Feb 14 1973

From The Space Library

Selection of four firms to negotiate contracts to study systems for the space tug (space shuttle 3rd stage) was announced by Marshall Space Flight Center. General Dynamics Corp. Convair Aerospace Div. and McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co. each would perform a 10-mo study of a cryogenic tug using liquid-hydrogen and liquid-oxygen pro­pellants.

Grumman Aerospace Corp. and Martin Marietta Corp. would perform parallel studies of tug using storable propellants. (NASA Release 73-24)

The U.S.S.R. weather ship Priboy and special I1-18 aircraft arrived in the Bering Sea to take part in the first U.S.S.R-U.S. research expedition [see Jan. 22]. Priboy and I1-18 would meet in the area of Saint Matthew Island with a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker and NASA Convair 990 air­craft to begin the expedition Feb. 17. (Tass, FBIS-Sov, 2/16/73, L3)

Cancellation of U.K.'s Hovertrain program was announced by Michael R. D. Heseltine, Minister of Aerospace and Shipping. The project was canceled after 41/2 yrs and $12-million development cost because of the excessive expenditures necessary to bring the Hovertrain to a competi­tive status and because of a lack of a foreseeable market. (Arbose, NYT, 2/18/73, 76)

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