Dec 18 1970
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
U.S.S.R. launched two Cosmos satellites, from Plesetsk. Cosmos CCCLXXXVIII entered orbit with 499-km (310.1-mi) apogee, 269-km (167.2-mi) perigee, 92.2-min period, and 70.9° inclination and reentered May 10, 1971. Cosmos CCCLXXXIX entered orbit with 687-km (426.9-mi) apogee, 642-km (398.9-mi) perigee, 98 min period, and 81.1° inclination. (GSFC SSR, 12/31/70; 5/31/71; SF, 6/71,213)
Senate Committee on Government Operations' Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations published TFX Contract Investigation (Rpt. 91-1496). Report on history of DOD TFX program concluded: Sept. 1, 1961, decision by Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara to start program was wrong; November 1962 decision to choose second best TFX proposal at higher price was wrong; failure to heed warnings in February, July, and October 1964 of technical difficulties and to allow redesign of F-11113 was wrong; order to start Project Icarus in October 1966 and to place personal management of TFX in Office of Secretary of Defense was poor management decision "made in desperation"; and decision to continue F-111A production line April-May 1967 was wrong. TFX program had been "failure" on which Federal Government would spend more than $7.8 billion to procure 500 aircraft, although original production schedule called for more than 1700 aircraft for less money. "Of the 500 planes we will have, less than 100 (the F111F's) come reasonably close to meeting the original standards. Spending so great a sum for so few aircraft represents a fiscal blunder of the greatest magnitude. It is clear that vital financial resources were squandered in the attempt to make the TFX program produce satisfactory results." (Text)
USAF awarded $41.2 million to Fairchild Hiller Corp. and $28.9 million to Northrop Corp. to construct prototypes of new AX twin-engine combat-support aircraft. Fairchild Hiller version would be larger. Prototypes would be flown in competitive tests after 26-mo development phase. Aircraft would have top speed of 640 km per hr (400 mph); carry up to 7300 kg (16 000 lbs) of arms, rockets, and ammunition; and spend up to four hours in direct support of frontline troops. (Beecher, NYT, 12/19/70, 1)
Environmental scientist Dr. H. Peter Metzger filed suit in Federal Court in Denver, Colo., to block static nuclear rocket test scheduled for January in Nevada as experiment for possible future deep space probes. Metzger charged AFC-NASA Space Nuclear Propulsion Office had failed to comply with National Environmental Policy Act requirements that test be fully studied and reported to other agencies for comment. Defendants named were Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg, AEC Chairman; Milton Klein, Space Nuclear Propulsion Office Director; and 'Dr. George M. Low, Acting NASA Administrator. (NYT, 12/19/70, 14)
Third round of SALT ended in Helsinki with joint U.S.-U.S.S.R. statement expressing determination of both delegations to pursue negotiations. Fourth round would open in Vienna March 15. (Roberts, W Post, 12/19/70, A15)
DOT announced selection of Welton Becket and Associates to receive three-month $87000 contract for master plan for U.S. first International Transportation Exposition to be held at Duffles International Airport May 27-June 4, 1972. (DOT Release 25370)
December 18-19: Apollo 14 spacecraft underwent second day of flight readiness tests after all-night vigil by guards following anonymous telephone threat that KSC would be blown up. Deadline of 11:00 pm given by caller passed without incident. Tests were interrupted for several hours during night to replace faulty computer but engineers expected to complete simulated countdown and liftoff satisfactorily. (UPI, W Star, 12/20/70, A2)
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