Jan 10 1973

From The Space Library

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics held its honors night banquet in conjunction with the Jan. 8-10 9th Annual Meeting and Technical Display and Jan. 10-12 11th Aerospace Sciences Meeting. AIAA Fellows inducted included Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator; Director Bruce T. Lundin of Lewis Research Center (LeRC) ; and Harris M. Schurmeier, Manager of the proposed 1977 Jupiter-Saturn mission at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. AIAA presented the Louis W. Hill Space Transportation Award to Dr. Richard H. Battin, Director of Apollo Mission Development, and David G. Hoag, Director of Apollo Guidance and Navigation, both of Charles Stark Draper Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The citation was for "leadership in the hardware and software design of the Apollo spacecraft primary control, guidance and navigation system which first demonstrated the feasibility of on-board autonomous space navigation during the historic flight of Apollo 8."

The G. Edward Pendray Award was presented to Marcus F. Heidman, aerospace research engineer, and Dr. Richard Priem, Head of the Rocket Combustion Section of LeRC Chemical Research Div., for con­tributions to the literature in the field of liquid rocket combustion, particularly on performance and instability criteria for liquid motor design. The Lawrence Sperry Award was presented to Sheila E. Widnall, Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, for "con­tributions to the understanding of vortex flows in wing wakes, aerody­namic noise and lifting surface theory." The Spacecraft Design Award went to Grumman Aerospace Corp. Vice President Thomas J. Kelly for his contribution to the design, development, production, and opera­tion of the lunar module.

The AIAA Space Science Award was presented to Dr. Paul W. Gast, Chief of Manned Spacecraft Center Planetary and Earth Sciences Div., for "significant scientific accomplishment resulting from his examina­tion of material returned from the lunar surface. His precise measure­ments of lunar sample elements by the stable isotope dilution method has been one of the most outstanding scientific achievements in lunar science." The Goddard Award was given to Dr. Edward S. Taylor, Pro­fessor Emeritus of MIT, for continuous contributions to the advancement of air-breathing propulsion over 45 yrs, "as designer, inventor, re­searcher, teacher, advisor and as founder and leader of a major educa­tional and research center of aircraft engine activity." The von Karman Lecture Award was presented to Director for Space Eugene S. Love of Langley Research Center. (Program)

Scientists at an unidentified Soviet laboratory had reported successful con­version of hydrogen gas into metal, the New York Times said. In letter to the Soviet Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics, scientists had said a cylindrical charge of a high explosive had driven a projectile into a compression chamber filled with liquid hydrogen. At a pressure 2.8 million times that of the atmosphere at sea level, the density of hy­drogen had jumped from 1.08 to 1.30 g per cu cm (from 0.04 to 0.05 lb per cu in), indicating conversion to a metallic state. Hydrogen as metal, hitherto unknown on earth, was thought by scientists to be the chief con­stituent of the planets Jupiter and Saturn and was expected to have su­perconducting characteristics. (Sullivan, NYT, 1/10/73, 3:23)

The Air Force announced issuance of a $1358 695, firm-fixed-price con­tract to McDonnell Douglas Corp. for special tooling for F-4 jet fighter aircraft. (DOD Release 20-73)

January 10-12: The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics held its 11th Aerospace Sciences Meeting in Washington, D.C. The Dry­den Research Award winner for 1973, Dr. Herbert Friedman of the Naval Research Laboratory Space Sciences Div., delivered the Dryden Lecture "High Energy Astronomy." The lecture, which carried $1000 honorarium, had been named in 1967 in honor of the late Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, first NASA Deputy Administrator, who died in 1965. Dr. Friedman said high-energy astronomy was "almost exclusively the subject of space research." X-ray astronomy to date had revealed about 125 dis­crete sources and a "diffuse background which spans the energy range from 100 ev to tens of Mev." X-ray sources revealed included supernova remnants, pulsars, and binary systems in the galaxy. Extragalactic sources included radio galaxies, quasars, Seyfert galaxies, and clusters of galaxies. Gamma ray astronomy had shown "no evidence for anti­matter within the universe.” (Program; Text)

A committee established by AIAA to evaluate NASA's space shuttle pro­gram reported its conclusion that a shuttle system, including both manned and unmanned flight, ought to be built. The committee recom­mended a research and applications module system with interchangeable modules that could be removed in space to become part of an orbiting laboratory. Other nations should be encouraged to participate in shuttle development, the committee said. (Tech Rev, 5/73, 55)

Advanced applications of the shuttle were discussed by J. E. Blahnik of Science Applications, Inc., and D. R. Davis of ITT Research Institute. An exploratory study had concluded that use of the shuttle orbiter for advanced, manned, high-energy missions from low earth orbit should be competitive with other proposed concepts, if orbital and refueling re­quirements were satisfied by using normal shuttle missions to deliver propellant in addition to their payload. (Program)

January 10-13:- The American Astronomical Society met in Las Cruces, N. Mex. Cal Tech astronomer Dr. Robert Howard said six-year observa­tions through the 46-m (150-ft) solar telescope at Mt. Wilson Observa­tory had shown sections of the sun's outer atmosphere to be in motion with respect to time. Movements had extended to 259 000 sq km (100 000 sq mi) of photosphere-the sun's gassy surface-and had appeared to be east-west or west-east. Some motions had been calculated at 6257 km per hr (3888 mph) ; others, at 7300 km per hr (4536 mph). Cause and significance of the motion were unknown. At a press interview Dr. John C. Brandt, chief of the Goddard Space Flight Center Solar Physics Laboratory, said Indians in New Mexico, Arizona, and California nine centuries ago might have recorded a star explosion. Drawings on walls and ceilings of a cave at Chaco Canyon National Monument, N. Mex., closely resembled an explosion of July 4, 1054, as recorded by the Chinese. Similar drawings had been found in Arizona and California. (Alexander, LA Times, 1/11/73; AP, W Post, 1/14/73, A13)

• 1973
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