Mar 13 1973
From The Space Library
NASA Associate Administrator for Aeronautics and Space Technology Roy P. Jackson testified on the shuttle technology programs before the House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Subcommittee on Aeronautics and Space Technology during FY 1974 authorization hearings: With the shuttle under development, the program had been converted from preparing technology to assisting in development. With this transition, "we have reduced in fiscal year 1973, and will further reduce in fiscal year 1974, our rate of Shuttle-oriented resource investments," but wind tunnels and are jets would play a key role in shuttle development. Aerodynamic and heat-transfer investigations at subsonic through hypersonic speeds in simulated shuttle ascent would focus on effects of the rocket plume and separation of rocket engines. Windtunnel and structural laboratory vibration tests of scale models would provide vehicle dynamic-response characteristics. Additional tests in high-temperature wind tunnels would determine structural behavior and integrity of thermal protection systems and supporting structure for simulated earth-atmosphere-entry environments. About 14 wind tunnels would be used in the program. Dr. Seymour C. Himmel, Deputy Associate Administrator for Technology in OAST, testified on power production for long-distance space communications: "For future spacecraft requiring 500-2000 electrical watts, our work is focused on the Brayton dynamic conversion system. This system uses thermal energy from the isotopic sources to heat a working gas which expands through a turbogenerator to produce electricity at four to five times the approximately 6 percent efficiency of current RTG's [radioisotope thermoelectric generators]. Work in fiscal 1974 will be focused on the design and fabrication of the components of an experimental conversion system. Our technology goal is to demonstrate 50,000 hours of operation.” (Transcript)
NASA Associate Administrator for Applications Charles W. Mathews described NASA's Earth Observatory Satellite (EOS) program in continued testimony before the House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Subcommittee on Space Science and Applications during FY 1974 authorization hearings. The satellite, a potential new start for 1974, was intended to provide a multidisciplinary earth observations capability to support the areas of meteorology, environmental quality, earth resources and, in some respects, the earth and ocean physics program. The system would be the first major shuttle-compatible spacecraft with modularity, giving ability to retrieve and repair modular elements of the spacecraft, and the spacecraft might also be modular in basic size. "We may be able to build up a different size and weight spacecraft, using these modular techniques." Elements were expected to serve the several disciplines without significant changes in components through the modular buildup.
George W. Cherry, Deputy Associate Administrator in OAST, testified that Lewis Research Center was providing technical management on several Environmental Protection Agency contracts. Turbines, eat exchangers, combustors, and fuel controls obtained from NASA's low-cost jet engine research would be evaluated for use in automobile turbine engines. A memorandum of understanding with EPA would expand LeRC responsibility for component and system development for advanced automotive power systems and would exploit LeRC test facilities. (Transcript)
L/C Eduard Burchard, West German Air Force medical officer, had begun two-year tour of duty with the Flight Medicine Section of Johnson Space Center, JSC announced. Burchard would work with U.S. scientists on Skylab. (JSC Release 73-26)
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