Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

December 2 ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967
At two-day meeting at Univ. of Chicago sponsored by AEC and the Inter-
national Atomic Energy Agency, AEC Chairman Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg
said US. nuclear plants currently generated 2.8 million kw of electrical
power. By 1980, he said, figure would reach 150 million kw and by
2000,700 million kw.
President Johnson, stressing significance of the anniversary, said:
“Throughout history, man has struggled to find enough power-enough
energy-to do his work in the world. He domesticated animals, he sold
his brother into slavery, and enslaved himself to the machineall in the
desperate search for energy. . . . By learning the secret of the atom, we
have given mankind, for the first time in history, all the energy he can
possibly use.” Urging acceptance of a nonproliferation treaty, he noted
that countries with a single reactor, while generating electricity, could
produce enough plutonium to make dozens of bombs every year. Even
if their purpose were peaceful, he said, “the fact remains that the secret
diversion of even a small part of the plutonium they create could soon
give every nation power to destroy civilization. . . .” To prove US. de-
sire to halt spread of nuclear weapons he announced that “when such
safeguards are applied under the treaty, the [U.S.] will permit the In-
ternational Atomic Energy Agency to apply its safeguards to all nuclear
activities in the [US.]-excluding only those with direct national sig
nificance.’’ (Sullivan, NYT, 12/3/67, 1; PD, 12/11/67, 1650-1)
0 Trendex poll conducted for Thiokol Chemical Corp. in six American cities
indicated that interest in the national space program had dropped to
lowest in more than four years. Some 41% of persons questioned thought
the Government was spending too much on the space program; 83%
thought more attention should be given to water pollution, 82% to air
pollution, 68% to training unskilled workers, 51% to beautification
program, 45% to antipoverty drive, and 26% to space exploration.
Competition to achieve first manned lunar landing was favored by 51%,
dropping from 77% in September 1965, and opposed by 35%. Most
significant change of attitude, Trendex said, was increase in number of
respondents who did not know whether they fayored the competition-
14%, compared to 1% in 1963. (NYT, 12/3/67,28; Thiokol PIO)
FAA announced establishment of a one-year study (Jan. 1-Dec. 31, 1%8)
of causes of near midair collisions. To encourage full reports vital to
study’s success, FAA said that no action would be taken against any person
involved in a reported near collision during the period of study. In
addition, FAA would withhold the report and the identity of persons
from public disclosure at the reportee’s request. (FAA Release 67-85)
0 Moscow Aviation Institute professor Feliks Zigel had called for a “joint
effort of all the scientists of the world,” to determine the nature of uniden-
tified flying objects (UFOS), according to Soviet press agency Novosti.
Group of which he was a member had had 200 reports of sightings,
Zigel said. Typical of these was “a luminous orange-colored crescent
flying with its outward bend forward. Its surface is only a little
duller than that of the moon. The horns of the crescent throw out jets,
sometimes with sparks. The outer contour of the crescent is sharp and
the inner contour blurred and wavy.” The main task, Zigel asserted,
was to organize a systematic study of the phenomena from astronomical
and meteorological observatories to determine whether the objects were
of protoplasmic or extraterrestrial origin. “Unfortunately, certain sci-
entists both in . . [U.S.S.R. and US.] deny the very existence of the
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