Nov 15 1973
From The Space Library
Final reviews of all launch preparations had been completed and Skylab 4 was "now GO for launch at 9:01 tomorrow morning," Skylab Program Director William C. Schneider announced at a Kennedy Space Center news briefing. Leland F. Belew, Skylab Program Manager at Marshall Space Flight Center, said the Skylab 1 Orbital Workshop (launched May 14) had experienced no major problems during the unmanned period and was in "excellent shape to support a 60-day open-ended up to 84-day mission." Col. Alan R. Vette, U.S. Air Force recovery forces, said that all Dept. of Defense recovery forces were in position and ready for launch. The prime recovery ship U.S.S. New Orleans was in port in San Diego and would sail in early January to Hawaii to support target points in the Pacific beginning Jan. 13. Any splashdown before that date would be covered by Air Force helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft out of Hickham Air Force Base in Hawaii. (Transcript)
NASA test pilot John A. Manke successfully completed the first powered flight of the X-24B lifting body. The experimental craft, being flown in a USAF-NASA hypersonic-aerospace-craft research program, was air-launched from a B-52 aircraft from Flight Research Center at 14 000 m (45 000 ft). Three chambers of the XLR-11 engine propelled the lifting body to mach 0.85 and 16 000-m (52 000-ft) altitude. A series of maneuvers obtained stability control data. A preliminary data check indicated excellent maneuvers had been performed. (NASA prog off)
Skylab 3 scientist-astronaut Dr. Owen K. Garriott, Jr., received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Phillips Univ. during Homecoming Day ceremonies in his home town of Enid, Okla. (Oklahoma Journal, 11/15/73)
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