Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967 March 14
serious deficiencies. “I don’t recall the Apollo program in an overall
sense as being in difficulty,” Mueller replied. “I sincerely believe that the
basic Apollo spacecraft design is sound and that the reason we can
accommodate the changes that we are anticipating within our budget
is that the design is basically sound and the changes that are required
are going to be relatively nominal.” Dr. Mueller denied reports that
NASA was considering changing from North American Aviation, Inc.,
as prime Apollo spacecraft contractor. (Transcript, 32, 38)
0 Dr. Mac C. Adams, NASA Associate Administrator for Advanced Re-
search and Technology, and his Deputy Dr. Alfred J. Eggers testified
on NASA FY 1968 authorization bill before House Committee on Science
and Astronautics’ Subcommittee on Advanced Research and Tech-
nology. U.S. space program was entering a period when NASA would
. utilize existing capabilities, Dr. Adam said, and it was therefore par-
ticularly important for OART to “emphasize new technology so that
new systems will be available for the next major thrust in aeronautics
and space.” He mentioned highlights of the program to develop new
technology: (1) Nerva nuclear rocket engine; (2) experimental re-
search related to hypersonic propulsion; (3) advanced cryogenic
engine; (4) improved life-support systems; and (5) increased effort
in electronics problems because “electronics systems may well be the
limiting factor in our future exploration.”
Dr. Eggers noted that R&D budget request in aeronautics for FY 1968
nearly doubled that for 1967 and said the expansion reflected “rec-
ognition of the rapidly growing importance of air transportation and
the need for increased R&D to provide required advances in the asso-
ciated technology. Aeronautics is already the order of a $24 billion a
year industry and it is netting the nation better than $1 billion per
annum in favorable balance of payments. Accordingly, our proposed
major strengthening of aeronautics R&D will be to the great commer-
cial as well as military benefit of the nation in the future.” (Transcript,
8, 13; Testimony)
Acting Under Secretary of Commerce Dr. J. Herbert Hollomon, in testi-
mony before Senate Commerce Committee and Committee on Public
Works’ Subcommittee on Air and Water Pollution, recommended
against direct Federal support of an electric car “at this time.” He urged
instead a program to reward the “best designs of low-pollutant vehicles
by basing Government purchase on performance competition. . . . If
electric vehicles can compete successfully . . . a market could be made
available on which production facilities and schedules could be
based. . . .” (Testimony, 9, 11)
March 14-15: AAS-NSC Fifth Goddard Memorial Symposium, “The Voyage
to the Planets,” was held in Washington, D.C.
Arthur 6. Clarke, author and past president of British Interplanetary
Society, chided critics of space program expenditures because “ ‘there
is so much to do on earth.’ . . . There was plenty to do in Europe when
Columbus left-there’s still plenty to do there. But the opening up of
the new world did more to revive the stagnant European culture and
economy than an internal action could possibly have done.
“. . . I welcome the so-called space race, despite the multiplication
of cost and human effort that it involves. If we weren’t racing, we
wouldn’t be moving quickly enough. . . .” (Text)
Mariner spacecraft would be increasingly useful in returning scien-
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