Feb 17 1972
From The Space Library
First fully automatic landings by full-scale manned helicopter at predetermined spot had been made by team of Langley Re-search Center engineers and pilots at Wallops Station, NASA announced. Accomplishment was milestone in research program aimed at permitting helicopters and future vertical takeoff and landing aircraft to fly routine missions under poor visibility. Landing approaches were fully automatic from 3 to 5 km (2 to 3 mi) from intended landing spot. Automatic system was engaged in level flight at 96.5 km per hr (60 mph) at 244-m (800-ft) altitude. When helicopter intercepted landing guidance path, system automatically locked on to start landing approach. At predetermined range helicopter began automatic deceleration to zero ground speed, came to hover 15 m (50 ft) above landing spot, and descended vertically to touchdown. (NASA Release 72-34)
Dr. John E. Naugle, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science, testified on planetary exploration program at opening session of FY 1973 NASA authorizatization hearings before House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Subcommittee on Space Science and Applications. Dr. Naugle presented plan under study for "much more modest outer planets exploration program" instead of originally proposed two-mission, four-spacecraft Grand Tour of all outer planets, canceled be-cause of budgetary restrictions. Jupiter exploration would continue. "We are studying a mission for the initial exploration of Saturn. We would take advantage of the rare alignment of the planets to launch two Mariner-class spacecraft in 1977 on a trajectory which would carry them first past Jupiter and on to Saturn to investigate that strange planet.... At present, this program appears to be an excellent outer planets mission within the current constraints. However, we are studying other options with our science advisory groups to determine the set of outer planets missions which provide the most significant scientific information." Viking project to softland spacecraft on Mars in 1976 remained "most significant element of the ongoing planetary exploration program." Mariner 9's orbiting of Mars had been major highlight in 1971 planetary program. To date, "Mariner 9 .. has been in orbit 96 days, is still healthy and operating nominally. . . it has transmitted back to Earth over 5700 pictures of Mars, a number of closeups of its two moons, and measurements of surface features and atmospheric properties by ultraviolet and infrared spectrometers." NASA had mapped approximately 66% of Martian surface at resolution of 1 km (0.6 mi) or better. "To date we have visited Venus and Mars, and will soon reach Jupiter and Mercury. Within the next year we shall have studied Mars in detail from orbit and within 5 years shall have begun an intensive auto-mated exploration of its surface. By the end of the decade we expect to know whether life exists, has existed, or could exist on Mars."
Three spacecraft to be launched in 1972 would open "brand new areas of research or application." Pioneer-F would be launched in March to begin study of Jupiter. Next, Earth Resources Technology Satellite would open new field of earth study. In fall, astronomy Explorer satellite would begin to study gamma rays from stars. Major highlight in 1971 astronomy program had been observations made by x-ray astronomy satellite Uhuru (Explorer 42), which was making map of universe in x-ray wavelengths. One hundred sixteen x-ray sources had been studied. "Space" science, Dr. Naugle said, was no different from research man had been doing on earth ... since he became man: "Man does love to wonder-to explore and understand his environment. The ability to wonder-the desire to extend one's horizon-is a measure of the mental health and vigor of an individual or a society. The ability of a nation to educate its youth and provide them with the necessary tools to explore our environment, whether it be the innermost secrets of the nucleon or the outermost regions of the universe, is one measure of that Nation's vigor and its capability to better understand, and in turn guide and control, its destiny." (Transcript)
House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight began hearings on H.R. 12824, FY 1973 NASA authorization bill. Dale D. Myers, Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight, described Apollo 15 mission (July 26-Aug. 7, 1971) as "most rewarding mission so far." Mission "demonstrated the operational maturity of the [Apollo] program .... Because of its greatly increased capability for astronaut mobility, surface exploration, sample return, and orbital science, Apollo 15 added as much new data as that gathered by the three previous missions combined." Mission had marked first use of Lunar Rover and of orbital science experiments to collect lunar-wide information. "The scientific returns from lunar orbit and surface have significantly increased our accumulated knowledge of the moon and by extrapolation of the data from this vacuum-packed laboratory, knowledge of the solar system, including our earth."
Upon completion of Apollo program with Apollo 17 in December, "we will have accumulated a vast treasure of lunar data. Many exciting scientific results have already been published; however, an adequate assessment of the total body of data will require scientific effort for years to come. "As Apollo draws to a close, we are concentrating our activities in earth orbit-the primary field of manned space flight during this decade." Skylab was "first step in this direction" and "one of the most significant benefit-oriented programs of the space age." Skylab was four times larger than Soviet Salyut spacecraft and weighed 77 180 kg (170 000 lbs) with total 344 cu m (12 150 cu ft) pressurized volume. Skylab typified variety of activities that could be accomplished in space. "Several years ago we began to look at this total space arena in a different way. . . . While we were driving toward our goal of a manned lunar landing . . . a distinction was made . . . between manned and unmanned flight programs." Distinction "really does not exist" in NASA'S program for 1970s. "The transition is already under-way in Skylab." Survey of total space activity had also led to shuttle concept. "We started with a fully reusable system . . . using winged flyback booster and orbiter stages with all fuel carried in internal tanks." Studies confirmed feasibility. Estimated development costs were close to $10 billion, but cost per flight, at $4.1 million, "made it extremely attractive." Problem was lack of funds. NASA "learned that there were cost advantages in using an expendable liquid hydrogen tank for the orbiter." This became baseline with booster configuration unchanged except for modification. While process reduced development costs, expendability of tanks increased flight costs. NASA found "additional savings could be made if we placed both the hydrogen and the oxygen tanks outside the orbiter." In efforts to economize on booster development, NASA first considered "flyback booster incorporating F-1 engines and phasing orbiter systems" and later "unmanned ballistic boosters." Leading candidates were recoverable and reusable pressure-fed liquid- propellant booster and booster with solid-fueled rocket motors. Contractors were completing studies, and decision would be made shortly. Mathematica report of study for NASA in May 1971 had shown shuttle with flyback manned booster was cost-effective when averaging 39 flights a year. Myers submitted new edition of report, incorporating refined data and changes in shuttle configuration, which showed shuttle cost effective with traffic as low as 30 flights per year. "I believe that practically all of this country's future earth-orbital space activities will use the Shuttle's capability in exploiting the potential benefits of space and providing the taxpayer as large a return of his space investment as possible." (Transcript)
Roy P. Jackson, NASA Associate Administrator for Aeronautics and Space Technology, during hearings by House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Subcommittee on Aeronautics and Space Technology on FY 1973 NASA authorization, testified that recently developed NASA technology could have increased supersonic transport's investment return rate. Calculations had been made showing that "incorporation of now emerging technology for static stability augmentation and active flutter control could have allowed a weight savings, and thus a payload increase, of better than 16,000 pounds, or an additional return on investment of about 7.5%." NASA research and technology in aerodynamics, configurations, materials, structures, propulsion, and avionics applicable to advanced long-haul transport aircraft design showed "real promise," Application of automated active control concepts "could result in considerable weight savings by eliminating the need for inherent aerodynamic stability and thereby reducing the size of control surfaces. It could also result in reduced structural fatigue for longer life, lower structural loads for lighter structures, and ride quality control and active damping of aircraft flutter for a more comfortable ride." (Transcript)
Dr. George M. Low, NASA Deputy Administrator, said "real increase in productivity in space" would come with shuttle, in speech before National Space Club in Washington, D.C. ". . we have built more than 80 launch stands in this country, 50 of which are still either active or on standby ... [and] we are using 17 different combinations of boosters and upper stages . . . today. The shuttle will allow us to consolidate most of these. . . ." Shuttle, "major investment in a new tool for space exploration," had been designed for productivity "in terms of launch services, . . . access it will provide to space, . . . [and] the way it will let us operate in space." (Text)
President Nixon spoke at White House ceremony before his departure for state visit to People's Republic of China: "... if there is a postscript that I hope might be written with regard to this trip, it would be the words on the plaque which was left on the moon by our first astronauts when they landed there. `We came in peace for all mankind.' " (PD, 2/21/72, 443-4)
European Launcher Development Organization deferred firing of Europa II (F.12) launcher to first half of 1973, to allow more time for investigation of June 17, 1970, Europa I (F.11) failure and remedial action. (SF, 4/72, 161)
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