Oct 23 1978
From The Space Library
NASA's General Management Review Report presented data on the status of NASA program resources.
A Senate operational remote-sensing bill introduced by Sen. Harrison Schmitt (R-N.M.) and a House space industrialization bill introduced by Rep. Don Fuqua (D-Fla.) had increased pending legislation to carry civilian space policy beyond that outlined by President Carter, Av Wk reported. Both bills called for formation of government corporations to expand benefits of space exploration beyond the R&D stage. All the legislation would be reintroduced in the next Congress where, as a bloc, they would constitute the largest recent push for an expanded federal space effort.
Other bills included a Space Policy Act introduced by Sen. Adlai Stevenson (D-Ill.), for extensive design and application of large space structures in orbit over the next 10yr; National Space and Aeronautics Act introduced by Sen. Schmitt, for a 30-yr planning process in U.S. space and aeronautics research; Earth Data and Information Service Act introduced by Sen. Stevenson, for an operational Landsat remote sensing system as a new division of NASA; Solar-Power Satellite Research Development and Demonstration Program Act introduced by Rep. Ronnie Flippo (D-Ala.), for $25 million in near-term funding to research technologies required for a solar-power satellite; NASA Solar Power Satellite Program Act introduced by Sen. Schmitt, for greatly expanded work on solar-power satellite technology. (Av Wk, Oct 23/78, 19; CR, Oct 13/78, S 19075; DISBD, Oct 24/78, 234; Oct 27/78, 257)
Europe's space industry was looking beyond Spacelab to future programs that would maintain technological advances and employment as well as joint development activities with the U.S. in manned spaceflight, Av Wk reported. With delivery of the first Spacelab scheduled for next yr, European industry said U.S. delay in ordering a second flight unit might disrupt skilled manpower employment and management performance. Also, European industry officials had told NASA that its charges for Space Shuttle flights were too high, and that Europe should have special treatment in Space Shuttle/Spacelab use. W. Germany's ERNO, Spacelab prime contractor, had proposed to NASA and ESA a second Spacelab as the basis for a barter agreement [see Sept. 12] under which costs of the second Spacelab would offset future Space Shuttle services for Europe.
An ERNO spokesman had warned that NASA should not increase Spacelab 2 technical requirements to a point where the cost to Europe's space industry was unreasonable. On the other hand, the barter agreement should not give the U.S. full autonomy in operating Spacelab or producing future Spacelabs. Commercialization of the Space Shuttle was essential, because "twenty million dollars (1975 price basis) for a stand and Shuttle launch and possibly the same amount for a standard Spacelab flight service are hardly suited to arouse the interest" of European users, particularly industry, the spokesman said. (Av Wk, Oct 23/78, 17)
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