Mar 12 1973
From The Space Library
Dr. John E. Naugle, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science, testified on the status of space science programs and plans during hearings on NASA's FY 1974 authorization before the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences: "The largest and most significant current project is Viking, a program to continue the exploration of Mars with two automated spacecraft during the 1975-76 opportunity." A Mariner spacecraft would be launched in October or November toward Venus. "As the Mariner passes close to Venus its path will be bent and it will be accelerated toward . . Mercury. If all goes well, we will make our deepest penetration toward the sun and get our first view of the sun-scorched Mercury. Pioneer-G is ready for shipment to Cape Kennedy. It will be launched in April 1973 and will follow Pioneer 10 [launched March 2, 1972] through the asteroid belt to explore Jupiter.
"We are proceeding with the development of the two Mariner spacecraft planned for launch to Jupiter and Saturn in 1977. The experiments and experiment teams have been selected. We are proceeding also with spacecraft design and will be purchasing some of the subsystems-those common to Viking-in Fiscal Year 1974. The use of common subsystems and leftover Viking hardware is helping us to minimize costs on this project. The major manned mission of 1973 is . . . Skylab, which will have many scientific experiments aboard. The most important and the largest . . . is the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM), which contains five major experiments using eight scientific instruments, all devoted to observing and studying the sun. This complex assembly of solar instruments is designed to be man-operated in a manner similar to a ground-based observatory. The ATM is now assembled as part of Skylab, awaiting launch in May 1973. An international campaign of solar observations in 15 countries . . . will be run simultaneously with ATM; a number of sounding-rocket payloads will be launched to help calibrate the instruments on ATM and to make complementary observations."
OSO 7, in orbit, "made many unique observations during the August 1972 period of intense solar activity and made the first observations of gamma rays in solar flares. OSO-1 is planned to be launched late in 1974. It will carry several major experiments to make detailed measurements of the process that transports energy from the sun's surface to its intensely hot corona. The broad international participation in OSO-1 is exemplified by a major French instrument and by a group of over 40 guest investigators from the U.S., France, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the U.S.S.R."
Associate Administrator for Applications Charles W. Mathews testified on special applications programs: "The Earth and Ocean Physics Applications Program (EOPAP) is an interrelated series of projects directed to the solution of important problems in earth and ocean dynamics that can best be addressed by the application of space techniques. Major areas of EOPAP are (a) global monitoring, reporting and forecasting of ocean-surface conditions and (b) monitoring of motions of the whole earth and its crust to obtain a better understanding of the processes that produce earthquakes, with the expectation that this will lead to the development of techniques for predicting the occurrence, magnitude and location of earthquakes." The second special program underway, the space-processing applications program, was "organized to exploit the unique environment of space flight, weightlessness and unlimited vacuum, for research and technological developments in material sciences and processing with the specific goal of inventing, developing and commercializing new products and manufacturing techniques for use on earth or in space." NASA's role was "that of an initiator of new technology and, following a suitable `incubation period,' a supplier of supporting services to a developing area of commercial endeavor.” (Transcript)
Dr. Philip Handler, National Academy of Sciences President and National Research Council Chairman, announced the first steps in an extensive reorganization of the NRC "to provide a closely coordinated structure whereby we may more effectively deploy the resources of the Academy and those of the nation's scientific, technical, and health communities." NRC would consist of assemblies concerned with studies and multidisciplinary commissions concerned with public-policy problems. The Assembly of Behavioral and Social Sciences-succeeding the NRC Div. of Behavioral Sciences-and the Commission on Natural Resources had already been established. A total of three assemblies and five commissions would become constituent parts of NRC to develop coherent programs and manage advisory activities of NAS. NAS also would strengthen procedures for selecting advisory committees to preserve the quality of scientific advice to the Government and ensure that committee membership was drawn from the entire national scientific community. (NAS-NRC-NAE News Report, 4/73, 1, 6)
RCA Global Communications, Inc., and RCA Alaska Communications, Inc., applied to the Federal Communications Commission for authority to build and operate an 'interim communications satellite system by Aug. 1. The $7.4-million system would use Telesat Canada's satellite with five earth stations to provide voice, message, and TV traffic between both U.S. coasts and Alaska until RCA's domestic satellite system, proposed in 1971, was approved and began operation. (W Post, 3/13/73)
The Senate confirmed Alexander P. Butterfield as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration. (CR, 3/12/73, D214)
President Nixon submitted National Science Foundation: Twenty-Second Annual Report, for Fiscal Year 1972 to Congress. In his transmittal message the President said the Foundation in 1972 had "increased its support for scientific research in all disciplines and further expanded its involvement in research focused on domestic problems.” (PD, 3/19/73, 252)
The 1972 British Gold Medal for Aeronautics had been awarded to Dr. G. S. Hislop of Westland Aircraft Ltd. for design and development of rotorcraft, Aviation Week & Space Technology reported. The Silver Medal for Aeronautics had been awarded to Mallinson Powley of Ferranti Ltd. for developmental work on electronic systems, particularly advanced weapon systems for British aircraft. (Av Wk, 2/12/73, 9)
The U.S.S.R. would produce the passenger door of the Boeing 727 jet transport under license, Aviation Week & Space Technology reported. The transaction had been negotiated between Boeing Associated Products and Z/O Licensintorg, the U.S.S.R. licensing agency, and included the sale of tooling, parts drawings, and a small amount of hardware. (Av Wk, 3/12/73, 26)
The Atomic Energy Commission announced it would propose issuance of a construction permit and operating license to the Univ. of Utah for a research reactor on its Salt Lake City campus. (AEC release R-101)
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