Jun 22 1972
From The Space Library
Press conference on preliminary results of Apollo 16 experiments was held at Manned Spacecraft Center. Dr. Farouk El-Baz of photo-geology team described metric camera photo of old, three- ring basin about 960 km (600 mi) in diameter on far side of moon. Eastern part of ring coincided with "what the Soviets had called some 10 years ago right after the Luna 3 photographs . . . the Soviet Mountains." NASA had concluded from Lunar Orbiter and Apollo 8 photos that formation was not mountains but "the coincidence of very bright rays from two relatively young craters," and U.S.S.R. had conceded to elimination of Soviet Mountains from lunar dictionary. Apollo 16 photos showed, however, that "what we have here is really the Soviet Mountains rediscovered, so to speak, that is part of a middle ring of a very old basin." Dr. El- Baz said that, pending approval of International Astronomical Union, large basin would be named Arabia in honor of Arab contributions to astronomy, eastern range of middle ring of basin would be called Soviet Mountains, and long western range of middle ring discovered by Apollo 16 would be called American Mountains. Dr. Gary V. Latham, principal investigator for passive seismic experiment, said May 13 meteorite impact on moon "may well turn out to be the most important single seismic event the Apollo Network will record in its life unless the good fairy sends us another fragment of rock. It provided very important confirmation of the structure that we have proposed based on the S-IVB impact."
Seismometers had also recorded other meteorite impacts and dozens of moonquakes. "We've been able to establish at least the presence of 20 different moonquake source locations. They ... have the familiar pattern which can be correlated with lunar tides and hence are triggered by lunar tides." Most puzzling question was what energy source within moon caused moonquakes. "We don't have the answer to that. We do have the puzzling fact that the two source zones we've located are nearly 900 kilometers [560 miles] deep . . . the depth at which our very tentative evidence places a reflector. . there seems something special about that depth. All of the Moon above that depth within our network area, at least, must be . . solid. Very high frequency seismic waves can propagate through it. Such high frequencies are eliminated from terrestrial earthquake signals by a partially molten low velocity zone." If part of moon were molten, "it's either in very, very small isolated pockets or at greater depth than 1000 kilometers [620 miles]."
Dr. Paul W. Gast, Chief of MSC Planetary and Earth Sciences Div., said about 90% of Apollo 16 lunar samples consisted of aluminum-and calcium-rich material. "The aluminum and calcium concentration ... approach the composition of pure plagioclase ... a name component of . . . anorthosite. They are very typical of what one finds in the highlands anywhere on the moon where we have any chemical data. Now, the negative side of that conclusion is that these rocks are not as had been thought prior to the mission, a kind of volcanic rock that is rich in silica ... a viscous volcanic rock. It's quite definite that the so-called Cayley formation is not a volcanic formation and I think we can generalize with some confidence that ... it probably is not a volcanic formation in the other places on the moon where it has been identified or mapped in, either. There are a few rocks .. . which are distinctly different" from the rest in lower aluminum concentration, 15 to 18 percent, and higher magnesium- iron concentration with composition that could be that of volcanic rocks. They were also high in potassium and phosphorus. From Apollo data scientists had identified four major types of rocks: grey breccias that contained black and white clasts (rock fragments) ; black feldspar rock that appeared under microscope to be igneous because it was tough and dense; very white cataclasites of crushed plagioclase-rich material; and crystalline rocks. One rock in Apollo 16 samples, "rusty rock," was covered by red, rust-like coating. Identification of rust, so far, was only visual; x-ray and mineralogical tests had not yet been made. "It may turn out to be . . . a more exotic type of iron compound than simple rust. It's quite definite that this - is something that's rusting; it's something that took place on the Moon . . . not ... in the spacecraft on the way back or from handling the rock. The coatings are dispersed through the inside of the rock and too thick and too diverse to have been formed in the spacecraft." (Transcript)
U.S. had withdrawn invitation to 10 European nations to build space tug, Today reported. Paper said European Space Research Organization (ESRO) and European Launcher Development Organization (ELDO) representatives had been told by U.S. that U.S. preferred to build tug (reusable propulsion system to be put into low earth orbit by space shuttle, to deliver and retrieve payloads) [see June 14]. Paper quoted NASA sources as saying European firms lacked funds and advanced technology to construct tug that could be launched from shuttle to send a satellite into synchronous 35 000-km (22 000-mi)-altitude orbit. (Today, 6/22/72)
Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, and Apollo 16 astronauts presented 50 awards at Marshall Space Flight Center to Government and industry personnel who assisted successful Apollo 16 mission (April 16 27). (MSFC Release 72-75)
U.S.S.R. and India began third phase of cooperative meteorological rocket program with launch of 76th M-100 rocket from Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS). Rockets launched during third phase would measure atmospheric temperature, density. and pressure. (Delhi Domestic Service, Fsis-India, 6/22/72, 01)
Kennedy Space Center announced award of $19.9-million contract ex-tension to ITT Federal Electric Corp. to provide communications and instrumentation services at KSC. Contract would expire June 30, 1973. (xsc Release 145-72; DJ, W Star, 6/26/72, A13)
Was it "reasonable to expect that Europe's disorganized space effort can make a positive contribution to a major American manned space programme?" English aerospace expert Kenneth W. Gatland asked in New Scientist article. Poor showing of European Launcher Development Organization (ELDO) to date had "done nothing to inspire confidence" since its 1962 inception. Despite 11 firings with last 4 intended to achieve orbit, "we have yet to see an ELDO satellite circling the Earth." In same period U.S. had "developed Apollo and landed 10 men on the Moon!" European specialists had been working with U.S. aerospace companies on shuttle components and it would be possible, "depending on the financial arrangements," for Europe to build complete unit like sortie can or space tug. "Whatever Europe produced, in effect, would be supplied free of cost to NASA. Actually, there should be a bonus as labour costs here are about half those in America, which would .. . offset the extra costs involved in collaboration." In return "Europe would gain access to the fully operational system, opening the way for our satellites to be launched cheaply and allowing European scientists and engineers to conduct their own experiments in space." Money might better be spent by Europeans on commercial satellites but "we might then have to pay whatever price is demanded for launching and become dependent on America for all advanced commercial services in space." Biggest problem was "to assess precisely what importance space will have in the last quarter of the 20th Century. We need- and have never had-an in-depth assessment of the scientific and commercial potential." Possibly post-Apollo period held "beginnings of a new growth industry which ... will rival commercial air transport. If so, America's offer to internationalise her manned space programme provides an excellent opportunity to get in on the ground floor." (New Scientist, 6/22/72)
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