Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

June 6 ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1%7
using existing rockets. Government decision to fund, instead, USN’S Van-
guard project, allowed U.S.S.R. to win “the first space race.” (Text;
Smithsonian Release; Marshal2 Star, 6/7/67, 1; AP, NYT, 6/6/67. 3)
0 President Johnson appointed Astronaut James A. Lovell, Jr., Special Con-
sultant to the President for Physical Fitness, to replace Stan Musial who
resigned in January. Lovell would assume the new position in addition
to his regular duties as an astronaut. (PD, 6/12/67, 833-4)
Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics George P.
Miller (D-Calif.) , in a Letter to the Editor of the Washington Evening
Star, commented on William Him’ May 25 column criticizing Com-
mittee member Joseph E. Karth’s (D-Minn.) speech before the National
Space Club May 17. ‘‘The article unfairly alleged that Rep. Joseph E.
Karth . . . by speaking out . . . was the ‘tool’ chosen by the adminis-
tration to do a public relations job for NASA and the space program. . . .
“What Mr. Hines failed to say was that Congressman Karth has led
a number of hard-hitting congressional space investigations over the
years for me. Both NASA and the contractors involved were ‘taken to
the woodshed.’ The Apollo progi-am is no exception. Mr. Karth has been
critical-and made it clear that the accident responsibility falls squarely
on NASA and the contractor.
“Very simply, Mr. Karth said that perhaps the Congress, the adminis-
tration and the press could do a better job of giving the public objective
information on the space program. The wide swings from ‘everything
is great’ to ‘everything is wrong’ must be confusing. . . .” (W Star,
6/6/67, A12)
NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Might Dr. George E.
Mueller outlined Apollo Applications (AA) program at AIAA meeting in
Washington, D.C. Series of innovations would $be made, he said, to
permit sufficient reductions in unit costs: (1) reuse of Command Mod-
ule ( CM) ; (2) addition of land-landing capability which would facilitate
CM reuse, permit increase in crew capacity, and, possibly, make use of
naval recovery forces unnecessary; (3) “double use” of Uprated Saturn
1’s 2nd stage as booster during launch phase and as Orbital Workshop
in space; (4) repeated use of Orbital Workshop as an embryonic space
station; (5) longerduration flights of one year or more; and (6) use
of Apollo flight hardware and physical plant and employment of Apollo
program officials and industrial organizations as they become available.
“. . . this is a program that provides for a detailed measurement of
the utility of man in space at a relatively low cost. The measurement is
obtained by doing useful things-astronomical observation, extended
exploration of the moon and experiments with sensing equipment that
can lead to benefits of enormous significance to all mankind.” (Text)
AFSC Director of Communication Satellite Programs Col. M. B. Gibson
(WAF), speaking to annual convention of Armed Forces Communica-
tions and Electronics Assn. in Washington, D.C., explained manage-
ment of Initial Defense Communication Satellite Program (IDCSP) :
‘6 . . . [we] recognized need for the innovation of special management
techniques [and] a rigorous, streamlined procedure for Government
acceptance of satellites under a high production rate . . . [and] satel-
lites which have a requirement for long-life operation in space. . . .,,
Gibson concluded : ‘The thoroughness of satellite acceptance procedures
is evident from the performance of the 15 communication satellites in
orbit today.’, (Text; AP, W Post, 6/7/67,10)
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