Aug 18 1971
From The Space Library
NASA supercritical wing, flown on TF-8A jet aircraft piloted by NASA test pilot Thomas C. McMurtry, successfully completed ninth flight from FRC. Objectives of flight-to obtain pressure distribution data at high supersonic speeds and evaluate augmented damping characteristics at low supersonic speeds-were achieved. Flight, made at 10 700-m (35000-ft) altitude, was first in series to obtain data for performance evaluation; previous flights had been for pilot familiarization. Pressure distribution data were obtained from mach 0.80 to 0.97 and damping characteristics were evaluated at mach 1.1 and 1.6. (NASA Proj Off)
NASA announced formation of Transport Experimental Programs Office in OART to direct experimental STOL transport research airplane program. RFPS for design and fabrication of STOL aircraft had been issued Aug. 4, requesting proposals by Oct. 15. Program would provide data and experience for development of environmentally acceptable, economical, and safe fan-jet STOL transport systems. New office, directed by Gerald G. Kayten, would integrate activities of STOL Technology Office and Supercritical Technology Office. (NASA Release 71-155)
NASA announced it had begun joint program with USA Air Mobility Research and Development Laboratory to develop flight research vehicle to test various rotors in actual flight under controlled conditions with provision for extensive engineering measurements during maneuvers. LaRC had issued REPS for two parallel design studies requiring 10 mos to determine feasibility of attaining Government's research goals and provide development plan for further phases of program. Joint NASA-Army team would base detailed specifications for vehicle preliminary-design competition on results of predesign studies. (NASA Release 71-152)
Pratt & Whitney Div. of United Aircraft Corp. filed formal protest against NASA award of $500-million space shuttle main engine contract to NR Rocketdyne Div. and asked Federal Government to reverse award. In letter to GAO, Pratt & Whitney charged selection of Rocketdyne was "illegal, arbitrary and capricious, and based on unsound decisions" and reiterated complaints cited Aug. 3 to GAO. (I Post, 8/19/71, C12; SBD, 8/19/71, 230)
Special medallion to commemorate 1971 quadricentennial of Johannes Kepler was issued by American Museum-Hayden Planetarium. Kepler -born Dec. 16, 1571-had founded science of optics, was first to ascribe tides to moon, shaped much of comet theory, and came close to theory of gravity. His Somnium, highly technical "dream" of voyage to moon, had been first work of modern science fiction. (American Museum-Hayden Planetarium Release, 8/13/71)
August 18-24: Thirteenth International Congress of the History of Science was held in Moscow. Section on History of Aircraft, Rocket, and Space Science and Technology was held Aug. 19. Paper "The Historiography of Rocket Technology and Space Exploration" submitted by Dr. Eugene M. Emme, NASA Historian, was summarized at meeting by Dr. Lloyd S. Swensen, Jr., of Univ. of Houston. Paper covered features of evolution of rocket technology pertaining to beginning of space exploration and exploitation and discussed work of international pioneers like Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Robert H. Goddard, and Hermann Oberth, who became interested in space exploration before deducing that liquid-propellant reactive thrust was the best technology. Dr. Swenson, coauthor of book This New Ocean: A History of Project Mercury, presented his own paper "On the Mixture of Science and Technology in the Apollo 8 Circumlunar and the Apollo 11 Lunar Landing Missions." Paper examined effect of internal pressures on overall posture and achievements of Apollo project as illustrated by Apollo 10 and 11. Anatoly A. Blagonravov and V. N. Sokolsky of Soviet Academy of Sciences submitted paper on "Main Lines of Research in the Field of the History of Aeronautics and Astronautics." (Program; NASA Hist Off)
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