Jul 31 1986
From The Space Library
NASA announced four teams to establish centers for the Commercial Development of Space. The centers, joint undertakings of academic, industry, and government teams, were (1) University of Wisconsin, Space Automation and Robotics and Dr. John Bollinger; (2) Ohio State University, Real Time Satellite Mapping and Ivan Mueller; (3) University of Houston, Molecular Beam Epitaxy and C.W. Chu; and (4) Clarkson University, Commercial Crystal Growth in Space and William Wilcox. Criteria for selection were based on new and unique research leading to commercial activity, management teams capable of directing commercial research, and available non-NASA resources to help operate the center. (NASA Release 86-102)
Dr. James C. Fletcher acknowledged that NASA did not sufficiently consult Congress on decisions pertaining to Space Station management prior to the June 30 announcement and said he would postpone plans for moving Space Station management from Houston to the Washington, D.C. headquarters. Because "considerable misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the intent of the decision on the Space Station work package realignment has resulted," said Fletcher "I intend to conduct a thorough review of all aspects of Space Station design, work package assignments and functions, and conduct extensive conversations with members of Congress." (NASA Release 86-103; USA Today, Aug 1/86)
White House officials announced that top members of President Ronald Reagan's cabinet were in favor of halting commercial launches aboard the Space Shuttle, a move that would cost NASA $850 million in revenue. White House spokesman Larry Speaks argued that eliminating the launches would stimulate the private aerospace industry, reluctant to compete with NASA in the past, to quickly fill the void. Another reason for the reduced number of launches, he noted, was the increasing backlog of scientific and military pay-loads. Focus on those two types of missions exclusively would ease the immediate need for a fourth shuttle.
At the same time, Air Force Secretary Edward Aldridge said that he intended to ask Congress for $2.6 billion in order to acquire a fleet of rockets that would reduce both the backlog of 21 payloads and the Pentagon's dependence on the Space Shuttle. He added that no Space Shuttles would be launched from California's Vandenberg Air Force Base until 1992, a saving to tax payers of $1 billion. (W Times, Aug 1/86; WSJ, Aug 1/86; W Post, Aug 1/86; B Sun, Aug 1/86; NY Times, Aug 1/86; WSJ, Aug 5/86)
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