May 21 1971
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
Draft treaty to establish new organization to operate worldwide comsat system was approved by 73 of 79 nations holding membership in INTELSAT. Key provisions of treaty included creation of new policy-making board of governors on which U.S. control would shrink from 52% to 40%, appointment of new director general to assume control of INTELSAT system currently operated by ComSatCorp, new six-year contract with ComSatCorp for continued operation and technical management of INTELSAT system, and limitation of board of governors to 12 nations that used INTELSAT most. Board actions on important matters were to require two-thirds vote. No single nation nor any three-nation group would be able to block decision under board's consideration. Agreement could be amended either by two thirds of members holding two thirds of investment or by 85% of members holding 45% of investment. Signatories would meet every year to determine membership shares on which seats on board would be based. Following approval of agreement, President Nixon said: ". .. this kind of breakthrough, through which it will be possible to have instant communication around the world, will reduce the ignorance. It will increase the information. It will reduce those areas of difference which exist because of ignorance and lack of information to a minimum." (W Star, 5/21/71; PD, 5/24/71, 786-7; INTELSAT PIO )
President Nixon presented National Medal of Science to nine scientists in White House ceremony. Recipients, announced Jan. 27, included Dr. George E. Mueller, Senior Vice President of General Dynamics Corp. and former NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight. (PD, 5/24/71, 784)
Dr. Donald L. Holmquest, scientist-astronaut selected in August 1967, had been granted one-year leave from NASA for teaching and medical research at Baylor Univ. School of Medicine in Houston, NASA announced. Dr. Holmquest would pursue "sub- specialty studies in the field of nuclear medicine in addition to general medical research and research related to NASA programs, such as a more convenient method of measuring changes in body calcium." He would return to astronaut program May 15, 1972. (MSC Release 71-73)
Senate voted 27 to 25 to adopt conference report on H.R. 8190, supplemental FY 1972 appropriations bill. Report deleted $58.5 million for refunds to airlines from SST termination funds. (CR, 5/21/71, S7593-7697, S7610-20)
William M. Magruder, Director of SST Development for DOT, told press in Washington, D.C., that Ataka and Co. of Japan had suggested it could obtain financing of $500 million or more from major Japanese industrial concerns to resurrect SST program. In return Ataka would become 50% partner in enterprise. On May 23, however, Ataru Takizawa, Vice President of Ataka and Co., said in Tokyo there was no truth to report that his firm made exploratory proposal to revive U.S. SST program. (Aug, W Star, 5/22/71; AP, W Post, 5/23/71)
U.S.-sponsored resources survey of Jamaica, in which NASA provided C-130 aircraft [see April 16], had been described as among most complete and efficient jobs accomplished in air and ground data gathering, MSC Roundup reported. Allen H. Watkins, MSC Manager of Earth Observations Aircraft Program, had said 95% of data acquisition objectives had been achieved in "most complete ground truthing that the aircraft program has ever experienced." (MSC Roundup, 5/21/71, 1)
Boeing Co. Chairman William M. Allen received National Transportation Award of silver bowl from Vice President Spiro T. Agnew during Washington, D.C., ceremonies. Award was for Boeing's construction of 747 jumbo jet aircraft. (AP, B Sun, 5/22/71)
FAA said air traffic congestion had eased sufficiently at New York's Kennedy International Airport to permit suspension of hourly limits on landings and takeoffs that it imposed in 1969. Flight quotas would probably be removed after June 15. (Lindsey, NYT, 5/22/71, 54:3)
New York Times editorial commented on NASA under new Administrator, Dr. James C. Fletcher: "The task of reversing NASA's downhill course will not be easy, but there are grounds for believing that this period of doldrums can be overcome. It will help . . . if the agency's efforts in respect to Mariner 9 and Apollo 15 succeed as planned." Two forces at work suggested "NASA may yet recapture some of the public support and interest which evaporated after its first spectacular Apollo flights to the moon's surface. One is the capability of satellites to survey the earth with an efficiency never before known. . . . Beyond this there is the promising possibility of use of space research as a means of encouraging international cooperation. . . over the next decade NASA may make its most important contribution as an instrument for demonstrating that men and women from many nations and many ideologies can work together for the benefit of all the earth." (NYT, 5/21/71, 23)
New York Times editorial praised end of SST: "This action expresses a sound sense of national priority and of concern with ecological values. It also exposes last week's surprise vote in the House to revive the SST as a political power play that reflects no credit on the leadership of either party. To reopen a major issue without advance warning to opponents was highhanded; to do so without getting up- to-date cost estimates from the Boeing Company was frivolous." (NYT, 5/21/71)
May 21-22: Application of laminar air-flow techniques in medical surgery was discussed during symposium on Clean Room Technology in Surgery Suites at KSC. (NASA Special Release 5/14/71; KSC PAO)
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