Mar 12 1969
From The Space Library
Lunar Science Institute and MSC's Lunar Receiving Laboratory were preparing for "lunar knowledge explosion" expected to follow first manned lunar landing, Washington Evening Star reported. Laboratory would quarantine astronauts and lunar samples brought back from landing, storing samples for study and distribution to scientists. Institute, funded by NASA and administered through NAS by Rice Univ." would facilitate lunar research by nonspace scientific community, Administrator Robert C. Wimberley said in interview. Directed by William C. Rubey, Institute was soon to be turned over to consortium of universities. U.S. Public Health Service, NAS, Dept. of Interior, Dept. of Agriculture, and NASA had planned 30-day quarantine and study of moon material and 21-day quarantine of astronauts. Samples would be sealed on lunar surface and would be flown from recovery carrier to Laboratory after spacecraft return. Astronauts were to be transferred from spacecraft into sealed van through plastic tunnel aboard carrier [see May 16]. Van would be delivered to nearest port and then flown to Houston to sealed-off laboratory. Objective was to prevent importing viruses, some of which had been known to survive thousands of years under unlikely conditions. During three-week debriefing, crew would live in glassed-in quarters including medical area. Samples would be maintained under vacuum seals until opened in high-vacuum chambers containing remotely controlled equipment. Once photographed, catalogued, and processed, content and structure would be studied to determine composition and origins. (W Star, 3/12/69, A13)
NASA advocated "balanced, broad-based Planetary Exploration Program" as "feasible and practical" part of U.S. space program, Donald P. Hearth, Director of Planetary Programs, OSSA, testified before House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Subcommittee on Space Science and Applications. Basic goals were to increase understanding of origin and evolution of solar system and life in solar system and understanding of dynamic processes shaping man's terrestrial environment-"increasing our understanding of the planet Earth, how it has evolved, and how it may evolve in the future through a comparative study of the other planets in the solar system." Approach would be broad-based exploration of several planets-Jupiter, Mercury, Venus-over period of time, combined with direct measurements of Mars surface in orbital and lander missions. Pioneer F and G spacecraft (planned for launch in 1972 and 1973) and new cooperative project with West Germany, Helios, would open "new era" in solar system exploration, studying effects of radial distance on interplanetary medium close to sun. (Testimony)
Milton Klein, Manager, NASA Space Nuclear Propulsion Office, testified on nuclear rocket capabilities before Subcommittee on Advanced Research and Technology of House Committee on Science and Astronautics: Benefits to be realized included "significantly extended performance of launch vehicles which now exist or may be operational by the late 1970's, feasibility of certain near-Earth missions otherwise impractical," and "increased potential for mission success." One basic propulsion system could be developed to yield all these benefits. (Testimony)
NASA announced appointment of Gerhard B. Heller as Director of MSFC Space Sciences Laboratory, replacing Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger, who had been promoted to new position of MSFC Associate Director for Science. Heller had worked in rocket R&D since 1940, when he joined Wernher von Braun group in Germany. For more than 10 yrs he had directed fluid and thermodynamics research at Laboratory and its predecessors. He was responsible for thermal design aspects of several satellites, including Explorer I, first U.S. satellite. (MSFC Release 69-75)
MSFC announced $48,142,823 modification to contract with North American Rockwell Corp. Space Div. to provide for 14-mo extension of S-II program as part of overall Apollo Program stretchout. S-II was 2nd stage for three-stage Saturn V launch vehicle. MSFC also announced $1,896,916 modification to Apollo Applications program contract for further Harvard College R&D of modified UV scanning spectrometer to fly in space on Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM). (MSFC Releases 69-76, 69-77)
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission opened three-day hearings in Los Angeles on extent of racial discrimination in aerospace industry. Commission's figures showed only 177, or 0.9%, of 20,000 officials and managers in Los Angeles aerospace industry in 1968 were black. (Pasadena Star-News, 3/13/69)
USN ended 17-day investigation into Feb. 17 death of Sealab III aquanaut Berry L. Cannon. USN had disclosed that one of rigs worn by four divers did not contain chemical to filter carbon dioxide from recycled helium-oxygen breathing mixture, but photographic experts had been unable to determine which rig was worn by Cannon. Findings were not expected to be released for some time. (UPI, W Star, 3/13/69, A3)
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