Jan 8 1973

From The Space Library

Dr. Rocco A. Petrone, NASA Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) Program Director, was quoted by Aviation Week & Space Technology as saying U.S.S.R. would use a U.S.-supplied very-high-frequency (VHF) transceiver on Soyuz spacecraft during rendezvous and docking maneuvers with Apollo spacecraft in July 1975 mission. Transceivers had been used in lunar modules for Apollo rendezvous and docking in lunar orbit. The U.S. also would build a receiver for Apollo spacecraft that could operate on Soviet communication frequencies and might lend to the U.S.S.R. equipment for use by cosmonauts and astronauts during joint portions of mission. Dr. Petrone had said NASA engineers, in discussions with Soviet engineers, had noted that necessity of con­centrating on interpreter for exchange of technical information had made them more aware of technical problems than they would have been in direct English conversation. March meeting of U.S. and Soviet ASTP planners would consider flammability problems. (Av Wk, 1/8/73, 17)

The Air Force would consider use of aerostats-tethered balloons that operated in galelike winds-to provide air defense radar surveillance of the U.S. southern perimeter, Aviation Week & Space Technology reported. Aerostats, operating at altitude of 3000 m (10 000 ft) could cover area and be effective against low-altitude surprise attacks in Air Force project Veto. Balloons also were attracting military and civil interest as modest-cost, long-endurance airborne platforms for battlefield reconnaissance and electronic intelligence and for modest-cost, quickly deployable communications and television relay or scientific observa­tion. (Klass, Av Wk, 1/8/73, 36, 39)

The U.S.S.R. had decreed the death penalty for aircraft hijackers in a new law "to make air navigation safer and to improve protection of the lives and health of the passengers and crews," Aviation Week & Space Technology reported. (Av Wk, 1/8/73, 21)

Aviation Week & Space Technology editorial praised Soviet aircraft designer Andrey N. Tupolev, who died Dec. 23, 1972: "His warmth, intense and lively professional curiosity and sense of humor did much to open channels of communication between the secrecy-shrouded and isolated Russian aerospace industry and the West." Until close to his death "he was still the gracious host to foreign technicians at his experimental facility outside Moscow." Tupolev had "escorted astro­naut Neil [A.] Armstrong around his supersonic transport prototype in 1970.” (Hotz, Av Wk, 1/8/73, 9)

January 8-10: The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics held its 9th Annual Meeting and Technical Display in Washington, D.C. Langley Research Center Director Edgar M. Cortright was General Chairman. LaRC Director for Space Eugene S. Love delivered 1972 von Karman Lecture, "Advanced Technology and the space shuttle." Lecture discussed shuttle development, need to maintain 'aggressive advanced research and technology programs independent of near-term needs of major systems, and future transport systems that would blend successful shuttle development technology with nonshuttle technology advancements that could be accomplished within the current decade.

Guest speaker Sen. Lowell P. Weicker, Jr. (R-Conn.), criticized Administration budget policies that had affected NASA programs and gone "far beyond the space program." Policies implied "cutback and stand-still philosophy." Sen. Weicker was "concerned over the recently announced White House directed NASA cuts but I'm much more con­cerned about the leadership of this nation . . . playing to our lowest, most immediate desires rather than our- highest future potential." Apollo 17 had been "15 years in the making and thousands of years in the future will benefit." Vietnam war "in 10 years has undone 200 years of building the American image and contributed not one year to the American dream."

Dr. Holt Ashley, Director of Exploratory Research and Problems Assessment in the Office of Research Applications of National Science Foundation, was installed as 1973 AIAA President.

AIAA presented the Daniel Guggenheim Medal posthumously to Wil­liam C. Mentzer, Senior Vice President for Engineering and Mainte­nance with United Air Lines, Inc., for "many-fold accomplishments in airline engineering, maintenance, and economic disciplines, which accomplishments contributed significantly to the achievement of today's civil air transportation system."

The Elmer A. Sperry Award was presented to Leonard S. Hobbs and Perry W. Pratt, United Aircraft Corp. engineering executives, for "their contributions to the development of turbojet engines."

The History Manuscript Contest award of certificate and $500 was given to Dr. Richard K. Smith for First Across-U.S. Navy Trans­atlantic Flight of 1919. Section Special Event Award went to AIAA Houston Section for the public relations program "Down to Earth Space Program Applications."

The De Florez Training Award was presented to James W. Campbell, Special Assistant, General Aviation Accident Prevention Program, Flight Standards Service of Federal Aviation Administration, for out­standing contributions to improving the skill and knowledge of flight instructors throughout the general-aviation community. The John Jeffries Award was presented to Roger G. Ireland of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Dept. of the Navy, for "outstanding efforts and achievements, over a long time span, in improving the flight safety of aerospace flight personnel, particularly in the areas of life support and rescue systems."

The Robert M. Losey Award was given to George H. Fichtl of Marshall Space Flight Center Aerospace Environment Div. for "original work in the definition and interpretation of atmospheric wind environ­ments for the design and operation of aeronautical systems." The Sylvanus Albert Reed Award was presented to I. Edward Garrick, Chief Mathematical Scientist at LaRC, for "outstanding contributions in the areas of aeroelasticity, structural dynamics, noise, flutter, and landing dynamics of aerospace vehicles.” (AIAA Release; AIAA Bull, 1/73; Program; CR, 1/18/73, S985)

January 8-12: The Civil Service Commission held an intensive equal em­ployment opportunity (EEO) evaluation review at Marshall Space Flight Center to eliminate any discrimination practices and to ascertain that the Center had an affirmative action program. Similar reviews would be conducted at Ames, Kennedy, Langley, and Manned Spacecraft Centers. (NASA Activities, 2/15/73, 34)

January 8-23: The U.S.S.R. launched its Luna 21 unmanned lunar probe from Baykonur Cosmodrome at 11:55 am local time (1:55 am EST). The "automatic station" was separated from the "satellite" in earth orbit and placed on a close to the planned trajectory for the moon. Tass said the purpose of the mission was to "further scientific studies of the moon and near-lunar space." During the flight to the moon all systems were reported functioning normally. On Jan. 12 Luna 21 entered lunar orbit with 110-km (68.4-mi) apolune, 90-km (55.9-mi) perilune, 1-hr 58-min period, and 60° inclination. Orbital corrections were made Jan. 13 and 14 and on Jan. 14 the spacecraft was placed in an elliptical orbit with a low point of 16 km (10 mi) from the moon's surface.

Luna 21 softlanded on the eastern fringe of the Sea of Serenity Jan. 16 (Jan. 15 EST) and released the 840-kg (1850-1b) self-propelled Lunokhod 2 vehicle to make scientific investigations of the moon's surface. Lunokhod 2 resembled its predecessor, Lunokhod 1 (placed on the moon Nov. 17, 1970, by Luna 17). It carried flags, pennants with Lenin's bas relief, state coat of arms, and the inscription "50th An­niversary of the U.S.S.R." and was equipped with a control system, radio and TV devices, and scientific instruments including a French­made laser reflector. The reflector was designed to measure the distance between the earth and the moon to within 20-30 cm (10-12 in).

Between Jan. 16 and Jan. 23 Lunokhod 2, powered by solar batteries and controlled from the ground by a special crew, photographed the lunar soil, rocks, and panoramic moonscape; determined chemical composition of the surface layer; measured the glow of zodiacal light near sun; and looked for cosmic dust. A highly skilled ground crew maneuvered vehicle over the shortest and safest routes, orienting it to a complex relief map of route. Lunokhod 2 was turned to bypass ob­stacles without decreasing speed. On Jan. 23 Lunokhod 2 was com­manded to terminate operations in preparation for lunar night.

Luna 17 was the first unmanned spacecraft to land on the moon and deploy an automatic lunar explorer. The last mission in the series, the unmanned Luna 20 (launched Feb. 14, 1972), had landed on the moon and returned to earth with lunar samples. (GSFC SSR, 1/31/73; Tass FBIS-SOV, 1/8/73, L1; 1/15-19/73, LI; 1/22-23/73, Ll; 1/26/73, 4; SBD, 1/9/73, 38; Shabad, NYT, 1/17/73, C14)

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