Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967 November 21
hardware for followron Apollo Applications flights would depend on
funding “some time after FY 1969,” because of stringent FY 1%9
budgetary guidelines.
Future planning for Uprated Saturn-acknowledging necessity for
production termination after vehicle No. 216-included FY 1968-
funded lead time items “to hold open the option of continued produc-
tion . . . at the rate of two per year.” Webb explained that he held
open the option of definite termination of Uprated Saturn production,
intending to “preserve competition among the companies involved and
between solid, liquid, and, where applicable, nuclear propulsion systems.”
To preserve competition would cost $3.5 million from FY 1968 funds. He
announced NASA-DOD discussions “to consider carefully future national
requirements for large launch vehicles, including a possible new
booster of the 100,000-pound in earth orbit class.”
Webb stressed the need for planetary exploration utilizing both
orbiters and landers in a long-term program: “We do not believe that it is
the policy of the Nation or the intent of Congress that the United
States abandon the field of planetary exploration.” Present program
still had two Mars-Mariner 1969 flights; continuity depended on NASA’s
current $143.4-million allocation to lunar and planetary category which
would serve as basis for reestablishing future programs in FY 1969
budget.
Development of NERVA I flight-qualified engine could proceed “with
the amounts that we and the AEC have available in FY 1968,” longer-
range planning again dependent on “an affirmative decision” in the
Administration’s FY 1969 budget for NASA. (Text)
9 Operation of Essa VI had been turned over to ESSA, NASA announced. (NASA
Proj Off)
* Committee on Science, Engineering, and Regional Development had been
formed from persons working on problems of science and technology
impact for NAS and NAE. Among other projects, Committee would
examine “effects on given region of different kinds of institutions-
university, not-for-profit laboratories, industrial and government labora-
tories [and would assess] . . . role of R&D institutions [and] . . . other
factors . . such as risk capital, entrepreneurial skills, and political
leadership.” The 14-member committee would be chaired by Univ. of
Illinois Graduate College Dean Daniel Alpert. (NAS-NRC-NAE News
Report, 12/67,8-10)
* DOD announced appointment of Dr. Eberhardt Rechtin, JPL Assistant Direc-
tor for Tracking and Data Acquisition, to new position of Director,
Advanced Research Projects Agency. Rechtin would be responsible for
planning, initiating, and directing research and development programs
assigned By Director of Defense Research and Engineering Dr. John S.
Foster, Jr. ( DOD Release 1107-67)
Compaiiia Telefbnica Nacionale de Ekpaiia ( CTNE) , Spanish national tele-
phone company, had completed $6.7-million communications satellite
ground station at Buitrago (45 mi from Madrid) and would increase its
capacity from 36 to 156 channels by 1972. Station had remote-control
82-ft parabolic antenna with klystron amplifier- and two 10-kw transmit-
ters to operate in 6,000-megahertz (mhz) band. Station could handle TV
relays and could track satellites. (Znteruvia, 11/21/67, 3)
November 22: NASA reported its space engineers at JPL’S Space Flight Opera-
tions Facility, using Goldstone DSN station, had sent commands to check
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