Jan 25 1977
From The Space Library
MSFC announced selection of a Huntsville, Ala., firm for award of its largest contract to a minority business under the Small Business Act. Robinson Printing Co. would receive $998 474 to provide reproduction, documentation, and photographic services for the Michoud Assembly Facility at New Orleans; the cost-plus-fixed-fee contract would be for 1yr with two 1yr renewal options. Robinson would be one of four minority firms working at Michoud under MSFC contract. (MSFC Release 77-12)
MSFC announced that four of its engineers had received awards conferred by the Soviet Union for participating in the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project of 1975. Dr. William R. Lucas, director of MSFC, presented the S. Korolev medal to Harold Ledford (now of the Shuttle projects office) for "outstanding management and technical proficiency as chief engineer for science and engineering" from beginning to end of the ASTP.
The USSR also sent Yuri A. Gagarin diplomas for "exemplary leadership" to three engineers who had chaired stress-corrosion review teams after prelaunch inspection of the long stored Saturn IB launch vehicle revealed a cracked fin. The teams had investigated all launch stages and associated hardware, independently assessing use of corrosion susceptible materials. Jewel W. Moody's review team and a Chrysler Corp. team assessed flightworthiness of the Saturn IB; Charles E. Cataldo's team, with personnel from McDonnell Douglas and the Rocketdyne Division of Rockwell, investigated the S-IVB stage and rocket engines used on the various launch stages to assure they were flightworthy; and Paul H. Schuerer's team, with personnel from IBM and the Bendix Corp., assessed flightworthiness of the Saturn instrument unit and inertial-guidance platform. (MSFC Release 77-13)
The Natl. Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced plans to use a new tool-satellite pictures-in establishing hunting regulations for Canada geese and other arctic-nesting game birds. Wildlife managers in Canada and the U.S. would use imagery from the NOAA 5 polar-orbiting satellite, showing snow and ice conditions in traditional nesting areas too remote for on-site inspection, to monitor habitat conditions.
Identification of probable areas of catastrophic or outstanding goose production would enable managers to impose restrictions to prevent overkill of birds or to bring the populations to levels suitable for hunting. Factors affecting the nesting of arctic geese would include the timely disappearance of snow and ice, and availability of melt water to allow rearing of young; late seasons or adverse weather could prevent nesting or reduce clutch or brood sizes. (Dept. of Commerce/NOAA Release 77-13)
Timothy Leary, once described by the media as "high priest of LSD," visited Washington, D.C., on behalf of his latest enthusiasm, space migration, according to a story in the Washington Star. Leary, at his first press conference in 7yr, described "a raging epidemic of hope in this country" and said it was time to find anew frontier. He wanted his support taken seriously, and cited the studies by Gerard K. O’Neill of Princeton Univ. and those of the L-5 Society. "Soon people will find it cheaper to build a new world than to fight over an old one," he added. When would space migration become a reality? "Ten years after people stop laughing about it," Leary replied. (W Star, Jan 25/77, D-3)
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