Jun 14 1993
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
NASA announced that it had selected the Universities Space Research Association, Columbia, Maryland, to negotiate a cost-plus-fee contract for the Visiting Scientists Program at Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland. The five-year contract was expected to take effect September 1, 1993; the proposed cost for the five-year period was $31 million. (NASA Release C93-g)
USA Today reported that an article in Florida Today suggested that cuts in quality-control staffs at NASA and workers' fear of admitting error were creating potentially deadly problems for the Space Shuttle program. (USA Today, June 14/93)
NASA announced that the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, had selected Fairchild Space and Defense Corporation of Germantown, Maryland, for negotiations leading to the award of a cost-plus award-fee contract. The seven-year, $91 million contract would provide instrument support services to the Engineering Directorate at Goddard. (NASA Release C93-h; W Post, June 15/93)
Donald K. Slayton, one of the original seven American astronauts, died June 13 at his home in League City, Texas, of brain cancer. He was 69. Mr. Slayton, known by the nickname Deke, was assigned to fly the second Mercury mission in orbit in May 1962 but was grounded two months before the mission because of an abnormal heartbeat. His heart condition cleared up in 1971, enabling him to qualify for the last available seat on the last Apollo mission.
The New York Times notes that other astronauts and space officials say that Mr. Slayton probably had a greater influence on the American space program over a longer period of time than any other single astronaut. For many years, he served as chief of flight operations at the Johnson Space Center and in that position was in charge of astronaut training and chose crews for nearly all missions. He retired from NASA in 1982. At the time of his death, he was director of Space Services Inc., a company that launched small satellites.
A memorial service was scheduled for June 19 at the Johnson Space Center. (UPI, June 13/93; RTW, June 13/93; NY Times, June 14/93; W Times, June 14/93; USA Today, June 14/93; W Post, June 14/93, June 20/93; B Sun, June 14/93; P Inq, June 14/93; WSJ, June 14/93; AP, June 14/93)
Ten years ago this week, the United States sent its first woman, Sally Ride, into space. Ride, who flew in space twice, is a physics professor and director of the California Space Institute. (AP, June 14/93)
Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine reported that the White House had begun to review the various options for redesign of the Space Station. There were reports that the President might be wavering in his support for the Station and perhaps would be willing to sacrifice it for his broader economic goals. (Av Wk, June 14/93)
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