Mar 26 1973
From The Space Library
Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, testified before the House Committee on Appropriations' Subcommittee on Housing and Urban Development-Space-Science-Veterans during hearings on NASA FY 1974 appropriations: "I recognize that in the allocation of funds to support the multitude of agencies and programs in the overall budget, hard decisions must be made each year 'based upon overall considerations of national priorities and needs. And with respect to NASA, hard decisions have already been made-in the past in cutting NASA spending almost in half and again this year in cutting NASA about $400 million below the level approved for FY 1973. But when we consider the benefits of NASA's programs-in advancing scientific knowledge, in exploration, in the practical applications of aeronautics and space, in contributing to international cooperation, and perhaps most importantly in advancing technology-and when we consider the NASA portion of the overall Federal budget for FY 1974 amounts to less than 1.2 percent, down from 4.3 percent in 1965, a factor of more than three-I am convinced that NASA more than justifies its present place in the ranking of national priorities.” (Transcript)
Establishment of the lunar data analysis and synthesis program was announced by NASA. Scientists throughout the world would be invited to propose investigations drawing on a variety of lunar data and cutting across a number of scientific disciplines to build a detailed picture of the moon's origin, history, and characteristics. The knowledge would carry implications for other solar system planets, including the earth, and would provide the basis for future mission planning and broad dissemination of new knowledge to the public. The program would be conducted by the Lunar Programs Div., headed by William T. O'Bryant, in the Office of Space Science. NASA Release 73-50)
The U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences and NASA had agreed to a joint exhibit of the Apollo Soyuz Test Project at the 30th International Exposition at LeBourget Airport, Paris, May 24 to June 3, NASA announced. Each agency would exhibit actual size models of Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft in docked configuration. (NASA Release 73-28)
The U.S.S.R. intended to purchase 10 Apollo extravehicular spacesuits of the kind used on the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 missions to use in a comparative study with its own suits, Aviation Week & Space Technology reported. ICS-International Computer Exchange, Inc., had been negotiating the terms of the purchase between ILC Industries, Inc., which manufactured the spacesuits, and the U.S.S.R. State Committee for Science and Technology and the Institute for Medical Biological Problems of the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences. A contract could be signed within 30 to 60 days and the suits delivered during the last quarter of 1973 if ICS could obtain an export license from the U.S. Department of State. (AV Wk, 3/26/73, 17-18
NASA selected Kentron Hawaii, Ltd., Continental Operations, for negotiation of a contract for engineering support services at Johnson Space Center. The contract would be awarded on a cost-plus-fixed-fee basis with provisions for an award fee. (JSC Release 73-30)
Wallops Station announced contract awards: $349 291 to RCA for a laser tracking system, $154 749 to Dynalectron Corp. for photographic laboratory services, $106 714 to Metric Systems Corp. for a real-time meteorological data-processing system, and $205 000 to the Joseph S. Floyd Corp. for rehabilitation of a sounding rocket facility. (WS Release 73-1)
National Academy of Engineering President Clarence H. Linder, on behalf of the NAE Council, issued a statement calling for incorporation of NAE, independent from its affiliation with the National Academy of Sciences, and establishment of an NAE foundation to collect and disburse funds. Linder said the action arose "from the existence of apparently irreconcilable differences in arranging for the joint governance of the National Research Council by the two Academies.” (NAS-NRC-NAE News Report, 4/73, 1)
The General Accounting Office released its study Cost Growth in Major Weapons Systems made at the request of the House Committee on Armed Services. Cost overruns on 45 major weapon systems in the U.S. arsenal had totaled $31.3 billion. Each of the 45 systems had incurred an overrun. (Text)
March 26-27: Adm. Thomas H. Moorer (USN), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, delivered the report United States Military Posture for FY 1974 to the Senate Committee on Appropriations' Subcommittee on Defense Appropriations: Strategic parity existed between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. "While the Soviet Union has a substantial advantage, not only in the numbers of strategic missiles, but also in missile throw weight, the United States still has a substantial advantage in other areas of key importance to the overall strategic balance e.g., missile accuracy, MIRVs [multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles], submarine quietness, sonars, and numbers of bombers and bomber payload. And, while the Soviet Union has enormous advantage in air defense, without an extensive ARM [antiballistic missile] defense . . . the air defense could be substantially undercut by ballistic missile attack, particularly ... a large number of MIRVS." The U.S. advantages were transitory, resting on a "technological lead that has been steadily narrowing over the past decade." With the momentum of the Soviet offensive research and development program, "we cannot preclude the possibility that our technological lead in this area may further diminish or disappear altogether during the current decade." Adm. Moorer believed "that the Soviet Union will soon succeed in its efforts to develop an effective MIRV system for its strategic missiles. Thus, the Soviet Union may be able to challenge our lead in both missile guidance and MIRVS , . . , and thereby pose a significant threat to our Minuteman force.” (Text)
In a statement confirmed later by Dept. of Defense spokesman Jerry W. Friedheim, Adm. Moorer said the U.S.S.R. was actively testing three new intercontinental ballistic missiles and might deploy 60 improved multiple-warhead versions of an existing missile during the summer. He said the People's Republic of China was expanding production of weapon-grade nuclear materiel and slowly but steadily building a stock of strategic and tactical nuclear weapons. (Beecher, NYT, 3/28/73, 4; DOD PIO )
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