgical procedures. Concept, based on technique to sterilize spacecraft assembly and self-contained life sup-port systems, used portable equipment to remove dust and germs continually from surgical area. Equipment included helmets like those worn by astronauts and specially treated surgical garments that bacteria could not penetrate, collapsible plexiglass and aluminum enclosure, and air-circulating units that forced air through filters before air flowed from rear of enclosure to front. Enclosure fitted inside conventional surgical room. (NASA Release 72-47)
Federal Aviation Administration announced award of five-month $414 226 contract to Xonics, Inc., for additional wake-turbulence studies leading to design of ground-based acoustic wake-turbulence detection system. Xonics would analyze results of previous studies and recommend design of system capable of providing wake- vortex surveillance along airport instrument-landing-sytem approach path. (FAA Release 72-37)
President Nixon issued Executive Order 11652 establishing new classification system for Government documents related to national security. March 8: Germ-control and dust-purging techniques developed for spacecraft sterilization were being used in St. Luke's Hospital in Denver, Colo. Below, a surgery team performed a hip-joint replacement in a new clean-room facility that could be folded for storage when not in use. Air was forced in a gentle breeze from the rear of the room to the open front. Team members "upwind" of the patient wore astronaut helmets and garments impermeable by bacteria, while air around the downwind team members was carried away from the patient. Application of the technique was developed for NASA by the Martin Marietta Corporation's Denver Division.
System ordered materials classified Top Secret, Secret, or Confidential only if their unauthorized disclosure "could reasonably be expected" to cause exceptionally grave damage, serious damage, or damage to national security. NASA, Atomic Energy Commission, Dept. of Defense, and United States Arms Control and Disarmament Agency were among Government departments whose heads and their senior deputies were empowered by order to classify material or information as Top Secret. (PD, 3/13/72, 542-50)
American Society for Testing and Materials-non-profit organization that developed standards for more than 4704 materials, products, systems, and services-urged adoption by U.S. of metric system during Washington, D.C., workshop. In interview Society's President Erie I. Shobert II said: "Basically, the reason for changing . . . to the metric system is to enhance our ability to communicate with others, but that ability .. is reflected in hard dollars and cents." Failure of U.S. to convert had been large factor in U.S. trade deficit, he said. (Kadis, W Star, 3/9/72, C8)
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