Sep 8 1971
From The Space Library
NASA's supercritical wing, flown on TF-8A jet aircraft piloted by NASA test pilot Thomas C. McMurtry, completed 11th flight from FRC. Purposes of one-hour flight were to complete evaluation of flutter characteristics at high subsonic and low supersonic speeds and obtain additional pressure, distribution, and performance data. Aircraft reached 13 700-m (45 000-ft) altitude and all objectives were achieved. Flutter characteristics were evaluated at mach 0.97, 1.05, and 1.10; pressure distribution and performance data were obtained from mach 0.80 to 0.95 and at mach 1.05 and 1.10. (NASA Proj Off)
Ats 3 applications technology satellite, which had temporarily stopped transmitting weather pictures because of locked-on antenna [see Aug. 24], was operating again, NASA announced. Although spacecraft was still not working properly, it was transmitting cloud- cover pictures of Western Hemisphere during the five per cent of the time when camera was aimed at earth. (NASA Release 71- 171)
Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) prototype was flown to MSC from MSFC for extensive thermal-vacuum- chamber testing. Tests would continue through early December. (MSFC Release 71-146; MSFC PIO; MSC Hist Off)
U.S. and U.S.S.R. had agreed to replace Washington-Moscow teletype "hot line" with comsat capable of providing instantaneous link between capitals in any crisis, Washington Post reported. Diplomatic sources had said agreement had been worked out by U.S. and Soviet communications experts meeting at SALT in Helsinki. System would use existing comsats orbited by both countries. (Getler, W Post, 9/8/71, 3)
Initial results from U.S.S.R.'s Vertikal-2 rocket launched Aug. 20 were reported by Tass. Experiments had been conducted at altitudes between 100 and 463 km (62 and 288 mi). Photos had registered image of sun in several spectral ranges and had indicated that solar flares took place during rocket's flight. Data had been obtained on temperature, electron density, and other parameters of sun's corona and on flux of particles causing ionospheric turbulence. (FBIS-Sov- 174-3, 9/8/71, L2)
Soviet Foreign Minister Andrey A. Gromyko submitted memorandum to U.N. Secretary General U Thant expressing hope that U.N. General Assembly would call world disarmament conference on nuclear and conventional weapons. Memo also reiterated Soviet proposal for disarmament conference attended by nuclear powers- China, U.K., France, U.S., and U.S.S.R. (Tanner, NYT, 9/9/71, 8)
Senate by unanimous vote of 53 agreed to ratification of Convention for Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft [see April 15]. (CR, 9/8/71, 13892-95)
Sen. William Proxmire (D-Wis.) released GAO report that showed official cost estimates for F-14 USN jet fighter aircraft had risen from $11.5 million to $16.7 million per aircraft since March 1971. Sen. Proxmire said he was "drafting amendments" to military authorization bill before Congress "which would terminate" $5-billion F-15 project. (W Post, 9/9/71, 2)
NRC released Employment of New Ph.D.'s and Postdoctorals in 1971: Science Ph.D.s who received degrees in 1970 had found fewer jobs than had 1969 graduates and were more likely to remain unemployed or to take jobs unrelated to their training. Of 13 000 1970 Ph.D.s surveyed, 70.2% had found suitable employment, 14.3% had entered postdoctoral training, and 2.8% were jobless or had accepted inappropriate employment. In 1969, 75.3% of graduates had found appropriate jobs, 9.7% had entered postdoctoral training, and 1.6% were unemployed or underemployed. (NRC Release)
President Nixon submitted to Senate nomination of Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg, former AEC Chairman, as U.S. Representative to General Conference of International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Sept. 21-27. Among nominees for alternate representatives was Dr. T. Keith Glennan, first NASA Administrator (1958-1961) . (PD, 9/13/71, 1250, 1261)
White House announced appointment of William M. Magruder, former Director of SST Development for DOT, as special consultant to President Nixon. (PD, 9/13/71, 1260)
September 8-10: NASA and United Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation sponsored conference on neurologically handicapped at ARC. Meeting-attended by scientists, physicians, and engineers- discussed application of space age technology to neurological disorders. (NASA Release 71- 161; ARC PAO)
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