Apr 16 1968
From The Space Library
NASA Associate Administrator, Dr. Homer E. Newell, summarized Earth Resources Survey program at Fifth Symposium on Remote Sensing of Environment at Univ. of Michigan's Institute of Science and Technology in Ann Arbor. Prospects in field were promising. Greatest use of satellites for earth survey to date was for meteorological data, including global cloud-cover photos, cloud motion, and ocean temperatures, but U.S. still lacked "much of the data essential for worldwide long-range weather forecasting," such as data on three-dimensional fields of density, wind velocity, temperature, and water vapor within the atmosphere. Major contributions expected from research in other fields included: completion of geodetic programs which would permit determination of relative positions of any two points on earth with improved accuracy; monitoring of sea surface state, evaluation of marine biological resources, and surface observations of conditions of interest to oceanographers; and improved identification of spectral signature of various species for agriculture, forestry, and geology. (Text; SBD, 4/19/68, 280)
John N. Wilford described in New York Times front page article decline in U.S. space expenditures since 1966: "Under pressure from the war in Vietnam, civilian space spending has dropped from $5.9-billion in the peak year of 1966 to $4.8-billion this year, and it is expected to drop much lower in the fiscal year starting in July. Employment in space work at private companies, universities and Government centers has declined from 420,000 in 1966 to fewer than 300,000 today, and it is still dropping at the rate of 4,000 a month." Signs of decline were clearly visible, in "ghost towns" that were once test sites, and in removal of numerous projects from NASA's post-Apollo plans. Fortunately, impact of cutback was softened because NASA had not replaced many personnel who ordinarily left agency each year and because personnel dismissed were absorbed by growing aircraft industry and expanding military space program. But there was a growing feeling "that once astronauts have landed on the moon, they will have no other place of significance to go for several years because of sharp budget cuts. These cuts have trimmed to the bone all preparations for future missions. It is as if the astronauts are heading for a dead-end on the moon." (NYT, 4/16/68, I)
U.K. Minister of Technology Anthony W. Benn announced that U.K. would withdraw from European Conference on Satellite Communications and would make no new commitments to ELDO, though it would increase its contribution to ESRO by up to 6%. U.K. officials reportedly said decision not to participate in proposed project for experimental European TV relay satellite was made in effort to avoid unrealistic projects and concentrate on nonspace aircraft and computer industries. (Shuster, NYT, 4/17/68, 79; Mott, W Post, 4/17/68, All)
MSFC awarded Ball Brothers Research Corp. $134,500 contract for six solar sensor systems, including one prototype and five flight units, for Apollo Telescope Mount pointing control system. (MSFC Release 68-76)
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