Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967 March 12
At the insistence of Sen. Albert Gore (D-Tenn.) , the Senate Foreign Rela-
tions Committee agreed to qualify in its forthcoming report its inter-
pretation of two clauses in the space law treaty [see March 71. One
clause questioned said benefits of space exploration “shall be the
province of all mankind”; the other said that each nation would be
liable for damages to another caused by its space vehicles. Committee
specified that (1) nothing would “diminish or alter the right of the
United States to determine how it shares the benefits and results of its
space activities”; and (2) damage “pertains only to physical, non-elec-
tronic damage.” Senator Gore had suggested that if there were two com-
peting US. and Soviet space communications networks, one nation might
sue the other for damage from electronic interference of one system
on the other. (W Post, 3/14/67, A7; Finney, NYT, 3/14/67, 20)
NASA was negotiating nine-month, $275,000 contract with Planning Re-
search Corp. to identify, analyze, and evaluate potential aconomic
returns from possible space station activities in mid-1970’s. Earth-
oriented application areas such as natural resources, meteorology, and
communications would be considered as they might affect both the
national and world economy. Univ. of Michigan would be major sub-
contractor to Planning Research in technical feasibility of remote
sensing. Contract would be managed by OMSF Advanced Manned Mis-
sions Program. (NASA Release 6754)
0 NASA had agreed to fly four DOD experiments on Apollo Applications
( AA) missions to support USAF’S Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) ,
Aviation Week reported; more would be added. Experiments selected to
date included: study of an inflatable elastic air lock; use of alternate
restraints to determine standard workshop technique in weightlessness ;
evaluation of suit donning and sleep stations; and integration of multi-
purpose equipment maintenance. (NASA Proj Off; Av Wk, 3/13/67,18)
9 Advanced Defense Satellite Communications Project (ADSCP) currently
being revised by DOD was expected to reach capacity of 100-200 voice
grade circuits, according to Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara,
Aviation Week reported. In letter to Rep. Chet Holifield (D-Calif.)
McNamara said that capacity expansion was being made in accordance
with recommendations by House Government Operations Committee’s
Subcommittee on Military Operations. (Committee Off.; Av Wk,
3/13/67, 12)
Technology Week editorial criticized Los Angeles Times editor Marvin
Miles’ accusation that Jan. 27 Apollo accident was caused in large part
by NASA’s shortsightedness and that NASA was trying to hide its negligence.
“Mr. Miles discusses the hatch hazard and NASA’s failure to provide
an explosive hatch and its failure to develop a fire suppression system.
Then comes the ringing finale . . . ‘The nation should be told the whole
truth.’
“It is our impression that the agency is trying valiantly to come up
with just such information and we don’t understand the implication
of a Cover-up.’’
Editorial noted that in the past NASA had often been criticized for
being too stringent and that despite d precautions, “something some-
where went wrong. . . .
“We think the agency’s standard of conduct has been high. Its state-
ment before Congress was a frank and honest appraisal of the fact that,
despite very strong efforts, somehow it had failed to take the steps to
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