Feb 2 1973
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, discussed NASA's outlook for the future in a letter to the NASA staff: "I regret that we have not been able to stabilize NASA's budget at about the $3.4 billion level . . and that our reduced program workload necessitates a further reduction in . . . NASA employees. I am pleased, though, that we can proceed with most of our mainline programs and schedules for this decade with little change." With the May launch of Skylab "we should be able to give the world a very impressive demonstration of the tremendous new capabilities we now have for using manned and unmanned spacecraft in Earth orbit. I believe that Skylab will awaken public interest throughout the world in the usefulness of scientific and practical observations to be made from Earth orbit, and in the `space manufacturing experiments. I am also confident that the reports from Pioneer 10 as it swings past Jupiter in December will stimulate strong public interest in expanded programs to explore the planets. Our joint flight with the Russians in 1975 will stress the potential of large-scale international cooperation in space. The Viking Lander on Mars may produce the first evidence of life in the universe beyond the confines of our home planet Earth; and it may suggest to Americans the real potential of space exploration as a continuing and expanding activity during our third century as an independent and democratic nation." Dr. Fletcher forecast a favorable NASA future: "With another year of excellent performance in 1973 like we had in 1972, and continued strong bi-partisan support in Congress, this forecast is bound to become a reality" (NASA Activities, 2/15/73, 26-8)
The U.S.-U.S.S.R. Working Group on Interplanetary Exploration released a statement following a weeklong meeting in Moscow. Scientists had met to analyze data about the Mars surface and atmosphere for selection of future landing sites for unmanned spacecraft. They also had discussed new results from exploration of Venus by Venus 8 (launched by U.S.S.R. March 27, 1972) and earth-based optical and radio measurements. Recommendations for cooperation would be announced when confirmed by both sides [see March 5]. The Group had been established under a NASA and Soviet Academy of Sciences agreement of January 1971. U.S. scientists were led by Dr. S. Ichtiaque Rasool, Deputy Director of Planetary Programs in NASA's Office of Space Science. Soviet participants were headed by Academician Georgy I. Petrov, Director of the Institute of Space Research. (NASA Release 73-20)
The Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences approved a favorable report on S.J.R. 37-to change the name of NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center at Houston, Tex., to Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center-after hearing testimony from Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator. (CR, 2/2/73, D71)
A new satellite series, Intelsat IVA would begin service in mid-1975 to expand and improve communications capacity among nations, ComSatCorp announced. The new series would double capacity by reusing frequencies for the first time by beam separation. The series would replace the global system of Intelsat IV satellites jointly owned with International Telecommunications Satellite Consortium, in which ComSatCorp held the major interest. Since Early Bird (Intelsat I, launched April 9, 1965), satellites had expanded and improved world communications until, to date, there were 251 pathways among 80 antennas at 65 stations in 49 countries. Two thirds of all long-distance communications were via satellite. (ComSatCorp Release 73-5')
The European Launcher Development Organization (ELDO) Council, meeting in Paris, agreed to defer its final decision on the fate of the Europa II launcher until a further meeting, scheduled for March 30. France advocated continuing the project to provide a launch vehicle for communications satellites. West Germany said it desired to leave the Europa program. (SF, 4/73, 212)
Four sounding rockets in a series of six [see Jan. 30 and Feb. 8] were launched in Canada to investigate growth and decay of aurora phenomena. NASA launched two Super Arcas sounding rockets from Churchill Research Range carrying a Univ. of Houston payload to supplement investigation of auroral zone disturbances, with emphasis on the explosive phase of auroral substorms, and to study auroral phenomena in the region of atmosphere above that investigated by balloons and below the altitude investigated by rockets. The first rocket reached 84-km (52.2-mi) altitude. Probable parachute-system malfunction caused rapid descent and rendered most data unusable. The second reached 81.2-km (50.5-mi) altitude; rocket and instrumentation performed satisfactorily. The Canadian National Research Council launched two Black Brants. A Black Brant IIIB launched from Gillam, Manitoba, carried a 63.5-kg (140.0-1b) payload to 191.7 km (119.1 mi) to investigate plasma properties of upper-atmosphere radio aurora plasma. Black Brant VB launched from Churchill Research Range carried a 175-kg (386-1b) Univ. of Belgium payload to 325 km (202 mi) to investigate the expansive phase of an aurora storm. Both rockets and instrumentation performed satisfactorily. The third Black Brant was postponed because of dissipation of the aurora substorm into which it was to be launched [see Feb. 8]. (NASA Rpts SRL; NRC prog off)
ERTS 1 Earth Resources 'Technology Satellite (launched by NASA July 23, 1972) was "important tool" to facilitate better management of the earth "that has not received appropriate recognition," a Science editorial said. Many investigators, selected from 600 research proposals, were studying its images. (Of 310 proposals accepted, 100 were from scientists of foreign nations.) "Policy with respect to distribution of pictures is one of complete openness. Nationals of any country are free to purchase them at a nominal cost." Canada was operating its own ERTS 1 receivers; Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela were moving toward establishing their earth stations. "The Brazilians are particularly enthusiastic about ERTS, for it is giving them a first look at much of the Amazon valley. Their enthusiasm is likely to be contagious, and other developing countries will find ERTS a valuable source of many kinds of information.” (Abelson, Science, 2/2/73, 431; NASA OA)
The National Science Foundation released An Analysis of Federal R&D Funding by Function: FY 1963-73 (NSF 72-313). Federal expenditures for research and development were expected to grow faster than total Federal outlays in FY 1973 for the first time since FY 1965. Between FY 1972 and 1973 R&D expenditures were expected to rise 3.6%, with total outlays up 2.6%. The Federal R&D percentage of the total was expected to be 7.3% in FY 1973. Of total outlays for space research and technology, 98% was expected to go toward R&D, but the R&D share of the total outlay for international affairs and finance, veterans benefits and services, general government, and income security would be less than 1%. Functions other than national defense and space R&T had increased emphasis on R&D significantly 1963-1973, from 10% to an expected 23%. The trend toward more civilian oriented programs within the Federal R&D total was continuing, with an expected rise of 2% between 1972 and 1973. (Text)
The Air Force announced the award of $13 974 000 firm-fixed-price-incentive contract to Boeing Co. for Minuteman force modernization for FY 1973. (DOD Release 61-73)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
