Mar 3 1971
From The Space Library
Communist China launched her second satellite, from Shuang- ch'eng at 8:15 pm local time. Satellite entered orbit with 1815-km (1127.8-mi) apogee, 266-km (165.3-mi) perigee, 105.9-min period, and 69.9° inclination. Launch was unannounced, but it was monitored by NORAD and accidently observed by USN pilot returning to carrier off Vietnam coast after mission over Southeast Asia. First satellite, Chicom 1, had been launched April 24, 1970. (GSFC SSR, 3/31/71; Finney, NYT, 3/4/71, 1)
U.S.S.R. launched Cosmos 399 from Baikonur into orbit with 438-km (272.2-mi) apogee, 196-km (121.8-mi) perigee, 90.8-min period, and 64.9° inclination. Satellite reentered March 17. (GSFC SSR, 3/31/71; SBD, 3/8/71, 40)
NASA announced prime and backup crews for Apollo 16 mission, scheduled for launch in March 1972. Prime crewmen were John W. Young (commander), Thomas K. Mattingly II (CM pilot), and Charles M. Duke, Jr. (LM pilot). Backup crewmen were Fred W. Haise, Jr., Stuart A. Roosa, and Edgar D. Mitchell. Mission would last about 12 days, with lunar surface stay time of about 67 hrs-including three EVA periods totaling about 20 hrs. Site for lunar landing had not yet been selected. (NASA Release 71-31)
Dr. George M. Low, Acting NASA Administrator, presented NASA FY 1972 budget request to House Committee on Science and Astronautics: FY 1972 projects-including Apollo 15 and 16, two Mariner spacecraft, first ERTS satellite, and continuing work toward future flights of Apollo 17, Skylab, earth resources and ATS satellites, and Viking probes -represented "the fulfillment of enterprises of the 1960's, the tailing off to completion of work in progress for many years. By 1974 the number of NASA space launches per year will have declined from 26 in 1966 to eight. After the Skylab missions in 1973, we face at least 4 years in which there will be no United States manned space flight. "Five years ago there were over 390 000 people in industry employed on NASA work. By the end of fiscal year 1971 that figure will be about 108 000. The decline will continue for a few more months, but we expect it to start increasing by the middle of fiscal year 1972, with the end-of-the-year total being about equal to that at the beginning." U.S. was "running a serious risk of losing too much of the aerospace capability that is an essential ingredient of our long term national strength and security." There was every indication U.S. would lose leadership in space "unless we move forward now with our space programs for the 1970's. In 1970 the Soviets launched 88 payloads into space compared to . . 36 for the United States. Their R&D budget is continuing to increase. They have seldom missed a launch window in the exploration of Venus and Mars while we have many gaps in our planetary program. We would expect them to use automated vehicles and sample return space-craft from the ,planets, while we have no such program. Finally the Soviets have a systematic continuing manned space flight program and have stated that they expect to fly a space station before we do." U.S. should continue to compete with U.S.S.R. "because accomplishments in space represent a measure of the state of our technology; and in today's world, the level of our technology is of first importance, strategically, economically, and politically." Dr. Low believed U.S. could cooperate with U.S.S.R. "in the areas we have under discussion with-out prejudicing any of our vital national interests." NASA was reexamining procurement policies and practices and "beginning a serious critical appraisal of the proper size, composition, and organization of NASA's institutional base." Position reduction of 1500 in FY 1972 budget was in anticipation that "reduction of this magnitude would be found possible without unduly impairing our ability to carry out the program. Our budget justifications show this reduction as a flat percentage cut-about 5.1%-in all of our major activities. The actual adjustments . . . will be refined as our study of the NASA institutional base proceeds." NASA program was 1.4% of U.S. budget, contrasting with 53% for domestic programs related to human and physical resources, yet U.S. stood to gain "tremendous benefits now and in the future" from exploration and applications of space science and technology. And whole future "as a nation and as mankind" depended on space science. "For in order to survive in the changing environment on our planet Earth, we must understand the processes that govern our universe." Dr. Wernher von Braun, Deputy Associate Administrator for Planning, said purpose of NASA Meteorology Program was to "develop and demonstrate sensors and spacecraft for making those meteorological measurements that will enable a continued improvement in weather forecasting throughout the world with an ultimate view to a limited degree of weather modification and control of severe weather systems. Projections indicate that by about 1980 it should be possible to reach a global capability to acquire information throughout the atmosphere and to develop comprehensive weather models. Once developed, these models can be used to make 14-day weather forecasts and long-range climate estimates." Ability to develop weather models would permit basic experimenting in weather control. Space shuttle was key NASA development believed essential in 1970s, Dr. von Braun said, presenting U.S. with its greatest technology challenge for space in this decade. "Preliminary analysis indicates that if the shuttle is used in lieu of current expendable systems, the transportation costs will be reduced by at least a factor of ten. . . . Only by an investment now will we be able to have operational an economical transportation system by the end of the 1970's to support a vigorous and balanced space flight program." (Transcript)
Findings that linked light flashes experienced by astronauts in periods of otherwise total darkness to high-speed cosmic rays passing through eye retina were reported at NASA and American Nuclear Society Conference in Las Vegas, Nev. Findings were from studies by scientists of Univ. of Washington at Seattle and Univ. of California at Berkeley. Dr. Cornelius A. Tobias and Dr. Thomas F. Budinger of Univ. of California at Berkeley had twice exposed themselves to low doses of cyclotron-accelerated cosmic rays aimed at their eyes in effort to reproduce flashes described by Apollo 11 Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., and Apollo 14 Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell. Scientists said they saw flashes that differed from visual phenomena associated with x-rays or electrical and magnetic exposures. They concluded that flashes came from ionization and excitation of atoms in retina as it was bombarded by cosmic rays. Evidence indicated flashes were detected by retinal rods, structures in eyes that allowed night vision. Radiations were not believed to be hazardous to astronauts on short flights, but long-duration effects had not yet been evaluated. (Wilford, NYT, 3/4/71, 18)
NASA launched two Arcas sounding rockets. Boosted Areas I, launched from Churchill Research Range, carried Univ. of Houston experiment to 64.9-km (40.3-mi) to measure low-altitude x-ray spectrum and electron flux above 30 500 m (100 000 ft) . Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily. Data would be correlated with high-altitude data from Black Brant launched 30 sec earlier by Canadian National Research Council. Arcas launched from Barking Sands, Kauai, Hawaii, carried GSFC experiment to 58.6-km (36.4-mi) altitude to obtain ozone measurements in conjunction with overpass of Nimbus IV satellite. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily. Launch was second in series of two; first had been launched Feb. 24. (NASA Rpts SRL)
White House announced that Dr: Edward E. David, Jr., President's Science Adviser, had chaired working conference with industry, education, and Government representatives on employment problems of scientists and engineers in aerospace and defense industries. Meeting had been called at President Nixon's request. (PD, 3/8/71, 436)
Rep. Olin E. Teague (D-Tex.) introduced H.R. 5529 "to authorize the coinage of 50-cent pieces to commemorate the Apollo 11 lunar landing and to establish the Apollo Lunar Landing Commemorative Trust Fund." Measure was referred to House Committee on Banking and Currency. (CR, 3/3/71, H1254)
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