Jul 2 1971
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
Ashes of Soyuz 11 Cosmonauts Georgy T. Dobrovolsky, Vladislav N. Volkov, and Viktor I. Patsayev, killed during reentry from June 6- 30 mission, were buried in Kremlin Wall in Moscow's Red Square. Military funeral, climaxing national day of mourning, was watched by millions of TV viewers and attended by leading Soviet and foreign officials and thousands of other onlookers. Condolences were sent by world leaders. Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford represented President Nixon at funeral. Eulogy at funeral was presented by Andrey P. Kirilenko, head of funeral commission: "On a small island of the motherland traveling at a fantastic speed across the expanses of the universe they were filled with courage and the conviction that the tasks of the party and people would be fulfilled; and they fulfilled these tasks, successfully completing a complex and varied program of scientific research and technical experiments. The results of their observations are invaluable for science, for the future of space technology, for mankind. For 24 days we saw the valorous cosmonauts on the television screens and listened to their voices. With unbated attention we followed their work. Millions of people, as it were, became intimately linked with the heroes of the cosmos. We all impatiently awaited the cosmonauts' safe return to home territory. Their lives tragically came to an end when the long cosmic journey was close to completion." Letter from 19 surviving cosmonauts printed in Pravda said: "Today we are paying the last tribute to our talented and courageous comrades. There is not only grief in our hearts, but also pride for what they have done for the homeland in outer space. We know that our road is a difficult and thorny one, but we never doubted the correctness of our choice and were always ready for any difficult flight. We express firm confidence that what happened cannot stop the further development and perfection of space engineering and man's striving for space, striving for knowledge of the mysteries of the universe." (FmS-Sov-129--3, 7/6/71, Ll; Kingston, Canada, Whig-Standard, 7/2/71, 1; AP, W Star, 7/1/71, A2)
Unofficial sources in Moscow said deaths of Soyuz 11 cosmonauts had been caused by embolism which occurred because of improperly sealed hatch, according to press reports. London Evening News Moscow correspondent Victor Louis reported cosmonauts had failed to close hatch securely during undocking from Salyut 1; as spacecraft reentered atmosphere it had lost pressure and crew had been deprived of oxygen. Official commission formed to investigate deaths had not yet released findings. (Mills, B Sun, 7/3/71, Al; Auerbach, W Post, 7/3/71, Al)
Soviet Embassy in Washington, D.C., was opened to public for signing of condolence book for Soyuz 11 cosmonauts. (W Post, 7/3/71, A12)
NASA launched series of Nike-Cajun sounding rockets carrying GSFc grenade experiments to obtain temperature, pressure, density, and wind data between 35 and 95 km (22 and 59 mi). First rocket, launched from Churchill Research Range, carried 19 grenades to 122.4-km (76.1-mi) altitude, with all 19 grenades exploding as planned. Second rocket was launched from Point Barrow, Alaska, with 31 grenades, but electrical power to DOVAP ground transmitter was lost and no trajectory data were recorded beyond 4.5 sec GET. All grenades exploded and were recorded, but data were not useful with-out trajectory data. Third rocket, launched from Point Barrow as backup, successfully carried 19 grenades to 94.5-km (58.7-mi) altitude, with all grenades detonating and recorded as planned. Fourth rocket, launched from Wallops Station, carried 19 grenades to 122-km (75.8-mi) altitude. All 19 grenades detonated as planned and 14 sound arrivals were recorded. (NASA Rpts SRL)
NASA announced award of $2.3-million contract to Sperry RAND Corp. Flight Systems Div. for design and construction of STOLAND. Advanced STOL avionics system based on digital computer would pro-vide navigation and control information to pilot via advanced electronic displays and drive aircraft's control surfaces in response to inputs from pilot or computer. STOLAND would be installed in C-8 Buffalo aircraft being modified as jet STOL aircraft in NASA-DOT-FAA program to develop data base for systems concepts, design criteria, operational procedures, and certification criteria for STOL aircraft, STOL runways, and azoL air traffic control system. (NASA Release 71-125)
Decline of science in America was discussed by Arnold Thackray, Univ. of Pennsylvania professor of history and sociology, in Science: "That some new social accommodation and organization of the scientific enterprise is in process of formation is, I think, evident from the present restlessness in the larger scientific and political community . . reflected in a host of articles, meetings, discussions, and resolutions. From a historian's perspective the central question would seem to be whether specialist societies will reorganize in ways that help accommodate broader social concerns, or whether such societies will undergo a relative decline in importance. It could well be that generalist societies, like the AAAS and the National Academy of Sciences, are better adapted to pioneer the new roles, which also cut across traditional disciplinary boundaries and concerns. If so, we may be on the edge of a new era in the life of scientific societies as social organ-isms, an era in which both general and scientific politics feature unashamedly in the raisons d'etre of reinvigorated and reorganized generalist scientific societies." (Science, 7/2/71, 27- 31)
NSF published Unemployment Rates for Scientists, Spring 1971. Rate was 2.6% in 1971, jumping from 1.5% in 1970. National unemployment rate for all workers for first quarter 1971 averaged 6.5%. Doctorates experienced 1.4% unemployment rate in 1971 and 0.9% in 1970, while nondoctorate scientists were reported at 3.5% rate in 1971 and 2.9% in 1970. Defense and space constituted largest areas of activity, with 11% and 4% of unemployed. Approximately 45% of 1971 unemployed scientists reported last science-related job had been supported to some degree by Government funds. (NSF Highlights, 7/2/71, 1)
John R. Schaibley, Executive Assistant to Apollo Program Director, OMSF, died in Virginia after extended illness. He had been with NASA since 1959 and had received NASA Exceptional Service Medal. (NASA Ann)
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