Jun 24 1968
From The Space Library
NASA Administrator James E. Webb testified before Senate Committee on Appropriations' Subcommittee on Independent Offices that NASA was still uncertain as to exact levels at which a number of projects could be included in FY 1969 operating plan and that at House-passed $4.008-billion appropriations level NASA's aeronautical and space activities would have to be sharply curtailed. "We will have to reduce and stretch out ongoing programs and eliminate or defer the work that would have enabled us to continue the research and development . . . looking toward a future resumption of tests and missions which will soon grind to a halt." Because of reduced budget, Webb said, NASA would have to accept one-year gap in Saturn V production, discontinue production of Saturn IBs, delay initiation of NERVA development, either severely limit all proposed planetary orbiter missions or eliminate 1971 or 1973 missions, and curtail work toward using space systems for direct economic benefits. If NASA budget were further reduced under Revenue and Expenditure Control Act of 1968, requiring $6-billion reduction in Federal expenditures in FY 1969, result could be disastrous to goals of national space program. Although NASA would do everything possible to fulfill commitment to Apollo program and would continue on smaller scale programs of greatest and most immediate national importance, further budget cuts would require complete termination of Saturn production and cancellation of production of associated manned spacecraft; elimination of Titan-Mars 1973 missions and possible elimination of Mariner-Mars 1971 missions; and further delays, curtailments, and cancellations which might require more harsh steps such as canceling orders for hardware already under contract and mothballing entire installations. (Testimony; NASA LAR VII/65)
House Committee on Government Operations issued report urging immediate curtailment of Federal grants to foreign scientists, especially in developed countries, to conduct nonessential research. Committee said, despite balance of payments deficit, Government grants for foreign research projects amounted to $20 million yearly, more than $15 million in developed countries. Committee recommended limiting funds to proj- ects urgently nceded by U.S. until end of emergency. (H.R. 1578; AP, W Star, 6/24/68)
NASA Aerobee 150 A sounding rocket successfully launched from NASA Wallops Station carried 300-lb payload containing two white rats to 89-mi (143.2-km) altitude in second of four experiments to study rats' behavior in artificial gravity field and determine minimum level of gravity needed by biological organisms during space flight. During five minutes of free fall, rats selected artificial gravity levels created through centrifugal action by walking along tunnel runway in extended arms of payload. Data on their movement and position were telemetered to ground stations. Payload impacted 53 mi downrange in the Atlantic; no recovery was attempted. (WS Release 68-11; NASA Release 68-112; NASA Rpt SRL)
House passed by 269-to-42 vote H.R. 3136 authorizing study of increased use of metric system in U.S. (CR, 6/24/68, H5341-6; AP, W Post, 6/25/68)
Denver Post editorial: "With the goal of the project-landing of men on the moon by 1970-so close at hand, it would be sad indeed if NASA lost some key people now because of budget and morale problems.. . There are future manned flights and space experiments to consider, and these will surely be crippled at infancy if NASA's budget is cut back too severely." (Denver Post, 6/24/68)
June 24-27: Fourth International Symposium on Bioastronautics and the Exploration of Space was held in San Antonio, Tex., under sponsorship of AFSC's Aerospace Medical Div. In keynote address Dr. Edward C. Welsh, Executive Secretary of NASC, noted no other program had given such impetus to technological and economic growth as national space program. "Those who oppose adequate spending on space technology are deliberately or inadvertently campaigning for a lower standard of living for our people, a declining Gross National Product for our Nation, and a secondary position in strength to that of the Soviet Union." U.S. investment in space to date, he said, "has mostly been an investment in the future, the returns of which can be lost in large measure if we lack the vision and the vigor and the desire to keep this country great by maintaining a vigorous space effort. "Every major power and every nation eager to raise its standard of living and world influence strives to participate in space technology and space exploration. It certainly would be ironic if the United States, as the world's leader in international cooperation and the world's leader in standard of living, were to abandon or even neglect the source of such strength. I believe it might be labeled the worst mistake in history." (Text; CR, 6/24/68, E5775-6; SBD, 6/25/68, 267; Aero Daily, 6/25/68)
Gen. James Ferguson, AFSC Commander, said bioastronautics problems and provisions could have serious impact on mission performance, space station design, cost, and operations. Principal problems included those of crew rotation, crew size, compartment volume per crew member, radiation exposure, versatility of astronauts, station atmosphere, and prolonged weightlessness. In one study, savings from doubling crew rotation intervals from 30 to 60 days ranged from $220 million to $470 million per year, depending on altitude. Savings from increasing from 60 to 90 days were another $100 million a year. For same cost, slightly longer interval could support two more astronauts. Crew rotation intervals of two or more months should be goal. "If a future station can be expected to be useful over a period of many years and its cost can be amortized accordingly ... efforts to achieve long crew rotation intervals have a very large potential payoff." (Text; Aero Daily, 6/28/68)
Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, MSC Director, described 100-man orbital workshop that could be operational by late 1970s. Proposed 615-ftlong, 1-million-lb vehicle, carrying 10,000 lb of experiments, would be launched in three separate parts by three Saturn V boosters and assembled in space. Baton-shaped station would revolve around hub in center which would serve as spaceport and zero-gravity laboratory. Crew would live and perform some work in 240-ft arm on one side of hub. On other side, 375-ft arm would house engine which would spin entire station at 3.5 rpm, creating centrifugal force to serve as artificial gravity. (Maloney, H Post, 6/26/68; AP, W Star, 6/26/68; CSM, 6/28/68)
Arthur C. Clarke, co-author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, suggested that most earth inhabitants could not be very objective about possibility of extraterrestrial life because they were too "geocentrically minded," still considering earth the center of the universe. "The whole history of astronomy teaches us to be cautious of any theory purporting to show that there is something special about the earth. In their various ways, the other planets may have orders of complexity as great as ours. Even the moon-which looked a promising candidate for geophysical simplicity less than a decade ago-has already begun to unleash an avalanche of surprises. "The discovery that Jupiter is quite warm and has precisely the type of atmosphere in which life is believed to have arisen on earth may be the prelude to the most significant biological findings of this century." If we discover no trace of extraterrestrial life, he said, "even such a negative finding would give us much sounder understanding of the conditions in which living creatures are likely to evolve-and this in turn would clarify our views on the distribution of life in the universe as a whole." (Leavitt, AF/SD, 8/68, 59-62)
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