Jun 28 1967
From The Space Library
House and Senate both passed NAS.4 FY 1968 authorization bills which were less than the $5.1 billion originally requested by NASA. Senate bill (S. 1296) authorized $4.851 billion: $4.136 billion for R&D; $648 million for administrative operations; and $67 million for construction of facilities. House bill (H.R. 10340) authorized $4.791 billion: $4.076 billion for R&D; $648 million for administrative operations; and $67 million for construction of facilities. Senate defeated two amendments by Sen. William Proxmire (D-Wis.) to reduce NASA authorization-one by $317 million; one by $98 million. An amendment by Sen. Charles Percy (R-Ill.) which would require NASA to keep Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences "fully and currently informed" was also defeated. Committee Chairman Sen. Clinton P. Anderson (D-N.Mex.) said the proposal had been considered by the Committee and rejected as unnecessary: "It's not needed. What is needed is enforcement and compliance with existing legislation." House bill authorized $200.7 million less than Committee on Science and Astronautics had recommended [see May 16]. An amendment by Rep. Richard L. Roudebush (R-Ind.) to an amendment by Rep. James G. Fulton (R-Pa.) cut $65 million from $455 million proposed by Committee for AA program. Fulton's original amendment had recommended cutting the program by $250 million. Remaining reductions, totaling $135.7 million, were contained in surprise recommittal motion offered by Representative Fulton at the end of the day. They included: (1) $6.2 million from advanced missions (funding eliminated); (2) $21.5 million from Voyager; (3) $20 million from nuclear rockets; (4) $78 million from launch vehicle procurement; and (5) $10 million from sustaining university program. Amendment also contained provision to establish an independent safety review board within NASA. Establishment of the board had been urged by Rep. Donald Rumsfeld (R-Ill.) as one means of avoiding another accident like the Jan. 27 Apollo fire. Differences between Senate and House authorization bills would be resolved by joint House/Senate Conference Committee. (CR, 6/28/67, S9078-94, H8150-200; UPI, NYT, 6/29/67, 11; Reistrup, W Post, 6/29/67, A6)
AFCRL successfully launched 65-lb payload by Trailblazer II booster from Wallops Station in experiment to study reentry communications problems by carefully measuring plasma sheath properties and their effects. Booster's 3rd and 4th stage engines fired at 187-mi altitude to propel nosecone downward; at 60-mi altitude rocket achieved a velocity of 18,000 fps creating an envelope of plasma identical to the envelopes which block radio and microwave communications with reentering spacecraft. Since a pure plasma was essential to the success of the experiment, reentry vehicle had no ablative coating and burned up completely in the atmosphere. AFCRL would use results of measurements to develop techniques for predicting exact behavior of a radiating system during reentry. (OAR Release 67-9)
FRC awarded RCA a $2.59 million, fixed-price contract to design, fabricate, and install an instrumentation radar system at NASA's Ely, Nev., tracking site. Scheduled for completion by Dec. 30, 1968, system would be used to provide highly accurate position and velocity data on such high-performance aircraft as the X-15 and the XB-70. (NASA Release67-172)
NAE announced establishment of an Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board to advise NASA and other Federal agencies. Board would operate under contract with NASA that estimated expenditures of $186,500 during first year of operation. Chairman was Dr. H. Guyford Stever, President of Carnegie Institute of Technology. Col. Robert J. Burger, Executive Secretary of Scientific Advisory Board, USAF Hq., would become Executive Director Aug. 1, following his retirement from USAF. Board's first meeting would be held in Washington, D.C., in mid-July. (NAE Release)
On presentation of Distinguished Service Medal to L/G Leighton I. Davis (USAF), Commandant of Industrial College of the Armed Forces, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. McConnell cited him for outstanding management of range support of US. ballistic missile and space vehicle programs and as DOD Manager for Manned Space Flight Support Operations--specifically, Projects Mercury and Gemini. Davis had been Commander of Air Force Eastern Test Range (AFETR) and National Range Div. from May 1960 through June 1967. (AFSC Release 14.67)
On presentation of NASA Exceptional Service Medal to M/G David M. Jones (USAF) , Commander of AFETR, NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight Dr. George E. Mueller stated: "As Deputy Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight (programs) and as Acting Director, Apollo Applications, General Jones played an important role in guiding the definitions and development of future manned space missions." Jones had been assigned to NASA from December 1964 through April 1967. (AFSC Release 137.67)
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