Mar 9 1973

From The Space Library

The Air Force launched an unidentified satellite by Titan IIID launch vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base into orbit with 263-km (163.4-mi) apogee, 152-km (94.5-mi) perigee, 88.6-min period, and 95.7° inclination. The satellite reentered May 19. (GSFC SSR, 3/31/73,; 5/31/73; NYT, 3/10/73, 31)

Photo-mapping of Mars by Mariner 9 (launched May 30, 1971) had re­vealed multiple circular features surrounding both poles which might indicate that the Martian north and south poles had moved, California Institute of Technology scientists reported in Science. Some of the concentric patterns were centered on points displaced from the present north and south poles of Mars, implying that these were ancient po­sitions of the poles and testifying to a slow drift of the Martian spin axis. Such a drift of the earth axis could explain the evidence for radical climate changes in the past-fossil coral reefs in Greenland and fossil forests in the South Pole-and revive the debate with scientists who believed the climate changes were due to the constant moving of the earth's continents and oceans. (Murray, Malin, Science, 3/9/73, 997­999)

The Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight transmitted space shuttle­Skylab, 1973: Status Report (dated January 1973) to its parent House Committee on 'Science and Astronautics. The report covered the transi­tion from detailed design to development phase of NASA's shuttle pro­gram (in which the first manned flight was planned for 1978) and the updated cost, performance, and status of the Skylab program (to be completed in 1973). The Subcommittee concluded that technology and resources existed for successful development of the NASA configu­ration for an earth-orbital shuttle and that the shuttle design Would per­mit the total development cost to stay Within $5.15 billion and the per-flight operational cost within $10.5 million, Success in meeting this cost was "particularly sensitive" to the cost of the hydrogen-oxygen tanks and an acceptable recoverable and refurbishment cost of the solid-fueled rocket boosters. Space tug development was "of key im­portance to gaining full utility of the space shuttle." Development of a low-cost space shuttle system Was essential "if the nation is to realize the full benefits of near space in . . .scientific exploration, practical application, and national security."

The Skylab program was within costs projected by NASA for FY 1973. Development schedules were being met "with some problems be­ing encountered in procuring and integrating experiments." NASA was recommended to consider the possibility of flying Skylab in the 1974­1976 period and also possible Skylab revisits after the first three manned missions. (Text)

The 16th Annual Goddard Memorial Dinner was held in Washington, D.C., with Apollo 17 Astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, Ronald E. Evans, and Dr. Harrison H. Schmitt among the honored guests. The Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Trophy was presented to Dr. George M. Low, NASA Deputy Administrator. The citation read: "To the Honorable George M. Low who has held key positions in the space program since its beginning, and has played a vital role in putting men into space and later, on the moon. Among Dr. Low's outstanding contributions was, as acting NASA Administrator in 1971, the negotiation of the space agreement with the Soviet Union which provided the foundation for the Apollo/Soyuz flight in 1975 and other joint space endeavors."

The National Space Club Press Award was presented to Ralph Morse of Life magazine for "his ingenuity in photographically interpreting the dynamics of the United States Space Program and for his resource­fulness in portraying the human experience in its larger dimension." The Astronautics Engineer Award went to Wilfred E. Scull of Goddard Space Flight Center for "outstanding leadership-from decision to fruition-of the Earth Resources Technology Satellite Project." The Nelson P. Jackson Aerospace Award was presented to The General Electric Co. for "outstanding accomplishment" as prime contractor to NASA for the Earth Resources Technology Satellite and ground data handling system. (Program)

Chairman Maurice M. Levy of the European Space Research Organization Council described steps to complete plans for European participa­tion in the space shuttle program, during FY 1974 NASA authorization hearings before the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences: "The ESRO Council has already approved the text of an agree­ment laying down the arrangements under which the Spacelab [sortie lab] will be developed, first in ESRO and subsequently within the Euro­pean Space Agency which, in conformity with the decisions taken in Brussels, is expected to be set up in 1974. This agreement is open for signature between March 1 and the end of July. It will probably be implemented very shortly." A technical agreement would have to be negotiated between NASA and ESRO as to Spacelab's procurement and its integration into the space shuttle. A second agreement between gov­ernments would be necessary to cover commitments for nonduplication of efforts, the possibility of transferring technology to other European programs, access to the whole shuttle system, and the availability of conventional launch vehicles.

M/G Robert H. Curtin (USAF, Ret.), NASA Director of Facilities, testified that the $$.9-million budget request for space shuttle facility planning-in addition to $67.2 million for shuttle facility modification projects-included studies, engineering support, and preliminary engi­neering reports for upcoming projects and the final design for the pending FY 1975 facility needs. "This specific final design, when ac­complished, will essentially complete facility design for the shuttle ground test program, the early and initial phase of Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) production and test facilities," and the pads and mobile launchers at the Kennedy Space Center. (Transcript; Text)

Microwave measurements of the atmosphere of Venus were described by Univ. of California scientists in Science. Two sets of passive radio ob­servations--measurements of the spectrum of the disc temperature near the 1-cm wavelength and interferometric measurements of the planetary limb darkening at the 1.35-cm water vapor resonance-had shown no evidence of water vapor in the lower atmosphere of Venus. The upper limit for the mixing ratio of water vapor to dry air was substantially less than the amounts derived from the Venus probes. The amount of water vapor could not produce dense clouds nor con­tribute significantly to a greenhouse effect. (Janssen et al., Science, 3/9/73,994-996)

Problems of the European space program were described in a Science article by Dominique Verguese of Paris Le Monde. Since 1964 the European Space Research Organization and the European Launcher Development Organization had spent $1 billion on space. One third had been used for the successful launchings of seven satellites but the remainder had been spent on an expensive and yet unsuccessful booster. Interest in the booster had dissipated despite the French desire to con­tinue and the offer to pay for 60% to 70% of the costs.

At two European conferences on space (December 1971 and Decem­ber 1972) plans were made to merge ELDO and ESRO into a single agency and to allow member nations to cooperate with NASA on build­ing a sortie lab for the space shuttle. France had threatened to leave ESRO unless more emphasis was placed on applications satellites and ESRO closed its plasma laboratory in Italy and its sounding rocket range in Sweden. France had also insisted that more use be made of national facilities and teams rather than ESRO's technical center.

Final agreements and objectives on a European applications satellite could not be made because of the conflicting interests of each nation. Nor could it be decided what role national programs should play. But Europe had successfully launched 26 satellites and had acquired an industrial competence which could easily provide a firm basis for more ambitious projects. (Science, 3/9/73, 984-986)

Experiments by international groups using the intersecting storage rings of the European Nuclear Research Center (CERN) on the Swiss-French border had shown that protons grow when accelerated to great energy, the New York Times reported. New questions were raised as to what would happen within the nucleus of an atom that was packed with protons and neutrons and subjected to high-energy acceleration. Ex­periments had indicated that the proton-once thought a homogenous building block of the atomic nucleus-harbored processes and forces yet to be discovered. (Sullivan, NYT, 3/9/73, 1)

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