Apr 22 1970
From The Space Library
Intelsat-III F-7 was launched by NASA for ComSatCorp on behalf of International Telecommunications Satellite Consortium (INTELSAT). Satellite, launched from ETR by three-stage, long-tank Thor-Delta booster, did not reach predicted transfer orbit because booster underperformed. Engineers fired onboard hydrazine thrusters to push satellite into desired synchronous orbit with 35 772.9km (22 233.0-mi) apogee and 35 737.7-km (22 211. l .-mi) perigee at 19° west longitude, over Atlantic. Remaining fuel was expected to maintain satellite to orbit over Atlantic for five years. Full-time commercial service was scheduled to begin May 8. Intelsat-111 F-7 was fifth successful launch in Intelsat III series. Last successful mission, Intelsat-III F-6, had been launched Jan. 14. (ComSatCorp Release 70-26; NASA Proj Off)
USAF's X-24A lifting-body vehicle, piloted by Maj. Jerauld R. Gentry (USAF), successfully completed third powered flight, reaching 18 300-m (60 000-ft) altitude and mach 0.9 after air launch from B-52 aircraft at 12200-m (40000-ft) altitude from FRC. Objectives of flight, 12th in X-24A series, were to expand envelope to mach 0.9 and to obtain lateral-directional stability derivatives at mach 0.85. (NASA Proj Off)
Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences ordered favorably reported H.R. 16516, FY 1971 NASA. authorization bill, with amendments which cut $15 million from $692.3-million Administration budget request for research and program management and $2.05 million from $34.6-million Administration request for construction of facilities. Total $3.315 billion NASA authorization recommended by Senate committee was $17.05 million below $3.333 billion Nixon budget request. (CR, 4/23/70, D388)
Fairchild Hiller Corp. Vice President Edward G. Uhl told stockholders at annual meeting that company had filed protest with NASA, U.S. Comptroller General, and President Nixon over April 8 NASA award of $50 000 000 contract to General Electric Co. for design and manufacture of experimental commercial spacecraft, according to Washington Evening Star. Fairchild Hiller General Counsel John F. Dealy said company was protesting on four points: GE submitted proposal six days after deadline and made technical changes contrary to NASA regulations; GE's cost savings were not genuine savings to Government; NASA's selection procedure on contracts was not adequate, and Fairchild Hiller was not given fair and proper evaluation of its technical innovations for spacecraft. (Harris, W Star, 4/23/70, D9)
Bruce Biossat discussed Apollo 13 in Washington Daily News: "Our greatest hangup is the dreams we cling to on earth. And no one is more guilty of fostering and perpetuating these than the men who today are assailing our space undertaking as costly distraction.... What we have long needed, as historian Dr. Daniel Boorstin suggests, is to forget about fixing and fulfilling some great national purpose. We will do better in small human clusters, working with dedication and fuller knowledge, in assaults on an ever-changing roster of important but quite specialized goals. Far from adding to crippling illusion, our men in space have shown us-in a very cruel laboratory-that such hard goals can be attained." (W News, 4/22/70, 19)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
