May 16 1972
From The Space Library
Press briefing on Apollo 16 preliminary science results was held at Manned Spacecraft Center. Dr. David W. Strangway, Chief of MSC Geophysics Branch, said magnetic sample returned to moon on Apollo 16 "did pick up fairly strong component of soft magnetization as the result of exposure to the spacecraft systems. On return to the earth, however, we were able to clean that out and to recover the original hard component of magnetization which is what ... we were hoping to do." Experiment had worked out "quite successfully and suggests that the soft components that we're seeing in the rocks is indeed of spacecraft origin and is not an artifact of some kind that came from the lunar surface. . . . if it did come from the lunar surface we've contaminated it so much that we can't sort it out afterwards. But the hard component then, we believe, is real and it came back through the whole journey and . . . is essentially unchanged and unmodified." Dr. Paul W. Gast, Chief of MSC Planetary and Earth Sciences Div., said qualitative conclusion from chemical analysis of few samples examined to date was "that the soil is certainly quite homogeneous from point to point." Homogeneity suggested that rock at Cayley Plains might not be different from rock in Descartes and that neither formation might have been formed from volcanic lava. Samples had very high concentrations of aluminum and calcium-261/ aluminum oxide and 15% calcium-"very different from what we see everywhere on the surface of the earth." X-rays of core tubes showed dispersion throughout soil of metal particles-probably metallic iron-up to 0.5 cm (0.2 in) in diameter. Tentative conclusion was "that metallic iron, both in the soil and the rocks, is very much more abundant at this site than it's been at any other site on the moon and this may be a qualitative characteristic of the Apollo 16 site and perhaps a qualitative characteristic of the highlands is that rocks there contain bits of metallic iron. It is tempting to speculate that this has something to do with the high magnetic field at this region." Although scientists couldn't tell just from looking at rocks whether any were volcanic, "the opinion is evolving that they are not." Rocks appeared, to naked eye, to be impact breccias. (Transcript; O'Toole, W Post, 5/17/72)
Congress received Apollo 16 Astronauts John W. Young, Charles M. Duke, Jr., and Thomas Mattingly II. In welcoming speech Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) said, "The trail they took into space has further inspired all of us to reach for greater accomplishments." Astronauts urged continued support of space program. Astronauts earlier in morning reported preliminary results from April 16-27 lunar landing mission to House Committee on Science and Astronautics. Slides shown included first photo showing intensity of ultraviolet light around earth and also aurora belts, including magnetosphere on equator never seen before [see May 12]. They also showed photo of geocorona protecting earth from uv rays from sun. Mattingly said of lunar exploration. "I think as we go further into our exploration of the moon, we'll find it more and more complex than we suspected it would ever be. In our fondest dreams, I believe we never suspected the hidden treasures that are buried underneath the lunar soil." (CR, 5/16/72, S7839-40; W Post, 5/17/72, Al; Hearing transcript)
NASA's TF-8A aircraft, equipped with supercritical wing and piloted by Thomas C. McMurtry, completed one of two flights scheduled from Flight Research Center. Pressure distributions were measured from mach 0.90 to 0.99 at altitudes from 12 800 to 13 960 m (42 000 to 45 800 ft) with flaps closed and at 5° and 10°. Second flight, an excess-energy maneuver, was canceled because DC generator light came on at end of first flight. Problem was later corrected and second flight was rescheduled. (NASA proj off)
Arcas sounding rocket was launched by NASA from Antigua, West Indies, to 52.3-km (32.5-mi) altitude. Primary objective was to obtain ozone measurements in upper atmosphere in conjunction with overpass of Nimbus 4 satellite and with Nike-Cajun ozone launch (May 17). Secondary objective was to validate further performance of new parachute deployment system tested May 4. Payload was ejected near apogee and descended successfully by parachute; good ozone data were acquired. (NASA Rpt SRI.)
Marshall Space Flight Center announced agreement with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Huntsville Div. to provide facility design and construction support as needed by MSFC for space shuttle program. (MSFC Release 72-61)
Canadian government purchase of video equipment valued at $500 000 to receive direct TV transmissions from NASA'S Earth Resources Technology Satellites (ERTS) was announced by RCA. First data-acquisition facilities installed outside U.S., equipment would be at central receiver site in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and Canadian Centre for Remote Sensing in Ottawa. Facilities would go into full-scale operation when first experimental ERTS was launched from Western Test Range. (RCA Release)
U.S. patent No. 3 662 744 was awarded to General Electric Co. scientists Robert W. Richardson and David B. Wright for esthesiometer invented under NASA contract. Instrument, for possible use on Skylab, could also help physicians test patients' skin perception. User touched skin with flexible nylon wire projecting from instrument to measure degree of sensitivity. (NYT, 5/20/72; Pat Off rzo)
U.S. and U.S.S.R. were nearing "historic agreement to begin joint ventures in space," Wall Street Journal reported. "For the first time, the Soviets are dropping their secrecy curtain enough to provide detailed engineering data on their spacecraft-a sign that Brezhnev, Kosygin & Co. really want to go ahead." U.S. officials-including Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, and Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., Presidential Science Adviser-"are eagerly committing themselves to cooperation; American spacemen, feeling pinched for funds, now count on accord to keep them flying in the future." Political decision on joint space mission "is in the hands of the Kremlin and the White House." Some officials believed "announcement of this Soviet-American engagement could come before June-perhaps in Moscow if President Nixon goes ahead with his scheduled trip there this month." (Spivak, WSJ, 5/16/72, 1)
Former scientist-astronaut Dr. Brian T. O'Leary continued dialogue with Univ. of Michigan astronomer James A. Loudon [see Jan. 16 and March 28] in letter published by New York Times. "I basically agree with Mr. Loudon's defense of the human value of communications and other applications satellites, but we do not need enormous shuttles to transport such minuscule payloads. In addition, the shuttle juggernaut is forcing NASA to cancel, postpone or trim much of its space science and applications activity. This is regrettable. We need to take a very careful look at the space shuttle before Congress appropriates billions of dollars and we are irrevocably committed to an apparent boondoggle." (NYT, 5/16/72, 40)
Collection of 28 paintings by artist-architect-astronomer Chesley Bonestell and 3 original drawings by Dr. Wernher von Braun, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Planning, were placed on exhibition at American Museum-Hayden Planetarium in New York for indefinite period. Bonestell paintings of early 1950s depicted future space explorations. Von Braun paintings suggested suit for astronaut extra-vehicular activity on moon. (Am Mus Release)
Redesignation of undersea long-range missile system (ULMS) as "Trident' was announced by Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird during Washington, D.C., press conference. (um, W Star, 5/17/72, A6)
May 16-17: Conference on Aircraft Engine Noise Reduction was held at Lewis Research Center to present latest results of NASA Quiet Engine Program and efforts to reduce noise of future short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft to airline industry representatives. Roy P. Jackson, NASA Associate Administrator for Aeronautics and Space Technology, said future of civil aviation depended on "making the airplane acceptable to the community ... in noise level and . engine emissions." NASA's goal was to provide technology to make aircraft "unobtrusive in its environment. Noise levels beyond the airport boundaries should one day be indistinguishable in the ambient level." Primary work in propulsion-source noise reduction was "technology to modify existing engines and . . . to design new propulsion systems . . . that operate at significantly lower noise levels." NASA also was working on steep approaches in landing to reduce ground noise and studying community response to noise.
Flight tests in 1971 with modified American Airlines Boeing 720 aircraft from Stockton (Calif.) Metropolitan Airport in clear weather had shown "cockpit modifications made procedure of reducing ground noise by effecting steeper approaches in terminal area safe, repeatable, and reasonable under clear-weather conditions." Carl C. Ciepluch, Deputy Manager of LeRC Quiet Engine Project Office, discussed first tests, in May, of experimental engine A with acoustic nacelle and 97 900- newton (22 000-1b) thrust. LeRC had tested engine A at takeoff and landing speeds when noise was most noticeable. Tests had shown that if four such engines were installed on DC-8 or Boeing 707 aircraft takeoff noise would be 90 effective perceived noise in decibels (epndb) instead of 116 on takeoff and 118 on approach with current DC-8 and Boeing 707 engines.
Although not suitable for wide-bodied jets, quiet engine and nacelle was 8 to 13 epndb quieter than engine used on Boeing 747s and DC-10s. Testing of engine with nacelles would continue through fall to measure more precisely effectiveness of noise suppression techniques and measure engine's internal noise sources other than the fan. Late in year, engine would be tested in a new altitude chamber at Lewis. Second quiet engine was under- going aerodynamic tests by manufacturer General Electric Co. at Peebles, Ohio, before being delivered to Lem at end of year for acoustic tests. NASA would use evaluation of both engines in designing quiet experimental engine Mark II for "optimum trade-off period noise reduction and installed weight penalty for aircraft application." Newell D. Sanders, Chief of LeRC V/STOL and Noise Div., chaired conference and discussed noise levels, methods for noise reduction, and quiet engine principles. (LeRC Release 72-29; Text; Lewis News, 5/5/72, 1; 5/19/72, 1; NASA SP-311)
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