Jan 20 1969
From The Space Library
Administration of President Lyndon B. Johnson ended as President Richard M. Nixon was sworn in as President of U.S. Johnson had served U.S. space program continuously since Sputnik I in October 1957, first on Capitol Hill as Chairman of Select and then permanent Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences. As Vice President under late President Kennedy, he had served as Chairman of National Aeronautics and Space Council, post held by Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey during Johnson Administration. In inaugural address following his taking oath of office as President of U.S." Richard M. Nixon said: "Those who would be our adversaries, we invite to a peaceful competition-not in conquering territory or extending dominion, but in enriching the life of man. As we explore the reaches of space, let us go to the new worlds together-not as new worlds to be conquered but as a new adventure to be shared. . . . Only a few Short weeks ago, we shared the glory of man's first sight of the world as God sees it, as a single sphere reflecting light in the darkness. As the Apollo astronauts flew over the moon's gray surface on Christmas Eve, they spoke to us of the beauty of Earth-and in that voice so clear across the lunar distance, we heard them invoke God's blessing on its goodness. In that moment, their view from the moon moved poet Archibald MacLeish to write: " 'To see the Earth as it truly is, small and blue and beautiful in that eternal silence where it floats, is to see ourselves as riders on the Earth together, brothers on that bright loveliness in the eternal cold-brothers who know now they are truly brothers." "In that moment of surpassing technological triumph, men turned their thoughts toward home and humanity-seeing in that far perspective that man's destiny on earth is not divisible; telling us that however far we reach into the cosmos, our destiny lies not in the stars but on Earth itself, in our hands, in our own hearts." (PD, 1/21/69, 150-154; CR, 1/20/69, S561)
Inaugural parade following President Nixon's address included NASA float carrying mockup of lunar module to be used for moon landing and Apollo 7 capsule. Apollo 7 Astronauts Walter M. Schirra, Jr." Donn F. Eisele, and R. Walter Cunningham rode in convertible automobile in front of NASA float. (NASA PIO)
Nike-Cajun sounding rocket was launched by NASA from Churchill Research Range carrying GSFC grenade payload to obtain data on atmospheric parameters. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily. (NASA Proj Off)
"The ability to rescue a stranded astronaut is something the U.S. does not have," John Lannan said in Washington Evening Star. "And-despite claims by both the Soviet Union and the foreign press-neither does the Soviet Union." NASA Deputy Director of Manned Space Flight Safety Philip H. Bolger had said NASA was not likely to have real space rescue capability before "second generation" of manned space stations. Agency was now funding rescue studies at cost of $600,000 yearly. Amount would probably rise to $1 million within two years. Immediate goal was to examine method that would fit into existing systems and bring it to hardware stage. Bolger had said "bail-out" mechanism seemed likelier than earth-based rescue system. (W Star, 1/20/69, A8)
At Moscow news conference, U.S.S.R. Foreign Ministry spokesmen Leonid Zamayatin and Kirill Novikov released statement reaffirming U.S.S.R.'s readiness to discuss missile control proposals contained in July memorandum to other governments. (Shub, W Post, 1/21/69; NYT, 1/21/69)
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