Feb 27 1970
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
U.S.S.R. launched Cosmos CCCXXIV into orbit with 465-km (288.9-mi) apogee, 264-km (164.0-mi) perigee, 91.9-min period, and 71.0° inclination. Satellite reentered May 23. (GSFC SSR, 21 28170; 5131170)
NASA's HL-10 lifting-body vehicle, piloted by NASA test pilot William H. Dana, successfully completed 35th flight after air launch from B-52 aircraft at FRC. Purposes of powered flight were to obtain data with speed brakes open at supersonic speed and to obtain additional stability and control data at supersonic speeds. If data were satisfactory XLR-11 engine would be replaced by hydrogen-peroxide landing engines for powered approach and landing phase of program. (NASA Proj Off)
Dale D. Myers, NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight, testified on NASA FY 1971 authorization before Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences: Manned space expenditures for FY 1971 would be about 25% less than in FY 1970 and about half FY 1966 peak. "We are able to make these rapid changes . . . as the result of two fundamental policies . . . . One of these policies is that the great bulk of the NASA program is carried out under contracts with industry, university laboratories and other institutions in the private sector of our economy. The other . . . is that NASA must maintain a civil service staff sufficient in quality and numbers to properly supervise the work performed under contract . . . Essentially all the reductions being implemented in the manned space flight programs in Fiscal Year 1971 are in those efforts carried out under contract." In FY 1971 NASA proposed to complete definition of Space Shuttle and space station and continue studies of systems, missions, and payloads for further economies in future years. In Apollo program, Myers pointed out, scheduled stretchout of manned lunar landings would "add to operational costs of the lunar exploration program, although not to our costs this year." In Skylab program, design, development, and ground testing of subsystems and assemblies of Saturn Workshop, airlock module, multiple docking adapter, and ATM were well advanced. Fabrication had begun on first flight articles; with delivery scheduled for late 1971. In Space Shuttle program, shuttle would be "designed so that it can be maintained in a state of launch readiness for lengthy periods and yet be launched within two hours notice into an orbit of any inclination. In the event of an emergency in space, it' would be able to carry engineering or repair specialists to overcome the problem or rescue an endangered crew." (Testimony)
Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird urged repeal of Congressional restriction that forced DOD to prove military usefulness of its basic research, during testimony before House Committee on Armed Services hearings on military posture: If "we reduce our support of research projects on the theory that they do not seem to be related directly to military programs, I believe it is essential that the support of high-quality basic research projects of broad national interest be provided immediately by some other agency of the government." Later Laird told House Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Defense Appropriations that driving pace at which U.S.S.R. was expanding missile forces could reduce U.S. to second-rate strategic position by mid-1970s. (Testimony CR, 4/1/70, 54794)
President Nixon, in White House ceremony, resented Atomic Pioneers Award to Dr. Vannevar Bush for his "exceptional contributions to the national security as Director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development in marshalling the resources of American science for national defense during World War II and for his pioneering leadership as a Presidential advisor in fostering the establishment of new Federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, and the Atomic Energy Commission, which have made possible the unprecedented growth of scientific research and development in the last two decades." President also presented Award to Dr. James B. Conant for his "exceptional contributions to the national security as Chairman of the National Defense Research Committee in overseeing the successful development of weapons systems, including the atomic bomb, during World War II and for his pioneering leadership in the nation's atomic energy program after the war as Chairman of the Committee on Atomic Energy of the Joint Research and Development Board and as a member of General Advisory Committee to the Atomic Energy Commission." President presented third Atomic Pioneers Award to L/G Leslie R. Groves (USA-Ret) for his "exceptional contributions to the national security as Commanding General of the Manhattan Engineer District, United States Army, in developing the world's first nuclear weapons during World War It, and for his pioneering efforts in establishing administrative patterns adopted by the Atomic Energy Commission in effecting the use of atomic energy for military and peaceful purposes." (PD, 3/2/70, 279-80)
Christian Science Monitor published interview with Dr. Charles S. Sheldon II, Chief of Library of Congress's Science Policy Research Div. U.S.S.R. had not closed door to manned lunar landings but since successful Apollo 11 lunar landing, "I think . . . they have succeeded in taking the heat off themselves psychologically." Soviet space program "definitely seems to have been delayed in so far as use of any large vehicle is concerned." Still, program was "probably larger than ours." It was "about equivalent to our program at its peak." U.S.S.R. was "putting close to two percent of their GNP into their space program." There was "possibility" that U.S.S.R. was testing FOBS. (Stanford, CSM, 2/27/70)
At meeting of American College of Cardiology in New Orleans, La., ARC-Stanford Univ. team of scientists reported successful use of sonar to provide data on heartbeat and blood circulation formerly unobtainable from cardiac patients without cardiac catherization, blood sampling, or x-rays. Stanford work-supported by ARC. NIH and American Heart Assn.-used commercially available machine which emitted and received high-frequency sound waves. As sonic impulses were bounced against walls of heart, they were recorded and converted into electrical signals which were displayed on TV screen. Sonar also was being used at Stanford to detect heart changes that led to early rejection in heart transplant patients. (NASA Release 70-32)
Common digitizer, new radar processing device developed by AFSC's Electronic Systems Div. and FAA, would replace radar signal processors used by DOD, USAF announced. It would allow USAF and FAA to share radar information for air traffic control and military air defense and would reduce costs by relaying radar information over telephone lines. (AFSC Release 253.69)
John H. Chaffee, Secretary of the Navy, and Dr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr., Secretary of the Air Force, announced selection of United Aircraft Corp. Pratt & Whitney Div. to develop and produce high-performance, afterburning turbofan engines for USN F-14B and USAF F-15 fighter aircraft. Target price for first 90 engines was $448 162 600; first increment to be funded was $47 450 000. (DOD Release 162-70)
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