Apr 17 1970
From The Space Library
President Nixon issued statement following safe return of Apollo 13 astronauts: "From the beginning, man's ventures into space have been accompanied by danger. Apollo 13 reminds us how real those dangers are. . of the special qualities of the men who dare to brave the perils of space. It testifies, also, to the extraordinary concert of skills, in space and on the ground, that goes into a moon mission. To the astronauts, a relieved Nation says 'Welcome home.' To them and to those on the ground who did so magnificent a job of guiding Apollo 13 safely back from the edge of eternity, a grateful Nation says 'Well done.' " In proclamation designating April 19 as national day of prayer and thanksgiving for safe return of Apollo 13 astronauts, President said: "The imperiled flight and safe return of the crew of Apollo 13 were events that humbled and inspired people all over the world. We were humbled by the knowledge that in this stage of man's exploration of space, a safe splashdown of an imperiled mission is in its way as successful as a landing on and safe return from the Moon. We were inspired by the courage of the crew, the devotion and skill of the members of the NASA team on the ground and by the offers of assistance from nations around the world." President spoke with Apollo 13 astronauts by telephone from White House to U.S.S. Iwo Jima in Pacific. He told them he would like to present them the Presidential Medal of Freedom in Hawaii on following day. President then announced intentions at White House press briefing. He would go "first to Houston, where we will pick up the two wives, and then go on to Hawaii. . . :what these men have done has been a great inspiration to all of us. I think also what the men on the ground have done is an inspiration to us. How men react in adversity determines their true greatness, and these men have demonstrated that the American character is sound and strong and capable of taking a very difficult situation and turning it into a very successful venture. . . in recognition, also, of the men on the ground, I am going to present the Medal of Freedom tomorrow in Houston. . . to the Apollo 13 crew on the ground who have made these very difficult decisions on the spot, decisions that had to be right." (PD, 4/20/70; 538-40; Text)
NASA held series of three Apollo 13 post-recovery press conferences at MSC hosted by NASA Administrator, manned space fright officials, and technical specialists. Dr. Thomas O. Paine, NASA Administrator, said although mission "must be recorded as a failure, there's never been a more prideful moment in the space program." Most impressive aspect of mission was "tremendous effectiveness in team work of our ground support operation . . . . From every state . . we've had people. . . working to backstop the many different system decisions that had to be systematically and methodically faced up to and made. . . . The Flight Operations Directors . certainly demonstrated that flight controllers can operate under these very adverse conditions. They've been able to do things in a far shorter period of time than we'd ever thought possible before," Dr. George M. Low, NASA Deputy Administrator, said basic procedures used for every phase of mission were predetermined. "For example, the burn made behind the moon . . . was a standard emergency burn that would be used in case the service propulsion system would not work on a normal lunar mission going into lunar orbit. Each one of these steps had been predetermined and also simulated. But putting them all together into a sequence of steps . . . and working out some of the detailed procedures on how to save power and how to save batteries; how to save water; those things were determined during the course of the flight, both by the men . . . on the ground and by the astronauts." (Transcript)
At White House press conference former astronauts Michael Collins, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, and William A. Anders, NASC Executive Secretary, described arrangements that had kept President Nixon informed on Apollo 13 crisis, President had had access to direct TV, radio, and telephone contact with MSC Mission Control. He had talked with NASA Administrator, Dr. Thomas O. Paine, and Astronaut Frank Borman there. Collins and Anders had set up "squawk box" into Mission Control outside President's office and briefed President and his staff on developments. President's chief concerns had been CM-SM separation, and crew's safety and physical condition. Collins said, "The fact that we had this incident really changes very little. We have always known that such a situation could develop and he [President] does not feel that it should unduly cloud the future when it comes to space exploration." (Transcript)
President Nixon made brief appearance at banquet for Republican leaders in Washington, D.C., after learning of Apollo 13 astronauts' safe return. He told group that when he called mission commander James A. Lovell, Jr., after splashdown, Astronaut Lovell had said he was sorry mission had not been completed. "My reply," President said, "was: 'Captain, you and your colleagues did complete the mission.' " President told group, "After what happened this tumultuous week, let's not take American wealth and strength for granted... where machines failed, we had to turn to man, and man came through." President said it had been "proudest day of my life and in the life of the country." Vice President Spiro T. Agnew said "social levelers of the New Left" would seize on Apollo 13 near disaster to demand space budget be "soaked down into the nearest slum." It would be "shortsighted tragic blunder" to heed warnings of "fair weather friends" of space program who were "readying the life-boats for a quick exit." (Hope, W Star, 4/18/70, A2)
U.S. reaction to Apollo 13's successful splashdown; Sign at MSC was changed from "Our hearts are with the Apollo 13 crew," to "Sigh of relief party here tonight." Mission Control broke into applause before whipping out traditional cigars to fill huge room with blue smoke. Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, MSC Director, observed that mission had not been complete failure. Spacecraft had gone around moon-feat that would have caused sensation two years before. Dr. Thomas O. Paine, NASA Administrator, said later in day, "I'm a little tired and bedraggled but I'm feeling 10 or 20 years younger than I did yesterday." In New York, thousands watched recovery on giant TV screen at Grand Central Terminal, Loud applause sounded when capsule appeared in sky, at splashdown, and when astronauts appeared. Hot dog stand operator at Vanderbilt Ave. and 47th Street assured passersby, "It's all right." Long strands of multicolored ticker tape and bushels of confetti poured from skyscraper windows. At City Hall, Mayor John V. Lindsay said, "Now they are safely back and New Yorkers join with men everywhere in saying 'welcome home."' Church bells pealed throughout Nation. Traffic came to standstill in Indianapolis, Los Angeles reported no crime for brief period, and dice stopped rolling in Las Vegas briefly. Richmond, Va., department store manager, watching crowd before store TV set, said everybody "had a quiet smile, but it was curious the way they stood looking at all that good news-silently and almost as if they were still praying. (W Post, 4/18/70, A1, All; NYT; 4/18/70, 1, 13)
International reaction to Apollo 13 splashdown: European Broadcasting Union said in Geneva that TV audience at splashdown might well have been biggest TV audience of all time. In American Samoa, girls were limbering up for siva-siva dance to greet astronauts. Pilgrims prayed their thanks in India. Press item from Johannesburg, South Africa, said witch doctor named Magomezulu had tossed bones which told him Apollo 13 astronauts would return safely but that "these men have interfered with God and he has turned them back. This is a warning that the Americans should stop landing on the moon." Thousands in Lima, Peru, received permission to take early lunch to watch final moments of splashdown. In Canada, Prime Minister Pierre E. Trudeau expressed "great relief." Queen Elizabeth wired congratulations from England to President Nixon. Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster John Cardinal Heenan said, "Thank God." Telephone operator at U.S. Embassy in London was inundated with calls. She said, "People were sobbing with obvious relief and happiness. I just don't know what to say to them" (Johnson, W Post, 4/18/70, A1; Arnold, NYT, 4/18/70, 1; Waldron, NYT, 4/18/70,13)
New York Times editorial appeared before Apollo 13 splashdown: "Here on earth the drama in space has done more than shatter any complacency that may have begun to surround lunar flight. It has drawn men and nations together in common concern over astronauts who are envoys of mankind even before they are nationals of a particular state . . . Lovell, Swigert and Haise have already written an epic of heroism and skill that assures them immortality in the annals of space exploration." (NYT, 4/17/70)
ComSatCorp reported increase in net income for first quarter of 1970 to $3 345 000 (33 cents per share), up from $1525 000 (15 cents per share) for first quarter of 1969. First quarter net operating income was $1850 000-up from $137000 for first quarter of 1969 and from .$1832 000 for all of 1969. First quarter revenues totaled $15 435 000, some $5 213 000 more than for first quarter of 1969. On March 31, 1970, ComSatCorp was leasing full time 1566 half circuits-357 more than on March 31, 1969. (ComSatCorp Release 70-22)
Philadelphia Inquirer editorial commented on Communist Chinese satellite: "To assume that the Red Chinese will refrain from placing hydrogen warheads in orbiting satellites, capable of being released by remote control on signal from Peking, is to engage in the most dangerous kind of head-in-the-sand complacency." (P Inq, 4/17/70)
Marxist syndrome "that R&D must be directly relevant to social problems, from national security to drug addition-is becoming the U.S. science policy rule of thumb," S. Dedijer of Univ. of Lund, Sweden, said in Science. During past generation, "there seemed to be no limit in the United States to the support of any project so long as it was classified science, research, development, test or evaluation." Demand for more rational R&D policy had been growing in U.S. for years. "This social reexamination is resulting in the flight of motivated young talent from the physical to the life sciences, the humanities, and ethics and religion, on the one hand, and to a growth of interest in the policy sciences, in social problems studies, and in the definition of R&D relevant to them, on the other." (Science, 4/17/70, 344-5)
April 17-18: Full-scale plywood-and-metal model of Apollo LM that had stood on MSC grounds for two years collapsed when MSC officials attempted to move it to serve as backdrop for President Nixon's scheduled speech. Workmen worked through night to install replacement-LM that had been used as trainer for Apollo 11 lunar landing. (W Post, 4/19/70, A18)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
