Nov 24 1969
From The Space Library
Following successful completion of Apollo 12 President Nixon issued statement: "This mission has shown conclusively that the system we have developed has enormous scientific potential and we can now look forward to utilizing that capability. . . . The triumph of Apollo 12 is not only an American triumph. This second voyage to the surface of the moon represents another great victory of the human mind and spirit, one which will lift the sights and raise the spirits of men everywhere." (PD, 12/1/69, 1659)
During telephone call from White House to U.S.S. Hornet, shortly after Apollo 12 splashdown and recovery, President Nixon told Apollo 12 astronauts Charles P. Conrad, Jr." Richard F. Gordon, Jr." and Alan L. Bean of their promotions to captain, USN. (PD, 12/1/69, 1659)
Christopher C. Kraft, Jr." MSC Director of Flight Operations, told press at MSC he wanted full report on piloting difficulties in landing on moon before committing Apollo 13 to landing attempt on moon's rugged central highlands. Full discussion of lunar landing-described by Astronaut Charles P. Conrad, Jr., as "no easy task"-was important aspect of what must be learned during crew debriefing, Kraft said. (Wilford, NYT, 11/25/69, 33)
U.S.S.R. launched two Cosmos satellites from Plesetsk. Cosmos CCCXI entered orbit with 467-km (290.2-mi) apogee, 272-km (169.0-mi) perigee, 91.9-min period, and 71.0° inclination and reentered March 10, 1970. Cosmos CCCXII entered orbit with 1,180-km (773.2-mi) apogee, 1,141-km (709.0-mi) perigee, 108.5-min period, and 74.0° inclination. (GSFC SSR, 11/30/69; 3/31/70; SBD, 11/26/69, 112)
President Nixon signed nuclear nonproliferation treaty in Washington, D.C. Presidium of the Supreme Soviet ratified treaty simultaneously in Moscow, with President Nikolay V. Podgorny signing document. U.S. and U.S.S.R. were 23rd and 24th nations to ratify treaty, which would become effective after ratification by 43 countries. (PD, 12/1/69, 1658; NYT, 11/25/69, 1)
Aurora Expedition-during which ARC's Convair 990 aircraft would make about 12 flights from Fort Churchill, Canada, to study aurora in polar regions-began with first data flight. Twenty-five university, industry, NASA and other U.S. Government, French, and Canadian scientists would operate at altitudes up to 40,000 ft across and parallel to auroral oval in flights until Dec. 18. (NASA Note to Editors, 11/12/69; NASA News Release 69-165)
U.S. Geological Survey Director William T. Pecora said in Washington, D.C." that rocks brought back by Apollo 11 were geologic "hors d'oeuvre" but Apollo 12 rocks "will be a veritable feast." Geologists were delighted "by the onsite descriptions provided by astronauts Conrad and Bean" who were "eager rock hounds." (UPI, NYT, 11/25/69, 32)
Washington Evening Star editorial commented on Apollo 12's man-made lunar quake: "It seems that when the lunar lander was sent rocketing down to crash on the Ocean of Storms, it left the moon 'ringing like a gong, for some 30 minutes. This, in the words of one ecstatic scientist, constitutes 'a major discovery . . . quite beyond the range of our experience." " Scientific curiosity "is a good thing-provided it's kept within reasonable limits.... Just suppose that their first reading was right, and that the moon really is some sort of celestial gong. Remember what happened when people got too enthusiastic with the Liberty Bell." (W Star, 11/24/69, Al2)
USAF announced successful completion of tests at Arnold Engineering and Development Center at Tullahoma, Tenn." to qualify 41,000-lb-thrust TF-39 turbofan engine-largest U.S. military jet engine-for USAF's C-5 Galaxy transport, world's largest aircraft. (AFSC Release 183.69)
Senate Interior Committee held hearing on July 10 S.J.R. 133 by Sens. Spessard L. Holland (D-Fla.) and Edward J. Gurney (R-Fla.) to return original name, "Cape Canaveral," to Cape Kennedy. Sen. Gurney said name "Canaveral" "may well be the oldest geographical point in the United States, certainly on the east coast, recorded even before the ancient names of Cape Cod and Jamestown." KSC would retain late President John F. Kennedy's name. Witnesses suggested name change had been made "with high emotions" and without proper legal proceedings. Cape had been renamed for late President by executive order from President Lyndon B. Johnson Nov. 29, 1963. (Greider, W Post, 11/25/69, A3)
Jack C. Swearingen, former Chief of Program Control in MSFC Apollo Applications Program Office, became Assistant Director in Science and Engineering. (Marshall Star, 11/12/69, 1)
Raymond Einhorn, former NASA Director of Audits, became Special Assistant to NASA Acting Associate Administrator for Organization and Management. He would be succeeded by Martin Sacks, Special Assist. ant to Assistant Administrator for Special Contracts Negotiation and Review. (NASA Ann, 11/20/69)
Washington Evening Star editorial commented on proposal by Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Twentieth Century Fund conference that U.S. and U.S.S.R. merge comsat systems [see Nov. 16]. "Intelsat . . . is already a going concern-an increasingly successful and expanding one-operating on a global scale. Open to every country on a nonpolitical, nondiscriminatory basis, it has no reason whatever to consolidate itself and its resources with Russia's Intersputnik setup-a system that exists only on paper, and not very clearly at that. . . . In the circumstances, the Talloires panelists would have been on sounder ground had they recommended that the Kremlin join Intelsat. Such a move would better serve not only Russia's interests, but the cause of East-West cooperation as well." (W Star, 11/24/69, Al2)
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