May 3 1972
From The Space Library
Apollo 16 Astronauts John W. Young, Thomas K. Mattingly II, and Charles M. Duke, Jr., held press conference at Manned Spacecraft Center and showed films and still photos taken during April 16-27 mission. Crew's physical condition was already back to normal. Mattingly's exercise-response tests had been normal one day after landing, and Young's and Duke's had been normal two days after landing. Tests to determine potassium levels were still under way. Young said engine problem that had delayed lunar landing six hours had made Apollo 16 "a cliff-hanger of a mission from where we were sitting in the cockpit; but the ground came through . . with a couple of clutch hits and put us right back in the ball game. I know there was a lot of work being done on the ground and, speaking for the flight crew, we certainly appreciate it." Young also praised Lunar Roving Vehicle which carried him and Duke over lunar surface. "The suspension system on the Rover is absolutely remarkable. We never had the feeling of spinning out or anything, but sometimes we went in some deep holes and sometimes the vehicle bounced up in the air and came down on a rock ... [but] it didn't seem to affect the performance of the machine." Duke said lunar surface was so clear that "features look almost like you're right next door to them," like a clear day in western U.S. desert. "Some mountains you think are right next to you and [they] end up 20 miles [32 km] away. You have the same feeling on the lunar surface. Looking out the window from the lunar module ... South Ray Crater ... looks like it's just right next to you, but it was 6 kilometers [31/2 miles] away." (Transcript)
Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences reported to Senate H.R. 14070, $3.420-billion FY 1973 NASA authorization bill [see April 25]. (S Rpt 92-779)
President Nixon sent message to Congress transmitting World Weather Program, Plan for Fiscal Year 1973, report of U.S. participation in program. He said: "Through new satellites, telecommunications, and computer technology, global information for early predictions and hazardous weather warnings is being acquired, processed, and then distributed in increased volume and detail." Program was "essential to a total environmental monitoring system for our planet" and could "serve as a model ... for other environmental systems." Other environmental data could be "collected and exchanged through a vehicle like the World Weather Program." (PD, 5/8/72, 819)
Two-month program to demonstrate feasibility of transmitting TV and voice communications direct via satellite to six Alaskan communities began at Juneau, Alaska. ComSatCorp would install small transportable ground station at six locations-Juneau (May 3-5), Kodiak (May 16-18), Bethel (May 29-31), Nome (June 7-9), Barrow (June 20-22), and Ft. Yukon (July 3-7). TV programming by Alaskan Educational Broadcasting Commission would be transmitted from ComSatCorp's Bartlett ground station in Talkeetna, Alaska, via Intelsat-IV F-4 over Pacific, to transportable station. (ComSatCorp info sheet, 5/1/72; ComSatCorp Pm)
Lockheed Aircraft Corp. Chairman Daniel J. Naughton told annual meeting of shareholders in Van Nuys, Calif., that he expected higher net earnings on lower sales volume in 1972. He predicted that Lock-heed would receive substantial orders for L-1011 TriStar transport in coming years. (Pearlstine, WSJ, 5/2/72, 17; Lockheed Pio)
May 3-11: Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space met to plan program for parent Committee. Italian space expert Franco Fiorio asked 28 members present if scientists from smaller countries would be allowed to stand in line and buy tickets to board Soviet or U.S. manned space laboratory. Dr. Fernando Mendonca of Brazil said advances in space technology were providing data that could help speed economic development in poorer countries but U.N. itself had neither technical manpower nor finances to assist these countries in using data. During debate over remote sensing by satellite, Sweden tried to open discussion of what U.N. could do to protect economic interests of small nonspace power from possible commercial exploitation by countries collecting data from satellites. Only Argentina supported Swedish view; majority, including U.S. and U.S.S.R., said such discussions were premature. Arnold W. Frutkin, NASA Assistant Administrator for International Affairs, renewed U.S. pledge that data from satellites would be shared with other countries without discrimination. All members of Sub- committee were invited by NASA to inspect data processing center at Goddard Space Flight Center but only six countries accepted. (Teltsch, NYT, 5/14/72, 15)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
