Oct 8 1974
From The Space Library
Astronaut Henry W. Hartsfield was presented the Gen. Thomas D. White Space Trophy for 1973 by Secretary of the Air Force John L. McLucas in a ceremony at National Geographic Society Headquarters. Hartsfield received the trophy-presented annually to the Air Force employee who made the most significant contribution to U.S. progress in space-for his part in saving the $2.5-billion Skylab program. Harts-field, serving as capsule communicator during the Skylab 2 mission (25 May-22 June 1973), played a key role in preparing and evaluating crew procedures and equipment for transporting, installing, and deploying the parasol sunshade to protect the Skylab Orbital Workshop after it had been damaged during its 14 May 1973 launch. Hartsfield also had been instrumental in developing procedures for installation by the Skylab 3 crew (launched 28 July 1973) of a compact, lightweight replacement package for the failing gyroscopes in the Skylab attitude control system. (NGS Release, 8 Oct 74)
The House agreed to H. Res. 988, the Committee Reform Amendments of 1974, by a 359-to-7 vote, reorganizing House committee jurisdictions and procedures. The name of the Committee on Science and Astronautics was changed to Committee on Science and Technology effective 3 Jan. 1975, and the Committee's jurisdiction was broadened to include all research and development in non-nuclear energy, environment, weather, and aviation, with special oversight over all nonmilitary Federal R&D. Legislative responsibility for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration would be shared with the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries. Responsibility for Federal Aviation Administration civil aviation R&D programs would be added to that for NASA's aeronautical R&D. Major emphasis on the civilian national space pro-gram would continue. (CR, 8 Oct 74, D1210-11, H10146-69; 17 Feb 75, 534-5; House Com Staff interview, 24 March 76)
President Ford signed an $82.1-billion FY 1975 Dept. of Defense appropriation bill, almost $5 billion below the Administration request. The conference committee bill had been approved by the House 23 Sept. and the Senate 24 Sept. Research, development, test, and evaluation funds included $445 million for the B-1 advanced strategic bomber, clearing the way for construction of a fourth developmental prototype during FY 1975. The Navy VFAX fighter program was allocated $20 million for adaptation of the air combat fighter to be selected by the Air Force-either the General Dynamics Corp. YF-16 or the Northrop Corp. YF-17. Other funds included $81.4 million for six A-10 close-air-support R&D aircraft (in addition to $138 million for purchase of 25 production aircraft) ; $175 million for F-15 air superiority fighter R&D, and $8.6 million for Navy v/STOL development. (PD, 14 Oct 74, 1250; CR, 23 Sept 74, D1125; 24 Sept 74, D1130; Au Wk, 23 Sept 74,17-8)
8-9 October: Marshall Space Flight Center hosted its Second Annual Re-search and Technology Review. Dr. William J. Patterson of MSFC's Materials and Processes Laboratory reported the development of polyimide laminates to replace epoxy printed wiring boards for high-reliability electronic circuits. The polyimides could overcome cracking that had caused Saturn and Skylab electronic problems. A contract has been negotiated to demonstrate the practicability of commercial production. Lewis L. Lacey and Iva C. Yates, Jr., of MSFC's Space Sciences Laboratory reported Skylab experiments had demonstrated that dispersed immiscible liquid emulsions were much more stable in the low-gravity environment of space than on the earth and that processing immiscible metals in low g could lead to new alloys with unique electrical properties. Apollo Soyuz Test Project experiments were planned to develop techniques for future alloy-processing experiments on Spacelab.
Donald Stone of MSFC's Electronics and Control Laboratory reported a scanning laser radar for automatic rendezvous and docking had been tested for possible use on the space shuttle, space tug, and solar electric propulsion stage. Plans called for delivery of the radar to a simulator of the space tug flight system for evaluation under conditions similar to actual use. (Proceedings; MSFC Release 74-182)
8-10 October: The Spacelab Operations Working Group held its first meeting, at Marshall Space Flight Center. Representatives of four NASA Centers, NASA Hq., and the European Space Research Organization began planning technical documentation, requirements review, operations, and safety for the European pressurized laboratory that would be carried on the space shuttle. (NASA, Spacelab Newsletter 74-7)
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