Apr 4 1970
From The Space Library
Project Tektite II began at Charlotte Amalie, V.I., after three day delay caused by late arrival of equipment. Participants in underwater research project were NASA, Dept. of Interior, NSF, USN, Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Coast Guard, HEW, General Electric Co., Virgin Islands Government, universities, and technical institutions. Four scientists and one engineer descended 15 m (50 ft) to habitat laboratory in which they would live and conduct research for 11 days. During ensuing seven months, 62 scientists, engineers, and doctors, including five women, would descend in teams. Objectives were to accelerate development of ocean science and technology and provide impetus for national man-in-the-sea program, expand Tektite I successes by program of diving scientists in all marine disciplines; train scientists in saturation techniques, amplify Tektite I behavioral program and develop crew selections and performance criteria for manned undersea and space missions, conduct biomedical studies and operational procedures to extend saturated nitrogen diving to 30 m (100 ft) and evaluate diving equipment for marine undersea research. (Tektite II Press Info; Wilford, NYT, 4/5/70,70)
Phasing out of Naval Air Reserve's Floyd Bennett Field near Jamaica, N.Y., as military installation began, with official closing scheduled for end of June 1971. In almost four decades, airport had been used by Amelia Earhart, Douglas C, "Wrong Way" Corrigan, Col. Roscoe Turner, Gen. Italy Balbo of Italy, and Jacqueline Cochran. It was start and finish of July 1933 round-the-world flight of Wiley Post. Field was dedicated May 23, 1931, and named after USN warrant officer who was copilot of Adm. Richard E. Byrd on first flight over North Pole in 1926. (Silver, NYT, 4/5/70, 90)
Discovery of carbon monoxide in five regions of Milky Way was made by scientists of Bell Telephone Laboratories using National Radio Astronomy Observatory telescope at Kitt Peak, Ariz. Carbon monoxide was sixth molecular substance identified in outer space. NSF later said discoveries would "stimulate further work by chemists as well as astrophysicists, looking toward better understanding of the chemical processes taking place in space, and eventually more knowledge of the possibilities of life elsewhere in the universe." (UPI, W Star, 4/11/70, A14)
Article by woman cosmonaut Valentina V. Tereshkova-Nikolayava published in January UNESCO magazine Impact asserted equality of sexes in space, New York Times reported. Cosmonaut-who had orbited earth 48 times in June 16-19, 1963, mission-said that "a woman can stand all the conditions of space flight as well as a man." Women had endured silence and isolation as well as men and had adapted to weightlessness more quickly, although takeoff and landing of spacecraft should be timed to consider menstrual cycle. (NYT, 4/4/70, 20)
Containerization system for airline passengers had been designed by Fried Krupp Co. scientists in Essen, West Germany, New York Times reported. Units containing washrooms, galley, and luggage compartment would be filled at airline terminal and moved into waiting airliners. At destination, containers would be rolled from aircraft to terminal or directly to electric trains; smaller containers could be shifted from airliner to small aircraft or helicopters. Designers estimated 500 passengers and their luggage could be exchanged in 10 min. (NYT, 4/4/70, 58)
Cornell Univ. team of scientists headed by Dr. Carl Sagan had sent shock waves through mixture of methane, ethane, ammonia, and water vapor-gases which simulated "air" on earth four billion years ago-Christian Science Monitor reported. Results, which showed amino acids in great abundance, indicated protein molecules (building blocks of organic life) might have been shocked into existence by thunder and impact of meteors in earth's primitive atmosphere. Protein molecules evolved from amino acids. (CSM, .4/4/70)
April 4-5: Lunar sample material was displayed at Wallops Station during two-day joint Federal activities including Assateague National Seashore Park, Chincoteague Coast Guard Station, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, and ESSA exhibits and tours. (WS Release 70-6; NASA PAO)
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