Jun 28 1973
From The Space Library
NASA held three Skylab 1-2 postflight reviews at Johnson Space Center. At a summary review of the May 14-June 22 mission, Skylab Pro-gram Office Manager Kenneth S. Kleinknecht said that Skylab 1-2 had accomplished the intent of its 48 experiments, 6 earth resources, 15 medical, 5 astronomical, 17 scientific and technological, and 5 student-proposed. Space station operation experience had been gained and there were no constraints on continuing the Skylab program as originally planned. More data had been handled in real time than ever before and gave "no reason to believe that all of the things that we had previously said we accomplished in flight are not going to give us creditable scientific data for analysis by scientists." Dr. Verl R. Wilmarth, earth resources experiment package project scientist, said during an EREP review that the EREP experiments had gathered good data for 145 principal investigators on 13 km (8 mi) of magnetic tape. Data were collected over six foreign countries-Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. There were 186 individual task sites covered, including the Puerto Rican trench, the Gulf of Mexico, the Wabash River area, and the Amazon River basin. During a review of the Skylab 2 crew health, Dr. Willard R. Hawkins, Deputy Director of Life Sciences for Medical Operations, said medical experiments on the Workshop had yielded very interesting results. All three crew members had stayed within their preflight baseline levels on the bicycle ergometer study. In the motion-sensitivity study-with two crew members participating-the preflight threshold level (the point at which motion sickness symptoms would begin) of science pilot Dr. Joseph P. Kerwin was 121/2 rpm in the rotating chair, at which speed he could perform 50 head movements. Pilot Paul J. Weitz had a preflight threshold of 15 rpm and 40 to 50 head movements. Both men could do 150 head movements in flight at preflight speeds without symptoms. During tests immediately following splashdown both men had experienced vestibular disturbances with even the slightest head movement. The symptoms had disappeared within two days and both crewmen had performed at preflight speeds on the third day following recovery, completing 150 head movements without symptoms. (Transcripts)
The House-Senate Conference Committee reported out its compromise Conference Report on H.R. 7528, recommending a $3.065-billion FY 1974 NASA authorization. The Senate agreed to the report, clearing it for House action. The bill provided $2.246 billion for research and development, up $14.5 million from the June 19 Senate-approved authorization but $9 million less than the May 23 House-approved bill. It provided $112 million for construction of facilities, the same as the House authorization but $2 million more than the Senate's, and $707 million for re-search and program management, unchanged from the House and Senate versions. The R&D allocation included $555.5 million for space flight operations, $475 million for the space shuttle, $1.5 million for advanced missions, $63.6 million for physics and astronomy, $311 million for lunar and planetary exploration, $177.4 million for launch vehicle procurement, $161 million for space applications, $180 million for aeronautical research and technology (including $14 million for the JT3D refan retrofit research program), $72 million for space and nuclear research and technology, $244 million for tracking and data acquisition, and $4.5 million for technology utilization. Construction of facilities funds included $67.2 million for space shuttle facilities at various locations. (CR, 6/28/73, D773; Rpt 93-272)
The Senate Committee on Appropriations reported H.R. 8825, FY 1974 Dept. of Housing and Urban Development-Space-Science-Veterans appropriation bill that included a $3.002-billion NASA appropriation, $13 million above the $2.989-billion version passed by the House June 22. The bill increased the appropriation for construction of facilities from $89 million to $101 million, including $56.3 million for space shuttle facilities at various locations. (CR, 6/28/73, D771; S Rpt 93-272)
NASA and the Environmental Protection Agency signed an agreement to participate in a three-year Automotive Gas Turbine Technology Pro-gram to develop and demonstrate a car powered by a gas turbine engine that met or bettered the 1976 Federal emission standards, was economical to run, and performed well. The agreement was signed by Roy P. Jackson, NASA Associate Administrator for Aeronautics and Space Technology, and Robert L. Sansom, EPA's Assistant Administrator for Air and Water Programs. Lewis Research Center would manage the program for NASA. (NASA Release 73-123; NASA NMI 1052.179)
The House unanimously passed H. Con. Res. 223, requesting the President to proclaim the week of July 16-22, 1973, as United States Space Week. (CR, 6/28/73, 115574)
A helmet designed by Ames Research Center and Aerotherm Corp. to keep the heads of helicopter pilots cool had been tested successfully by stock car racing driver Richard Petty, NASA announced. The helmet, lined with polyurethane through which water circulated, kept the pilot's head cool, lowering heat stress on his entire body. (NASA Release 73-120)
A Japan Times editorial praised the successful completion of the May 14- June 22 Skylab 1-2 mission: "The accomplishments of the first Skylab mission were many and significant not only for the future of space travel but in increasing man's knowledge of the sun and his own earth. We look forward to the even longer missions of Skylab and to the knowledge which will be obtained for the benefit of all of us on earth." (Japan Times, 6/28/73)
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