Oct 1 1973
From The Space Library
NASA'S 15th Anniversary. A National Space Club dinner honored leaders who had implemented the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, which established NASA Oct. 1, 1958. Honored guests included Dr. T. Keith Glennan, NASA's first Administrator, Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, the first man on the moon (July 20, 1969), and Astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr., the first American in space (aboard Freedom 7, May 5, 1961). NASA'S future role was described by Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator: "Unless and until Congress sees fit to change our role, I think NASA should continue to have this one primary mission: to do the necessary research and development in space and aeronautics to identify promising opportunities and meet national needs. In performing this primary mission, we will continue to work closely with user agencies in government and with the aerospace industry." NASA also was transferring its technology and experience to nonaerospace sectors of the economy and helping other Government agencies solve societal problems. "It so happens that we have the reservoir of technology, and also some available manpower, at a time when the Environmental Protection Agency and other government departments need our help." NASA had "unique capabilities to help bring into being a pollution-free, resource-saving hydrogen economy, and to facilitate extensive use of the ultimate energy source, solar power." NASA'S traditional function as the Nation's civilian space and aeronautics R&D manager "assures us a challenging and rewarding future during NASA's next 15 years." (Program; Prepared text)
Anniversary ceremonies also included open house at NASA Centers and annual awards presentations. (NASA Activities, 11/73)
During its first 15 yrs NASA had completed 277 major U.S. and international launches, with 210 successful and one still under evaluation. With the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs successfully completed and Skylab progressing, NASA had established 15 768 man-hours in space. Astronauts had spent about 40 hrs in inflight extravehicular activity and more than 90 hrs on the moon. NASA manned spacecraft had spent nearly 400 hrs on the moon and had returned more than 385 kg (850 lbs) of lunar material. Of 38 Americans who had flown in space, 3 had made four space flights, 4 had made three, 10 had made two, and 22 had made one flight each. A dozen astronauts had walked on the moon, and 24 had flown around it. Man had learned he could live and work in space. In unmanned space exploration NASA had launched thousands of sounding rockets carrying U.S. and foreign experiments. Mariner 9 probe (launched May 30, 1971, and still orbiting Mars) had produced 7300 pictures of the planet, showing it to be dynamic and geologically active. Satellites had studied stars beyond the solar system through x-rays, gamma rays, and cosmic rays. OAO 1 (launched Dec. 7, 1968) and OAO 3 (launched Aug. 21, 1972) had returned a wealth of information on the Milky Way and more distant galaxies. Pioneer 10 (launched March 2, 1972, toward Jupiter) had revolutionized man's study of the sun. The entire electromagnetic spectrum had been opened to man's examination by study of stars in ultraviolet and x-ray. Observations from NASA-launched weather satellites had enabled forecasters to observe weather systems from space as they developed and to forecast their effects as they moved into inhabited parts of the world. Man had learned what instruments in space could provide in information about the earth's resources and their efficient use to facilitate decision making, improve the lot of developing countries, and preserve and improve conditions in countries like the U.S. NASA had provided technological advancements to preserve the U.S. position as world leader in civil and military aeronautics.
The joint NASA, Air Force, and Navy X-15 rocket-powered aircraft program had, during 10 yrs of flight, studied effects of hypersonic flight on aircraft skin friction and thermal expansion, pioneered the use of ablative coatings, aided efficient structural design, and served as a workhorse test-bed for nearly 40 experiments. NASA contributions also included the single-pivot variable-sweep wing, which allowed efficient flight at both high and low speeds; supercritical wing and fuselage shapes that permitted an aircraft to cruise at 15% higher speed without increased fuel consumption; and the world's first digital fly-by-wire control aircraft with a computer-controlled electronic system. The clean combustion program was providing new concepts to reduce pollution from engine exhaust. The aircraft noise-abatement program focused on development of an avionics system, refinement of operational procedures, and the demonstration of two-segment flight paths for quieter landing approaches. The refan program was demonstrating JT8D engine and nacelle modifications to reduce noise of existing jet aircraft. In applications the knowledge gained in 15 yrs was being applied in science, medicine, navigation, communications, agriculture, crime prevention, and commerce. NASA-developed technologies were producing safer buildings, bridges, and aircraft and improved tires, roads, and railbeds. In international cooperation, NASA had conducted 18 cooperative satellite and space probe projects and flown 25 international experiments on its spacecraft. The global system of Intelsat communication satellites comprised 12 satellites launched by NASA.
Ahead were completion of Skylab 4, the third and final manned Skylab mission; the July 1975 joint U.S.-U.S.S.R. Apollo-Soyuz mission to dock a U.S. and a Soviet spacecraft in space; and the introduction of the revolutionary space shuttle with its European-built Spacelab in the 1980s. In unmanned exploration Mariner 10, scheduled for launch to-ward Mercury and Venus in early November, was expected to provide the first photos of Mercury. Pioneer 10 was headed for a year-end rendezvous with Jupiter, and Pioneer 11 (launched April 5, 1973) was scheduled for a second reconnaissance of Jupiter in December 1974. Work was proceeding on two Mariner spacecraft for 1977 launch toward Jupiter and Saturn. Major thrusts expected for the 1980s were outlined in a statement released to the press by Dr. Homer E. Newell, NASA Associate Administrator. NASA would be vigorously developing and demonstrating systems and technologies that would make space activities useful to national and world communities, monitoring the environment and resources, developing electric power from the sun, and using space as a laboratory for new technology and processes. Continued scientific exploration of the earth, space, and the solar system seemed inevitable. And the 1980s might well be a period of preparation for continued manned exploration and exploitation of the solar system, the two-way direct transfer of information between satellites, a long-duration manned space laboratory, automated outer planet orbiters and atmosphere probes, and probably, before the end of the century, a program to establish a manned lunar base for exploration and research. (NASA Release 73-190)
Sen. Frank E. Moss (D-Utah), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences, said on the Senate floor that NASA had been "second to none in its record of accomplishments during its first decade and a half." The past 15 yrs had seen the U.S. go "from the depths of postsputnik depression to undreamed of heights in both the exploration and exploitation of the benefits of space." The Skylab 3 crew (launched July 28 to man the Orbital Workshop launched May 14) had "just completed 59 highly successful days in space, in a mission already being hailed as perhaps the most productive in our history. Eighty-three nations have joined in a global communications satellite system [Intelsat] now carrying three-quarters of the world's intercontinental telecommunications traffic." (CR, 10/1/73, S18200)
Dr. Alexander Rocker, European Space Research Organization ( ESRO) Director General, sent a message to Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, on NASA's 15th anniversary: "The resourcefulness, courage and remarkable achievements of NASA personnel have been an inspiration to us in Europe and ESRO is proud to be associated with some of NASA'S most stimulating endeavours." (ESRO Newsletter, 10/73, 3)
NASA, on its 15th birthday, found itself "in the throes of an identity crisis," John N. Wilford said in a New York Times article. After a "fast and glorious youth, full of promise and widely heralded achievement," could NASA, "knowing that it could be flying to the moon and beyond, adjust to a more mundane existence?" Dr. James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, had said in a recent interview: "Our charter is clear: We have to make the country strong in space. But NASA has to move back from the spectacular. We will become more like one of the service agencies of government." (NYT, 10/1/73, 62)
The opening of a direct telephone link via satellite between Canada and the People's Republic of China was announced by the Canadian Over-seas Telecommunications Corp. Calls would be transmitted via Intelsat-IV F-4, launched Jan. 22, 1972, by NASA for the Communications Satellite Corp. on behalf of the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization. Previously, calls originating in Canada had been routed through submarine cables to Tokyo and relayed to China from there. (AP, W Post, 10/2/73, C2)
Military sources quoted by Reuters news agency said Navy plans to pur-chase 50 Grumman F-14 jet fighter aircraft each fiscal year through 1977 had been approved by Dr. James R. Schlesinger, Secretary of Defense. The number of F-14s to be purchased was increased from 313 to 334, but Dr. Schlesinger had said after 1977 the Navy must begin buying the VFX fighter, which would be less expensive than the $15-million-each F-14. (NYT, 10/2/73, 12)
M/G John B. Hudson (USAF), Deputy Chief of Staff for Systems of Air Force Systems Command, became a lieutenant general and AFSC Vice Commander. He succeeded L/G Edmund F. O'Connor, who became Vice Commander, AF Logistics Command. (AFSC Newsreview 10/73, 1)
October 1-6: National Space Week was observed by 32 states to honor NASA'S 15th anniversary [see Oct. 1]. The governors of the states had responded to a request by members of the Federation of Americans Supporting Science and Technology (FASST) . Illinois Gov. Daniel Walker said: "The declared policy of the United States, that 'activities of space should be devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of all mankind,' has established our country as the scientific and technological leader in space. NASA has coordinated the efforts of scientists and engineers in every field, the aerospace industry and educational institutions." (FASST Release, 10/30/73)
October 1-18: A 47-member NASA delegation led by Apollo Soyuz Test Project Director Glynn S. Lunney met with Soviet counterparts in Moscow for two weeks of discussions of technical problems of the joint U.S.-U.S.S.R, mission scheduled for July 1975. Discussions culminated in an Oct. 18 midterm review of the project by Dr. George M. Low, NASA Deputy Administrator, and Academician Boris N. Petrov, Chairman of the Intercosmos Council of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. Dr. Low had arrived in Moscow Oct. 14; his stay included visits to the Institute of Geochemistry, the Institute of Space Research, the Cosmonaut Training Center, and the Space Flight Control Center. In an Oct. 18 communique Dr. Low and Academician Petrov con-firmed their satisfaction with the ASTP project status. All major mile-stones were being met on schedule and, Dr. Low said, progress made indicated that the scheduled launch date could be met. Soyuz orbital and Apollo docking module drawings had been exchanged and agree-ment had been reached that U.S. specialists would participate in pre-flight final checkout of flight equipment at the Soviet launch site. Specialists would be exchanged to fit-check compatible equipment at U.S. and U.S.S.R. launch sites. Academician Petrov told the press that U.S. specialists would be permitted at the Soviet launch site "up to the very minute of launching. During the visit U.S. officials learned the deaths of three cosmonauts on Soyuz 11 June 30, 1971, were caused by accidental triggering open of an exhaust valve rather than by a hatch leak. The valve tripped open just after the reentry capsule separated from the larger orbiting module in a maneuver including firing of 12 explosive bolts. At least two crew members tried to close the valve but were unable to move fast enough. Unconsciousness from rapid decompression came in less than 10 sec; ground tests showed it would take 27 sec to close the valve by hand. U.S. officials said they were satisfied that subsequent modifications to the valve and crank mechanisms-tested on two unmanned flights, Cosmos 496 and 573, and on the manned Sept. 27-29 Soyuz 12 mission -were sufficient to prevent reoccurrence of the accident. (NASA Releases 73-199, 73-224; Smith, NYT, 10/19/73; JSC, ASTP Briefing transcript, 11/19/73; O'Toole, W Post, 10/29/73, Al; Av Wk, 11/5/73, 20-21)
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