Aug 11 1970
From The Space Library
NASA's X-24A lifting-body vehicle, piloted by NASA test pilot John A. Manke, reached mach 0.98 at 20000-m (66 000-ft) altitude after air launch from B-52 aircraft from FRC. Objectives of powered flight, 16th mission in X-24A series, were to evaluate handling qualities at 5° angle of attack at mach 0.95, determine lateral directional derivatives at mach 0.94 with 40° upper-flap deflection, and determine longitudinal trim and lift-to-drag data with 40° upper flap. (NASA Proj Off)
President Nixon vetoed and returned to Congress H.R. 17548, FY 1971 Independent Offices and HUD appropriations bill, which contained $3.269-billion NASA appropriation. President said in message to House that he was vetoing bill because HUD portion would "help drive up the cost of living, harming the people it is most designed to help. This kind of excessive spending would also help cause the kind of huge deficits that drive up interest rates, which would make it impossible to speed the recovery of the housing industry.'" (PD, 8/17/70, 1056-7; House Doc 91-377)
USAF Aerospace Defense Command reported that 141 satellites were orbited and 142 decayed during first six months of 1970. ADC had cataloged 4428 objects between Oct. 4, 1957, and June 29, 1970. (AP, W Star, 8/11/70)
Two alternative plans for future Apollo lunar exploration were being developed by OMSF for NASA Lunar and Planetary Missions Board and NAS-NRC Space Science Board evaluation, NASA announced. First plan was to fly remaining six Apollo missions as planned; second was to delete two missions, thus freeing two Saturn Vs and spacecraft for possible future use such as in space station mission. (NASA Release 70-135)
Apollo 14 Astronauts Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Stuart A. Roosa, and Edgar D. Mitchell visited Noerdlingen Crater near Tuebingen, West Germany, during field trip to familiarize themselves with kinds of rock they expected to find on moon. (AP, W Post, 8/12/70, A7)
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