Apr 6 1967
From The Space Library
Lunar Orbiter III press briefing was held at NASA Hq. Dr. Leonard Reiffel, Apollo Program, OMSF, said NASA had selected eight "candidate" locations along the moon's equator as the smoothest and safest possible sites for first Apollo manned landings. Selection had been made after careful screening of photos taken by three Lunar Orbiters and SURVEYOR I . Detailed analysis of photos indicated that safest area might be a broad plain in the southeast part of the Sea of Tranquility-just east of Maskelyne D crater-where the surface was flat and there were few dangerous boulders and no deep craters. NASA officials emphasized, however, that no single site would `be selected: each mission would have three possible sites along the equator-one in the east, one in the center, and one in the west-to allow for launch delays. Harold Masursky, US. Geological Survey, described evidence of seismic erosion" as "one of the major processes on the moon's surface that Lunar Orbiter has given us information about." Several photos showed dunes of soil-like material that appeared to be debris from moonquakes filling old craters. Some of the smoother plains on the moon might be caused in part by this process, Masursky suggested. (Wilford, NYT, 4/7/67, 1, 14)
Rep. Donald Rumsfeld (R-Ill.) introduced in the House H.R. 8145, a bill to establish Aerospace safety Advisory Panel to "provide the [NASA] Administrator with independent advice and assistance in safety matters, regardless of operational `commitments' or budgetary considerations. Regardless of the outcome of the current [Apollo accident] investigation . . . the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's . . . safety practices need strengthening. Based on NASA statements and . . . [FY 1968] testimony . . . the area of greatest weakness appears to be in the lack of a truly independent review of NASA's facilities, operations, and procedures solely from the viewpoint of safety." (CR, 4/6/67, H3657; NASA LAR VI/39)
Col. V. John Lyle (USAF, Ret.), former Assistant to the Comptroller of the Air Force, was made special assistant to NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight Dr. George E. Mueller. (NASA Ann)
Reduced television and telephone rates between US. and Europe became effective when Intelsat II-C comsat entered commercial service. New rates, which covered only the leasing of channels to authorized communications common carriers operating in the Atlantic, applied to both EARLY BIRD 1 and Intelsat II-C. Monthly charge for one leased voice channel was reduced from $4,200 for 16-hr daily service to $3,800 for 24-hr service. Rates for one-way black-and-white television in the Atlantic area were $1,100 for first 10 min and $30 for each additional minute per half channel. New rates for color TV reduced existing 150% of black-and-white charge to 125% of black-and-white rate. All rates were based on providing voice-grade or TV half-channel service from a US. earth station to an appropriate satellite and did not cover charges for communication links from satellite to an overseas earth station. (ComSatCorp Release)
Trans World Airlines retired the last of its propeller-driven Constellations and became first major US. airline to have an all-jet fleet on domestic as well as overseas routes. (NYT, 4/7/67,62)
Editorial comment on domestic satellite system controversy [see April 1,3]. New York Times: "The Ford Foundation and Communications Satellite Corporation are at odds about how best to set up a domestic satellite system that would carry educational television. Neither side, it appears, has all the answers. Ford is right to question Comsat's demand to run a domestic satellite system . . . [but] Ford's own plan for creating a new educational network is also unsatisfactory. It wants to give the job on a trial basis to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which has enough problems with its present over-ambitious objectives and should not have its energies diverted or its resources increased for anything new. Ford's suggestion that savings in communications charges made by the commercial networks should be used to finance educational TV has an inherent disadvantage in that the amount of savings would be inadequate to do a worthwhile job. . . . These differences in approach should not be allowed to hold up development of noncommercial network. The thing to do is to choose what is best from both plans." (NYT, 4/6/67,36)
Washington Post: "The issue is more than just a squabble over Comsat's request. The Ford Foundation has proposed that the Nation establish more than one domestic satellite system, with one system reserved exclusively for television, both commercial and public. Comsat maintains that one system can do the entire job of communications adequately and will save large sums of money. . . . Given the complexities of the problem, and the need that it be solved, hand-in-hand with the general question of how public television is to be financed, we think Ford's alternative is advisable. . . . NASA has the capabilities to do the job and would be involved, anyway, in putting Comsat's satellite into orbit. This solution would leave all avenues open, for NASA is highly unlikely to become the permanent operator and could recoup its expenditures by selling the equipment and stations to the eventual operator." (W Post, 4/6/67)
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