Jan 27 1975
From The Space Library
NASA Black Brant VC sounding rockets would be used to carry materials-processing experiments as a low-cost way of expanding observations made during the 1973-1974 Skylab missions, NASA announced. Three flights a year aboard the sounding rockets were planned from 1975 through 1980 to provide a better understanding of material behavior during melting, solidification, and heat treatment without the effects of gravity. Although the sounding rockets would provide only 6 min of low gravity-one ten-thousandth of the gravity on earth-rocket missions were the only way to get low-gravity materials-processing data between the July 1975 manned Apollo Soyuz Test Project and the Space Shuttle flights in the 1980s. (NASA Release 75-12)
Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, and New York City mayor Abraham D. Beame met in New York to review NASA-developed safety standards for handling liquefied natural gas. Following a 1973 gas storage tank fire that killed 40 persons, New York officials had asked NASA to use its experience in handling highly volatile rocket fuels to help the city establish a comprehensive risk-management plan to design, construct, and operate natural gas facilities. The plan, developed at Kennedy Space Center and incorporated into New York City Fire Department operating procedures, identified liquid gas risks, controlled the risks through redundant fail-safe techniques, and set up criteria for discussions to eliminate or accept certain risks.
Also discussed was the new fiberglass and aluminum breathing system developed at Johnson Space Center and being tested by firefighters in New York, Houston, and Los Angeles. Results to date indicated that the new unit-which was 30% lighter than conventional systems and featured a high-pressure, longer duration air tank and a face mask allowing better vision-was superior to old-style units. The new system was expected to be introduced commercially later in the year. (NASA Release 75-25)
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D- Mass.) introduced S. 397 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to acquire and maintain for future generations the site in Auburn, Mass., on which Dr. Robert H. Goddard launched the first liquid-propelled rocket on 16 March 1926. (CR, 27 Jan 75, 5884)
27 January-13 February: A joint conference of technical directors for the U.S.-U.S.S.R. Apollo-Soyuz Test Project met at Johnson Space Center. Participants in the conference, held while U.S. and Soviet working groups also met at JSC (see 16 Jan.-8 Feb.), reviewed the progress of ASTP preparations and published the necessary documentation.
A joint communique issued 13 Feb. stated that discussions and agreements were completed on technical questions relating to the development of new spacecraft equipment and design improvement, mission ground-support equipment, and publication of technical documentation.
The communique also stated that communication lines between U.S. and U.S.S.R. centers fully guaranteed the flow of information necessary to conduct the joint mission. Both docking systems were carefully checked and were ready for flight, with final checkouts scheduled at the respective launch sites. Crew training was proceeding satisfactorily (see 7-26 Feb.) with the final joint training session scheduled for April in the U.S.S.R.
Soviet ASTP Technical Director, Professor Konstantin D. Bushuyev, had informed U.S. officials that Soyuz 16 (launched 2 Dec. 1974) had successfully completed a full test of basic flight phases planned for ASTP as well as performance of spacecraft systems and interaction with U.S.S.R. ground control systems. Joint U.S.-U.S.S.R. tracking activity during the flight had shown that the precision of tracking information was satisfactory.
During a 13 Feb. press conference at JSC, Professor Bushuyev said that, in addition to changes in the Soyuz life-support systems and the addition of the docking apparatus, other design changes on the Soyuz spacecraft included the installation of a transporter for the Apollo and related antennas, a new interspacecraft communications system, an optical target to permit Apollo to target the approach and rendezvous, and some flashing beacons and orientation lights. (Joint communique text; JSC press briefing transcript, 13 Feb 75)
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