Feb 4 1974
From The Space Library
President Nixon, in his message transmitting the U.S. budget for FY 1975 to Congress, said the budget emphasized fiscal balance and continued "moderate restraint" on the economy to curb inflation, a strong defense force, a comprehensive energy program to "reestablish our ability to be self-sufficient in energy," the "New Federalism philosophy of strengthening the role of State and local governments," and a "more intensive focus on the tangible results that programs achieve."
The $304.4-billion budget proposed an increase for defense from $79.5 billion in FY 1974 to $85.8 billion, "so that we can increase our defense preparedness and preserve present force levels in the face of rising costs." Despite dollar increases caused by rising costs and by pay raises accompanying transition to an all-volunteer armed force, the President said, the proportion of defense costs to the total budget had fallen from 44% in 1969 to an estimated 29% in 1975, after the end of U.S. combat in Vietnam.
Project Independence, to reestablish U.S. self-sufficiency in energy, would require about $10 billion for accelerated energy research and development over the next five years and would encourage an even larger private R&D investment. Higher prices would be necessary to stimulate development of fuel supplies, but the emergency windfall profits tax had been proposed to curb excessive profits. The national energy policy included reorganization of Federal administrative machinery, stringent energy conservation measures, mandatory allocation of petroleum products, mandatory reporting on oil production and inventories, modernization of railroad regulations, accelerated development of domestic oil and gas reserves, increased use of coal reserves, development of a fast-breeder nuclear reactor, faster approval of energy facility sites, faster construction of nuclear power plants, and increased research into advanced energy sources, including fusion power and geothermal and solar energy.
Shortages of clean fuels would mean "some temporary variances from air quality plans" would be necessary to meet high-priority energy needs. "The progress we have made in pollution control in recent years, how-ever, along with reductions in energy consumption, should insure that overall air quality will continue to improve." (CR, 4 Feb 74, H407-14; PD, 11 Feb 74, 161-70)
President Nixon sent a $304.4-billion FY 1975 U.S. budget request to Congress, an increase of $29.8 billion over FY 1974. With 90% of the increase mandatory under existing law, the budget included few new programs and few cuts. Federal funds for research and development would increase by 9% from FY 1974, to $19.8 billion total obligations, "reflecting recognition of the larger potential contribution of science and technology to the solution of critical national problems." A substantial increase- was requested for energy R&D, $2.05 billion in FY 1975 from $942 million in FY 1974.
The FY 1975 R&D request proposed investment in priority national needs, but included basic research as well as efforts to speed the use of federally sponsored R&D. The non-Federal investment in R&D was expected to be $16 billion, 45% of a national total of $36 billion.
NASA's total budget request of $3.247 billion was $245 million above the FY 1974 appropriation and $96.2 million above the 1974 budget plan. If approved, the increase would be NASA'S first since 1965, except for a $100-million FY 1973 increase that the agency had not been permitted to spend. Significant budget items are shown in the table.
The Dept of Defense FY 1975 budget request of $85.8 billion included $9.3 billion for research, development, test, and evaluation, an increase of $989.5 million from the FY 1974 budget plan. Increases in military astronautics would improve the satellite warning system and the Air Force Satellite Communications System (AFSATCOM) NAVSTAR Global Positioning System development would continue. The planning effort toward use of the NASA shuttle for military payloads would increase.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's FY 1975 budget request of $467.1 million, a $77.8-million increase, included space and environmental programs. The Federal Aviation Administration requested $845.4 million within a Department of Transportation total of $2.2 billion. Although the DOT total was a decrease from FY 1974, it included an increase for R&D. The Atomic Energy Commission's $3.06-billion request included a 30% increase in energy activities and more funds for civilian efforts than for defense for the first time. (NASA Release, FY 75 Budget Briefing, Background Material; NASA, FY 75 Budget Chronological History; OMB, Budget of US Govt, FY 75; OMB Special Analyses, FY 75; NASA, Extracts Budget US Govt, FY 75; DOD Release 43-74; Annual DOD Rpt, FY 75; W Post, 5 Feb 74, Al, A10-12)
Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, released the budget statement he had given at a 2 Feb. press briefing. The FY 1975 NASA budget plan for new authorization of $3.247 billion and spending of $3.273 billion, although a "constrained budget," would carry forward the programs planned in FY 1974. Goals and major programs were the same, with three new projects in space science and applications, but the space shuttle had been slipped four to six months.
NASA's FY 1974 budget had "reflected a sharp temporary reduction, because of Government-wide fiscal problems . . . below the $3.4 billion level previously planned as the long-term level." Increases in FY 1975 and later years were therefore "in order to approach again the level required to maintain . advances in space and aeronautics for the rest of the decade." The FY 1975 increase of "about $100 mil-lion," however, was less than required to return to NASA's complete pro-gram as planned, and adjustments had been necessary. Principally, the first manned orbital flight of the shuttle was rescheduled to the second quarter of 1979, instead of the end of 1978, but NASA had a "firm commitment now" that there would be no more slips for budgetary reasons, and none was expected for technical reasons. NASA Comptroller William E. Lilly said at the briefing the stretchout was expected to increase shuttle costs about $50 million "in 1971 dollars." The $800 million re-quested for the shuttle was $89 million less than NASA had submitted to the Office of Management and Budget.
In the three new space flight projects, Pioneer Venus had top scientific priority as the next step in planetary exploration. Two missions launched in 1978 would study the Venus atmosphere for a better under-standing of that planet and of the earth's atmosphere, meteorology, and climatology.
In the second new start, SEASAT, an experimental applications satellite, would measure ocean characteristics to aid scientific understanding of ocean dynamics and determine if a forecasting system could be developed. SEASAT-A was to be launched in 1978. The third start, the Heat Capacity Mapping Mission (HCMM), would launch an Explorer satellite in 1977 to make thermal measurements of the earth's surface to help find mineral resources and potential geothermal energy sources and to discriminate rock structures for planning civil works such as highways.
NASA was asking $6 million to build the world's first large infrared telescope, on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, for planetary research to complement planetary space flights, especially to provide data for the 1977 launch of the Mariner Jupiter-Saturn probe.
Another new thrust, still in the planning stage, was the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) , to return the large amounts of data expected from the shuttle in the 1980s and permit phase-out of some tracking stations. NASA would not develop the spacecraft for the TDRSS but would lease satellite services from a private organization, beginning in CY 1979.
Analysis of data from the Skylab missions that were ending with the 8 Feb, splashdown of Skylab 4 would continue for many years. Apollo- Soyuz Test Project joint engineering and training activities with the U.S.S.R. were on schedule. All shuttle hardware prime contractors and most subcontractors had been selected, and the Dept. of Defense tentatively planned to modify an existing upper stage for use as an interim space tug with the shuttle. ERTS 1, launched 23 July 1972, was still working well, exceeding its design life by more than six months. ERTS-B, previously planned for 1976 launch, had been moved to 1975. A number of NASA and 11 commercial applications launches were scheduled during the year. A nominal communications satellite research program would be continued. In space astronomy, OSO-I was scheduled for 1975 and the HEAO series would be resumed, with launches planned for 1977, 1978, and 1979. Astronautics programs would continue to develop technology to improve fuel economy, reduce noise, and improve performance of U.S.-built civil transport aircraft.
NASA'S Civil Service employment was to be stabilized at the end of FY 1974 levels except for a further reduction of 354 persons at Marshall Space Flight Center following completion of Skylab. NASA's FY 1975 total would be 24 616, about 2200 less than in FY 1973 and 354 less than in FY 1974. Support service contractors at the Centers had reductions planned at about the same level, the 25 000 FY 1973 total dropping to 24 000 in FY 1974 and to 22 000 in FY 1975. (Text; NASA, FY 75 Budget Briefing transcript & background material)
4-6 February: The U.S.-U.S.S.R. Joint Committee on Cooperation in Atomic Energy reached accord in Washington, D.C., on implementation of the Agreement on Scientific and Technical Cooperation for the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy, signed 21 June 1973 by President Nixon and Soviet Communist Party General Secretary Leonid I. Brezhnev. A Protocol on Cooperation in Controlled Thermonuclear Fusion and Plasma Physics Research was signed by Atomic Energy Commission Commissioner Clarence E. Larson and U.S.S.R. State Committee Chairman Andronik M. Petrosyants. Joint coordinating committees were established for fusion and fast-breeder reactor cooperation. A program of cooperation in research on fundamental properties of matter also was agreed on. (AEC Release, 15 Feb 74)
Research into automotive propulsion systems was reviewed by NASA, Dept. of Transportation, and Environmental Protection Agency officials in hearings before the House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Sub-committee on Space Science and Applications. H.R. 10392 had been introduced 19 Sept. 1973 to authorize NASA research toward development of economical, energy-conserving systems with clean emissions and improved performance. Dr. George M. Low, NASA Deputy Administrator, testified 4 Feb. that Lewis Research Center was testing EPA's experimental engine, under a June 1973 agreement with EPA on work toward a low-pollution gas-turbine-powered vehicle. Upgraded engine work would be completed by mid-1975 and vehicle performance evaluation before the end of CY 1975. First results of Jet Propulsion Laboratory investigations of hydrogen injection into fuel to improve efficiency and reduce pollution in conventional automobile engines promised achievement of 1977 Federal emission standards with 25% improvement in fuel economy.
LeRC Director Bruce T. Lundin testified that, in addition to the gas turbine engine, a broader, longer range, advanced technology program was under way, with 13 industry contracts for such improvements as a low-emission combustor, higher-temperature heat exchangers, lower-cost turbine discs, turbine wheel cooling, and low-cost fuel controls. Dr. William H. Pickering, JPL Director, reported a test automobile using bottled gas to inject hydrogen into the fuel had already met the carbon monoxide emission standard and had almost met the nitrogen oxide standard, although the hydrocarbon emissions remained a problem. With engine modifications to produce hydrogen from gasoline, instead of using bottled gas, performance per gallon of fuel was expected to improve 25% over the conventional engine. (Transcript)
4-8 February: The first meeting of the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization's Assembly of Parties was held in Washington, D.C. Seventy-two of the eighty-four member governments were rep-resented. Raymond J. Waldmann (U.S.) was elected Chairman and Dr. Osama Anani (Jordan) was elected Deputy Chairman. Elected as Vice-chairmen were Ambassador Alejandro Orfila (Argentina) , Ambassador Adolfo Alessandrini (Italy) , Ambassador Leonard 0. Kibinge (Kenya) , and Ambassador Motoo Ogiso (Japan) .
The Assembly of Parties found that the proposed U.S. Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) and maritime satellite sys-tem would not interfere with the INTELSAT system. GOES was technically compatible with the use of the radio-frequency spectrum and orbital space by the existing or planned satellites. The maritime satellite system would not prejudice direct satellite telecommunication links. The Assembly refused a United Nations request for free use of INTELSAT satellites, although a priority access arrangement, for periods not exceeding 90 days during an emergency, would be worked out. (INTELSAT Release 74-12) .
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