Feb 7 1968

From The Space Library

NASA Nike-Cajun sounding rocket launched from WSMR carried special parachute and payload to 41.7-mi (67-km) altitude to test parachute deployment at high altitude and to determine ozone distribu­tion in 12- to 40-mi (20- to 65-km) region. Rocket and instruments performed satisfactorily; parachute deployed at approximately 216,000 ft. Recovery attempts, initially unsuccessful because of 65-mi off-range drift, would be continued in attempt to recover onboard camera. (NASA Rpt SRL)

President's authorization request for NASA's FY 1969 budget was presented by NASA Administrator James E. Webb to House Committee on Science and Astronautics. At $4.37 billion, authorization request was $700 million below FY 1968 request, almost $500 million less than FY 1968 authorization, and $200 million below FY 1968 appropriation. Webb stated; "NASA's expenditures for FY 1969 will be down $230 million from this year, $850 million below last year, and $1.3 billion less than in FY 1966. The NASA program has been cut. I hope you will decide it has been cut enough and will approve the full amount recommended by the President. "The FY 1969 request does not meet at all our Nation's needs in aeronautics and space. It is a compromise-one which I fully support-between needed work toward advances in aeronautics and space which we can and should make, and other overriding requirements. . . . During this period when we are reducing our effort by one-third the U.S.S.R. is still increasing its effort. . . . In terms of scientific advance and in applications of immediate economic use, such as meteorological and communications systems, our program has contributed more than theirs. But in terms of the use of large launch vehicles and in the rate of which future greater capabilities are being developed they are and will remain ahead, at our 1969 budget level. The hard fact we now face is that just as we have begun to catch up in large-scale booster opera­tions . . . we are cutting back our program while they continue to advance." He listed guidelines within "necessary fiscal constraints," which determined decisions on FY 1969 program and budget estimates. NASA would continue 1968 operating plan for Apollo program while using all-up test concept for Saturn V and Apollo. Complete success in all remain­ing eight Saturn V flights would be needed for manned lunar landing by "end of 1969." NASA would reduce numbers of Saturn IB and V and work out with DOD future requirements for large launch vehicles under "sharply limited" launch program. Launch of Saturn I Workshop in 1970 would be interim step toward Saturn V Workshop and would be coordinated with later launch of Apollo Telescope Mount. "Practically all" programs had been stretched out, and a number of projects would be phased out. Scope of new starts would be reduced, with NERVA I replacing larger NERVA it and "less costly Mariner class spacecraft" replacing Voyager mission. Urgent activities would be expanded in aeronautics and in space applications, for example, noise reduction, VTOL and STOL, air­craft for remote measurement of earth resources, and Nimbus D for charting atmosphere parameters. NASA Centers would be reorganized "to retain . . . after reductions [in work force] are made, a limited but strong and well-balanced team of scientists, engineers, program and project managers." Webb responded to questions: "There are no signs that the Soviets are cutting back as we are. New test and launch facilities are steadily added . . . and a number of spaceflight systems more advanced than any heretofore used are nearing completion." Webb forecast Soviet booster with thrust greater than that of Saturn V, resumption of manned space flights, and landing of Soviet instrument packages on Mars in 1969 and 1971. Budget reductions in FY 1968 had compelled revisions, reduc­tions, delays and cancellations in NASA programs. "We can conduct a viable and useful program at these lower levels, but it will be a sharply reduced one." Despite reductions allowing almost no flexibility to work around problems, "we still have the possibility of making the lunar landing before 1970." (CR, 2/7/68, H926-7; 2/12/68, E708-9)

Testimony on NASA's FY 1969 Budget request was presented to House Committee on Science and Astronautics by three NASA Associate Ad­ministrators. NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications, Dr. John E. Naugle, presented OSSA's budget for "an austere program for the immediate future," yet one that would make "effective use in the years ahead of the capabilities we have developed in the past decade" and that would advance scientific knowledge and useful appli­cations. "New starts are at a minimum," he said, "but if this budget request is approved, we can continue the most useful of our on-going programs, we can avoid abandoning the field of planetary exploration, and we can hold together teams and capabilities to meet future national needs. . . . " Authorization request for OSSA for 1969 was for $538.2 million, $14.7 million below FY 1968 operating plan, with "the de­crease . . . primarily in the Lunar and Planetary Programs budget, reflecting the completion of the initial automated phase of lunar ex­ploration and cancellation of Voyager." Space applications budget request had increased for FY 1969 (to $112.2 million) because of "demonstrated value of communications and meteorological programs and the potential value of applying space technology on a global basis." NASA Associate Administrator for Advanced Research and Technology, Dr. Mac C. Adams, described OART program as "the key to tomorrow's leadership in aeronautics and space." He explained: ". . our FY 69 budget request for the R&D line items . . . is $336,800,000, up 5.7 per­cent over FY 68. The increase is primarily due to increases in effort on aircraft technology [up to $10.1 million] and nuclear rockets [up $6 million]. . , . Major changes also included more v/STOL research, noise research for subsonic jets, and development of NERVA I nuclear rocket engine at thrust level of 75,000 lb. NASA Associate Administrator for Tracking and Data Acquisition Gerald M. Truszynski presented FY 1969 budget request of $304.8 million for R&D and $21.8 million for construction of facilities and reported that "50 satellites by the end of 1968" would be supported by network while "some 16 new missions" would be launched in FY 1969. For FY 1969, "the great majority of funds requested will be directed toward operating and maintaining present network capability. Much of the existing equipment has been operated almost continuously for at least eight years and must be refurbished or replaced." Construction of facilities budget would fund: two 210-ft-dia antennas for Spain and Australia; power generating plant for Fairbanks, Alaska, tracking station; and Sunblazer antenna. (Testimony)

NASA awarded Boeing Co. $3,226,374 supplement to its Saturn V systems engineering and integration effort, bringing this portion of Boeing's three-part Saturn V contract to $194.8-million total. Boeing would be responsible for propulsion systems' preflight and postflight performance analysis for first 10 launch vehicles. (SFC Release 68-28)

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