Oct 23 1972
From The Space Library
Chemical & Engineering News published views and plans of presidential candidates for science and technology beyond general pledges in Democratic and Republican Party platforms. Same set of questions had been submitted to campaign organizations of Sen. George S. McGovern (D-S.D.) and of President Nixon. President Nixon said he would continue general pattern of previous years on Federal research and development funding; its division among defense, space, and civilian sectors; its possible link to gross national product (GNP) ; and appropriate balance for basic research, applied research, and development. Pattern would include increasingly effective pro- gram in civilian sector R&D, "prudent space program, and a sufficient defense R&D budget" Administration believed R&D funding should be based on opportunities for effective programs and necessity for creating new opportunities through fundamental studies and that R&D resources, excepting basic research, should be allocated to areas that provided "greatest opportunity for leverage or that satisfy an immediate future need."
Sen. McGovern recommended increased Federal R&D funding. Principal problem was "government spending that has masqueraded as R&D, yet has little technical content. For example, when an Apollo is launched ... all of the kerosene and liquid oxygen that it uses comes out of the federal R&D budget. Only a very small percentage of the federal R&D budget actually represents laboratory investigations, instrument design, feasibility studies, and other technical efforts that involve scientists and engineers." Sen. McGovern would emphasize civilian sector R&D and strong military R&D program as "good investment for long-term national security. My space program would emphasize unmanned planetary exploration and scientific satellites and also earth resource and communications satellites."
Nixon Administration would continue to maintain "strong and up to-date defense force" and to capitalize upon past space investments. Both candidates recommended increased priority on developments of new energy sources. Nixon Administration was opposed to S. 32, reconversion bill introduced by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy to amend National Science Foundation Act of 1950 to establish framework of national science policy. Bill would focus policy and U.S. scientific talent and resources on Nation's priority problems. Administration believed segment of S. 32 that would establish independent agency within NSF was "particularly unwise" because it would "divorce the R&D from the departments of Government responsible for using its results" and "would divert attention from the primary mission of NSF to support fundamental and basic research." Sen. McGovern would continue to support S. 32. "In its original form, before compromise to get Republican support, it would have provided $1.2 billion for a new NASA-type Civil Science Systems Administration that would fund genuine R&D across a broad range of civilian technology needs."
Administration did not believe in Cabinet-level science department or "supra" agency, nor that "existing science apparatus is totally adequate. As with all human and governmental institutions, it too should be dynamic and subject to change as conditions and events dictate." Sen. McGovern felt "more centralized federal science management and funding apparatus might be useful, but the key need is not to change the institutions but rather to give them more power in the Federal Government" He favored establishment of Office of Technology Assessment [see October 13] which would "assess each new technical program with an eye toward cost efficiency and effectiveness, and domestic betterment." Asked if federally owned laboratories should be expanded to deal with problems of health and environment, Nixon Administration pointed out that NASA Centers were "closely involved with the R&D components of other federal agencies in an effort to solve pressing national problems." Sen. McGovern believed Federal laboratories and research facilities had "plenty of problems in their immediate areas" with which to cope. "I have no intention of taking the easy route and putting them on safe subjects." (Chemical & Engineering News, 10/23/72, 14-19)
October 23-27: Conference on high-energy astrophysics was held at Cal Tech by division of American Astronomical Society. Dr. Kenneth I. Kellerman of National Radio Astronomy Observatory said most baffling phenomenon observed by radiotelescopes was speed at which objects seemed to be moving. If measurements taken in past two years were accepted at face value, objects associated with quasars were speeding away from each other faster than speed of light. Such speed had been considered impossible. Cal Tech astronomer Dr. W. L. W. Sargent said strange blue objects sighted in sky by Hale Observatory astronomers might be newly formed galaxies "about 100 million years old, and they seem to be made up of very young stars." Discovery indicated that galaxies might still be forming. Dr. Herbert Gursky of American Science and Engineering, Inc., said astronomers using Uhuru (Explorer 42 Small Astronomy Satellite launched by NASA Dec. 12, 1970) had spotted several x- ray objects that could not be detected by wavelengths other than x- ray. Impact of x-ray astronomy might be that "this new wavelength range may show some different aspects of stars and galaxies." Through x-ray astronomy scientists "hope to .. . learn something about these objects that radio and optical observations can't tell us." Evidence of black hole-star whose gravity field was so strong that light could not escape from it-in constellation Cygnus was reported by Dr. Kip Thorne of Cal Tech, Dr. J. P. Ostriker of Princeton Univ., and Dr. Riccardo Giacconi of American Science and Engineering. Evidence had come from photos taken at Hale Observatory that showed bright blue line near source Cygnus X-1 and from data gathered by Uhuru (see also Sept. 2). Scientists thought line in photos might be result of superhot gas being drawn from neighboring star in black hole. If finding was accurate, Cygnus X-1 would be first black hole discovered. Existence of black holes had been predicted by Einstein as part of his theory of relativity. (Cooke, Pasadena Star-News, 10/24/72; West, LA Times, 10/27/72; O'Toole, W Post, 10/28/72, A3; W Star & News, 10/28/72)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
