Feb 3 1972
From The Space Library
Cosmos 473 was launched by U.S.S.R. from Baikonur into orbit with 356-km (221.2-mi) apogee, 176-km (109.4-mi) perigee, 89.6-min period, and 65° inclination. Satellite reentered Feb. 15. (GSFC SSR, 2/29/72; SBD, 2/7/72, 191) [[ Apollo Telescope Mount]] (ATM) flight unit was being readied for three- month, post-manufacturing checkout at Marshall Space Flight Center. ATM would be moved in May from Quality and Reliability Assurance Laboratory to Astronautics Laboratory for vibration tests and would be delivered to Manned Spacecraft Center June 1 for thermal and vacuum tests. ATM would be launched on first Skylab mission in 1973. Series of preliminary Skylab experiment planning simulations was being conducted by flight controllers, flight planners, and other experts at MSC. Purpose of simulations was to exercise basic plans and procedures necessary before detailed simulations with Skylab team could begin. (MSFC Release 72-8; MSC Release 72-32)
Senate passed and sent to House H.R. 11487, Chapel of the Astronauts bill, after amending it to restrict authority to sell land at Kennedy Space Center for chapel to two years after act's enactment date. (CR, 2/3/72, S1097-8)
Award of $185 000 grant for joint Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare, NASA, and Corp. for Public Broadcasting project to beam educational TV programs to rural residents in eight Rocky Mountain states was announced by HEW. Total of $500 000 was to be spent on early childhood and career education programs to be transmitted via ATS-F satellite scheduled for May 1973 launch. (AP, NYT, 2/6/72)
Senate confirmed nominations of Kenneth Rush as Deputy Secretary of Defense and of Eberhardt Rechtin as Assistant Secretary of Defense (Telecommunications). (CR, 2/3/73; DOD Directory, Spring 1973)
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