Aug 5 1969
From The Space Library
Dr. Thomas O. Paine, NASA Administrator, and other top NASA officials testified on future space programs before Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences. Introducing programs, Dr. Paine said: "The decade of the 1970's and 1980's should have a program as bold in concept and as productive as we have had in the decade of the 1960's. . . . we need to have clear objectives to focus our work and a commitment, subject . . . to annual review, as to what these achievements will be. Our general goal area should be the continued exploration of the solar system while deriving the maximum scientific and practical benefits here on earth from the space program. There is no question that, at some future time, we will have the capability for manned planetary exploration and we need to face now some of the decisions that will not bear fruition for more than a decade. Although I do not believe that we will see manned exploration of the planets in the 1970's in the United States . . . I do think this could come in the 1980's. It is by no means clear that for the Soviet Union the decision may not be made to mount a crash program and bring this in before the end of the decade of the 1970's." Dr. Wernher von Braun, MSFC Director, described possible 1981- 1982, 12-man, 2-ship expedition to Mars [see Aug. 1]. Each spacecraft would weigh 1.6 million lbs at departure from earth orbit and would be 270 ft long, "smaller than what we are flying already to the moon." NASA was using "concept of reusability" in planning, to improve and reduce cost of operating in space, Dr. George E. Mueller, NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight, told Committee. Reusability could be achieved "through the reuse of launch and space vehicles and . . . through the reuse of a mission module such as a space station" put into orbit and used over 10-yr or even 20-yr period. Space shuttles would be designed to run 100 or more flights. Modules and vehicles would be designed for multiple applications in earth, lunar, and synchronous orbits. Space tug would permit travel from space station to other spacecraft and back again-"general purpose .. . equipment." In earth orbital operations, "it permits us to fly off from the space station over to . . . an OAO, orbiting astronomical observatory, either to repair or check the GAO, or to bring it back to a space station where it can then be loaded on the space shuttle for return to earth and then brought back into orbit after repairs." (Transcript)
Four LRL technicians-Miss Heather A. Owens, Chauncey C. Park, Roy G. Coons, and Riley Wilson-were placed in isolated area under quarantine after being exposed to lunar material when line carrying contaminated material from vacuum chambers to disposal area burst, spraying lunar material into examining room. Mishap, second in which LRL technicians were exposed to lunar material [see Aug. 1], brought total number of persons under quarantine to 23. (AP, W Post, 8/6/69, A3; MSC Hist Off)
NASA announced resignation of Astronaut F. Curtis Michel, effective Aug. 18. Dr. Michel, who had been on one-year leave of absence from NASA to do scientific research at Rice Univ. in Houston, said that-although he was reluctant to leave NASA and prospect of flight in space-he wanted to devote full time to research at Rice. Resignation reduced number of NASA astronauts to 48. (MSC Release 69-55)
NASA notified Institute Geofisico del Peru that $2-million NASA tracking station near Lima, Peru, would be closed because of shifting program requirements and economic reasons. Station, to be phased out by November , had participated in more than 75 satellite missions since 1957. (NASA Release 69-117)
Dept. of Interior announced grant of $100,225 for research into health, safety, and water pollution in coal mining operations. Island Creek Coal Co. would determine if miners equipped with self-contained breathing apparatus similar to astronauts, could work efficiently in mines filled with nitrogen or other inert gas. (DOI Release 17784-69)
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