Sep 6 1971
From The Space Library
Concorde 001, French prototype of Anglo-French supersonic transport, landed at Rio de Janeiro after successful first transatlantic test flight, piloted by French test pilot Andre Turcat [see Sept. 4]. Turcat told newsmen aircraft had flown at mach 2 for nine minutes during 3240-km (2015-mi) flight. (AP, NYT, 9/7/71, 62)
U.S. and British space experts believed purpose of four Cosmos launches in past 10 mos was to test components for manned lunar landing, New York Times reported. Cosmos 434, launched Aug. 12, was said to have been test of variable-thrust, restartable rocket engine similar to onboard propulsion system in Apollo CSMs. Other launches identified by experts were Cosmos 379, Nov. 24; Cosmos 382, Dec. 2; and Cosmos 398, Feb. 26. Crucial hardware believed to be missing from launches was Saturn V-size booster. Some of these spacecraft had traveled farther in space than previous Soviet flights testing manned spaceflight equipment; at least three, including Cosmos 434, had demonstrated greater ability to maneuver in space than any previous Soviet manned flight. British space expert Geoffrey E. Perry, who had first announced discovery of Soviet launch site at Plesetsk in 1966, had said in telephone interview with Times that "the Russians have never made orbital changes to the degree that they have demonstrated on these Cosmos flights." He was convinced that "the Soviet Union is testing a large rocket engine similar to the one aboard Apollo. Even some of the velocity changes made by these Cosmos flights almost exactly match the velocity changes of Apollo for such maneuvers as lunar orbital insertion and trans-earth injection." All four Cosmos were believed to have been launched by Proton, D-type, or SL-4, nonmilitary boosters with about half the thrust of Saturn V. Some were said to have transmitted recordings of human voices as test of radio communications. (Lyons, NYT, 9/6/71, 1)
Soviet supersonic transport Tu-144 flew to Bulgaria on second flight out-side U.S.S.R. Aircraft had appeared at Paris Air Show in May and June. (UPI, NYT, 9/7/71, 62)
Dr. Wernher von Braun, NASA Deputy Administrator for Planning, told press in Bremen, Germany, that he expected to visit 50-man U.S. research station on moon within 10 yrs, at end of 1970s or beginning of 1980s. He said, "I'll have to stay there at least eight or 10 days." (AP, NYT, 9/7/71, 18)
Baltimore Sun editorial praised progress of NASA-Soviet Academy of Sciences plans for compatible spacecraft rendezvous and docking system: "For all the impediments, actual and potential, to genuine collaboration in an almost illimitable project which no single nation can ever claim for its own alone, America and Russia have managed, it seems, to come to terms on some major technical points." Consultations that produced agreement "indicate the growth of sensible, humane realism in both Washington and Moscow in looking to the future," (B Sun, 9/4/71)
September 6-16: Fourth U.N. International Conference on Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy was held in Geneva. U.S. exhibit included NASA demonstration of applying nuclear techniques to ultra-rapid analyses of environmental materials and drugs, using satellites and computers. Signals from nuclear-powered instruments on moon were relayed to Geneva from GSFC via satellite. NASA also displayed lunar samples and SNAP-27 and SNAP-19 generators. Mitchell W. Sharp, Canadian External Affairs Minister, said at news conference following opening session that it was time for U.S. and U.S.S.R. to negotiate underground nuclear test ban. Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg, Conference Chairman and former AEC chairman, said in paper that plutonium 244, heaviest element, could assist in determination of earth's age. In newspaper interview, Dr. Seaborg said leading nuclear scientists agreed that nuclear-generated power was "clean, safe and necessary," but that people of world needed to be convinced. He felt that responsibility for ensuring safety in use of nuclear energy should eventually be transferred from AEC to some other agency but move would be "premature" at present.
Milton Klein, manager of AEC-NASA Space Nuclear Propulsion Office and Director of AEC Space Nuclear Systems Div., reported on NASA plans to send nuclear-powered space probes to outer planets in next five years, followed by manned missions using atomic engines in the 1980s. First mission using nuclear reactor to provide onboard electricity [Pioneer F Jupiter flyby] would be launched in 1972. U.S.S.R. withdrew from conference program paper it had intended to read entitled: "Development of nuclear power systems for space in the U.S.S.R." and substituted paper on operation of small Topaz reactor. Washington Post quoted observers as attributing substitution to U.S.S.R. lag in space nuclear power field. One observer had said only other explanation might be that they were embarrassed by failure of Luna 18 "to perform on the moon." (AEC Releases 0-151, 153; Reuters, W Post, 9/10/71, A13; NYT, 9/12/71, 20; Sullivan, NYT, 9/16/71, 14; O'Toole, W Post, 9/16/71, A21)
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