Jun 8 1975
From The Space Library
If NASA had unlimited funding, "I would move fairly quickly on a manned station because that will become an important outpost for anything that we do in space," Dr. George M. Low, NASA Deputy Administrator, said in an interview with the San Diego Union. Dr. Low added that he would move quicker in launching a space telescope and bringing back soil samples from Mars, "both enormously important from a scientific point of view." Dr. Low expressed concern that "we really aren't being inventive enough. We haven't discovered a new propulsion system." All NASA's rockets so far, including the Space Shuttle, had used conventional means of propulsion, and with it man was limited. Dr. Low said that the moon landing "was enormously difficult because we are tied to chemical propulsion systems." NASA was experimenting with solar electric propulsion but to date no one had invented a fission or antigravity system. (San Diego Union, 8 June 75)
8-17 June: The U.S.S.R. launched Venera 9 and 10 to continue Soviet exploration of the planet Venus. Venera 9 was launched on 8 June at 7:37 am local time (10:37 pm EDT 7 June) from Baykonur Cosmodrome, near Tyuratam, on course for a rendezvous with Venus in October. Tass announced the purpose of the mission was "to carry on scientific research on the planet of Venus and the surrounding space, which is carried out by means of an automatic craft." Tass also said that, on the earth-Venus flight path, the probe would study the physical characteristics of interplanetary space including magnetic fields, solar winds, and ultraviolet radiation. Tass said that Venera 9 was the heaviest in the U.S.S.R.'s Venera series and had "certain distinguishing design features." On 14 June at 9:30 am local time (12:30 am EDT) Venera 10 was successfully launched toward Venus from Baykonur Cosmodrome. Tass reported that "in design and purpose it is analogous to the Venera 9 station launched on June 8" and that all spacecraft systems were functioning normally. Venera 10 was also expected to reach Venus in October.
In an interview 17 June with the Christian Science Monitor, Boris N. Petrov, chairman of the U.S.S.R. Council of International Cooperation in the Study and Exploration of Outer Space, revealed that the Venera mission called for a landing rather than just a flyby. (GSFC SSR, 30 June 75; FBIS- Sov, 8-17 June 75; Pond, CSM,17 June 75,1; W Post, 8-17 June 75; NYT, 8-17 June 75)
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