Sep 21 1970
From The Space Library
NASA launched series of four sounding rockets from Wallops Station-one Loki Dart, one Nike-Cajun, one Viper Dart, and one Arcas-to obtain atmospheric data for comparison with data from orbiting Nimbus III and IV satellites. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily. (NASA Rpts SRL)
Achievements of U.S.S.R. Luna XVI mission were praised in Washington, D.C., by Dr. George M. Low, Acting NASA Administrator: "The Soviet Union's reported success in obtaining lunar material; depositing it in a sealed container and launching it from the moon's surface on a return trip to earth with the Luna 16 unmanned spacecraft is a major engineering and scientific achievement. We wish the Soviet Union and its scientists success in completing this exciting mission." NASA would "look forward to sharing in the information which will be developed by an analysis of the samples." (Schmeck, NYT, 9/22/70, 11)
Rep. George P. Miller (D-Calif.), Chairman of House Committee on Science and Astronautics; replied to Sept. 10 letter by 39 lunar scientists protesting NASA's cancellation of Apollo 15 and 19: "Forced into the development of an interim operating plan occasioned by the Presidential veto of the Independent Offices Appropriations Bill and reduced funding levels, the NASA management had to determine how best to carry out the Apollo and other ongoing pro- grams to realize maximum 'benefits from them while preserving adequate resources for the future programs. Had your views on the Apollo program been as forcefully expressed to NASA and the Congress a year or more ago, this situation might have been prevented." (Text)
Balloon 24 m (80 ft) high, carrying crew attempting first transatlantic balloon crossing (see Sept. 20], fell into Atlantic 965 km (600 mi) southeast of Newfoundland in rain and rough weather after cold air had made helium in balloon contract. USCG instituted search. (NYT, 9/22/70,15)
Nine astronauts, headed by Richard H. Truly, began walk-through of Skylab Workshop tasks in week-long Saturn Workshop crew-station review at MSFC. (MSFC Release 70-189)
DOD announced approval of development of heavy-lift helicopter (HLH), first new U.S. military helicopter development approved in last five years. HLH would have 22 680-kg (25-ton) maximum lift capacity-more than twice capacity of existing U.S. helicopters and would be used by USN and USA. (DOD Release 767-70)
Potential hazards from funnel-shaped winds spinning off wings of jumbo jet aircraft had been revealed by series of FAA flight tests, Washington Evening Star said. Tests had shown that swirling winds trailed behind huge aircraft for many miles and did not readily dissipate at high altitudes. Invisible turbulence could endanger passenger transports as well as small aircraft. Small aircraft which penetrated turbulence within 4.8 km (3 mi) of giant aircraft could be forced into sudden 75° roll. (Lang, W Star, 9/21170, A9)
Presidential Management Improvement Award was presented to Van A. Wente of NASA Information Systems and Development Branch for conception, planning, design, and implementation of NASA RECON computer system for on-line retrieval of scientific, technical, and management information. Presentation was made at Presidential Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C. (NASA Org & Mgmt Off)
Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe testified on DOT action in President Nixon's program against air piracy, before House Committee on Ways and Means. As first step, DOT had urged ICAO to establish basic principles for effective sanctions: State in which hijacked aircraft landed was obligated to permit passengers and crew to continue journey and to return aircraft and cargo to owners. State to which hijacker fled was obligated to extradite or prosecute hijacker. Multilateral sanctions should be taken against states that failed to fulfill obligations. U.S. had urged ICAO to draft international convention providing legal basis for effective sanctions. To finance program of placing armed Government employees on U.S. carriers and extension of surveillance equipment at airports, DOT had submitted $28-million FY 1971 budget amendment to Senate Appropriations Committee. Agency proposed costs of program be borne by 0.5% increase in 8% ticket tax on domestic airfares and increase of $2 in $3 head tax paid by passengers on international flights. (Text)
Appointment of L/G Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. {USAF, Ret.), as Director of Civil Aviation Security for DOT was announced by Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe. (DOT Release 20370)
Since July 15, 106 patients had been airlifted by helicopter to civilian hospitals in 68 missions flown under DOD-DOT project MAST (military assistance for safety in traffic). Project in Texas, Colorado, Washington, Idaho, and Arizona was testing use of helicopters to aid accident victims. (DOD Release 776-70)
Library of Congress Legislative Reference Service released The SST: The Issues of Environmental Compatibility. Report, prepared at request of Sen. Mike Gravel (D-Alaska), said SST, with acoustical correction equipment system, "will emit about one half the noise of the subsonic Boeing 707." Without acoustical correction aircraft would produce "excessive noise during the run-up and take-off phase." SST afterburners would require further work to diminish noise. Weather would not be significantly affected by SST (Text)
Discovery of 2500-yr-old solar observatory at ancient ceremonial center of Monte Alto near Escuintla, Guatemala, was reported in London Times dispatch printed in New York Times. Harvard Univ. anthropologist Edward M. Shook had dated observatory provisionally to 500 B.C. (NYT, 9/21/70)
September 21-23: Air Force Assn. held 1970 National Convention in Washington, D.C. During seminar on threat to U.S. security, Dr. John S. Foster, Jr., DOD Director of Defense Research and Engineering, said U.S.S.R. had "more than 300 large SS-9 ICBMs operational or under construction." Dr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr., Secretary of the Air Force, said in speech that USAF must modernize its strategic offensive and defensive forces to remain creditable deterrent to aggression. He was concerned over increased numbers and total payload of Soviet ICBMs and Soviet deployment of initial ABM systems and extensive ABM research. Apollo 11 Astronauts Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., and Michael Collins received H. H. Arnold Trophy, Air Force Assn.'s highest award, on behalf of Apollo team "responsible for achieving man's first landing on the moon-the flight crew, industry and government." L/G Samuel C. Phillips, SAMSO Commander and former Apollo Program Director, accepted award on behalf of Federal Government and J. L. Atwood, former NR president and chief executive officer, accepted on behalf of industry. (SBD, 9/11/70, 52;W Star, 9/9/70, A2; Getler, W Post, 9/24/70, A27; P Inq, 9(24/70, 2)
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