+ 1970 News Releases (7.6 Mb PDF file) - NASA

. ,,4 mi '
IONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
l FI ,_._._H°ust°n
IcMANNED SPACE TER Ai i e t. Texas
483-5111 February 25, 1970
RELEASED BY NASA HEADQUARTERS
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration plans to place
its White Sands_ New Mexico Test Facility on stand-by status in June
of 1971.
Mothballing could involve a reduction of employment at the facility
from its present 641 to a caretaker force of about 50 after completion
of the scheduled 1970-71 tests of the Apollo lunar module and the Skylab
Program command and service modules.
The Apollo tests at the facility involve lunar module extended
tanks which increase the propellant load of the Apollo lunar-landing
spacecraft_ while the Skylab tests include the reaction control rocket
engines of the command and service modules to be used in Skylab's
orbital workshop program.
The decision to place WSTF on a stand-by condition is based on
NASA's reduced FY 71 budget requests and the reduction of work in the
Apollo program. However_ the facility will be kept in condition to
allow a rapid resumption of work o n lunar modules in 60 to 90 days in
the event NASA has such a future requirement.
NASA Administrator Dr. Thomas O. Paine said: "The NASA facilities
at White Sands are unique and valuable. We plan to consider them
carefully for possible use in future NASA programs_ and to undertake a
survey of possible uses by other Government agencies."
-more-