May 10 1967
From The Space Library
M2-F2 lifting body vehicle crashed on landing at Edwards AFB about three minutes after air-launch from B-52 aircraft, injuring NASA test pilot Bruce A. Peterson. Vehicle, on mission to evaluate effects of reduction in automatic damping for roll and yaw, turned over several times after touchdown and was heavily damaged. Although exact cause of crash was unknown, one unidentified NASA official speculated that pilot had been distracted by a helicopter flying nearby. NASA immediately set up a committee to investigate crash and said that powered M2-F2 flights scheduled for June would be delayed indefinitely until after repairs and conclusion of investigation. (Av Wk, 5/15/67, 34; Tech Wk, 5/15/67, 14; W Post, 5/11/67, C21; West, LA Times, 5/12/67)
NASA Administrator James E. Webb, Deputy Administrator Dr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr., and Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight Dr. George E. Mueller appeared before the House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Subcommittee on NASA Oversight to submit Apollo project reprogramming plans presented to the Senate May 9. Dr. Seamans assured the Subcommittee that schedules could be met and urged that Congress continue to support NASA: "We have confidence in the ability of our technical and administrative teams, both in government and industry, to meet the challenge before us. But that is not sufficient; the Congress, representing the people of the Nation, must feel and show this same confidence if the work and the sacrifice of the past are to have meaning and the objectives of manned space exploration are to be achieved." Several subcommittee members, however, condemned NASA for withholding facts about cost and management problems with North American Aviation, Inc. (NAA) , and indicated that they would be more critical of NASA in the future. In response to charges by Rep. William F. Ryan (D-N.Y.) that Webb had "an obsession with secrecy," Webb asserted that NASA had been exceptionally cooperative: "No program of this magnitude has ever been operated with greater public scrutiny. No agency has ever given its committees more information on what it is trying to do." He offered to elaborate on the Phillips Report [see April 18] in closed session but declined to discuss it publicly, insisting that further public discussion would destroy close relationship between NASA and its prime Apollo spacecraft contractor. (Testimony; Wilford, NYT, 5/11/67,26; O'Toole, W Post, 5/11/67. A9)
Prime and backup crews for NASA's first manned Apollo mission [see May 9] told a news conference at North American Aviation, Inc.'s Downey, Calif., plant that they were "very impressed" with the design changes being made in the Apollo spacecraft as a result of the Jan. 27 flash fire. Major changes included: (1) a new hinged hatch that could be opened outward in about two seconds by activating a springed lever; (2) replacement of many highly flammable mate such as nylon netting; (3) sheathing of open wiring with hard; and (4) flame-resistant spacesuits. In addition, spacecraft would be pressurized with nitrogen rather than oxygen on launching, and in orbit-where oxygen is indispensable-pressure would be reduced one third to 5 psi. Questioned about his attitudes toward the program since the Jan. 27 Apollo accident, Command Pilot Walter M. Schirra replied: ". . . we went through a very agonizing self-appraisal; we suffered through three months of recrimination; we've culminated these three months with some very firm ideas." These ideas, Schirra said, were being phased into an orderly program that "will continue with orderly haste . . . [and] we are not going to run rampant on schedules." The crews anticipated that Apollo 101 spacecraft would be delivered to KSC in December and that first manned mission would be flown in first quarter of 1968. Primary mission objective would be to "exercise the vehicle in earth orbit," Schirra said. Asked if the April 24 death of Soviet Cosmonaut Vladimir M. Komarov had had any adverse effects on plans for earth landings in the Apollo program, Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford replied: "The earth landing system that consists of the three main parachutes and the two drogue chutes. had been qualified completely. . . . We still have some earth landing drops to be made. But right now as far as the crew is concerned, either the parachutes in this vehicle are qualified or we don't fly." (Transcript; Newsweek, 5/22/67, 94; Hill, NYT, 5/11/67,27)
NASA awarded Douglas Aircraft Co. a $4,665,000 modification to an existing contract for reliability and verification testing of Saturn S-IVB stage components. (NASA Release 67-118)
Small fire in KSC building housing an astronaut training simulator damaged $1,200 worth of equipment, AP reported. Fire occurred in a rack of gear which provided electricity to the equipment, but which was not connected to the spacecraft simulator. NASA 05cials said no astronauts were inside simulator when fire broke out but even if they had been there would have been no damage. NASA issued no official announcement on the fire. (AP, NYT, 5/13/67,15)
Fifteen outstanding young scientists received Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Postdoctoral Research Awards "for advanced study and fundamental research in the sciences." Selections, made by a board of NAS-appointed senior scientists. were based on "demonstrated competence and creativity in original research and on the scientific merit of the proposed post-doctoral investigation." (NAS-NRC Release)
DOD awarded General Dynamics Corp. a $l.8-billion fixed-price-incentive contract for production of 493 F-111 aircraft: 331 F-111As for USAF; 64 F-111 strategic bombers for SAC; 24 F-111Bs for USN; 24 F-111Cs for Royal Australian Air Force; and 50 F-111Ks for British Royal Air Force. Contract included only costs of basic airframes and minor electronic equipment; additional costs for engines, major electronic equipment, and modifications had not yet been fully determined and were not included. There was speculation that congressional opposition to adaptation of F-111 (formerly TFX) as an all-purpose military aircraft-heightened by large increases in estimated costs and by January and April crashes of USAF and USN test models-might delay appropriation of production funds. (DOD Release 427-67; Wilson, W Post, 5/11/ 67, H11; Sheehan, NYT, 5/11/67,1)
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