Aug 6 1969
From The Space Library
U.S.S.R. launched Cosmos CCXCI from Baikonur into orbit with 527-km (327.5-mi) apogee, 143-km (88.9-mi) perigee, 9L2-min period, and 62.2° inclination. Satellite reentered Sept. 8. (GSFC SSR, 8/15/69; 9/15/69; SBD, 8/7/69, 109)
NASA's HL-10 lifting-body vehicle, piloted by NASA test pilot John A. Manke, reached 78,000-ft altitude and mach L55 after air launch from B-52 aircraft at 45,000-ft altitude west of Rosamond, Calif. Objective of flight, 23rd in series, was to obtain data on performance, stability, and control-especially roll control. (NASA Proj Off)
NASA named flight crews for Apollo 13 and 14 lunar landing missions. Prime crewmen for Apollo 13 were Astronauts James A. Lovell, Jr. (commander) , Thomas K. Mattingly II (CM pilot), and Fred W. Haise, Jr. (LM pilot). Backup crew was composed of Astronauts John W. Young, John L. Swigert, Jr." and Charles M. Duke, Jr. Apollo 14 prime crewmen were Astronauts Alan B. Shepard, Jr.commander), Stuart A. Roosa (CM pilot), and Edgar D. Mitchell (LM pilot). Backup crewmen were Astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, Ronald E. Evans, and Joe E. Engle. Both missions would include lunar exploration and deployment of Apollo lunar surface experiment packages (ALSEP). Total lunar surface stay time would include two EVA periods of three hours each and would not exceed 35 hrs. Flights would be first for Astronauts Mattingly, Haise, Roosa, and Mitchell. (NASA Release 69-115)
Apollo 11 Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr." quarantined in LRL, discussed lunar surface activities with about 40 scientists and geologists over closed-circuit TV. Astronauts said lunar surface was rich with interesting rocks. They described small, walnut-size fragments which appeared translucent or transparent, with reflecting surfaces like quartz crystals; spatters of glass on rocks, especially on rocks on bottom of craters; and rocks shaped like automobile distributor caps, which appeared to be weathered or eroded and sculptured at top in cylindrical shape. Astronauts said they regretted not being able to retrieve more lunar rocks and suggested that future Apollo astronauts be equipped with extra pocket or shoulder bag so they could collect interesting rocks as they saw them. (W Post, 8/7/69, A4; AP, B Sun, 8/7/69, A8)
Atheist Madalyn Murray O'Hair-on behalf of herself, her husband Richard O'Hair, and her "Society of Separationists"-filed suit in Austin, Tex., District Court against NASA Administrator, Dr. Thomas O. Paine, to prevent U.S. astronauts on duty from practicing religion on earth, in space, or "around and about the moon." She objected specifically to Apollo 8 Christmas Eve 1968 Bible reading by Astronaut Frank Borman and placing by Apollo 11 Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E Aldrin, Jr." of disc containing microfilmed prayers on moon July 20. (UPI, W Post, 8/7/69)
Dissatisfaction with substandard performance in other parts of society was "something worthwhile that the Space Program is contributing to the United States," NASA Administrator, Dr. Thomas O. Paine, said in speech before National Press Club in Washington, D.C. "I hope we have spurred our society and our people to . . . demand higher performance, to set bolder goals, and then to have the gumption to stand up before the whole world and demonstrate whether or not the goals are achieved." Space program had also taught "need for broadly enlisting not only American capability, but the best people from around the world willing to throw their competence and a portion of their careers into challenging endeavors." It had "unleashed in the 1960's the talents and energies of a technological generation." U.S. must continue "to put together bold programs that will release the creative energies of our people in productive channels." Dr. Paine thought history would record as "the great contribution of our generation" astronauts, blazing of "trail for all future generations of men who want to . .. conquer new worlds. . . Through man's brains, energy and resources life can-and life will-extend itself through the solar system. . . The 1980's are very clearly the decade in which both we and the Soviet Union, with reasonable-sized space programs in the 1970's, will develop a technological capability for landing on Mars." In response to questions, Dr. Paine said: "It seems clear to me that there are increasing opportunities for all nations to work together in space exploration and application. Certainly we and the Russians can and should cooperate more closely in space science so our two programs can produce greater results than the simple sum of their outputs." (Transcript)
Future space program was described by Dr. George E. Mueller, NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight, before National Space Club in Washington, D.C. Reusable nuclear vehicle to serve as space shuttle between space station in earth orbit and space station in lunar orbit would be "final link that would permit us to reduce the cost of operation to something like $200 for moving a pound of material from the earth's surface to the lunar surface and return as compared to something like $100 thousand a pound using today's techniques. Similar reductions in the cost of transportation to the earth orbital station will permit us for the first time to consider processing materials in space, to use space for the kind of laboratory work that we now associate with ground-based laboratories." By end of 1970s "we would find so many uses for operations in synchronous orbit both for observing the universe and for observing the earth that we would have established a space station in synchronous orbit which would be regularly supplied by a nuclear shuttle system and which would provide us with direct television broadcasting and direct radio broadcasting to the homes of all people in the world, as well as providing us with great stellar observatories and a viewing platform for air traffic control, navigation and for a permanent weather watch. .. this approach to using space is one that is readily extended, once the shuttle capability has been developed, to a corresponding approach for planetary exploration and . . . the same nuclear shuttle system together with the space station modules need only to be supplemented by a Mars landing module to permit us to carry out the first manned planetary expedition to Mars." (Text)
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