An Illustrated Chronology of the NASA Marshall Center and MSFC ...

. . MAY 1974 

ffSFCPROGRAM 

1960,4, 1973 

d_llWlLr l__ 

(NASA-TM-X-70382) AN TLLUSTRATED 

ClJEONOLOG'(OF THE N&S_ MAESfiALL CRNTER 

AND HSPC PEOGBAHS1960-1973 (HAS_) 

_38 p tic $9.00 CSCL 22C 

i 

AN ILLUSTRATEDCHRONOLOGY 

OF THE 

NASA 

MARSHALL CENTE 

AND 

t

MIIR-10 

A&PS-MS-H 

May 1974 

An Illustrated Ciwonolol_y 

of the 

NASAMard.dlCenter 

m:d 

MSFC PmlP'anm 

1960.1973 

By 

Da_'idS. Akens 

Historical S_ff 

ManagementServicesOffice 

GeorlioC, MarshnllSpaceFIIilht Center 

NATIONALAERONAUTICSANDSPACE,%DMINISTRATION

Postscript 

Althoushthis chronologyendson June30, 1973, iZ seemsappropriateto add a few 

wordsaboutthe Skylab proipramafter that dateand prior to chronologypublication.On 

July 28, 1973, the Skylab I! astronauts(SL-3, SecondMannedMission)wentinto space 

and, after a suco,-nful59-dayflPJ)t, returnedsafely to earthon September25. Finally, 

the Skylab III (SL-4) astronauts,in the last flight missionin the Skylabproipram,rose 

from earth on November 16. The Skylab II astronautssuccessfullycompletedtheir 

mlsdolland,after84 daysin space,retumedsafelyto earthon Februaw 8, 1974. 

A final postscript€oncernsmajor chanBesat MSFC subsequento its first 13 years.On 

March 5, 1974, NASA announcedthat Dr. RoccoPetronewould8o to Washinstonto 

become NASA associateadministrator,the asency's third hlBhestrankinl[ official. 

ReplaclnllOr. Petroneas MSFC director would be Dr. William R. Lucas,the MSFC 

deputydirector.The official chanseover from Petroneto Lucaswaslater resetfor June 

15, 1974.Concurr_,_twith the announcementof thosemajorpersonnelchangesat MSFC, 

NASA aim announceda major reorganizationof MSFC to becomeeffectiveMay 30, 

1974, parallelinilan MSFC reduction-in-forcethat would be effectivethat date, The 

Center issuedlayoff noticesto 397 penonsand downsradinllnoticesto 259, This new 

pared-downMSFCwork forcewascc,nsldereda moreefficientorpnlzatlon for carp/InS 

on the future MSFCroles. 

DSA 

May 3 I, 1974

INTRODUCTION 

NASA's largest center, the Marshall Space Flight Center, played a major role in 

developing the largest technological program in the history of mankind. Thh IIl,lztrated 

Chronology of tile NASA Marshall Center and MSFC Programs highlights the Center's 

activities as well as the activities of Its majorproglams from the Center's beginning In 

July 1960 to the end of its 13th year in June 1973. In addition to highlights during the 

Center's first 13 years,,this volume also gives backgroundInformation concerningevents 

that were Importantin the Center's formation. 

Contributing to the preparationof this volume were Mr, Erich Neubert of the Office of 

Director, MSFC; Mr. Don Lakey and Mrs. Betty Davisof the MSFC HistoricalStaff; and 

Mr.JamesR. Bishop of the MSFC Skylab Office. 

The Appendices in the back of this book include summary charts showing MSFC's 

personnel strength at the end of Its Ist year and at the end of its 13th year, a._well as on 

its peak day of personnel strength, April 30, 1965. For those desiring clarification of 

terms in the text, there is a list of acronyms and abbreviations. Also Included is a 

Id.qoricalsummary of MSFC'sfirst 13 years. 

NOTE 

MSFC in this chronology stands for the Marshall Space Flight Center 

complex in Huntsville, Alabama. Michoud Assembly Facility (MAP)and . 

Mississippi Test Facility (MTF) are part of the MSFC organl,.atlc,n but 

physically are located in Louisiana and Mississippi,respectively, When an 

event in this chronology is cited as occurringat MSFC, the citation refers 

to the Huntsvillecomplex. MAS and MTF are cited separately, 

DSA 

May 31, 1974

CONTENTS 

195"; .................................................... I 

Page 

i959 ............................................. 5 

1960 ....................................... I I 

1961 ....................................... 21 

1962 .................................... 43 

196i ...... • ............. 57 

1964 .......... 77 

1965 ..... .... 99 

1966 .......... 119 

196'7 .... 141 

1968 . . 167 

1969. . . 203 

|910 .... 235 

1971 .... 271 

1972 ...... 303 

1973 ...... 327 

AppendixA - Document_tJon ......... 345 

Appendix B - AbbreviationsandAcmnyml 389 

Appendix(' H!_toflcalSummaryof MSFC. , . . 401 

Appendix D - 'L_,rlie_tOrilJnlzatlonalChazts . . . 415 

AppendixE - M_FC'sManpowerStatus ...... 419 

AppendixF - RepreuntatlvePersonnelCharts. . . 425 

AppendixG - MSFCFundlni ................ 431 

PItECK01_OPAOEBLANKNOT __ 

Ul

APRIL - DECEMBER 1957 

1957 

In April the scientificorganizationdirectedby Dr. Wernhervoh Braunbegan studies 

which led to Saturn, America'sfirst rocket developed for space investigation.The team at 

Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, hoped to design launch vehicles that could carry20 000- to 

40 O00-pound payloads for orbital missions or 6000. to 12 00e-pound payloads for 

escape missions. High-thrust L,ooster stages wave essential, in December the yon Braun 

group, then workin8 with the Army 13allLsti¢Missile A8en_y (ABMA), proposed a 

progranl to the Department of Defense. At that time the Unit, States was €onsidering 

an [ntelpratedmissile and spa_ vehicle development protpam. Creation of a bouster with 

I 500 000 pounds of thrust was the aim of the proposed program [I]. 

_P 

L 

Saturn IB

AUGUST - DECEMI_It 1958 

1958 

On Ausust 15 the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) fonnally initiated what 

was to become the Saturn project. The agency, a separately orsanized research and 

development arm of the Department of Defense, authorized ABMA to conduct a research 

and development program at Redstone Arsenal for a I 500 000-pound thrust vehicle 

booster. A number of available rocket enginas would be clustered. This dasign would be 

tested by a full-scalestat!c firing by the end of 1959 [2]. 

A €ontract wa_ awarded Rocketdyne Division of North American Aviation on September 

II to uprate S-3D, the Thor-Jupiter engine. After redesign, simplification, and 

modification, the engine would be the H-I [3]. 

In October ARPA expanded its program objectives. A multistage carriervehicle capable 

of performing advanced space missions would be built. The vehicle was tentatively 

identified as Juno V. ARPA requested Re&tone penonnel to study a complete vehicle 

system so that upper-stageselection and developmen; could begin and initiated a study of 

Atlantit_ Miudle Range (AMR) launch facilities which could accommodate the launch 

vehicle [41. Later, on December I I, ARPA authorized the Army Ordnance Missile 

Command(AOMR) to begindesign,modification,andconstructionof a captlv_static lest 

tower and facilities for use In the bomter developmentprogram.AOMC was also to 

determinetho designrequirem_ntsfor necessarylaunchfacilities[5]. 

WIzUethe booster-vehicleprogram was being formulatedand expanded,development 

work on the H-I enginecontinued.The tint full.powerH-I engine firing occurredin 

December at the Rocketdyne facility in Canoga Park,California [6]. 

Final preparatlolt for launch of Jlr_t U.$. 

satellite, January 31, 1958. hrsert shows 

close-up of satellite atop the Jupiter C. 

Thisfirs! U.S.satellite pioneeredthe U.S. 

spaceprogram that led to Satunl and 

beyond. 

Prol_s_l con_ruratlon 

of a clustered hoosier 

PRBCEDINQPAGEBLANKNOTFILMED 3

1958 

Thor_lupiter engine 

Early H-I enghze 

Iloosler 

loolln# 

Dr. T. Kelth Glennan oil AuSust 19, 195_, became the JlrJt 

admlnbtrator of NA,_A. lie would serve until his replacement 

by James b.: IVebbcm February 14, 1961.

JANUARY- JULY 1959 

1959 

Concurrently vclth development of the H-I entdne, studies were conducted to deterr,lLne 

the feasibll|t), of a largersingle-cham_r rocket engine. On January9 Rocketdyne alpreed 

by contract to design, develop, and test such ms engine, designated as the F-I. Tlds 

engine, blaming Iox and RP-I, n kate,sane-type fuel, would generate a very high thrust, 

approximately ! 500 000 pounds [71. 

Construction of the ABMA static test stand for large boosters began January 10. 

Meanwhge, Army representatives of the ARPA board visited AMR to discuss selection of 

a site for largevehicle launch facilities at Cape Canaveral,Florida. By February a contract 

had been awarded for construction of the blockhouse at the site (Launch Complex 34). 

A design contract was also awarded for a movable str.tcture which would be used to 

assembloand service the vehicle on the launch pedestal [8]. 

On January 27 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) submitted to 

the President a report containing its recommendations for n National Space Vehicle 

Program: the development of a series of general purpose space-flightvehicles of Increasing 

payload capability for successive periods of use, with the aim of achieving a highdegree 

of reliability and reduced costs. Four types oF vehicles, Atlas-Vega,Atlas4_entaur, Juno 

V, and Nova, were susgested and were discussed in terms of configuration, payload and 

mludon capability, and development and operationaltime and cost. 

Conc_:rningthe Juno V, the third of the proposed National series, the report udd, "A 

typical mission would involve sending a crew of men into orbit with enough facilities to 

sustain them for a long period of time and the necessary equipment to permit them to 

perform experiments and make observations. This vehicle may well become the basi_ 

vehicle ('ororbital supply mlulons, involving the transportof food and supplies to crews 

In orbit, the exchange of crew members, and the transport of additional Fuel and 

equipment to the orbiting vehlch%" 

The report was preparedby the PropulsionStaff of NASA, in consultation with ARPA of 

the Department of Defense [91. 

On February 3 an ARPA memorandumofficially renamed the largelaunch vehicle project 

Saturn. ARPA representatives presented the proposed National Vehicle Programto the 

President _nd the National Aeronautics and Space Council on March2. Includedwere the 

proposed Saturn B and C vehicle systems [ 10]. 

By April 28 the first production H-I engine (H-1001) had been delivered on schedule to 

ABMA. ABMA's tint firing test of this engine, later used In the first test booster, was 

performedsucceufully on May 26 [111. 

OII July 5 constructionof the Saturnblockhousefor LaunchComplex34 bepn at Cape 

Canaveral,On July 27 when the lastJttplterairframewascompleted,lledstoneArsenal 

shopsbeganretoolingto supportthe Saturnproject[I 2].

1959 

Preliminaryc,,ncept of Launch Complex34. Cape Canaveral 

j_ 

II U 

t _ 

_AYLOAD 

LICTIIONIC 

GUIOAHCI 

/ ! I 'Acm_" 

I I II_ LIQUID 

I I I HYOP.OOIll 

:ridSTAOI / _JL TAHK 

I I 

I_IIJI 

L!GUiO 

OXYOIH 

rrl *"' 

II|,°.,-.., 

Atlas Centaurvehicle(Centaursecond sta#e) 

Seven astronauts with Dr. WernherwinBraunIn the ccnter, as seen through the frame of 

an ABMA m_lle. The picture w_s taken duringthe astronauts'visit to Redstone 

ArsenalInJune 19.$9. 

6

SEPTEMBER- 

DECEMBER1959 

in September mpre_Jilativ_J of AOMC, N,d_A, and the Air Force presented Saturn, 

Nova. and THan C sy_tem, to the Booster Evaluation Committee of"the Office of"the 

Secretary of Defense. On the basis of these presentations ARPA chose Saturn. ARPA 

then requested that Redatone scientists determine the Saturn configuration, which could 

best carryNASA payload, [131. 

Because of its large size and weight, the Saturn bomter could not be transportedby air 

or land. Water transportation appeaJed mmt feasible, and ARPA. on October 23, 

authorized AOMC to proceed with engineeringwork for dock facilities. These would be 

located on the Tennessee River at the southern boundary of Reds,one Arsenal. In 

December, AOMCwas further authorized to construct the facilities and to build a baqle 

to transport the booster to Cape Canaveral[14]. 

On November 18 NASA assumed technical direction of the Saturn project pending its 

formal transfer J'romARPA. Administrativedirection was retained by ARPA until March 

16, 1960, when transfer of both administrativeand technical direction would become 

effective I 15I. 

On December15 the SaturnVehicle EvaluationCommittee(the Silva.fain Committee) 

reacheda decltion on Saturn upper-stageconfigurations.This €omn.dee, composedof 

representativesfrom NASA, ARPA, Departmentof Defense, and the Air Force, 

recommendeda Iong-ranBedevelopmentproipranlfor a Saturnvehiciewith upper4tage 

enginesburningliquid hydrogenand liquid oxygen,The initial vehicle,IdentifiedasC-I, 

was to be a stepping,lone to a largervehicle,the C-2. A building-blockconceptwas 

proposedthat would yield a variety of Saturn configurations,each using previously 

provendevelopmentsas far as poulble. Theserecommendation,were acceptedby the 

NASA Adminhtrator. On December31 z IO.vehicleprogramwm astablished(16]. The 

C-I vehicleconfigurationIncludedthe S-I, S-IV, andS-V stages.The S-!stagewouldhave 

eight H-I engine,.Pueledby Iox/RP-I, the oh,staredengine,wereexpectedto producea 

total of 1 500 000 pound,of thrust.The S-IV stagewasenvisionedas 8 four-engineliquid 

oxygen-liquidhydrogenfueled unit capableof producinga total of 80 000 poundsof 

thrust. The S-V ,tap woulduse two of the ume engine,as the S-IV stageand would 

provideanadditional40 000 poundsof thrust[ 17]. 

II.IenldneInallsnment .fixture

1959 

' 

ABMA ._¢I/'-'N/'15T$ 

Top scle.ntlfic specialists It,d tile Army's space efforts at A BMA be[ort, trapl.v[t,r€*/" the team 

to MSbC. From left to right: Dr. EnJ3t Stuhllnger, Dir¢ct_,r.Rcscarch Prtllects Of]Ice: Dr. 

!!. lloel:er, Dlrector.(bmputatlon Laboratory: K. L. Hehnburg, Directt_r.Test Labc_ratory: 

Dr. E.D. 6elssler. Directc_r.AeroballlsticsLaboratory: E. I;/.Neubert, Directnr-Systems 

Analysis & R_llablllty Laboratory: Dr. H!.Ilaeussertnann. DlrecteJr.Guldanceand Control 

Laboratory: Dr. Wernher yon Braun, Director.Development Operations Dfl,islem: W.A. /tlra:ek. 

Director.Structures and Mechanics Laboratory: ilans Ilueter, Dlrect,r.,Systen| Supp¢_rt 

Equipment Laboratory: Eberhard Rees, Deputy Dlrector.D¢;,eltlpment Operations Division: 

Dr. Kurt Debus, Director.Missile Firing Laboratory: !!.!1. Maus, DIrector.Fabrlt'ation attd 

Assembly Engineering Laboratory. 

It

ProposedC-2 

1959

JANUARY - SEP'It,MBER 1960 

1960 

The Saturn project was approved on January 18 as a program of the highest national 

priority (DX rating). A mockup of th_ Saturn booster was installed in the ABMA test 

stand on January 4 to check mating of the booster and stand and to test servicing 

metho&. This mockup was removed from the test stand and the complete test booster, 

SA-T, wa_installed In its place during February 1960 [ 18]. 

During March the executive order transferring the Saturn program to NASA became 

effective 119]. Later in the month two of Saturn's eight fint_tage engines passed an 

initial static firing test lasting 8 seconds. This test was identified as number SAT-OI,the 

first live firing of the Saturn te_t booster (SA-T); it occurred on March 18 [20]. In a 

second test (SAT-02), on April 6, four engL,es were successfully static fired for 7 

seconds. All eiMhtengines of the test booster were successfully fired on April 29 In _n 

&second test [21 I. 

In April NASA awarded Douglas Aircraft Company a contract to develop the second 

stage for the Saturn rocket. Then in the following month NASA announced that 

Rocketd._,nehad been _lected to develop the high-thrust J-2 engine. This engine, of the 

type defined by the Sllverstein Committee in December t959, would burn liquid 

hydrogen-liquidoxygen. It would be used In an advanced Saturn vehicle 1221. 

The first 10 Saturn flight vehicles would be numbered from SA-I to SA-10. SA-10 would 

be the prototype of the operational Saturn. On May 26 assemblyof the booSterstage for 

the first Saturn flight vehicle began in Huntsville. On July 1 the Saturn program was 

formally transferredto ti',e Gec.o'e C. MarshallSpace Flight Center (MSFC) [23]. 

On July I, 1960, formal transfer ceremonies at Huntsville, Alabama, officially opened 

NASA's George C. MarshallSpace FHghtCenter [24]. 

On July 26 NASA signed a supplemental agreement with Douglas Aircraft Company 

covering the second stage. Douglas would design, develop, and f_bricate the four-engine 

S-IV stage. Contracts were let on August 10 with Pratt & Whitney to develop and 

produce LR-119 engines; the Government would furnish these engines to the contractors 

responsible for building the S-IV and S-V stages of the C-I vehicle. The LR-119, an 

uprated LR-115 engine, was expected to generate 17 500 pounds of thrust [251. 

On August 14 construction began on the mobile service structure for Launch Complex 34 

at Cape C_averal [26]. 

O, September 8 the facilities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration at 

Huntsville, ,Mabama, were dedicated and designated as the George C. Marshall Space 

Flight Center. President Elsenhower, Mrs. George C. Marshall,NASA Administrator T. 

Kelth Glennan, and many other national, state, and local dJ_nitari_spartAcipatedin the 

ceremony [27l. 

PRECEDING PAGEBLANK 

/ 

II

1960 

Initial conflSu_tion of the $.IV stage 

12

NOVEMBER- DECfiMBER 1960 

On November :21 the first Mereuw-Redstone (MR-I) failed to launclt at Cape Canaveral 

because of improper separation of electric_ connectors between tile lau_ching table and 

the vehicle [28]. 

On December19 at 11:15 a.m. EST, MSFC's LaunchOperationsDirectoratelaunche'd 

Mercury-Redstone(MR-IA) at CapeCanaveral.The Mercury-Redstoneboosterlaunched 

the unmannedMercury spacecraft135 miles high and 235 miles down the Atlantic 

MissileRange.The I-ton spacecraft landedby parachuteand wasrecoveredby helicopter. 

Thirty-two minutesafter landing,the spacecraftwason the deck of the U55 Valley 

Forge. The spacecraftwasrecoveredIn excellentcondition[291. 

1oiDecember MSFC published the Historical Origins of the Gt,orse C. Marshall Space 

bTlght Center, highlightingeventsImportant in the Center'sformation.This tint MSFC 

history includedbackgroundeventssuchas the March 1945formvtlonIn the Pentagonof 

Project Papercllp to recruit German missilescientists.Project Paperclip resultedin 

approximately100 V-2 ballisticmissilesbeing shippedfrom Germanyto White Sords 

ProvingGround In the United Statesin August 1945. On September20, 1945, MSFC's 

future directorWernhervan Braunand six other key Germanrocketscientistsarrivedin 

the United Statesas a result of ProjectPapercllp.On December10, 1945, 55 German 

specialistsarrivedat Fort Bliss,Texas, and White SandsProvingGround,Texas,where 

they werejoined by the first sevenspecialistsheadedby Wernhervan Braun.The first 

V-2 rocket wasstatic-firedat White SandsProvingGround,March 15, 1946. On March 

21, 1950, the U. S. Army Adjutant Generalorderedtransferof the missilepersomlel 

headedby Wernheryah Braunfrom White Sandsto RedstoneArsez|al,Alabama.On April 

l, 1950, the Germanmissilepersonnelheadedby Dr. van Braunweremovedfrom White 

SandsProvingGround to RedstoneArsenal,Alabama.O!1February I, 1956, the Army 

activatedthe Army BallisticMissileAgency(ABMA), whiclt grew out of the Redstone 

Arsenal'sGuidedMissile DevelopmentDivision. Russiainspiredthe U. S. to new spa_e 

efforts when It launchedSputnik l, the first earth satellite,on October 4, 1957. The 

United Statesfoflowedwith ExplorerI, the Free World'sfirst earth satellite,orbitedon 

January31, 1958. The successof Explorer i whettedU. S. spaceappetite,andon April 

2, 1959, NASA selectedse_,enastronautsfor projectMercury, after a seriesof the most 

flgorousphydcaland mentaltestsevergivento U. S. test pilots.On October21, 1959, 

President Eisenhower anttouncedhis decisioz, to transfera portion of ABMA'spersonnel, 

facilities, and missions to NASA. The next month, on November 2, President Elsenhower 

announced his httentiort to transfer the Saturn project from the ArmY to NASA 

monitorship. On November 18, 1959, NASA assumed technical direction of the Saturn 

project pending its formal transfer from the Army. On January 14, 1960, President 

Eisenhower directed the transfer of ABMA's Development Opera'lons Division and Its 

space-related missions to NASA. The George C. MarshallSpace Flight Center, NASA's" 

HuntsvtlqeFqclllty, was so named by Executive Order of President Eisenhower on March 

15, 1960. Furmal transfer ceremonies at Huntsville officially opened NASA's George C. 

MarshallSpace Flight Center, July I, 1960 [30, 31]. 

13

1960 

._.VI'I I_ '_' , • , Q . 

€.*uco.ooT**t 

Q.oT.ItooT,ot 

N._II RN 

I 

Second stage (S4F) 

Third stage (S.V) 

Moving Saturn test booster from assembly to test 

NASA officials when MSFC wasformed - Morris,Rees, yonBraun, 

14 Glennan,and Ostrander.

1960 

V _ ._. 

Booster in test stand 

Assembly of main Iox tank/'or 8A.I booster 

Topscientific memberso/Dr. ion Braun'searlyABMA team, shown here with their wives 

but not with Dr. yon Braun, trans/erred to MSFC upon formation of the Center. 

15

196o 

,_triwtural /abrlcat/on of ,gA-I booster 

Installation o/ engines on SA.I 

booster 

16

1960

1960 

Dedicationof GeorgeC. MarshallSpaceFlight Center,,_,:ptember8, 1960 - Left to right: 

Dr. T. Kelth Glennan,Administratorof NASA; Dr. Wernheryon Braun,Directorof MSFC; 

PresidentDwight D. EIsenhower;Mrs. GeorgeC. Marshall,Widowof the late General 

Marshall;and MajorGeneralA ugustSchomburg,CommandingGeneral,AOMC(far right). 

GeneralMarshall'sbust is in theforefront. 

At FabricationPlant on Arsenala largecrowdat'companiesPresidentEisenhoweron his 

September 8 a,lslt. 

18

1960 

President Else, bower tour.vMSFC plant area. September .Y.1960 

19

1961 

JANUARY- 

MAY1961 

On January31 NASA conducted the Mercury-Redstoneflight MR-2mission at Cape 

C_naveml.A 37-pound male chimpanzee, Ham, rode in a regularMercuryspacecraft 

walghing2400 pounds to nn altitudeof ISS milesand a distanceof 420 miles.Because 

of prematurelox depletionwhichactivatedanabortsisnalresultingIn lncrea:_dvelocity, 

the spacecraft went 40 miles higherand 130 miles fartherdownrangeman Intended. 

Otherwisethe flightwassuccessful[32]. 

in Jar. _ry ConvairAstronanticssubmitteda proposalfor an S-V upper stage for the 

Saturnvehicle;however,laterin the month Dr.yonBraunproposedthat the C-I vehicle 

,:hangedfrom a three-stageto a two-stage€onfigurationin support of the Apollo 

program.NASAdecidedto deleterequlr_.ments for the S-Vstageon C-I vehicles[331. 

On April 10 NASA announcedthe ProjectApollo objectiveof developingan orbiting 

laboratoryfor the.study of effects of radla'lonand prolongedweightlessness,firstwith 

animalsand laterwith a three-mancrew.DuringAprilDouglasreportedthatair transport 

for the S-iV stage was feasible.(Douglas had been authorized In 1960 to study air 

transportationfor S-iV st_l;es.)This would greatly reduce the time which would be 

requiredIf the stagesweremovedby waterfrom Californiato MSFCat Huntsville,and 

thenceto Cape Canaveral,Florida,The use of gliders,blimps,andother aircraftto carry 

thesta_eswas alsoconsidered134]. 

On April 17 the Pa/_emo_beganits firsttrialrunto CapeCanaveral.The bargecardeda 

water-ballastedtank _dmulatlngthe size and weightof the 8-1booster,plusa dummyS-V 

stagefor the SA-I [3_l. 

MSFCcompletedconstructionof its dynamic test toweron April 17, the sameday that 

the Pa/aemo_ left f_,t Florida. The dynamic tower weald permit checkout of the 

mechanicalmatingof the C-I vehicleand would aid tn determiningthe vehicle'snatural 

bendingcharacteristicsand the effect of simulatedflightvibrations[36|. 

MercurY-Redstone MR-3carriedour nation'sfirst astronautinto spaceat 9:34 a.m.EST 

on May 5, 1961. AstronautAlan B. Shepard'sparachute.cushionedspacecraftlandedIn 

the Atlantic Ocean 14.8 minutes later, at 9:49 a,m. Thiscountry'sfirst astronauthad 

traveledIIS mileshigh and 302 miles to the south at a maximumspeed of SI00 mUes 

per hour [37l. 

In MayNASAHeadquartersacceptedMSFC'sproposalto lncorpot_,tedesignchangesInto 

the S-I stageof the C-I vehicle.The changeswouldpermitthe C-I to be usedasa two. 

or three-stagevehiclepos.',_ssing satisfactorysafetyrequirementsfor the two-stagemanned 

miss/on,This changeeliminatedthe Immediateneed foran S-Vstagewith the C-I except 

for specialmtssions,Also dudngMayMSFCbeganreexaminationor the capabilitiesof 

the SaturnC-2configurationto supportlunarcircumnavigationmissions.Resultsof this 

examination Indicatedthat a Saturn vehicle of even greaterperformancewould be 

desirable[381. 

PRECEDINGPAO8 BLANK NOT FILMED 

21

C-2Second Stageconcept _ JD _,x'_ 

Six-engine 

Facilities construction 

configllration at La,llch Complex 34 

Redesijtnedtall of the Saturn booster 

The bargePalaemonwas used 

to transport the Satllrnbetween 

MSFC a_d the Cape 

22

JUNE - JULY 1961 

On June2 a lock collapsedat the WheelerDam on the Tennes._eRiver.All movementof 

river tralTlewas Ilalted. Becausethe Palaemonwas trappedin the upper river, MSFC 

decidedto transportthe boosterin it over land to a point below the dam.There the 

stagewouldbe reloadedon a bargeto continuethe trip to CapeCanaveral.To support 

this plan MSFC obtaineda Navybargewhtchhadbeenmothballedat Pensacola.Florida. 

Necessarymodificationsbeganso that the new barge,renamedthe C,m/_romL_e.could 

carrythe S-! anddummyS-IV stagesanddummy payload13ol. 

On June 5 LaunchComolex34 ut CapeCanaveralwasdedicatedin a brief ceremonyand 

turnedover to NASA [40]. 

An estimated45 000 to 50 OO0"SpaceDay" visitorsattendedMSFC'sfirst open house 

on July I. Attendingwere suchnationalfiguresas the NASA Adminislrator,JamesE. 

Webb;the Director of NASA,LaunchVehiclePrograms,MaJ.Gen. Don Ostr_mder;and 

numerousother national,state,andlocaldignitaries.MostoFthe visitorsobservedoneof 

the four Saturn H-I enginestaticflrinlp duringthe day 141I. 

MR-4 (Liberty Bell7) mannedby MercuryAstronautVirgil I. Griss_m,madea successful 

IS-minute, 118-milehigh,303-milelone flight down the Atlantic MissileRangeon July 

21. After landingin t!te Atlantic,a prematureblowoutof the escapehatch floodedthe 

capsule,makinghelicopterpickup of Grissomdifficult. The capsulesank in 18000 feet 

of water 0|'let a warninglight indicatedthqt the helicopterenginewasoverheating,and 

the capsnlewascastloose.Thiswasthesecondsuccessl'ul maimedsuborbitalspaceflight 

[421. 

MSFC awar'._eda contract to the Space Technology Laboratories, Inc., Los Angeles, 

California, during July, to investigate the relative merits and potential problems of 

assembling the giant Saturn boosters in horizontal and vertical positions. Other contracts 

awarded by the Center In July included qualification and reliability testing at' Saturn 

ground support equipment, subsystems, and components; construction of a special 

assembly building at Cape Canaveral;and site development of the Center'snew static test 

facility In Huntsville, Also In July NASA's Space Task Group invited 12 companies to 

submit proposals for the manned lunar Apollo spacecraft. Meanwhile, the ('enter 

contemplated a nuclear-poweredSaturn upper stage and awardedcontracts for a 6-month 

RIFT (reactor-in-flighttest) designanalysisto GeneralDynamics/Astronautics, Douglas 

Aircraft Compa_ly, Lockheed Airclaft Corporation,and the Marlin Company 1431. 

Checkout of t_,e SA-I flight booster, started'in June, was completed early in August 

1441. The bomter stage, the dummy S-IV stage, and the dummy payload body were 

shielded with protecUvecovers and loaded on their respectivetransporters.The stages and 

payload body were th_.n moved from the MSFC shops to the docking facilities on the 

Tennessee River and loaded aboard the Paluemon. On August 5 the bargebegan the lirst 

leg of the trl,p to Cape Canaveral.At Wheeler Dam the units were unloaded, transported 

to a dock below the dam, and placed on the second barge,the Compromise, t_ continue 

the 2200-mile trip to Florida 145l. 

23

196JI 

1,_t; : 

" .L 

First horizontal mating of the Saturn n'ehlch' 

Remoml of the booster from the static test stand 

7 

Umoading simulator at the Cape 

Booster simulator being 

IoadcJ aboard Palaemon 

24

AUGUST- NOVEMBER 1961 

On August 24 NASA designated _._rle Canaveralas the b-_e for all mannedlunar flights 

and other space missions requir.;,g advanced launch vehicles. NASA would secure an 

80 O00-acre tract of land, increasing its total area in the vicinity to 97 000 acres. The 

additional land was needed because of the tremendous vibration and noise expected with 

later launch vehicles [46l. 

On September 7 NASA selected the government-owned Michoud Ordnance Plant near 

New Orleans as the site for industrial production of the S-I stage. The plant would be 

operated by industry under the technical direction of MSFC. MSFC continued 

preparationsfor a conferenceto secureestimatesfrom industryon productionof the S-I 

stage.On SeptemberII NASA selectedNorth AmericanAviation to developand build 

the S-ll stagefor an advancedSaturnlaunchvehicle.The stagewouldbe usedin Ix,th 

mannedand unmannedmissions14"/i. 

Death €laimed Delmar M. Morris, MSFC Deputy Director for Administration,on 

September9. He _ervedas ActingDirectorof the Centeruntil Dr. yon Braunassumedthe 

positionof Director on July I, 1960. Mr. Morris was responsiblefor a considerable 

amountof the work involvedin transferringthe DevelopmentOperationsDivisionfrom 

:tie Army BallisticMissileAgencyto NASA [48]. 

Army Engineersawardeda contracton September13 for the constructionof Saturn 

Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral.The complex would include a mobile steel tower, 

n blockhouse, and a cable tower on a 120-acre site at the north end of the Otpe [491. 

Dr. George N. Constan, acting manager for Michoud Operations, announced on October 

20 that the official dedgnation of the Saturn production plant in New Orleans was "The 

George C. MarshallSpace 17lightCenter, MichoudOperations" 1501. 

On October 25 NASA selected a 13 550-acre site in Mi_issippi on which to build a 

facility for static testing advanced S,ttum and Nova first stages, only 35 miles fr,_;n the 

Mlch(.,udPlant where industry would manufacture the S-I altd S-IC stages. NASA r:_med 

this new location the MississippiTest Facility. MSFC would operate tire facility 151]. 

The world's largest known rocket, the Saturn first stage booster, was launched on 

O_v)ber 27. It was 162 fe_t tall and weighed 460 tons at lift.off. The rocket attained a 

range of 214.7 miles from its launch pad at Caj_eKennedy and nblaltitude of 84.8 miles. 

Its eight clu,_tered engines had developed 1.3 million pounds of thrust at lift-off, on 

subsequent tes,*sthe thrust would be Increasedto 1.5 million pop:zds 152]. 

On November 3 NASA Ileadquarters directed tire transfer of MSFC's electric propulsion 

program to Lewis Research Center where it wotdd be consolidated into one electric 

propulsion program _'orNASA. The transt'et'would be completed within 3 months 1531. 

On November 6 MSFC directed North American to redesign tire S-li stage to incorporate 

five J-2 engines, providing I million pounds of thrult 1541.

1961 

Jamesr. If_,hl,cmI.'_,hr,ar.i,14, 1961. Iwcanle llw sect.lid adtnlnl._lralor o1"N,,I_,,I. 

lie wollld I'ellre _m Oclobt,r 7. 196,_I. 

26

NOVEMBER- DECEMBER 1961 

Late i,'t 19ol the expanding space program was evident at MSFCas el_where. In its lead 

story Ior November 8, the MSFC _larslaallStar stated: '"ilia MarshallCenter has joined 

oilier el.-.mentsof NASAin a nationwidedriveto recruitnew employeesto carry out tile 

nation'sacceleratingspaceand aeronauticalresearchprograms.A total of some 3,500 

personsare to be hired by NASA betweennowand.tune30. 1962.Tile majority, 2,000, 

engineeringperson-:1. 

will announced be scientiflt_ the talent andsearch Friday in Washington. James TheE. Marshall('enter Webb, NASA expects Administrator, to hire 

some "/50 additional persons during the fiscal year ending June 30. Present MSFC 

strength of about 5,7.€.0,plus the numberof personsemployed next spring,should 

approach 6,500" 155]. 

NASA announced on November 17 thL _lection of Chrysler Corporation to negotiate a 

contract to build, check out, and test 20 S-! boosters. These boosters would be 

manufactured at the Michoud Plant. The _'ontractwas signed in mid-January 1962 [56]. 

On November 19 the nation's first liquid hydro_genengine, the RLIO, successfully 

completed its preliminary flight rating test. Rr(_lucing15 000 pounds thrust, the engine, 

designed and developed by Pratt & Whitney, performed about 30 percent better than 

enginesusinghydrocarbonfuels.Six suchengineswould imwer the SaturnS-IV stage 

IS?l. 

On Deceml_r 5 Atomic: ]'navy Con)mission (AEC)-NASt Space Nuclear Propulsion 

Office selectedthe AetronDivisionof Aerojet-GeneralCorporation'sproposalas the basis 

for a Nerva engine test stand contract. The Nervawould be used in nuclear sta_es with a 

reactor held atdaflvedfrom H,Antzville,Alabama,to the KiwI-B t_t selecta _edcu.Two prime contractorfor dayslaterz prepropo_dconferencewu 

the pea(tar-in-flighttest 

(RIFT) stage launch vehicle. The RIFT vehicle, planned for use as an upper stage of a 

Saturnvehicle,wouldbepoweredby tile Nervanuclearengine1581. 

On December15 NASA selectedrite Boeinj Companyas a possibleprimecontractorfor 

the first stage(S-IC) of the advancedSatum vehicle.The S-IC, poweredby five F-I 

engines,would be 33 feet in diameterand about 140 feet tall. Tile manufacturing 

programat Michoudwasto produce24 flight siegesandone groundteststage1591. 

On December28 the MississippiTest Facility(MTF) wasofl,:ially namedMississippiTest 

Operations(MTO) by Dr. RobertC. Seamansof NASA Ileadquarters[601. 

27

1961 

Air transportof $.IV stage 

Route of the Palaemo. tr_CapeCanaveral 

In._tallhlgdllltlttly ,_'1on Dynamic Test Tower 

28

A helicopterlifts Shepm,dfrom 

waterat the end o.f /llhht. 

NASA AstronautAla, B. Shepard,Jr. 

shown In the lYolectMercuryspacecr_t 

luJt priorto Its belnl¢scaled. Shepa:ff 

succez_ullycompleted a 302 mile 

Juborb/talill#he, the tint In the 

lYolectMercl_,yprogram. 

NASA Astronaut Alan B, Shepardstridesacrou the deck of the U,S, Navy 

CarrierChamplain)'ollowlnjan inspection of his #pacecral't, 

29

1961 

Astronauts D.K,$layton (farleft) and 

VirgilL (Tr_om (farright)wereon hand 

to Oeet Astronaut Alan B. Shepard 

at (TrandBahamaIsland. Just behind 

Shepard Is Dr. Keleh Lyndell. 

"1! 

"" launchof MR.3from Oape 

, 1 

Positioningliight booster In test stand 

30

1961 

Instrument unltmockup 

Testing[of dummy $.lV stose

1961 

Booster movement am,ud 

WheelerDam 

32

1961 

I; 

Possible Nova conflgurathms 

¢omparlsonofSaturn 

i° 

,o. 

I 

; I ID++ 

First Saturn assembled 

on launch pr.'e_:tal 

Static firing of SA.T2 

Installationof SA.T2 on static 

test stand 

Artist's concept of Apollo 

separation _om 

second stase 

i 

$.H start cutmva.v - artist's 

concept 

33

1961 

Propos{'dsolid propellant beJolters fi_r largespace vehicles 

WelcomingVisitorsat AnniversaryCelebration- Dr. IVernhers_n Braun,M,$'F¢director, 

addressedvisitorsat the test areaprior to a staticpring on July I, 1961. At left was 

MissCarolyn Travls,attendant to SpaceQueen Llnda Page.,who stood behindDr. ;,on 

Braun. At right wereSandraBaerg,Space Queenattendant: JamesE. Webb NASA 

administrator,who also welcomedthe visitors;and Ma/. Gen.Don Ostrander,director 

of Office of Launch Vehiclel'ro#ramsat NASA Headquarters. 

34

1961 

OnMSFC'sfirst annivers¢"' July !, 1961, there were 27 top officials.Upperrow, left to 

right: BartJ. Slattery,Jr., l_,bllc InformationOffice;Jerry C. McCall,Assistant to the 

Director; ErichW.Neubert, Associate DeputyDirector. Research andDevelopment; 

EberlmrdF. M.Rees,Deputy Director,ResearchandDevelopment;Wernheryon Braun, 

Director:OelmarM. Morris,Deputy Director,Administration:HarryGorman,Associate 

Deputy Director,Administration; OzaunceyW.Iluth, Operat!onsAnalysisOffice; William 

E. Guilian,Chief Counsel. Second Row: OswaldII Lange, _turn Systems Ofpce, llans 

Hueter,Light andMediumVehiclesOffice:WernerO. Tiller. WeaponSystemsOffice: 

HeinzII."Koelle,FutureProjectsOJfice:GeorgeN. Constan,TechnicalProgram 

CoordinationOffice; DavidII. Newly, TechnicalServicesOffice; Victor C. Sorensen, 

ManagementServicesOffice; ClaudeE. Stockton, FinancialManagem"ntOffice; WilburS. 

Davis,Procurement and ContractOffice. Third Row: ErnstD. Gelssler,,4erobaUistlcs 

Division;Ilelmut Hoelzer,ComputationDivision:llans II. Maus,Fabricationand Assembly 

Englneerln#Division;WalterItaeuuermann,Liuidanceand ?ntrol Division;Kurt II. Debus, 

LaunchOperationsDirectorate;ErnstStuhlinger.ResearehProjectsDivision;William,4. 

Mrazek,StrucluresandMe¢.hanlcs Division;DieterGrau,QualityDivision;KarlL. 

Ilehnbm,_.TestDivision. 

Payloadneovement Boostermovement to dockln#fdclllty 

aroundWheelerDam 35

1961 

AstronautGrissompreparesto 

enter l, lberly Bell ?spacvcraft. 

.! 

Astranaut GusGrlsson! prior toAmerica's 

secondreal.ned fll_ht Intospace 

Navy doctors aboard USSRandolph check 

Astrona,! Ori_om followin# his trip Into 

spaceJuly 21, 1961. 

AstronautO,s Orluomb¢blllrescued 

_ter splashdownof l,lberly Bell 7. 

36

1961 

I 

Conceptof new stath"test[aclliO'. MSFC 

Booster movement a,'ound 

IYheelerDam 

S.I and S.IV stalcesaboard 

the Compromise 

37

1961 

U, Ioading CtJmpromise i, Florida 

$.lV erection at Cape Canaveral Pa)'h_ad body erection Into 

service str, cture 

Saturn La,nch Complex - artist's concept 

38

1961 

Mlchoudplant at New Orleans 

Saturn SA-I flight vehicle '_' .,,: 

on launch pede,_tal , 

q 

First launch of the Saturn vehicle October 27, 1961. The 

flight lasted about 8 mlntates 3.6 secowds. Saturn reached 

a velocity of 3607 mph.

1961 

* ) 

S-IC stage artist's ccmctT_i S-ll stage 

cutaw_,y - artist _ concept 

S.IV tankage at Sacramento Test Facility 

4O

1961 

BargePromise 

F.I 

engine and test stand

JANUARY- 

APRIL1962 

1962 

On January25 NASAapproveddevelopmentof the three-ste..,eSaturnC-5vehicleunder 

the direction of MSFC. The vehicle would sapport manned circumlunarflights and 

mannedlandlnp by earthor lunaroft,Itrendezvousmet_lod.The C-5 was expectedto I_ 

capableof placing 120 tons In low e,rth orbit or sending45 tons to the vicinityof the 

moon1611. 

On February9 a preliminarycontractwas awardedtile Spaceand InformationSystems 

Division(,q&lD) of North American Aviation to design,develop,end fabricatethe S.I! 

stageof the C-5 vehicle.MSFC signeda preliminaryS-IC developmentcontractwith 

Boeing Company on February 14 [621. 

After several days of frustratingdelays, John Glenn, destined to become the first 

Americanin orbit, enteredFriendship7 on February20. Therehe waitedan additional3 

hoursand 44 minutes beforethe Friendship7 lift-off. But then in one blazeof fireand 

smokeIt all becameworthwhileuscrowdsat the Capeyelled"Go, Man,Go" andsimilar 

yells were shouted at radio and television sets throughout the land. "Keep It 

A.O. K.-Go, ManGo" and similarspace words were soon to become familiarjargon 

throughthe world.AstronantGlennwas forcedto manuallycontrolthe spacecraftduring 

the secondand thirdorbitsbec:zuseof troubleswith the antomatlc pl!ot,but afterthree 

orbits Prlendship7 reenteredas scheduled and parachutedinto the Atlanticeast nf the 

Baht,.,,;...Glenn had ridden81 000 miles in 4 hoursand 56 minutes. Retrievedby the 

destroyerIVoa,Glenn remainedInside the capsuleuntil aboardship wherehe emerged 

"feelingfine." It was estimatedthatover 60 millionAmericanshad witnessedthe launch 

via live TV coverage.The Voice of Americacarriedlive overseasbroadcasts,the U.S. 

Senate recessed before the spacecraftlanded,and the U.S. Post Office placedProject 

MercutTpostagestampson sale the same day [63, 64]. 

On March7 NASA establishedthe NASA LaunchOperationsCenter at CapeCanaveral, 

with Dr,KuftH. Debusas Director.Reportingto the Directorof MannedSpaceFlightat 

NASAHeadquarters, the new Centerwould serveall NASAprojectslaunchedfromCape 

Canaveral,absorbingMarshallSpaceFlight Center'sLaunchOperationsDirectorate165l. 

On March19 the Seal Beach,California,site was reconfirmedas the locationof the S-ll 

stagemajormanufactunngand assemblyactivities.Testingof prototype stageswouldbe 

performedat Santa Susana, California.Stageacceptancetestingwould be conductedat 

the MississippiTest Operations[66]. 

About 60 key offl,.'talsof the nation'sspace program,IncludingAstronautsJohn Glenn 

and Alan Shephafd, met at MSFC on April 16 for ,, talk ov_the mannedlunar 

explorationprogram.Directorsof three NASA centers chargedwith carryingout the 

projectheld a joint technicalplanningand revtewsessionconcerningthe program.Dr. 

Wernheryon BratJnwas host to Dr. RobertGllruth,Directorof the MannedSpacecraft 

Center,and to Dr. KurtDebus,Directorof the LaunchOperationsCenter,us wellus to 

AstronautsGlen, and Shephard(671. 

pp.1_T,'DTNGPAG_ BL,A'-N'K_OT _'I'T,MF_ 43

1962 

SA.2 erected oil la,nch pedestal 

Central laboratory and Of)?ce Building .- Astronaut John H. Glenn, Jr., Dr. William 

Builders expected to complete thi_ Douglas, Astronaut's Flight Surgeon, ana 

$4 000 000 MSFC bulldln8 early In 1963. Joe Schmltt, Equipment Speclalist, lea;,lng 

crew quarters prior to MA.6 launch. 

44

APRIL- JULY 1962 

NASAHeadquartersannouncedon Apfll 18 that the highestnationalpriority(DX)had 

been approvedfor the Apollo, SaturnC-I, and Saturn C-5. The pflority Includedall 

stuges,engines,facilities,and rehlted constructlo, for production, test, research,launch, 

andinstrumentation[681. 

NASAlaunchedthesecondSaturnflightvehicle,the SA-2,from(:apeCanaveralon April 

25. As with the SA-I, the vehicle was launchedwithout a technicalhold duringthe 

IO.hourcountdown.Thisvehicleh.d u secondarymission.Afterfirststageshutoffat 65 

milesaltitude,the watu_'-I_lled tipperstageswere exploded,dumping95 tons of waterIn 

the upperatmosphere.The massiveIce clo.d producedrose to a heightof 90 miles.The 

experiment,called Proj0ctHigh Water,was performedto Investigatethe effectson the 

Ionosphereof the suddenreleaseof such a groatvolume of water.Thisexperimentdid 

not interferewith the majorgoal of the flight which was achievedwhen the first.stage 

engines burnedout 116 secondsafter launch.Everyphaseof the flight was considered 

successful[69-721. 

I. mid-Aprilreconstructionof the WheelerDam Lock on the TennesseeRiver was 

completed;transportationof Saturn flight stagescould be made without landdetour 

1731. 

On May 26 Rocketdynesuccessfullyconductedthe first full-thrust,long-durationF-I 

enginetest 1741. 

In mid-MayMSFCdirectedDouglasto producea 260-Inch-diameterS-IVBstage. The 

increaseof 40 inchesover the initially planneddiP.meterpermitteddevelopmentof a 

more optimum size stage. Also duringMay the Centerdecided to increaseS-ll stage 

lengthfrom 75 feet to 81.5 feetand decreasethe S-ICstagelengthfrom 141 feet to 138 

feet 1751. 

On June 5 MSFC contracted to modify the SaturnC-I booster static test standat MSFC. 

The stand, originally built to test the Redstone and Jupiter missiles and later modified 

for Saturn testing, would provide test positions for two C-I first stages [761. 

More than 25 000 MSFC employees and relativesvisited the MSFC Space Museumduring 

"Family Day." The occasion was the second birthdayof MSFC [77]. 

During June bids were requestedfor construction of a static test stand to captive flre the 

Saturn C-5 booster, The stand, to be located at MSFC, would provide handling 

equipment and thrust restraint for boosters up to 178 feet in length, 48 feet in diameter, 

and with thrust of up to 7.5 million pounds, including a crane at the top, the tower 

would stand 405 feet high, more than twice as tall as the current Saturn C-I booster test 

stand [78]. 

As of Independence Day, July 4, a total of 1239 technical, administrative,and support 

personnel were employed at the MSFC Mtchoud Operations. Fifty-four percent of the 

employees had been hired from rite New Orleansarea [79). 

45

1962 

P 

t 

I 

HA TON VA. '-,.,, 

$PACETOWN U.5.A. 

Prolect Mercury Astronaut John H. 61enn, 

Jr., is picked up by a Navy helicopter attd 

hoisted aboard for the trip to the carrier 

USS RANDOLPH from the destroyer USS 

NOA. Glet.n was retrieved by the NOA, 

when his spacecraft was hoisted by a crane 

and lifted to the decks of the NOA. lust 

21 minutes after landing in the Atlantic 

near Grand Turk Island, following his 

historic three.orbit flight around the 

earth on February 20. 1962. 

Astronaut, John Glenn speaks at a 

'qVelcomeHome" celcbratlon and parade. 

, ° 

J j' _1 

g_L_ Saturn C-IB vehicle , 

C-I first stage test stand 

46 

Launch of Saturn 

SA-2 flight vehicle

JULY - 

SEPTEMBER1962 

A new Saturn vehlclu was needed. NASA announced on July II that a new, two-step 

Saturn-classvehlcle would be developed for manned earth orbital missions wlth fuIl._ide 

Apollo spacecraft [801, The Saturn would be known as the Saturn C-IB, Simultaneously, 

NASA annouuced selection of lunar orbit rendezvousas the method of performing the 

manned lunar landing. This lunar rendezvousmode wouldrequirethe useof only one 

Saturn C-S vehicle to Inject the spacecraftInto aJ_earth-lunartrajectory.The entire 

Apollo spacecraftwould not land on the moon after Its separationfrom the launch 

vehicle'sthird stage.Rather,one unit of the spacecraff,a lunar excursionmodule, or 

"bug," wouldlandand laterrejoin tile restof the orbitingApollo [811. 

On July 21 NASA Headquartersannouncedconstructionplansfor LaunchComplex39, 

Saturn C-5 launch facilities,at Cape Canaveral.The 350-foot-highvehiclewould be 

erected and checkedout verticallyIn a special48-story assemblybuilding. Following 

checkout,a 2500-ton crawlervehiclewouldmovethe ;_atumC-5 to It_ launchpad (82.]. 

in July NASA announcedthat a computer center would be establishedat Slidell, 

Louisiana,to servicethe Mlchoud Operations.The center, to be one of the nation's 

largest,would perfJrm engineeringcalculationsnecessaryin the development,building, 

andstatictestingof the SaturnC-I andC-5 boosters[83]. 

To test C-5 strength,MSFC awardeda designcontract in July for a 360-foot-high 

dynamicstest tower at MSFC. The Saturn C-5launchvehiclewouldbe suspendedIn the 

tower and vibrated by mechanicaland electricalmeans.This simulation of free-flight 

conditionswoulddeterminethe vehicle'snaturaibendingmodes[84]. 

On August6 NAsA andChryslerCorporationsigneda contractfor productionof 21 C-I 

boosters,to be deliveredbetween late 1964 and early 1966. The stageswould be 

producedby Chryslerat the MlchoudPlant nearNew Orleans.On the samedate NASA 

announcedthat the BooingCompanyhad receiveda supplementarycontractfrom MSFC 

for workleadIngto design,development,fabrication,and testof the C-5 booster[85], 

A C-5 secondstagecontract for design,development,fabrication,and testingof the 

S-IVB stageswas awardedDouglason August8, The contractcalledfor I I of thestages: 

five for groundtests(two or whichwouldbeusedlateras Inert flight stages)andsix for 

poweredflight. Next, provisionwasmadefor C-5 guldanc.,,and control.On August 13 

MSFC selectedthe C-5 instrumentunit design,The cylindricalunit wouldmeasure260 

inchesin diameterand stand36 incheshigh.All vehicleguidanceandcontrolequipment 

wouldbe mountedon panelsfastenedwithin thisstructure[86]. 

On August 15 NASA awardedRocketdyneDivision_ two-yearcontractto continueH-I 

engineresearchand development.The first Saturnboosterengineswouldalsobeusedin 

SaturnIB boosters.Meanwhile,the C,I secondstageprogresscontinued[87]. 

PresidentJohhlF. KennedyandVice-PresidentLyndonB. Johnson,with an officialparty 

of key governmentofficials,IncludingNASA AdministratorJamesE. Webb,visitedthe 

Centerfor a look at Saturnprogresson SeptemberI I, 1962 [88]. 

47

Launch Complex 37 under construction 

48 

President Kennedy t,lsltsMSFC.

SEPTEMBER- 

DECEMBER1962 

On September 15 Michoud technicians Installed a 42-foot boring mill, the largest known, 

for use in C-5 production [89], Also In mid-September,MSFC providedDouglas a 90.day 

program authorization to investigate mfnlmum changes nec.emr/ to adapt C-5 second 

stages to C-lB. Douglas would also study attachment of the S.IVB stages to the C-I 

booster, as well as separationduringflight 190l, 

Early in September ground breaking ceremonies were held at Seal Beach, California, 

where assembly and test facilities for the second (S-II) stage of Saturn C-5 would be 

located. The S-II facility would bt, constructed by the Navy and operated by North 

American Avlatlon'sS&ID [91]. 

During September preliminary plans were completed for development of the Mississippi 

Test Operations facility. First phase of the three-phase program Included building two 

test stands each for statlc firing the S-IC and S-II stages and about 20 serviceand support 

buildings. Improvement of approximately 15 miles of riverchannel and constru,:tion of a 

canal within the test facility would permit transportation of stages from Michoud to 

MississippiTest Operations test stands [921. 

MSFC awarded a Saturn C-5 contract on October 5 for construction in Huntsville of a 

combined S-IC stage vertical assembly buildingand hydrostatic test tower [93, 941. 

The third Saturn flew on November 16. SA-3 was successfully launched from Cape 

Canaveral, carryinga full propellant load of 750 0(30pounds. It rose to a height of about 

104 miles; fligltt rangewas 131 statute miles. Inboardengine cutoff occurreda.qplanned 

after 141 seconds of flight; outboard engine cutoff came 8 seconds later. Project High 

Waterwas performedas a secondary mission on SA-3 as on SA-2 [95-97]. 

The first documented report to suggest use of an S-IVBstage as a laboratory in space was 

published by Douglas Aircraft Coral,any in November. Meanwhile,at MSFCsimilar ideas 

were generating,though not yet to the extent of being published as a report [98, 99]. 

MSFC Director Wernhervan Braun announced on December 14 that CaptainWilliamC. 

Fortone had been appointed managerof the MississippiTest Operations [100]. 

i 

ib 

8.11stage assembly and test facility 

49

Staticfiring of P:I engine

1962 

Launch Complex 39 - artist's roneept 

Picturedhere In the springof 1963 Isconstruction of the VerticalAssembly and 

, e 

Hydrostatic Test Facility at MSF€ s Mlchoud Operations. The foundation Is 21.$ 

by 195 feet, an Indication of the size of the structure that would stand 214 feet hl#h. 

51

1962 

At the close of MSFC's second year, June 30, 1962, dlere were 27 top officials. Upper 

row, left to right: Batt J. Siattery, Jr., I_lbllc b_formatlon Office; Jerry C. McCall, 

Assistant _o the DL,ector; Erich W. Neubert, Associate Deputy Director, Research and 

Development; Eberhard Iz, M. Rees, Deputy Director, Research and Development; Wernher 

_n Braun, Director; tlarry It. Gornmn, Deputy Director. Administration; David H. Newbyo 

Associate Deputy Director, Administration; IlaiJs It. Maus, Central Planning Office; William 

E. Guilian, Chief C, unsel. Second row: Oswald H. Lange, Salurn Systems Office; Hans 

Heuter, Light and Medium Vehicles Office; Itelnz I1. Koelle, Future Pro/_cts Office; James 

T. Shepherd, Facilities Enghwering Office; Daffs E. Foxworthy, Support Services Office; 

Vtcl_r C. Sorensen. Management Serffces Office; Theodore U. Hardeman, Financial 

Management Office: Wilbur S. Davis, Procurement and Contracts Office. Third row: Ernst 

D. Geissler, Aeroballistlcs Division; Helmut lloelzcr, Computation Dlvblon; WernerR. 

Kuers, Manufacturing Enghwerh:g Dh,Lffon;WalterItaeussermann, Aslrlonlcs Dlvblon; gull 

H. Debus. Launch Operathms Directorate; Ernst Stuhllnger, Research Pro/ects Division; 

William A. Mrazek, Propulshm and Vehicle Engineering Division; George N. Constan, 

Miclmud Operations; Dieter Grau, Quality Asst¢ranceDivision; Karl L. Helmburg, 

Test Division. 

MississippiTest Facility 

52

1962 

NASA Compttter Center, Slidell, Louisiana ! 

S.]C static test stand - 

artist _ cot;(.ept 

S-IV battleshipstatic firing 

/! 

S.ICstagefacility 

SA..5configuration 

J.2 test facility 

53

Iq62 

Presiden!Ken,r,l.r and .11S! '("I)tr_'_l,_rI;'ernher r_mnratm tour man,[acturin8 and t_._i 

[aedltles during tlw ;'i_i!,,] lilt° i'r,,sldentlal party to MSFC oil September 11. A ,_aturn 

brh,flng aml . ._/,Jtt, /ir.tg .f ,t Sat.rn ('-I boo_ter were features of the tour. 

During their Septemh_'r ! I viait t,, MSFC. Pre.ffdent Kennedy and Vice President Lyndon 

il. Joht;sot; vh, wed the oValttrt! ('.1 veht{'h' Dt the Manufaeturh;g Engl_leerh;gDivision. The 

President tttld Vh'e Prrsidt'nl _trt' .s'howt! with Dr. IVernhervon Braun, MSF¢ Director. 

h;stallation .[ 42-f..t 

boring mlU 

54

1962 

SA-D5booster 

l 

Vertical AssemblyBuilding at Michoud - artist's concept 

55

1%2 

! 

L¢-39Vehicle AssemblyBuilding at('apeCanaveral - art_t'a concept 

56

FEBRUARY - MAY 1963 

1963 

On February 4 MSFC decided to modify the west side of the MSFC static test tower for 

F-I engine testing. The modification would allow single F-I engine tests to begin several 

months earlier than scheduled. The stand would later be reconverted fox'S-I static testing 

llOll. 

Oil February 20 NASA began contract negotiations for design,fabrication, erection, and 

testing of the crawler-transporterwhich would trm|sport the Saturn V vehicle to the 

launch pad of Launch Complex 39. The contract was signed on March29. On the same 

day NASA Headquarters approved the plan for modification of the basic Chrysler 

contract•The plan provided for redesigno1"the S-I stages [ 102, 103l. 

For Saturn V, NASA Headquartera approved the Boeing S-IC definitive contract on 

February 21. Boeing would design, develop, and manufacture one groand test stage and 

nine flight stages at the Michoud Plant in New Orleans [104]. 

During the firstsweek of February, NASA Headquartersannounced a cheulgeIn Saturn 

vehicle nomenclature. Saturn C-I became Saturn 1, Saturn C-IB became Saturn IB, and 

SaturnC-5 became Saturn V [105}, 

The flint live Saturn ! second stuge would be powered by liquid hydrogen, still not flight 

proven. The S-IV battleshipstage permitted t,_stsof this new technology [ 106-108]. 

Dr. George N. Constan, generalmanager of MichoudOperations, announced on March 12 

that he expected a peak total of some 10000 government-contractor person||el to be 

employed by the Saturn Booster Manul'acturin,3Facility of Michoud by mh._.1964[ 109l. 

saturn SA-,I., the fourth and last of the dngle-powered-sta&o.Bloch ! vehicles, was 

successfullyiau.ched on March 28 from LaunchComplex 34. The vehicle,carrying 

severalBlock!1 componentsfor test, reachedan altitudeor 80 statutemiles.Rangewas 

218 statutemilesandpeakvelocity3660 milesperhour.As a secondarymission,the No. 

5 inboardenginewascut off at 100 secondsto test the vehicleengine-outcapability. 

Overallperl'ormanceof the flip,hi wasvery satisfactoryI 110]. 

At Its SacramentoTest Facility (SAC'TO) Douglascompletedthe S-IV battleshipte_Jt 

programwith a final Iox depletionfiringof 444 secondson May 4. Sixteenteststotallrlg 

4302.5 secondswereaccomplishedusingthe RLIO-A-3 engines.The completebattleship 

test program(includinllboth A-I and A-3 engines)had a tolal firing time of 5440.1 

seconds(I I I, 112]. 

PresidentJohn F. Kennedy,on an all.day tour of North Alabama,stoppedbrieflyat the 

RedstoneAlmtrip for a shortaddressto a crowdof 10000 peoplebefore boardinghie.Jet 

to return to WJulhlngton.Beforeleaving,he talkedaboutS minuteswith Dr. yon Braun 

about thespaceProtpram[I 13]. 

During early May the J-2 engine, used on S-IVB and S-I! stages, was successfully fired for 

the first time at a simulatedspacealtitudein excemof 60 000 feet. The enginedeveloped 

57

1963 

I 

ir.l teat stand 

Saturn vehicles 

58

MAY - 

OCTOBER1963 

200000 pounds of thrust; after 20 secondsthe test was terminatedas programmed 

[114]. 

The MSFC Space Orientation Center, formerly the Space Museum,was drawingas many 

as 500 persons a day according to assistant curator Evelyn Falkowski duringa June II 

Interview. 

Some 1200 MSPCemployeesbeganmovinginto Building_;200,the Center'snewCentral 

Laboratoryand Office Building,in Jvne [I 15]. 

On August 5 NASA completed S-IB contract negotiations with Chrysler Corporation at 

Michoud. The following day S.IVB/Saturn IB contract negotiations were completed with 

DouglasAircraft Corporation at Santa Monies [I 16]. 

In its lead story of August 22, the MSPC Marshall Star had the following: "BILLY 

GRAHAM RALLY SLATED HERE SUNDAY. EvangelistBilly Graham,said by many to 

be the greatest spea,_(erin modern Christianity, will conduct a religious service at 

Redstone Air Field next Sunday at 4:00 p.m. The service is expected to draw thousands 

of visitors from all over north Alabama." In an announcement to MSFC employees Dr. 

van Braunstated: "1 would like to urgeall MSFCemployeesand theirfamiliesto attend 

the ReverendBilly Graham'sserviceSundayafternoon.In this ageof spaceflight and 

unprecedentedse_entlficaccomplishments, It Is Importantthat we be mindful of our 

spiritualnecessities. Dr. Grahamhad devotedhis life to the spiritualwelfareof peoplesall 

over the world. We are very fortunateto havehim visitHuntsville."The announcements 

weresuccessful. The expectedbill crowdattendedthe Billy Grahamserviceth3 following 

Sunday. 

On September I Dr. Wernher van Braun, MSFC Director, announced a major 

reorganization of the Center. Proipess in the Saturn program, and a rise In Industrial 

participation to approximately90 percentof the budget,necessitatedthe changes.The 

Center createdtwo major subdivisions- Researchand DevelopmentOperationsand 

Industrial Operations. Researchand DevelopmentOperations,composedof the nine 

technicaldivisionsredeslsnatedlaboratories,was strengthenedfor Its Huntsville-based 

operationsand for specializedcontractorassistance. IndustrialOperationswascreatedto 

direct the portion of the Center'swork performedby prime contractors,mainly the 

developmentof stagesand enginesfor the Saturn I, SaturnIB, and SaturnV multistage 

rockets[ 117, I lag. 

Dr. van Braunaddresseda largegatheringof CenteremployeesoutsideBuilding4200 in a 

specialceremonyon October15 markingthe firth anniversaryof NASA [I 19]. 

Nasaannouncedon October30 a rephaslnsof Saturnmannedflight missions.SaturnI 

mannedmissionswere dropped, thereby deletinll six Saturn ! vehicles,The Saturn I 

programwo,dditermLqatewith completionof the researchand developmentprogramfor 

the I0 unmanned fliliht vehicles. NASA approved speed-up of Saturn IB development. 

The more powerful Saturn IB vehicle would launch the Project Apollo mannedfligltts in 

preparation for Saturn V's manned moon mluion. "All.up" testing would be utilized In 

59

1963 

S.I! Seal Beach facility 

\ 

Crawler.transporter 

Pre#nant Guppy atrcraft 

60

OGTOBER - I._CEMBER 1963 

future Saturn flights. That is, there would be no further flightswith dummy stages; 

developmentflightswouldtestSaturnvehiclesin final configuration[120, 121]. 

On October 31 MSFC receivedfrom RocketdyneDividonof North AmericanAviation 

the first production model of the huge F-I engine [122, 123]. 

NASA approved a C!tryder contract modification In October that provided for 12 Saturn 

IB boosters in Ii-.u of operational Saturn I boosters. At Michoud, Chryder continued 

design studies o'.l components for these S-IB stages. MSFCapproved the design release for 

the S-IB spider beam and completed the 50 percent design review of the gaseous oxygen 

line and diffuser. Douglas continued work on hydrostatic and dynamic test equipment for 

Saturn IB's second stage and began assembly of its S-IVB battleship stage at the 

Sacramento Test Facility. Douglas began fabricatingan S-IVB liquid hydrogen test tank 

in Huntsville for use in J-2 engine tests [I 241. 

MSFC and Chryder completed their study of the use of uprated H-I engine| in Saturn 

IB's bomter stage. On November _:, after Chrysler determined engine load criteria and 

Saturn IB schedule Impact, MSFC directed Rocketdyne to develop the more powerful 

engine I 125, 1261. 

On November 8 MSFC contracted for a $13.4 million test complex at Mi_sdppl Test 

Operation,, for the Saturn V second stage (S.II). At Seal Beach, S&ID continued assembly 

o;' the S-ll battleship stage for stati0 tests. NASA contracted a few days later for a Saturn 

V launch pad at Kennedy Spa_ Center Complex 39 1127]. The pad would cmt over $19 

million. 

An important engine development milestone occurred on November 27 with 

Rocketdyne'a tint extended.duration firing test of the J-2 en_ne. This successful test of 

200 O00-pound thrust, liquid hydrogen-fueledengine lasted for more than 8 minutes. Thu 

J-2 would power upper stages of both the Saturn IB and the Saturn V vehicles [1281. 

On November 28 the nameof tile NASA facility at Cape Canaveral was changedofficially 

to John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) [1291. 

Ameflca's "second _neration" of astronauts, as well as rome of the original seven 

astronauts, spent November 29-30 at MSFC being briefed on the Center'sspace program. 

The astronauts included WalterM. Schirra and John Glenn along with newer astronauts 

Frank Borman, James Loveil,Thomas Stafford, Eillott See, Neff Armstrong, John Young, 

James McDlvttt, Edward White, and CharlesConrad [ 130]. 

In November NASA pmtponed the fifth saturn 1 flight because of technical problems 

with the SA-5 vehicle [131]. 

Saturn V progress during December included MSFC's tint F-I engine tests, these 

occurring on December 3 and 5. Duration of the tint firing tests was 1.25 seconds; the 

second flrlnl; lasted 10 seconds [1321. On December 20 NASA updated the Boeing S-IC 

contract to amend the stage dellvew schedule [133l. The contract as changed meant that 

61

1963 

S.IVdynamicfacilities stageatCapeCanaveral 

I 

Checkout of $.1V.3 

Static firing of S.I.5 ] 

SA.4 on Launch 

Complex 34 

S.1¢ stage aft area tnnckup 

Loadht# of $.! V stage 

62

DECEMBER1963 

MSFC rather than Boeing would provide the second S-ICflight booster. On December 27 

NASA amended the prime S-ll stage contract with S&iD in order to make the first S-II 

flight stage "live" instead of dummy [ 134]. 

MSFC in Decemberpostponed the SA-5 flight until January 1964 after discoveringcracks 

in fuel line fittings on the S-1*5stage. MSFC decided to replacecritical tubing on it and 

all remainingS-I stages. On December 13 MSFCaccepted from Chryslerat Michoud the 

tint industry-built Saturn I booster (S-I-8). By the end of December Chrysier had 

completed and MSFC had approved most of the structural redesign of Saturn IB's first 

stage [135]. 

Completionof S.IV battleship test proRram 

63

1963 

Ctmaplete 

Y.ting at/llichoud 

Dougla.T'Iluntlngton Beach bbciflO, 

ehattln8 at Redstone Airfield durht8 President Kennedy '; brief stop at MSF¢ on May 18, 

1963, were the President attd tffSF¢ Director Wernher ;,on Braun. 

64

P, 

SA.4 launch &'era' ,It MSI.'C Family Day June i 963 

On October I.L 1963. MSFC held a special program to celebrate the I'lfth annh,ersar.vof 

NASA. Director Wernher yon Braun addressed Center oJ'JTclalsand employees in the 

ceremony outside bulldin# 4200. 

65

1963 

,.:t 

a. Barrel assembly i ¢. Tail unit 

' 

b. Lower IhruJl ring 

d. Thrust _lructure 1". Lox and Fuel tanks 

readyforclmterln# 

e. SpiderBeam 

8. Installation of center Iox tank h. Clustering 704nch Iox tanks 

i. Clmterln# 704nch .fuel tank, I. Final assembly 

Fabrication and a_embIj, of 8.1.8 at Mlchoud 

66

1963 

AssembO' cq"S-II 

batlh'shlp _lagc' 

S.IC J'aciflO' 

.S'.II/%$ac_elJtam'efiring 

First J.2 exte,lh'd-dur, ilimt 

Jirhtg test 

Tweh't' U,S. u.;lrtmaltl.; s,isil{'d tit{' ('e, tt'r ,.t Nt.,;,emhrr 

29 for a Itmr of Jacllilh',{ and Jbr hrh.Jhl.gs rln lilt' 

ttttttlltt'dhmar prtJgronl.

1963 

Assembly of S-I-9 stage 

Dredging at Miasissippl Test Facility 

,":. "" °.J4 

68 

Second stage for SA.6 ,qlght 

being placed In SA CTO stand jot 

acceptance testing 

Spider beam mockup for Saturn 

IB's First, S.IB, Stage

1963 

Mating bulkhead to Y-ring 

$-IB stage - artist's concept 

69

70 

lntertank for S.I€.T

1963 

MSFC Headquarters Area - This aerial view photograph In October 1963 shows the MSFC 

office complex. Wizencot,_pleted the complex would comprise three multlstory buildings. 

Building 4200, the Central Laboratory and O[pce Building, Is at left, and Building 4201, 

the Engineering and Administration Building, was under construction at right. A third 

structure, the Project Engineering Building° Building 4202, would be behind Building 4200. 

Experimental Jlrlng In sound suppressor development program 

71

a. $-II aft Interstage b. $-I1 forward Interstag¢ c. $.!1 bulkhead fabrication 

m_ckup mockup bulldin# at Seal Beach 

..4"- "' 

) 

d. S.II structural test 

tower at Seal Beach 

f. Goreforming 

e. Bulkheadfabrication facility at El Toro 

areaat SealBeach 

#. S.ll skate bulkhead h. ExploJIveforming 

weldersat Seal Beach die at El Taro 

S-I! stageactivftles 

72 

Mlchoudmechanicdrlllln#holes In the first S.IC lower thrust tin#

1963 

a. Assembly of $.!C test 

fuel tank 

b. WeldingS-IC bulkhead 

Saturn V booster test stage components 

MSF¢ F.I engine Jtring test 

73

1903 

d. Payloadadapter [ Payload 

e. Hoisting payload 

8. ,_A-.$at Launch Complex 37B 

_e 

[ 

Erecllonof SA..Tat {7apeCanaveral

1963 

a. Flame deflector in battleship 

test stand 

b. All-systems test stand 

c. Battleship test stand 

S-H test stand construction at Santa Susana 

75

1963

1964 

JANUARY- MAY 1964 

As reportedJanuary20. " '"" SpaceOrientationCenterwasdrawingalmost 1000L_O 

visitorsa year according o_,.Is kept by the SpaceOrientationCenter(SOC)curator, 

PaulH. Satterfield.SOCvis,, ,, _cco,mtedfor about half of the annualvisitorsto MSFC. 

On January 29 NASA launchedthe fifth Saturn!, SA-5. The liquid hydrogen-fueled 

second stage,flight testedfor the first time, functionedperfectly.First-stagenginessieur 

off as planned,147 secondsafterlift-off.The secondstageseparated,Ignited,burnedfor 

8 minutes,and with the attachedInstrumentunitandsand-fillednoseconeattainedorbit 

as an earth satellite.Timefrom lift.off untilorbitwas 10.32 minutes.The almost19-ton 

satellitewas the heaviesteverorbited[136). 

NASA announcedtn January that construction budgets for SaturnIB and Saturn V 

facilitiesat Mtchoudand thenearbyMississippiTestOperationswouldbe :$6534 000 and 

$61991000,respectively, forFY 65 [137). 

Mrs.LyndonB. Johnsonmadea I-day visitto MSFConMarch24. ,\_companledby 

NASAAdministrator JamesE. Webbandotherofficials,Mrs.JohnsontouredMSFC, 

viewed two static firings, and made three speeches[ 1381. 

On April 24 thefirstindustry-produced satumi boosterarrivedat MSFCfromMichoud. 

The Chrysler-built S-l-8 stagewent directly to MSFC's static teststand [ 139]. 

Building 4201, the secoitdof threebuildingsin the MSFCCentralLaboratoryand 

Engineeringcomplex,wascompletedin April.Approximately 650 IndustrialOperations 

personnelbeganmovinginto 

[1401. 

this six-storyEngineeringand AdministrationBuilding 

Early In April MSFCnegotiatedwith RadioCorporationof America(RCA) for 19 

ground computersystemsto be used in checkout,static test, and launchingof SaturnIB 

and SaturnV vehicles.Cost of these systemsandsevenorderedduring1963wouldtotal 

more than $47 million.They wouldbe usedat Mlchoud,MississippiTestOperations,and 

Cape Kennedy LaunchComplexes 34, 37, and 39. Also in April NASA completed 

Instrumentunit arlangementsfor SaturnIB and SaturnV. IBMbecamelead _ontractor 

for work which, togetherwith previous Instrumentunit assignmentsto IBM, was 

expectedto cost $175 millionovera 5-yearperiod.NASAdelegatedmanagementof this 

work to MSFC[141l. 

The sixth Saturn I flight occurredon May 28. The SA-6 flight was succesqful,as all 

precedingflightshadbeen.The vehicle'sguidancesystem,activein thisflightfor the first 

time,correcteda deviationfrom the plannedtrajectorycausedby prematureshutdownof 

one of the engines.The payload,37 300 poundsand slightly lighterthan that of the 

record SA_5 load, "ncludeda boilerplate Apollo spacecraftwhich reentered the 

atmosphereand disintegratedas expected after 3.3 days an_ 50 orbitsof the earth 

[1421. 

I

1964 

• , : .1"""_1 _ "',_'_".. _+_';;', , ) 

The cast of the Space Is So Startling show visited MSFC. Shown here In fhe Space 

Orientation Center wtlere they saw many of the components used In the probes into space. 

Fifth Saturn I Flight 

Saturn I second stage .:eparation 

jq_ 

;j' 

78 Joining Apollo to SA-6

MAY - AUGUST 1964 

MSFC announcedIn May that il had leasedofficespacein Huntsville'snewWestClinton 

Street buildingfor some280 of its personnelcurrentlyhousedin theTwlckenhamHotel 

building. MSFC'sleasefor the Twickenhamwouldexpire June30. MSFCwouldoccupy 

some35 350 squarefeet of net usablefloor areain the top four floors of the eight 

storiedClintonStreetbuilding[ 143]. 

As a further indicationof anexpandingMSFC,the MSFC PersonnelOffice anna.needin 

mid-Junethatit hadhired 140 new employeesin the first 2 weeksof June[ 144J. 

The total numberof contractorandcivil servicepersonnelworkingat the MSFC Michoud 

Operationspassedrite I0000 mark early in Juneof 1964. There wasa total of I0 IOI 

personsworkingat the Michoudplant for the followingorganizations:BoeingCompany, 

5868; Chrysler Corporation, 1995; Mason-Rust,818; NASA, 281; Rocketdyne, 17; and 

Telecomputing Company Services, 124 [145]. 

Aufomatic Retailers of America (ARA) assumed operation of MSFC cafeterias on June 

29. The firm succeeded the Southern Cafeteria Company as the MSFC concessionaire 

1146l. 

NASA's middle-sized Saturn, Saturn IB, progressed during June to beginning of 

manufacture of the first flight booster. By mid-June North American 

Avlatlon-Rocketdyne had delivered the first four uprated 200000-i.,ound-thrust, H-I 

engines to Michoud for the Saturn IB booster [147]. 

. The first of two test stands for the Saturn V second stage (S-II) was completed by North 

American Aviation at its Santa Susana Field Laboratory in July. On July II Douglas 

delivered its first Saturn V third stage test hardware to Huntsville. Flown from Long 

Beach, California, this S-IVB stage forward skirt would connect the top of that stz,ga to 

the vehicle Instrument unit [ 1481, On July 13 Army's Corps of Engineers of Mobile, 

Alabama, acting as NASA's agent for MississippiTest Operations construction, awarded a 

contract worth more than $17 million for construction of the first test position on the 

giant S-IC dual test stand [149]. 

By mid-July Chryslerat MIchoud had clustered all tanks for t_,efirst Saturn IB booster, 

S-IB-I, and by the end of the month installed all eight upra_.edH-I engines [150l 

Chrysler worked on the second booster (S-IB-2).componentsand Ueganthe third booster. 

Chrysler personnel also began converting the Saturn I dynamic test booster to a Saturn 

IV dynamic test stage. After dynamic tests, this stage would be used to check out 

Kennedy Space Center Saturn IB launch facilities. This modified stage was designated 

.*hiB.D/F [151]. 

During August the Fakchlld Hiller Corporation continued work on meteoroid detection 

satellites to be orbited by the last three Saturn i vehicles.Each satellite,soon after 

second stage separation and orbit, would extend its wings to a span of 96 feet. During 

the month NASA named the satellites Pegasus after the winged horse of ancient 

mythology. Problems with their development threatened the schedule of the last three 

Saturn I launches [152, 153l. 

79

1964 

Saturn i Iox tattk which would be modified for Saturn 111 

Saturn V test )'uel tank 

80

SEPTEMBER- NOVEMBER 1964 

NASA launched its seventh Safum ! from Cape Kennedy on September 18. The two-stage 

SA-7 rocket placed approximately 37 000 pounds of payload into an orbit similar to t;le 

interim orbit for future three-man Apollo lunar missions (145-mile apogee, 112-mile 

perigee). BoilerpIJte Apollo spacecraft command and service modules, instrument unit. 

and the spent S-IV stage comprised the satellite. All majol test objectives were i,zet: fina[ 

development testing of Saturn I propulsion, structural, guidance, and flight control 

systems; development testing of Apollo spacecraftstructure and design; demonstration of 

physical compatibility of launch vehicle and spacecraft; and test-jettisoningof spacecraft 

launch escape system. Cameras ejected after the flight were abandoned because or 

Hurricane Gladys, but some were later unexpectedly recovered. After this flight Saturn I 

was declared operational, achieving its goal three vehicles early [154, 155l. 

Major construction ended on the Saturn V Dynamic Test Facility on September 30 at 

MSFC [1561. 

On October 6 MSFCconcluded 3½ years of Saturn ! first stage static testing with a test 

of the final booster. The 156-second test indicated that the S-I-IO, manufactured by 

Chryslerat Mlchoud, was satisfactory [157, 158]. 

Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Young departed Huntsville on October 23. In an unusual 

approach to MSFC contractor management, Young had been director of Industrial 

Operations at MSFC for the past ye,,r. He was vice-president and general manager of 

Aerojet General Corporation'sSacramento Plant before joining MSFC.While at MSFChe 

directed that portiol_of the Center's york carried out by prime contractors in Industry 

11591. 

Astronaut M. Scott Carpenter and MSFC Director Wernber yon Braun spoke to 

employees at a special awardsceremony in front of Building 4200 on October 28 [ 160]. 

Nasa AdministratorJames E. Webbvisited Huntsville and MSFC on October 29 to discuss 

the role of the Centerin future NASA programs[161]. 

A surprisingrecovery of films from the seventh Saturn I flight took place in November. 

Almost 2 months after the flight, two barnacle-entrusted capsules, each containing I00 

fe_t of color motion-picture film in good condition, were found, one on a beach of an 

ishmd in the Bahamas,the other in San Salvadorin Central America.Hurricaneweather 

had thwarted recovery efforts after the flight [162|. 

NASA provided for construction of Pad B at NASA's Saturn V Complex 39, Merritt 

Island, Florida, by awarding in Novemberan almost $20 million firm-fixed-pricecontract 

[163.165]. 

81

1964 

MSFC Director Wernher yon Braun presents a safe& hard hat to Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson, 

wife of the President. during her visit to the Center on March 24, 1964. Dr. yon Braun 

wears a Texas hat given him b), the President in a visit to the LBJ Ranch. This picture 

was made in the Saturn V mockup area prior to static firings of the $-I engine and the 

S-! stage. 

Saturn I second stage production 

82

1964 

e 

$.IVB dynantlcs test stage 

MSFC static test stand for 

Saturn V booster 

/ 

MSFC Headquarters Complex - The two laboratory and o/rice buildings completed are 

shown in this Spring 1964 photo, looking northeast at MSFC. Bulldinl_s4200, left, and 

4201 would be Iolnea by Building 4202 which would occupy the space between the two 

structures in this picture. Work on Building 4202 began in May 1964. 

83

1964 

First J.2 production engine delivered to Douglas 

84

1964 

., 

Aerial view of M,YFCSaturn test stmtds 

Sixth Saturn I flight 

S.IIJ.9 checkout 

Onboard camera photograph 

of ,YA.6stage separation 

First Saturn V hardware 

.from Douglas 

•YT-124 guidance stable 

platform 

85

1964 

Lox tankassemblyfor S-]VB stage, tapperstagefor SaturnIB and V 

First Saturn V second stage, Saturn V booster full-scale 

5.11,flight hardware 

mockup at Mlchoud 

Saturn 113and Saturn V progt 'ss at time of sixth Saturn I flight 

86 

Michoud dock Jactlltles

1964 

MaiorportlonJ of the Saturn V ground test complex areshown In this June 1964 aerial 

viewof the West Test Area at MSFC. Left center is the SIC static Test Stand. The F.I 

EngineStand Is at rillht. The hQlh.pressurewatersystem for the standsis in foreground. 

and the Blockhouse _ at centerof picture. 

The EnlrtneeNnlrud AclmtnlJtrattonBulldln#at Mlchoud Operationswasnearstructural 

completion In th_ summer 1964 picture. Whencompletedlater In the year, the three° 

#tOrybuilding would accommodateabout 5000 contractor and llovetnmentpersonnel. 

87

1964 

SA-7 riscs 

Structural test stage thrust unit at Seal Beach 

for the Saturn V second stage, S.II 

Fabrication of _turn V 

S.IB spider beam 

_turn IB nonfllght 

Ir.strument unit 

S-IBtall section 

H.I engine,uprated[or 

Satunl IB booster 

88 

Last Saturn I booster 

ground test 

I 

''_

Chrysler pevs¢mne!worklny on S.IB-2 thrust structure at Mtchoud

1964 

r" 

Douglas pe:sonncl w_rking ml ground support equipment at Huntington Beach

Saturlt III see.rid stages, S.IFB, ill Dcmglastotaling tower, Ilttntlngltm Beach 

!1 

o 

Clustering Saturn II1 Dynamic Test stage at Mlchoud 

IWl 

91

1964 

I 

i 

Bulkhead for Saturn V second stage 

,r " ! 

tt 

F-I furnace bta:ing operation 

F-I engineassembly 

,#-2engineassembly 

Saturn enginemanufacturingby Rocketdyne at CanogaPark 

92 

Guidanceand control st,stems test facility In Bulldhtg4487 at MSFC

1964 

Jbbtl¢offlonarea 

m 

, 

Two of three Pegasussatellites f!,r last Saturn I flights 

housed Inside adapted service modules 

Doux:._sS.IVB stage 

Recovered cat,eras 

'-'" 

S-IV-I0 being mo red to 

stand at SA CTO

1964 

Laboratory and R_. _._ 

engineering building 

Test stand for sec:ond 

Saturtt V stage, S.II Test stand for first 

Saturn Y stage, ,q.IC 

Mississippi Test Operations 

Auxiliary propulsion system 

for Saturn IB second stage 

ll 

F.] engim, test at rocket ettgine test site, 

Edwards, California 

J 

S-IC-S thrust structure 

on barge at Mlchoud 

94

196,1 

95

1964 

L 

t 

L._ 

flulldup of Saturn V Jecond sta#e, nonlllght versionfor tezts 

' 

'i 

hsternalribsof flrst Boeing.builtSaturn Vfln, a_embled and readyfor 

attachment of skins 

_//_ 96

This aerial rlew of lfflchoud Opermhms In Dece,aber 1964 Mu_wsthe cnti:: fa¢t tily 

Inchcdlng the barge d_.ck and waterway (top rlsht), h_ the ._prawlinRb,¢lldlnga, h'ft 

center Chrysler manufactured Saturn I/IB booster_ and Boeing prcMuced 

Saturn V boosters. 

97

JANUARY - 

MARCH lgM, 

196S 

MSFC comtJeted neKotlations with Douglas on January 28 for the remaining eight 

S-IVB/IB stages _d a sot of ground support equipment. Another Saturn IB milestone on 

this date occurred when KSC awarded R.E. Clarson, Inc., a $2 179 00 contract for Phase 

II modification of the Launch Complex 34 service structure to support Saturn IB 

launches [1661, 

MSFC on February I completed component assembly of the Instrument unit, 

S-IU-2OOD/5OOD, for the Saturn IB and Saturn V dynamic tests. NASA began February 

with severalSaturnmilestones.On February 19 the spaceagencyamendedChrysler's 

S-I/S-IB contract(N/_$8-4016) to Includeprelaunchcheckoutsupport,an amendment 

that addedabout $;_4_42 878 to the contractcost [167). Also in the Saturnprolpram, 

effectivethis date, M_rjFCannotnced the following major revisionsIn the S-I! stage 

program:cancellationof the dynamicteststage,S-II-D; substitutionof the structuraltest 

stage,S-H-S, as a dynamic stage;transferof all._stems test stere, S-11-T,from Santa 

Susansto MissluipplTest Operations;mlgnment of the facilitiescheckoutstage,S-II-F, 

directly to KSC; and schedulingof an end to the Electro-MechanicalMockup test 

prolp'am[168]_ 

On Fobru_' ._workmenat SealBeachcompletedthe S-Ii-S stage,firstgroundteststage 

in :he SaturnS.II stageprogram[169]. 

Douglascompletedfinal assemblyof the S-IVB facilitiescheckoutstage,S-IVB-5OOF,on 

Febru:ury12 and turnedthe stageoverto NASA at SealBeach,Cailfornla.Workmenthen 

loaded it aboard the NASA barp Orion for transportationto the SacramentoTest 

Facilities[ 170]. 

On February 16 NASA launchedfrom KSC the. Saturn i SA-9 vehicle,it performed 

excellentlyduringthe flight and placedthe Apollobollerplatespacecraft,BP-16,and the 

first Peip_ussatelliteI,tto separateorbits.The PegasusA Mtellitedeployedits "wlnpa" to 

a span of 96 feet and exposed2300 squarefeet of Instrumentedsurfaceto gather 

meteoroid data, tort the information,and transmitit to earth receivingstations.NASA 

launchedSA-9 Insteadof SA-8 on this date becauseSA.9'sS-I stage,built in house,had 

proipressed throughmanufactureand testingmore rapidly than had 8-1-8[171, 1`/2]. 

On February 28 the tint Industry-producedSaiurn I first stage,S-I-8, arrivedat KSC 

from Mlchoud[1'/3]. 

Duflng February NASA modified the H-I engineresearchand developmentcontractto 

lnc]udeupratlngthe H-I from 188000 poundsthrust (188K) to 200K for Saturn IB 

application,NASA approvedmodificationsto the RocketdyneH-I engineproduction 

contract convertinj It from coat-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) to cost-plus-incentive-fee (CPIP) 

[1'/41. 

NASA on March31 approvedawardof the SaturnIB/V Instrumentunit contractto IBM. 

This contract(NAS8-|400) wasthe firstmajor Incentivecontractto be negotiatedin the 

SaturnIB proiprtm[ 1751. 

PRECEDIN(]PAGE BI,AHKNOTFH,MI_ 

99

Pegasuswithsolarpanels 

fullyextended 

S.II-/thruststructure 

[abrlcatlon atTuba 

t_uemblyof $.IU.2OOD/JOOD 

for theSaturnIB and 

SaturnV 

Space _:e_tter 

SA-9 launch at Kennedy 

ME lab to test stand 

$.IC-T en route from 

_ _i¸, i . 

Erectiono/ $4C-TIn 

t¢ t stand at MSFC 

SaturnIB/CentaurCon/iluratlon 

. : .._ 

f_ 

Mlchoud Operatfons 

I00

qARCH - AUGUST 1965 

In March NASA delineated specific mant_geme.t roles for the Saturn lB/Centaur System 

to MSFC and Lewis ResearchCenter. MSFCreceived project management for thm Saturn 

IBICentaur System and Lewis manageme.t of the Centaur System [176]. 

By MarchMSFC prolpramanalysts and developerswere h_ginnin5 to ,so the terms *'spent 

stage" and "wet workshop" in reference to the possibility of emptyinlt fuel from a 

Saturn S-IVB stagein space and then using the stage as a 1oborato.y [ 177]. 

On Ap:'il i in the IB program NASA authorized Rocketdyne to incRaze the 200K H-I 

engine to 205K to support Saturn IB application to even larger misdoni i 178]. 

The first single-engineS-IC-Tfiring occurred at MSFC on April 9. On April 16 Marshall 

penonm:i succeufully test fired all five of the S-IC:F stages's F-I engines. This tint 

S-IC-T five-engine test occm'rud 2 months ahead of schedide nnd lasted 6.5 seconds 

[1791. 

MSFC announced on April 30 that Ashi)urn and Gray had received a $1 056 867 contract 

to build 7 miles of road for MSFC, including one road to connect Marianand Rideout 

road,. The roads would route traffic around the eastern boundary of MSFC ! 180]. 

On May I0 Douglasdeliveredthe IOth and last SaturnI S-IV stage(S-IV-IO) !o KSC 

aboar_l the Pregnant Guppy aircraft. A week late_, on May 17, MSFC submitted the 

procurement plan for nine additional Saturn V S.IVB stages to the NASA Offh:e of 

Manned Space Flii_tt (OMSF) for approval 1i81]. 

' 

Final period of countdown for rite SA-Rlaunch started on the afternoon of May 24 and, 

except for _t ached-led 35-minute hold, continued uninterrupted to lift-off which 

occurre_ the, next day. SA-8 the ninth succeJsful Saturn I flight, placed in orbit Pegasus 

B 1182l. 

Members of the Alabama legislature, GovernorGeorge Wallace, ap,; _ome 50 newspaper 

editon witneued for the first time a teat flrinil of the Saturn V launch vehicle booster 

dudng a I-day visit to Huntsville on June 8 [ 183]. 

The KSC launchcrew suct.e,fully pt.fformedthe countdowndemonstrationtest for 

SA-IO on July 27. Final phaseof countdown.for the SA-IO launchwasunderway at 

9:25 p.m. EgT on July 29 and continuedto Ilft-olTwithout any technicalholds.On July 

30 SA-IO, in the flnql flight test c." the S|,turn I program, performed excellently. The 

launch vehicle inserted its dual payload of PegasusC and BP-9 into an orbital trajectory. 

'l'hisSA-IO flight concluded NASA's Saturn i program[184]. 

In mid-July severalhundredemployeesbeganmoving into Buildlntl4202. the third 

bulldinll to be completedIn the MSFC headquarterscomplex.IndustrialOperations 

employeesweretht_fltltworkers to makethe move(185]. 

On August2 MSFC personnelconductedthe firstsuccessful I8,1tiontest o.r the MSi.C 

S-[VB battleship.It lastedfor 2.1 seconds.This tint firing of the MSFCS-IVB battleship 

completedactivationof the J-2/S-IVBteststandat MSFC (186. 187]. 

I01

1965 

•_mrn 

s_aXezm rotsle to MSFC !_, burg_, 

t 

J.3 engineXlnt_/IhtR test 

Pohtt Barrow, carrierfor S.I FB-._OOFstalit, 

102

AUGUST - 

OCTOBER 196S 

1"1:0first full-duration run ,3f S.]C:_'occurredat MSFC on AugustS. The firing lasted 

143.6 _econds[188, 189]. 

On August6 Dr. Georgeft. Mueller,AssociateAdministratorfor MannedSpaceFlight, 

NASA Ileadqm,rters, an,,tounced the establishment at tleadquarters of an Apollo 

Applications Program Office. Effective with this announcement, the Apollo Applications 

Programcame into being, replacingthe old Apollo Extension Systems program [1901. 

In an August 13 memorandum to MSFC employee':., Dr. van Braun stated: "With the 

compleGo.nof the Saturn ! program, with the Saturn IB programwell into production, 

and with the Saturn V 'n final design and into the testing stage, we are entertnjl an 

advanced phase of the space program. WhileSaturn IB ard Saturn V still remain as our 

primary and most important.job, we must turn attention to the future role of Marshallin 

the nation's space program, such as the Saturn IB/Centaur, Apollo Extension Systems, 

a,td Supporting Research. As a consequence, rome skills and capabilities that have been 

Invaluablein earlier projects will have less value In the future role of the MarshallCenter. 

As I announced last week, the Manned Spacecraft Center at tlou,ton is entering a 

buUd-up for the operational ph,se of the Apolle program, and, as a result, 200 MSFC 

positions are being transferred to the Manned Spacecraft Center. ThL, t provides an 

opportunity for MSFC employees to Join an orlpmizationwhich will undoubtedly have a 

critical need for skills that are less critical to the future activities at MSFC" [ 191]. 

Ilurricane Betsy entered the Mlchoud area about 8 p.m. on September 9 and left severe 

roo_'and building damage at Mlchoud, It also washed the NASA barge Prom/se upon the 

levee, inflicting damage to the barge In the ar,lount of $89 138. The NASA barge 

Palaemon, with the S-IB-3 stale as cargo, weathered HurricaneBetsy near Bator_Rouge, 

Louisiana, without damage during the first day of its Journey from Michoud to MSFC in 

Huntsville [192]. 

ended at 

The upper stage tesUnll in the Saturn IB dynamic test program 

September I I [193, 1941. 

MSFC 

On September 29 the S-ll-S/D ruptured and disintegrated duringn structuralIoadlnll test 

at Seal Beach, The failure occurred at 144 percent of limit load on the aft skirt, This 

failure necessitated redirection of the S-ll program by substitution of the S-II-T as a 

dynamic test vehicle followinll static testing at MTF. Meanwhile, workmen at Seal Beach 

completed manufactureof the S.II-T stage on September 30 [ 195]. 

The S-II-T, first "live" launch vehlcl_ stage at MTF, arrivedOctober 17 for start of stage 

all-wstems testing. S&ID personnel at MTF placed S-II-T into Test Stand A-2 on Oc:tober 

19 [196, 197]. 

On October 28 Rocketdyne delivered to Chrysler at Michoud the tint two H-I engines 

uprated from 200K to 20SK, Eight of the upreted engines would add about 40 000 

pounds thrust t,) the S-IB stage and increase the total thrust of the stage to I 640 00_ 

pounds [ 198]. 

on 

1.03

Oyo#enlcJdock at MIO after completion 

! 1, 

I 

Meteoroid meas,rcmen! capsule 

104

NOVEMBER1965 

Thirty-six MSFC employees walked across a platform in front of Building 4200 on 

November 5 and received a variety of awards including a prer.identialcitation and six 

invention award* It was part of a local ceremony to observe the seventh anniversaryof 

NASA. Highlight "ff the event I, as an address by Dr. yon Braun. Visitors included 

Huntsville Mayor G!enn H. Heam and Chairman of the Board of Madison County 

Commissionen, ,lames R. Record [199], 

In November NASA announced that the .I-2 engine contract would be amended to add 

48 engines. NASA, in addition, asked Rocketdyne to provide 52 additional J-2 engines 

for delivery in 1967 and 1968 [200,2OI]. 

,v_ ...,_€ ° 

!P" $.1VB.201 en route #, 

__:.j,M 

Couvtland, California, 

PosltloninR$.lV on $.1 at K$C aboael the Orlon 

Saturn IB booster bein8 

moved into _tatlc test stand 

Deployment sequence of the Pegasus 

launchofSA.I{rom 

pad 37B at K$¢ 

105

Stati_ flrin# of S.IB.IatMSF¢ 

o 

Thob18doorsof theMlssisslppl TestFacility locksystemopen 

InMay 1963sl#nlfyln# completion oftheMTF canalsystem. 

106 

This aerial photo#raph made In July 196.5shows administrative 

buildings at Mississippi Test Facility.

1965 

0 

Static test ufallfive engines of Saturn Y booster (S.IC stage) 

107

1965 

S-IIstage 

Launchof SA-IOfrom 

pad 3711,KSC 

Rocketdyne technicians checkout out a J.2 engine .. 

J 

m,a 

/ ,a, 

l,aur,,ch_mplex 34 

#_ntry at KS€ 

Pesoauswith partial 

deployment of meteoroid 

det,fctlohpanels 

S.I!battl.TshipchJsterfiringat Santa3usamm 

108

1965 

S-IC static firing 

• _'° ; 

.f 

$.!1 A-2 lest stand, 

Mlssisslp_: Test Facility 

• .ot_ ,od 

Tills aerial view allows the _ompleted MSFC headquarters complex on Ride,mr Road. 

The nine.story structllre in foreground Is the Central Laboratory and Office Building, 

4200. The EtdRIneering and AdmiMstratlve Building, 4201, Is right and the Prolect 

F.ngineers BMldlng, 4202, is left. 

""" + 

IIII_ e i i 

Computer room during $.lVB.20! lTrlng a; Sacramento 109

The tallest structure at MSFG, the Saturn V Oynamlc Test Facility, it shown 

late In 196.$as it awaits interior erection of the Satun_ Y dynamic test vehicle. 

The facility is over 400 feet high. 

_.. 

$-IB static lest In Huntsville 

,_.II.T arriving at 8.II.A2 

stand at MTF 

• -IVB-201beinghoisted on 

the $teel Executive 

Loadin_$-II.T on AI?.D 

Point Darrow 

llO 

$-H-_/Druptured during 

_tructuralloadingtest

1965 

TechnicianscheckingRocketdyne-bullt J.2 engineson $.II stalle 

The structure In .foregroundIs Building4708 at MSF¢ where Saturn boosterswere 

checked out following assembly. At upper left Isanother Quality Lab building,used for 

receipt and Inspectionof components and subax_emblles from contractors. At upper 

right Isa btanufacturlngEngineeringLaboratory bulld_ng. 

111

Altitudesimulationtestfacilityat 

Zullahoma, Tennessee 

Installationof S.II.TIn 

MTF teststandA-3 

Aftermath of HurricaneBetsy at Mlchoud 

Building420 at MAF, the Stage Test Position Facility, Isshown after Hurricane 

Betsy In September 1965. 

112

1965 

$.1VB-202installedin 

Test Stand Beta 3 at 

Sacramento Test Facility 

17.1engine 

S.ll common bulkhead 

test tank (CBTT) 

NASA bargePromiseupon leveeafter HurricaneBetsy 

113

1965 

Damageat Mlchoud by HurricaneBetsy 

I 

rl 

! 

41 .,,} 

HurricaneBetsy leavesPromiseon levee 

_;_ . 

•The MSFC hcadquavtevs complex Is seen In this low aerial view In the Fall of 1965. 

114

1965 

ThisaerialphotogHph made In October 196.$shows a wide viewof the WestTest 

Area at MSFC. Pi'tncipalstructuresIncludethe S.IC Test Stand, F.I Engine Test 

Stand,Dynamic Test Stand, Blockhouse,and High.PressureWaterFacility. 

-Portions of the Propulsion and Vehicle Englneerlnt (P&VE) Laboratory 

area at MSFC are pictured here In October 196.$. At left rear is the principal 

office building, Building 4610. The Load Test Annex Is shown In foreground. 

115

196S 

i 

i 

$.IU-2OO/JOOS on fabricationstandNo. I 

S.IC-Tatatte test firth8 

116

196S 

Ma/orcotnponems ofJ-2engine 

b 

OQ 

Apollo spacecraft 

117

1966 

JANUARY- 

MARCHIg_,5 

OnJanuary4 MSFCannouncedthe awardingel sevennewSaturncontracts,fiveof them 

to Saturnprimestage contractors,for continuationof studiesaimedat ImprovingS-IB 

and SaturnV launchvchicles.Ninth American,Boeing,andChryslereach receivedone of 

the contracts;Douglasreceivedtwo. The remainingtwo of ttzeseven contractsxverefor 

continuationof engineeringstudiesrelating to a mannedreusabletransportsystem' (I) a 

9-month $237000 contractto LockheedAircraftCorporationto study possibilitiesof 

developinga reusabletransportsystem based on presentlyapprovedlaunchant'.space 

vehicles and (2) a 6-month $51 000 contract to Martin-MariettaCorporationfor 

comparisonstudy of launchmodesfor reusablelaunchvehicles.Both contractswouldbe 

underMSFC'sdirection1202l. 

NASA announcedon January7 the awardof a S783'/500 contract to the Ra,];o 

Corporationof America,AerospaceSystems Division,Van Nuys, Call%rnla,elTe,_tlve 

December1, 1965, for logisticsupport or Saturnground computercheckoutsystems. 

Underthe 2-yearcontract,managedby MSFC,RCAwould providespareparts,logistic 

management,maintenancesupport,and reportservicesfor the Saturnground computer 

checkout systems. On this same date MSFCannouncedthat the Air Force'sArnold 

EngineeringDevelopmentCenter(AEDC)nearTullahoma,Tennessee,wasbeingexpanded 

for test of a third stage(S-IVBbattleship)of NASA'sSaturnV launch vehicle1203, 

2041. 

Removalof the S-IC-Tfrom the static test toweron January20 at MSFCconcludedthe 

S-IC-T planned test program at Huntsville. MEFC moved the booster to the 

Manu%cturingEngineeringbuilding for storageand later conversionto the functional 

configurationof 8-IC-4[205]. 

After postponementon threeconsecutivedaysbecauseof continuousbadweather,lqASA 

on February26 launchedSaturnvehicle SA-201 from KSC LaunchComplex 34. The 

vehicle performedth.mughouthe poweredand coast phasesof flight. No majorsystem 

malfunctions occurredin tillsunmannedsuborbitalApolloflight. In liftingthe spacecraft, 

SA-20!*sfirst stagehad generated1.6 million poundsof thrust.Afterburning2 minutes 

and 26 seconds, propeIllngthe Apollo to 37 miles altitude, the booster'seight H-I 

engines, fueled with keroseneand fox, shut down afld the stage separatedfrom the 

S.IVB.Pout secondsluter, a 200 000-poundthrust S-IVB(second)stageengine,burning 

liquidhydrogenandliquidoxygen,Ignited[206]'. 

NASAsignedwlth the BoeingCompany a March4 supplementalagreementconverting 

the SaturnV firststage(S-IC)contract from a fixed fee to an incentivefee contract.It 

was the first Saturnstagecontract to be convertedto an incentivetype, At the time of 

this conversionthe Boeingcontractwasvaluedat $850 114303 [207}. 

The Apollo ExtensionSystemshad been proposedas a programto utilizeApolloSaturn 

capabilitiesand hardwsureto fly future missionsand, thereby, to minimizethe Initial 

developmentcost of new systems.Subsequently, the nameof the projectwas changedto 

Apollo Applications. NASA's first "officially released" schedule in the Apollo 

ApplicationsProgram(AAP)was ScheduleML-,I,releasedby NASAon March23, 1966. 

pREGI_IHO 1_AGEBLANK HOT FqLMI_) 119

1966 

Studies on reusable transport system 

BargePoseidonused to move Saturn stages 

_.l€-I (right) and $.1C-2 

(left) In transit at MSFC 

_-IVBfacilities at 

MSF€ dock activity $.1U-202moving to KS€ SacramentoTest Facility 

120

MARCll - MAY 1966 

This schedule called for 26 Saturn IB launches and 19'Saturn Y launches. Involvedin the 

launches would be four Apollo Telescope Mounts (ATM's). Thl._schedule als_ included 

five lunar missionsandtwo synchronol_sorbi' missions12081. 

NASA announced on March 24 that it would negotiate incentive contracts with two 

major actual.ace firms for the procurement of five additional Saturn V first stages (S-IC) 

and 33 F-I rocket engines. NASA would negotiate with the Boeing Company for the 

stt,ge_ and with Rocketdyne for the F-I engines for tltese stages. Tile five S-IC stages 

would cost in excess of $165 million. These contracts were in line with NASA's plan to 

launch 15 Apollo/Saturn V space vehicles by the end of 1970 [209]. 

O, April I NASA transferredproject management of its first hydrogen.ftteledengine, the 

RLI0, to Lewis ResearchCenter at Cleveland, Ohio. A cluster of six RLI0 engines had 

powered the Saturn I's S-IV second stage before the conclusion of MSFC's Saturn I 

programthe previousyear [210]. 

in an April 4 release NASA announced a change in sequence of the _-1B-202 and the 

S-IB-203 launches. Uprated S-IB-202 was rescheduled to follow the AS-203 mission. The 

purpose of the sequence change was to provide additional time. for checkout of Apollo 

spacecraft to be flown in the A5-202 mission. AS-203 was a launch vehicle:development 

mission and would not _arryan Apollo spacecraft 1211]. 

Nine Astronauts visited MSFC for briefings on the Saturn IB launch vehicle, April 19-21, 

1966. Visiting were Virgil I. Gttssom, James A. McDlvltt, David R. Scott, Russell 

Schweickart, Edward H. White 11,Frank Barman, WalterM. Schirra, Jr., RogerChaffee. 

and WalterCunnlnghan, [212]. 

MSFC announced on April 21 that NASA had awarded S50 000, 60-day fixed-price 

contracts to Douglas Aircraft Company, McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, and Grumman 

Aircraft EngineeringCorporation to perform definition Rnd preliminarydesignstudies and 

to evaluate a plan to make spent Saturn V S-IVB stage hydrogen tanks habitable for 

manned space mlsslo,s up to 30 days in duration. MSFC would ma,lage the contracts 

[2131. 

On May 6 the first uprated J-2 rocket engine arrived at MSFC from Rocketdyne. In 

upratin8 the J-2, Rocketdyne had Increased the thrust to a new capability of 230 000 

pounds. NASA schedules called for use of the higher thrust J-2 in tile second stage of the 

S-IB b_:_innlngwith vehicle AS-208 and in the second and third stages of the Saturn V 

beginning with vehicle AS-504 [214]. 

On May 19 MSFC announced the l:oll0wing nomenclaturechanges: 

Lunar Excursion Module to be called LunarModule; the Saturn IB to become 

'the Uprated Saturn I.' At first the chan_es will be noted as 'the Uprated 

Saturn, the Saturn IB' gradually dropping reference to the Saturn IB as the new 

name becomes more familiar, Th!s would enable us to continue the string of 

Saturn I successes. Realistically the Uprated Saturn I is what we have anyway; 

121

1966 

$.IC-T removed front test stand at MSFC 

MovingofS.IVB-501 after post.manufacturing checkout 

Apollo Telescope Mount 

122 

S.IVB stage 

hydrogen tanks

MAY- tULY 1966 

In generalpublicreleaseswe should beginreferringto Saturnstagessimplyas 

the first,second,or thirdstages,and,wherehelpful,to semi.technicalpressand 

in press kits follow the technical nomenclature,i.e., 'the third stage of the 

SaturnY (S-IVB),'etc; future releasesand announcementshould makeuse of 

the new nomenclature[2151: 

The first full-durationfiringof the S-il flightstageoccurredMay20 at MTFwhen S-II-T 

test-firedfor 354.5 seconds.Lax cutoff sensorsInitiatedcutoff automatically.The firing 

passedall major test objectiveswith the exceptionof the propellantutilizationsystem. 

This was the fourthstatic firingof the S-II-T.The stagedeveloped I millionpoundsof 

thrustfromits "Rollout" of the fivehydrogen-oxygen-powered 

SA-S00Foccurred at KSCJ-2engines[216]. 

May 25. The 500 O00-poundfacility test 

vehicle, 363 feet long,movedfromthe VehicleAssemblyBuilding(VAB)on its 3000.ton 

diesel-powered,steel-linkcrawlertransporterto PaJ A to verify launch Facilities,train 

launchcrews,anddeveloptest checkoutprocedures12171. 

TwentyastronautstouredMSFClaboratoriesand test facilitiesand receivedbriefingson 

_aturn IB and Saturn V launch vehicles on May 25-27. Among those attendingwas 

Joseph P. Kerwin, a medical d,3ctor slated to fly in the Skylab programas n 

scientist-astronaut [218]. 

On May 27 NASA announcedselectionof two aerospacecompaniesfor negotiationof 

parallel I-year study contracts covering integrationof experimentsand experiments 

supportequipt_.cntfor mannedApollo Applications.Each contractwa,,estimatedat I 

million dollars.The two firmsselected were the LockheedMissilesand SpaceCompany 

and the MartinCompany[219]. 

BecauseHurricaneAlmaapproachedKennedySpaceCenteron June 8, It wasnecessary 

to Interruptthe proces._ingand test activitiesof SA-S00Fand move the vehiclebackto 

the VAB.The hurricanethreatpassed,and 2 dayslaterthe vehiclewasagainb.',ckon Pad 

A [220]. 

On June 27 the establishmentof the saturn/ApolloApplicationsProgramOfficeat MSFC 

under the direction of Leland F. Belew was officially approvedby tl:e NASA 

Administrator[221], 

On July 5 the 12th Saturnvehicle, AS-203, flew from KSC LaunchComplex37B. 

AS-203 precededAS-202into space to allowmore time for preparationandcheckoutor 

AS.202. After I hour53 minutesand 17 secondsof countdownholds,AS-203Ilftedoff 

the pad to begin the second u.lmannedflight of the upratedSaturnI. The vehicle's 

secondstage (S-IVB),[n_,trumentunit, andnosecone,weighing58 500 pounds,comprised 

the heaviestU. S. satelliteever placedin orbit.Primarymissionof thisJuly 5 flight was 

an engineeringstudyof liquidhydrogenfuel behaviorduringorbit [222, 223l. 

NASADeputy AdministratorRobertC. Seamans,Jr., In a July 26 memorandumstated: 

"It Is a fundamentalpolicy of NASA that projectsand programsare best plannedand 

executedwhen theseresponsibilitiesare clearlyassignedto a singlemanagementgroup.I 

I""

1966 

H.I engine

JULY - S£PTEMBEK 1966 

am thereforeassignii;gto the Office of MannedSpaceFlight the full responsibilityfor 

th_ conductof Apolloand Apollo Applicationsmissions"[224]. 

NASA Headquarte-unconditionallyapprovedJ-2 ent,SneprogramcontractNAS8-I9 on 

July 29. This contract est,blishedthe provisionfor production_pport effort throuBJz 

December1968 a_ldfor deliveryof the 155J-2enginesr_;uired for the Apolloprogram, 

The contract combined what had been two :naJorJ-2 contracts 12251. 

A meeting of the NASA Manned Space Flight ManagementCouncil ;;aid at Lake Logan, 

North Carolina,August 13-15 _ consit!ereda pioneeringmilestone in the Skylab Program. 

At this meeting NASA delineated "Post Apollo Manned Spacecraft Center and Marshall 

Space Flight Center Roles and Missions in Manned Space Flight." Relative to MSFC and 

MSC roles, NASA officials discussed the broad parameters of a "Space Station Concept." 

Also outlined were the MSFC/MSCroles relativeto the OrbitalWorkshop and the Apollo 

Telescope Mount. As partof the agreementreached at the Lake Loganmeeting, the roles 

and missions concept was applied to the Apollo Applicatiols ProlFam - specifically, to 

the Orbital Workshop and the Apollo Telescope Mount. By previous agreement MSFC 

was responsible for experiment integration on both of these projects. For the Orbital 

Worksllop Itself ": was agreed that the combination of the Apollo Command and Service 

Modules and €_. Airloek Module were MSC'sp_sponsibility.The Orbital S-IVB stage was 

MSFC's res[, ,Jlbility. Experiment Modules would be either Center's responsibility, 

depending upon whether they were Ipstalled in the S.IVB or attached to the Airlock 

Module 12261. 

AIox II,e leading to the Saturn V launch pad at KSC ruptured on August 19, spilling 

more than 800 000 gallonsof Iox, The Incidentoccurredduring the tint-stagetankipg 

test whenvacuumcretttedInsidetile tank causeda depreMionin the tank's2,3-inch-thick 

dome1.227]. 

On August 19 NASA _lected tile McDonnellAircraft Corporationfor negotiationson a 

fixed-pri_ contra_tto producean airiock for an experimentin width a._tronautzwould 

enter the empty hydrogentank of a'spentUpratedSaturnI secondsiege.E_timatedcost 

of the work was9 milliondollars[228l. 

Apollo/SaturnvehicleA8-202, tile third vehicleto fly in the UpratedSaturn! series,rose 

from Launch Complex 34 at Cape Kennedy onAugust 25. AS.202 was the 13th Saturn 

vehicle in a row to fly successl'tlly through space. This was the second successftll flight 

test oF tf_eApollo spacecraft command and sewlce modules before e,zrth orbital manned 

misslo,s. The fli6ht pr_ved the Apollo command module ablative heat shield by 

subjecting It to extended high heat loads durii|a flight [229). 

NASA announced on August 28 that the Aulust 19 rupture of the 900000 8allen 

stainlesssteel storage tank for the Saturn V booster's Iox would delay tile booster's tint 

fli_t, scheduled for the tint quarter of 1967, by at least 45 days [230]. 

MSFC announced on September ? that four Iz,rges carrying 400 000 gallons of vitally 

.ceded liquid oxygen were enroute to KEC after b_ing dispatchedfrom MTF. The 

shipment,together with 40000 gallonsbroughtinto KS(: by truckand rail ts_k cant, 

• 12S

1966 

UpratedSalurnI launchvehicle confl_rallon 

t 

w.* 

A$.201 launch. K$¢ 

$.ll.F :lo4e all'lml, K$¢ 

ee 

"" "_.. m,w 

Bar#ePromLse 

$JVB {acllltlesat Iluntlnllon Beach 

126

._IRPTRMIIKR- I)E_EMBRR 1966 

would _plenlsh the Ihluid oxygen lost on August 19 when a line rupturedbelow the Iox 

_;mage lank _r_ing 5alum Y'S Launch Complex 39. Schedulescalled for pmiwllant 

loadingteststo resumeSeptember20 1231l. 

MAF was host to approximately 18000 visitors at its annual NASA-contractor 

open-houseventon November12 1232]. 

Techniciansnt MSF(' soccessfullyacceptance-firedthe S.IC.3 on Noveml_,rIS for 121.? 

_€onds mainstase.This was the last plannedfiring of the S-l(' stageit MSF('. Future 

flrtnip wouldbeaccomplishedat the B-2standat MTF 12331. 

On November 17 NASA announcedr_vendApollo/Saturnm_mnedspaceflil_t schedule 

_:ltan_s becanzeor launch veidcleand spececnlftdevelopmentprobK'ms.The principal 

chanl+ecalledfor res,:hedulinsu mannedearlh orbital mission,ApollolSatum20S,which 

wasto havefollowedthe first mannedApollo flight, AS-204 [234l. 

r 

D 

Ib 

On Noven_berIB NASA approvedF-I enginecontractNAS8-18734(?PIF.This contract 

provided for 30 F-I enginesn_:ededIn the Apollo program.nd continuedproduction 

sup,,',o:tend GSE throuldi June 1970. TheseF-I rocketenlJinesfurnishedby Rocketdyne 

Division of North Amedcan Avlatloll would complete the number of engines(106) 

r_quiredby the 15 m:hedoledSaturn V vehicles,plus spares.The cost would be about 

$141 million. The deliveryof 30 engineswould beginin November1967 and continue 

through October196812351. 

C'harles W. Mathew+, MBC' Gemini Program Manager, was named Director of 

Saturn-ApolloApplicationsin the NASA HeadquartersOffice or"ManttedSpaceFlight, 

effectiveNovember30 123++1. 

A_ MTF on I:_cember ! North AmerlclmAviation conducteda successful384-second 

captive firL'lllof the f1_t I]ilht hydrol_n.fueledengines,developinga total I nlilllon 

poundsof thrust. During the lest number 2 and 4 engineSLAM anns did not drop, 

resulting In the succ_ful glmballlngof enginesI and 3 only. The test includedthe 

recordingof about 800 measurementsof the stage'sperfomlance,Includingpropellant 

lank temperatures,enginetemperatures,'_ropellantflow ra_s, and vibrations123"/I. 

With ScheduleML-SB,Issuedby NASA on December5, the clusterconceptenteredthe 

AAP deslln, followingstudioscompleteda shor'ttime earlier.'riseML-SBschedulecalled 

for 22 Saturn IB and IS SaturnV launches. Includedin the launchof the 22 SaturnIB's 

would be two Saturn IB's launchedapproximatelyz day apart, one SaturniB manned 

and the other one unmanned.Among the Saturnflllhts sci,uduledin ML-SB wouldbe 

flights utilizing two SaOIm V Workshopsand four LMIATM miulons. Lunar mlul,,,+_ 

werealsoIncludedin this schedule1238]. 

On DecemberI"/ an estimated 2S00 childrenipreoted81nta Clausat the first innual 

Marshall Athletic Recreation-SocialExchanllo(MARS) l':hHstmasParty for Children at 

MSFC. Eachyo:lnlster receiveda smallgift ande_Joyedmoviesfrom I0:00 a,m, to 3:00 

p.m, 12391. 

12"/

1966 

Saturn V It; movement at KS€ 

Earlysimplified A TM concept usln# Apoll.) €?$M 

128

DECEMBER 1966 

MSFC a,mounced on I)e_vmber 20 the awardof ;i $7.2 million contract modificationto 

('hryder Corporation to begin procurement of long-lead-timeitems for additional Uprated 

Saturn first slage_ (S-IB). Under this agreement to Ix_ compktcd by June 30. 1967, 

Chrysler would procure Ihe materials, compunents, and engineeringsupport necessaryto 

maintain its capability to :,_emble four Uprated Saturn I boostersper year. Chwsler was 

curnznlly under contract to assembleand test 12 of the 1.6 million-pound first stagesat 

Michoud 12401. 

j 

First duration/Irln# of 

an S.li Pl#ht sta.€ 

j 

S.III slaRe erertiml 

in t,,st stand, Ihmtsvilh' 

A', 

o 

Destroyed S.II.T/D due 

to overpressuriz;d liquid 

hydro#en tank 

Early orbital Space Station (hybrid) - artist'# concept Loadln8 aequenc¢ 

of Super Guppy 

129

1966 

Q 

$.11facilitiesot $¢alBrock 

Buildupof Ill#SA_OI 

vehicleualn8theH?.! ? 

pt.up, pxtur¢ _ o :pacer 

to replacethe$.i!.1 at KS(? 

130

1966 

RLIO en#hze 

Multiple Dockln# Adapter - arefst'sconcept 

_PIIlO|m_,l|l 

w0_G SPM_ 118 h I i. 

IV|Ill61 IINGIN Ill fl | _o I_l! WI_! Ill 14)t I1! 

|&R NI_ NI II |l | le IP_lIOilJ IAPtlOIImll|LIJ I| 000 Ill 

IUilllQI Nll4)II |I |l i il |il|Of| W|ION| _IAI_ IF| 1441I|| 

{10GO {OIP I_AM|I||I 1041_I Civil |1110 1141roll4 

CliO0 €0+_ I' Ill+GIN !e k I tl 

llmOfm III00 lOml' II It la++ |I ;o I _" _ll 1141111 

Super 

Guppy 

131

1966 

S.I VB-302 arceptam'e prlng at SACTO 

A giant Saturn I lat,u h vehlrle t,wering €_l_,ra gr, up eJf._mall_'r, cl_etsbe_me an 

early part of the skyline' Itl frrmt €_fthe Space Orfi,ntatlem (?_,ntcrat ,1181:(.: Vehlrh,s 

)?ran the left are Mrrrl,y.Redstcme, J,plt_'r C. Jum_ II. i_ed._tcme.Jul|lter, V.2 and 

Ilernles. This ._ht_t,taken frtm! a heliclpter, ._hc_wsII!e Mamlfm'turinll Engineering 

arid QuallO,and Reliability A._sttran_r Labc_ratorh'sbulhllngs in the backgnllold. 

132

1966 

e 

133

1966 

General view of S-IVB.301 abu_rd Super Guppy 

La,nch Cm,plex 34. KS(," 

_e

1966 

S.ll.I arriving atMTF [oracceptance leJtln# 

Mu!tlple DockingAdapter 

13S

11,1.501 arrlves a!KS¢ aboardSuperGuppy 

Wet WovkJhopclu,flerwith ATM, CSM,and LmaavMapping 

and SlarveySyJtemModuld docked 

136

1966 

i -. 

• mg,, 

$.!C-3 beln#loaded on barle Poseidon 

for sklpmentto MSF¢ 

"7. 

9 

4, % 

°_" 

A$-202_es from K$¢ 

on Aujp_st 2J, 1966 

l 

$.IU-2OOS/JOOS during 

structuraltest,MSP_ 

$.1Cteststandat MTF 

! 

$.!¢.1staleurlval,K$C 

137

1966 

$-H.F stage being unloade4 at MSF¢ 

8.1C-3 being erected in the 

static test stand at M,_FC 

o 

Cracks In the liquid hydrogen tanks for the $.H-? 

J 

Dynamic vehicle stacked 

In the Saturn V Dynamic 

Test Tower at lffgFc 

._

AIriock M.dule 

MDAflight article 

MDAstnlctural test hardware 

Orbital Workshop MDA mated with cSM/A TM 

139

1967 

JANUARY.- FEBRUARY1967 

The lint flight version of a rocket stage to undergocaptivefiringsat MTF,the S-II-I 

stage, left Bay St. Louis, Mississippi,on January16 enroute to KSC where It would 

becomea partof the lint Apollo/SaturnV filghtvehicle,scheduledfor launchduringthe 

secondquarterof !967 [241]. 

A Saturn V third stage, S-IVB-503,exploded shortly before It was scheduled to be 

igJdtedin a January20 test at the Sacmme,to Test Facility. The explosioncompletely 

destroyedthe stageat Test Stand Beta II1. Post-accidentInvestigationrevealedthat one 

of the eight ambienttempcraturehelium storagesphereslocated on the enginethrust 

structureexploded because _f weld weaknessre_qltlngfrom use of the wrongweld 

material12421. 

Followingthe loss of the S-IVB-503stage duringtestingon January20, NASAofficials 

amended Identificationnumbers of subsequent S-IVB stages to fill the void. The 

S-IVB-504 became tire S-IVB-SO3N,S-IVB-505 became S-IVB.504N, and S-IVB-506 

became S-IVB-5OSN.A _eplacementstage using an old S-IVB-507 tankagebecame 

S-IVB-506,and S-IVB-507and subsequentstagesretained the old identification[243, 

244]. (The N at the end of the stage Identificationstood for the word "New," a 

designationstarted after an earlierstage version exploded, necessitatingthe use of a 

substlt,te stage.) 

At KSC a flashfire swept throughthe Apollo 1 spacecraftmated to the SA-204launch 

vehicle on LC-34. Three astronautswit!',lnthe capsule,Virgil I. Grlssom,EdwardH. 

White,and RogerB. Chaffee,perishedfrom smokeinhalation.It was the worsttregedyin 

the historyof the U. S. spaceprogram[24S]. 

Dr. Wemheryon Braunand five other MSFCofficials attendedmemorialserviceson 

Sundayand Monday,January29 and 30, 1967, InTexasfor the three Apolloastronauts 

killed the previous FrtdayIn a flash fire that had swept their spacecraft.Memorial 

servtccsfor RogerChaffeewere held at the WebsterPresbyterianChurchon Sundayand 

for EdwardWhiteanu VirgilGrtssomon Mondayat the SeabrookMethodistChurch,all 

In Texas.Some months earlierone of the threeastronauts,VtrgtlGrlssom,had said, "If 

we die, we want people to accept it. The conquestof space is worth the riskof it" 

[246l. 

In the firststatementconcerningApollo flightmissionssince the AS-204accident,NASA 

AssociateAdministratorfor MannedSpace Flight,Dr. GeorgeE. Mueller,announcedon 

February3 that NASA would proceedwith launchingof three unmannedApolloflights 

scheduledfor 1967: AS-206, AS-501, and AS-502. NASA meanwhile was postponing 

Indefinitelymanned Apollo missionspending the outcome of the Apollo 204 Review 

Board'sInvestigation[247]. 

Also on February3 NASA signed an Incentivecontractmodification with the Boeing 

Companyfor fiveadditionalSaturnV tint stages.As a resultof this modification,Boeing 

was now undercontract to fabricateand assemble 15 of the 7.5 mJlllon-pound-tlirost 

boosters,therebycompletingthe S-IC stagerequirementsfor the scheduledIsunchlngof 

PR]_F_L_G PAGE BIANK NO_ F_ 141

1967 

Saturn V third stage($dVB) 

A$-503thirdstag_($.IVB)explosion 

Mlchovd,aerial viewwith _.IVB-505 and $.IVB,211 

$.11erasearrivalat K$C plant In backsround In verticalcheckout tower 

at Huntlnston Beach 

142

FEBRUARY - APRIL 1967 

15 Saturn V space vehicles In the Apollo mannqd lunar landingprogram. 'i_e $120 

million mpplementalagreementawardedby MSFCextendedtheBoeingcontr,ct through 

June 1970. This modification Increased the total estimated _,lue of the fio:t,g contract 

to $977 million [248]. 

On February 25 workmen ut MTF completed constructloq of the S.II A.I Test Stand, 

and the Corps of Engl,eers accepted beneficial occupancy with exceptions [249]. 

On March 2 NASA announced that MSFC would design and build in house a multiple 

dockingadapter(MDA) for use In an AA payload cluster schedt:led for launch In 

1968.1969. Preliminary designs called for a IO-foot-dlameter. IS-foot-long cylinder 

surrounded by five 3G-inch-diameter tunnels with docking collars and sealing hatches for 

orbitaldocking[250l. 

On March 20 NASA scheduled use of the AS.2U4 booster to launch the first Apollo LM 

on an unmanned flight in the summer of 1967. It was the last booster e_i_,ed with full 

R&D Instrumentation. Original plans Ilad been to use the AS-206 booster. Purpose of the 

first LM mission would be to obtain data on ascent and descent propulsion systems, 

i.cluding a restart;verify LMstructure; a,d evaluate staging [251, 2521. 

NASA decided on March 24 to add two solar array panels to its AUollo Applications 

Program Orbital Workshop.They would be 180 degrees apart and run the length of the 

OWS. This addition was deemed necessary because of the increased electrical power 

requirements resulting from habitation of the Workshop. Until this change in 

requirements, the CSM had been considered the primary power source for the cluster 

except for the Apollo Telescope Mount which would still have its own solar arrays and 

power system [2531. 

On April 19 a J-2 engine set a record with the completion of 103 tests lasting n total of 

20 094 seconds. This length of testing was longer than for any other largerocket engine 

produced by the Rocketdyne Division of North American Aviation, Inc. This 

record-breakingseries of tests was conducted on research and development engine J022ol 

on test stand Delta 2A at the Santa SusanaField Laboratory between December 9, 1966, 

and April 19, 1967, with no major hardwarechanges. The total run duration was more 

than five times the designated qualification test time, and the number of tests was more 

than three times the number required for qualification. At the time of thls test 

completion Rocketdyne had delivered 109 J-2 production model engines to MSFC, the 

Center responsible for technical direction of the engine development [2541. 

Of concern to many MSFC employees was the death of Maj. Gen. Holger N. Toftoy, 64, 

who died April 19 at Walter Reed Army MedicalCenter, Washington,D. C., after a long 

illness [255]. 

Thirteen astronauts attended a Saturn V launchvehicle systems and performance briefing 

at MSFC on April 27 and 28, 1967. Among the astronauts attending wasNell Armstrong, 

destined to become the first man on the moon [2561, 

143

1967 

::N! .... .. 

Overall view of S.IVB fuel 

tank relief _lve undergoing Saturn Vfirst stage (S.IC), Boeing Co., 

test at General Dynamics 

prime contractor 

(subcontractor for Douglas) 

in San Diego 

Route used to transport the S-II 

stage from oYealBeach complex 

to the Seal Beach dock 

Assemblyarea,ltuntlnMon Beach,California. S.IVB-507 .. 

left, S.IVB.506 middle, mid $.1VB.212right 

144 

S.II Seal Beach Facilities. looking east

APRIl, - JUNE 1967 

Douglas Aircraft Corporation merged with McDonnell Aircraft Corporation April 28 and 

became known as McDonnell Douglas Corporation1257,2581. 

Twelve astronauts visited MSFC from May 2 through May 5 and evaluated modifications 

proposed for converting the S-IVB liquid hydrogen tank Into a space station, The 

astronauts practiced some of the tasks they would perform whge orbiting In I0 000 cubic 

feet of living and working space. Workmendisassembled the mockup, abcut 60 feet long 

and 22 feet In diameter, and the astronauts, dressed In space suits, practiced putting It 

back together In much the same manner as If they had to do It In space. Such a 

converted S-IVB stage would provide space In which the astronauts could live and work 

for an Initial 28 days in space. Then the astronauts would "store" the workshop in space 

for reuse later fur longer periods. Douglas Aircraft assembled the _ockup at Its 

Huntington Beach°Cal',fornla,facility and airlifted It to MSFC aboard the Super Guppy 

aircraft [2591. 

Inclement weather ragedto mar the enthusiastic reception given Vice-Presidentttubert H. 

Humphrey duflng a visit to MSFCon Mouday, May 22, 1967. After his talk in front of a 

shiveringaudience outside Building 4200, the Vice-Presidentspent severalminutes shaking 

hands with people before he toured MSFC via a motorcade. The Vice-Presidentand his 

party later watched a static firing of an Uprated Saturn I first stage from the East 

Observation Bunker.The full-durationtest lasted 145.6 seconds [260]. 

NASA announced on May 24 that the second stage of the first Saturn V launch vehicle 

would be dismantled at KSC to check for any hairline cracks. NASA made this decision 

after finding similar cracks in an Identical stage of the vehicle at the North American 

Aviation, Seal Beach, California, plant. The space agency did not expect additionalchecks 

to delay the first Saturn V flight - an unmannedmission .Jcheduledfor mid-August - by 

"more than a week or so" [261 ]. 

On May 24 NASA realigned its Apollo AAP launch schedules as a result of the accident 

in early"1967. This new AAP schedule ML-6 called for 25 Saturn IB and 14 Saturn V 

launches. MajorhardwareInvolved In these launches would be two Workshopsflown on 

Saturn IB vehicles, two Saturn V Workshops, and three ATM's. Also planned were nine 

lunar ml.,mionsand one Marsmission called Voyager. According to this new schedule the 

first launch of a Workshopwould be in January 1969 [2621. 

Duflng May the highlight of the OrbitalWorkshopdesign progresswas the intensive 3-day 

S-IVB Orbital Workshopdesign review held at MSFC early in May with more then 200 

engineering and management representatives participating. Organizations represented at 

the prelimInary design review Included NASA Headquarters,Manned Spacecraft Center, 

Kennedy Space Center, MSFC, and Douglas Aircraft Company, manufacturer of the 

S-IVB stage. The review featured an S-IVB mockup built by Douglas and shipped to 

MSFC. Made of nonfllght S-IVB hardware, the mockup was outfitted accordIng to the 

preliminary design of the manned OrbitalWorkshop[2G3}. 

NASA changed the charter on June 8 to reflect the change of the name of the Michoud 

Operations to MlchoudAssembly FacUlty [264]. 

145

manufacturing 

1967 

• afO a*11 to* "0,| .at, ioJ,o,e _,_,ll, ._eiqoloe 

IAIUINWI IC.ISI'AOI., ...... ,....._.................... 

liitPlOOlAhl "*°** "' **"' ...... "" 

IlO I IIIII iO _NI IIIII*I lll_l IIM;IIII'IP'd' ll!lllq _J,rill'_ J , llqv Ol ,I_ O _ I U I_ I 

I _ I ll'J WI D * 

.............................. Saturn V secondstage(_.II), 

,....... ,..... _,',wt_-._._ r.,aw'"'" North AmerlcanRoc.twell, 

........ :-! -,,,.... . . "" ..... prime eontN¢tor 

I 

Saturn V/S.IC.T stage test program 

;, " t ',_¢)"" drx 

"L ''' 

S.IC-8,S.IC.4,and$4C.6In 

building, Michoud 

Saturn F .first stage(S.IC) 

S-IC test stand at MTF 

4 

Clusterwith solararray wingsadded to Workshop . 

A TM solarwing 

146

JUNE 1967 

The Centerannouncedon June 14 that the numberof successfulF-I engine testshad 

reachedthe 40_ mark.This 4000th test occurredwhenan P-I engineat Edward_Field 

Laboratory,California,ran 165 secondsat I 542 000 poundsof thrust.The total of 4000 

firingsIncluded20J5 engine firingsand _.965thrustchamberInjectionassemblyfirings. 

RocketdyneDivisionof North AmericanAviation,inc., developedthe engine. Engine 

number 103-1mat;ethe 4000th run, almost7 years afterthe I'irstF-I tlrin8at Edwards 

12651. 

The first flightmodel of thesApolloLMarrivedat KSCon June23 aboardthe Pregnant ' 

Guppy aircraft.This was the payloadfor SA-204, then on the p_dat LC-37.The lunar 

module wouldbe In KSC'sIndustrialarea for about 45 daysbefore installationatop the 

launchvehicle[266]. 

Officialsat NASA'srocket engine test site at EdwardsAir Force Base,California,held 

brief ceremonieson June 28 markint,the delivery of the millionth ton of cryogenic 

rocketpropellantsand pressurants.NASAhad used the liquidoxygenand liquidnitrogen 

to test F-I rocketengines during the past 6 years. (The first engine test had been in 

1961.) Peaktesting was in 1965 when as manyas 35 300 tons weredeliveredin a single 

month 12671. 

MSFC announced on June 30 the award by NASA of a $14811 540 

fixed-price-incentive-feecontract to North AmericanAviationfor 60 additionalH-I 

rocket enginesfor use on first stagesof UpratedSaturnI vehicles.Thisorderincreased 

the total number of engines purchasedto 322. Delivery would continue through 

September!968 [268]. 

DuringJune spe.claltests to determinethe best way to recoverand reusethe SuturnY 

first stage(S-IC)wereconductedat MSFC.In these tests 1/10 scalemodels of the S-IC 

were droppedfrom altitudesof as muchas 156 feet Into a 20.foot-deepwater tankto 

simulatedescentof the stagethroughthe earth'satmosphereandInto the ocean. Purpose 

of the testswas to study a "soft splash"concept designedto bringbackthe S-ICwith 

minimal damage.MSFCengineerssaida workablerecce,,erymethodwould save millions 

of dollarsInfuture yean [269]. 

Recordsat the end of Juneir!dicatedthatduringme first 6 monthsof 1967 Rocketdyne 

conducted1838 R&D A-I engine testsfor a total firingtime of 149483 seconds.The 

tests were performedat EdwardsField Laboratoryand at MSFC'sWestArea F-I Test 

Stand. P.ocketdynedelivered 11 F-I productionengines to Boeing during the same 

6-monthperiod:onefor the S-IC-7stage,fivefor the S-IC-8stage,threefor theS-IC-9 

stage, and two as S-IC flight stagespares[270]. 

Recordsat the end of June also indicatedthat duringthe Jazluaryto June 1967period 

Rocketdyneconducted IO3 J-2 engine R&D tests at Santa SusanaField Laboratory 

(SSFL) for a total firingtime of 18904.5 seconds;condttcted66 J-2 engineproduction 

tests for a total durationof I0 443 seconds;and continuedJ-2 engine enviroltmental 

testing at AEDC,IncludingS-IVB-501verificationtests provingrestat'tcapabilityand 

S.II-501veflficatlontests, In this sameperiod NASAaccepted19 J-2 productionengines, 

allocated 17 of these as Government-furnished equipmentto NAA for S-II flightstages 

147

1967 

Installationol'.S'lC.Din S.lC-BI 

lest stand at MTF 

Saturn F Instrt.nent unit 

Saturn V specifications

JUNE- AUGU,qT 1967 

x,nd one us an S.II spure,and providedthe otherengineto DACusan S-IVl! flight stage 

enidne[ Z'TI I. 

MSFC awardedMcDonnellI)ouglasu S496024 contract on July I to sttldy advanced 

versionsor the Saturn S-IVB Orbital Workshop.Under terms of this contract, the 

contractorwould explore conceptsfor a follow-onWorkshopfi)r the UpratedSaturn I 

programand _veral moresophisticatedversionsof the SaturnV, with Initial emphasison 

u._sof the stagein rite ApolloAppllcuth)nsprogram[2721, 

MSFCannouncedon July 2() that NASA had awardedu $2,275 million contract to the 

Iloeinl;Companyfor i_rocurementof long-lead-timematerialsfor two uddltlonalSaturt|V 

flight boosters.The cost-plus-fixed-feecontractwas the first SaturnV procurementIn 

s_Jpportol" NASA'sApollo Applicationsprogram,Boeing,prime contractorfor the '7.5 

ndlllon-pound-thrust first stage (S-IC) Of the Saturn V launchvehicle,wusmanufacturing 

12 stages_t MAF for the Apollontannedhin:.lrexplorationprograln,Boeingwouldbegin 

u_qulring such items us propelhmt ducts, liquid oxygen tunnels, and Fuel tank 

cc,mponentsfor the 16th und 17thstages.The contructwouldexpireon January I, 1%8 

12731. 

Oil .luly 26 NASA selected Martin Marietta Corporation to negotiate u 27-month, 

S25.million, cost.plus-incentive-awardfee contract for payload integration of equipment 

on Apollo Applications spacecraft. Tasks would be performed at NASA's three manned 

spaceflight centers: (I) MSFC work would involve the Orbital Workshop and Apollo 

Telescope Mount(A'I'M),(2) MSC work, the meteorological and earth resources payloads, 

and (3) KSC work, the test integration planning and support for launch operations 

[27,tl. 

MSFCand KSC on July 31 signed a formalMemorandumof Agreement concerning "KSC 

Use of Selected M8FC Personnel." The agreement laid the ground rules for use of MSFC 

personnel by KSC to (|) support the AS-50I launch scheduled I_orSeptember 1967, and 

{2) to support projects of mutual Interest and importance to both Centers which would 

requireadditional specialized personnel for temporary periods of time 1275]. 

MSFC announced on August 3 the successful completion of a dynumic test program of 

the Apollo/Saturn _v_, in effect giving "the green light" ior the launch of the first 

Apo!lo/Saturn V later in the ve_r as far as dynamics and structures were concerned, 

Boeing conducted the test program at MSFC under the direction of MSF(" engineering 

personnel, the latter providing test criteria and monitoring of effort. Initial dynamic tests 

had started with the first stage of the Saturn V. Subsequent tests Iblcludedthe second 

and third stage, instrument unit, and the Apollo spacecraft. MSFC made several minor 

modifications to the space vehicle as a result of the dynamic program. These tests 

included determination of the bending and vibration characteristics of the complete 

vehicle. Tests were carried out in a 400-foot-htgh tower In the Center'sTest Laboratory 

[276, 2771. 

"Rollout" of AS-50I occurred August 26 at Kennedy Space Center. Representativesfrom 

MSFC and o:her NASA organizations, and newsmen, were present when a huge door of 

the Vehicle Assembly Building was raised to allow passage of this first flight vehicle. The 

149

1967 

Installationof optical 

system itt S.I FB space 

d-2 In/ector tests in Verth'alTest Stand One,Salata chattaber,Ihmtlttgton bleach 

SusanaField Laboratory 

S-IC-3 parts ha,fidePoint Ilarrow 

Lowering S-IC.J onto 

150 Jame,_ Webb visits MSFC bargeat MTI"

AUGUST- OCTOBER1967 

rocketand Its portablelaunch platfornland tower, weighing12,2 million po,nds, crept 

to the latmch mound 3,5 miles away at u top speed of less titan 0,5 mile an hour, 

WorkmensecuredAS-501 over the flame trench within upproxh,ately4 hoursafter It 

had reached the launch site, Then on August 28 workmen at KSC placed the 

9.million-poundmobileservicestructurearoundthe 363-foot-tallvehicle,providingwork 

platformsandotheraccessduringthe 7 weekspriorto launchdate [278], 

On SeptemberI M,SFCreturned a McDonnellDouglas.builtS-IVBOrbitalWorkshop 

mockut, to the contractor'sSpace SystemsCenterin tluntlngton Beach,California,for 

incorporationof a numbero1"designchanges.Followingmodificationthe mockupwould 

representthe S-IVBstage as a ma"ned _pacelaboratorydesignedfor use In the Apollo 

ApplicationsProgram[279], 

On September 18 the NASA procurementofficer executed a contract modification 

(supplementalagree'ment813) for five additional S-II flight stages (S-II.II through 

S.I1.15) to _com_ effective on October 3. Authoflzationand funding to procure 

long-lead-timehardwarefor these stages had been given"previously,duringthe first 

quarterof 1967. This wasa $159716477 contractmodificationfor the fabricationof 

the flee Saturn V second stal.o.s.Purchaseof these five stages completed the S-II 

requirementsfor the 15 SaturnV launchvehicles approvedfor developmentin the 

Apollo program.Schedulescalled for the first of the stagesto be deliveredto NASAin 

February1969. The total value of the S-II stage contract with North Americanwas 

approximately$1,2 billion[280, 281I. 

The ,5-11-3stage fired for approximately65 seconds duringits first acceptancetest, 

September19 [282l. 

Tile major S-II stage contractor, North American Aviation, Inc., merged with 

Rockwell-StandardCorporationon September22 to form the NorthAmericanRockwell 

(NAR)Corporation[283]. 

A branchof the HuntsvillePost Office openedat MSFCon September25, 1967 [284], 

NASAAdministratorJamesE. Webbannouncedon October2 that Deputy Adrnir, istrator 

Dr. RobertC, Seamanswas resigningto returnto privatelife on JanuaryI, 1968 [2851. 

On October 3 NASA publishedIts Apollo ApplicationsProgramschedule ML-7, a 

schedulethat reflectedcurrentbudgetaryrestraints,This schedulereflectedthe reduced 

Apollo AppllcationsProgramlunar activity to four missionsand SaturnV Workshop 

activitycallln[zfor only 17 SaturnIB and seven SaturnV launches.Duringthisprogram 

of 24 Saturnlaunches,therewould be two Workshopslaunchedon SaturnIB vellicles, 

one SaturnV Workshop,and three ATM's.Launchof the firstWorkshopwas scheduled 

forMarch1970 [286]. 

In supportof the SaturnV programNASA decided on October4 to purchasonine 

additionalS-IVB stag,:sfrom the McDonnellDouglasCorporationfor $146.5 million, 

fulfillingrequtrementt,for currentlyapproved 15 SaturnV and 12 UpratedSaturn! 

launchvehicles,Deliverywould begin in April 1968 andendin May1970. The purchase 

151

EarlyyCM/A TM concept u_ing Apollo hardware 

Sk.vlab cluster

OCTOUEI{- 

NOVEMBER!9f!7 

brought the total S-IVBcontractvalue for both vehicles to $957 182 093 and the total 

numberof stagespurchasedto 27 [2871: 

Also on October4 NASA reveale.Jthat MSFChad used AEDCfacilitiesto Investigate 

preparationof a spent rocket stage for human occupancyin space, The i.vestlgatlo. 

Involveddumping840 gallons of super-coldIhluidnitrogen(LN) through a "dead" or 

inactiveJ-2 rocketengine, Conductedat a simulated100000-rootaltitude, this dumpin[_ 

experime.t would pave the way for astro.auts to move inside an orbitingstage and use 

tanksaslivingquartersfor a spacestation 1288], 

A NASAspokesmanannou.ced on October 10 that the plannedlaunch of the Saturn 

V-Apollo4 vehicle a.S-501,scheduled for October 17, would h' postponeduntil early 

November.Troubleswith groundsupportequipmentItadstalledthe countdownrehearsal. 

Once rehearsalwas Finished,engineerswould evaluate rcstlltsand set the date for the 

unn|annedlapnch [2891. 

The countdown rel:earsal for Apollo 4 (AS-501) ended on aerobe, 14: final flight 

preparationswereto be completedForscheduledlaunch in about3 weeks[2901. 

In an October 23, 1967, letter to all MSFCemployees. Dr.Wernhervan Braunstated 

that there was a possibilityof _ reductio, in personnelil"NASA'sFY 1968b.dget was 

cut us proposedby Congress1291]. 

Maj.Gen, Samuel C. Phillips,Apollo ProglamPirectqr, announced on October 26 that 

the first flight test of SaturnV, designatedApollo4, \/quld be scheduled.".oearlierthan 

November7. "This is a targetdate," lie said. "Weare in a very complexlearningprocess 

and we are going to take all the timex';eneed on this firstlaunch." Keyobjectiveof tire 

flight planned for Nr,vember7 wouldbe evaluationof the Apollo commandmod.le heat 

shield under conditions encounteredon returnfrom the moon mission. The Apollo 4 

flightplan would call for Saturn V to place the spacecraftand launch vehiclethirdstage 

(S-IVB)into a Il'/-mtlecircularorbit.After completingtwo orbits,the thirdstagewould 

be reignited to place spacecraft into orbit with an apogee of 10800 miles, After 

separationfrom the third stage, th.-"servicemodule propulsionsysteL:woul,' be firedto 

raisethe spacecraftapogee to II 400 miles [292]. 

NASAAssociateAdministratorfor Manned Space Flight,Dr.GeorgeMpeller,announced 

on November4 a revisedApollo missionschedule that called for six flightsin 1968 and 

five in 1969 using the "201Yserles"(UpratedSaturnI) and the "500-series"(Saturn V) 

launch vehiclesto test and qualify Command,Ser;lce, and LunarModules(C&SMand 

LM),The schedule for 1968wouldinclude: Apollo/Saturn204 (AS-'_04),firstunmanned 

test cf LMin earth orbit;AS-502,seco.d unmanned flight test of Saturn Vattd Apollo 

C&SM;AS-503, third unmannedtest of SaturnV and C&SM;AS-206,secondunmanned 

flight test of LMin earth orbit;AS-205, first mannedApollo fliglzt,a IO-daymissionto 

qualify C&SMfor furthermanned operations;and A5-504,first mannedApollo flighton 

SaturnV to provideexperiencewith both C&SMand LM,includingcrewtransferfrom 

C&SMto LM and rendezvousand docking•The schedulefor 1969 wouldIncludefive 

manned flights(AS-505throt,gh AS-509)with the firstfour programmedas lunarmission 

153

1967 

! 

,a,€w 

S.IU.503 during Installation of 

retrofit kit to tmzbllical quick 

disconnect mechanl,,n, IBM 

faclliO', Hw_lsville 

Saturn IB second stage/Saturn V third stage (S.IVB), 

McDonnell Douglas Co., prime contractor 

._. 

. 

Seal Beoch, S.II 

facilities, rooking we.vt 

F.I test facilities, EdwardsAFB 

,, ,_ MTF, laboratory and 

ensIneerln#complex, 

MTF. meteorolo#ylab 

Iookint north 

_aturn V.fllght v¢hlcle 

in VAB.KSC 

IS4

NOVEMBER 

1_'! 

development l'lil;hls or hinar missi,m simulations - AS-509 being thai Ilighl in which the 

lunar lam_dingwouhl be made 1293,2',_41. 

NASA reacbed a critic_ point in the Apollo Program with the Apollo 4 I]iBht (AS-S01) 

on Noveml_r 9. an "all-up" laundl from L(,-39 al KS('. The fllllhl, termed "perfect" 

bas_.'don evaluation of flight data, demonstrated that the spacecraft, heat shield, and 

lunar rocket reel program requirements. S-IC stage lax depletion sensors signaled S-I(, 

ototboard engine cutoff at 150.8 seconds after launch. The second burn, lasting 300 

_Ctlltds. injected the spacecraft inlo an orbit with au apogee of 9301 nautical roUes. 

Spa_.'ccrafl reenlry occurred al 400 000 _'eet, t.,Ia I]ilthl path angl,, of -7.077 degreel, with 

an internal velocity of 36 537 feet per second. The t"M landed Iiprtghl within 9 nl,utlcal 

miles of lh_ planned landing point in the Pacific Ocean. 8 hours 37 minules 8 u, conds 

after I:tnnch. The (,M was recovered by divers from the carrier USS I/vmlinlllml ;2hours 

14 nllnllles after splashdown. Post.launch examhtalion revealed thai tile aft heal shield 

was heavily charred bul Iha! crew.contparlnlenl.heal-shield _larrlng was lel, than 

¢xpe¢led, Tile spacecraft windows we_'e undamaged, bul moislv.re existed between the 

mlcromeleoroid and heal shield panel.q of lile rendezvous windo',_ and the spacecraft 

contained approxlnlalely 2 quarts of sea water taken in throul!h the relief valve. Apollo 

4's lli!dlt was the first of two or Ihre¢ nlissir)ns designed to qu611fy Saturn V for manned 

Ilighl, and Ihe first lest of tile structural inlegl|ly and colnpal!ldlily of launch ve'nicle and 

Sl,a,:ecral'l. Ileal shield dc_igl|, S-IVI| restart, struclurul/lhermal inlegrily, compatibility of 

launch vehicle and spacecraft, and 8xound support had bee;I proven 1295-2991. 

The blastoff" of Saturn V at KS(" produced one of the loudest noises in blstol V, natural 

or man-made, according to a November 9 announcr:ment by Columbia University's 

Lament (;eolotzical Observatory, located in Palisades. New York. Observatory physicist 

Dr. William Donn labeled U.S. and U.S.S.R. nuch:ar explosions as the only louder 

manmade sounds, and tile [883 fall of the (;re_:t S_berian Meteorite :is the only louder 

,latural sound on record 1300]. 

Dr. van Braun announced by letter to all MSFC personnel o_1 November 9, 1907, an 

expected cut of 700 people in the Center's aulhorized employment strengll_,,lie advised 

thai the cul might become necessary because of a reduction in NASA's P'Y.1968 budget 

permhnent (,ivU Service personnel at MSF(, at Ih_ start of 1967, this would be a cut of 

approximately 10 percent(301]. 

to be announced by the Sen,,te Appropriations (,ommitee. Figured on tile basis of 7183 

By letter and speech on Novembt.r 15. 1967, Dr. van llraun gave his personal 

conlP'atulalionsto MSF(,(,ivil Serviceand contractoremployeesfor their v,ork in making 

the tirst Satttm V, Saturn/Apollo 501. suceelsful in its mission, The I_ISFCDirector 

stated, "... the succeu of 501 idles us renewed hope for meeting the ¢,riginalgoal of 

landing men on the moon in Iti09 '' [3021. 

On November 20 NASA named crews for the lir,tt two manned Saturn VIApollo tillhtz. 

A.q prime crew for AS-504 (tirst mi_ion), scheduled for 1968, it names James A. 

McDivitt, commander; David R. Scott, CM pUol; and R,uksellb. Schwei,:kart, LM pilot. 

Backup crew would be Charles Conrad, Jr.. commander; Ki_'hardF. Gc,rdon, CM pilot; 

and Alan L. Bean, LM pilot. Prime crew for AS-505 (second mission), scheduled for 

155

196;' 

Installationof 8.114In 

lust ala,,,dat MTF 

156

NOVEbIBER - DECEMBER 1967 

1969, would be Frank Bormh:,, commander; Michael Collins, CM pilot; and William A. 

Anders, LM pilot. Backup crew would be Nell A. Armstrong, commander; James A. 

Lovell, CM pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrln, LM pilot. A thrc_-astronautsupport team was 

named for each flight crew: for AS-504 - Edgar D. Mitchell, Fred W. Halse, Jr., and 

Alfred M. Warden;and for AS-50S - Thomas F. Mattlnsly II, GeraldP. Cart, and John 

S. Bull {303]. 

The 5-11.4stage, more powerful and somewhatlighter than previousS-II flight stases, 

arrivedat MTF on November26 from the NAR Corporation,SealBeach,California.Each 

J-2 engineof this stagehad beenupratedto produce5000 morepoundsof thntstthan 

had beendevelopedby previousJ-2 engines.The lighter weightresultedfrom the useof 

thinner propellanttank wallsand lighterweightstructures1304, 305]. 

In u November29, 1967, speechto all MSFC employees,Dr. van Brauntold of the 

official administrativedecisionsneeeuarybecauseof a reductionin NASA's FY 1968 

budget and also becauseof the changingnature of MSFC as developmentof Saturn 

launch vehiclesneared completion.|le stated that NASA had directedMSFC to: (I) 

reduc_personnelby 700, to be effectiveJanuary 13, 1968; (2) reducetravel by IO 

percent;and (3) reduceall other admlnhtratlvecostsby 15 percent.Personnelreduction 

would include 345 wage board and technicians,120 clerical, 145 busine, and 

profeulonal,and 50 engineeringpositions.Dr. '/on Braunalsoslaledthat the reductionin 

civil servicepersonnelwould be accompaniedby a proportionatereductionin support 

contractorpersonnel,effectivealsoby January13, 1968 1306]. 

Special personnelnotices were deliveredto approximately 1200 MSFC employeeson 

December_, 196"/, informing them of reduction-in-forceand reassignmentactions made 

necessaryby the personnelcut announcedthe previousweek by Dr. van Braun.MSFC 

wasreducingits pelsonnelby 700, 630 emplo_,'eesbeinglaid off, with attrition and other 

per.onnelactionsaccountingfor the remainder1307]. 

Approximately 100 representativesof Governmentand Industry attended an Orbital 

Workshopdesignmeeting at MSFC December11-14 to dlscuu structures,mechanical 

systems, propuhlon, Instrumentation, €ommunications,crew station, and electrical 

systems. At the meeting membersformulated plans for a 5-day Orbital Wnrkshop 

mock.p reviewto be held in late January 1968 with a McDonnellDouidasCorporation 

mockup€ontainingthe mostrucentdesignconceptson display13081. 

PresidentLyndon B, Johnson, accompaniedby NASA administratorand Mrs, JamesE. 

Webb,otherofficials from NASA Headquarters,MSFCofficials, and Louiziona'sGoveruor 

John J. McKellhen, toured the MlchoudAMembly Facility on December13. Whileat 

MAF the Presidentspoketo soma2600 spectators,stating:*'WeAmericansare the ilrst 

to really enterand the lint to understandthe TwentiethCentury. Wewill neverevacuate 

the frontien of apaceto any other Nation,Wewill be - wemustbe - the pioneerswho 

leadthe way to the stars" [309], 

NASA AdministratorJamesE. Webband other officials of NASA stoppedbriefly at 

MSFC on their return to Wadflngton,D.C,, from Michoud, Duringhis stopoverWebb 

157

$.1CPi#ht s,age.H, ntsvllle

DECEMBER 1967 

toured the AAP mock area and was briefed by Dr. yon Braunandother MSFCexecutives 

{310]. 

On December 29 MSFC announced start of negotiations with CCSD for an extension to 

the S-IB statuecontract to cover four additional S-IB flight stages and related servicesat 

an estimated cost of $2.5 million. This would bring to 16 the total number of S-IB flight 

stages to be developed by CCSD for MSFC (31 I!. 

NASA announced on December 31 that, in the final 6 months of 1967, Rocke:dyne 

conducted 100 J-2 engine R&D tests accumulating 14 675 seconds firing time at SSFL 

and also conducted 35 production engine tests having a total firing duration of 4449 

seconds [312]. During this same lime Rocketdyne conducted 122 R&D F-I engine tests 

at Edwards Field Laboratory (EFL) for an accumulated firing time of 13 254 seconds 

and at MSFC'sWest Area Test Stand eight tests that totaled 340 seconds of firing time. 

Rocketdyne meanwhile conducted 36 production engine tests at EFL totaling 2983 

seconds firing time and delivered II production engines to NASA [3131. 

MTF, barges - hurricane precautions 

159

1967 

| I 

MTF. Saluu! y t_'st ccmq_lex, lu.king m_rlhwest 

Interior of Orbital Workshop showing common Jloor - artist's concept 

160

1967 

SealBeachcomplex 

AstronautsaJsembledat MSF¢ with Dr, yon Braun 

Overall viewoJ'high bay 

emt,IBM iluntsvllle, $4U.210 

in [abrlcatlon, $.1U.504 

In a._embly,_.!U.503 ha 

storage,and $.1U.209 

ha Jystems te._t 

$.1U.503 leaving IBM facility, lluntsvllle 

161

1967 

,4polioSaturnV, ,4S.._01rollout, transferfrom V,4Bto L¢ 39,4 

$.IC.$ l._sslngthrough BasculeBridge leavingMTF 

162

1967 

S.IC.5 on PearlRiver 

Ii '" Y_',"_r 

,.oz. ,_._ Saturn 501 from top of 

mobile servicestructure. 

S.!¢.8 horizontalInstallationat Michoud 

Pad 39A 

"q, 

SIC stasesIn horizontalarea,Mlchoud 

Mobileservicestructure 

arrlvln#at 1.¢-39Afor 

Apollo Saturn JOI 

163

1967 

!I 

$.1FB-21! In storage, S.I VB.507 behm painted, background; 

$.IVB.510 aft skirt, $.lFB.S l OfcJrwar'[lcltmle, and $.1YB.506 

aft interstage, left/right f(,regnJund - Huntington Beach 

assembly building 

Apollo hctaarlandinR mis$1¢m,typical profile 

,. _, 

Aerial view of LC.39,K$C 

164

1967 

$.IYB-21 !, lhmtlnlto. Beach fabrl_tion area 

$.11-3in ._.11A-2 test standat MTF 

Skylabactimtio, and operation 

16S

JANUARY 1968 

1968 

On Ja,tuary5 NASAexercisedtile se,:ondof thzeei-_'earrenewaloptionswith the Ranl_e 

SysterrtsDivisionof Ling-Temco-Vought(LTV) to providecomputerservices]ror the 

major contractorsoperatingat the NASA-Micho_ldAssemblyFacility in New Orleans. 

The new $2 704 349 extensionof LTV's basiccost-plus-award-feecontractwasawarded 

by M_IFCfor Michoud.The contract,to continuein forceuntil January8, 1969, _ould 

incream the total vale0of LTV's contractto $7641 584. NASA hadoriginallyselected 

tile Dallas-basedfirm in December1965 to providecomputerservicesat the Michoud 

installationin New Orleansand at il'; ComputerOperationsOffice in ==earbySlidell, 

Louisiana[3141. 

On January9 NASA budgetaryrestraintsrequiredan additionalcut in AAP launches. 

The rcduct;dprogramcalledfor ;2 Saturn IB and 3 SaturnV launches,includingone 

Workshoplaunchedon a SaturnIB vehicle;one SaturnV Workshop;andone ATM. Two 

lunar missionswere planned.Launch el the first Workshopwouldbe in April 1970 

13151. 

An Indication of NASA's varied activitle_ in the Saturn Program is in the Saturn V 

WeelP:lyReport for January I0 as follows' AS-502 Flight Vehicle (final package) was 

scheduled for delivery It, KSC January 26, 1968; also for the AS-502 1"118111 the final 

LVD42(flight program tapes) and SLCC (ground tapes) were scheduled for delivery to 

KSC by February 5, 1968. Status of the A_503 Flight Vehicle was as follows: all three 

slage_;were i'., the VAB-KSCundergoinginspectionand checkout; as for the S-IU-503 for 

AS-S03, adverse weather conditions and mechanical problems with the SuperGuppy had 

delayed the delivery of the IU on-dock KSC from December 29, 1967, to January 4, 

1968. Status of the .A..fi-504Flight Vehicle was: S-IC-4 Stage was in test cell at 

Boeing-Michoudunderl_._ingmodification; the stage was sclteduled on-dock at KSC April 

15, 1968; S-II-4 Stage for AS-504 was at test stand at MTF undergoing modification 

work prior to Iox/LHz tanking test with captive firing scheduled for January 26, 1968, 

and then the stage was scheduled on-dock KSC March31, 1968; the S-IVB-504 stage for 

AS-504 was in the VCL-SACTOand the stage was scheduled for transferonto Beta I Test 

Stand for deferred post-firing checkout after completion of Korotherm rework, after 

which the slage was scheduledon-dockKSC March 31, 1968; the S-IU-504 Unit for 

AS-504 was In storageat IBM.Iluntsville,scheduledon-dockKSCApdl 15, 1968.Sis=us 

of AS-505 FlightVehiclewas: S-IC-5Stagewasin storageat Boeing-Michoud, scheduled 

on.dock* KSC June 29, 1968; S-II-5 _]tage for AS-505 was undergoing shakedown 

Inspection preparation at NAA/SD-Seal Beach, prior to on.docking MTF February 9, 

1968, and then on-docking KSC June 29, 1968; S-IVB-505 Stage for AS-S05 was in 

storage at VCL-SACTO,scheduled for on.dock KSC June 29, 1968; and S-IU.505 Unit 

for AS-505 was in component a_,embly at IBM-Ilunlzville,scheduled on-dock KSC Jnne 

29, 1968. 

NASA annou,_:ed on January II that It would negotiate with CCSD, New Orleatts,for 

assembly atl_!delivery or four additional S-IB stages at a rate or two per year. Earlier 

NASA had cozttractedwith Chryder for production of long-lead-timematerials,parts, andt 

components for these stages. Work related to this effort would be performed at New

Sll,lell ,'Onalmter comldeX 

Vehich, A_sembly Building at KSC I° 

Saturn Y and mobile launche; on 

crawler emergbagfrom VAB at KSC 

Pro/¢vt Apollo .- three nllssion._ 

168

JANUARY 1968 

Orleansunder tile directionof MSFC.Chryslerpresentlywasundercontractwith NASA 

to furnish12 SaturnIB flight stages[316, 317]. 

On January I I NASA began negotiation with McDonnell Douglas, Huntington Beach, 

CaliFornia,for assembly and delivery of four additional Uprated Saturn I launch vehicle 

second(S-IVB) stagesat a rateof two peryear.The negotiationswereexpectedto result 

in a contract valuedat more than $48 million. Earlier NASA had contractedwith 

Douglasfor productionof long-lead-timematerials,parts, and componentsfor these 

stages.Work related to this effort would be performedat HuntingtonBeachunder 

directionof MSFC [318, 319]. 

NASA awardedRocketdyneDivision,North AmericanRockwellCorporationa contract 

on January II valuedat $14 796400 for englneed,tgsupportservicesfor H-I engines. 

The H-I engineswould be usedto powerthe firststageof the SaturnIB launchvehicles. 

Under this cost-plus-incentive.fee agreement,Rocketdynewould be responsiblefor 

engineering support services for engine manufacturing, testing, delivery, application, 

reliability, and flight performanceevaluation. Tile majorportion of the work would be at 

Rocketdyne's Canoga Park, California, plant. Minor segments would be performed at 

MAF, whet_ the H-! engines would be installedon the Saturn IB's first stage, and at the 

Kennedy Space Center's launch complex. The contract wou_Jcover the period July 1967 

through June 1971 [320, 321]. 

The Federal District Court in Washington, D.C., issued a JanuaryI I, 1968, temporary 

restraining order which postponedthe effectivedateof personnelaction in a reduction in 

force (RIF) at MSFC. The RIF, announced December 6, 1967, had been scheduled to 

take effect January 13, 1968 [322]. Copies of the order were distributed on January 16 

to all MSFC employees [323]. On the sameday a five-man committee from NASA 

Headquarters arrivedat MSFCto confer with Center officials on the effect of the order. 

Lt. Gen. FrankBogart,DeputyAssociateAdministrator, Office of MannedSpaceFlight, 

was head of the visiting group [324]. 

On January 16 NASA awarded a letter contract to Martin Marietta for the payload 

integrationeffort on the Apollo Applications Program [325,_. 

Also on January 16 MSFC combined the Saturn IB Office and Saturn V Office as a 

Saturn ProgramOffice under the direction of Lee B. James [326]. 

NASA announced on January 17 that the Apolln 5 flight, the first test in space of an 

unmanned lunar module, was being rescheduled for no earlierthan Monday, January 22. 

Reason for the rescheduling was that some !aunch operations being done for the first 

time required more time than expecfed for completion, including the loading of 

hyper8olic propellants _board the spacecraft. The'new schedule would be oependent upon 

the success of several additional ground tests, including the launch countdown 

demonstration test, scheduled for completion on January 19 [327]. 

On the same day the Boeing Company made the final presentation of a study entitled 

"Saturn V Vehicle With 260-Inch Diameter Solid Motor." The 8.month study investigated

1068 

SIC stage arriml at K$C 

• ,.'o .... 

_ttFJ_ 

r 

:-{ _ 

S.IC thrust struc!ure shear 

webs, Michoud 

SIC engine installation, Mlchoud 

$.lC tank ring bafJles, Mlchoud 

SIC engine fairing fltup, Micho_ld 

First S.IC flight stage - Huntsville 

170 

$,1_ Iox and fuel tanks In assembly 

building at MgFC

JANUARY 1968 

the feasibility of using four 260-1qch solid rocket motors for a strap-on boost assist to 

increase Saturn V payload capability [3281. 

Also on January 17 a mockup of the S-IVB stage to be used as a manned O1blial 

Workshop was flown to MSFC. The full size model arrived from the West Coast aboard 

the giant Super Guppy aircraft. The mockup would be used later in the month for a crew 

station design review. NASA plans called for launching the flight Orbital Workshopas the 

s ,cond stag_ of the Saturn IB launch vehicle. Once in space, astronauts would convert the 

stage's large fuel tank into living and working quarters for a 28-day stay. The Orbital 

Workshop mockup had recently been modified by McDonnell Douglas, manufacturer of 

the Saturn upper stage for MSFC. This was the mockup's second trip to MSFC; the 

previous Sl_ringengineers had used the model at MSFC in Its original configuration for 

design studies [329, 3301. 

The director of the 5th Civil Service Region at Atlanta, Georgia, notified MSFC on 

January 19, 1968, that he had received a total of 416 appeals from MSFC employees 

invohed in the RIF. The MSFC ManpowerOffice began contacting all personnel who had 

separated prior to the January Ii injunction to determine whether they wished to have 

their separationorders cancelled [331]. 

On January 20 Dr. yon BraunInvited Dr. Gilruth of MSC to send MSCrepresentativesto 

a Iong.]ife hardware symposium at MSFC on March 17-19, 1969. Dr. yon Braun stated 

that hc "would like to encourage strong participation fw.m personnel at MSC who are 

concerned with long duration missions such as the AAP-2/4 and future space stations. 

Such a meeting should benefit both our centers" [332l. 

The Sa'urn IB (AS-204) launch vehicle and the lunar module it orbited on January 22 

performed satisfactorily. This Apollo 5 mission began at 4:48 p.m. CST January 22 when 

the Saturn Hfted off Launch Complex 37 at Cape Kennedy after ground ..pport 

equipment _aused a delay of 3 hours 50 minutes. The lift-off came at sundown on a day 

so clear that both stageswere visible to the unaided eye long after stage separation.The 

S-IB could be seen falling and the S-IVB going on toward orbit when trackingequipment 

indicated that the second stage was almost 90 miles up and 168 miles downrange. The 

Saturn hude,.! the lunar module into space to begin a series of tests of the LM's ascent 

and descent propulsion systems, the first such te'_tin the vacuum of space [333]. 

The Post Apollo Advisory Committee, authorized by the NASA Administratorto evaluate 

and make recommendations on post-Apollo sg_qceactivities, held a meeting at MSFCon 

January 25. The committee, headed by Dr. t=loyd Thompson, Special Assistant to the 

Administrator,held _hree additional meetings - February 15, 1968, at MSC; March 12, 

1968, at Headquarte,s; and March 25 and 26, 1968, at KSC. The report by this 

committee confirmed Lttebasic objectives of the' Apollo Applications Program and played 

a decidingrole in its later evolution [3341. 

NASA announced on January 30 that shipment of the second Apollo spacecraft lunar 

module and fifth Saturn IB rocket to KSC would be postponed pending further 

evaluation of Apollo 5 mission results. Initial evaluation of the first lunar module flight 

on January 22-23 had indicated that a second unmanned flight, launched by *,heSaturn 

171

1968 

MTF, S.IC. $-I! booster storage and harbor area 

A,_-501 mission sequence 

172

JANUARY - FEBRUARY 1968 

7B, might not be required to qualify the spacecraft for flight with men aboard. Further 

detailed review of flight data and deliberations by a NASA design certification review 

board In Marchwould determine the final decision. Meanwhilethe Lunar Module 2 and 

the Saturn IB rocket stag_s would be maintained ready for shlpm_nt to KSC on 3- and 

14-day notices, respectively. Refurbishment of LC 37B would proceed for a second 

unmanned lunar module flight. The Mission Control Center, Houston, and trackingships 

OJastal Sentry Quebec and Rose Kno! Victor would maintain the operational capability 

to supportanother unmannedlunarmodule flight [335]. 

By the end of January an Orbital Workshop engineering mcvzkupsimulating the flight 

vehicle had been readied for an extensive 5-day crew station review February 12-16 at 

MSFC. During the review several astronauts were scheduled to "walk through" many 

tasks on the ground that would later be done in orbit under zero gravity conditions. 

These tasks would include exl_erlment installation and operation. Lighting tests were 

being conducted during the week in the Orbital Workshopmockup by engineers of the 

MSFCPropulsion and Vehicle EngineeringLaboratory.P&VEwas the lead laboratory for 

the development of the Workshop[336]. 

During January NASA Headquarters affirmed several project name changes. The 

intermediate Saturn launch vehicle formerly called "Uprated Saturn 1" was officially 

designated lB. The ground-outfitted Orbital Workshop, sometimes called the "dry 

workshop," would henceforth be known as the Saturn V Workshop,The Workshopto be 

launched by the Saturn IB, formerly referred to as "Orbital Workshop" and "wet 

workshop," would be officially named Saturn I Workshop[337, 338]. 

During January NASA and Rocketdyne decided to move the site of H-I engine 

production from Air Force Plant No. 65 at Neosho, Missouri,to CanogaPark,California 

[339i. 

The S-II stage for the Fifth Apollo/Saturn V mission left Seal Beach, California, on 

February 2 aboard the USNS Point Barrow enroute to the MTF, where the stage would 

undergo static testing before shipment to KSC. Also on board the ship was an F-I rocket 

engine. This combination load saved an estimated $6000 in transportation charges.The 

F-I would be unloaded for inspection at MAF, where the stage would be transferredto a 

bargefor the remainderof the trip toMTF [340]. 

The AS-502 transfer to Pad A of Laut_cttComplex 39 occurred on February 6 at KSC. 

However, the scheduled transfer of the Mobile Service Structure (MSS) to the pad was 

delayed for 3 days _eause of high _vinds[3411. 

Also on February 6 NASA negotiated an additional I-year contract with the Boeing 

Company for operation of the Saturn V Development Facility at MSFC. The $5 782 750 

Incentivecontract would continue through September 1968. The original awardwas nlade 

In September 1964. The Saturn V Development Facility, often called the "Saturn V 

breadboard, would eYectricallysimulate the operation of .,re Satt'rn V and its ground 

and electrical support equipment. Each step at the launchsite, through lift-off and flight 

of each stage, could be computer-simulatedat the facility [342l. 

173

1968 

SIC.flight stage, MIchoud 

mcNt_q 

Artist's concept of Apollo]Saturn 

V launch vehicle 

S-IC in transit - MTF 

174 

Skylab crew quarterslayout 

Apollo spacecraft

FEBRUARY 1968 

On tile same day the Senate confirmed the nomination of Dr. Thomas O. Paine as NASA 

Deputy Administrator, to succeed Dr. Robert C. Seamans,Jr. [343]. 

On February 7 NASA added a $3 226 374 supplementalclause to the Boeing Company's 

Saturn V systems engineeringand integratlo., contracl_The contract extension would be 

effective through December 1969. Under this contract Boeing would be responsible for 

providing NASA with Saturn V propulsion systems preflight and postflight performance 

analysis for the first 10 Saturn V launch vehicles. Boeing would study "all of the 

propulsion system data recorded during the vehicles' test firings and launches for a 

complete analysis of Saturn V propulsion system performance. All work would be 

conducted at Boeing facilities in Huntsville. This extension brought the systems 

engineering and integration portion of Boeing's three-partSaturn V contract to a total of 

$194 845 024. Meanwhile, under sepatcte _greements, Boeing remained responsible for 

Saturn V booster production at MAF and for launchsupport services at KSC [344]. 

Transfer of the Mobile Service Structur_ for AS-502 to the pad, delayed on February 6 

becauseof high winds, occurred on Fe!Jrupry9 [3451 

As of February 9 MSFC Civil Service employee strength was 6685, or 299 above the 

6386 ceiling authorized by NASA Headquarters[346l. 

The first full-duration captive rocket firing at MTF In 1968 was successfully completed 

on Saturday, February I0, ushering in the busiest year to date for the rocket testing 

center. Space engineers and technicians statlc-."lred the fourth flight version of the 

Apollo/Saturn V _;cond stage (S-II-4) for its full duration of 6 minutes. The huge 

liquid-hydrogen-fueled rocket developed an equivalent thrust of more than I million 

pounds. A North American Rockwell crew conducted the captive firing with the rocket 

locked in a 200-foot-tall tower. The captive firing was one of a series of s_.eclalcheckouts 

the stage would go through at the Mississippiprovingground before it would be certified 

for later flight from KSC in the manned lunar landing program. NASA engineers and 

scientists would carefully evaluate approximately 1000 separate measurements taken from 

the rocket before a flight worthiness certificate would be issued. MTF was scheduled to 

test-fire, check, and flight-certify eight more ApollolSaturnspace vehicles in 1968 - four 

of the S-II second stages and four S-IC first stage rockets [347]. 

During i:ebruary 12-14 a group of 12 scientist-astronauts,appointed to the space program 

6 months earlier, visited MSFC. Purpose of the visit was to acquaint the new group with 

MarshallCenter work, including development of the Saturn vehicles. The:['also saw an 

engineering mockup of an Orbital Workshop o a vehicle that would some day house 

astronauts for extended stays in space. The astronautswho visited the Center, all of them 

with doctoral degrees, were Robert A. Parker, Brian T. O'Leary, and Karl G. Hentze, 

astronomers; John A. Llewellyn, chemist; Joseph P. Allen, Philip K. Chapman, and 

Anthony W. England, physicists; William B. Lenolr, engineer; F. Story Musgrave, 

physiologist; and WilliamE. Thornton and Donald L. Holmquest, medical doctors [3481. 

The Office of Manned Space Flight at NASA HeadquartersIssueda teletype on February 

20 authorizing MSFC to proceed with procurement of long-lead items for S-IC-16 and 

S-IC-17, the boosters for Saturn V vehicles beyond the approved 15 vehicle production 

program [349l. 

175

1968 

/ 

S-ll.4 removal from vertical checkout building a: MTF 

Simulated weightlessness activity In S4VB Orbital 

Workshop mockup at Huntington Beach 

S.II flight stage erection at MTF 

176

FEBRUARY - MARCI! 1968 

CongressmanGeorge Millerof California, Cilairman of the House Committee on Science 

and Astronautics, headed a Congressional group visiting MSFC on February 22, 1968. 

The group received a briefing on the Apollo Applications Programand presented to the 

Center a portrait of Dr. Wernheryon Braun painted by Victor Lalller[350]. 

By tire middle of February NASA had announced that the first Americanson the moon 

would land in one of five 3-by-5-mile landing areas selectcd by NASA's Apollo Site 

Selection Board. Each of the areas would satisfy criteria in which astronaut safety was 

the paramount consideration. The first two sites selected by NASA were in the Sea of 

Tranquility, the third in the Central Bay, and the fourth and fifth were in.the Ocean of 

Storms. The sites were selected from eight under study from a chotc_ of 30 originalsites, 

Selection of the five permitted scientists and engineers to concentrate on fewer areas in 

preparing data on the specific sites. The site selection board studied material obtained by 

unmanned Lunar Orbiters and soft-landing Surveyor spacecraft. LunarOrbiterreturned 

high resolution photographsof all the sites, and Surveyor provided close-up photos and 

surface data of the general areas in which they were located. The criteria considered by 

tire board included smoothness of the area, desirabilityin termsof amount of propellant 

necessary for the lunar module propulsion systems, lighting as it concerned the best 

Visibilityby astronauts, and the general slope of the landing area [351 ]. 

Near the end of February minorproblems necessitated the reschedulingof Saturn flights. 

Discovery by MSFC officials of tiny weld flaws in the Saturn V second stage prompted 

schedulingof a new test series before the flight could be manned. Although none of the 

flaws was considered seriousenough to cause failure, it was decided to conduct cryogenic 

proof testing on March 18-25 with the Saturn V "fourth flight version." Meanwhile 

delays in the normal test and checkout procedures in the Apollo 6 space vehicle beinl_ 

prepared for launch at KSC resulted in a slippage of the launch date from March21 to 

March 25. Problems encountered, none of which were major, included such items as 

m:..dlficationof the spacecraft service module propulsion tanks, problemswith replacing 

the inertial measurements unit in the spacecraft guidance and control system, and 

changing the eigitt actuators on the first stage outboard engines and resultinginteractions 

with normal test activities.No one item could be exclusively identified as being the major 

delaying factor, but the accumulatedeffect of the corrective actions resulted in a 4-day 

delay in the checkout schedule [352, 353]. 

Dr. yon Braun commented on March 12: "If AS-502 is successful, there will be no need 

for a third unmannedSaturn V flight" [354, 355]. 

By the middle"of Marchall three static test stands at the MississippiTest Facility were 

filled with ApollolSatum V flight stages for the first time. Two of the stands contained 

second stages for the fourth and fifth Apollo/Saturn V rockets. A third was holding the 

7.5 million pound thrustbooster that would lift the sixth Apollo/Saturn V off its KSC 

launchpad [356, 357]. 

On March 19 NASA released the findings of an I,_vestigatingBoard appointed to examine 

and report on the June 8, 1967, r_ture of a test tank at MSFC in Huntsville which 

resulted In the de'Jthsof two employees of Brown EngineeringCompanyof Huntsville,a 

NASA subcontractor.NASA's release said in essence that the rupture of the test tank was 

apparentlycaused by internal pressure which exceeded the tank limits [358]. 

177

1908 

/ i,I 

S-II stageon transporter.SealBeaciz 

Removalof S.11-4from 

A2 stand at MTF 

Luno_exploration sites 

178 

S.H stage storage and vertical checkout 

facility at MTF

MARV,II - APRIL 1968 

On March 19 and 20 more than I00 engineersand scientistsparticipatedin a 2-day 

Saturn.i Workshopdesignreviewboardmeetingat MSFC.The engineersdiscussedresults 

of previousWorkshopreviewsincludingthe originalengineeringdesignreviewin May 

1967, a documentationstudyin December,anda week-longcrewstationreviewFebruary 

12-16 at MSFC.Meeting participantsrepresentedthe Manned SpacecraftCenter, Kennedy 

Space Center, NASA Headquarters, and the McDonnell Douglas t2orporation, 

manufacturer of the Saturn S-IVB stage. A Workshopmockup had been used at MSFt2 

for earlier design work. Chairman of the design review board was Leland Belew. manager 

of Marshall's SatumlApollo Applications Office [359]. 

After a two month's delay caused by the temporary restraining order issued by the 

Federal District t2ourtin Washington, MSFCbegan issuing RIF notices, at a much lower 

rate than its December 6 RIF action. That action had involved approximately 1200 

MSFC employees in reduction-in-force and reassignment roles. The new action involved 

less titan one-sixth that number [360]. 

On March 27 test personnel at MSFt2mounted an ST-124M Saturn V guidance platform 

in the F-I Engine Stand and subjected the test article to a 30-second F-I engine static 

firing. The objective was to measure the vibrational and acoustical effects of this 

exposure on the STo124M. Similar tests in the Fol Engine StaJld had also occurred on 

March 12 and March19 [361]. 

NASA decided during the third week in March that a second unmanned flig:,t 3f the 

lunar module would not be necessary, "11 first manned LMflight would be made later in 

the year, launched by a Saturn V vehicle. The decision to cancel the repeat flight of an 

unmanned LM followed a detailed evaluation of the first LM flight, flown January 22 

atop a Saturn IB launch vehicle. Data from a comprehensive examination of the LM's 

structural and ground test results were also thoroughly analyzed [362, 363J. 

On March 28 MSFt2decided that "it would be in the best interest" of the space program 

to transfer S-It2and S-IB stage procurement responsibilities from the Mlchoud Assembly 

Facility to Huntsville [364, 365|, 

The schedule for launch of the AS-502 vehicle slipped 13 days during March, primarily 

because of a problem with the A7-64 propellant disconnect. Two days of slippage were 

attributed to problems with the S-II-2 stage [366, 367]. 

During March workmen completed structural assembly of the 75-foot-diameter Neutral 

Buoyancy Tank in Huntsville and filled the tank with water. Also comp!_ted were the 

recompression chamber, the diving belt, the airiock system, and the breathing air system. 

Installation of instrumentationand cabling was in process [368]. 

On April I MSFC transferredfrom MAF to Huntsville the administrationof the Chrysler 

and Boeing prime contracts involving the Saturn IB and Saturn V programs,respectively 

1369]. 

The AS-502 (Apollo 6) launch countdown began at Lt2-39A at KSt2on April 3 [370]. 

179

1960 

Saturn V in high bay area 

VAB at KSC 

Saturn V achievements 

I 

" L_, " 'WJ 

MDA dynamic test 

article - Denver 

Airloek Module internal arrangenaent 

180

APRIL 1968 

On April 4 NASA successfully launched Apollo 6 from KSC'sComplex 39A at 7:00 a.m. 

EST on a mission to qualify the SaturlzV launch vehicle for future manned space flights. 

Primary objectives were to demonstrate structuraland thermal Integrity and compatibility 

of launch vehicle and spacecraft; confirm launch loads and dynamic characteristics; 

demonstrate S-II/S-IC and S-IVB/S-il stage separations; verify operation of propulsion 

lincluding S-IVB restart), guidance and control (optimum injection), and electrical 

systems; evaluate performance of Emergency Detection System (EDS) in closed-loop 

,.onfiguration; and demonstrate mi.,,sion support iacilities and operations _quired for 

launch, mission conduct, and CM recovery [371]. The launch vehicle second-stage 

performance was near nominal, but two of the five second stage J-2 engines shut down 

prematurely, causing the remaining second- and third-stage engines to bunt longer than 

planned [372]. As a result, the spacecraft and third stage entered elliptical parkingorbit 

with a 223.1 mile (395.I-kilometer) apogee, ;07-mile (172.I-kilometer) perigee. When the 

third stage failed to re-ignite on command after two orbits as planned, NASA switched to 

an alternate mission, firing the Service Propulsion System (SPS) to place the spacecraft 

into trajectory with a 13823-mile (22 225.4.kilometer) apogee [373]. Since insufficient 

propellent remained after the extended burn, _ second SPS burn was not attempted, and 

the CM reentered at 22 376 miles per hour, just under the planned 25 000-mile-per-hour 

rate. The spacecraft splashed down 50 miles off target in the Pacific Ocean 9 hours 50 

minutes after launch ,nd was recove.-ed in guo(! condition by the U.S.S. Okinawa. 

Preliminary assessment indicated that four of the five objectives were attained, even 

though the launch vehicle performance of the S-IVB restart and guidance control 

(optimum trajectory) were not f'ully successful [374]. 

At the third in a series of monthl) meetings, on April 4, the MSFC ManpowerUtilization 

and AdmtnistratipnOffice staff and administrativeofficers of MSFChearda presentation 

of a summary of final RIF action._at the Center. The actions included 57 terminations, 

68 reassignments in the same grade, and 49 changes to lower grade, for a total of 174 

actions [3751. 

MSFC announced on April 4 that launch damag_to LC-39A facilities, subsequent to the 

launch of A._.502, was less than expected, indicating the effectiveness of modifications 

subsequent to the AS-501 launch. Service arm damage,however, was more extensive than 

experienced tn the AS-501 lau,ch [370]. 

On April 17 MSFC awarded a 9-month, $99000 contract for habitability studies of 

Saturn I and Saturn V Workshops.The contract awardwent to Raymond Loewy/William 

Snalth, Incorporated [3"/"/]. 

A technical review of Saturn launch vehicles, attended by abo=.t 140 scientists, engineers, 

and administrators, was held at MSFC April 20-21. The participants investigated the 

status and flight schedule of Saturn launch vehicles [378, 379]. 

On April 22, 23, and 24, Dr. Thomas O. Paine, newly appointed Deputy Admini_trator 

of NASA, visited MSFC and its subsidiary fp._llitles, MAF and MTF, *,,ith a party of 

NASA Headquartersand MSFC officials. Dr. Fatne toured Ihe facilities, heard briefings on 

the functions and programsof the Center, and witnessed a qatlc firing of an S-IB stage 

1380, 38ll. 

181

1968 

Stage ,t base of S-IC stand at MTF 

182 

S-IC {iring at MTF

APItlI, 19611 

I)uring the weekof April 2;! MSFC directedBoeingto delaystatic firingof S-IC.6 until 

moditlcutlonscouhlbe incorporatedinto the stageto alleviatethe pogoeffectoscillations 

experiencedin the AS-502launch 13821. 

On April 23 S-lB.12, Ihe lastof the SaturnIB flight boosters,wasshippedfrom MAF to 

Ihintsvilleaboardt!le NASA barge Palaemcm. 

NASA announcedon April =7 that tile AS-503launchvehiclewouldbe mannedan,] tllat 

the launchwould be scheduledfur t11ofall. The mannedflight wouldoccurin the fourth 

quarter of 1968. Two previousflightsof tire SaturnV had beenunmunned,but on the 

basisof data thus far obtained from the secondunmannedflight, on April 4, NASA 

decided to plan and work toward a manned flight with the third SaturnV vehicle. 

"llowever. we will retain the option of flying another unmanned mission if further 

analysis and ground testing indicate that it is the best course," said Maj. Gen. Samuel C. 

I'lHIIIps,Apollo program director, Before NASA made its decision, NASA :rod industry 

e|_gineers worked virtually arouml the clock to determine the cause._, effects, and 

solutions of severalproblemsexperienced in the April 4 flight. These Included: premature 

shutdown of two .I-2 engines in the second stage (5-11) of the Saturn V; failure of the 

third stage .I-2 engine to re-ignite in orbit; a longitudinal oscillation, or pogo effect, 

caused by synchronous vibration of the five F-I engines in the first stage; and an 

indication IIlat some material fell away from the area of the spacecraft/lunar module 

udapter, hlformation developed by the time of tile NASA April 27 announcement 

indicated that the early shutdown of the two second stage engines began witll tile failure 

of a small fuel line in the Number 2 engine ignition system. "We are confi6ent that we 

know the cruse, effecls, and solutions involving the .I-2 engine failure and the launch 

vehicle longitudinal vibration problems," said Gen. Phillips. "Analysis s,.ld ground testing 

will continue to achieve an even more complete understandingof all aspects of Saturn V 

performance and operation 13831. 

NASA Director of the Apollo Applications Program, Charles W. Mathews, on April 25 

assigned responsibility for overall systems engineering activities to MSFC, responsibility 

for the implementation of all fiight operations and recovery activities to MSC, and 

respon._ibilltyfor the implementation of all launch operatif,ns to KSC. In terms of Center 

responsibilities for flight hardware elements he assigned to MSFC the Saturn IB; Lunar 

Module Ascent Modifications; WorkshPp, Airiock, and HDA; ATM; and ass!gned 

experin,ents, including Workshop habit_bility experiments. He assigned MSC the 

responsibilities for Command and _rvice Modules, and any required modifications 

thereto; Crew SystJms (pressure suits, EVA equipment, etc.); MedicalEquipment; Food; 

and Assigned Expcril:.ents,includingmedicalexperiments [3841. 

On April 29 NASA awarded a $25.8-million, I-year, cost-plus-fee c-retract to Bendix 

Field Engineering Corporation for continued maintenance and operation of the major 

portion of NASA's Manned Space Flight Network, inchlding II facilities of the 

14-station, unified 8-band network for Apollo. The contract extended the original 2-year 

agreement [385,386]. 

During April Rocketdyne personnel began a test program designed to overcome the .1-2 

engine failures experienced on the S-II and S-IVB stages of the AS-502 flight vehicle 

183

19611 

t 

AS.502 mlsshm seqltence 

Uncle,water viewoJ"Neutral 

Buoyan¢.y Shnulator at M,qFC 

,4 

S-I11-6in pr_?_arationto ship areaat Miehoud 

IIII 

Orbital Workshopflight unit at 

Huntington Beach 

Mobile latmcher service arms [rJr S-II and 

184 S-IVB stages - artist _ concept 

Remote cotltrol MTA

APRIl, - MAY 1968 

during the flight period.They fired R&D J-2 engines30 times.Three productionengine 

tests totaled 315 seconds. At AEDC 21 S-IVB firings occurred under sltnulated 

envlrontnetttalconditions[387J. 

Rocketdyne completed assemblyoF J-I I I, the first full configurationJ-2S development 

etlgille, and sliippedthe engineto the Sllli|a Susana Firing Laboratoryfor testing.'rests 

there were delayed for basicJ-2 enginetestingto resolveAS-502flight problems13881. 

During April an exhaustivetest program to solve the S-IC stage problem of paso 

Ion_tudlnal vibrationsexperiencedon the AS-502 flight delayed the acceptancetest 

schedule of S-IC-6 at MTF. On April 4, in preparation for static testing, Boeing test 

personnelturned poweron die stagein the Test Stand.Subsequento the A5-502 launch 

thut sameday, program officialsand engineersbeganwork to Isolatethe causes,using 

S-IC-6 in an effort to determine corrective action [389, 390]. 

During tile second week In April MSFCcompleted a report contalnittgpreliminary results 

of tile Apollo 6 flip,lit. Although the basic source of the difficulties had not yet been 

determined, scientists and engineers speculated that wires carrying cutoff commands to 

the malfunctioning engines were interchanged. The first stage had performed as planned 

and stage thrust was near that predicted during the first portion of flight. The second 

stage had performed satisfactorily through the first-stageboost, second-stage Ignition, and 

early portion of second-stage powered flight. First indicatior.s of anomaly were the 

decreasing temperatures on the main oxidizer valve and Its control line on the fiftll 

engine and steady decrease in second engin., s yaw actuator pressure. The third stage 

performed satisfactorily through the first bum and orbital coast. Investigations were 

continuing on longitudinal oscillation of the vehicle. Guidance and other Instrumentation 

functions, telemetry performance, and onboard TV camera operation were satisfactory. 

Consider,'ble damage, and not typical, involved both Mobile Launcher (ML) elevators in 

the Apollo Emergency !nlpess/Egress System (PAD & ML). The damage occurred at 

ignition and/or during lift-off [391,392]. 

Mr. Ilarold T. Luskin was appointed Director, Apollo Applications, In the Office of 

Manned Space Flight on May I. Luskin came to NASA in March of 1968 as Deputy 

Associate Administrator for Manned Soace Flight (Technical) [393]. 

On May 3 NASA completed contract negotiations with Boeing for 

technical 

integration 

and evaluation lit support of the Apollo program. Tile $73 million cost-plus-fixed-fee 

contract would continue through December 31, 1968, with provisions for extensions 

[3941. 

,4" 

At a May 7 Management Council meeting at MSFC, participants agreed to assign to 

MSFC the overall ttystems integration responsibllity for inz_lvidualstacked vehicles as well 

as the previously assigned systems integration responsibility for the cluster and to increase 

managementresponsibility by MSFC in tile Apollo App!icationsProgram [395]. 

O,t May 13 D,'. Wemher van Braun announced the impending retirement of Dr. Arthur 

Rudolph as Saturn V Program Manager and the gradual assttmptton of his duties by Lee 

185

196h 

Top view ,f Neutral Iluul'am:_, 

tank at MSI:(' 

0 o • 9 

Neutral Iluuyam..I, 

Simulator exterior

MAY - JUNE 1908 

U, James. A veteran of 38 yearsin rocketdevelopment,Dr, Rudolph had managedthe 

Saturn V programat MSFC"sIndustrialOperationsfor4_ years1396]. 

Afterextensivetesting,MSFCand Rocketdyneengineersconcludedon May 20 that the 

J-2 engine ral!ureson the S-II and S-IVB stages of AS-502 resulted from broken 

augmentedsparkIgnitionfuel lines. The findingsled ol'flci_ls(o prescribesolid-wallines 

for both lax and fuel Inplaceof the flexil_lelinesformerlyused [397]. 

On May :20 NASA increased the capability of the Skylab MultipleDockl,_uAdapter 

(MDA)to providefor crewhabitationand to performcertainbiomedicalexperimentsIn 

the event the OrbitalWorkshopcould not be madehabitableuponreachingorbit [398]. 

On May21 MSFCpe_onnel completed reworkof the Saturnv Workshopcrew quarters 

sectionwhichwouldadaptthe stnlcturefor use in neutralbuoyancy ,dmulatlon[3991. 

MSFCannouncedon May 22, 1968, that NASAhad notifiedelementsof the agencyto 

hold permanentemploymentto the onboardstrengthusof the close of bush=assMay 13, 

1908 14001. 

Also on May 22 MSFC received NASA Headquarters approval of the modification 

extending RCA Service Company's Management Services Office support contract for I 

year, and awarded the $6.4 million contract extension. RCA's support of management 

._ervtces rangedfrom housekeepingproject'S'toMSFC'smedicalfacilities[4011, 

On June 4 NASA releasedit's Apollo ApplicationsProgram,"Launch Readinessand 

DeliveryScheduleML-14A." This newscheduledecreasedthe numberof Saturnflightsto 

II Saturn IB flights and one Satut. V flight. It called for three Workshops, one of the 

which would be launched 'by a S_turn IB end another which would serve as a backup. 

The third Workshop would be launched by a Saturn V. Schedule ML-14A aE'o inchlded 

one ATM. Launch of _'e first Workshop would be in November 1970. Lunar missions 

were no longer planned/n the AAP. 

A June 7 memorandumcited the general Apollo Applications Programefforts assigned to 

MSFCas of that date as follows: (a) Saturn I Workshop,(b) Multiple Docking Adapter, 

(c) Apollo Telescope Mount, (d) Payload Shroud for the Workshop and ATM, (e) 

AssignedEngineeringExperiments,(f] Saturn IB and Saturn V Launch Vehicles [402]. 

On June 7 the Poilat Barrow which had left Seal Beach May 25, arrivedat the Michoud 

Assembly Facility with a cargo of an S-II stage (S-II-6). five F-I engines, and seven large 

F-I engine components, it was the first time F-I engines were shipped In quantity by 

water. The engines would be unloaded at MAF for Installationon an S-It, stage. The S-II 

stage was destined for the MississippiTest Facili'ty.where it would undergo captive firtng 

and tankageproof pressure te_fln_ [4031. 

During June Rocketdyne completed assembly and test of the first H-I engine since 

transferof production capability from Neosho to Canoga Park. MSFC observed that the 

production transfer appeared to be "completely satisfactory" [404], 

187

1960 

188

JUI,Y - AUGUST 1960 

On July I0 1968, MSFC,establishedon July I, 1960,with 4400 employeesand facilities 

vulued ul $100 million, celebrated its eighth anniversaryas NASA's largest center. ('urrcnt 

work force was 6500 and plant value was $400 million [40S]. 

On July 15 the SpecialStudiesSubcommitteeof tile HouseCommitteeon Government 

OperationsorderedNASA to try to cut the escalatingcostof its June16, 1967,contract 

with Boeing for technicalintegrationand evahlatlonin the usselnblyof the Apulia 

spacecraftwith the SaturnV lannchvehicle.The contract,awardedafter the January27, 

1967, Apollo fire, In tm effort to Improvesafety,had beenlisted tentativelyuscosting 

$20 ntllllott dollars.NASA now placed the costof continulitgthe contractthrough1968 

at $73.4 milliondollars14061. 

A by-productof the Saturnprogramwouldbe the MobilityTest Article(MTA). An MTA 

lest program began at MSFC on July IS. Test Laboratory providedpersonneland 

equipmentfor the tltreeMIA vehicleson the test course.Tile three vehicleswerebuilt 

by Bendix,GeneralMotors,attdBrown Engineering140"/l, 

On July 18 MSFC announmd the completionof teststo determinea solutionto the 

pogolongitudinalvibrationsof the Saturn V first stageduring the Apollo 6 (AS-502) 

flight attd a means of preventing subsequent osclllatio;_s. Tests had revealed that the 

natural freque|tcy of the vehicle structure and the propulsion system coincided, 

multiplyingoscillationamplitude.Sucha problemwouldbe correctedby usingsmallt_as 

reservoirsas an "accu,lqulator"ht tile lax prevalvesin order to changethe frequencyof 

the propulsionsystem.Thissolutionwouldbeverifiedin the test-firingof a stageearlyin 

the followingmonth14081. 

The last captive fldng of S-IB flig!_t stagesIn Huntsvilleoccurredon July 25 when 

Chrys'._rpersonnelat htSFCconducteda 145.i-secondstaticfiringof S-IB-I2, the second 

andfinal firingof thisstage.All systemsperformedsatisfactorily14091. 

The MSFC ManpowerUtilizationand AdministrationOffice reportedon July 26, 1968, 

that of 130 RIF appealsheard by the Civil ServiceCommission,NASA°saction was 

sustainedin 129 cases.The commissionalso ruled that NASA's supportcontractor 

policieswere "not appealable."NASA proceduresduringthe RIF wereupheldlit every 

case,the reportsaid[4101. 

On August2 NASA announcedthe halt of workon SaturnIB vehiclesNo. 215 and216. 

The agencyalr.o instructedcontractorsto discontinuework on Saturn V follow-on 

vehiclesS16 ano 517. Sucllt, curtailmentwasaneconomymove1411!. 

On August7 CI,ryslerremovedS-IB-12 from tile StaticTest Tower Eastat MSFC ard 

preparedit for shipme,t to MAF. S-IB-12 wasthe final Saturn IB boc)ster0and tlzis 

operationcompletedChryslqr'sactivitiesat StaticTestTowerEast 1412]. 

MSFC'ssharein a reductionoutlir'edin a newNASA OperatingPlan,ann,_uncedAugust 

7, wouldbc 459 people.Personnelstrengththat hadbeen6440 on July I mustbedown 

to 5981 on JuneJO, 1969, to meetguldelipe set by the new plan. tlowever,this 459 

189

U 

Saturn V malor c¢mlractor$ 

• I 

AAP mamaed launch 

AIrlock flLght article 

configuration S-IC fuel 

at MIchoud 

tank assett:bly no. 2 - St. Louis 

190

AUGUST- 3EPTEMBER 1960 

reductionwas expectedto be absorbedby attrition if conditionsrentalnedthe zanreas 

ailticipated [4131. 

Oil August 13 an S-IC-6 static r occurred a'[ MTFon tile first attempt and continued 

successfully for 125.1 seconds. All indications were that the newly instituted pogo 

suppressionsystemperformedasexpected[414]. 

On August30, followingreceiptof NASA directionto limit SaturnV productionto 

veltlcle 515, MSFC completedstudiesand beganterminating production of engine 

hardwarefor the Apollo a_,dAAP programs.The termination action Involved27 tl-I 

enl!,ines,cigJttF-I engines, and three J-2 engines [415l. 

Fabrication and assembly of tile last approved Saturn V booster, S-IC-15, began at the 

Michoud Assembly Facility in August {416]. 

In August Rocketdyi_e personnel at Santa Sjsana Field Laboratory ran nine R&D J-2 

engine tests and four _roduction J-2 engine tests. J-2 engine tests at Arnold E!ngineering 

Development ("enter ttumbered 16 {4171. 

Followint;receiptof NASA directionsto limit SaturnV productionto vehicle515, MSFC 

completedstudiesand took action to beginterminatingproductionof enginehardware 

for tile /,polio and Oribtal Workshopprograms.This terminationactionaffected27 H-I 

engines,eightF-I engines,and threeJ-2 engines{418]. 

Because of LM processing delays at KS(." and problems experienced in the LM 

d:velopment program,NASA decided not to use the h;nar mwlu_,: LM-3on the AS-503 

(Apollo 8) flight. Instead, NASA de,:ided to fly the AS-50? -Idcie with the LunarTest 

Article LTA-B to simulate the strut:tureand wei_ztof LM-3.This decision not to use 

LM-3on AS-503 resultedin a chang0 In mission assignments. NASA officials redesignated 

the mission: instead of a "D-type" (CSM-LMoperations) mission it became a "C prime" 

CSM operationsmission. The primaryobJet:tives of C missions were to demonstrate 

CSM/crew performance and CSMrendezvoqs capability [419]. 

On Se._,tember4 Dr. yon Braun performed a full-pressure suit test in the Saturn i 

Workshop mockup immersed in the Neutral Buoyancy Tank. He reportt:d that the 

upgradedseals used in the aft dome penetratkm,sealingstudy were "very gocxl." Dr. yon 

Braunrecommendedadditionalhanclholdsand tether points [420]. 

On September 5 NASA terminated production of H-I engh es under its contract with 

Rocketdyne. Of 6C, engines being produced for the Saturn IB vehicle, Rocketdyne had 

completed delivery of 32 [421l. 

NASA Administrator.larchesE. Webb announded on September 16 that he would resign 

effective October 7. Deputy Administrator Thomas Paine would become Acting 

Administratorat L_nt time. Webb was named NASA Administrator February 14, 1961, 

by President Kennedy 14221. 

191

1968 

This Is an aerial view of the storage, waterway, 

attt: ":stbagarea at the Mississippi Test Facility. 

Th_ 13 424 acre test facility was used fi_r static 

tests of the first attd second stages of the 

Saturn F launch vehicle. Because of the 

extensive waterway around the area, Saturn 

stages and propellants could be barged into and 

out of MTF on convenient ri|,er/_astalsystems. 

S-IC fin and fairing assembly at Mlchoud 

llard stand at Area A Complex 39 ,it KSC 

MSFC Neutral Buoyancy Facility 

192 

Saturn !II laum.h complex at KSC 

S-IB i, service structure at KSC

,qEIvrF:MIIEIt- 

OCTOflEIt 19_AI 

On September 16 and 17, KSC launch crews completed both "wet" and "d_'y" 

CountdownDemonstratlunTests(CDDT's) for the Apollo7 (AS.20S)spacevehicle.The 

w_:ttest, with propellantsaboard,lastedthe normal 102-hourcotintdownand endedal 

T-0. The dry lest pickedtip at T-5 hunts 1423]. 

In a September17 letterto GeneralSa-luel C. Phillips,Col. Lee B. Jameswrote: "During 

the HAR/SD cost reductionpresentationto GeneralBogart'scommitteeun August20, 

SD pioposed,as a significantcost reductionitem, the deletion of cryoproof testin_g 

effecti_e with S,II.7. MSFC hud stateda positionat the initiationof the cryogenicproof 

test program that the testing was not consideredessentialin man-ratingthe S.II 

strUcttsre... MSFC would he willing to accept the NAR/SD proposal to delete cryogenic 

proof testing at cost savings.'° 

On September 18 NASA assigned to MSFC the management responsibility for the Alrlo,:k 

Module and the modified LunarModule Ascent Stage. MSC formerly managedthese AAP 

activities. NASA officials explained that this reassignmentwas made for the purpose of 

establishing a satisfactory balance between Apollo and AAP and ill order to plact_ a 

design Integration under a single NASA Center 1424], 

On September 23 the General Accounting Office reported to Congress that the Bendix 

Corporation had agreed to a downward adjustment of $106 000 in fees it would have 

received under Its $57 million dollar contract for development of the ST-124 Saturn V 

inertial guidance platform. Effective date of the contract modification was August 22, 

1968 14251. 

An estimated 25 000 persons visited MSFC for Family Day and Open House, on 

September 28 and 29, 1968. The program included an address by Dr. van Braun, an 

awards ceremony, and displays in laboratoriesand shops all over the Center. The event 

marked tb- IOth annivelsaryof NASA's establishment 14261. 

During September North American Rockwell assessed the structural failure repair 

requirements for S-II-TS-C, damaged in an August 21 test at MSFC. The recommended 

31-week-repairplan was not acceptable to MSFC.Officl_l_decided to repair local areas of 

damat, and accept minor configuration deviations {4271. 

On October 6 MTF held Open House to observe the IOth anniversaryof NASA. An 

estimated 3500 persons toured the facility [428l. 

On October 8, 1968, the Huntsville Board of Education approved the naming of three 

new city schools for the three astronauts who died in the Apollo 204 flash fire at Cape 

Kennedy January 27, 1967. A new high school would be named for Virgil I. Grissom. a 

junior high school for Edward It. White II, a'nd an elementary school for Roger B. 

Chaffee. All three schools were scheduled to open in the fall of 1969 14291. 

On October 9 NASA relea.ed its AAP, "Launch Readiness and Delivery Schedule 

ML-15," which slipped the first launch of a W',rkshop into August 1971. This new 

schedule called for eight Saturn IB's but no Saturn V lat,nches. According to this 

193

19611 

!i: 

if 

! 

MSFC Director I¢ernher yon Braun "suits tip" In a pressurized space suit attd dh,lng gear 

before entering the Center's Neutral Buoyancy Simulator. The big water tank - 75 feet 

in diameter attd 40 feet deep - was designed for simulated astronaut activities. 

194

(X:TOIIF.X - NOVEMIIF.X 1968 

sclredtllethere wouldbe one Workshoplaunchedon u _0tufn ILl,one hackul_Workshop. 

no Saturn V Workshopscheduled:and one ATM with u bllckup. 

Oil October I I Apollo 7 (AS-205) ro._ ITonlKSC LC-34 _tt I 1:O2o.m, This was the starl 

of tile first nlanned mission hi tile Apollo Lunar Lallding I_rogram,tile fifth lit a series el' 

Saturn II) launch velllcle flit,Ills. Primary mission objectives were t,)(lenlonstral,: 

('SM/crcw perfornlance atttl crew/space support facllltit_s performat,ce dtirlnp illanttcd 

SCM missions, and CSM rendezvous capability. All launch events occurrettas planned. 

The S-IB stage propulsion system parlor.mad satisfactorily. Inboard engines tilt off at 

140.64 .,_econdsrange time; outboard engines cut off 3.68 seconds later. Tile S-Ill stage 

separated from tile S.IVBIIU/CSM at about 146 seconJs. Tile 5.1Vll's J-2englite ittnited 

at approximately 147 ._conds, Jettison of ullage motot_ and the launch escape tower 

fallowed. Tile S-IVB engine cutoff canle at 616.75 seconds, and I0 seconds later the 

S-IVB/IU/CSM was in._rted Intt_ tin e_rth pnrking orbit with 177.8/mile apogee and 

138.2/tulle perigee. Ab_,.trd the spnc,_craftfor this hist'.._ricJourtley were Astronauts 

Walter M. Schirra, Jr., I_ nn P. Eisele, and R. WalterCunningham. Livecolor telecasts at 

several Interva[_during the flight featured tile astronauts t_ndtile spacecrJlftInteri,_r,as 

well as ch,dd and earth vle_,s. Tile crew also photographed HurricaneGladys in tile Gulf 

of .t,;cxtco.On tile final day of tile flight, CM/SMseparation, parachl,te deployment, and 

other reentry events were norn_al. Tile CM splashed down in the Atlantic near tile 

recovery ship I'ssex at 7:11 a.m.F.DT on October 22. All primary mission ()bJectiveshad 

been achieved 14301. 

A pioneering concept in the substitution of the "dry" I'orthe "wet" Workshoppmgrani 

,, was tile B-Zero project generated at MSFC in October 1968. B-Zero (meaning least 

._ophtsticated) was proposed as a standby S-IVB ,_tageslripped of existim! I|ardw,re and 

nn substitute standby as needed for a "wet" S-IVB stage 14311. 

On November 4 NASA issued a contract to tile Boeing Company for a IO-month study 

to define a two-stage derivative of the Saturn V launch vehicte. Tit, proposed vehicle, 

consisting of S*iC and S-IVB stages and instrument unit. would place a payload of 

158 000 pounds into low earth orbit. MSFC would adminisler thi:; $239 500 co,ltract 

14321. 

On November 6 a definitive engineering summary of data findlnt:s showed that tile 

powered phase of the Apollo 7 tAS-205) flight was extremely close to predictions. In 

that October II launch the first stage performed with accuracy within 0,2 percent' _[ 

predictions. The second stage also performed as olannetl. Launch vehicle instr0.tmeniation 

systems attained a reliabilityof 99.43 percent 14. ". 

The first meeting of the AAP Mission Evaluation Panel was conducted at MSF(" on 

November 7. Representatives from KSC, MSC. NASA tleadquarters. Goddard Space 

Flight Center, and MSFC participateu 1434). 

On November 20 Dr. George E. Mueller, NASA As:_ociateAdministrator for Ms,nned 

Space Flight, ,nade his annual staff visit to MSFC 143';I. 

195

1968 

196


In November MSFC technicians fired an H-I engine at the Power Plant Test Stand. The 

engine and there hadwere been no in storage discrepancies since October during checkout. 1963. AllPurpof.eof engin(_parameters the testappeared programnormal, 

was to 

investigategear-b,Jx preservationrequirementsduringextendedstorage.The enginelater 

wouldbe tom dtJwnand inspectedfor damagecausedby age,corrosion,or wear[436]. 

In NovemberRocketdyneconducteda J-2 enginetest programat SantaSusansField 

Laboratoryto explorethe effectsof the lossof fuel ta_lk pressureduringflight period, 

As _l meg,It of this testing program, officials decided to recommend a_inst aborting 

fligills because of loss of fuel tan._ pressure [437]. 

On December 15 the launch couwdown for AS-503 (Apollo 8) began at 7:00 p.m. E[_'T 

at KSC's LC-39A [438, 4391. 

On December 18 NASA announcJd the appointment of William C. Schneider, Apollo 

Missio_ Director, as Director of the Apollo Appllt;ationsProgram. He succeeded Ilarold 

T. Luski,. who died November 25, 1968 [440]. 

On :)ecernber 20 NASA approved a supplemental agreement to a Boeing contract 

extendirq the nialntennnce and operation of the _aturn V SDF at Iluntsville and 

providint_3dpl)ort to MSFCfor the Saturn V mechanical ground support equipment. This 

agreement, costing S8 429 047, called for performance from O_'tober 1968 through March 

1970 [441]. 

Also on December 20 an explosion during a test completely destroyed the S-II-TS-B 

specimen and caused extendve fires In the test area at Strata Susans Field Laboratory. 

Space officials conjectured that die explosion occurred wlten the Ltlz forward bulkhead 

collapsed because of negative pressure, causing a tank nlpture that introduced air to the 

tanks1442]. 

NASA's Apollo 8 (AS-503), the second manned mission In the Apollo lunar landing 

program and the tint manned mission to orbit the moon, rose from KSC Launch 

Complex 39 at 7:51 a.m. EST, December 21, atop a Saturn V booster. Aboard Apollo 8 

were Astronauts Frank Barman (commander), James A. Lovell, Jr. (CM pilot), and 

William A. An0ers (LM pilot). At 10:42 a.m. EST a second burn of the third stage 

Injected the spacecraft into a lunar traJeetoryand the astronauts began their Journey to 

become the first men to leave the earth's gravitational field. A second mldcourse 

m,neuver, scheduled for the second day, was canceled l_cause th; trajectory was already 

so accurate that a burn would have required a velocity change of' only 0.7 foot per 

scc,md. The crew took navlption slghtlngs and conducted the first TV transmlulon, 

allowing the spacecraft Interior and the earth from n 138 690-mile altitude, end they 

demonstratedfood preparationand movements'ina state of weightlessne.,A second 

transmission,on the third day,showedexcellentpicturesof the earth frem analtitude of 

201 36,_ miles, includ_nga view of the Westernlt_mispherein sunlight,On the fourth 

day, Christmas Eve, communicationswere Interruptedas Apollo 8 passedbehind the 

moon -nd the astronautsbecamethe first men to seethe moon'sfar side.In theirthird 

TV telecast Anders described the lunar surface as "whitish gt.,y, like dirty beach sand 

__'_ 197

k 

Mission ConlrolCenter 

Launch ControlCenterat KSC 

Apollo ? astronauts 

Apollo? A tlantlc recovery area- parareseuemen 

attach.flotation collartoApollo7 spacecraft 

]v 

Re_ very of Apollo 7 astronaut.,. "- '. 

Apollo 7 Astronauts $chlrra, Elsele, attd Cunnln#ham 

aboard U$$ Essex following their recovery 

\ 

198

DECEMBER1968 

with lots of footprintson It. Someof thesecraterslook like pick-axesstrikingconcrete, 

creatinga _otof fine dust." 

After their spacecrafthad passedfrom behindthe moon,Lovellsaidthat theastronauts 

had "a _xandview" of the lunarsurfaceand confirmedthat prospectivelandingsiteswere 

satisfactory.They conducteda communicationsexperimentwhichshowedthat a radio 

signal from tile earth to Apollo 8 and back to earth took 3 secondsto make a 

460000-mile round trip. Their third TV transmissionduring their ninth revolution 

showedheavily impactedmountainsdescribedby Andersas "a vastnessof black and 

white, absolutelyno color." The moon is "a very dark and unappetizingplace.... " 

Then Ihe crew further electrifiedtheir earth-groundfansby readingversusfrom the first 

chapterof Genesi,and wishingviewersa MerryChristmas.On the fifth day the Apollo8 

headedback toward the earth, A fifth TV transmissionshowedthe spacecraftInterior, 

controls,and food preparation.A sixth TV tra||smisslonshowedthe earth from an 

altitudeof 112 125 miles.On the sixth day the crew preparedfor reentry, and the SM 

separatedfrom tileCM on schedule.Parachutedeploymentand other reentryeventswere 

nominal, and the Apollo 8 splasheddown in the Pacificabout 5100 yardsfrom the 

recoveryship USS Yorktown at 10:SI nm. EST, December27, 147 hoursafter launch 

and preciselyon time. As scheduled,helicoptersandaircrafthoveredoverthespacecraft, 

and pararescuepersonnelwere not deployeduntil local sunrise,S0 minutes after 

splashdown.The crew was then pickedlip and reachedthe recoveryship at 12:20 p.m, 

I:.ST,All primaryApollo 8 minion objectiveshad beenmet. Apollo8 hadbeenthe fifth 

Apollomissionto date, the secondmannedApollo mlsslo_l, the first mannedmissionon 

a Saturn V launchvehicle,and the first mannedoperationof the Apollosystemunder 

conditionsIor whichit wasdedilned[443-445]. 

On December21 a preliminaryanalysisat MSFC of the AS-S03 (Apollo 8) launch 

indicated that all propulsionsystemsof the vehicleperformednormally.The pogo 

suppresslo'_systemperformedas scheduled,and there was no evidenceof longitudinal 

vibrationson the S-IC stage.The J-2 engineson the S-II and S-IVB stagesoperated 

satisfactorily,and there were no problem*with the modifiedaugmentedsparkIgnition 

fuel lines[446]. 

On December27 MSFCawardeda SI73 000, I I-monthcontractto the BoeingCompany 

for tile study of cost.redqctionmethods In future spacevehicle logisticssystems, 

Includingexpendableandreusablesystems[447]. 

Personnelstrengthat MAP at the closeof 1968 was 6095. Th_ total wasdividedas 

follows:Boeing3"/36;Chryder, 1336; Mamn-Rust(supportcontractor),618; NASAcivil 

service,158;and ServiceTechnologyCorporation24"/. LInB.Temco-Vousht, thecomputer 

servicecontractorat Slidell, louisiana, had 245 employees,a reductionof 41 persons 

duflngthe year. 

At MTF personnelat the end of file year totaled 27"/5, Includingall governmentand 

contractoremployees.Thb was.a reductionof 6,4 percentfrom the 2967 at the site 

whenthe year began.Yeeur-end emplo_)ment Included:Government,190;GeneralElectric 

Company, 119"/;subcontractorsof GeneralElectric,356; stageand enginecontractors, 

1028;and constructionemployees,4 [448],

F 

' _ :i Apollo 8 crew - AstronautsAnders, 

_: ,, Lovt'll, and llorman 

_;_,, . * 

•, Moon asseen from Apollo 8 

Launch ofApolk_ 8 

The moon (foreRrmuld) and earth as 

Recovery of Apollo 8 astronauts viewed _on! Apollo 8 

200

DECEMBER 1968 

At MSFC personnelat the end of this year totaled more than 13000, includln8all 

governmentand contractoremployees14481. 

NASA endedthe year 1968 _vitha recordof four Saturnfllshts.Theseconsistedof two 

mannedand twa unmannedmissions.Both the Saturn V and SaturnIB launchvehicles 

were mannedfor the first time in 1968. The SaturnV sen¢AstronautsFrank Born,an, 

JamesLovell, and William Andersaloft in Apollo 8. The SaturnIB vehiclesplacedthe 

first mannedspacecraft,Apollo 7, into earthorbit on October I I, with AstronautsWaltel" 

Schirra,Doqn Eisele,andWalterCunninghamaboard.The first unmannedSaturnmission 

in 1968 occurredon January 2 when a SaturnIB carriedan ,mmannedlunar module 

spacecraftint'_ orbit as Apollo 5. The secondunmannedSaturnmission,SaturnV, came 

with the launchin8of Apollo6 oil Aprtl4 14491. 

In DecemberConvair Division of General DynamicsCorporationreceiveda $200 000 

contractfrom MSFC to studythe feasibilityof experimentaltelevisionbroadcastsatellites 

for the 1972-1977period.The studywouldconsideruseof the SaturnV vehicle,both 

mannedandunmanned[4501. 

In I_cember therewere sevendrop-testsin a continuln8seriesof testsbein8conducted 

at MSFC In the Zero Gravity Drop Tower locatedin the SaturnV DynamicStand. 

MSFC'sTest Laboratoryconductedthe testsin orderto auist the Propulsionand Vehicle 

EnElneedn8Laboratory In a study of low gravityfluid mechanicsand thermodynamics 

phenomena [451 ]. 

.,' 

201


1969 

The year 1969 began with varied activity in the Saturn program. As the Apollo 8 crew 

underwentdebdefingsand medical checksprior to their January 9 visit with the 

President at the White House to receive DistinguishedService Medals, workmen at KSC 

rolledthe Apollo 9 spacevehicleout to its pad,on January3, with no hitchc_.Traveling 

betweenO,S and 0,8 mile per hour the huge vehicleand its mobile launcherand 

transportermadethe 3.S-miletrip In almost9 hours.The 5.S-millionpoundtransporter 

moved its 12.5-million-poundload to the top of the ramp at LaunchComplex39. 

Meanwhile,the Apollo I0 launchvehicle(Saturn/Apollo 505) was stackedinsidethe 

VehicleAssemblyBuilding.Schedulescalledfor the Apollo 106 spacecrafto arriveat 

KSC the secondweek of Januaryand for the AS-SOSspJicecrafto undergoaltitude 

chamber runs [452]. 

On Jan,ary 9 NASA named Astronauts Nell A, Armstrong(commander), Michv.elCo,ins 

(CM pilot), and Edwin E, Aldrin,Jr. (LM pilot) as the prime crew of the Apollo I I lunar 

landing mission scheduled for the summer of 1969. The backup crew would be 

Astronauts James A. Lovell, Jr, (commander), WilliamA, Andcrs(CM pilot), and Fred W. 

Ilaise,Jr. (LM pilot) [453]. 

Near the start of 1969 severalhundred MSFC employees changed theh"physical location 

at MSFC. This began with a shift of 400 In ProgramManagement, formerly Industrial 

Operations.The movementof office workerswasbeingmadeto reflecta. organizational 

changeannouncedin Januaryby Dr. van Braun.In anotherchangeMSFC telephone 

numberswere convertedto a singlecentrexsystem.The new MSFC prefix wasbeing 

changedto 453 [454]. 

Telephoneexchangeequipmentvaluedat almost$1 million, permittingMSFC'sphone 

exchangeto utilize a single Centrex system,was plszcedin operqtionon February2 

14S51. 

The MSFC Medical Programqualified at the start of 1969 for the Certificate of Health 

Maintenanceawarded by the Occupational Health Institute. The certificate indicated that 

the MSFC medical organization was among those U. S. orpnlzatioqs achieving distinction 

for the quality and quantity of constructivehealthmaintenanceservicefor employees 

[456], 

The second stage (S-11-6)for the Apollo I I mi.lon arrivedat KSC on February S. it had 

been test-fl_d at the MississippiTest Facility before arflvingat KSC aboard the Orlon. 

Meanwhile, NASA announced that the first stagq (S-ICqS)of thv A_S06 launch vehicle 

would be shipped from the Mississippitest complex on February I0 and would arrive by 

bargeat leaveHuntsvilleon KSC February16, February20 Schedulesalso'calledfor aboardthe SuperGuppycargoaircraftand the Instrumentunit to(IU-6) arriveat to 

KSC the sameday. The third stageof the AS-,'i06vehiclehad arrived at the Kennedy 

launchsite on January19, after beingshippedbyGuppyulrcraftfrom California[457], 

As of February I0 acting NASA Administrator Dr, Thomas O. Paine was expressing 

concern at NASA's inability to develop an attractive Space Station plan which would be 

203 

PRECI_)ING PAGE BLANK l_lOTFILMED

1969 

Apollo 8 ¢omle_anderFrank Borman 

thankedMSF¢ employeesit# the sprin8 

of 1969. From the left areC ]ff. Smith, 

Juyce Taylor, Robert Wilcox, Lloyd Afar_ 

(In back#round),ForreJt Wells,Tom 

A n_old,WesleyF.Hammer,and 

CarmineDeSanctls. 

An aerial vlewofa portionoftheMarshall 

Centershowin#the Quality and Reliability 

AssuranceLaboratory, theManufacturlnE 

En#Ineerln8 Laboratory. and theverllcal 

auemblybulldlnj. 

Artist's concept lhowln# commonality of 

deJ_n for Shuttle and Orbiter 

4v9 

Apollo 9 _ttonauts 

Astronaut $chwelckartdurlr4 EVA 

of Apollo9llltbt 

Dr. ThomozO.Paine 

becameNASA'a tbl_3 

AdmlnLffmtor on 

Launch of Apollo 9 ' Mar. 3, 1969 

204

FEBRUARY - MARCH _969 

bold and auressiveyet reasonableand, moreimportantly,one that woulddemonstratea 

"united attitude." RelativetO SpaceStation activities,Dr. Paineconsideredtwo major 

NASA in-houseproblemsto be: (I) whereshouldwebegoingandwhat is the natureof 

the program?(i.e., size, timing, mode of operation,and systemsdesiredfor the Space 

Slat!onprogram);(2) how do weorBaniz:_NASA to undertakesucha program?[458] 

An indicationof retirementtrendswas a that retirementprogramoffered for the first 

tlme at MSFC and a 3.9 percentcost of living Increasepromisedthosereliringon or 

before February28, 1969 [459]. 

On February17 the legal affairsoffice at MTF reportedthat membersof the LeeTown 

Community(approximately9 to II milesnorth of the S.IC lest stand)werecirculating 

petitionsrequestingthat MTF static testing be stoppedor that much stdctersafety 

criteria be utilized [4601. 

The Apollo 9 Countdown Demonstration Test (CDDT), last major test before the 

scheduled February28 launch date, ended on February 19 at KSC. Meanwhile,the *'wet" 

portion ofthe CDDT ended on February 18 after minor problems.Astronauts James A, 

McDivttt, David R, Scott, and Russell L. Schweickart took part in the February 19 phase 

of the test. Schednles called for the Apollo 9 precount to begin on February 22 nnd 

continue through the launch. The mission would be the first In4pacc test for II_vhmar 

module 1461]. 

On February 27 MSFC signed an agreement with North American Rockwell Corporation's 

RocketdyneDivisionfor extensionof J-2 engineproductionthroughApril 30, 1970, at 

the reducedrate of one engineper month insteadof thr_.e.The engineswouldnot be 

usedas rapidly as originallyplannedbecauseof overallextensionof the launchvehicle 

productionschedule.The modificationamountedto $8423 454 [462]. 

As an Indicationof the localInterestin MTF activities,_'[F announcedthat visitorswho 

viewedthe staticfiringsof S-IC-9numberedapproximately12000 [4o31. 

One week before the launchingof Apollo 9, humanfactorsseemedon the vergeof 

sidetrackingall the technicalpreparations.The three Apollo9 astronautsdevelopedsore 

throatsand nasalcongestion,and project officialssaid tb_t the illnesscoulddelaythe 

launch,In a phone conversationwith the astronattts'physician,Dr. (:hadesBerry,Dr. 

van Brauninquiredabout the astronauts'condlt;ons.Dr, Berr_erepliedthat thingswere 

not goingverywell becauseof astronautJamesMcDivltt's"real 8ctiteupperrespiratory 

problem" that had not clearedup, Dr. Berryaddedthat If the problemwasnot better 

so,,n, the _auzichwouldhaveto be postponed_cause,Dr. Muellerwouldpreferto delay 

the launchfor a shortwhilerather than go with backuppersonnel1464]. 

A SaturnV boostersuccessfully launchedNASA'sApollo9 (AS.504) at I1:00 a.m, EST 

on March 3. This launch, from LaunchComplexPadA at RSC, wasthe first manned 

flight of an Apollo lunar module.'rite flight wouldnot continueto the moon, but 

insteadthe :hi,glen was for extensivelunar moduletests,extravehicularactivity,and 

command/servicemodule-lunarmodule separat!on,rendezvous,end dockingto simulate 

activitiesafter a lunar landlnR,The launchhad beenpostponed3 daysbecausethe crew 

205

1969 

Aatronaut Scott durln# EYA of 

Apollo 9 flight 

Dr. ThomaJO. Paine,rlsht, IJsworn In ax 

administratorof the NationalAeronautics 

and Spa_ceAdmlnLttratlonby Vice.President 

Splro 7',A#new, The ceremony took place 

April 3, 1969, In WaJhln#ton. 

206

MARCH 1969 

had viral infectionsin their r_spiratorysystems.Physicl,nsfearedthat the glnessesand 

lack of rest mighthinderthe men'sperformance.Duringthe 3-dayhold the astronauts 

studiedmissionproceduresand workedin a ralston simulator.They _ got somerest 

prescribedby thelr doctors.They took medicationuntil March I, and by March 3 th_ 

doctorshad saidthe €oldswere clear. The pdmary objectivesof the m_lon included 

demonstrationo_'crrw, spacevehicle,and missionsupportfacultiesperformanceduring, 

mannedSaturnV _nL_[onwith the co;nmand/servicemoduleand the lunarmodule.The 

launcheventsoccurredas plan:seer _ the spacecraftcarriedAstronautsJamesA McDlvttt 

(comn_andez),David P Rcott(CM pilot), and RusseUL. Schwelckart(LM pilot). After 

post.insertionche(-_outtil_ _.rewsucc_sfuily docked with the LM, and the docked 

spacecraftwas separatedI'romthe th!rd stage,Two S-IVB burnsplacedthe stageon an 

earth.escapetrajectory,On the third day, McDivltt and Schwelckartenteredthe LM 

throughthe dockingtunnel,evaluatedthe LM systems, transmittedthe first telecast,and 

conductedthe first mannedriri,i; of'the LM descentpropulsionwstem (DPS).They then 

returnedto the CSM. 

McDivitt and Schwelckartreenteredthe LM on the Iourth dayand transmitteda second 

telecast,Schweickartspent37 minutesoutsidethe spacecraft,walkingbetweenthe LM 

and CSM hatches,maneuveringon handrails,and standingIn "liolden dipper" foot 

restraints.Then he and McDivltt returned to the CSM, McDlvltt and Schweickart 

reenteredthe LM on the fifth day to performthe CSM-LMrendezvous.By the end of 

the fifth day 97 percentof the Apollo 9 objectiveshad beensucceurullyaccomplished, 

On the sixth through the ninth daysthe crew accomplichedtasksthat Includedtaking 

multlspectralphotographsof earth, trackinglandmarks,and thenprep.,'lnllfor reentry, 

On the 10th day therewassome |:oncernbecauseor unfavorableweatherin the planned 

landlnilarea,but the CM-SM_,_aratlon,p_rachutedeployment,andother reentryevents 

were normal.The spacecraftreenteredduringthe 152ndrevolutionandsplashe downIn 

the Atlantic east of' the Bahamasat 12:55 p.m. EST on March 13 within right of the 

recoveryship USS Gu_lalcm_aLThe he,copter pickedup the cre.v and flaw It to the 

recovery chip within I hour after splashdown.This first mannedIlight of the lunar 

modulehadqualifiedthe lastmajorcomponentfor a lunar I_dlnB mi_on, 

Apollo 9 was the sixth Apollo missionand the third mannedApollo mb,don,E_ller 

unmannedApollo flightshad yieldednil spacecraftInformationpossiblewithodt a crew 

on board. Apollo 4 (launchedNovember9, 196'/) and Apollo S (launchedJanuary22, 

1968) had both beenhighly successful, completingInflight tasL, I of all major piecesof 

Apollo hardware,Apollo 6 (launchedApril 4, 1968), despitelaunchvehicleproblems, 

had attainedfour oraveprimaryobjectiveswith the spacecraftrecoveredIn excellent 

condition, The first mannedApollo mlulon, Apollo 7 (October 11-22, 1968), had 

achievedall primary objectivesand verified operationof spacecraftfor lunar-ml_on 

duration.The secondmannedmluion, Apollo8 (December21-27, 1968),had provedthe 

capabilityof Apollohardwareand systemsto operateout to lunar distancesand return 

throughthe earth'satmosphere[463-468], 

' 

PresidentRichardM, NlxonnamedDr. ThomasO, Paineas the new NASAAdministrator 

effective March S, 1969, The Presidentmadethe announcementat the White House 

dudnBceremoniesMarch5 honodngthe Apollo8 crew[469], 

207

1969 

_j 

d ! 

" 

,! 

ATM solar array development, 

wing deployed 

IVorkshopsolar array wing being deployed 

'rhe Skylab Program 

Skylab AIrlock/MDA trainer 

Airlock test articleon AMock {ll#ht article no. I duringfilling o{ 

production lisle 

thermal curtainpattern - MSFC 

208

MARCH 1969 

Personnelat the KennedySpaceCentermovedthe Apollo/SatumV launchvehiclefor 

the Apollo 10 missionto LaunchComplex39B on MarchI;, Launchof the fifth Saturn 

V vehiclefrom Complex39B would mark the first useof this portionof the facility. 

Apollo 9 and three previous Saturn V flights had been from nearby 39A [470]. 

On March 13, ten days after the launch of Apollo 9, the MSFC MissionOperationsOffice 

submitted its final summary report. The report stated, "Launch of the payload into orbit 

and post-bum checkout was accomplished successfully, but the crew experienced some 

vibration during S-ll at about 8 minutes GET (ground elapsed time). SiC guidance data 

was lost for one orbit, but was recovered by ground station computer reprogramming." 

Among lesser problems was a master alarm that was received when the docking probe 

first engaged the LM drogue. This anomaly was unexplained but had been experienced 

before with other vehicles [471]. 

On March 18 MSFC awarded , contract for additional work on an aerospike engine 

system to the Rocketdyne Division of North America. Rockwell Corporation. The new 

contract amounted to $1 142 924. Work would be done at Roc' etdyne's Canoga Park, 

Callfomla, facility an_lat the company's Nevada Field Laboratories.The serospike engine 

(also called a plu&nozzle) was a ring-like engine with many *iny throats along its 

circumference that discharged engine exhausts down the sldc- of the plug. By the 

aerospike's action, the performance chztracterislicsof a full-length nozzle were permitted 

without any Increasedweight and length [472]. 

A second group of MSFC astronauts participated i, full pressure-suit test operations in 

the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator at MSFC to evaluate ATM hardware €onfiguration 

changes and to suggest further changes to facilitate ATMextravehicular activity [4731. 

After reviews by top NASA omclals, Administrator Tholnas O, Paine announced on 

March24 that Apo!!o I0, scheduled for launch May 18, would be a lunarorbit mission 

in which two astronauts would descend within 50 000 feet of the moon's surface. As Dr. 

Paine made the announcement, the Apollo/Satum V 505 vehicle waited at Launch 

Complex 39B to lift astronauts Thomas P, Stafford, John W. Young, and EugeneCeman 

on their &day flight. The manned lunar module would approach twice to within about 

I0 relies of one of the preselected Apollo landing sites during the 3-day trip to the 

vicinity of the moon. WhUethere would be no actual landing, the m_ion plan would be 

the same as for the lunarlandlnil mission [4741. 

General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States, died 

March28, 1969. He had dedicated the MarshallCenter on September 8, 1960 1475]. 

On March 28 MSFC and Rocketdyne signed, a $38 340000 contract modification 

covering production support on J-7 engines for upper stages of Saturn IB and Saturn V 

launch vehicles, ProvisionsIncluded work to simplify the engine, make It more versatile, 

and modify It for a reducedrestart time [476], 

In responseto Dr. van Braun'sconcernabout the oscillationproblemsIn the 504 flight, 

Lee B. Jameswrote Dr. van Braun, "We recognizethe 504 problemmustbe worked 

separatelyand quickly.We are engineedn8an early centerengine cutoff In caseIt Is 

209

1969 

Apollo I0 astronauts Lift-off of Apollo I 0 

Earthand the moon as viewedfrom Apollo 

I0 spacecraft 

L,,ar landingmanem,¢r- artist's concept 

Artist's ¢ollcept of spacecraft rec'overy O;bltal I;Porkshop 

cm,cm._s 

o _ul|! 

fl.lOO 50 

It llJ Iqel*llt 

Illfll| 

0 P IDIfllt 

el|i4ll IfOfll) 

il I| 

IIl Illlii| 

* llllll IIIItlllLII 

I$ fig II II 

111 II IIIIIt 

210 

ATMflight unit canL¢terat MSFC 

LR V l.g tlalm,rat MSC

MAR(Ill - APRIL 1969 

needed. In summary, I believe everyone recognizes the problem which must be solved. We 

are all workingbest approached*i.,a long.term solution" [477l. 

A few days before Apollo 9 astronauts MeDlvitt, Schweickart, and Scott prepared to 

splashdown IIi the Pacific, other astronauts were splashing down at MSFC. Three 

astronauts from the MannedSpacecraftCenter, who were InvolvedIn Apollo Applications 

Space Exploration, worked inside the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator at MSFC. The three 

were Dr. Edward G. Gibson, Lt. Comdr. Joseph Kerwin (a medical doctor) and Lt. 

Comdr. Paul.J. Weitz. Inside the large water tank the astronauts were able to maneuve: 

inside and around a full scale replica of an Apollo Telescope Mount and Saturn I 

WorEshop.14781. 

WizenDr. Thomas O. Paine became the new administratorof NASA on April 3, NASA's 

program of Apollo/Saturn space flights was about one-third accomplished. There had 

been I0 flights in the Apollo/Saturn series [4791. 

On April 8 MSFC engineerstested one solution to the worrisome problemof longitudinal 

• oscillation (page effect) or vibration which had occurred on both Apollo 8 and 9 flights 

and ttze S-II center engine and tllrust structure. Since os,:lllations on both flights occurred 

30 to 40 seconds before the _,-!Iengines shut down, one solution to the problem might 

be to shut down the center engine early. With this In mind, test engineers intentionally 

shut day,,,1the center engine nearly 1½ minutes early during a captive firing of a Saturn 

V second stage (S-II-8) at the Mississip.piTest Facility. This was the first time such an 

experP:*:,ntoccurred. If data obtained from the test should prove satisfactory - and on 

first of Apollo io¢_kIt10, appeared scheduled to be May - the 18. center A test engine of themight eighthbe S-II cutvelticle off earlyduring laster 385 the seconds, flight 

with only m*-four "outboard" engint-_functioning the final 86 seconds during this April 

8 experiment. Should the early engine shut down be carriedout in order to forestall the 

o._clllationproblem, there would be a sacrifice of about 500 pounds of the 3000-pound 

pa_.,Ioadreserve on the Apollo I0 mission. However, by cutting the engine off early, 

ettginecrs would simply be using the vehicle's engine-out capability in a planned mode. 

(';uldance system of the rocket would t_at it as an engine loss and make the necessary 

corrections 14801. 

On April 8 NASA released Its AAP, "Launch Readiness and Delivery Schedule ML-16." 

This new schedule called for the same number of' Saturn IB and Saturn V launches as . 

ML-15, but _roved the launch of the firs[Workshop 3 months to November 1971. 

On April 9 MSFC awarded two 8-month identical $400 000 contracts, one to Grumman 

Aircraft EngineeringCorporation and one to Bendix Corporation, for preliminary design 

and definition studies of dual-mode lunar roving vehicles (DLRV's) to be included In the 

cargo lofted from earth by Saturn vehicles. The DLRV would provide moblltty for one 

astronaut on the lunarsurface and could be operated by remote control from earth while 

making automate,t Iong-ranl;e traverses of large lunar areas. The DLRV would be 

delivered to the moon aboard Apollo LM [4811. 

On Apta I0 NASA announced the prime crew for the Apollo 12 mission: Astronauts 

Charles Conrad, Jr, (commander), Richard F. Gordon, Jr. (CM pilot), and Alan L. Bean 

211

1969 

This ?O0.yard-lon8 

rocket caravanmoved 

on June 28, 1969, from 

the MarshallCenter to 

the AlabamaSpaceand 

Rocket Centerlocated 

on AlabamaHighway 

20 In Huntsville. 

Apollo 11 crew 

:'"'_ 

Apollo l! LunarModulo 

Earth as viewedfrom Apollo 11 

Approach of Apollo 11 

to lunar landln$slt._ 

"d_I 

LOft-offof 

Apollo 11 " 

I • " ' "_ 

' .,., 

Flagdeployment at 

TranquilityBase 

"fro 

Astronaut on lunar 

surfaceat 71,anqulllty 

B_e 

LunarModule 

212

A]_RIL1969 

(LM pilot). The backup crew would be AstronautsDavidR. Scott, AlfredM. WoMen, 

and JamesB, Irwin.The Apollo 12 would land on the moon 4 to 6 _onth_tafter the 

July 1969 Apollo II mission [482l. 

On April 18 MSFCannouncedthatIthad IssuedRequestsForProposalsfor assistanceIn 

producing320 completed solar arraysto convert sol,r energy Into electricalpower to 

operatethe SaturnI Workshop.A preproposalconferencewas scheduledat MSFCMay i 

14831. 

Expresslnltappreciationto SaturnProgramemployeeswho helpedassure "thesuccessof 

his flight to the moon and back, AstronautFrankgerman,Comm,mderof the Apollo8 

crew,visitedMSFCon April24. Bormangreetedand shookhandswithMSFCworkersat 

severallocations14841. 

On April27 severalthousand gallonst,;"fuel drainedfrom the Apollo 10 fhst stage;this 

resulted in an extensiveseries of checks at KSCto determineif any damageoccurred. 

The RP-I fuel flowed out when the prevalvesin riteS-ICstage openedwhile a leakwas 

beingre#airedIn the nitrogenpressurizationsystem on the mobile launcherat PadB In 

preparationfor the countdowndemonstrationtest (CDDT).Inspectionof the forward 

sectionof the fuel tank Includeda seriesof dye penetrantchecksto assurethat no cracks 

werepresent.EnWl Into the stagefor further Inspectionalsowas planned[485]. 

In proposingto build a SpaceStationNASA had to makea majordecision concerning 

whetheror not to build a SpaceStationutilizinga zero g (gravity)or an artificialg. An 

Indicationthat the decision might be In favor of zero S was containedIn an April28 

note from Dr, Muellerto Dr. Paine tn which Dr. Muellerstated that as a result of a 

reviewof a meetingwith representativesof Loewy/Snaithand AstronautWalterSchlrm, 

"LoewylSnaith is developing new habitability concepts basc_ on the freedom of 

movementaffordedby a zero g environment," 

In a subject area related to orbitingspacelaboratorie some 250 scientistsand engineers 

from universities,government.,nd Industryattended a Workshopon optical telescope 

technologyat MSF_ April 29 through May I. The purposeof the Workshopwas the 

exchange of technical Informationrelated to the designof futurespace telescopesand 

Identificationor the researchand technologyefforts neededto supportfuturemissions. 

NASA's Office of AdvancedResearchand Technology(OART)and Its Office of Space 

Scienceand Applications(O,]SA)sponsoredthe workshop,Speakersdiscussedthe useof 

space telescopesand the instrumentationnecessaryfor selectingastronomy tasks[4861. 

MSFCannouncedon April 30 that proposalsfor two designand planningstudiesof a 

Space Stationprogramfor the mld-1970's, one.of wldch would be directedby MSFC, 

had been requestedby NASA.Majoreffort of the studieswould be preliminarydesign 

and planningof a 12-man,earth-orbitalSpaceStationwhichcouldbe developedby 1975. 

It would be designedto have an operationallife of i0 years, sttbJectto resupplyof 

expendablLandrotationof crewswith logisticvehicles. The SpaceStationwouldbe 

envisioned as the Initial element of a large space base. The .work would Includea 

conceptualdesignof a 50-mauspacebasemade up of specializedmodules assembledin

1969 

Saturn V Warkshop 

Artist's cc,tcept ,f Sk),lab 

On Jttly 9 workers prepared certain 

portions of a I0 acreareafor a .,_.,,,..,.m, 

Lunar LandingCelebration at the 

Im lw tt_tta 

MarshallCenter.W,)wnhereare /-,,. 

debarked trees ,sed as shelters. 

II triP miftl la_I_t 

I I_II lal 

II 

A TAt e.,tperlment canister 

214

APRIL - MAY 1969 

low earth orbit In the late 1970's and early 1980's, The space basewould be u 

centralized facility in orbit, comparable to n sdentific and technical research, 

development, and operationscenteron earth I,S71. 

MSFC'sofficialweeklynewspaper, theMarshallStar statedin a headlineon April 30 that 

"Saturn V PropellantsCost 23.4c A Mile For Moo;i Trip." The paperwent on to add. 

"When the NASA'sApol;o/Saturnspacevehiclemakesits long-awaitedjourney to a lunar 

landhlgthisyear,it will travelmorethan 655 000 statutemiles- at a costIn propellants 

of 23.4 centsu mlle. The estlma:eis basedon the hlstoflcApollo 8 flight to tile moon 

last December.The spacevehiclethat makesthe actualmoon-landingflight will follow 

wry closelythe spacetrail blazedby Apollo 8. Total fuel bill for Apollo 8's SaturnV 

launchvehicleand Apollo spacecraftwasslightlymorethan_153 000, anaver,Beof Just 

under 16 cents a gallonfor propeliants.The Apollo/SalurnspacevehicleBet 0.6.8mile 

per pJlon on Its Apollo 8 trip, much less than the averageautomobile,but the 

ApollolSnturnIs not of coursethe averageautomobile"14881. 

Immedl,tely folluwin8 the spccessfulS-ll-8 firing. MSFC IssuedChangeOrder t643 to 

NAR, authorizing Incorporation of early S-II center.engine cutoff'. Tire Change Order 

approved modlllcatlon of stages S-II-S, S-11-6, and S-11-7pending alternate solutions to 

the excess oscillation problem [489]. 

MSFr anne.need on May 2 the issuance of reque,.ts for proposals for experiment 

modules to be used with a proposed manned Space Station to orbit the earth In the 

1970's, This study, underan 8-month contract,wouldanalyzethe scientificand 

engineering need for experiment modules and would develop concepts for the least 

number of modules needed. These study tasks included furtherdefinitionof can,lldate 

experiment groupings, development of preliminary module concepts, definition of 

minimum number of concepts, development o1'preliminary design and cost analysis for 

each module concept, and the making of a proposed plan schedule. Proposals would be 

dueMay 22, 1969 [4901. 

On May 2 NASA unloadedan 8-tonalrlock at MSFC for groundtestingto qualifyIt as 

part of an orbiting SpaceStation. The alriock was part of the Apollo Applications 

Programclusterto be launchedIn the mid-1970's. NASA Flewthe 65-Inch-diameter, 

IT-toot cylindricalunit from McDonnellDouglasCorporation'sSt. Louis plant to be 

Joinedto the multiple-dockingadapter.It would providean interconnectingpassageway 

betweenthe S-IVB rocket stageand the multiple-dockingadapterin flight, condition 

environmentalgases,and provldoInstrumentation,data m_ement, Intercommunication, 

andother _rvices149[]. 

Alter overcomingproblems, mostof which were consideredroutine, workmenat the 

CapesucceMfullycompletedthe "wet" portionof the CDDT for Apollo I0 on May 5. 

One problemnot consideredroutine had beenthe occurrenceon April 21 whenseveral 

thousandgallonsof fuel drainedfrom the Apollo 10 firststage.But aftern seriesof dye 

penetrantchecksgave assurancethat no crackswerepresent,the countdowncontinued 

on schedule,the launchscheduleremainingthe _me, with.one ofthe problemscausing.. 

Impact on the launch schedule through the May _ countdown 14'92,493l, "" 

215

1969 

Skylab OWS concept 

Aldock trainerviewedfrom OWS 

end - MDAC-E 

CSM/Skylab docking 

ATM mockup at MSFC 

r! 

ColemanStreet wasthe main buslttes#area 

of Waveland,MI_., before HurricaneCamille : * 

leveleitthe town. Severalhundred people, 

Includln814 ci_tlserviceemployeet of the / 

MIJsbslpplTest Facility, once i1_' here. 

A TM canister 

216

MAY1969 

CharlesW, Mathews,NASA'sDeputyAssociateAdministratorfor MannedSpaceFlight, 

sponm;eda May5 meetlnliin Washingtonto dls_,ussmanagementof the _IpaceStation 

study.Rcpresentt._gMSFCwas Dr.WilliamR. Lucas[494]. 

On May'7NASA announcedthe establishmentof two newgroups.One of them was a 

"SpaceStation task group"under Dr. GeorgeE. Mueller,NASAAssociateAdministrator 

for MannedSpacel_light.The other was a "Space Shuttletaskgroup"underCharlesW. 

Mathews,Deputy AssociateAdmlnbtratorfor MannedSpace Flight. Reportingto Dr. 

Muellerwould be LeRoy E. Day. former Directorof Apollo Test. His groupwould 

develop NASA materialfor u reporton Space Shuttles to the President'sSpaceTask 

GroUpby June I_. Frankgerman, former DeputyDirectorof FlightCrewOperationsat 

MSCand Apollo 8 commander,wouldreport to Muthewsas FieldDirectorfor the Space 

Stationeffort[495]. 

On May 16 MSFCawardeda $4620310 contractmodificationto "..'hryRler CorpOration 

Space Division for vehicle systems engineeringand integrationc_'.,Saturn IB ,ehlcles 

scheduledfor NASA Apollo Applicationsprogramflights.Workbegun on JanuaryI, 

1969,wouldextend throughMarch31, 19,70[496]. 

On May 18 anotherSaturnV boostersucce:,sfullyliftedan Apolloon Its waytowardthe 

moon. NASA's Apollo 10 (AS-505), first lunar orbitalmissionwith completeApollo 

spacecraft,was launchedsuccessfullyfrontKSCComplex39, PadB, at 12:49 p,m. EDT. 

Headingthe llst of VIP's for the launchwere Vice-Presidentand M,'s.Spire Agnew. 

Vice-PresidentAgnew had dinner with the' crew the night before Uselatmch.NASA 

DirectorDr. Paineand the Vice-Presidentco-hosteda luncheonat KSCthe day of the 

launch. 

Primaryobjectivesqf the AS-505missionwere to demonstratecrew, spacevehicle,and 

missionsupportfacilitiesduringa mannedlunarmissionwith the CSMand the LMand 

to evaluatethe LM performanceand cislunarand lunarenvironments.Launchevents 

occurred _ planned, and the spacecraft, carryingAstronautsThomas P. Stafford 

(commander),John W. Young (CMpilot), and EugeneA, Cernan(LM pilot), entered 

initialparkingorbit with a IIS.I-mile apogee and I¿4;6-mileperigee.The astronautsdid 

not report any vertical oscillations or pogo during the second stage burn. Such 

osclllHionshad been experiencedon the two previousSaturnV flights. Stafforddid 

comment thatwhen the SaturnV passed throughmaximumdynamic pressure,or "max 

Q," that "Things are be,inningto shake b_here." The astronautsreportedoscillations 

duringthe thirdstagebum, describingthe situationas "worsethanon Titan." LeeJames, 

SaturnProgramManager,saidthat engineerswereawarethat such mcillationscould be 

expectedand that "we have some more work to do" In this connection. After lunar 

trajectoryInsertionand ch_._outthe CSM,code.named"CharlleBrown,"separatedfrom 

the SaturnV th;rdstage(S-IVB)and the LM.code-named"Snoopy." 

Excellentquality color televisioncoverageof the dockingsequenceswas transmittedto 

the Gold,tone tracking station and was seen on worldwidecommerdal TV. The 

spacecraftenteret_the moon's sphereof _:_uence on the four'titday, May21. On the 

fifth day Staffor-.'tand Cerna,t entered the LMand checkedout all the systemsbefore 

., firingthe SMreactioncontrol:,/stemthrustersto separatethe CSMand the LMabout30 

217

Refusees await emeuattonbesideNASA 

vehiclesthat brought hospitaland Ovll 

Defenseequipmentand _14ppllesinto the 

strlken town of PassChristianIn the wake 

of Hurricaneeamlll'.. Tile re_gees areIn 

iront of a school ,hal servedas hospitaland 

communicationscenter, inslae the scnom, 

more homelesspeople,line tipfor 

Inoculatlo_ from blSFCdoctors and nurses. 

LR Vflight unit 

_ 

A TMIn vibrationtest fixture at MSFC 

1 .:"-9 

Hand controlleron 

LR V no. 2 

'_ 

_, ii 

l 

I: 

Viewof Workshopcrewquarters. At left, crewman 

removesfood from overheadoven. In center, crewman 

checkspersonal8roomingIn mirror•In foreground, 

unrestrainedastronaut placesvacuumcleanerbagIn 

trash aldock. 

218

MAY 1969 

feet and again for a 2.3-mile separation.The LM descent propulsionWstcm_burn 

propelledthe LM to within 9.6 milesof the luntlrsurface.The crewhad no di(flculty 

Identifyinglandmarks.StatTord_tld, "It looks like all you have to do is to put yourtall 

wheel down and we're there.... The craters(aroundNo. 2 landingsite) look flat and 

smoo',hat the bottom. It shouldbe real easy" for the Apollo I1 landing.TheLMcrew 

t,_oknumerousphotos of the lunarsurface and providedcontinuouscommentaryon 

theirobservationsaftertheircameramalfunctioned. 

The CSMentered a transearthtrajectoryafter 61.5 hours (31 orbits) in lunar orbit. 

Picturesof the moon as seen from the recedingspacecraftwere specta_:ul_.On tlte 

eighth day the crew preparedf_r reentry, and the SM separatedfrom the CM on 

scltedule.Parachutedeploymentand other reentryeventsoccurredas planned.Apollo 10 

splasheddown in the Pacificat 12:52p.m. EDTon May26, 3.4 milesfromthe recovery 

ship USS Princeton, preciselyon time.The crewwaspickedup and reachedthe recovery 

ship at 1:31 p.m. EDT. Dudngtheirbusy schedulethe threeastronautshad takentime 

to share their voyagewith the world.N:.neteencolor televisiontransmissionstotaled 

almost6 hours. 

All primaryApollo 10 missionobjectivesand detailedtest objectiveshad been a_'hieve_J. 

Apollo i0 w,s the seventhApollo mission to date, the fourth manttedApollo mission, 

the largestpayloadever placedin earth and lurzrorbits,and the firstdemonstrationof 

lunar orbit rendezvou0.The missionacquired majorquantitiesof photographictraining 

mater:isisfor Apollo II and subsequentmissions.NASAplannedthe Apollo 10 mlssio|, 

as a mannedlunarmlssl6ndevelopmentflight to demonstratecrew/spacevehlcle/mlsslo_t 

supportfacilitiesperformanceduringa mannedlunarmission,.vtththe Command/Service 

Moduleand LunarModule,and to evaluateLM performanceIn the cislunarand lunar 

environmedt.The Apollo 10 countdownoccurredwith no un.scheduledholds.The major 

activity In the tint period of the IAtmchIncludedspacevehicle launch,Insertioninto 

earth orbit, and transiunarl_ection, Majoractivitiesduring the second phaseof the 

mission were a mid-coursecorrection,two lunar orbit Insertionbums, and InitialLM 

activation.During this second phase the astroqautsconducteda 29.minute scheduled 

color t,:levisiottrahsmlsslonof the lunarsurface,and the picturequal!tyof lunarscenes 

wasexcellent.Majoractivitiesin the thirdperiodwere the LMdescentto within50 000 

feet of the lunar surface, and subsequentrendezvouswith the orbltlngCSM.Fourth 

period ,major._ctivlty Included the LM APS burn to depletion, extensivelandmark 

tracking,photography,TV, and bansearthinjection(TEl) burn.Althoughthe crewmade 

18 landmarkslg.htingsduring this period and took extensivestereo strip and oblique 

photographs,they deleted two scheduled"IV periodsbecauseof crew fatigue.Major 

activitiesduringthe fifth periodIncludedstar-lunarlandmarkslghtlngs,anda CSM&band 

Idgh gain antenna reflecttvltytest. Majoractivity during the final phase includedlive 

colortel_vision,reentr:',and recovery[497-5011. 

Respondingto a questionon the May 18 NBC 'IV ;,rogram"Meet the Press,"NASA 

AdministratorDr. Thomas O, Patnesatd that use of the MOLand of NASA'sOrbital 

Workshopwere "two very dllTerentprojects," NASA's was a "longer rangeprogram 

aimed at a very substantialfactllty which would be really a universitycampustype 

researchstationin orbit." MOLwasa "programthat is welladvanced,and Isdesignedto 

findout the militaryapplicationsof space" 15021. 

219

1969 

SkylabWorkshopwardroom 

viewed through doorway. Food 

oven In ceiling;directly below 

is observationwindow.At bottom 

Isfood preparationtable with 

thigh and foot restraints. 

Apollo 12 crew 

Camerasand observationstand at KSC during 

launch of Apollo 12 

Apollo 12 lift.off 

I, • , __,,_.:i[, 

Heat shield of CMafter reentry

MAY- JUNE 1969 

In NASA's 1969 Aslrmlaullcs alld Aeronautics Chronology entry for May 19 a 

PhOadelphlaEvening Bullethereporterwasquotedas follows,describingthe mqniflcance 

of the Apollo I0 lift-off: "TV camerasdo not do It Justice.it Is like.100 claps of 

thunder,each following the other with machine-sunspeed.The flamethatleaps from 

behindthe rocketcould havecome straightfrom Dante'sInferno.It is too brightto be 

seen with comfort by the naked eye. The earth tremblesbeneath the feet, two miles 

away. 

"Thenthe toweringrocket,nearlytwiceas high as NiagaraFalls,two-thirdsthe heightof 

the WashingtonMonument,creepswith agonizingslowness the first few feet off the 

ground,envelopedby a whitecloud. 

"ThenIt isgone- andmanisleft to wonderandto pray." 

Onrd'_y20 thest_ckedspacecraft andSaturnV launchvehiclefor ApolloI I, firstlunar 

landingmission, rolledoutto LaunchComplex39,PadA, at KSC[503]. 

On June2 NASAannounced its preliminaryflightplanfor the forthcomingApolloII 

lunar landing mission.The spacecraft,carryingAstronautsNell A, Armstrong 

(commander), Michael_ollhis(CM pilot),andEdwinE. Aldrln,Jr.(LM pilot),wouldbe 

launchedfrom the KSCLaunchComplex39, PadA, by the SaturnY boosteron July 

16, with touchdownoccurring on the moon'sSea of Tranquility on July 20. On July 21 

Armstronswouldstepontothe lunarsurface, followedanhourlaterby Aldrin.The 

astronautswould collect up to 50 poundsof lunarsurfacesamplesfor returnto earth, 

lake photos, anddeployan experimentspackagebeforeleavingthe moon on July 21 and 

returningto the CSMbeingpilotedby Collins,They wouldcompletetheir8-daymission 

with splashdownIn the Pacificon July 24, 195 hours 20 minutes42.2 secondsafter 

launch15041. 

Charles W. Mathews, Deputy Associate Administratorfor MannedSpaceflight, and 

AstronautFrank BormanvisitedMSFCon June9 for discussionsconcerningthe Space 

Stationand the SpaceShuttle. Dr. W.R. Lucasof MSFChosted the one-daymeeting. 

Mathewarecently had been named to head a MannedSpace Station Task Groupin 

additionto his dutiesas AssociateAdministrator.AstronautBorman,Commanderof the 

Apollo8 flight,hadbeennamedField Directorfor the SpaceStationeffort [505]. 

On June 9 Dr. yon Braunrequestedof Dr. Mueller"an early programapprovalfor a 

follow-on procurementof six SaturnV vehicles"In order that procurementactivities 

might continue "in supportof" schedulesstructuredto supporta deliveryof AS-516 to 

KSCIn January1973 [506]. 

I' 

As a followup to a September 1968 letter in w|dchMSFChad stateda positionat the 

initiation of the cryogenic proof test programthat the testing was not considered 

ess,mtlalIn man-ratingthe S-IIstructure,Col. LeeJameson June !6 reiteratedthe MSFC 

position to Lt. Gen. Samuel C. Phillips in another letter. Col. James wrote, "The 

cryogenictest resultsandsubsequentlyinspectionsof thestructuraltestarticlesand.flight 

stages S-11-3,S-11-4,S-II-5, 8-11-6,and S-11-7have not disclosed any evidence that 

decreased our confidence in the S-II stage as manufacturedand processedthrough 

221


hydrostaticcomponen testsand pneumostatle,ests. 

Based this are 

on expeflence,we 

recommendingthat the cryoprooflastingbe discontinuedeffectivewith S-II.IO. A cost 

savingsof approximately$1 000 000 couldbe realizedIn the currentprogr_nh" 

MSFC announcedon June 24 the Issuanceof RFP's relativeto an 8-month study of 

integration of Centaur and Saturn S-IVB stages for possible use in future unmanned 

httth-velocity midians, Proposals for the study, which would include six launch vehicle 

conl]gurallons, would be due on July I0 1507l. 

The first stage of the Saturn V (SA-508) launch vehicle to be used on the Apollo 13 

mission would reach reached KSC KSC on onJune June 30. 16. The Thethird second _tage:htzd stage, scheduled arrived at to KSC leaveon MTF June on June 13. The 25, 

Instrument Unit would be flown to KSCon July 7 [5081. 

MSFC announced the return of Maj. Gen. Edmund O'Connor to the U.S. Air Force 

following the Apollo II launch. General O'Connor joined MSFC 4_ years earlier, us 

Director of Industrial Operations (currently Program Management). and Ilad been a key 

figure in MSFC managementand In the Apollo Program management team. Lee B, James. 

Saturn V Program Manager, succeeded General O'Connor as Director of Program 

Management[5091. 

On June 26 the Saturn V first stage (S-IC-II) caught fire In the test stand at the 

MississippiTest Facility dudnk an acceptance test that was scheduled to last 125 seconds. 

The test was terminated automatically after 96 seconds wizen the temperatureon the No. 

3 engine (urbopropexceed.edthe limit. The fire was extinguished by a fire-control system 

built lrtto the test stand afier burning for less than an hour [510l, 

On June 30 three aerospace Industries received space agency contracts totaling 

$2 238 734. Under terms of the contracts the three industries wotdd study design 

concepts and development requirements for a nuclear rocket stage which could replace 

the current third stage of the Saturn V lauttch vehicle for advanced missions in the late 

1970's and 1980 pedod and which would serv: as a workhorse for earth orbital and 

planetary applications. The three IO-month contracts went to McDonnell Douglas 

CorporatiOn,$913 000; North American Rockwell Corporation, $756 734: and Locklteed 

Aircraft Corporation, $569 000. Payload concepts and their development requirements 

for potential flight tests and early operational.applications of this nuclear stage would 

also be considered. The proposed nuclear stage would use the NERVA (Nuclear Engine 

for Rocket Vehicle Application) being developed Jointly by NASA and the Atomic 

Energy Commission1511], 

While many tltroughout the world doubted the possibility of safely landing men on the 

moon, there were nonroutine Indicationswithin MSFCthat the Center had strong faith in 

the technical competence and expertise that would assure a successful mission. Six weeks 

before the scheduled Apollo II launch, a memorandum went to all MSFC employees 

stating. *'Wehave all worked very hard for a long time to realize a national goal of 

getting men to the moon and back. For this reason Dr. van Braunwants as many MSFC 

employees as possible to attend the launching of Apollo II, scheduled for 10:27 a.m. 

EDT on July 16, 1969. MARS has been asked to make travel arrangementsfor those 

222

JUL969 

employeeswho wouldnot otherwisehave an opportunityto seethis launching.".A few 

days later MSFC gavefurther indicationof its optimismby announcingthat Huntsville 

personnelheadedby Messrs,David Newby,GeneralChairman;JohnChase,Manager;Jim 

Johnson,Co-Manager;and Everette Broulllette,Presidentof the AFOE Lodge, were 

planninga giant celebrationin HuntsvilleOn July 26 followingthe lunarfilght. Dr. von 

Braun,Dr. Rees,end Mr. German decideda few days before the announcementthat it 

weald be appropflatefor MSFCto sponsorsucha celebration[512]. 

The Director, MSFC, assignedrespondbllitlesfor developmentand procurementof 

manned LRV's for use on Apollo mbsions in 1971. Consistent with the "l_hased project 

management"philosophyunder the Center'snew organizationalstructure,the Director 

transferred the overall respon.,,lbilttyfor the project from ProgramDevelopmentto 

Program Managementexcludlr,8 the responr_bllltyof the Dual Mode Lunar Roving 

Vehicle effort. Within ProgramManagement,the LRV ProjectOffice wouldbecomean 

elementof the SaturnProgramOffice. Pendingfinal plansfor the organization,an LRV 

Task Force condstingof personnelfrom ProgramManagement,ProgramDevelopment, 

and Scienceand Engineeflngwouldbeused,managedby SavefloF. Morea,asmanagerof 

the LRV ProJect.A_sting Morea as chiefprojectengineerand actingdeputymanagerof 

the project wouldbe JamesA. Belew,formerlytaskteammanagerof the LRV effort In 

ProgramDevelopment[513]. 

The Apollo I I booster, spacecraft, and Astronauts Nell A. Armstrong, Michael Collins, 

aJtd Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., completed a final countdown reheat's01test, July 3. The 

astronauts achieved a simulated lift-off at 9:32 a.m. EDT at the exact time of the 

scheduled July 16 launch. Final countdown for the first manned lunar landing mission 

would begin July I0 [514]. 

On July 4 NASA officials ordered technicians to repaint the Saturn V third stage (S-IVB) 

after it was discovered that the old coating had begun to peel. Thermal paint would help 

protee" the super-cold hydrogen fuels from the sun's heat. Repaintlng of the stage, 

scheduled to boost the manned Apollo 11 spacecraft toward the moon July 16, would 

not affect the launch date 1515], 

The Apollo I I countdown began at KSC at 7:00 p.m. EDT on July 10 In preparationfor 

launch at 9:32 a.m, EDT on July 16 [516]. 

On July I I MSFC l_ued RIP's for the design, development, test, and delivery for four 

flight modelsof a mannedlunar rovingvehicle.This four-wheeled,400-poundvehicle 

would be cardedto _e moon on board the LM in 1971 to transportastronauts,tools, 

lunarsamples,andother equipmentandexpeflments[517]. 

That the SaturnProgramwas nestingthe center"of the world'sstagewasapparentas the 

flight of Apollo I I approached.First notablesto arriveat Cape Kennedyon the eveof 

the Apollo I I launchIncluded former Prel:identend Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnsonand 

Southern ChristianLeadershipConferencepre,ddent,the ReverendRalph D. Abernathy. 

The Johnsonsarrived in military aircraft assignedby PresidentNixon. to attend a 

luncheonhonodngJamesE. Webb,former NASA Administrator.Abernathyled 25 poor 

Southernfamiliesto protestFederalfundingpriorities.NASA Administrator,Dr. ,.omas 

223

JUI,Y 1969 

O. Paine,met a groupo1'150 poorpeopleoutsidea KSCgatewhereAbernuthyrequested 

40 VIP pussesto the launch,askedDr. Paineto join tile fight againstpoverty,and urged 

that NASA technologybe convertedto findinga n_w way to feed the poor. Dr. Paine 

agreedto admitmember.,,of thegroup to tile launchand pledgedto do wh|lt he co,lid to 

adaptspace-developed fo_)dconcentratesto aid undernotldshed."It will be a lot harder 

to _olvetile problemsof hu,_er and povertythan it i.,tto _nd mail to the moon," I)r. 

Painesaid. But. "If it were p()s_iblefor us not to push thut button tomorrowandsolve 

the problemsyou are talkingabout, we would not push tile button." lie saidthat tile 

spaceprogramand sclenw could be usedIn help solvetile povertyproblems."1 want 

you to hitch your wagons to our rocket and tell tile people tile NASA progranl is an 

example of what this country can do." The poor people said they would pray for tile 

Apollo I I astronauts.By evening500 000 touristshad arrivedin BrevardCounty,siteof 

KS(', wlt!t I ntilllon expectedby early morning.Tile air traffic had quadrupled,with I0 

local airfieldshandlingover 1200 small aircraft and 200 privatejets. Aircraft were to 

brintl Vice-PresidentSpiro T Agnew, over 20G congressnten,()0 ambassadors,19 

tmvernors,40 mayors,and other public figuresfor the July 16 launch.More than 1000 

police struggledto control road traffic, and hordessettled to sleepoil beachesfrom 

which they could.,teethe illuminatedspacecrafton the launchpad 15181. 

From July 16 through June ?.1 !he /.=;o11oIt (AS-50(_)mannedlunar land[,,l_tni_ion 

flown by NASA achievedan &year l;€,,,;y.etby PresidentKennedyon May 25, 1961.Oil 

July 20 the spacecnlft'sLM (l:ugle) landedrm the lunar surface,and the first man 

steppedout onto the moon.Two astronautsperformedtheir assignedtaskson the hmar 

surfacebeforereenteringthe LM to llft off from the mooh',-,_dockwith the CSM, and 

return safelyto earth. Tile histofleApollomission- on_;,: _|lan'sboldestadventures-. 

began:it 7:32 a.m. EDT, July 16. at the KennedySpaceCenter.Millionsaroundthe 

world and thousandsat the Floridalatmehsiteobservedthe lift-off of the glanl SaturnV 

vehicle. ('rewmen were CommanderNell Armstrol,g, MichaelCollins,and Edwin E. 

Aldrin,Jr. 

A backward glance at the mission shows that the Saturn V booster lifted the spacecraft 

from the KSC Launch Complex 39, Pad A, as planned, and the spacecraft carried the 

astronauts into circular earth parking orbit. After the post-insertion checkout, the CSM 

separated from the Saturn third stage (S-IVB). Tlte successful propellant dump provided 

the Impulse to the S-IVB for a slingshot maneuver to earth-escape velocity. The 

spacecraft entered lunar orbit at 1:28 p.m. EDT on July 19. Both lunar orbit insertion 

(LOll burns were made when Apollo II was bettind the moon and out of "sight" of the 

manned space flight network stations. 

Armstrong and Aldrin entered the lunar module on July 20j and the LM landed on the 

moon at 4:18 p.m. EDT, July 20, in the Sea of Tranquility. Armstrong reported: 

"Houston, Tranquility Base Here - The Eagle has landed." Mission Control replied: 

'*Roger,TranquUity.We copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn 

blue. We are breathing again, Thanks a lot." The lunarcrew readied the lunar module for 

Immediate ascent and then took a brief rest before depressurizingthe cabin. Then the 

astronauts requested and were granted permission to descend to the moon's surface - 

about 4_ hours earlier than originally scheduled, Aldrln remained i:lside the LM and 

recordedArmstrong'sdescentwith a camera.Annshong took man'sfirst step on the 

224 ,.

JULY 1969 

moon 

of the 

at 

world's 

9:56 p.m. 

population 

ClYl', July 

- watched 

20. An estimated600 

Eve TV tranmnissionand 

millionviewerson 

heard 

earth 

him describe 

- one-fifth 

the 

feat as "one small step for a man - one 81antleap for mankind." CoUins, orbiting the 

moon alone In the CSM, was unat,le to see the landing and subsequent walks on the 

moon because the CSM was not equipped to receive TV transmission•.*ddfln,about 40 

minutes behind Armstrong, followed Armstrong onto the moon's surface, and the 

astronauts collected bulk samples of assorted surface material and selected rock chunks. 

two core samples, and 20 pounds of discretely selected material. Then the astronauts 

transferredthe matedal to the LMand reentered the LM themselves. 

At 12:45 p.m. CDT, July 21, the LMsuccessfully lifted ofT the moon aft_,' 21 hours 36 

minutes on the lunar surface. All lunar ascent and rendezvous maneuver._were normal. 

The LMdocked once more with the C.eM,the crew with samples transfe|;_J to the CSM, 

and the LM ascent stage was jettisoned into lunar orbit. The CSM entered tranzearth 

trajectory after 59 hours 28 minutes (30 revolutions) in lunar orbit. The CM, rx_de-named 

Columbia, separated from the SM on schedule. Parachute tleployment and oilier reentry 

events occurred as planned, and Apollo II spk,shed do:n in the mid-Pacil]€ at 11:51 

n.m. CDT, July 24, IS miles front the recovery ship USe tlornel, 195 hours 19 minutes 

after launch•The astronauts climbed out of the Apollo I I, and a helicopter carried them 

to the recovery ship - then the CM was retrieved. The primary Apollo II mi.ion 

objective of a lunar landing and all detailed test obJecUveshad been achieved. Apollo I I 

had been the eighth Apollo hiLls|on, the fifth manned Apollo mizen, and the lint 

manned hmar landingmission [519-522]. 

On July 18 NASA Administrator Dr. Thomas O. Paine approved the change from the 

"wet workshop"concep_to the "d,'y workshop"conceptfor the Orbital Workshopby 

signinga ProjectApprovuiDocumentchangerequest•Dr. Paine'sapprovalof the "dry 

workshop" concept followed a May 2_/, 1969, Apollo ApplicationsProgramreview 

ppezentationto the administratorcon_erningthe "day workshop"Ilternative.In general, 

the changew'.,smadenee•marywhen the "wet workshop"conceptbecameobsoleteas 

more and more operationalrequiremen,.zaddedv.eightto the project,necessitatingthe 

lifting of the Workshopby a SaturnV ratherthan .zSaturnlB. 

MSPC employeesalong wP.h those of all Executive departments,Independent 

e.Jtablishments,and other Governmental agenciesobserved a "National Day of 

Participation"proclaimedby PresidentNlxon becauseof the historic occasionof man's 

firststepon n cel_tlal bodyother thenthe earth[523]. 

On July 22 NASA anqounced plans to launch the Workshopand Apollo Telescope Mount 

together in 1972, uli,ig the first two stages of the Saturn V In place of the Saturn ! Wet 

Workshop. The Workshop would be outfitted on the Mound and would arrive in a 

235-mile circular orbit equipped for Immediate'occupancy by zstronauts and.with the 

AIM attar'had, Program objectives would remain the same as when NASA intended to 

use the Saturn IB second stage as the 1971 Workshop to provide an environment In 

which man could live a,d work for extended periods in space and to study man's 

physiololllcaland pwchologlealresponsesand cnpabllltlesin space,As a result of the 

Apollo Programlucceu, the Saturn V hardwarefrom that program would be available ('or 

this rev_-,.',!plan 1524]. 

225

JULY - AUGUST 1969 

On July23 thecontractwithGvunlmanAircraft Corpo:atlon fortilenlodlfication ofan 

LM ascent stage for ILSewith the ATM was tennin_ted. The LM ascent stage was no 

longer needed when the decision was made to put the Worxshop with tile ATMattached 

in orbit with the SaturnV vehicle1525l. 

NASA announ_d on July 2J tile selectionof two aerospaoeindustry teamsto €ouduct 

dedgn and planningstudiesof a future mannedSpaceStationwhich could reachflight 

status in the mid-1970's. One of the teamswould be headedby McDonnellDouglas 

Corporation,Huntington Beg_ch,California,and the other would be headedby North 

AmericanRockwellCorporation,SpaceDivision,SealBeach,California.The two teams 

wouldconductparallel, I I-month program(phaseB) studies.Each wouldL_ valuedat 

approximately2.9 nlilliu,_dollars.MSFC wo,dddirect the studycontractwith McDonnell 

DougJas,while MSC would dlrec! the study contractwith North American Rockwell. 

Major effort of tll_ Itudics would be preliminaw designand planning(zf'the 12-man, 

earth.orbitalSpaceStationwhich could be developedby 1975. It would be designedto 

havean operationalPf,_of i0 years subjectto resupplyof expendabesand rotationof" 

crewswith logisticsvehicles,The SpaceStationwasenvisionedusthe initialelementof a 

larlp:spacebaseand as a meansForinvestigatingthe problemsassociatedwith manned 

habitationof spacefor extendedpedods,suchas would!_ encounteredin future manned 

planetarymissions.The work wouldalso includea conceptualdesigno1"a SO.manspace 

basemadeup of specializedmodulesassembledin low earthorbit in the late I970's and 

eady 1980's [526J. 

On July 24 the city of HunlsvHle,Alabama,bald e community-widecelebrationr* its 

courthousesquare following splashdownof Apollo II at the end o1" the h.'zt 

moon-landingmission.Four localcouncilmenhoistedMSFC'sDirector, Dr. Wernheryon 

Braun,on their shouldersas thousandscheeredand wavedbanner saying,"lluntsvllleIs 

RocketCity USA" [327]. 

MSFC employeesJoinedIn a Lunar landingCelebrationat the newly establishedMARS 

picnicareaat the Center. Foods,rides,a midway,and spaceexlliblts werefeatured.Dr, 

yon Braun'spoketo the employeesshortlycrier noonexpressinghis thanksfor a "job 

well done." Also at a lunar landingcelebrationdinner and danceIn Huntsville,Dr, 

Wemherveil Bra_,r_said:"We workedtogetherand togetherwe accomplishedourpart of 

the mbsion.The moonIs nowaccessible"[528], 

MSFC announcedon July 28 the transferof.MaJ.('ion.EdmundF. O'Connor(USAF), 

Directorof hldustrlalOperations,effectiveJuly 31, GeneralO'Connor,on loan to NASA 

from USAF for the past 5 years,would becomeVice Commanderof the Air Force 

Aeronautical Systems Division. tie would be succeeded by Lee B. James, Saturn V 

Manaler,MSFC[5291, 

Of: August I NASA awarded a $1 170000 contract to the Martin MariettaCntporatlon, 

Orlando, Florida, for certain flight hardware to be used In tile Apollo Applications 

Program.The assignment, which was expected to take 18 months for co:_lpletion, called 

for fabrication, testing, and delivery of 15 Saturn V Workshop rate gyro processors, a 

modu_etest set, and the retrofitof22 Apollo TelescopeMount gyroprocessors, The rate 

lyro packageswould fly on a largescaleearth-orbitingWorkshopIn 1972, The gyros

AUGUST 1969 

would provide precise attitude control of the Workshop cluster lucluding the Apollo 

Telescope Mount. Work under the contract would be performed at the contractor's 

facility in Orlando [5301. 

On August 2 NASA named Rocco A. Petrone as _uccessor to Lt. Gin. Samuel C. Phillil:_ 

(USAF) as Directorof the ApolloProgram, effectiveSeptemberI. Dr.Petronehadbeen 

Director of Launch Operations at KSC since 1966. He would be succeeded by Deputy 

Directorof LaunchOperations WalterJ. Kapryan. Petronehad been Saturn Project Office 

and Apollo ProlpramManager[5311. 

Astronauts O. K. Garriott, R. W. Cunninghman,and R. L. Schweickart visited MSFC's 

Neutral Buoyancy Simulator and evaluated ATM film retrieval systems on August 5. They 

v,u3gested a number of hardware and procedural changes which should be Incorporated 

i5321. 

On August6 NASA namedthe flight crewsfor Apollo 13 and 14 lunarlandingmissions, 

Prime crewmenfor Apollo 13 wouldbe AstronaulzJamesA. Lovell,Jr. _commander), 

ThomasK. Mattin_]y II (CM pilot), and Fred W. Haise,Jr, (LM pilot). The backupcrew 

wouldbe composedof Astro,laub!John W. Young, John L. Swlgert,Jr., andChiries M. 

Duke, Jr. Apollo 14 prime crewmenwouldbe Alan B. Shepard,Jr. (commander),Stuart 

A. Roosa(CM pilot), and Edgar D. Mitchell(LM pilot). The backupcrew would be 

AstronautsEugeneA. Ceman, RonaldE. Evans,and Jca H. Hngle.Bothmissionsw,Jt_d 

Includelunar explorationand deploymentel"Apollo lunarsurfaceexperimentpackages 

(ALSEP). The total lunar surfacestay time would Includetwo EVA periodsof 3 hours 

each and would not exceed 35 hours.The flights would be the first for Astronauts 

Mattingly, Ilaiso,Roou, and Mitchell15331. 

NASA announcedon August 7 that General Dynamics Corporation, Sau Diego, 

California,had receiveda contractfrom the NASA MarshallSpaceFlightCenterto study 

experimentmodulesto be usedwith z proposedmannedSpaceStation.The final amount 

of the contractwas$950 000. This 8-monthstudywouldcomplementhe SpiceStation 

investigationsto be carriedout by McDonnellDouglasCorporationa,d North American 

RockwellCorporation.GeneralDynamicswouldatudy the varlelyor experimentesuitable 

for a mannedSpaceStation. Some of thoseunder considerationh,€ludedastronomy, 

spice phylic_, engineering and operations, earth applicationsand meteorololW, 

biomedicinemid biotechnolow, _p,ice blolow, advancedtechnololw, and materials 

processing[534]. 

On August 7 NASA modified i contract with the Boeing Company that calledI'm 

continuedsaturn V syJtemsenl_ineednlland inlelprztionthrough June 1970. Amountot' 

the lward wu $15 455 800. The work would be performedIn lluntzvlile and would 

cover work from June 1967 through June 1970. Boeing, bulldermot the Apollo/satunl' 

Y'a 7.5-mUlJon-pound.thmst flZlt stage,performedWstemsengineeringon all dx SaturnV 

vehicleslaunchedso tar In the proipmm.This contract modificationcontinuedtheeffort 

througlz 10 SaturnV launchvehicles($35]. 

227

AUGUST I 69 

On August 8 a letter contractbetweenMSFC and the McDonnellDouglasAstro_u,_lcs 

Companydefinedthe provisionfor two SaturnV Workshops.The firstonewasscheduled 

for launchinto low earthorbit in 1972; the _',¢condWorkshopwouldinitiallyserveas a 

backup.The Workshopx,)uld be a conve,q.edS-IVB stagein which_stronautscouldliv_ 

and work for periodsup to 8 weeks.The I0 000 cubicfoot hydrogentank, whichthe 

crew wouldoccupy,wouldbe many times largerthanany spacecraftflown before.The 

estimated cost of this cost-plus-fixedfee/award-feecontract was $97 340000. The 

€on*.x,4ct wouldrun throughJuly 1972, and workwouldbe performedat the McDonnell 

].)outllasWesternDivisionat Llunti.zgtonBeach,California[$36]. 

On August 8 MSFC modified a contract with the McDonnell DouglasAstronautics 

Company for continued work on two alrlock modules,test, and checkoutof the 

modules,Wstems and documenlatlon,and logisticssupport. Cost was estimatedat 

$87450000, and the work would he performedprimarily at the McDonnellDouglas 

EasternDivisionin 'St. Louis but al_ would Involvesomeeffort at the three manned 

spaceflight cantons- MSPC,KS(_,and MSC. The alrlockwould be a partof anApollo 

ApplicationsProgramclusterto be flown in 1977. The clusterwould be madeup of 

certain elementsIncludingthe Saturn V Workshop,multiple dockingadapter,Apollo 

commandand Servicemodule,andthe ApolloTelescopeMount.One airlockwasalready 

t,ndergolnlltestsat MSFC 1537]. 

On August13 NASA releasedits AAP "Launch Readinessand DeliveryScheduleML-17." 

According to this new schedulethere would be sevenSaturn IB and two SaturnV 

launcheswith two dw Workshopsflown on SaturnV vehicles,and t,vo ATM'splanned. 

The firstWorkshoplaunchwouldbe in Julyof 1972. 

HurricaneCamille hit the MissluippiGulf Coastlate Sunday,August17, and moved 

Inlandeastof the MississippiTest Facility.Althoughtherewaswidesprea damageIo the 

smallr.ommunitlesin the storm'spath, HurricaneCamillecausedrelativelylittle damage 

at the MSFC'sMississippiTest Facility and rite MlchotzdAssemblyFaciliW.No Injuries 

were reportedat either facility.Area reportsindicatedthat the SaturnV first (S-]C-12) 

andsecond(S.II-I0) stagesIn the teststandswerenot damaged. 

Many H_lntsvl]lespaceworkerssped rescueand recover),equipmentand suppliesto the 

amlstanceof their coworkerzat the Gul_ Coast.By midnight Monday, August 18, a 

convoyfrom Hunt_vlllebegana long Journeyto thecoast.A mobile200.bedemergenw 

hospitalwaspart of the convoy.Otherequipmentandvehiclesinclu6edlargegenerators, 

three ambulances,vansof cots,civil defensefood supplies,hand toolsLnd chainsaws, 

water trucks,four buses,two gasolinetrucksand two dieseltrailers,andseveralutility 

trucks. Almosttwo dozenMSFC employeeswent with the convoyor arriwd by planeIn 

thearea. 

Early Tuesdaymorning, two dnctora,two nursesand two medicalt,,-hnlclansflew to 

M'rP for bdeflnge,then to PassC'hristlan,where they set up an emergencyhospital. 

Workinll through the night Tuesday, the medical team was not relieveduntil late 

WodnNdaymorninllwhena 400-manNavy SeabeeforcebeganmovingInto the area. 

228

AUGUST - SEFrEMBER 1969 

MeanwhUe,the convoyof suppliesandequipmentreachedPassChristianby late Tuesday 

afternoonand went Into operation,clearinl[streets,raring for refugees,and cleaningthe 

school bugdingwhere the hospitaland communicationscenter were located. NASA 

equipmentprovidedthe only communicationswith the outsideworld for more than 24 

hours[5381. 

The Director,MSFC,sentlettersto the Center'sHuntsvilleemployeesurgingsupportof a 

DisasterFund Drive under way to aid MAF and MTF employeeswho had suffered 

extensivelossesdue to HurricaneCamille.The Directorestablisheda DisasterAsdstance 

Committeeto acceptdonations[539]. 

On August 26 MSFC Issueda $S6727 €onUractfor developmentduring tl:e next 6 

monthsof a lunar rovingvehiclehazardlocater.The locaterwouldusea laserbgamto 

spotrocks,holes,and other obstacleson the surfaceof the moonas the vehiclemoved 

forward.Duo to the anglesof lint on the moon, astronautscouldnot alwaysseewell 

into certainareas,particularlyshadows.Tho useof the locaterwouldprovideInformation 

displayedon a screenthat wouldwarn them of obstacleshiddenfrom their view.The 

unit wouldbe mounted hlih on the lunar roving valdcleand would be aimed at the 

groundaheadof the vehicle'spath. The work would be done by Bionic Instrtvnents, 

Incorporated,of Pennsylvania.During the first phaseof the work, the firm would 

investigatea number of concep_ and then, later In the period, would producea 

prototypeof the selectedconcept[$40]. 

As of August 28 approximately 20 claims for damages resulting from static firings at 

MTF were outstanding. The Legal Affairs Office announced that denial had been 

recommendedIn each Instance,with the exceptionof threeclaims.Portionsof the three 

€laimsInvolvedbrokenglassandchinafor whichpaymenthadboonrecommended.Thare 

had been10 complaintsof damage_,sa resultof the staticfiringof the S-IC-10stageon 

April 16, 1969,out of whichhadarisenone formalclaim.This claimhad beenflied by a 

residentof Pearl River, Louisiana.Rather extensivenoise and disturban_'_had been 

reportedas far away as Hammond,Louisiana,althoughno allocationsor damagehad 

beenreceivedfrom that area [541-$43]. 

in mid-1969 NASA made studiosconcerningthe €onversionof the Skylab from a wet 

Workshopflown on the Saturn IB vehicleto a dry Workshopflown on a Saturn V 

vahicle.Fogowlni a July decisionby NASA that the Apolloprogramobjectiveshad been 

achieved,NASA de,'Jdedthat n SaturnY vehiclecouldbe givento the AAP for the flat 

SkylabWorkshop.After makbzgthisdecisionon July 18,HASA releasedits AAP Skylab 

LaunchReadinessand DeliveryScheduleML-17 on August13. Accordingto this new 

schedulethere would be sevenSaturn IB and two SaturnY launcheswith two dry 

Workshopsflown on Saturn Y vahiclesand two ATM's planned.The first Workshop 

launchwouldbein Marchof 1972 [S44]. 

) 

On September4 a €ontracf was awardedto the McDonnellDousJasCorporationfor 

studiesrelatingto a future mannedSpaceStation whichmight be flown iu mid-1970. 

Under the $2 899986 effort, which would last II months, the firm would propose 

preliminaryde|din and plannlqlion the earth orbital SpaceStationwhich might havea 

229

SEPTEMBER- OCTOBEIt 1969 

12-man crew and opcmta for us many as 10 years, subject to resupply of expendables 

and rotation of crews with logistics vehicles. The work would be performed at 

Huntington Beach,California.Meanwhile,a paralleleffort wasbeingconductedby MSC 

in Houston and North American Rockwell's Space Division in Seal Beach, California.The 

space station was being envisioned as the initial element of a large space base and as a 

means for Investigating the problems associated with mr,l's habitation in space for 

extended periods, ss_ch as would be oncountered in future' manned planetary missions 

[S4S]. 

MSFC announced on September I0, 1969, that employees had contributed $35 744.22 to 

help fellow workers at the Mi_uippi Test Facility and Michoud Assembly Fa_llty whose 

homesand personalbelongln_ had been damagedand destroyedby HurricaneCamille 

[546]. 

Five of six suits against the Government for damages allegedly resulting from static test 

activities at MTF were heard before Federal District Judge WalterL. Nixou. The plaintiffs 

end their neighbors(I S in all) testified that the noisewas severe,that their buildings 

vibratedconsiderably,and that theirconcreteblockhomesand buildln_ crackedseverely 

durinll the tests.The Government'sacousticand constructione_pertstestified that the 

sound10ve]in the ares of plaintiffs' homeswas well below that which would cause 

damNle to a concrete block structure (142 dB), that the structureswere old and 

substandard,and that they had crackedprior to the tests.The Judgeapparentlyfelt that 

tile p'laintiffs' testimonyoutweighedthat of the Governmentexperts;he ruled in their 

favorand awarded$27 000 to them for damages(547]. 

On September19 M,qFCmodifieda contractwith the Intt'rnationalBusinessMachines 

Corporationin Galthersburg,M,ryland, in connectionwith 27 Instrumentunitsordered 

for the Saturn program,This $19 073 03_ modificationrevisedthe deliveryschedule, 

extendedthe periodof performanceby nearly15 months,and providedfor assessment of 

certainMSFC engineeringchangerequests.At the time of this contractmodificationIBM 

had a contractwith MSFC which called for fabrication,checkout,nnd deliveryof 27 

units for both the Saturn IB and Saturn V launch vehicles. The work would be 

performedIn Huntsville,Alabama[548]. 

Over400 management and supervisory personnelattended presentations in MSF(7'sMorris 

Auditorium on September 2_, 1969. These were.given by Director yon Braunand other 

key management officials. The subject was space goals proposed by President Nixon for 

the next decade. The presentations covered v,oals for Apollo, the AAP, the Integrated 

Programs, and Apollo II scier,ce achievements. Other MSFC employees viewed the 

presentationsvia closedcircuittelevision[549]. 

Dr. 'i'homusO, Paine,NASA Administrator,awardeda total of 117 awardsat anhonors 

ceremonyIn the Morris Auditorium at MSFC on October2, MostwereIn recognitionof 

exceptional_rvlce to the Apolloprotp'amto sendmen to the moon [550], 

EffuSive October 7 MSFC signed a now contract with the G,_neralElectric Company's 

ApolloSystemsDlvldon In IluntsvUle,Alabama,for work in connectionwith the Apollo 

ApplicationsProgram,Under the $10751 000 contract, OE would provide electrical 

230

OCTOBER - 

NOVF.MBF.,R1969 

support equipment for the Apollo Telescope Mount studlaunch systems for the Saturn V 

WorlodloF multiple docking adapter and alflock. The Workshop would be an early 

manned Space S_tion to be flown in 1972. The contractcalledfor the work to be 

performedat Huntsville,Alabama;at the MannedSpacecraftCenter in Houston;at 

Daytona Beach,Florida; and at the Kennedy SpaceCenterin Florida. Work on the 

projectwasto be completedby June30, 1972 [551]. 

A hugeSaturn V firststagewaserectedfor displayat t]_,€MSFCOrientationCenter.The 

big booster had arrived from the Mlchoud Assembly Facility aboard the NASA berl_ 

Poseidon [5521. 

NASA authorizedMSFC in October70 to baue RFP's 1othe contractorsandenterinto 

pleliminzry negotiationsfor the procurementof six Salun_V vehicles,SA-516 th.roulh 

SA-52.11553l. 

On October 20 representattv0s from Chrysler Corporation Space Division were at MTF to 

familiarize themselves with the S-II teat stand relative to a planned proposal to perform 

Space Shuttle Booster vehicle teaSingat MTF [554], 

• On October 30 MSFC selected the Boeing Company, Aermpace Group, Huntsville, 

Alabama, to deaJ_, develop, teat, and deliver four fillet-qualified lunar roving vehicles 

al.d relatt':l teat and traininll equipmenl. The four fillet vehicles would be used in 

l_a.,led exploration of the mc_n's surface. Boeing was one of four _.ontractorzthat had 

submitted proposals for this work. MSFC estimated the value o| the 

_.mt-plu_ncentive-fee contract at $39 591 000 [5551, 

On October 31 NASA decided to add televis!on camer_ for Interior coverage of the 

Saturn Workshop[556]. 

On November I MSFC became a separate customer (apart from MICOM) of the South 

Central Bell Telephone Company for administrative telephone _rvlce, Center personnel 

receiveda telephone prefix of 453 deeignatinll the Center'sservice 1557], 

At the Ml_ulppi Teat Facility there was a aucceuful test of a Saturn V bomter on 

November 3 - the tint test of the vehicle #Incaa failure the previous June had caused a 

fire on the teststand;the vehicleteatedwas the SIC, 12, it wasfired for 12Sseconds, 

the standarddurationfor groundtests,by the BoeingCompany,makerof the stage.The 

testapparentlymet all objectiw_s[558]. 

MSFC contributed $160570 the Combined Federal $11440 

employees to Campaign, 

more then In 1968. Employee p_xticipatlon was 91.6 percent compared fo 92 per_pt the 

previous year. Approximately 90 percent of the contribution would I_ to the On,led 

Gloom Fund of Iluntzville-MedimnCounty and several other counties in Alabenza '_ld 

To.no,tee wherethe employeeslived. The rest wouldbe dividedbetweenptrtldpktln$ 

orlPmlzationsof the National Health Alpmcteaand the InternationalServiceAl_.n0e_ 

lS591 :

NOVF.,MDI_It1969 

On November 9, 1969, Federal District Judge Harold Cox ruled in favor of the 

Government in the ca_ of Plgott versus U. S., a suit for damages allegedly caused by 

static firing at MTF. Damages claimed in this suit were the same type as those claimed i_ 

pdor suits wherein FederalJudge Nlxon ruledagainst the Government [560]. 

On November 10, 1969, NASA announced the resignation of Dr. George E. Muellfr, 

NASA Asso,:iate Administratorfor MSF [5611. 

The Apollo 12 (AS-S07) spacecraft carrying Astronauts Charles (Pete) Conrad, Jr. 

(commander), Rici|ard F. Gordon, Jr. (CM pilot), and Alan L. Bean(LM pilot) rose t_tom 

KSC Launch Complex 39, Pad A, at i 1:22 a.m. EST, November 14 atop a Saturn V. The 

countdown before the launch wen' smoothly except for an unscheduled6-hour hold at 

T-17 hours (spacecraft cryogenic loading) for replacement of the Service Module's liquid 

hydrogen tank number 2, which had been leaking. Three thousand Invited guests, 

including Presidentand Mrs. Nlxon, watched the launch. During rocket ascent, observers 

on the ground saw two parallelstreaks of lightning flash between clouds and the lannch 

pad. NASA reported that electrical transients, later attributed to electri_:al potential 

dischaqies from clouds through spacecraft to ground, had suddenly shut off the 

spacecraft's eler,lrical power and turned on numerous alarms In the CM. 7.he spacecraft 

automatically switched to backup battery power while the crew restored the primary 

power system, CommanderConrad radioed, "We had everything In the world drop out," 

Control Center commented, "We've had a couple of cardiac arrests down here, too." 

'"rhera wasn't time up here," Conrad said. However, the power system remained normal 

throughoutthe _sI of the mission. 

Conrad and Bean began the transferto the LM during the tza_lslunarcoast I-half hour 

earlier _han planned in order to obtain full TV coverage through the Goldstone tracking 

_tation. The 5b-minute transmission r,howed e_.:llent color pictures of the CSM, 

lu.ar orbit insertion was canceled because of the sun angle emdglare on the spaceclaft 

Intravehiculartransfer,LM 

windows, The spacecraft entered 

Interior,earth,and 

lunarorbit at 

moon. 

10:47 p.pt. 

A "rv 

EST 

broadcastscheduledbefore 

on November 17. During 

the first lunar orbit, good quality 're covermie of the lunar surfoce was transmitted for 

33 minutes. The crew providedan excelle.t description of the lunarfeatures. Conradand 

Bean traplferred to the LMfor I_ hours of housekeeping, voit_eand telemetry tests, and 

an oxygen.purge4ystem check; they then returnedto the CM. Conradand Bear.reentered 

the LM, and entry Into the approach plisse trajectory was cloz_ to normal, The crew 

took over manure,controlat 370 feet, p,,wedoverthe rightsideof the target_,raler,and 

I_ndedon the moou'_Oceanof Stormsst')out600 1'eatfrom the SurveyorIII spacecraft 

at 1:55 a.m.E.q'T on November 19. Conrad reported extensive dust obscuring the view 

during the fir,at descent.Gordon, orbithz8 the moon in the CM, "Yankee Clipper," 

reportedsightingthe Surveyorill and "Intrepid" on the moo_t.Conrad,inchesshorter 

than ]_eil A. Ar,nztrons,whohad _teppedon the moonon July 21, haddifficulty taking 

the laststepfrom the ladder,and whenhe touchedthe lunarsurfaceat 6:44 a.m.EST 

on Novenzbar19, hesaid,"WhoopeelMan,that may havebeena smallstepfor Nell, but 

_t'Z a Ions one for me." The LM had landed so gently that its shock-absorbinglelP 

were barely tel3zcoped, Bean descended at 7:14 a,m, _ST on November 19, Shortly after 

the color 'iV camera w_ removed,from iits bracket, tra:_znlsslonwt_ lest and was not 

regainedfor the remainderof the _VA, However,the er_wcollected40 to 50 poundsof 

232

NOVF, MI_R 1969 

contingencysamplesandreportedmoundsresen lingvolcanoes.ConradandIMandusted 

each other off and entered the "Intrepid" after3 houmand 56 minuteswaikinllon the 

lunarsurface. 

After resting inside the LM and checking plans for their _,€ond EVA period, the 

astronautsleft the LM at 10:55 p.m. EST on November19, I hour and 40 minutes 

aheadof schedule.After walkinir,,Conradreportedthat he hadfeJienonce,but Beanhad 

picked him up without dimculty. The crow obtained the desired photographic 

panoramas,cork samples,trench sample,lunar environmentsample,and assortedrock, 

dirt, bedrock,and moltensamples.The crow reportedthe,t the Surveyorfootpadmarks 

werestill visibleand that the entire spacecraftlookedbro,vn,asIf .,,omethlnghadrained 

on it. The crewretrievedpartsof SurveyorIll, includin8the'IV cameraandemilscoop. 

They reenteredthe LM closingthe-hatch by 2:44 a.m. EST on November20, after 3 

houri and 49 minutes of waikinl| on the lunar surface In the second EVA period. 

Whilethe LM wason the moon,Gordon, orbitin8the moonin the CSM, completedthe 

variousphotoipraphassignments. 

At ):26 a.m. EST on NovemberIO, the LM successfully lifted off the moonafter 31 

houri and 31 minuteson the lunar surface,leavingbehindthe LM descentstep. The 

rendezvousmaneuversoccurredas planned,and the LM dockedwith the ('SM at 12:58 

p.m. EST on November20. At 3:49 p.m. EST on November21 the crewfired theengine 

that Injected the CSM Into tranzearth trajectory after 89 hour_ and 2 minutes (44 

revolutions) in lunar orbit. Good quality transmissionof a question-and-answer period 

with scientists and press was conducted for 37 minutes. The CSM was separatedfrom the 

SM, parachutedeploymentand other reentry eventsoccurredas planned,and the 

"Yankee Clipper" splashe downin the mid-Pacificat 3:59 p.m. EST on November24, 

4.03 miles from the recoveryship USS tlornet, During the mbsion the largestU.S. 

payloadhad been placedin hmar orbit (72 335 poundsafter lunar orbit Insertion). 

Apollo 12 had beenthe ninth Apollo missionto date, thesixthmannedApollomission, 

andthe secondmannedlunarland[nilmission[562-566]. 

MSFC transferredtechnicalmanagementof the modifiedlunar module ascentstage 

(LM-A) to MSFC on November15 and the a!r'ockmodulein December.Contractorsfor 

these two modules were Grumman Aircraft Corporationand McDonnell Douglas 

Corporation,respectively[567]. 

MSPC announcedon November20 that the top stageof the Saturnrocketwhichhad 

successfullyboostedthe Apollo 12 spa_.ocraftto the moon was currentlyin a large 

ellipticorbit aroundthe earth. On three previousmluions the S-IVB stagehad passed 

behindthe moon in a corridor970 to 2750 nauticalmileswideand had enteredanorbit 

aroundthe sunon a path nlightlycloserand a Iittle fasterthanthat of earth.Passingthe 

trailing edle of the moonat those dhtances,the announcementreported,',he stage 

_ceivesa dight velocityIncreaseduo to lunar ipnvity, which slipsfl0e stageinto sun 

orbit, This meansof dlscardin8the stale Is calleda slingshotmaneuver.During the 

. presentmlzdon,the stagepassedoutsidethe corridor- about4000 nauticalmilesbehind 

,the moon.I_ did not gainsufficientIpravltatlonai pull to makethe sunorbit" [568]. 

233


On November 24 MSFC shipped _m F-I e.gine and a J-2 engine From MSVC to New 

Orleans en rome to France as part of the NASA exhibit at ,he ParisAir Show 1569l. 

O. l_c_mb_r 8 Dr. George E. Mealier. NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space 

Flight. made his ann.al staff visit to MSFC. It was Ida fl.ul oflidul visit to the Center, 

occnrdns only 2 days prior to the ctTectivedate of his resignation 1570l. 

Associate Administn,tor for Manned Space Flight, us Acting Assocla,te Administratorfor 

On l_L'ember II NASA unnopnced the appointment of ChaTles W. Mathews. Deputy 

Manned Space Flight. replacing Dr. George E, M.eller, who resigned the previous day 

1371]. 

On Dc!._ell|ber18 Dr. volt Brain| requestedauthorizationof Dr. Mnellerto proceedwith 

formal neOoll_tlonsand nn award of n contract with the BoeingL'ompunyfor the 

procurementof Ions leaditems and _l_oqizztedservioesForadditionalS-IC stages.MSFC 

consideredlidsactionnecessary"as an I.terim steppendingthe approvalof tile Sat.m V 

Procurenle.t Plan. The ezlimatedcost or this ¢o_lUractis $2.4 M and local approvulis 

tale.dad" l.S72]. .. 

Near the' end of Iq69 IJlerewas lntlch Saturnactivity associated with NASA's Mississippi 

T_'etFadlity. A Saturn V second st.ge (S-II-I2) had arrivedut M'FFon Dec_mt_r20 for 

several months of acceptance testing, incl.ding a static firing, after shipment from the 

North American Rockwell Corporation plant at Seal llcach, ('alifornla. Following 

extensive checks and Inspections, tile S-11-12 wo.ld be test-fired in February 1970. it 

wotlld then be stored at MTF until needed at KSC. 

Meanwhile, three other S-II stages and o.e S.I stuge were at MTP; S.II.9 was underlining 

fin,,I inspection before its scheduled shipment to KSC on January 8, There :1 would 

become purl o1'tile Saturn V that w_.ld launch Apollo 14 to tile moon, Stase_ 3-11-10 

and S-II.II were havl.g modlfleatto, checks before their "-hipment to the Kemledy 

('enter. S.II-10 would be shipped In i,lay 1970, and S-II-II would be shipped In October 

1970. S-IC'-13,booster stage for the Apollu 18 mission, was scheduled for static flring at 

MTF January 14. Its sllipment date to KSC had not ygt been ached.led i573, 574]. 

'

JANUARY 1970 

1970 

On January 2 MSFC tldpped the test version of the Saturn V vehicle's thirdstage to the 

McDonnell Douglas plant at Hunt51gton Beach, California, for modification. The S-IYB 

stagewent from MSFC to the WestCoastaboardthe SuperGuppyaircraft.The step, 

formedy identifiedas the S-lYB 500 F, or Facilitie stage,would be convertedinto a 

_atum V Workshop"dynamicstest _rticle." Once the modificationwascomplete,the 

stagewouldbe usedin the ApolloApplicationsProgram'sdynamicsandacousticstesting 

activity. The stagewasformerlya part of' the SaturnV facilitiesvehicleusedto check 

out manufacturing,testing,andlaunchingfacilitiesearly in the Apollo/SaturnV program. 

The stagehad beenretumedto MSFCfrum KSCearly51 1969 [$75]. 

The Apollo 12 crewmenwho visitedthe moon10asthan 2 months earlierspent3 hours 

in Huntsvilleon January8. AstronautsCharlesConrad,Jr,, RichardGordon,Jr., and 

Alan Beanthanked the manyMSFC employeeswho hadhelpedto maketheirlunartrip 

possible.The astronautsmadespeechesto severalthousandemployees,andthousandsof 

others saw them as their motorcadepassedthroughthe Arsenalto the downtown 

Huntsville area [576]. 

On January8 NASA announcedthe appointmentof Dale D. Myers, Vice-President and 

GeneralManagerof North AmericanRockwellCorporation'sSpaceShuttleProgram,as 

NASA AssociateAdministratorfor MannedSpaceFlight, effectiveJanuary12, Myers 

wouldsucceedDr. GeorgeE. Mueller,wholeft NASAon DecemberIO, 1969t577]. 

On Jan,Jary14 MSFCmodifiedits contractwith the BoeingCompanyto includechanges 

incorporated51 the tint sta$eof the SaturnV rocket.The change,_had beenmadeon 

subsequentflight stagesafter the _cond Satum V expeflencedexcessiveoscillationson 

an ,mmannedresearchand developmentflight, April 4, 1968. Under the $4 360 260 

modification, BoeinRinstalled "accum,lntors," or small gas reservoirs,in the liquid 

oxygenprevulvesof the first gradeto changethe frequencypattern In the propulsion 

system,Additionalgroundtestingand studiesof flight dataled to the decisionto Install 

theaccumulators(578]. 

On Jnnuaw 23 NASA awardedseparatecontractsto three firmsto studythe possible 

modificationof existing rocketenginetest standsfor useIn developlnla new ,,,1pace 

Shuttleenline. Not yet underdevelopment, the newonlinewouldbeusedin clustersto 

powera reusablespacevehicle,or Shuttle, whichwouldbe flown ammanyas I00 times, 

A total of 12 test position-if, threelocationswouldbe examined,and recommendations 

would be made as to the possibleconwnion of the standsfor captivefiring the new 

propulsionsystem.All of the testfacilities wouldbe ip)vemmentproperty.No decision 

had beenmadeas to how many test portions wouldbe neededIn the Shuttleprogram, 

Four of the test positionswere at MSFC; A_roJetGeneralCorporation,Sacramento, 

wouldstudy the MSFC.Huntsvlllefacilities.Four portions ware at the NASA Rocket 

Enline Test Site, Edwards,California, where the study would he done by the 

RocketdyneDlvblonof North AmericanRockwellCoq)oratlon,Canop Park,California, 

And four portions were locatedat the NASA-Mlsslmdppl Teat Facility, wherethe study 

firm would be the Pratt and Whitney Dh,idon of United Aircraft, WestPalm Beach, 

23S

Dr. EberhardRees succeededDr. 

yon BraunasMSFC'sDirector 

Dr. yon Braunand ft,m/19on the speaken 

platform at MSF¢ 

Dr. GeorgeLow qcenter), NASA 

deputy administrator,answered 

questionsfrom newsmenat a 

Februar.v1970 pressconference, 

following hIJ talk to MarshallCenter 

etnplo.vees.WithLow were Dr. yon 

Br_,umDaleMyers,newlyyappointed 

Pr. yon Braunandfamll.v,Senator Sparkman, ' auoclate administratorfor Manned 

and GovernorBrewerstandinl besideplaque Spm:elrllzht;and Dr. £berhard Re_, 

placed In memor),of Dr. yon Braunby citizen3 who would becomeMSF_' 

of Hunuvllle and Madison¢ountyy, director March I. 

Alabama,at MSr'C. 

236


Florida. The object;yesof the studiesw,,n: identical:to assesseach test positionand 

preparea prelinlinaryengineeringrepots which would state the stands'potentialfor 

conversionto the shuttle engineprogram.Factorsto be coveredinelud'_dmethodsof 

modification, cost, and timing. All study work would be conductedsimultaneously, 

requiring3 months.The Aerojetcontractwasfor $167643; the other twocontractswere 

for $150 000 each[579-581]. 

On January 23 NASA releasedits AAP "Launch Readinessand Delivery Schedule 

ML-18," whichmovedthe scheduledAAP-I launchdate to November15, !972, but with 

a targetlaunchdateof July IS, 1972. 

NASA announcedon January27 that Dr. Wernhervan Braun,headof MSFCfor almost 

a decade,would leaveHuntsvillefor Washington,D.C., where he would headNASA's 

pl;muin_effort for future U.S. spacemissions.His title would be Deputy Associate 

Administratorfor Planning,National Aeronauticsand SpaceAdministration.Succeeding 

him as Director at MSFCin Huqlsvillewouldbehislong-timedeputy,Dr. EberhardRees 

15821. 

Astronaut WalterCunningham,who fl_w the firstmannedApollo missionin 1968, visited 

MSFC on January28 and presented45 "Snoopy" awardsto MSFC employeeswhohad 

donean outstandingJobpromotingflightsafety [583]. 

On January 28 and 29 therewasa reviewmeetingat MSFCconcerningthedesignof the 

mannedlunar roving vehicle(LRV). ApproximatelyI00 designplannersand program 

managersattendedthe 2-daysession.A result of the meetingwasconfirmationof the 

rover'spreliminarydesign,thusallowint;the contractorsto beginwork [584]. 

AS.509, launchedFebruary 2, was the first vehicleto Incorporatea center engine 

_tccumuhttorin an 8.11 stageto Inhibit pose oscillations.NASA announcedthat the 

preliminaryassessment in(_Zcatedexcellentcenterengineaccumulatorperformance[585, 

5861. 

In February a number of local and visiting dignitarle:;were headlined in the MSF¢ area. 

On February 10 Alabama Governor Albert Brewer spent an hour visiting MSFC 

installations. On February 20 Dr. Christian N. Barnard,the surgeon known internationally 

for his successful human heart transplants, vhdted MSFC for a lecture and discussion in 

the Morris Auditorium. Near *he end of February Dr. and Mrs.yon Braun were honored 

with several farewell parties and a giant downtown Huntsville parade and courthot,_e 

ceremony before their move to Washington,D.C. [587, 588l. * 

After solicitingproposalsin Septemberof 1969.fromfirms Interestedin definingcontrol 

wsten._tfor two different typesof SpaceShuttlevehicles,MSFC's Aero.Astrodynamh.'z 

Laboratory evaluated proposalsfrom 13 participants.At a result of the evaluation, MSFC 

awardeda $49 982 contract to lloneywell, Inc., on February II [589l. 

% 

On February 12 the Home Committee on Science and Astronautics' Subcommittee on 

NAU_AOversight released its report Maimed Space Flight: Presenl and Future. Olle of the 

conclusions drawn by this staff study was that after 1974 the .U.S. would have no 

237

1970 

Saturn and mobil_ launcher 

aboard crawler at KSC 

View of the audience as they Ibtened to Dr. Christian 

Barnard at Morris Auditorium. 

Dr. Christian Barnard (center) of the Groote Shurr Ilospltal staff, Johannesburg, 

South Africa, visited the Marshall Center to present a lecture. He also met 

with Marshall Center leaders for a tour of the Installation. Shown here from 

left to right are: Dr. IVernher yon Braun; Dr. Ernst Stuhllnser, MSFC's associate 

dlr¢,cmr for science, who Invited Dr. Barnard; Otto Klhna, vicepresident and 

#eneral manaser of General Electric in Philadelphia; and Dr. Eberhard Rees, 

MSF¢ deputy director, technical. 

238

FEBRUARY 1970 

capabdlty for llfqng manned payloads over 60000 petards Into space and would have 

only three vehiclesthat could lift . 60000-pound payload unlessSaturnV product;on 

wasresumedor a substitutewasdeveluped.Al.,.o,the U.8. wouldhaveno Iong-dur,tlon, 

manned,earth-orbitalcapabilityafter 1973 without extanslonof Ihe Orbital Workshop 

programor initiationof developmentof a SpaceStation. 

tin February18 NASA requestedproposalsfrom the aerospaceindustryfor preliminary 

definition and planning studiesof a Space Shuttle main propulsionsystem. High 

performanceliquid hydrogr.n,liquid oxygenfueled engineswould makeup the Space 

Shuttle'smain propulsionsystemfor launch,orbital insertionand flight operations,and 

reentry from earth orbit. Preliminaryconceptscalled for a clusterof enginesIn the 

boosterstageand a lessermimber(two or threeengines)in theorbiterstage.The engine!, 

wouldbe throttleablewith a nominalsealevel thrust of approxim_tely400 000 pounds 

from eachengtne.The verticaltake-off,horizontalandingShuttlecouldbeoperational1.1 

1977 or 1978. From the proposalsto be submitted,up to threefirmswould beselected 

for parallel I I-month PhaseB studiestinder fixed price contractsto be managedby 

MSFC. Industrial firms receiving the requestsfor pronosalswez'eNorth American 

RockwellCorporation,RocketdyneDivision,CanogaPark, California;United Aircraft 

Corporation,Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Division, West Palm Beach,Florida; Aerojet 

General Corporation, Sacramento,Califo.nla; TRW Incorporated,Redondo Beach, 

California; Bell Aerospace Systems, Buffalo, New York; and MarquardtCorporation, Van 

Nays, California[590J. 

NASA requested proposals on February 20 from the aerospace industry for preliminary 

definition and planning studies of e Space Shuttle systemfor transportingcrew, 

passengers, and cargoto and from low earthorbit. The two.stage,f_JllyreuseableSpace 

Shuttle would be a logistic vehicle for manned earth orbital operationsincluding 

placement,maintenance,and retrievalof expeflmentalmodulesandsr.tellites;deliveryof 

propulsivestageand payloads;deliveryof propellantsto a SpaceStation or orbiting 

vehicle;and short duration specialpurposeorbital missions.Propos_dswere to be 

submittedto NASA's Office of MannedSpaceFlight by March 23, 1970. From the 

proposals,asmanyasthreefirmswouldbeselectedfor parallelI I-monthPhaseB studies 

under fixed price contracts.The PhaseB contractswouldbe managedby MSFC and 

MS(.;. Industrial firms receiving the requestsfor proposalswere Lockheed Aircraft 

Corporation,Los Angeles,California;ChryslerCorporation,Detroit, Michigan;Grumman 

Aircraft EngineeringCorporation, Bethpage,Long Island, New Yolk;s the Boeing 

Company, Seattle, Washington,GeneralDynamicsCorporation,San Diego, California; 

North AmericanRockwellCorporation,Downey,California;M_rtin-MariettaCorporation, 

Denver,Colorado;andthe McDonnellDouglasAstronauticsCompany,St. Louis,Missouri 

IS91]. 

NASA Headquartersannouncedon February 2_1a changeof tile protp'amname from 

Apollo Apph,:ationsProgramto Sky]abProMam.']'lie SkylabProgramwouldbe designed 

to make maxhnumuse of the existingspacehardwaredevelopedfor the Apollo lunar 

landingseries.Includedin the clusterof coml:.onentsmakingup the Skylabwouldb,zthe 

Workshop, airlock, a multiple docking adapter, and an ATM.These components would be 

launchedby a SaturnV rocketwith the first two stagesprovidingpropulsion.Astronauts 

in an Apollo command/servicemodule wouldbe launchedby a SaturnIB rocket to 

239

_.-). 

Space Shuttle c_mcept 

Alabama Governor Aibert Brewer, who was Ill 

Huntsville early In 1970 to address the Press 

Club, spent a_lhour In the afternoon looking 

over hardware at the Marshall Center. James 

R. Thompson, Jr., (right) of Manned Systems 

Integration, Astronautics Lab, conducted this 

portt_n of the briefing along with Karl 

Heimburg (left), director of Astrotumtlcs Lab. 

Artist's concept of Shuttle depicting 

Its use for global transportation 

, "Skylab aetl;_tion at:d operation 

Launch configuration 

of Space Shuttle 

240

FEBRUARY - MARCH 1970 

rendezvousand dock with the Skylab.The ATM wouldbe a solarobservatoryto be used 

by the astronautsin studiesof the sun from the earth's atmosphere.MSFC wouldbe 

responsiblefor developmentof the Workshop,alrlock, multipledockingadapter,and 

ATM 15921. 

Dr. Eberhard F,M, Rees becante 

Braun,on March I [593l. 

the director of MSFC, succeeding Dr. Wernher volt 

In their Space Station Program Phase B Definition report, dated March13, 1970, North 

American Rockwell concluded that the Space Station could be designed to accommodate 

a broad spectrum of researd_ a,d applications activities In the followltlB areas: 

astronomy, earth applications, adv_mced technoloEy, space physics, aerospace medicine, 

manned space flight enginee.."lngand operations, bioscience and materials sclen,.e, and 

processing 15941. 

O,I March 13 NASA Headquarters inducted a briefing on Space Station and Shuttle 

programs for representatives of 17 ,rations. NASA Administrator, Dr. Paine.._ald that 

foreign participation was a step in NASA'_ continuing efforts to Inform other nations of 

post-Apollo program planning so that they might determine the extent to which they 

wished to participate [595]. 

Representatives of three NASA Centers gathered in Huntsville on March 31 to start a 

4.day tour of Skylab government and contractor facilities. Thosu on the tour included 

Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, Dr. Christopher C. Kraft, Kenneth S. Kleinknecht. Clifford E. 

Charlesworth, Dr. Maxine E. Faget. Sigurd A. SJobert, Dr. Donald K. Slayton, George 

Abbey, Robert F. Thompson, Dr. C.A. Berry,Eugene F. Kranz,and Cadwell Johnson, all 

of MSC. From KSC there was General Thomas W. Morgan,and from MSFC there were 

Dr. EberhardRees, Ed Mohlere. Lee B. James, Ludle Richard, Dr. F.A. Spear, Dr. Walter 

Haeussermann, Karl L. Heimburg, Brooks Moore, Leland F. Belew, and Jack Lee. At the 

MarshallCenter on this date the group viewed Skylab wcrk in several laboratories, tn the 

afternoon they departed for a 3-day tour of contractor facilities. Companies visited were 

McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company, St. Louis, Missouri; Martin-Marietta 

Corporation, Denver, Colorado; and North American Rockwell Corporation and 

McDonnell Douglas in the Los Angeles area. The group also visited the NASA-Flitlht 

ResearchCenter at Edwards. California [5961. 

The first U.S. satellite, the 30.S-pound Explorer !, launched from Cape Canaveral, 

Florida. by a Jupiter C booster c,n January 31, 1958, reentered the atmosphere over the 

South Pacific on March 31, 1970. This pioneering satellite had discovered the Van Allen 

radiation belts and had completed more than 58 000 revolutions of the earth. Dr. 

Wernher van Braun, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Planning, who was 

Director of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency at the time of launch, said: "By today's 

standards Explorer I was a feeble, first step In space. But in its day it wagan outstanding 

accon_plishment, done on short notice to place the free world in the space race.... We 

have come a long way from that tiny Explorer,demonstrated by the fact that the Saturn 

V wLare now flying can place in Earthorbit about I0 000 times as much payload as the 

little Jupiter-Cth,.. launched Explorer I" [597]. 

241

, 1 " _ I [ { [ " 

1970 

In early 1970, 67 awardsweregivento 

Managemento_ervlces, Inc., motor pool 

driversat an unnual Safe DriverAwards 

ceremony. ThG_awardswerepresented for 

_o:., 

safe drivingrecords ranging_om 1 to 8 

years. Here the wlnner_pose In front of 

the MSFCSpace OrientationVe_ 'r. _t_ ._ 

Skylab cluster 

ViewInside Workshopmockup 

Dr. Rees, Dr. _n Braun,and Astronaut W. 

Anders with NationalAeronauticsand Space 

CouncilGroup in Building4619, 

lookingover space hardwareat MSFC. 

(, . ,l ,_ , Ill 

242 

Forwardskirt "beingIoined 

to OW$no. 1 

Apollo 13 astronauts. Left to right: 

Lovell, $wigert, Hal_e

APRIL 1970 

Space Shuttle mission capabilities were described by LeRoy P.. Day, Manager,Space 

Shuttle Tusk Group, NASA OMSF, In a paper presented on April I st the AIAA 

Conference on Test Effectiveness In the '70's at Pale Alto, California: "1! Is envisioned 

that the Shuttle will eventually replace essentially all of the present day launch vehicles 

or their derivatives e,'tcept for very small vehicles of the Scout class and the very large 

Saturn V. This will be possible because low operational costs of tile reusable Shuttle will 

make it competitive even If it carries only a fraction of Its hdl payload capability on 

particularmissions"[5981. 

MSFC announced on April 2 that eight aerospace firms had submitted proposals to MSFC 

relative to a study contract aimed at defining the auxiliary propulsionsystem tar a Space 

Shuttle vehicle. The proposals were being evaluated as of that day. Also under evaluation 

In _ separate action were bids from three aerospace firms for definition of tile main 

enginepropulsionsystem for the Shuttle croft. The firms submittingproposalson the 

auxiliary propulsion system were Bell Aerospal;eSystems, GrummunAerospace, Lockheed 

Aircraft Con|pany, Martin-Marietta Corporation. McDonnell Douglas Astronauth:s 

Company, Rock_tdyne Division and Space Division of North American Rockwell 

Corporation, and TRW, Incorporated. Aerospace firms that submitted bids for the main 

propulsion system Included Pratt and Whitney Division of United Aircraft, AeroJet 

General, and Rocketdyne Division of North American Rockwell [5991. 

Between April 6 and April 22 MSFCawarded contracts to three aerospace contractorsfor 

continuation of nuclear Slluttle definition studies. Contractswere awarded to McDonnell 

I_ouglas Astronautics Company, $343000; Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, 

$282000; and North American Ro_.kwell Corporation's Space Division, S245 O00.sA 

variety of nuclear Shuttle concepts would be studied under the contract extensions. 

These contracts assumed use of tile NERVA engine, which at tile time of these contracts 

was under development by NASA and the Atomic Engery Commission. North American 

Rockwell would study a large, 33-foot-diameter nuclear stage w!lich would be placed in 

orbit by the Saturn V and refueled by an earth-to-orbit Shuttle which NASA was 

considering for development Lockheed would study a completely modular concept in 

which the earth-to-orbit Shuttle would be used to transport modules to orbit for 

us2embl;, into the nuclear slluttle system. McDonnell Douglas would study both the 

33-foot-diameter system and the modular concept. The contract extensions were for I 

year [600-6021. 

In revised its April launch 7 Apollo mission12rules Failure/Anomaly and incorporated Status Report, procedural NASA andannounced software changes that it had to 

mbdmize recurrenceof the atmospheric electrical discharge that occurred with the flight 

of Apollo 12. 

MSC on April I0 awarded a $1.9 million contact to the Itek Corporation for design, 

development, and deliver_ of multlspectral photographic equipment for Project Skylr.b. 

Itek would provide one 6-lens camera flight unit, one backup, and associated lenses nnd 

magazines 1603]. 

243

1970 

Ii 

MDA test article In 

fabrication at MSFC Launch of Apollo 13 

j Splashdown of Apollo 13. 

_ 

because after flight an ox),gen was aborted tank In 

the spacecraft's service 

module ruptured. 

Saturn Program hardware 

S-II-9 installation tn A-I 

Test Stand at MTF 

Apollo Telescope Mnunt 

244 

Space Tug concept

APRIL 1970 

NASA°s ill-fated Apollo 13 (AS-508) flight began with a successful lift-off a_ scheduled 

from KSC Launch Complex 39, Pad A, at 2:1'_ p.m. EST on April II, carrying 

AstronautsJamesA. Lovell,Jr. (commander),John L. Swlgert.Jr. (CM pilot), a:td Fred 

W. Hais0, Jr. (LM pilot), Perhaps a bad omen for the flight occurred when S_vigertwas 

substituted from the backup crew for Tlzomas K, Mattlnsly II, who had failed to develop 

immunity after exposure to German measles, Approximately 4500 VIP's were on hand 

for the launch, including Vice.President Spire T. Afnew, West German ChancellorWilly 

Drandt, and NASA Adminlstrato_"Dr. Thomas O. Fuine. It was during the secorld-stuge 

boost that excessive vibration of the S-il stages' center enginecaused an earlyshutdown 

of that engine, The second stage's four outer engines burned about 34 _conds longer 

than scheduled and the third stage (S.IVB) single engine burned 12 seconds longer to 

compensate for tile early engine cutoff. Preliminary ana!ystsof fiig;_:data Indicated that 

an automahe, early cutoff occurred due to action of "thrust OK switches" on tile center 

engine, l.,_rgepressureoscillations in the Ikluld oxygen system, coupled with vibrationsin 

the center engine support structure, started a chain of events that led to center en_hxe 

cutoff 132 se_'onds earlier than plnnncd, ltowever, sufficient prop,.llants remainedt'or 

translunarInsertion. 

On April 13 Lovell and Haise entered tile LM for housekeeping and system checks, but 

minutes later, at !0:08 p.m. EST, the cr_.wreported rapidloss o{"pressure in an oxygen 

tank. Haise reported "a pretty I_rgebang associated with the caution and warning." A 

few minutes later the crew reported that the spacecraft was venting something - later 

determined to be oxygen - ou_ into space. Despite desperate efforts nothing seemed to 

h'ait the drop in oxygen pressure.The spacecraft dipped repeatedly, apparently because of 

venting gas. The decision was mad_ to abort the mission. With only minutes of power 

remaining,the cre,v fed oxygen into the reserve tank. The pt,blic'sappare_ltboredom at 

the begin_ing of the mission was transf,._rmedInto deep _:oncern for the astronauts' 

safety, Mes.'_agesand offers of aid were sent to the U.S. from world leaders, and prayers 

were offered by religiousleaders on every continent. 

The Apollo 13 was placed on a free-return trajectory around the moon. During the 

remainder of the transearthcoast the crew continued emergencyprocedures to deal with 

_orta_e of water to cool tile LM electronic systems, decreasing temperatures in both 

cabins, and buildt_p of carbon dioxide in the LM. Tire crew kept the spacecraft in 

rotation to let the sun uniformly heat all sides. The astronauts met the cool water 

shortage by filling every plastic bag they could with water from the CM and carryingit 

to the LM. The crew tried various ways to keep warm: wearingboots carded for walking 

on the moon, sleeping in the three-foot-wide tunnel between the LM and CSM that 

seemed warmer,and wearing extra clothing. 

Officials on the ground developed new reentry procedures and verified them in 

ground-basedsimulations. Almost every move that the Apollo I3 crew made was first 

proved on the ground. The crew viewed and photographed the SM when it was 

Jettisoned, reporting that one entire panel was mis'dngand that a great deal of debris was 

hangingout. Parachutedeployment and other reentry events occurred as planned, and the 

Odyssey splashed down in the mid-Pacificsoutheast of AmericanSamoa at 1:07 EST on 

April 17, 4.02 miles from the recovery ship US lwo Jima. The astronauts, exhausted but 

in good health, were picked up I-._,a recovery helicopter and were safely aboard the 

245 

l

1970 

! _milimlos_s 

• _ llOi|IO_ 

ILdMio 

&geeOlleelioi 

• m_-ifll 

Wfl 

LeongN 

• t|Xll 

19n 

LI Mill 

_lil |iiinillll 

L_ rJ,n . 

IOj_LSi1101 

SpaceTuBCrewModuleconcept 

MultipleDockingAdapter 

NASAAstronautsCharlesDuke(left) andJohn 

¥ou_ ran throughpracticeexercise#with a 

full acalemodelof theLunarRovlnsVehicle 

bJJune 1970 at the MarshallCenter. The two 

astronauts°wearingpressurizedspacesuits and 

portablelife supportsystems°spent hours 

¢Aeckln#crew equipmentand systems. They 

were observedby enlltneersand technicians 

[rom the Mar,hall Center.the Manned 

Spacecraft Center.and LR V contractors. 

Finalassemblyof the 

ATM thermalsystems 

unit at MSFC 

S-IV-BOrbital Workshopelectron 

beam experiment 

246 

Artist's co.'_cept,',€electronbeam 

experimentIn L,,#eratlon


recovery drip less than I hour after splashdown, The pdmary Apollo 13 mission 

objectives were not achieved, but the Apollo 13 flight crew perfornlancewas outstanding 

throughoutthe mission.NASA AdministratorDr. ThomasO. Paineannouncedon Apfll 

17 that an Apollo 13 Revle',vBoard,headedby LangleyResearchCenterDirectorEdgar 

M. Cortdght,wouldbeestablidtedto determinethe causeof the accident.The Apollo13 

flighthad been the IOth Apollo missionand the 3rd mannedlunarlandingattempt.The 

accidentwas the first Inflight failure in 22 mannedflightsin the U.S. spaceprogram 

1604-6081. 

MSFC Director Reesannouncedon, April 16 that effectiveApril 22 Mr. Roy Godfrey, 

Mtmager,Saturn Program, Program Management,would I_ reassigz,edto Program 

Developme,tto serveasManager°SpaceSltuttleTaskTeam[609], 

On April 23 NASA awardeda $3 million contractto the Garrett Corporationfor a 

portable astronaut life support assembly (ALSA) to support extravehicularend 

intravehlcularactivityin the Skylabprogram[610]. 

On April 30 Roy Oodfrey,Managerof MSFC'snew SpaceShuttleTaskTeam,Informed 

Dr. Rees:"... the.Apollo/Saturnhaswithout o doubt beenone of the moststringently 

managedprogramsof its kind. The applicationof technicalend managerialresources 

within the governmentand IndustryhasperhapsbeentmprecedentedIn bringingto bear 

disciplinesof d,;si_ control, analysis,and scrutinyof the system.Qualificationof desi_ 

and continuedquality control of manufacturingthroughmultipletestsand Inspections 

have been sl,ccessfuin forcing the exposureof potentially critical flight failures. 

Correcti_nof failuresto the mostminute detail hasbeenthe rule.Regularandin-depth 

technicalauditshavedetectedproblemsand correctiveactionhasbeenappliedto both 

technicaland managerialproblems.SuccessivecrossmatrtcIslcl reviewsof all dlseiplines 

from diffe_'entperspectivesin design,quality, safety, management,as well as different 

organizatlrmallevels;isle] i.e., contractors,suppliers,governmentresidentoffices,S&E, 

PM, andHeadquartershavebeenIntenseand in.depth" [611]. 

NASA selectedtwo aerospaceIndustrial firms on May 12 for fin,I negotiationsof 

parallel, I I-month contractsfor definition and preliminarydesignstudiesof a reusable 

SpaceShuttle vehiclefor possiblefuture spac_flight missions.Fixed pricedcontracts 

wo,ld be negotiatedwith McDonnellDouglasCorporation,St. Louis,Missouri,andNorth 

American Rockwell Corporation, Space Division, Downey, California, valued _t 

approximately$8 million each. MSFC wouldma,age the McDonnellDouglaswork nnu 

MSC would manage the North American Rockwell contract. Four firms submitted 

proposaL, for the studies[612]. 

MSFC announcedon May 15 that NASA haddecidedto launchSaturnIB and SaturnV 

vehiclesyheduledfor the 1972-1973Skyiab Programfrom LaunchComplex39 at Cape 

Kennedy_.The decisionto conductSaturnIB launchesat LC 39, ratherthanComplexes 

/ 34 and 37, was reached after a comprehensive study of the capabilities and costs of both 

locations, Skylab ProgramotTlclals,said. The oflglnal plan was to launch only Saturn V's 

from LC 39 16131. 

247

1970 

Deployment of IIEA 0 from 

MDA d.vnanffctest article 8hurtle - artist's concept Alrlock flight article no. i 

being i.,wered onto 

in clean room at MDAC.E 

factor.v trailer, 

being rotated into 

vertical position 

Aidock Module 

.t!4 , 

{NlllgllllSfI{$ 

i W|HIt |lliHl| 

_.Nl tl 

ILIII iltlHill 

i lUlltll 

to tt 

il llfllt 

• illltl ftifit) 

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i,l IITIM 

* ttllll Ilillllltl) 

Uf el. M 

tl t (t Iltttt 

Three Saturn I11boosters were delivered to the 

Marshall Center tn the summer _f 1970 after 

a barge trip from the Michoud Assembl.v Faclllt.v 

In New Orleans. The stages were to be placed 

in storage at MSFC because of a stretch in 

launch dates. The boosters were for Satur, Ill 

vehicles 212, 213, 214. 

! "P" 

% 

i 

i " i " 

Atrlock flight unit in 

fabrication and assembly 

Airlock Module Interior during 

crew station review 

248


On May 21 MSFC negotiateda supplementalagreementwith InternationalBusiness 

Machines Corporation for Saturn launch vehicle flight programmingcomputer 

requirementsand developmentof computer programs.Thb supplementwas valuedat 

more than $1.8 million dollars and extended the effort described above through 

I_cember 1972. The supplement was part of IBM's originalcontract with NASA, 

awardedin At,g,,st 1964, to build and support27 Instrumentunits for Saturnlaunch 

vehicles16141. 

On May26 MSFCannouncedthatIts AdvancedSystemsAnalysisOfficewasInvestigating 

possibleuses of a Space Tugmultipurposev,_hlcleto be developedsimultaneouslywitha 

la,ger SpaceShuttle. ThisTug, theonly spscev¢111ci¢ thatwouldworkwithandconnect 

_11existing and fUturevehiclesand systems, would ,qrstbe used as a link between the 

SpaceShuttle and the Space Station to taxi cargoand passengerstn earthorbit. Both 

MSFCalld MSCwereworkingto developspacetugplans[615]. 

MSFCrevealedon June I the relocation of severalSaturn IB and SaturnV stagesand 

instrumentunits to avoid possibledamageor destructionby hurricanesin the areaof the 

MichoudAssemblyFacilityIn New Orleans,Louislanu.ThreeSaturnIB boosterswould 

be movedfromMichoudto MSFCInmid-July[6161. 

On June 4 MSC awardedthe following contracts:North AmertcanRockwellSpace 

Division would receive a $305"/00000 cost.plus.fixed-fee/award-feesupplemental 

agreementto the Apollo spacecraftcontract for four CSM modules for the Skylab 

lirogram.This agreement defined the March 1969 letter contract and brought the 

estimatedcost of the the contractfor both ApolloandSkylabto $3 618 006 813. North 

American Rockwell Space Division also would receive $250000 for a preliminary 

planningstudy of a reusableSpaceTugwith multipurpo_applicathms[617, 618]. 

On June9 the MartinMariettaCorporationof Denver,Colorado,receiveda modification 

to its Skylab programpayloadIntegrationcontract from MSFC.The modification,valued 

at $2 168070, was for workon systemsIntegration forthemultipledockingadapter,a 

majorsegmentof Skylab'sSaturn Workshop.Schedulescalledfor the workmodification 

materials,manufacturingand quality control, testing several test models, and buying 

ground supportequipmentand long-leadtime materials.MartinMarletta'_contractwith 

MSFC gave the company responsibilityfor integrationof all elements of the Skylab 

to 

Program,includingth" 

be completedby early 

qaturn 

1972. 

Workshop,Apollo 

The workwould includedesigndevelopment,buyingof 

TelesCOpeMount,alrlock, ivlDA,and 

othereqtlipment[619]. 

The June I0, 1970, minutes of the Apollo DesignCertificationReviewBoardconcurred 

with _n earl!e,"MSFCposition taken In May 1969 in supportof terminationof static 

testing of Saturn V stages;however,thi'tboard"ruled that a decision to continue static 

firing for any new buy of tehlcles would be reevaluatedat a later date based on 

circumstancesat that time.'l'hese DCRBoardminutesrepresented"the firsttimethat a 

MannedSpace Flight Headquartersposition concerningtermination of static firingwas 

put in writing"[6201. 

249

1070 

t 

r 

Alrlock payload shroud, flight 

unit t,o. 1 at MDAC. 

ATM flight rack and canisters 

hlstal!ation of nose cone on ....,._: ,,...:.._,., . . 

cylinder section for final .... 

ordnance, and air conditioning 

components ..... 

[.. € 

IBM 1410 computer in Computation 

Lab at MSFC 

P_ 

Skylab]MDA NASA trainer - interior view 

$.11separationfrom Skylab payload 

Skylab shroud separation 

250 

.b

1970 

:: ./ , _l_d, 

s 

AIriock trainer tunnel necttonbeing loaded 

Viewlookingforward showingEVA hatch 

on truck for shipment from M,qF¢to MSC. 

MultipleDockingAdapter 

Orbital Workahopdynamic 

test articleat MSC 

Workshopdynamic test article 

exterior view of forward dome 

OWS type bo,_lea_cmblles 

being transportedby road 

A_tlock=ero-gsimulation In KC-135aircraft 

252 

PRI_CEDINOPAOI_BLANK NOT FILM!:_

JUNE 1970 

scanner for the Skylab Workshop experiment to develop techniques and interl)retive 

methods for earth survey from orbital veldcles. This scanner would detect and measure 

radiated and reflected solar energy from materials on earth [6241. 

On June 18 MSFC awarded a contract modification to Martin-MariettaCorporation for 

work on the Skylab Program.The $13 460 726 contract was for continuing work on the 

Skylab's multiple docking adapter; the work was being done at Martin-Marietta'sDenver 

facility. This modification covereddesign, development, fabrication, assembly, integration, 

and testing of the MDA equipment. MSFC made the basic docking adapter str,lcture.At 

the time of this contract modification Martin was the prime contractor to MSF¢ for the 

Skylab Programpayload integration [625]. 

On June 23 NASA awarded a contract to the Rocketdyne Division of North American 

Rockwell Corporation for Saturnrocket engine support work. Rockctdyne would provide 

operational and flight support and launcl_site support for the H-I, F-I, and J-2 rocket 

engine programs.The $22 841 941 contract covered the period July I, 1970, to June 30, 

1971. At the time of this contract award, Rocketdyne was supporting H-I, F-I, and J-2 

rocket engines for Saturn launcll vehicles. As of this date all of the rocket engines 

requiredfor the Saturn programhad bee- Fabricatedand delivered to the space agency. 

The rocket engines were purchased from Rocketdyne under separat-"contract_ MSI:C 

directed the development of the Saturn launch vehicles and would administer this 

contract [626l. 

/_bout 4000 employees and their families attended MSFC". _ b;_ Tenth Anniv:rsary 

Celebration on Saturday, June 27, in the Redstone Arsenalpicnic area. The crowd heard 

presentationsby Dr. Rees0 and about 2800 had picnic-style lunch. There were rides and 

prizes for the chddre,, [6271. 

NASA held a "Skylab and Beyond" press briefing and tour of production facilities at 

MSFC,on June 29 and 30. WilliamC. Schneider, Skylab Program Director, said that the 

project was "In the very critical phase of flrmin5 up our designs*'and predicted that the 

1972 launchdate would be met. Three missions were planned for the 8-mt_tth lifetime of 

the 48ofoot-long Workshop. Primary task of" the first mission would be to study 

physiological and psychological aspects of space flight for 28 days. During the second 

mission, for 56 days, telescopes would be operated. During the third mission, for 56 

days, earth resources would be surveyed with highly sensitive cameras [628]. 

After issuing requests for quotations to 45 firms for a propo_d 12-month "Space Base 

Nuclear System Safety Study," MSFC awarded the contract to GeneralElectric:oiz June 

30. The aim of this $369478 study would be to Identify potential and Initerent 

radiologieal hazards of the space-base program and to recommend approaches for 

eliminating the hazards or reducing them to an acceptable risk level. The 50-man space 

base as envisioned ',vouldbegin with a Space Station in earth orbit in the mid-1970's with 

s_ation modules being added periodically to eventually form the largebase with modular 

units designed for various functions. A space base would be exposed to radiation from 

radioactive materials and systems on board plus natural radiationfrom ,Juter space [6291. 

253

1970 

mb 

0111111111111111 

• llllln 

II IN IIINIIIII 

,.III II 

e IMill 'I I I llill 

ill II lll_Irl 

,n ii 

e IIIII|II ,IOtM, 

llll lllll_ 

Idlgl 

• IIAII IIIIHI| 

ill$1lllelqll 

t4 Ill III|; 

Orbital Workshop ' "' tronauts In Skylab 

Workshopmo_.,kup 

254

JULY 1970 

Two weeks after the Apollo 13 Review Board presented its flndinss on June 15, NASA 

Administrator Dr. Thomas O. Paine informed the U.S. Senate Commltt,:'e on 

Astronautical and Space Sciences that the recommendations of the Apollo 13 Review 

Board would be implemented before the Apollo 14 mission would be approved for 

launch. This would _equtre postponing the launch date to no earlier than January 31, 

1971. 'rhe Review Board had reported that a short circuit ignited electrical insulation1in 

spacecraft oxygen tank number 2, causing faUure of the tank, subsequent loss of 

electrical power, and abortion of the lunar landing mission 200 OO0miles from Earth on 

ApHI 13. Command and Service Module systems would be modified to eliminate 

potential combustion haza_ls in high-pressure oxygen of the type revealed'by t_w Apollo 

13 accident 1630]. 

In _ July 2 letter NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight, Dale D. 

M],en, wrote Dr. Rees requesting participation in a review of the Apollo and Skylab 

programs.Myers stated that the review would be a followup to the report of the Apollo 

13 Review Board which included recommendation No. 9 that in e_4:nce called for 

rcauteument of all Apollo spacecraft subsystems and the engineering organizations 

responsible for them at MSFC and Its prime contractors. Myen added that the scope of 

the coverage under the recommendation had been expanded to Include all elements of 

Apollo (spacecraft, launch vehicle, and GSE) as well as Skylab. It would be a major 

review, followedsby others, with more th|n i00 MSFCpersonnel participatingdirectly In 

variousstages of the reviews. 

On July 7 Dr. Wemher yon Braun and eight other NASA }leadquarters officials began 

attending a series of meetings at MSFC to (:iscuss thr., Skylab, the High Enerw 

Astronomy Observatory (HEAO), and future scientific space projects. Although a nc_' 

and relatively small project us of this date, the HEAO _,ignifleda type of payload that 

could become one of the major scientific experiments in early phases of the Shuttle fill,ha 

program1631]. 

On July 8 MgFC modified an existing contract with MartinMariettaCorporation, Denver, 

Colorado, for additional work on the Skylab Prof/ram. The $1 863 000 contract 

modificationcovereddevelopment,Implementation,and operationof a chanlleintegration 

and configuration control system for the SEylab Program. At the time of this 

announcementMartin was the Skylab payloadinter;rationcontractorfor MSFC. This 

actionbroughtthe contracttotal to $104 946 bOO[632]. 

MSFC announcedon July 13 that Richard G. Smith, formerly Deputy Manager, 

technical,SaturnProgram,hadassumedthr. dutiesof Manager,SaturnProgram1633]. 

Fourteenemployeesof MSFC prewt_tedpapersdttrinflthe SpaceShuttleconferen_ at 

the Lewis ResearchCenter,Cleveland,Ohio, Jt]ly 15-17.Two other employeeschaired 

sessionsat the conference,and 30 additionalemployeesattendedthe sessions. The 3-day 

conferencefor United Statesand foraigncontractorsreviewedthe status,progret%and 

phtns of technology prolpmmsrequired to support Space Shuttle development. Technical 

topics Included aerothermodynamlca,€onfigurations,structures,materials,electronics, 

propultlon,blotechnolow,and ufoty. Chairing thc_ _eulonswere tl.G. Pattiand C.C. 

Wood, both of MSFC's AstronauticsLaboratory.Presentinllpapers were J.A. Porney,

lg70 

S.IC stage erection at MTF 

Astronaut Overmyer at 

ergometer station In 

Skylab _,qockup 

¢oJmonaut Serastyanov 

at Airlock EVA work 

station in Netttral 

Buoyancy Facility 

at AfSF¢ 

Space Shuttle booster/orbiter concept 

Cosmonauts Semstyanov and Nlkolayev with 

Interpreter Barsky being briefed by Dr. Rees, 

Mr. Belew, and Mr. Ilardy in Workshop mockup 

Space Shuttle sortie mission 

basic experiment module 

ResearchApplicationsMod_de 

256

JULY - AUGUST 1970 

ti.G. Struck, J.H. Jones, R.S. Ryan and M.H. Rheinfurth, all of the Aero-Aslrodynamics 

Laboratory; W.O. Frost of Astrionics Laboratory; and E.E. Engler, K.D. Coates, R.W. 

Schock, C.E. Camldo, J.E. (3,try, E.C. McKannon,A.L. Worlund,and T.W.Winstead,all 

of Astronautics Laboralory 16341. 

On July 23 MSFC modified an exhting contract with McDonnell Douglas Astronautics 

Compaqy for addllional work on the Skylab airlor:k. Under the contract, McDonnell 

Douglas' Eastern Division at St. Loui% Missouri, was building two Skylab alrlock 

modules, one for flight and one for spare. The contract n,odlficatlon totaled 

S38 979 000. The alrlock module would provide the major work area and support 

equipment required to activate and operate the Workshop and would also form a 

passageway for the astronauts to move front the Apollo command module and multiple 

docking adapter into the Workshop. The alrlock could also be depressurizedand sealed 

off for exit into space outside the vehicle [635]. 

In line with Recom,mendation No. 9 of the Apollo 13 Review Board, MSFC hosted a 

massive review at IVlSFCon August 12-14. The review, directed by Dr. Rees, dealt 

excludvely with the Saturn Program.Official NASA visitors included CharlesW. Mathewa,, 

heading the delegatio, from Headquarters,and C,C. Kraft of MSC. 

Lee B. James, chargedwith responsibility t'orthe Apollo 13 review at MSFC,felt that the 

review had benefits beyond the recommendations of the Apollo 13 Review Board. "1 

think a bigger purpose of the overall review was we found out in the Apollo program 

that occasionally the entire program needs to be shaken down by the very top 

management in an overall review.., that had seldom happened in Skylab, and this 

Apollo 13 Review gave an occasion to really spend some time from this one point f)f 

view to go through the enttxe Skylab program,and to really check it in the end from the 

top management point of view. We get a lot of good ottt of these things: they turn up 

different thins, if there isn't ,ny (_!herway to do this,.. I would watch for occasions 

such as this to give the program an end-to.end review, and have a good elderly review 

Just for the good of the program" [636-6381. 

Within a year after Apollo astronauts lint landed on the moon MSFCand ashes NASA 

centers were facxd with a major reduction in force. On August 14, 1970, MSFL"Director 

Re_:swrote to MSFC employees as follows: "Over the past months since first we knew 

that a reduction-in.force in all of NASA was probable, we have tried to keep you 

Informed on the developing situation, On July 15, it was a painful duty to lell you that 

the MSFC portion of the reduction was 190 polJtions. In the Interim, 69 eligible 

employees have accepted their retirement, I can auure you that all but a very few of 

them took retirement at this time rather than later because they knew it would ease tile 

Impact of the RIF olo their fellow employees. Weare deeply Indebtedto all of them for 

thht unselfish gesture. Thb brings our net loss or po|llions down to 121, While this is an 

Improvement In Quroverall position, I axn acutely €on_lous that this I.,small consolation 

to 121 of our co-wtwkers,Letters to our people who will leave the rolls of MSFC will be 

delivered Monday, August 17, as well u letters to other employees affected by resulting 

personnel actlonp - change of grade or positio. ,_.... it is our aim to reduce to the 

absoluteminimu'n the Impact of the reduction.in.forceon our employeesand their 

257

1970 

SenatorJohn J. Sparkman(secondfrom 

left) visitedthe Marshall CenterIn 

November1970for talks with Dr. 

Eberhard Rees, director, and other 

MSFC offlclab andfora tourofsome 

of the facilities. Hb vblt wassponsored 

by the MARS Women'sClub. From left i" 

aboveare Mrs. Pe_y Shanahan.President 

of the club; SenatorSparkman;Mrs. 

Martha FarlJh, MARS Club member;and 

Dr. Rees. Theyare Inspectingtile lunar 

rock on display In the lobby of Buildin8 

4200 at MSFC. Senator Sparkman 

inspected the Skylab mockup during 

h_ visit. 

Lunar exploration sites 

"_" 

NeutralBuoyancy "clothesline 

testing" at MSFC 

Alrlock. MDA. and A TM mockups 

258 

usedduring EVA CDR Lunar Rovlnl VehicleI1 trainer

AUGUST 1970 

famdi_s. We couldn't make it plea_mnt,but we will do everything possible to minimize 

hardship for you who have been our valued and respected fellow workers." 

MSFC announced on August 17 that manufactureof the IStlt and final Saturn V booster 

stage (S-It-! 5) had been completed by its builder, the Boeing Company, at the Mlchoud 

Assembly facility in Now Orleans. The stage was being shipped on August 17 by barge to 

the Mississippi Test Facility where it would be prepared for a static test firing in late 

September. S-IC-15 was scheduled to boost the Apollo 19 moonlanding mixsion in 1974 

16391. 

On August 21 MSFC issued a modificatton to a contract held by IBM for changes to 

digital computers. The modification, In the amount of $7 932 440, would cover changes 

required when the basic concept for the Workshop was altered in 1969. The computers 

Involvedwould be aboard the Apollo Telescope Mount, a m_Jorcomponent of the Skylab 

16401. 

On August 21 MSFC awardl:d the North American Rockwell Corporation two 

modifications to its basic contract for the second (S-II) stage of the Saturn V launch 

vehicle. The first modifications, valued at $1 768 228, covered changes to the basle 

contract, originally awardedin t962, for the manufacture ,andtest of 15 S-ll fiight stages 

for the Saturn V. The amendment was du'_ to stage design changes. The second 

modification called for North American at Seal Bea,_hto Identify the L|-II'scapabilities In 

launching possible Space Station missions and to determine what production Impacts 

_ould result from Space Station mission studies being conducted oy MSFC. This 

modification was valued at $2 429 005, and the work was to be completed by March 31, 

1971 [641l. 

More than 150 representatives of NASA and Industry conducted a week-long critical 

design review of the Skylab multiple docking adapter during the week of August 24 at 

the MartinMarietta facility in Denver, Colorado•This was scheduled as the final techsdcal 

review before approval would be given for manufacturingflight hardware.Skylab officials 

from MSFC, MSC, KSC, and NASA ileadquarters attended. The MSFC delegation was 

headed by P.M. Drummond, manager of the Alr!ock/MDA Project. Martin Marietta was 

the Skylab payload integration contractor for the Marshall Center• While MSFC was 

building the multiple dockinll adapter external structure, Martin was Integrating the 

experiments. Other _;ontractorsIncluded the Bendix Corporation and McDonnell Dop,,las 

Corporation [6421. 

On August 27 MSFC issued a modification to an existing contract with the McDonnell 

Dougias Astronautics Company for Skylab program work The modification would pay 

€onversion of the originalOrbital Workshop to be launched by a Saturn IB rocket 

for the ......... ., ,u_.t..t,,,.,, be launched by a Saturn V. The odginal contract 

to I completely outntt©u vvut_ms_,t,o 

with the firm was for $97 340 000 and called for one Orbital Workshopand one backup; 

this modification added $60 918 000. Oriili,, IlY th'_plan was to launch the second stage 

(S-IVB) of a Saturn IB into earth orbit. The S-IVD "._ouldbe filled with fuel so that it 

could propel Itself into orbit. Astronautslaunchedby a secondSaturnIB would then 

rendezvouswith the emptystageandconvertIt into livingand workingquarters.In 1969 

259

1970 

-. .... 

/,..,,.,._,,. 

Conceptdepicting earthresources 

surve.vlng from space 

ATMsun endworkstation mockup 

usedduring EVA CDR 

o 

Workshopd.vnamictest articleon 

transporterbeing loadedon USNS 

Point Barrow 

Workshopd.vnamlctest article 

In vibrationtest at MSC 

A Christmastreeand lots of holly werenot 

the onl.vdecorationsspntclngup the MSFC 

Headquarterscomplex during t,_e1970 

Christmasholidayseason. On dlspla.von 

the front lawn of Building4200 were 

modelsof 

commandmodule. 

the Saturn V and t_e Apollo 

260 

FormerastronautJam€.,A. McDlvltt 

addressedabout 1100 govonment and 

contractoremployeesat a M_mnedFlight 

Awarenessgatheringat th_ Mlchoud 

Asscmbl.vFaclllt.vIn Dec#tuber1970.

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1970 

a dechion was madeto outfit an S-IVB on file groundand launchit readyfor use.The 

launch vehicle for this new version would be the Saturn V [643], 

On August 28 a group of MSFC engineers successfully completed a week-long series of 

tests of Skylab prow'am hardware in simulated weizhtlessness aboard a USAF KC-135, 

four-engine-jet,reseai_'haircraft.Tests Includedoperation of flight-€onfigurationdoors for 

film cassette compartments, retrievaland replacement of film cassettes, and evaluation of 

handrailsand foot restraints. A lunar ,oHpenetration experiment was conducted aboard 

the aircraft to _tudy load-bearing _ ,ractedatics of lunar all and performance of the 

LRV wheels on the moon. The KC-135 was flown in parabolas, with 30 seconds of 

welghtiessne_ achieved on each parabola In a technique that most nearly duplicated _oro 

g [6441. . 

On August 31 NASA published Its "Skylab Launch Readiness and Delivery Schedule 

ML-19," which moved the scheduled Skylab launch date to November I, 1972, and 

dropped the July 15, 1972, target date scheduled under l"le earlier ML-18schedule. 

On September 3 MSFC awarded the Ball Brothers Research Corporation, Boulder, 

Colorado, a $195 000 space agency contract to study a solar telescope for possible 

inclusiolt in a manned mlar observatory on a future flight opportunity. At the time of 

this contract award, NASA'I first manned sol_arobservatory (Apollo Telescope Mount) 

was scheduled for launch In 1972 as an element of the Skylab cluster. This ATM 

cgntainin8 u_lar experiments designed by five principal Investigatorswas being built at 

MSFC. The space agency had asked Ball Brothers to define requirementsfor a 26-inch, 

solar telescope as a major new experl;nent to be Included In a follow-on observatory 

16451. 

On September 8 NASA luu,;d a supplemental agreement to the McDonnell Douglas 

Astronautics Comp_qy in the ,,mount of $97 057 455 for S-IVB program realignment. 

The basic €onlra_t, with a value of $1 026 393 830. covered the furnlshinllof the S.IVB 

stages for Saturn IB and Saturn V, The supplemental ,q;reemcntadjusted the contract as 

a result of schedulestretchou_ Costs would cover storageof completed stages; 

maintenanceo.r ground zuppo;t equipment, toollnil, and facilitiesover an extended 

pedod; end mainlaining e:tgineerlngcapability. Period of performanceunder the 

agreementwould be e_ten_edfrom May 15, 1970, throu_ July 31, 1972.The cot:tract 

wasbeingadministeredby MSFCwhichhad responsibilityfor Saturnvehicle,developm,_nt 

16461. 

MSFCannounced,anSeptember8 that the filet deslitnof theSaturnWorkshop,a part 

of the SkylabpvJgram,wouldbe acceptedin a aeriesof Importantreviewsscheduledfor 

the next few 'Necks at MSFC In HuntzvlEe.and at Huntington Beach, California. 

GovernmentenlJneers,astronauts,and induztw representativeswould determine if 

changes were noceuaw before the final approvalwould be liven for completing the fiighl 

_¥orkshop cunl,ntiy scheduled for launch into earth orbit in 1972. First In the review 

Jer|_; would be an astronautproceduresreview on September9 and 10 at MSF(;. 

Astronauts would study many proposed Workshop procedures In a mockup. A critlr,al 

dasl_ review would be conducted September 14-18 at the McDonnell Douf_las 

Astronautics Company facility at lluntlnllton Beach, California, McDonnell Doulllas was 

261

SEPTEMBER1970 

manufacturingthe. Workshopfor the spaceagency.More than 200 governmentand 

-.industryreprcsenlativeswere expectedto participatein the critical designreview.A 

Workshopcrew station review would be held September21-24 at MSFC. Astronaut 

crewmenwould"walk through"manycf the Skylabtasksin thisreview. 

Resultsof the reviewswoultIbe consideredin a WorkshopCriticalReviewBoardmeeting 

October 2 at HuntingtonBeach,with Leland Belew,managerof the Skylab Program 

Office at MSFC, preddin8.Many of the sameparticipantswouldhavetaken partin a 

pruUminaryreviewof the resultsSeptember28 and 29 at HuntingtonBeach,with William 

K. Simmons,Jr., managerof the Workshopprojectunder Belew,actingas chairman 

16471. 

On September 8 MSC and North American Rockwell Space Division selected 

Metsenchmltt-Boelkow-Blohm of Munich, West Germany, and BAC of Bristol, England, 

to conduct subsyltems studies for NASA's Space S".uttle. in a major step for 

internationalcooperation In space, Me_aerschmlttwould study the attitude control system 

and BAC would study structures, aerodynamics'and flight:test Instrumentation,and data 

handling under contracts financed by their respective governments. Work would be 

performedin Downey,California 16481. 

Dr. Emit Stuhlinip'r headed a four-member MSFC team that attended a Space Station 

meeting at Ames Research Center on September 9 and I0. At the meeting were 

approximately 500 NASA'memben, company executives, representatives from universities 

and colleges, engilleers, scientists, and members of government from both Inside the U.S. 

and abroad, i:1 reportingto Dr. Reesconcerningthe meeting,Dr. StuhlingerIndicated 

that there seemedto he generalconcensu_thzztthe three major projectsIn the space 

programfor immediateconsiderationshould occurin the followingpriority: (I) broad 

activitiesin applicationsand exploration;(2) Shuttle;(3) and theStation.The concensus 

seemedto be that the U.S. at this time could not afford all three.Therefore, the first 

shouldhavehighestpriority. The Shuttlewouldbe usefulwithout the Station, hut tile 

Stationcouldnot be operatedand utilizedproperlywithout the Shuttle.Therefore,"_e 

Shuttle _houldhave Priodty No. 2, and the Station should be postponeduntil the 

financialsituationprovedto be betterin termsof the nation'sspacecommitments16491. 

MSFC annouqced on September I0 that a test model of the Apollo Telescope Mount 

solar observatory was being returned to MSFC.from MSC where It recently underwent 

extensive thermal vacuum chamber tests. The ATM thermal systems unit was being 

barged to Huntsville from Houston. Upon arrival here in late September, the model 

would be disassembled and used in other test programs.The unit's rack, without the 

experiment canbter, would be converted by MSFCInto an astronaut trainer, this trainer 

would be sent back to MSC for use by Skylab crewmen there, The experiment canister 

would be used In furtherenvironmentalcontrol system evaluations at MSFC. 

Thermal vacuum chamber tests of the ATM test model were completed on August 17, 

well ahead of schedule, in the MSC Apollo vacuum teat chamber. The ATM prototype 

and flight units, both of which were being fabricated at MSFC, would be flown to 

Houston for a series of tests in the tame vacuum cllamber. The ATM would have a 

262

SEPTEMBER 1970 

llun from earth orbit - above the distortingeffect cf the atmosphere.The ATM was 

,:lusterof )u;heduledfor telescopesand launchinllin other _i972asa scientificinstrumentswhich partof the Skylabprogram1650]. would be u_edto study the 

One of the extensiverecommendationsof the reportof the Apollo 13 ReviewBoardwas 

that "NASA shouldconducta thoroughreexamina',ionof all of its spacecraft,launch 

vehicle,andgroundsystemswhichcontainhigh-densityoxygen,or otherstrongoxidizers, 

to identify and evaluate potential combustionhazardsin the light of information 

developedin this Investigation." Further Indication of NASA's extensivereappraisal 

followingthe Apollo 13 accidentwasIncludedIn a September15, 1970,letter from Dale 

Myers to Dr. Rees in which Myers requestedthat "a flmilar Investigation..be 

undertakento include the MSFC in-housefacilities, laboratories,and test equipment 

whichmay handlehigh-densityoxygenor other oxidizersandare not directly relatedto 

the ,6.polioprogram.I think that wewouldbe in a vulnerablepetitionIf we wereto have 

an accidentin one of our facilitiesnot directly relatedto Apolloandhad not examined 

thesewith the samedgor that we exercisedIn examining the Apollo flight and ground 

suppo_! systems." 

Dr. ThomasO. Paine,who joined NASA in 1968 as deputyadministratorand became 

administratorlater that year, departedNASA on Ju,ze 15 to return to the General 

Electric Company. No successorwas named Immediately. During an earlier press 

conferenceDr. Paine said that Dr. George Low would automaticallybecome acting 

udnilnlstratorpendingaction by Ih_ President16511. 

MSC announced on _._ptembe,"IS the _lection of Singer-GeneralPrecision, Incorporated. 

Link Division, to receive a $4-mlllion. cost-plus-award-fee contract to design, develop, 

install, and support a Skyl_b simulator for astronaut and ground crew training at MSC 

16521. 

On September21 a SaturnWorkshopcrowstationreviewbeganat MSFCasa part of the 

SkylabProgram.A group of nineastronautsheadedby RichardTruly participatedin the 

week-longreviewconductedin a mockupat MSFC. Governmentand Industryengineers 

monitoredthe astronautcrewmen'sprogressand commentedas they "walked through," 

many of the Workshoptasks.Medicalexperimentsscheduledfor the Skylab flight were 

reviewedduring the week. This crow station review followeda critical designreview 

conducted_ptember 14-18at the McDonnellDousJ_sAstronauti_Companyfaculty at 

Ituntington Beach,California. At the time of this review, McDonnellDouglaswas 

manufa_tudnlithe Workshopfor the spaceagency[653]. 

Meetingsto selectrequirementsfor the main enilJnedesignof the proposedSpaceShuttle 

beganon September22 at MSFC and €ontinuedthrough the followingday. About 100 

people from three NASA cc,lters, the U.S. Air Force, and severalNASA contractors 

attendedthe seriesof meetings.The work of three study contractorsfor the Spate 

Shuttle'smain enginewas reviewed.The companieswere AeroJetGeneralCorporation, 

RocketdyneDivisionof North AmericanRockwellCorporation,and Pratt and Whitney 

Divisionof United Aircraft Corporation.At the time of this 2-day meeting the three 

companieshad I I-month study contractswith NASA for mainenilinedesignwork. They 

each had spent about 3 monthson their preliminary study. Decisionswere currently 

263

SEPTEMBER- OCTOBER 1970 

being made on what would be re(luStedfor the Shuttle'smain enginesystem.The 

contractorswould then incorporatetheserequirementsinto their studies.Attendingthe 

meetingswererepresentatives from NASA Headquarters,M_,C,MSFC, and the Air Force; 

Space Shuttle study contractorsfrom McDonnell DouBlesCorporation:rod North 

Amedcan Rockwell Corporation; and the three main ensino study contractors. 

Preliminarydesignreviewcfor the threecontractorswere schtduledto beheld at MSFC 

in about 2 months,givinBthe c,.)mpanlesa final 6 monthsto completetheirdesignwork 

beforetheirstudycontractsended1654l. 

A,. a followup to Dal,:Myers'July 2 letter to the CenterDirectorsconcerninllthe Apollo 

13 ReviewBoardRecommendationNo. 9, CharlesMathewson September25 wroteDr. 

EberhardReesconfirmingarranliementsfor a Skylab subsystems review,with a review 

teamheadedby htmsell'whichwouldmeetat MSFCon November17-19, 1970, andMSC 

and KSCearlyin 1971. 

The lastIn a seriesof 15 SaturnV first stages(S-IC-IS) wassuccessfullycaptive-firedIor 

2 minutes15 secondsat MTF on September30, thus endin8 a S-yearstatic firinll 

programat MTF. Captivetestinsof the ._i-ICstaseshad besunat MTF on May 16, 1967, 

to checkout and Fiight..certifystasesfor mannedlunarmissions.Meanwhile,asa resulto1" 

NASA directionIn Febnzaryand March 1970 to deletethe requirementfor storageor 

sta_s at SealBeach,fivestaSes(S-ii-I I throushS-II-IS) _vouldbeshippedfrom MTF'to 

KSC dudn8 the 6-month period betweenJuly and December 1970. The S.II final 

assemblyline at Sc',dBeachcameto a halt with the co_npletionof systemsinstallationof 

the S-II-15 in July 1970, This flnol stage was checkedout and shippedto MTF in 

September[655, 656]. 

NASA's Fllliht ResearchCenterannouncedon October 12 that testshad demonstrated 

thazunpoweredapproachesand !',.':_;,.j maneuversof the SpaceShuttlecouldbe made 

safelyand readilyby qualifiedpilotsanddid not requirehighlytrainedtestpilots.Pilots 

had Ilown landinll approachesin a rour-onsJneJet transportconfiguredto simulatethe 

SpaceShuttledudnl; :zNASA ,_tudyof enersy-man_liement techniquesfor the proposed 

ShuttleOrbiter[657]. 

After issUinllrequestsfor quotationsto 13 aerospaceFinnsfor a study to define space 

biolow payloadsfor possibleuse in a mannedearth orbital researchI'aclilty,NASA 

awardedthe $230 528 contractto GeneralDynjmics/Convalron October 13.The Ames 

ResearchCenter would assistMSFC in directJnllthis 12-month study and would be 

responslbiefor experimentNlection and definition. At the time of this announcement 

AmeswaaactivelyenpBedIn developmentof biologicalfliBhtexperimentsfor the Skylab 

programand unmannedminions, The overallpurposeof the studywouldbe to learnthe 

problemsInvolvedIn Inteipatln8spaceblololw experimentswith mannedqpacefllllhts, 

purtlcularlyspaceblololly applicableto mannedearth orblflnllspacestations.Payloads 

describedIn this studywould feature researchact/riflesdefinedby NASA assuitablefor 

Incorporationin the mannedearth orbital spaceprolpramIn the period 1974 to 1980 

1658], 

CosmonautsAddan Nlkolayevand VitaU Sevastynov,crewmenfor the SovietSoyuz9, 

arrivedat MSFC on October20 for a 2.day visit. AstronautBdwinAldrin,a memberor 

264

OCTOBER 1970 

the Apollo II lunar huldingcrew,accompaniedthe two Sovietcosmonautsas host fo_" 

the American tour [6_9]. 

On October 21 RussianCosmonautsS_vastyanovand Nlkolay_vwere briefedon the 

Skylabmissionduflnga tour of MSFC [660]. 

On October26 and 27, U.S.-U.S.S.R.talkson the possibilitie:l for compatiblerendezvous 

and dockingarrangementsin spacewereheld in Moscowbet,Neenthe NASA delegalion 

headedby MS("Director, Dr. RobertR. Gilruth, and a SovietAcademyof Sciencesteam 

beadedby AcademicianGeorE.yI. Petrov.During the exchan_,'of basicInformationon 

dockingsystems,NASA officialsdescribedGemini and Apollo tecllniqucs,procedures, 

and dockingadaptersand the Skylab project.The Soviet team describedplansfor a 

future systemsimilar to Apollo's,with a tunnel betweenthe spacecraftto accommodate 

dockingapparatus.Agreem0ntwasreachedthat 12 scientifictechnicalelementsrequired 

further joint study, includingguidancesystemsfor rendezvous,docking hardware, 

coordinatesystems,andreferenceinarkln_i16611. 

On October28 MSFC modifiedan ex;stingcontractwith tlzeBoeingCompanyfor work 

on Saturn V launchvehicle'sfirststages.The contractmodificationtotaled$21 029 7S6. 

This changeextendedthe contractperformanceperiod tllrough March31, 1973. Space 

agency officials said that the extensionwas causedby a redirectionof the Apollo 

programcullingfor longerpenodsbetweenmissions.At the timeof this modification,the 

BoeingCompanywasbuildingthe Saturn Y first stages(S-IV) et the MichoudAssembly 

Facility. Work under this contract modificationwould be performedat the Michoud 

plant16621. 

MSFC announcedon October 29 that NASA had Issueda requestfor quot_tionsfor a 

study entitled,"Shuttle Orbital Applicationsand Requirements."As envisionedat the 

time of this requestfor quotation,the vehiclewouldconsistof a largeboosterstagethat 

wouldcarry the orbiter to an altitudeof about200 000 feet beforeseparatingand flying 

back to earth.The smallerstage,carryiugthe payload, would proceedto orbit, complete 

the mission,andreturn to earth.Underdirectionof MSIzC,the contractorselectedwould 

analyzethe useof the SpaceShuttleand flightsystemsdeliveredby it to earth orbit, four 

accomplishingand supportingvariousprospectivemissions.The contractwoulddo tile 

preliminarydefinitionof.a selectedmanned-support moduleand anyother newhardware 

necessaryIf supplement'the orbiter's mission _upportcapability.A mannedsupport 

modulo - like a small "housetrailer in space"- wouldbe canled to earth orbit by a 

Shuttlevehicleto serveastelnp_rarylivingquartersfor a crewof four. It would besmall 

enougltto fit Into the Shuttlecargobay, probablyabout 20 feet 10118and lessIIl_n IS 

feet In diameter.It would have no propulsionsystem.The supportmodule could be 

Joinedwith experimentmodules,satellites,plano_ry probes,and otherobjects. 

Also, the contractorwould define the operationaland designInterfacesbetweenthe 

ground support Wstems, Shuttle, manned support module, special purpose flight 

hardware,andprospectivepayloadsor classesof payloads.AnotherobJectiveof the study 

wasto providetotal missionde._cdptions, includingdefinitionof the new flight hardware 

required,systemsInterfaces,supportrequirements,new hardwarecostsand schedules, and 

pertinentintegrationand prelaunchschedulesfor selectedShuttle-payloadcombinations. 

Duedatefor the quotationswassetasNovember23, 1970 [6631. 

265

NOVEMBER1970 

On November8 NASA invited indtLstryto submitproposalson th_ preliminarydesijpiof 

a RI;scarchand ApplicalionsMad,lie (RAM) which_:ouldbe u_d with the SpaceSteei_,n 

and SpaceShuttle €_rrentlybeingstudied.Proposal_for the 12-month designstudies 

wouldbe due January8, 1971. Conceptual(PhaseA) studiesof the RAM had recently 

beencompleted.The firm selectedfor this new contractwouldcarry the work through 

preliminaryde'Agn.At the time of this invitation to submit proposals,NASA was 

studyingthe use of a SpaceShuttle for low cost transportationto orbit, and it was 

studyingthe SpaceStationas a semipermanentfacility which would havegeneraland 

specialpuq'Joselaboratories.The RAM conceptofferedan economicalway to extendthe 

capabllitie_of both the Shuttle and Space Station. These modules would provide versatile 

and economical laboratorj facilities for doing earth orbital research and applications 

work. Two modes of operating RAM units were being considered by the space agency. 

Plans were to operate RAM's either attached to the Shuttle or Space Station or as 

free-flying units. Free.flying modules could be returned to the earth by the Shuttle or to 

the Space Station" for servicing and maintenance. Sucll frce-flvi,_ modules might be 

required for expcrtmc.ntswhich could be extremely sendtive to vibrations, contamination, 

or unique pointing accuracy [664]. 

An awards ceremony to observe the successful completion of more than four years of 

Saturn V launch vehicle test firings occurred at MTF on November 9. Among guests 

invited to the ceremony were Mississippi Governor John B. Williams and U.S. Senator 

John Stennis. They headed the list of federal, state, and local government officials who 

paid tribute to the work of several thousand workers at the NASA test site during the 

Saturn V test program. MTP workers represented NASA, private contractors, and several 

other government agencies. In addition to NASA officials attending, mayors and othe.r 

government officials from MTF's surrounding communities and counties tn southern 

Mie_issippi and southeastLouisianaalsoattendedthe ceremony[665]. 

On November9 NASA's Apollo 14 spacecraftwasmovedfrom the assemblybuildingto 

the lavnch pad at KSC in preparationfor the launchtowardthe moonon January31 

16661. 

A proposal for a SpaceStationto beassembledin orbit one moduloat a lime wasbeing 

studiedat MSFC and MSC, NASA announcedon November12.This Station,to provide 

a centralizedfacility for research,applications,and operationsfor 6 to 12 men over I0 

years,would be composedof cylindricalmodulesla feet in diameterand 58 feet lung, 

joined to farm a variety of shapes.Individualmoduleswouldbe carriedinto orbit on a 

reusableShuttle v0hicle.This Station would be assembledwithin months in a circular 

orbit 200-300 ir,lleshighwith a 55 degreeinclination16671. 

Two 8kylab Prolprlm reviewswere under way as nf November 17 at MSFC. An 

extravehicularactivtty critical desillnreviewwasbeingheld at .the Skylabmockuparea 

and tholCeutral Buo)ancySimulator.The EVA review,whichstarted on November16, 

includedastronautperformgncesunder normal earth BrevityIn the Saturn Workshop 

mockupand simul0tedwelghtleunesa_nthe NeutralBuoyancySimulator.Ten astronauts 

from the MannedSpacecraftCenter,headedby RussellSchweickart,took part In the 

reviewactivitieson November16."]'liereviewlasteda week. 

266

NOVI'L_IBER- I)ECEMIIER 1970 

Chades W. Mathews, Deputy Associate Administrator, Office of Manned Space Flight. 

NASA Headquarters, was cilalrman of a Skylab Subsystem Review Team meeting which 

began the same ,_ay. The team me:abets inspected the Skylab mockup area, toured 

simulation facilities in Astrionics and MunufacturtlIg EnFinceringLaboratories, and viewed 

Apollo Telescope Mount hardware being assembled in tile Manufacturing Engineering 

Laboratory. The review team ended its activitieson November 19 16681. 

A major milestone in the manned hmar roving vehicle (LRV) program was reached on 

November 17 when a special trainingvehicle arrivedat MSFC from tile Boeing Company, 

LRV prime c.nt.,'actor. Tile vehicle, called a "I-G trainer" becau_ it wu,dd operate in 

earth's gravity, wa_ built for Boeing by lt:; major LRV subcontractor, tile Deice 

Electronics Division of G,:neral Motors Corporation. "This milestoneis secondin 

importanceonly to the final accomplishmentof deliveryof the first flight LRV," said 

S.F. Morea, LRV proJt.ctmanagerfrom MSFC, during brief deliveryceremoniesat the 

GM DefenseResearchLaboratories,SantaBarbara,California,wherethe trainerwasbuilt. 

Morea,AstronautCharlesDuke, and officialsof both Boeingand Deice Electrosdcswere 

presentat the informal € _mony.The I-(3 trainerwould be shippedto MS(.'to arrive 

there in about I week. The vehiclewould be used In a trainingprogram to teach 

aslroqautshow to operatetile vehicletindermanysimulatedsituations1669l. 

On November 18 tile flight model of the Skylab multiple dockingadapterwasflown 

from MSFC to Martin MariettaCorporationSpaceCenterin Denver,Colorado,ab{_ard 

the SuperGuppyaircraft.It wouldbe outfittedwith controlsanddisplaypanelsforsolar 

astronomyalndearth resourceexperiments,storagevaultsfor experiment film, and a 

thrust-attitudecontrol system.Wizencompletelyequipp".d,the adapterwould be mated 

with the Skylabalrlockfii_lt versionat McDonnellDouglasAstronauticsCompanyin St. 

Louis, Missouri,and the unit would perform a simulated mission in the altitude cllamber 

167o1. 

On December 2 MSFC announced that a Saturn Workshop would be shipped on 

December 4 front tile McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company facility at lhmtington 

[}each,California, to MSC in llouston, Texas, for extensive groupd tests. This Workshop 

was a ground test version of one which would be tired in the Skylab Program to 

accommodate team_ of three astronauts for stays of up to 56 days in earth orbit [671J. 

A 2-week preliminarydesign reviewof main engines for the prepare:!Space Shuttle 

ended at MSFC on December I1. More than 170 representativesof governmentand 

privateindustryattended the meetings.About 60 representativeswere from the three 

prime study contractors for the Shuttle's main propulsionsystem: Aerojet General 

Corporation,PrattandWhitneyDivisionof UnitedAircraftCorporation,a,ld Rocket{]yne 

Divisionof ["ordt AmericanRockwellCorporation. Governmentparticipantsrepresented 

NASA Ileadquarters,tile U.S. Air Force, end several NASA field centers.The three 

aerospacecompanieshad II.month study contracts with NASAto define Shuttleengine 

requirements,provide prototype designs, qnd determine design feasibility to meet 

technical requirements. The purpose of those meetings was to review the design 

approachestakenby the contractors,to discusspotentialproblemsin the designs,and to 

assure that all three efforts were proceedingsatisfactorilyunder tile same basicdesign 

267

DECEMBEP,1970 

rr.quirelnent,_.Jerry Thomsor,, chief engineer of tile Shuttle Engine Office, Space Shuttle 

Task Team, was coordinator for the meetings [672]. 

A meeting to review two parallel studies of' a proposed chemical inter-orbital SPace 

Shuttle was held at MSFC on December 16. Two aerospace firms, North American 

Rockwell Corporation and McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company, were making 

detailed analyses of what modificatiotls would be required to adapt either the second 

{S-II) stage or the third (S-IVU) stage of the Saturn V launch vehicle into an inter-orbital 

Shuttle for operation to and from earth orbit and lunar orbit. MSFC managers were 

assuming that further lunar exploration, if approved and funded, would require a Shuttle 

much larger than the Apollo spacecraft in order to transport largerpayloads and crews 

between earth orbit and the moon. Primary objectives of the two analyses were to make 

p_liminary designs of how the stages must he modified, determine orbital launch 

operations and procedure._,and gather lnformatiotl on preliminary costs, logistics, ard 

facilities. Whicheverstage would be chosen would be carded into earth orbit attached to 

a newly developed Space Shuttle boo.qer. North American was building the S-ll stage and 

Me.DonneiiDouglas was building the S-IVB stage. About 45 people, most of them from 

MSFC, attealded the all-day meeting, called a "mid-term review" because the two 

7-morlth studies were now half completed. Both efforts began September I and were due 

to end April I, 1971 [673, 6741. 

The three companies conducting nuclear Shuttle studies for MSFCgave progre_ reports 

to Center authorities in a series of meetings on December 16 and 17. The firms carrying 

out this work were Lock_,eed Missiles and Space Company, North American Rockwell 

("_rporation, and McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company. in addition, several 

companies conducting technology studies related to the reusable nuclear stage were 

scheduled to prepare summary reports. They included General Dynamics/Fort Worth, 

Whittaker Corporation, ilughes Aircraft Company, Aerojet Nuclear Systems Company, 

and North American Rockwell. These technology studies were being done under the 

direction of the MSFCAstronautics Laboratory [675]. 

As NASA neared the end of 1970, there was much activity relative to the movement of 

Saturn stages. A few days before Christmas two Saturn V flight stages (S-!I-15 and 

S-IVB-512) were en route to KSC, and a Saturn Workshop test model would soon 

complete its journey to MSC in Houstotl; MSFC had shipped both the vehicles. 

Meanwhile on December 18 the ship Point B#rrow had reached the Mlchoud Assembly 

Facility in New Orleans from California carrying the Saturn Workshop and the 

S-IVB-512. The Workshop was unloaded for later s_Jpment to MSC while the S-11-15, 

which had been brought from MTF the previous day, was loaded aboard the Pohtt 

Barrow for the remairlderof the trip to KSC. The ship would reach KSC on December 

20, where '.h_two si_g_ ,t,ould be stored until needed for flight missions. 

The Workshop vehicle destined for MSC, known as the "dynamic test article," would 

leave Michoud December 31 aboard the MSFC'bargeOr/on. It would be unloaded at a 

NASA dock at Clear Lake, near MSC, the first such hardware :o move to the Houston 

center in this manner. It was to arriveon January 5, 1971. The Workshopmodel would 

undergo a series of tests at MSC to verify its bending and vibration characteristics. 

Another Saturn V stage, the S-!1-13, w_s taken from a test sta,ld on December 18 at 

268

DECEMBER 1970 

MI|:. The stage wou_d be preparedduring the following two weeks for shipment to KSC. 

It was scheduled to be loaded aboard the barge Poseidon December 30 at MTF. The 

barge would leave blichoud on December 31 for the tripto KSC [6761. 

MSFC announced on December 22 that highlights of 1970 at MSFC included: launch of 

an Apoll_/Saturr, V vehicle, (AS-508); renaming the space agency's embryonic Space 

Station project Skylab; continuing work on the Space Shuttle and Space Station; doing 

early planning on the unmanned astronomy satellite HEAO; Dr. Eberhard Rees' being 

named MSFC director. These and otht;r highlights combined to make the first year of the 

decade an eventful one at NASA's largest field center 16771. 

MSFC old-ti,.ners were reminded in the winter of 1970 that the Center's work policy 

during severe weather had changed considerably over a 10-year span. In early MSFC days 

there had been a liberal policy relative to grantingadministrativeleave to employees who 

desired to go home if the impending weather seemed threatening. But in a December 23, 

1970. announcement MSFC Deputy Director, Management, R.W. Cook, wrote a 

memorandum to employees stating that, "As you know, we are approaching the time of 

year wh0.,nthe Huntsville area Is apt to suffer Its most severe weather conditions. Marshall 

Space Flight Center employees are reminded of their responsibility to prepare themselves 

and tbeir vehicles for po:_siblehazardous travel conditions, i urge each of you to be 

prepared by acquiring tire chains, snow tires, shovels, etc. As in recent years, work 

activif.y at the Marshall Center will continue during severe weather, and the granting of 

admi'aistrative leave and excused absence because of weather conditions is not 

antic:ipated. If, however, an {ndlvJdualfeels personal danger is in,polved in traveling to 

work, annual leave may be granted" [6781. 

Art assessment of the feasibility of providing a crew rescue capability for Skylab was 

conducted by rite three MSF Centers during 1970. This culminated In a Headquarters 

decision to provide a limited capability based on failure of CSM return capability while 

docked to the Saturn Workshop. The rescue vehicle for the first two Skylab missions 

would be the next Skylab vehicle in flow at KSC. Upon receipt of a rescue call, the 

in-flow CSM would be prepared for launch after some minor modifications to permit a 

two-man crew launch and a five-man crew return i.t,79]. , 

269

JANUARY 1971 

1971 

On January g h:rec aerospaceteams, Includingseven Europeanfirms as prospective 

,nembers. _bmlttedproposalson the preliminarydesignof a Researchand Applications 

Mortule..;,,AM)for NASA. NASA was considering the RAMfor use with the Space 

Shuttle L.,,,4the Space Stationcurrentlybeingstudied.Submittingproposalsfor the RAM 

were tea., head,d by General Dynamics,ConvairAerospaceDivision;GeneralElectric, 

SpaceDlv!sion;andMartinMarietta,DenverDivision.Conceptual(PhaseA) studiesof the 

RAMhad recentlybe-_ncompleted;the team selected for this newcontractwould carry 

the work throughpreliminarydesign.For the purposesof this pr:liminarydesignstudy, 

the first modulelau_ch would be plannedfor 1978 and wouldb; a partof the modular 

Space Stationwhich would have an orbitallifetimeof I0 yearscr moreor, alternatively, 

operate In a Shuttlesortiemode. The maximum._izeof a module_voul_dependupon the 

Shuttle'scargocapacity.Thiscould be 14 feet in diameterandup :o 58 feet long, with a 

weight of 20 000 pounds[6801. 

On January22 more than 150 representativesof governmentsandindustryattendinga 

quarterlyreviewat MSFClnspe.cteda mockupof one SpaceStationconceptunderstudy 

by NASA. This mockup depicted.the proposed12-manstationconcept studied by rue 

McDonnellDouglasAstronauticsCompanyfor MSFC.A 50-foot tallstructure,33 feet h_ 

dlamet'er,the mockup had four decks and a large simulated power section. The 

McDonnellDouglasspace station concept was based on guidelineswhichincludedusing 

the two-stageSaturn Y as a launchvehicle.The Space Stationcould be placedin a low 

e_rth orbit of about 250 miles;its lifetimewould be I0 years.McDonnellDouglashad 

recently been askedby NASA to extend the SpaceStationstudycontractto Includethe 

preliminarydesign and planning for a modularSpace Station of a smallerdiameter. 

SeveralSpaceStationconfigurationsandmodulecombinationswhichcouldbe assembled 

in orbit from modulessent from earthin a SpaceShuttlewouldbe examined.The study 

w,,s making use of the data producedin the preliminarydesign of _ larger diameter 

station [681i. 

On January29 PresidentNixon deliveredto Codgresshis proposedbudgetfor FiscalYer,r 

1972. MSFCDirectorEberhardR_e.,;wrote a detailedletter to MSFCemployeesstaUng 

i_ detail the probableImpactof thisproposedbudget,,, MSFC."1 .,-egret... that I must 

ad_4seyou there are reductions within the total budget, namelyin the personnelarea, 

which will affect the agency's civil serviceemploymetlt levels.... A reduction in civil 

service employment... In each elementof the agency will be necessary.Marshallwillbe 

required to reduce from our present strength of 5804 to 5507 by fJ,_end of June 1972. 

We expect to achieve this reduction through a combinationof normal attrition, 

retirements,and I am sorry to say, RIF procedures.Due to the difficultyin predicting 

attritionfor the next 18 months, ItIs not po_lble at this timeto determineexactly how 

much of the required reduction we will be"able to achieve through attrition and 

retirement.I assureyou that I will adviseyou as soon as we can determinethis." 

Apollo 14 vehicle(SaturnV 509) proted to be one of the bestperformingvehiclesiq the 

SaturnV seriesas it lifted off fromCapeKennedyat 3:03 p,m.CSTJanuary31. 1971, 

after a 40-minute-2-qecondhold causedby weather.Low cloudsin the launch site area 

delayed the laurch for the first time !n the nine vehicle SaturnV series.The SaturnV 

,PRI_CEDINOPA,_E BLANK NOT FILMED 

271

1971 

l_ ))-==--, ,_, : 

I. 

it,* 

Food managementareain 

the Orbital Workshop Food mar.agement area Sleep compartment 

in the $£ylab mockup 

t MSFC 

in Skylab mockup 

f 

Modular equipment tramporter 

Waste management area 

In Orbital Workshop 

II_.- 

L_ft.o//o/ Apollo14 

U$$ 

Apollo 14 about 

to splashdown 

C.qL[AmA 

Apollo 14 astronautsaboard 

recovery ship 

_' 

Apollo 14 recoveryoperation 

272 

Arti_t'_concept of manned 

Skylab]$aturnIB launch


509 was also several thousand pounds heavier than any of the earlier vehicles. Lift-off 

weight for this vehicle was estimated at 6 423 754 pounds. Co:nmander of the Apollo 14 

was Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Lunar Module Pilot was Edgar D. Mitchell, and Command 

Module Pilot was Stuart A. Roosa. 

The first (S-IC) stage Inboard engine cutoff occurred exactly on time at 2 minutes 14.7 

seconds. Outboard engine cutoff came at 2 minutes 43.5 seconds, one-half second early. 

The second (S-ID stage inboard engine burned for 4 minutes 58 seconds. Nominal burn 

time Ior this engine was considered to be 4 minutes 57.6 seconds. The S-I! outboard 

engines operated for 6 minutes 33.4 seconds. The four engines were scheduied to operate 

for 6 minutes 30.5 seconds. The third (S-IVB) stage first burn was 2 minutes 20.4 

seconds; nominal time for th_ bum was considered to be 2 minutes 25.7 seconds. A 

second bum of the third stage's single J-2 engine took place about 5:30 p.m. on January 

31. The 5 minute 52 second burn speeded the stage and Apollo 14 spacecraft out of 

earth orbit cn its way to the moon. WalterJ. Kapryan, director of Launch Operations, 

said trainer;latelyafter the launch that early data indicated there was no "turbulence or 

pogo" as experienced on earlier flights. 

Onboard TV was initiated to cover the CSM docking with the LM, but difficulty in 

docking was encountered. The first five docking attempts by CM pilot Roosa were 

unsuccessful. Mission control at Houston, watching on TV, studied this problem that 

could prevent the extract!on of the LM and make lunar landing impossible. Alternate 

missions also were under study. The astronauts noted that catches seemed properly 

ci3cked but did not release. However, the sixth try was successful, although docking was 

achieved I hour 45 minutes later than planned. 

Apollo 14 entered lunar orbit at 1:55 a.m. February 4. Touchdown of the "Antares" 

occurred at approximately 3:16 a.m. on February 5. Aboard were Shepard and Mitchell 

who made two "moonwalks." During their stay on the lunar surface the men set up a 

series of experiments and conducted geological surveys of the area around the Fra Mauro 

landing site. The two gathered approximately 80 pounds of lunar material for return to 

earth. Shepardand Mitchell had e two-wheeled pull-cartcarryingexperiments and geology 

tools during their lengthy field geology trek, The astronaut's main problem was lunar 

dust which stuck to their space suits up to their knees. Just before reentering the LM 

Shepard dropped a golf ball onto the lunar surface and on his third atteml_t drove the 

ball about 400 yards, the first golf ball hit on the surface of the moon. 

While the LM was on the moon, Roosa, orbiting the moon in the CSM, completed 

photography of the Descartes landing site and astronomic photography. 

The LM cawing Shepard and Mitchell lifted off the lunarsurface, 33 hours 31 minutes 

_ft.er landing on the moon. During the braking phase for docking, telemetry Indicated 

that the abort guidance system had failed, but no caution and warning signals were on. 

Docking was accomplished successfully on February 6, and the crew transferredfrom the 

LM to the CSM with samples,equipment,and film. The transearthInjectionmaneuver 

wason schedule,and ti,_.CM Kitty Hawkseparatedfrom the SM. Parachutedeployment 

and other reezltryeventsoccurredas planned,and the Kitty Hawksplashedownin the 

mid-Paclflcabout4 nauticalmilesfrom the recoveryshipUSSNew Orleansat 3:05 EST 

273

+ 

Compositedesignsinglebody canardbooster " 

Shuttle model for subsonic Reynolds number 

s* 

274

FEBRUARY 1971 

on February 9. The astronaut_ were carried by helicopter from the CM to the recovery 

ship, where they entered the alobile quarantlp_ facility with the recovery physician and 

technician. The Apollo 14 had been the I lth Apollo mission to date, the 8th manned 

Apollo mission, and the 3rd s_.ccessfullunar landing mission [682, 6831. 

Requirements for seven astronomy experiments for a proposed High Energy Astronomy 

Observatory (I-IEAO)were dellned undercontracts awardedby NASA, effective February 

I, 1971. The HEAO spacecraft was envisioned as a 21 000-pound, 30-foot-long craft, 

designed to carry relatively few but heavy instruments, accounting for more than half its 

weight. Planning called for the spacecraft to be launched by a Titan IIID rocket Into a 

230-statute-mile orbit. MSFC wasdirecting the HEAO experiment definition phase (Phase 

B) studies. Should the HEAO become an approved flight program after the definition 

phase, the instruments study would be considered for the first tIEAO mission currently 

planned for mid-1975 [684]. 

A high-level advisory group responsible for guiding NASA in all aspects of mission safety 

opened a 2-day meeting at MSFC on February 8. The AerospaceSafety Advisory Panel, 

which was appointed by the NASA administrator, was headed by Dr. Charles D. 

Harrington, president, Douglas United Nuclear, Incorporated, Rlchland, Washington.At 

MSFC the group discussed satietyaspects of the lunar rovingvehicle, the Skylab cluster of 

spacecraft, and the proposed reusable space vehicle (Space Shuttle) [685]. 

On February I0 the Kennedy Space Center awarded a $917900 contract to the 

Holloway Corporation of Titusville, Florida, to conatruct a launcher-pedestal that would 

be used during the upcoming Skylab Program. The 127-foot-tall pe0estnl would be 

adapted to ml existing Launcher-UmbilicalTower so that manned Saturu IB ,pace 

vehicles could be launched from facilities now supporting the largerSaturn V rockets. 

The Holloway Corporation contracted to construct the launcher-pedestal in"180 days 

after _celving its notice to proceed [686"]. 

Accumulators for center engine feedlines were being installed on all second (S-II) stages 

of the Saturn V launch vehicle under terms of a contract modification granted to the 

North Ameflcan Rockwell Corporation by MSFC on February 12. The modification 

amounted to $2 163 217. The work was being done at the contractoi"s plant at Seal 

Beach, California, and at MTF. It was to be comple.ted by June 1972. The accumulator 

w,mld lower the frequency of the line to prevent dnusually high oscillations like those 

recordedduringthe launch of Apollo 13 in April 1970. Those oscillations caused an early 

shutdown on the S-11center engine, although the launch vehicle met all flight objectives, 

The first accumulator in this modification was installed on the Saturn V vehicle that 

launched Apollo 14 on Jalzuary31, 1971. No unusual oscillations were recorded during 

the launch (6871. 

In a February 18 memorandumto all employeesMSFCManpowerDirector Paui Styles 

stated,"The Civil ServiceCommissionhasincorporatedin the FederalPersonnelManual 

(Supplement831-1 SubchaptcrS-II) a policyand procedurestatementprovidingmore 

flexibilityin permittingretirementsin situationswherethoseretirementswill help meet 

needed reductions in personnel strength." This memorandumwas distributed in an era of 

steady output of retirement bulletins informing employees of various possibilities inherent 

275

1911 

Crew compartment stowage review bench 

check component layout 

Astronauts sat_,vqngfood in wardroom 

during workslzo,, crew compartment 

stowage review 

_ _ " 

A dozen of MSFC's 15 taxicabs and the 

drivers lined up for a quick photo in the 

spring of 1971. Shuttle buses had been 

removed from the routes for a trial period. 

LR V flight unit 

_._ 

"' 

became NASA °s 

Dr. fourth James Administrator C. Fletcher 

" on May 1, 1971 

tland controlleron LR V no. 2 

276 

Workshopflight unit In assembly 

at MDAC.WD

F'EBRUAKY- 

MARCII1971 

in early and regularretirementfrom the government.Backgroundfor this letter was 

continuingprobabilityof a reduction-in-forceat the Center[6881. 

On February23 MSFC grantedto the InternationalBusinessMachinesCorporationa 

contractmodificationfor the manufactureor"instrumen:units (IU) for Saturnlaunch 

vehicles.Valuedat 514407 743, the modificaUonwould extend IBM'sdeliveryschedule 

for IU's throughDecember31, 1973, to be c_mpatiblcwith the extended Apolloand 

SkylabProgramlaunchschedules.IBMwas underNASAcontractto build 27 IU's for 

._aturnvehicles: 12 Saturn IB's rind 15 SaturnV's. Ten of the SaturnIB unitsand 12 

_turn V units had been completed.All workwas beingdoneat the company'sfacilities 

in Huntsville,Alabama.TheoriginalIU contracthadbeen grantedto IBMin March1965 

for the fabrication,assembly,checkout,and deliveryof the 27 units andrelatedsupport 

functions[689]. 

NASAannouncedon MarchI that it would modify the formerSaturnV second(S-II) 

stage test facilitiesat MTFfor the SpaceShuttleenginetesting.Planswereto convert 

two former a-II standsfor testingthe shuttle's orbiterand boosterengines.A contract 

for the final designof the requiredmedifications to providetwo operableenginetest 

stands was awarded to the architect-engineeringfirm of Sverdrupand Parceland 

Associates,Incorporated,St. Louis,Miuouri. The total priceof the designcontractwas 

$447 000. The modlf.,cationsthatwould be requiredto convertthe existingS-IIstands 

for Shuttleenginetestingincludedthe additionof ltquidoxygenand liquidhydrogenrun 

tanks,a '-:rustmeasuringsystem,andmodificationsto the stands'structural,mechanical, 

ahd e;ectrical systems. The Missouri architect-engineeringfirm would provide the 

engineeringdrawings and specifications that would be needed to accomplishthe 

constructioneffort. Enginetestingwas plannedto startIn th. secondquarterof calendar 

year 1973. 

NASA also announced that testtngof Space Shuttleenginesundersimulatedaltitude 

conditionswould be done at the Air Force ArnoldEngineeringDevelopmentCenter, 

Tullahon_a,Tennessee.Some I00 developmenttests undersimulatedaltitudeconditions 

at AEDC were planned,beginningin 1974 and runningthrough1976. Selectionof the 

two test sites was made followingstudies by a Site EvaluationBoardwhichsurveyed 

existing government-ownedor controlled sites with proven capability of reasonable 

potentialto accomplishShuttleengine testing,This selectlen of the engine test sitewas 

the first step In carryingout a master plan for Shuttle f_lcllitles.Workwas currently 

under way to identify and define detailedtechnicaland operationalrequirementsfor 

other SpaceShuttle facilities.A decisionon the locdtionof a verticallaunchfacilitywas 

expectedin the fall [690, 691]. 

NASAon MarchI askedthreeaerospacefirmsfor proposalsconcerningthe developing|it 

of the main engines that would power a two-stagereusablelaunch vehicle (Space 

Shuttle). The firms were the AeroJetGeneralLiquid Rocket Company,Sacramento, 

California;the Pratt and WhitneyDivisionof United AircraftCorporation,WestPalm 

Beach,Florida;and the RocketdyneDivisionof _qorthAmericanRockwellCorporation, 

CanogaPark, California.Since June 1970 all three companieshad been performing 

preliminarydesign and definition studies of the Shuttle engine under independent, 

parallelcontractscosting $6 millioneach. As of this request for proposjIsone of the 

companieswouldbe chosento developthe engine[692]. 

277

1971 

AIrlock [light unit in assembly 

at MDAC-ED 

ATM [light experiment NRL-A In 

checkout at MSFC 

a_ 

I 

A TM prototype controls and display 

during checkout at MSFC 

MDA structural test hardware 

at MSFC's PE Lab 

SpaceShuttle sortie minion 

pressurizedlaboratoryconcept 

$_turn V par,m_eters 

278

MARCII 1971 

On March I President Nl_on submitted to Congress the nomination of Dr. James C. 

Fletcher to be the new NASA Administrator.The senate ceqfirmed Dr. Fletcher I I days 

later on MarchI I [693]. 

Following a "Sonic Boom Meeting" at LRC in which participantsfrom ARS, LRC, FRC, 

MSC, and MSFC discussed sonic boom relative to the planned shuttle flights, Dr. 

EberhardReesrequested,on March5, policyguidancefrom DaleMyersconcerning"just 

how muchof the sonicboombusinessis to bediscussedInternallyand with contractors." 

Dr. Reespointedout that therewouldbe a FlightMechanicsWorkingGroupmeetingat 

MSFC the followingv,eek and that sonic boomwason the agenda.Dr. Reeswantedto 

knowif this shouldbe cancelled,or just how muchshouldbediscussed.Myerssaidthat 

he would get with Donlan"and they would get a policy to Dr. Reeson this, hopefully 

by Monday or Tuesd:Jy" [694]. 

On M_lrch I0 the tirst flight model LRV that wouldbe lofted into spaceby a Saturn 

vehiclewos formallydeliveredto NASA in a ceremonyat the BoeingCompany'sSpace 

Center at Kent, Washington.MSFC Din'clot, Dr. EberhurdRees,a,:ceptedthis first of 

three flight modelsfrom Boeing Company Group Vice-President Ior Aerospace,OC. 

Boileau.This model wouldbeshippedto arriveat KSCon March 15 for final checksand 

installationaboardthe Apollo 15 LM. l'his deliverywouldbe two weeksbeforetee April 

Icontract delivery date[6951. 

On March I0 MSFC modified a contract with ChryslerCorporation to authorize 

additionalwork in the SaturnIB program.Chryslerwasthe primecontractorfor the first 

stageof the F,aturn IB, whichit _sembled at the MlchoudAssemblyFacilityin New 

Orleans.Underthe current$29 136622 modification,the companywouldmaintainnine 

SaturnIB boostersin storage.Three of the nine vehicleswerefor the Skylabprogram 

and wouldbe launchedin 1973.Thosethree,plusa fourththat wouldserveas a backup, 

wouldbe maintainedand modifiedas necessaryundertermsof this contract.Prelaunch 

checkoutof the Skylabvehicleswouldalsobeaccomplishedunderthismodification.The 

peflod of performancewas from January I, 1971, to August 15, 1973. Six of the 

vehiclesw_re locatedat the Michoud Facility, and thet other three were at MSFC in 

Huntsville[696]. 

The first lunar rovingvehiclearrivedat KSC on March 16, 1971. Duringthe delivery 

ceremoniesBoeingpersonnelpresentedDr. EberhardReesand MSFCwith a licenseplate 

for the vehicle[697]. 

MSFC announced on March 31 that NASA had modified its contract with the Boeing 

Company, Huntsville,Alabama,for the design, development, manufacture, and delivery of 

three lunar roving vehicles for the Apollo Lunar Exploration Program.Total estimated 

cost to contract completion was $37.8 million. The contract Included procurement of 

three lunar roving vehicles and a number of test articles, Blus subsystems for a fourth 

vehicle to be used as spares.The lunar roving vehicle would be sent to the moon on the 

Apollo 15 mission, scheduled for July 26, and again on Apollos 16 and 17 in 1972. 

Boeing delivered the first flight vehicle on March 15, two weeks ahead of schedule, and 

deliveflc cf the remaining two flight models were anticipated earlier than contract 

requirement. The four-wheelvehicle would provide transportationfor two astronautsattd 

279

1971 

Shuttle witl, fuel drop.tmlks (concept) 

Spacecraft comnmnlcatlons modes 

Conceptof commandmodule 

Skylab crew rescue 

hz addition to Its role in the Skylab 

Programthe S.H stage,shown here, is 

envisionedasservicingthe SpaceShuttle 

pallet mission iiil}]i . , ..; i_r.___ . 

280 

StackOIgof Skylabpayloadassembly 

at MSCfor acoustic testing

,VlARCII- APRIL 1971 

their tools, scientific equipment, and lunar samples collected during several traverses 

across the lunar surface. The astronauts and equipment would weigh 1000 pounds - 

twice the weight of the vehicle itself. Boeing had been selected in October 1969 as the 

vehicle development contractor for MSFC 1698]. 

On April I MSFC awardedto Air Products and Chemicals Corporation, a contract for the 

supply and delivery of liquid hydrogen for all government aerospace use in the eastern 

Unifrd States. The I-year contract would end March 31, 1972. It was valued at 

$2 249 700. NA:,A's Saturn launch vehicles were the prime users of liquid hydrogen, 

which was the propellant for the second (S.II) and third (S-IVB) stages of the Saturn V 

vehicle and for' the second (S-IVB) stage of the Saturn IB vehicle. NASA, throughMSFC, 

supplied liquid hyd£ogen for all Governmeut agencies in the eastern U.S., including the 

Atomic Energy Commission and the U.S. Air F:_,,',:e.Air Products and Chemicals was 

headquartered in Allentown. Pennsylvania, but ,t_ liquid hydrogen supply trod delivery 

work for NASA would be done from a plant at New Odeans. Louisiana [6991. 

Dr. Eberhard Rees, Director; Richard Smith. Saturn PmlpramManager;and several others 

from the Marshall Center attended a Design Certification Review of the Apollo 15 and 

other "J" missions in NASA H,*.'zdquarterson April 5 and 6. Also attending the review 

were representatives from MSC, NASA Headquartew..,and the IX_R Board. The purpose 

of the review was to certify the changes on Apodo 15 that had not been on previous 

missions to the moon. These included new experiments, use of the lunar roving vehicle, 

and changes to the spacecraft [70Ol. 

About 400 persons from ae_pace companies and Government agencies attended a 

conference at MSFC on April 6 and 7. Approximately 50 of these were from foreign 

countries - mostly Europe. The conference participants discussed space vehicle 

propulsion systems with an operational life requirement of 100 flight missions. This was 

one In a series of space shuttle technolow conferences being conducted by NASA at 

several locations from March through May 1971. The theme of the conference wasthat 


missions 

Shuttle 

would 

would 

be 

be 

manned, 

a more economical 

but during 

approach 

some flights 

to a variety 

unmanned 

of space 

satellites 

missions. 

could 

All the 

be. 

deposited in o_"retriewd from earth orbi!. Chairman of the conference was Jerry 

Thomson, 

out that the 

chief 

Shuttlewoulddemandmajoradvancementsbl 

engineer for the Space Shuttle main engine 

propulsion 

at MSFC. 

technologybeyond 

Thomson pointed 

those applied in the Apollo program. The Shuttle was projected as a vehicle about 250 

feet long which would take off vertically. The booster would have a swept wing and 12 

engines. During launch, the booster would have another airplane-like vehicle - called an 

orbiter - riding piggyback. At an altitude of about 250 000 feet, the orbiter would 

separate from the booster and continue to fly into space under the power of two engines 

in the tail. Once in orbit, it could delivery cargo or could be used as a space laboratory 

for up to a week. It normally would carry a two-man crew, Eat It could also carry 

additional passengersin the cargo or passengercompartment, which would be about 15 

feet in diameter and nearly 60 feet long. After separation, the booster would return to 

earth and land like any largeairplane. It. too, would have a two-man crew. Following the 

space mission, the orbiter would also retum to earth and land like an airplane. NASA 

hoped to have an operationalSpace Shuttle by 1979 [701 ]. 

281

1971 

Astronaut Dr. Robert Parker visited the 

MarshallCenter in the sttmmer of 1971 for 

Apollo 15 Lunar Roving Vehicle work. 

,,,. During tlis htnch hour he presented 1I 

"Snoopy" awards to MSFC employees 

A TM prototype in the tltermal (fron! left) Harold Johns and Norm Thomas° 

vacuum chamber at MSC 

Quality Lab; James Orr. Jewell Mood)' and 

|¢llllam R. Adams, Progran!Management; 

Otha Vaughan,Aero-Astrodynantlcs Lab; 

Dr. Parker; Denny Kross, Astronautics Lab; 

John Farmer, Astrlonics Lab; and Hugh M. 

Campbell attd Roy Runkle, Astrmwutics Lab. 

41 

Saturn It on Pad A at KSC 

Apollo 15 Astronauts Scott, Lift-off of Apollo 15 

I¢orden, arid Irwin 

" ' " it, w _ 

.t_..L,"" " " 

., I Deploynwnt of U.S. flag by LR V on htnar surface 

; Apollo 15 astronauts on during Apollo 15 mission 

_ _..__,., . hmar surface 

Close-up view of 

Apollo 15 launch 

282

APRIl, 1971 

MSFC announced on April 9 that NASA had asked indushy to propose methods for 

determining long-life meunantcal component._ for reusable vehicles, such as the Space 

Shuttle, satellites, Space Stations, and other r,pace-related equipment. S.B. Wynn of 

MSFC's Astronautics Laboratory said, "We're lot,king for components that can operate 

for many years," lie said that the Saturn rocket development effort called for extremely 

high reliability of components, but not necessarilylong life; Saturnswere expander! with 

each launch. Industrialfirms were asked to submit proposals concerning short term test 

method,.,e.oprovethe longllfe of mechanicalcompon,.,nts1702J. 

On April 12 _rsaceengineers and astronauts studied Skylab Workshop stowage facilities 

during a review at MSFC. Astronauts taking part performed Workshop activation 

;,rocedures, reviewingeach _..,.partment's storage areas nnd running through deactivation 

procedures. Astronauts partl,'_Jating included Alan Bean, Charles Conrad, Joseph Kerwin, 

Paul Weitz, WalterCunninghaln. Gerald Cvrr, Russell Schweickart, William Lenoir, and 

RichardTruly 1703]. 

On April 13 NASA published "Skylab Launch Readinessand Delivery Schedule ML-20," 

which moved the scheduled Skylab launch date from November I, 1972, to April 30, 

1973. 

By April 15 the proposed Skylab rescue mission profile requirementswere: tile trajectory 

planning for a rescue mission would be the same _.sthe nominal Skylab mission; nominal 

mission duration from launch to recovery would be limited to 5 days; the orbital 

ussembly would maneuvertosprovide acquisition light support for the rescue Command 

and Service Module (CSM); the rescue CSM would be capable of rendezvous without 

VHF ranging; landing and recovery would be planned for the primary landing area; 

transfer of the crew from the MDA to the CSM would be In shlrtsleeves (no 

extravehicular activity); the KSC rescue launch response times would vary from IO to 

45½ days dependingon the transpiredlime into the normal checkout flow [7041. 

MSFC announced on April 17 that 15 taxicabs had r_placed the Center'sshuttle buses 

for a trial period. This was an'otherexample of redticing costs because of budgetary 

restraints 1705]. 

As workn,.,n at KSC installed the first flight model lunar roving vehicle aboard tile 

Apollo 15 lunar module, MSFC scientists and technicians continued preparations for 

MSFC's closest coordination of activities with any moon landing to date. MSFC prepared 

to simulate in its Computation Laboratory the three exploration traversesto be made by 

the Apollo 15 LRV. As a contingency measure, MSFC would use its computer resources 

to .,dmulateevery inch of the progres._of the LRV occurring simultaneously on the moon 

17061. 

At KSC on April 25 workmen Installedthe world's first flight model lunar roving vehicle 

aboard the Apollo 15 lunar module. The LRV wotJid transport astronauts on three 

exploration traversesof the moon's Hadley-Apenninearea durh,g the Apollo 15 mission, 

schedule_lto begin July 26. Workmeninstalledthe LRV in a triangularstorage bay of the 

lunar module's de,cent stage 1707l. 

283

1971 

lladley.Apennlne, landing LR Y on lladk,y rifle 

site of Apollo 13 dur#tg Apollo 13 mission 

First deep.space EVA was 

performed during Apollo 

!5 mission 

A TM prototype 

unit at MSC 

Alrlock payload shroud flight 

unit blconic section being 

Payload shroud flight 

transferred from final 

unit in final assembly 

subassembly fixture to final at MDAC-WD 

assembly reassembly. 

I 

Angus L. Bevls threatened J- j 

ta slap her hand if Llnda 

[Mrs. Chester] Foreman 

of CC tried to abscond 

with one of t/_e small 

packages decorating his :" 

Christmas tree in the 

Skylab/MDA NASA trainer - Interior view 

lobby of Building 4200 

during Christmas 1971. 

284


MSFC announced on April 30, 1971, the retirement of Lee B. James, Director of 

Program Management at MSFC, tile retirement to become effective on May 31, 

Succeeding him as Acting Director of Program Management would be J.T. Shepherd. In 

1963 Jam_ had become manager of the Saturn ! and iB Program, then had joined 

General Phillips !n OMSF for I year as Deputy Director of the Apollo Program. Upon his 

return to MSFC he was appointed Saturn V Launch Vehicle Managerand later became 

Manager of the Saturn Program, James was appointed tile Director of Progr_un 

Mauagement at MSFC upon tile transferfront MSFCof General Edmund F. O'Connor on 

July 28, 1969. As Director o1'ProgramManagenlent James had directed both tile Saturn I 

and Saturn V projects. Program Management under James also had charge of the Skylab 

Program, Mission Operations, as well as the management (;f the Michoud Assembly 

Facility _nd the MississippiTest Facility [708]. 

In a pr,'minent front-pure story Iluntsville's largest paper, The Htmtsvllle Times, 

sub-headlined on May 9, 197l, "Plan give,, Shuttle to Houston." The article went on to 

state, "Marshall Space Flight Center would have a subsidiary role in the proposed 

earth-to-earth orbit Space Shuttle under a current plan being studied by the National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration. Houston's Manned Spacecraft Center appears to 

be there." emerging The article as the added lead center that the withdecision a lion'swas share stillofunder the anticipated discussion effort and not heading final. 

"Marshall Center and the Manned Spacecraft Center had been in a foot ra,:e for months 

to try to win either single center management or a 50-50 split. While the plans being 

reviewed lays [sic] heavil,! in H,_uston's favor, some experts emphasize that discussions 

• could alter the plan to be more compatible with MarshallCentei"s capabilities.*' 

On May I0 the first segment of an LRV qualifcation test unit was delivered to MSFC, 

with the last segment arrivingon May 26. The first flight LRV would go to the moon on 

Apollo 15 in July 1971, as reported previously. The qualification unit was a replic_ of 

flight LRV's. It would be at the MarshallCenter through the Apollo 15 mission, where it 

would be used for possible troubleshooting while the first flight LRV was making three 

exploration traverses of the lunar surface. The second flight LRV would remain at 

Boeing's Kent Space Center near Seattle until after Apollo 15. It would be.joined in 

temporary storage by the thZ,d flight model, due for delivery to NASA in June. The 

qualification unit would undergo several tests at MSFC before it was prepared for use 

during Apollo 15, when it would be deployed and checked at MSFC as its counterpart 

transportedtwo astror,auts on the moon [709]. 

In a May 13 news conference at MSFC, NASA Administrator Dr. James C. Fletcher 

announced that no decision had been made concerning the location of headqttartersfor 

the sought-after Space Shuttle system contract. Dr. Fletcher told newsmen that he could 

not understand the apparenUy deep local concern about the Shuttle because "no matter 

h,'_w the decision is made, the Marshall Center will get a sizable, if not a major 

responsibility." He said further, "there is no way to predict at this time" where the 

management will be headquartered. Until word could be received from Congress about 

next year*sfunding,which wasexpectedto be "small, $100 million or so," no details 

will be forthcoming,Dr. Fletchersaid."1 think that's comingtoo," Dr. Fletcheradded, " 

referring to potential Congressional appropriations. Future manpower reductions were not 

expected to'be a part of MSFC's future, he predit'ted. After the last announced drop of 

285

197l 

The Apollo 15 crew crammed a lot of 

activity into the six hours they spent at 

MSFC in October of 1971. They thanked Commo_laliO,of Saturn hardwere 

employees for the L_iaturnY attd Lunar 

Roving Vehicle they used on their lunar 

landing tnlsslon, oVonterepresentative scenes 

appear here. David Scott (top left) signs 

autographs outside Building 4619, crew 

and Dr. Rees (top right) examine LR V 

model; and Irwin _ignsatatographsas pretty 

fan watches and other._ walt in line 

(bottom photo). 

Astronaut Ed Gibson (center) 

practices EVA in Neutral 

Buoyancy Simulator at MSFC 

286


297 employees from the payroll, Ir_ be completed by July 1971, no more reductions 

were expected to be announced for MSFC, Dr. Fletcher said. This was con._ideredto be 

another Indication that MSFC would hove a major Shuttle role [710]. 

On May 24 Director ReesremindedMSFCemployeesof hisJanuary29 letterconcerning 

the President'sbudgetto Congressand the probabilityo,"personnelredtlctionat MSFC. 

Dr. Rees wrote, "l can tell you now that the effe,:tlvedate, NASA-wide, of the 

reduction-in-force has been set by Iteadquarters as October I, 1971. This means that 

notices to the affected employees will be distributed on or before the 16th of August." 

NASA's agency-widereduction rate would be 5 percent for each Center [7fl I. 

MSFC announced on June I that o rectal rocket engine test firing at MSFC had led to 

extension of the "certified lifetime" of seals, O rings, and gaskets in all types of rocket 

engines and stages of Saturn IB and Saturn V vehicles. In effect this extended the storal;e 

lifetime of the 29 Saturn stages then in existence from 8 years to 10. Nine S.IP (first) 

stages and seven S-IVB (second) stages of the Saturn IB, plus five S-IC (first) stages, five 

S-II (second) stages, and three S-IVB (third) stages of the Saturn V, were await!ng use at 

the time of Otis test. More than half were scheduled for use before the end of 1973, but 

some were presently uncommitted and were in indefinite storage.As part of n continuing 

test series, engineers at MSFC took a single H-I engine, number H-2033, from storage 

where it had been "hibernating" for almost 9 years. The engine had bee_| kept In Its 

original configuration. The test consisted of three starts of the engine and a full-duration 

run of 14C seconds. The engine performed as well as it did when it received its initial 

q'ualificatin, test firing. The tests were conducted by the Test Division at MSFC, and 

eramination of engine components w:l_by the MaterialsDivision of MSFC'sAstronautics 

Laboratory. The Quality and Reliability Asr,lrance Laboratory performed complete 

pre-test and post-test examinations of the engine [7121. 

On June 2 MSFC awarded a co_tract modification to the Rocketdyne Division of North 

American Rockwell Corporation for continued support work on rocket engines for Saturn 

latmch vehicles. The $26 228 158 contract modification covered the period from July I, 

1971, througlt December 31, 1972. At the time of this modification, Rocketdyne had 

built and delivered the F-I, J-2, and H-I engines that powered the Saturn IB and V 

launch vehicles, This contract modification allowed the continued atralysis of engine 

performance, field engineering, logistics, and retention of, Rocketdy,e problem-,Jolvlng 

group [713]. 

On June 3 rite United States House of Representatives breathed new life into the 

blossoming U.S. Space Shuttle Programwhen members shouted down effmts to cut out 

tv,o Apollo moon flights and the proposed Space Shuttle 0rogram. Instead, the House 

approved a $3.4 billion authorization for the space program. Atteffipts to cut $400 

million for the final Apollo 16 and 17 flight5 scheduled for 1972 and $125 million to 

start development of the Space Shuttle to ferry passengers and equipment to space 

stations were overwhelmingly defeated by voice votes. NASA's authorization for the fiscal 

year startingJuly I then passed the House 302 to 64 and went to the Senate [714]. 

287

1971 

€ 

h_stallation Into Workshopflight unit 

prior to start of checkout 

Saturn V/Skylab launch coltflguratlon 

Artist's concept showing facility 

for space astronomy 

rp 

Seven astronauts were at the Marshall 

Centpr In November 1971 to inspect the 

Lunar Roving Vehicle and participate in 

deployment exercises. Four of the group 

are s/aown here. They are (I to r): John 

Yotcng, commander for Apollo 16; Eugene 

Certtan, commander for Apollo 17: Fred 

l/,lise, Apollo 16 backup commander; and 

CharlesDuke, Apoll_ 16 humr module 

pilot. The LR V shown here was a 

qualification test model use,I In the 

deployment exercises. 

Rollout of Apollo 16 

288

JUNE 1971 

On June 3 a SkylabWork_loptest unit arrivedat MSFCaboardtimNASAbargeerie,, 

It came from MSC where it had been throughvibrationand accustic testing.This test 

unitwas a groundtest versionof the Workshop[715]. 

On June '7 In u step towardbuildingorbitalSpaceStation, the Soviet Union's manned 

Soyuz II linkedup with the spacelaboratorySalutelaunched"/weeksearlier,and mree 

cosmonautswent aboard.The two crafttogether formeda vehicle60 feet long, 12 feet 

In diameter,and weighing25 tons. Portendinganeraof orbitingSpaceStations1,1wldch 

MSFChoped to play u majorrole, the Russiannewsagencydeclared,"A Sovietmanned 

orbitalscientific station is functioning."The linkup climaxed a chase throughspace 

lastingmore than 25 hours. Soyuz II streaked into orbit the morningof June6 and 

began pursuingS_dute,launchedApril 19. Aboard Soyuz II were three cosmonauts: 

Victor Patsayev,VladlmirVolkov, and Lt. Col. George Dobovolsky [716]. 

On June IONASAoutlinedits managementplansfor the SpaceShuttleProgram.Overall 

managementof the Space Shuttle Programwould be in the HeadquartersOFficeof 

Manned Space Flight which would be responsible for detailed assignment of 

responsibilities,basicperrorn_ancerequirements,controlof majormilestones,and funding 

allocationsto the variousNASAfieldcenters.DaleD. Myers,Associ_,teAdministratorfor 

MannedSpace Flig]lt,assignedresponsibilitiesto the threeMannedSpaceFlight centers 

for ti_eSpace ShuttleProgranlas follows: 

I. MannedSpacecraftCenterwouldhave programmanagementresponsibilityfor 

p'rogramcontrol, overall systems engineering and system integration, and overall 

responsibilityand authority .r'r dr,flnltlon of those elements of the total system which 

would interact with other ele_Jl-'.nts,such as total configuration and combined 

aerodynamicloads. MSCalso wotdd be responsiblefor the orbiterstage of the Space 

Shuttle. 

2. MSFCwould be responsiblefor the boosterstage and the main engines for 

the Shuttle. 

3. KSCwouldbe responsiblefor designof launchand recoveryfacilities. 

All three centers would have personnellocated at MSCas part of the overallsystems 

engineeringand systemsIntegrationactivity. 

Dr. JamesC. Fletcher, NASA Administrator,had the following additionalcomment 

whichwasof interestto MSFC: 

In reachingthe decisionon the managementof the SpaceShuttle program, 

we have also decided that future programsunderthe Office of Manned 

Space Flight will be ma,'mgedin a similarway, whereina center will be 

givena majorintegrationresponsibilitycommensuratewith its experience, 

skills and workload. It is currently planned, for example, that this 

integratingresponsibilitywill be assignedto the MarshallSpace Flight 

289

1971 

Preparation of MDA ]light unit 

for ._hlpment to MDAC-ED 

39..foot diameter mcuun!chamber as 

lid Is being secured for test 

MDA flight artlr'/e in Denver 

290

C_.nterfor the Research and Applications Module studies ttow underway, 

and for any other Space Station studies at the end of the current ptrase B 

studies. 

JUNE 1971 

In a large headline Huntsville's major morning newspaper,the Ihmtsvllle News, declared: 

Reactions vary Ilere today in tim wake of the announcement that willie 

Huntsville gets the Shuttle booster Hovston gets the leading management 

role, but all seem to agree on this: Huntsvllle'sglad It's been given the 

chance to develop the booster for the reusable Shuttle craft, but the city 

had certainly hoped for more. Says county commission chairman James 

Record: "The space programhere got the low end of rite totem pole. This 

will probably maintainthe current level of employment here, but what we 

had really hoped to see was growth. If we had gotten the management 

position, employment certainly would Itave increased in Huntsville and 

M_disonCounty." 

The paper quoted one MSFCofficial as saying: 

The way the responsibilities have been allotted is going to cause MSFC 

here considerable difficulties. In the past, Houston had handled the 

spaceczaft, Huntsville the actual rockets, and Cape Kennedy the launch 

details. But Thursday afternoon is an unlooked for shift in policy, NASA 

decided that the three centers would no longer work autonomously as in 

file past. During previous operations, Huntsville's MSFC has answered 

directly to the Apollo office at NASA Headquartersin Washington,D.C. 

But now Huntsvillewill answer to Houston. 

The paper further quoted the Marshallemployee, who preferred to remain unidentified, 

as stating that Marshall'*willfind it very hard to develop the booster part of the Shuttle. 

NASA is now asking one center to makc distribution to the other centers and to itself. If 

it comes to a choice of giving funds to Houston or one of the other centers, Houston is 

going to get it." The paper added that the Marshallemployee Is among rankingmen in 

the administration of the space filpht center here. He said, "the situation could even 

cause the center to dwindle if enough [sic] funds are cut." Huntsvllle'sjob, he said, "will 

be ten timestoughertitanit wasunderthe Apollo system."The paperquotedMayorJoe 

Davisassaying,"We had hopedthat the headquarterswouldbe here in Huntsviiie,but 

thiswill be a boostto the city'seconomy,and will helpto keepthe spaceprogramhere 

fromdyingout" [717, 718]. 

In a JuneI I leadeditorialentitled'Wile ShuttlePie," The Iluntsvllle Timeswrote: 

The organizationalpie for managementof the U.S.A.ShuttleProgramhas 

now been officiallyslicedby the powersin Washington,and we cannot 

say we are pleasedwith how the piecesof the actionwerepartialedout 

among the space agency's field centers. According to the NASA 

announcement yesterday, Marshall Space Flight Center here will be 

responsible for developing the booster portion of the proposed 2-stage 

291

JUNE 1971 

Shuttle, but the smaller MannedSpuce_t't Cenler in Ilouston haswon 

overall ntanagcnlent rusponslhilltyfor th_ entire programuswellas theJob 

developmentof the Shuttle's orbitercraft... One can definitelyquestion 

the efficacy of the decisionto make NASA's Houston Installation "the 

laud center" for the Shuttle pmgranl,Tills step marks an un'.,xplained 

departure fronl the higltly successfulapproach following the project 

Apollo, In which no field centerwas to serveIn anotherbut all unswt;r 

directly to a central project office at NASA Ileadtlnurtursund one _:un 

question the wisdom of assigningto the tlouston (_enter tile responsibility 

for the so_:alledintegrationo1'so large a spacevehicleas the 2-stage 

Shuttle, This is preci._ly the kind of challengethat MarshallCenter 

faced,..and successfullymet...in ov,.'rseetngthe developmentof the 

garlzantuun,multistage Saturn Y launch vehicle for Apollo, willie MSC in 

Houston handledthe spacecraftend.... The spacecenter in populous 

Texas did not win Its new, pre-eminentrok; on the basisof In-house 

experienceand existingresourcesalone,We can only concludethat factors 

other th=,nmt;ritfi gorepromi,enlly in thisdecision. 

NASA announcedon June 16 that it wasexaminingthe advantagesanddisadvantages of 

a "phasedapproach"to the developmentof a reusableSpaceShuttlesystemin whichthe 

orbiter vehiclewouldbe developedfirst and Initially testedwith an interimexpendable 

booster.In a "phasedappro;,ch,"full scalehardwaredevelopmentof the reusablebooster 

would be startedlatrr, but somedesignand preliminarydevelopmentwork for It would 

proceedconcurrentlywith developmentand test of the orbiter.For the Interimbooster' 

NASA and its industrialcontractorswouldstudythe useof a modifiedSaturnS-IC (first 

stageof th.. SaturnV that launchedApolloflightsto the Moon),a boosterbasedon the 

Titan !ll, and a boostersystem usingsolid rockets.The contractorstudiesnearing 

completionasof the dateof thisannouncementconfirmedthe feasibilityand desirability 

of u reusableSp_zceShuttleas.the key elementof the spacetransportationsystemwhich 

wouldmeet the continuingneedsandlong-termobjectivesof the UnitedStr,ted in space.. 

In makingthe June16 announcement,NASA AdministratorJamesC. Fletchersaid: 

The preferredconfigurationwhich is emergingfrom thesestudiesis a 

two-stagedelta-wingreusablesystemin which the orbiter hasrxternal 

propellanttanksthat canb_ Jettisoned.Althoughour studiesto date have 

mostlybeenbasedon a "concurrentapproach"in whichdevelopmenzdad 

testingof boOtthe orbiter and the boosterstageswouldproceedat the 

sametime,we havebeenstudying,in parallel,the ideaof sequencingthe 

development,lest, and verificationof criticalnew technologyfeaturesof 

the system,We now believethat a "phasedapproach"is feasibleandmay 

offer significantadvantages.We believethL,t the additionalstudieswe are 

now .ndertaking, togetherwith thosepreviouslyundertakenand now 

being completed,will put us in a positionto makea decisionthisfall on 

the technicaland programmaticapproachto be followed in the Space 

Shuttleprogram1719]. 

292

JUNE 1971 

In a leadingI'ro,lt pagestory, the Ih.llst'llh' Time.1on June 17, 1971, expressedfurther 

alurmconcerningMSFC"sprospectsIn what it consideredthe MSFC/MSC'competitionfor 

the Shtlttle program,Under the headline "NASA eyes pla,s ForexpendableShuttle 

Booster,"thestory declared,"the pos._iF"lityof a phasedapproachto the developmentof 

u reusabl.'SpaceShuttlesystem.., with alreadyavailableenginesbeinguscJ. ,. is being 

_'doudy consideredby the National Aeronauticsand SpaceAdministration,Under the 

plan, tl:_.'orbiter vehicle would be developed first and Initially tested with an expendable 

boost_:r,;_robablya modilled first stage of a Satul:n V moon rocket, a booster based on 

the Tltal_ ill, or a booster system using solid rockeJs." The article went on to express the 

fear that tills likely "decision would hlghly_trengthen Houston's job In systems 

integration for both vehicles, '_ources here _.PgTdend, as well as increase tlouston's 

responsibility us the lead center Forthe Shuttle development." The paperquoted NASA's 

new admhdstrator, Dr. James Fletcher, as stating, "we now believe the *phasedapproach' ,, 

is feasible and may offer significant advantages.**TIt_'paper indicated that such a decision 

did not bode well for MSFC. 

Al'terask_,ll_19 companies with experience in communications and navigation to bid on a 

IO-monti_study eft'arcthat would define experiments and instrumentation necessaryfor a 

manned communications and navigation researchlaboratory,NASA awarded the contract 

to TRW on June 18. Such a laboratory could be launched late in the det'ade by a Space 

Shuttle. The laboratory was envisioned as one of a class of Research Applications 

Modules that woltld b_'_'_wn aboard the Shuttle. Such a laboratory would be u3ed for 

various demonstrations, m_.asurements,and tests. Generally, it would be oriented toward 

improving communications and navigation on earth. Some of the experiments discussed 

included laser communications, satellite navigation teuhnklues, terrestrial noise 

measurements, transmitter breakdown tests, noise identification, and autonomous 

navigation "ystems for space. MSFC would monitor this contract valued at $288 000 

17201. 

On June 2! four MSFC engineers took part in discussions with Russian counterparts 

regarding tile pos,_ibilityof developingcompatible space docking equipment. The meeting 

betwe_.,, U.S. :tpao: agency officials and about 20 Russian officials occurred at the 

Manne_;Spuc_,_.raftCenter. Attending from MSFC were George Hardy of the Skylnb 

ProgramOFfice,Joe Cremin of the Aero-AstrodynamlcsLaboratory, MelvinBrooks of the 

Astronautics Laboratory, and Robert G. Eudy of the Astrlonics Laboratory. Hardy had 

_en In a r,rol_p of five Americans who initiated these discu.,_ions in Moscow during 

Octoberl.t_70 1721l. 

On June23 NASA awardeda contractto NorthAmericanRockwellCorporation, Space 

Divislon, Downey, Califomla, forstudylngthe feasibility of developing a low-cost. 

reusable chemical propulsion stage that could be launched from earth on the Space 

Shttttle booster and then snbsequently refneled in space for up to I0 space missions. The 

IO-month "phase A" contract was for $250 000. This vehicle could be used for a high-lift 

capability to low earth orbit, the placement of large payloads of the order of I00 000 

pounds to geosyncl'.,'onous orbit, and eventually for lunar and unmanned planetary 

missions. At the time of this contract, engineers at MSFC were requiring tllat the 

interorbital stage have a lifetime of three years or 10 uses in space, whichever came first 

l'rom the cutoff period. It would be designed so that maintenance _.'ouldbe carriedout in 

293

JUNE 1971 

earth orbit and for a quiescent state In orbit for periods of up to 180 days. The 

iaterorbital stage would utilize many of tlxucotnponenfs and systems of the Space 

Sh,,ttle; for example,It would bum liquidhydrogen and liquidoxygen and the engines 

would be the sameas thoseto be usedon the SpaceShuttle[722J. 

On June 23 NASA announced receipt of more than 600 proposah from potential 

domesticandInternationalusersof data expectedfrom the EarthResour'.'esExperiment 

Peckageto be carriedon Skylab.It was the greatestnumberof proposalsfor experiments 

ever receivedby NASA in response to announcementof opportunityfor analysisof 

space-derivedata1723l. 

In mid-summer1971 MSFC officials felt it necessary to reassure MSFCemployees 

concerningthe extent of the proposedRIP'at MSFC.DirectorEberhardReeswrote, "on 

May24 my letterdiscussingthe reduction-in.forcescheduledto be effectiveon OctoberI 

of this yearwas distributedto all employees.... In view of the recentnews story I want 

to Informyou that what I said in that letter Is still valid. Your managementhas no 

informationfrom any source that In anyway changesor Increasesthe pin, for the 

NASA-widereduction-in-forcepreviouslyannounced.The MSFC'sshareof this reduction 

is approximately300 positions.We arenot awareof any additionalreduction-in-force" 

17241. 

On June 30 MSFC selected Rocketdy,e Division of North American Rockwell 

C rporationto developturbopumpassembliesfor a hydrogenand oxygenSpaceShuttl,_ 

auxiliarypropulsionsystem(APS) technologyprogram.Rocketdynewas being asked to 

develop die technologyand supply the ShuttleAPS turbopumpassembly"breadboard" 

for the spaceagency's technologyadvancementprogram.The term"breadboard"was 

appliedto a nonflight,workingmodelused for repeatedgroundtests.Therewas no flight 

hardwarecalledfor in the contract.Total cost of 01e 16-monthcontractwas $1 016 636. 

Rocketdynewas being asked to develop three major turbopumpcomponents.These 

Includedthe turbine,gasgenerator,pump,and req,ired controlvalves[725]. 

On June30 Russia'sworst space tragedyto date broughtquickreassurancefrom NASA 

that NASA'sSkylaband Space Shuttle programsshould not be affected.The tragedy 

occurredwhenthe threeSoyuz II cosmonautsdied as theirspaceshipbroughtthem back 

to earth fromthe world'sfirstmannedorbitalspacelaboratoryanda recordof nearly24 

days in space.An official announcementsaid the three spacemen(Lt. Colonel George 

Dobrovolsky,Flight Engineer VladislavVolkov, and Test EngineerVlktor Patsayev) 

completedtheirflightprogramthe daybeforeand communicatedwithgroundcontrolon 

their way down. Soyuz II made.a smooth landin_ where it was ",pposed to, die 

announcementsaid,but the rescuecrewthatopenedthe hatchfoundthe men dead.The 

nnnouncGmentpublishedby Tass, the otTiclalSoviet new agency,said the cause of the 

deathswas beinginvestigated.It gaveno indicationwhptthatmightbe. h, a NASAnews 

conferencef.alledon thissamedateby Dr.GeorgeM. Low at 1:30p.m., Huntsvilletime, 

NASAexpressedcondolencesoverthe deathof'the three cosmonautsand speculatedthat 

It musthavebeenmachinefailureratherthanhumanfailurethatcausedthe accident.Dr. 

Low Indicatedthat a failurein the environmentalcontrolsystem was one of the prime 

suspects.He statedthat it was very unlikelythat this problemtn the Soviet'sspacecraft 

wouldcausea delayin NASA'sShuttleor Skylabprograms[726]. 

294

.... 


The CDDT for Apollo 15 began at 0 p.m. CDT on July 7. The first hold lit the CDDT 

would be for 12 hours and would o,:cur at T-48 hours. The next hold would be for 9 

hours 34 minutes at T-9 hours. Schedules called for the wet CDDT to begin on July 13 

attd the dry CDDT on July 14 1727]. 

MSFC announced on July 12 that NASA had ._lected it to take the Integration role in 

managing two proposed earth orbital projects currently in the planning _tuge:The Space 

Station and the Research and Appllcatiems Modules (RAM). This action followed a 

shriller decision to assign the Integration role in the Space Shuttle prosram to MSr:. 

Under this announcement MSFC would b,; responsible for the Shuttle booster design and 

fabrication, and for the main engines for both the orbiter and tire booster of the Shuttle. 

Dale D. Myers,Associate Admhdstrator for MannedSpace FIIgitt,made both assignments. 

The Space Station had been under study for nearly 2 years. The current concept called 

for u semipermanent I'frcilltyin earth orbit which Wouldbe carried to orbit by the Space 

Shuttle, Development of the Space Station would follow the de'pelopmentof the Shuttle. 

_%lvL a newer concept, would be a family of space payload carrier modul,_s to be 

delivered to earth orbit by the Shuttle. RAM's would be capable of supporting tire 

diverse technological and scientific investigations and practical applications. Certain 

RAM's would remain attached to tire Shuttle during short duration mlssion_; others 

would be released from the Shuttle in orbit and operate as free-:lying, unmanned, 

automated spacecraft. These free-flying RAM's would be designed for long-term usage: 

they would be serviced and nrah_lainedin orbit during subsequent Space Shuttle missions. 

•When the Space Station would become available, some RAM's would _per.',te directly 

attached to the Station; others would operale in the free-flying mode and "c supported 

by the Space Station. 

In making his announcement, Mye_ called attention to the present "major effort" MSFC 

was directing to determine a preliminary design of the RAM. "This study is a very 

hnportant effort because it will not only define the early sortie payloads for the Shuttle, 

but also because it will be one of the first detailed looks at Shuttle payload interface 

problems and operational requirements" [728]. 

Confirming NASA's speculation that the Soviet's space tragedy resulted from a failure in 

environmental control, the Soviet government announced on July 12 that a pr_ssureleak 

killed the Soyuz I I cosmonauts one-half hour before their landing on June 30 and 

indh:ated that human error rather than a fault in the space ship was responsible. There 

was speculation in rite Soviet Press that the men died because they did not seal tltc 

landing craft's hatch properly, and that prolonged exposure to weightlessness sometimes 

causes "a fabe feeling of conq,lacency." This later warning was of special interest to 

NASA as NASA itself prepared for longer flights in space [729]. 

On July 20, the second anniversary of man's first lunarlandinl_,the countdown be_n for 

a fourth American expedition to the lunar surface. The Apollo 15 launch team started 

the countdown clock a: 7:30 a.m. EDT, preparatory to their July 20 lift-off. The clock 

started at 104 hours 30 minutes. It would be halted at several preplanned polnts to 

provide crew rest periods and catchup time on any item that might fall behh-J schedule 

17301. 

295

JULY 1971 

As of July 21, 1971, developmentof the LunarRovingVehiclehadutilizedthe work of 

engineers,technicians,and administrativepeopl0at MAFC',a productionthat wotlidreach 

Its big teatIn n little more thnn a weekwhenthe first LRV wouldbeusedby z;teApollo 

15 astronautsoil the moon. SevelalMSFC laboratoriescolttrihutedto the LRV Progran| 

Office duringthe 17-m()nthLRV developmentprogram.Two groupsin particularmerited 

special recognitionre," their work: The AstrionicsLaboratoryengineerswho helped 

designthe LRV system,and the AstronauticsLaboratorypeoplewho designedthe vehicle 

manualdeploym©ntsystem, 

The navigationsystemfirst designedfor the LRV wasverysophisticated- and alsovery 

complicated,fragile, and expensive."l"heAstrlonlcsLaboratoryGuidanceand Controls 

Divisionwas askedto devL_ea better system,and the Job wasgivento the Sensors 

Branch.Engineersdevelopeda simple,rugged,and cheapnavigationsystembasedon dead 

reckoningnavigation,in a seriesof teststhat lastedseveralmonths,and movedFromthe 

MarshallCenterto Flagstaff,Arizona,and backagain,the Sensorspeopleran a prototype 

vehicleto provethat their systemwould work, It did and wasmadea partof the LRV. 

The deploymentsystemwas_ldevelopmentof the AstronauticsLaboratoryEngineering 

Division.A manualsystemthat wasoflginaJlyintendedasthe backupdeploymentsystem 

to he usedif the primaryautomaticsystemfailedwasdevisedby the Divzsion.Problems 

with the automatic',systemled LRV programm_nagersto decidethat the backupmanual 

systemwasthe mostreliable,sothe MSFC-developedsystembecamethe primarymethod 

of deployment["/31]. 

it wasreportedon July 25 that the KSClaunchcomplexwherethe Apollo 15 spacecraft 

and Saturn V boosterstood ready for lift-off bad beenstruck by lightningII times 

(luring the past 6 weeks.The first strike, on June 14, had beenalmostthree timesas 

powerfulas the averagelightningstrikeand two-thirdsas strongas the biggestliphtning 

strike ever recordedin Florida. On July 20 five separatelightningbolts with total 

amperageof almost 100000 ampshad beenrecorded.Neither the spacecraftnor the 

launch whtcle had been damaged.Apollo 15 was the first spacecrafto haveeven a 

near-missfromlightningstrikeswhilebeingpreparedfor launch[732]. 

At 8:34 a.m. CDT on July 26, 1971, Apollo 15 (AS-510) roseinto spacefrom KSC 

LaunchComplex 39, Pad A. Aboard were AstronautsDavid R. Scott (commander), 

Alfred M. Warden(CM pilot), and JamesB. Irwin (LM pilot). ApproximatelyI million 

televisionviewerswatchedas the "aturn V boosterstartedthis fourth lunar landing 

missionon the way to the mm ",. Astronaut David Scott commentedshortly after 

reachingearth orbit, "Okay, shewas a smoothride all tl_ way." Scott and erewmates 

Jame,zIrwin and Alfred Warden seemedto be unusuallyrelaxed.There was little 

unnecessaryconversation. 

After the spacecraftand S-IVB combinationentered parkingorbit and translun_r 

injection was achieved,the docking of the CSM with the LM was shownclearlyby 

onboardcolortelevision.One and then a secondS-IVB ATS burn sentthe stag_toward 

the moon.Shortlyafter the CSM-LMdocking,telemetrydata revealedan,_lectri_alshort 

in circuitry. After troubleshootingisolatedthe problem,ground techniciansfelt that the 

SPS bank could be safely operatedmanuallyand modifiedproceduresfor b_nkburns 

29(;

JULY 1971 

were developed and relayed to the crew. Scott and Irwin entered the LM 50 minutes 

earlier than planned, to check out LMcommunications and other systems. TV pictures of 

the CSM and LM interiors were shown. During checkout the crew discovered *ltat tile 

rant,e/range-rate exterior glass cover had broken, and the crew began LM housekeeping 

1½ hours earlier than scheduled and vacuumed tile broken glass. During preparationsfor 

water chlorination, a water leak developed and Ihe crew stopped the leak. following 

repair instructions from the ground, and the water was absorbed with towels. Apollo 15 

entered lunar orbit on the afternoon of July 29. On the afternoon of the following day, 

at 5:16 p.m. CDT, the LM Falcon touclled down on lilt moon's Hadley-Apennineregion 

near the Salyut Crater. The first EVA began the following day, July 31. at 8:14 a.m. 

CDT. Scott climbed down the ladder, deployed a camera which recorded Illsdescent, and 

stepped onto the lunar surface; Irwin followed. They had difficulty deploying the LRV; 

during checkout they found that tile front steering mechanism was inoperdllve, and the 

decision was made to perfonn EVA-I without any LRV front wheel steering. Slops at 

,Jtatlon_ where riley collected hmar samples and made photographs were broadcast on 

television with excellent Iransmission. Scott and Irwin reentered tile LMafter 6 ho,rs 33 

,liztul_s exploring the sulfate, 28 minutes sooner than planned beca,se Scott used up 

more oxygen titan anticipated. 

LleginnintlIheir second EVA, they left the LMat 6:49 a.m, CDT on August I. Tills lime 

the LRV front steering was found It be completely operational. During this second EVA 

they obtt:ined nunlerous samples and photographs, and TV transmissionwas good. After 

7 h_mrs 12 minutes on the surface during the second EVA-2, tile astronauts reenlered the 

LM The third EVA began at 3:52 a,m, CDT on August 2. During lhis Ihlrd EVA Scott 

tripped over a rock and fell, but he experienced no difficulty in gelliqg up. After 4 hours 

50 zninutes on the lunar surface during this third EVA, the astronauts reentered the LM, 

m_ki,g a total EVA lime of 18 hours 35 minutes. While the LM was on the moon, 

',Vord_:norbited Ihe moon in Endeavor.To meet him, Scott and IrwinIll'tedoff the hmar 

surface with 180 pounds of lunar samples on August 2, 66 hours 55 minutes after - 

landint; on the moon. Tile lift-off, accompanied by file USAF anlhem, "Off WeGo Into 

The Wihl Bl',:e Yonder," was taped and broadcast by tile astronauts front the LM, and 

was photc,g_phed in color by a camera left on the moon and was seen by millions of TV 

viewers. The ,q)acec=Jfftdocked successfully us TV viewers watched, and Scott and Irwin 

transferredfrr,m Ih_ LM to Ihe CSM wilh samples, equipment, and film. The Iransearth 

inJet'tion manetlver put tile CSM on its trajectory for home after 85 hours 18 mlmites 

(74 revolutions) in lunar orbit. The CM, Endeavor, separated from the SM, Ihe drogue 

and main parachules deployed, but one of the three main parachutes partially closed 

during descent, causing a harder landing titan expected. The CM splashed down in the 

mid-Pacific about 5.5 nautical miles from the recovery ship USS Okinawa at 3:46 p.m. 

CDT on August 7 - 12 days 7 hours 12 minutes after lift-off. The astronauls were 

carried by heUcopter to the biomedical area on the r,:covery ship for post.fliglll 

examinations. After being declared in very good _hape, the astronauts were flown on the 

following day It Ilickam AFFI, Ilawaii, and It EIIington AFB, Texas. The CM was 

retrieved and placed on board the recovery ship. The lunarsamples, data, and equipment 

were flown It EIIingtonAFB, and the CM was off-loaded at San Diego. Apollo 15 had 

been tile 12lh Apollo mission to date, the 9th manned Apollo mission, and tile 4th 

successful lu.ar landingmission[733-737l. 

'tL 

297

JULY - 

SEPTE._IBER1971 

On July 30 NASA selected Rocketdyne Division of North American Rockwell 

Corporation, Canoga Park. CaUfomia, for negotiations leading to the award of a 

cost-plus-award-fee contract for the Space Shuttle main engine. NASA h_.d received 

proposals for this programfrom three firms on April 21, 1971. The contractor's proposed 

cost for the design, development, and delivery of 36 e,gines by 1978 would be 

approximately $500 million. MSFC would managethe programand would support Space 

Shuttle orbital flights beginning in 1978. The selection followed a 12-month Phase B 

competition during which contractorsconducted preliminary design studies and produced 

program definition documents for Otis ensuing phase. The Space Shuttle main engine 

would be a hydrogen-oxygen engine employing a high.pressurestaged combustion cycle in 

which all of the fuel would be used in the main combustion process to produce the 

highest possible impulse. The engine, producing 550 000 pounds of thr.st at sea level, 

would be used as the primary propulsion for both the booster and orbiterof the reusable 

Space Shuttle. The engipe and the Shuttle vehicle itself would be desig,ed for multiple 

reuse _,- in airline operations. Rocketdyne would do tills work at its Canoga Park, 

Califomla, plant. :: addition, engine system development testing would be _ttNASA's 

MississippiTest Facility near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi,and at the Air Force's Arnold 

EngineeringDevelopment Center, Tullahoma, Tennessee 1738]. 

GAO investigation of NASA's selection of North American Rockwell Division for tile 

Space Shuttle contract work was _quested by Preside,t Brace N. Torell of Pratt and 

Whitney Division of United Aircraft Corporation in an August 3, 1971, telegramto U.S, 

Comptroller General Elmer II. Sisals. Basisfor this protest was thai source selection had 

disregardedtile objective of tile RFP, that NASA had failed to conduct "written or oral 

discussions" on proposals, that Pratt and Whitney felt that its proi,_)saI was "clearly 

entitled to a superior ter.hnicalevaluation to the technical proposal of Rocketdyne," and 

that NASA had failed to give proper consideration to "Pratt and Whitney'stest-proven 

flight weight design and greater experience." In a letter to Dr, James C. Fletcher, NASA 

Administrator, nine senators requested that no award of the Space Shuttle engine 

contract be made until GAO Investigationhad been completed [739]. 

On August 18, 1971, Pratt and Whitney filed a formalprotest against NASA's awardof a 

$500.mlllionSpaceShuttlemainenginecontractto North AmericanRocketdyneDivision 

Whitney charged that selection of Rocketdyne was "illegal, arbitrary and capricious, and 

based 17401. on unsounddecisions"and reltereatedcomplaintscited August 3 to the GAO 

and asked tile Federal Government to reverse this award, in a letter to GAO, Pratt and 

On August 31 MSFC signed a level-of-effort contract with North American Rocketdyne 

Division for the design of file:Space Shuttle main engine. The interim contract, for 4 

months at $1 million per month, had been signed pending GAO review of tile protest of 

the contract award by the United Aircraft Corporation,Pratt & Whitney Division 1741], 

On September I the Boeing Company delivered a second flight model of the Lunar 

Roving Vehicle to KS(: for the Apollo 16 mission |7421. 

Apollo 15 Astronauts David R. Scott, Alfred M. Warden, and James B, Irwin spent 6 

hour_ at MSFC on September 30. They thanked MSFC employees, shook hands, signed 

298

SEPTEMBER- 

OCTOBER1971 

autographs,and made short speecltesduring their stay. They made stopsat Morris 

Auditotlum and Building 4707 before 8oing to lunch at the Officer's Club, an affair 

attended by 500 persons. In the afternoon they stopped at Building 4619 where they 

were greeted by the Grissom High School Band and at Building 4201 where Snoopy 

awardswere presented 1743l. 

In a September 9 memorandum, MSFC sought to clarify for its employees the role of 

suppoll contractors in an MSFC reduction-in-force. Deputy Director, Management, R.W. 

Cook wrote. '*1 feel that it is an appropriate time to reaffirm NASA/MSFC policy 

concerning the utilization of support contractors. Tile work previously performed by any 

of our Civil Service employees being affected by the reduction-in-force will not be 

assigned to a support contractor. The Civil Service employee's duties must be eliminated 

or absorbed by other Civil Service personnel, If necessary" 17441. 

On September 13 tile S-IC-511 tint stage for the Saturn V launch vehicle that would 

launch Apollo 16, next to tile last flight in the Apollo flight series, was d|ipped by barge 

from th_ Mlchoud Assembly Facility, to arriveat KSC on September 17 17451. 

Further reductions in MSFC's R&PM budget required drastic melmures for reducing 

MSFC'soverall operating cost lit order to stay within the revisedCenter budget. Withthis 

in mind, MSFC scheduled a planned reduction in motor pool _rvices to be effective 

October I, 1971, '*as one step in our efforts to curlaU overall R&PM costs." This 

curtailment would mean that on-Center taxi service would be eliminated, leaving a few 

cabs availablefor emergency service only 1746]. 

On September 24 NASA accepted the Skylab payload shroud (nosecone) front the 

McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company. This shroud, 60 feet long with a 22-foot 

diameter, welgiled almoxt 26 000 pounds and was the tint major piece of Skylab 

hardware to be delivered to NASA 17471. 

As of September 30 conceptual drawings of the structuralarrangementsfor the I56-1nch 

diameter, solid-cluster Space Shuttle booster had been completed [7481. 

On October 7 NASA annomtced a 6-month delay in tile development of the Space 

Shuttle to give _;ontractors|hare time to study concepts. Under this new schedule North 

American Rockwell Corporation, McDonnell Douglas Company, Lockheed Ml_iles and 

Space Company, and Grumman Corporation woukl stray Shuttle designs until April 30, 

1972. Preliminarydesign studies were to have been completed by the end of October 

[749]. 

On October II training mockups of two Skylab spacecraft components (the Orbital 

Workshop and Apollo Teleu:ope Mount) a,'rived at MSC aboard tile NASA barge Orl,, 

from MSFC.Tile shipment also included tile multiple docking adapterexterior shell and 

portion of tile airlock module mockup. Trainersand hard_,arewould be used by MSCfor 

training prospective Skylab crewmen for missions scheduled to begin In early 1973 

17501. 

299

OCTOBER- 

NOVEMBER1971 

On October 15 NASA amiounced that Skylab astronauts would begin extravehicular 

training in p._rdufized suits in the MSFC Neutral Buoyancy Space Simulator later in 

1971. Mockups of the Skylab space laboratory modules had been submerged in a water 

tank 40 feet deep and 75 feet wide, which simulated the weightlessness of space 

envtronmer,t. 

On October 19 the Saturn IB first stage for tile first manned Skylab launch vehicle was 

removed from the environmentally controlled enclosure at Mlchoud Assembly Facility 

afte, 3 years in hibernation.This booster, one of nine IB stages stored there in December 

1968, would begin a IO-month refurbishment program in preparation for launch in the 

Springof 1973 17511. 

On November 2 Dr. Fletcher, NASA Administrator,approved the Skylab Student Project, 

a Joint effort between NASA and the National Science Teachers Association to stimulate 

interest in science and technology by directly involving students in space research. In this 

project, experiments proposed by students would be conducted by the astronauts on 

board Skylab In the course of the three planned missions. MSFC was directed by the 

Skylab Program Director to perform the development and integration efforts and to be 

the NASA Interfacewith the students. Upon selection, MSFC would design and fabricate 

the experiments [752]. 

On November 10 MSFC Issueda $64 389 contract to Waldemar S. Nelson and Company, 

New Orleans, Louisiana,for a feasibility study of a Space Shuttle fly-away airport [753]. 

Amid rising speculation as to what the Space Shuttle would eventually prove to be, 

NASA Administrator James C. Fletcher explained the Space Shuttle c'Jrrentsituation in a 

speech before the National Space Club In Washf:gton on November 18, 1971 lie 

explained that the baseline Shuttle (two fully-reusable,hydrogen-fueled stages)remained 

NASA's preferred approach, but NASA had been studying for the past severalmonths a 

number of options to the baseline Shuttle. NASA might poulbly develop the orbiter and 

the booster in two phues. The Mark ! orbiter could be flown in orbit in 1978, and the 

Mark II orbiter in the early 1980's. Development of the tint b_oster could be completed 

in time to fly the MarkI orbiter. Studies had been extended for 4 months beginning July 

I mzd then extended again for up to 6 months beginning on November I in order to 

review the above options. As the result of studies to date, NASA's thinking was now 

rea._onablyfirm on the orbiter. It would have an external, expendable tank carryingboth 

hydrogen and oxygen. The main orbiter enjline would initially be either an Improved 

version of the J-2 engine used In upper stages of the Saturn V (called the J-2S), or a new 

high pressure engine. For the booster, four major concepts were still under study: One 

concept would use the F-I engines developed and proved In the tint stage of the Saturn 

V. This bomt0r would be manned and would fly back to the launch site. The second and 

third concepts would be unmanned and the booster would be recovered from the ocean 

after a parachute landing. The second concept would be a single, pressure-fedbooster 

which would require development of a new engine. The third concept would use twin, 

preMure-fedboosten firing simultaneoudy with the orbiter; development of a new engine 

would be required. The fourth booster concept would be unmanned and the booster 

would not be recovered from the ocean [7541. 

300

NOVEMBER- 

DECEMBER1971 

Oii November 19 MSFC awardeda contract to Chrysler Corporalion, Space Division, New 

Orleans, Louisiana, for further study of Space Shuttle booster concepts. The contract was 

for $765 000. It would continue through February 29, 1972. NASA had asked Chrysler 

to define recoverable booster concepts for the Space Shuttle program. Results from this 

study and other definition (Phase B) studies would be used by NASA to select a 

preferred Space Shuttle design. Earlier studies had called for a two-stage vehicle, each 

stage powered by high-pressurehydrogen engines. Both stages would return to tile launch 

site and land horizontally, likt: airplanes. In the alternativethat Chrysler was studying, 

the orbiter stage would operate as described, but the booster st_lgewould land in the 

ocean and be recovere_.!at sea. Chrysler had also conducted work under a recent 

I I-month, $750 000 cent:act for a Shuttle feasibility (Phase A) study. MSFC awarded 

the contract and was directing the work [755]. 

The MannedSpacecraft Center on November 22 issued RFP's to I0 firnls for a $150 000 

firm-fixed-price R&D contract to study space walking requirement._in the Space Shuttle 

program.The proposal called for an Investigationof emergency, contingency, and normal 

extravehicular and intravehicular activities (EVA/IVA) while outside the earth's 

atmosphere and called also for a study of protective equipment needed to perform 

EVA/IVA. The'proposals were due opt December6, 1971 17561. 

OPtNovember 24 MSFC seh:cted the Itek Corporation to perform a Ill,go space telescope 

definition study under a S,100000, 12-month contract. Thl:_ hb:;h-resohttionoptical 

telescope would be placed in orbit aboard a researchand applicati(_nsmodule (RAM) by 

.a reusable Shuttle vehicle or Titan ill launch vehicle in the late Ir170's as a national 

facility for use by many astronomers [757]. 

On November 30 Dr. Rees was so impressed by a speech that NASA Administrator Dr. 

Fletcher made before the National Space Club in Washingtonon November 18, 1971, 

thai he sent tile following memorandum to all key MSFC officials: 

Your attention is Invited to the enclosure, an address by Dr, Fletcher to 

the National Space Club. This address, entitled "Tile NASA Space Prollrant 

Today - and Tommorrow," is an excellent work, dealinl; cleurly ,tn_P 

concisely with matters pertaining to the Shuttle. In defining the current 

status and lit announcing plans for the future, tile document stabilizes tile 

NASA coune in clear and unmistakable terms. The address is of great 

interest and value to everyone at Marshall.Accordingly, I ask that you 

give it the widest possible distribution within your office or directorate. 

One of the points made by Dr. Fletcher was that in the Immediatefuture, NASA's space 

efforts should center in space around the earth, and that with programs such as Skylab 

and tile Space Shuttle, NASA would have an ideal opportunity to bringspace dividends 

back to earth 1758l. 

On December 13 an estimated I0000 persons watched the rollout of the Apollo I_ 

spacecraft and launch vehicle at KSC. Some 40 memben of tile news media were el, 

hand. This Saturn V launch vehicle (AS-51 I) loft the Vehicle Assembly Buildingat 7 a.m. 

EST as planned. The vehicle and its launch tower rode the transporter at a speed of 

301

DECEMBER1971 

between 0.5 to 0.75 miles per hour. KSC personnel had originally e_timated _ tri.ntime 

of 7 bourn, but the operation went s,., smoothly that it requiredonly 6 hou;_ '_:,,mites 

[759]. 

On December 15 an inter-Centeragreement,was approved between the Manned .",oa,:e_:aft 

Centerand MarshallSpaceFlight Centerdetailingthe responsibilitiesof the twoC_nters 

for Skylab flight crew training in the Netatral Bur_ancy Simulator at MSFC. The 

agreementwas approvedby KennethS. Kleinkne_.htfor the MannedSpacecraftCtntcr 

and by LelandF. Belewfor the Ma.-'shallSpaceFlight Center [760]. 

Dr. Recto A. Petrone, _pollo ProgramDirector, visited MSFCon uecembet16 and 17. 

lie revieweothestatusof the SaturnV and LunarRovingVehicleprogramswith program 

management officials and discussed changes to Saturn vehicle SA-SI I and LRV-2, both of 

which would beIntegralpartsof the Apollo 16 mission[761]. 

As 1971 nearedthe end, MSFC announcedthat among the highlightsof 1971at MSFC 

were the following: A successfulLunar Roving Vehicle mission, launch of two 

Apollo/Satum V vehicles,a StratoscopeII balloon-hometelescopeflight, and continued 

work on the Skylab,SpaceShuttle,and High PnerByAstronomyObservatory.The Lunar 

RovingVehicle madeits successfuldebut on the Apollo 15 missionin July of 1971.Two 

Satum V vehicles performed flawlessly on the Apollo 14 and Apollo IS missions. 

StratoscopeII was a change-of-pacefor MSFC when launchedon September9; the 

36-inchastronomicaltelescopephotographedscientifictat'gelsfroma,-toperatingaltitude 

of 82 800 feet. Skylab flight hardwarebeganto take shapeat varioussitesacrossthe 

country, with Skylabmissionsscheduledto startin theearly 1973.The SpaceShuttleor 

the reusablespacetransportationsystemcontinuedto bean Importantprojectat MSFC. 

NASA had madethe decisionIn Octoberto have five contractorsor aerospaceteams 

explore in detail variousalternativesresultingfrom previousSpaceShuttlestudies,and 

NASA had selectedTRW SystemsGroup, Redondo_ach, California in Novemberof 

1971 as the spacecraftcontractorfor the High Pner_yAstronomyObservatory(HEAO) 

projectwhichMSFCwasdirecting[762]. 

On December17 MSFCacceptedthe flight multipledockingadapterfor Skylabat the 

Martin MariettaCorporationfacility in Denver,Colorado.[_livedayslater,the flight MDA 

went from Denverto the McDonnellDouglasAstronauticsCompanyfacility in St. Louis, 

Missouri,aboardthe SuperGuppyaircraft [763]. 

302

1972 

JANUARY 1972 

As prep:_rationsfor the Apollo I0 launch continued at KSC, MSFC officials announced 

thai the following would be among the higidigilts of NASA's predicted 1972 space flight 

progrdm: two manned Apollo missionsto the moon, the launch of a Pioneer 2-year flight 

to Jupiter, and the first Earth ResourcesTechnology Satellite 17(_4J. 

On January 5 President Nixon a,mounccd the decision to "proceed at once" with the 

development of file Space Shuttle, At a news conference following the announcement 

NASA Administrator Dr. James C. Fletcher said thai by the end of the decade the 

United Staled will have "a means of Getting nlan and equipment to and from space 

routinely on a mome'zt's notice if necessary, and at a small fraction of today's cost." 

MS(' had I_en designated the lead center with program management responsibility, 

overall enghreedng and systemsinlegnztion, and basic performance requirements for the 

Slmtlle. MSFC had _en given responsibility for the boosterstage a.d file SpaceShuttle 

main engine. KSC would be responsiblefor the design of launcll a.d recovery facililk's. 

I)_velopment costs were estimated at $5.5 billion over a (_-year period, or ::5o.t 

one-fourth tile cost of tile Apollo program. In cmmnenting upon President Nixon's 

announcement, tile Ihmlsrilh, Timt'._in a lead front pagestory on Jantlary 0 said, 

PresidentNixon'sapprovalof a $5.5 billion SpaceShuttleWednesdayhas 

openeda new era in the U,S. spaceagencyand proinJses yearsel" work 

aheadfor MarshallSpaceFlight Centerhere.The Presidentgavethel;ree,l 

light during a conferenceat the WesternWhite llou._ with chiefsof the 

Nation,,I Aeronauticsand SpaceAdministration.Spokesmenat M:lrshall 

Center,taldtodaythat tile Presidentialactionis not expectedto causeany 

significantIncreasesat tile center, but should relatively stabilize tile 

workload...unlike earlier considerations,both the orbiler and the 

boosterwill be developedin parallel.LIothare expectedto be readyfor 

flight before 1980... with the Presidentialgo.ahead,tl_espaceagency 

intendsto issuefinal designproposalrequeststo industry wilhin two or 

threenlonttls,with hardwarecontractsexpectedto be let tills summer. 

At the n0wsconference.Dr. Fletchersaid.'q'bis decisionby tile Presidentis a historic 

step in the nation'sspaceprogram.It will changetile natnre of wh,t man can do in 

space"1765I. 

On JanuaryI0 NASA AdministratorFletcherapprovedthe establishmentof IheSht,ttle 

ProgramOffice as one of a numberof changesto the MarshallSpaceFligilt Center 

organization 1"/661. 

On January 12 NASA announced that the Apollo mission to the moon wouhl not occur 

were discoveredwith a spit filling, a hmar module battery, and the docklnt_ring Jettison 

until 

davit0 

April 

oll tile 

16, 

command 

1972, Apollo 

module. 

16 was 

Spacecraftcommanderwould 

rescheduledfrom a March 

be 

17 

Navy 

laundl 

Captain 

after problem_ 

John W. 

Young, conmland module pilot would be Navy Lieutenant Commander Thomas K. 

Mattingly II, and the lunar module pilot would be Lieutenant Colonel Charles M, Duke 

176"/I, 

303

1972 

Charles Duke (left) attd John Young 

practiced 

h; Januar.;, 

driving 

197_, 


Apollo 

L_nar 

16 

Ro|,ing 

Astronauts 

Vehicle 

duri,g Kenned.v training Spat'e e::errlse_"at (.'t,nter. the 

! i 

(lllli(lllll IK$ 

• geNII IIl_)lO| 

IP.IIi ul 

/.IN Iliklll$ 

• O_ilnO 

H I1, IOlit 

|I Ilnll 

e Illlll IIII!ltl 

I 

,, ,,.,,,L Orbital Workshop fllilht unit 

|,t mill 

at II,mtlngton Beach 

304 

Skylabprimecrews

JANUARY 1972 

On Jant:at¥ 13 MSFC addeda Phase111modificationto its contractwith the National 

Bureauof Standardsin Washington,D.C., under whichthe Nation',dBureauof Standards 

was conducting cryogenic testing at its Boulder Facility to determine dynar,,' 

performance of the pressure sensors at cryogenic temperatures. This modification 

increased to a total of $105 0130the co:ltract to the National Bureau of Standardsfor its 

work with a SpaceShuttlepagepressuremeasuringsystem[768]. 

On January 18 and 19 Dale D. Myers,NASA AssociateAdministratorfor MannedSpace 

Flight, visitedMSFC for brielll'gsand discussionsrelatingto a numberof MSFCprojects, 

includingthe Space Shuttle, Skylab, and tlEAO. Accompanyinghim were Harry tl. 

Gomlan, Deputy AssociateAdministrator,OMSF, and RobertC. Ltttlefield,executive 

assistanto Myers 17691. 

On January 18 NASA namedthe Skylabastronautprime and backupcrews:for Skylab 

MissionI, CharlesConrad,Jr,, JosephKerwin,andPaulWeitz;for Mission2, Alan Bean, 

OwenGarriott, and Jack Lousmu;and for Mission3, GeraldCart. FdwardGibson,a,ld 

William Pogue, Burkup astronautsfor Mission I would be RussellScllweickart,Star) 

M_isgrave, and BruceMcCandless:backupastronautsfor Missions2 and 3 wouldbeVam.e 

Brand,WilliamLenoir,and Don Lind 17701, 

On January25 and 26 MSFCissuedfour contractsfor thestudyof solidrocketnlotors 

for the SpaceShuttle booster,On January 25 a $150000 contract went to Lockheed 

Aircraft Corporation, Redlands,California:a $150000 one went to AeroJetG_neral 

•Corporation,Sacramento,California;anti a $145 200 contractwentto ThiokelCllen:ical, 

BrJnghamCity, Utah. On January 26 a $147 565 contractwent to tile UnitedAircraft 

Corporution,Sunnyvale,CaliforniaI/71 ]. 

"March 23, 1972, marks Dr. Wernhervan Braun's sixtieth birthday," wrote MSFC 

Director IZ.berltardHoes to MSFC i_nlployees. "We believe it would _' appropriate to 

observe the occasion with an interesting and lasting monlento of tl_eanniversary from the 

former Director'serstwhile co-workc'_.... We have decided that this renlembranceshould 

take the lbrm of a bound vohune of letters from people with whom Dr. van Braun 

worked clo._ly throughout his years in the United States. The vohnne is to be entitled, 

'X+60 and Counting.'Thh is your Invitationto participateif you sodesireby writinga 

letter for Inclusion in the book." Understandably this request hrol_;,JIta response from 

hundreds of workers In the space program [772]. 

On January 31 MSFC extended the interim contractual arrangements with North 

Anledcan Rockwell Corporation, Rocketdyne Division, Canoga Park, California, for I 

month. NASA hoped 11101this extension, coveting the period Fehrtlary I through 

Febnlary 29, would assistNorth Anledcan Rockwellin holdingtogethertile pool of 

skilled nlanpower it had been utilizing in designing the Space Shuttle main engine. "!"11o 

contract extensioncost $1 million. This .tction waspendingcompletionof a Generul 

AccountingOffice reviewof a "Contract awardprotest"by Pratt and Whitney Division 

of UnitedAircraftCorponttlon,EastIlarlford, CanneL'floutI'/731. 

On January 31 and February I nearly S0 personsparticipated11)a seriesof IIEAO 

meetinip at MSFC rela;ing to tile experiments scheduh'd to fly on tile first llEAO In 

305

1972 

-IP q,O: 

Four prize winners among 

tile300Marshall Center 

,: employees' children who 

s_'arclled f_rEastereggs 

and rabbits hl tile !9 72 

Matl,g eV"Airlrwk and Easter hunt were. left 

Airl,, k Module flight unit prl,r MDA flight units at to right: hla Gall Pierce. 

t, mating with MDA flight unit MDAC-ED Traey $te|wns. Tommy 

Morris. and Greg Tashbar. 

Shutth, laum'h trajectory 

Apollo 16 crew. (I to r) Astronauts 

John Youo.3. Charles Duke. and 

Thomas Mattingly 

bl 

J.- 

Launch Control Center at KSC 

j 

Launch ofAIn_llo 16 

Saturn V In flight as 

viewed fromKSC 

306


1975. lions Fichtner was chairman during the first session, and Joe Jones, Jr., was 

chairman during file second session. Others present included Richard Halpern, HEAO 

program manager in NASA's Office of Space Sciences; Dr. AI Opp, a programscientist in 

O5S; and Dr. Frank McDonald, project scientist of Goddard Space Flight Center 17741. 

Several personalities known to many MSFC personnel were in the news at die start of 

1972. In mid-January Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, Director of the Manned Spacecraft Center, 

was appointed to the newly created position of Director of Key PersonnelDevelopment 

for NASA. Dr. Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., Deputy Director of MSC, succeeded Dr. Gllmth 

as Center Director. On Jam|ary 17 burial services were held at Arlington National 

Cemetery for LI. Gen. August Schomburg who died in Phoenix, Arizona, after a brief 

illness; lie was 63. |to commanded the U.S. Army Ordnance Missile Command, 

predecessor to tile Army Missile Command, from Febn|ary I, 1960, to March 24, I ' * 

On Januaw 19 NASA AssociateAdministratorfor MannedSpaceFlight Dale D. Myers 

vis..ed MSFC for briefings and discussionson a nmnber of MarshallCenter projects, 

includingSpaceShuttle, Skylab,and IIEAO 17751. 

Afler NASA's selection in late 1971 of the TRWSystems Group for negotiations leading 

to a $70 million contractfor developmentof tile High EnergyAstronomyObservatory, 

TRW submitted an updated proposal on February 14, 1972. Tills updating was 

necessitatedbecauseof a cllange In hamcll datesand in order to correct deficiencies 

Identifiedduringtheselectionprocess.NASA wasexpectedto completenegotiationswith 

TRW by April I, 1972, for this 7-year contract for two spacecraft, a contract scheduled 

to extend through launch and mission support for orbital operations 17761. 

On Febn:ary 18 vibralion testing beganon tile ATM prototype at MSFC.After vibration 

testing,the prololype was scheduledfor disassemblyand rofurbishmenlto becomethe 

backupATM filgllt unit 17771. 

On February 22 Sky;abProgramDirector William C. Schneideroutlined the program's 

progress: "Manufacture is largely complelo, test and checkout are progressing 

satisfactorily,deliveryof cerlaincomponentshasoccurredwith deliveryof the remainder 

in sight, and o_rating of Skylabit_ o"bll will beginbeforethe end of thecomingFiscal 

Year." 

Skylab offered "an Earth observationcapability never beforeavailable" to U.S. manned 

spacecraft. During an 8-monthmission, Skylab would fly over an.re U.S.except Alaska, 

overmuchof Europe,all of Africa,Australia,China,andalmostall of SouthAmericacovering75 

percentof earth'ssurfaceand passingovereachpointevery5 days,By the 

end of 1971, 388 Investigationsrequiring Skylabdatahad beensubmitted,249 U.S. and 

39 foreign.Of these,164had beenidentifiedfor furtherstt,dy.Skylebwas"_'st manned 

space flight programdesignedspecifically to carry activPks and equipmentexplicitly 

aimedat Improvingman'slife on earth. It will contributesignificantlyto the increaseof 

knowledgeof pure scienceand is aim a primitive Space Station, a forerunnerof 

permanentSpaceStationsof the _ture." Earth-orientedsensorswould test teclmolow 

for rynoptic surveysof manyenvironmentaland ecologh'alfa,;torsand givepreliminary 

data for managementof ecologicalsystems.Solar and astr,)nomicalobservationsand 

other scienceexperimentswould expand knowledgeof solar system, universe,and 

307

1972 

' e't _ _e '" 

• "_s._¢ 

1 

/'_...... • _.._ 

._, 

.,Ipollo ! 6/,4S-.fI I mlsdon proJlh, 

LR g ccmlnd and 

displayconsole 

p I_I I'll . . 

11411kl I_ll" 

. I 

f i, " "a,_o,;e,," 

Alltlo_ Jo,lei _- 

,irL 

b 

'171" _o tt i • . ° , ° . 

, eloo, i le lelll 141ilee 

• • • • • • _O_ll 061111 IIlli Illb/_lll h4_lelll • 

,........................... : 

Lunar sciencestations sel t:p Astrcma,t Charh.sM. O,ke. LM plh_tfor 

durin# ApolbJ mlssh)ns ApolhJ 16, colh, cthlg rock samples in tile 

Ot'scartesarea of Ill{,re,o, 

Sam Ilobbs (hMdln_ camera), 

headof tile Photoliraphh' 

Apollo 16 CM Apollo 16 Astronauts JohH Yoltng, Lab at tilt, Marshall Center, 

descent Charh,s Oltkto,and Thonlas K. ,etlred April 18. 1972. after 

/;tattln#ly aboard rt'co;,er.|,shlI, USS 25 .;'t'an of federal serJ,h'e. 

Ticonderoga followinl¢ splashdown Mr. llobbs ,_lWt'mnbed to a 

in tilt, Pacific Ocean Iwart attack a few days later. 

308

FEBRUARY 1972 

near-earth space. Biomedical experiments would infornl how man's well-being and ability 

to function were affected by living in space [778]. 

By Febnlary 24 deployment tests of Sky!ab Werkshopmeleoroid shieldwere under way 

at Marshall Space Fl_gllICenter. The meteoroiu seield, a thin sheet of ah,mim,m wrapped 

around the outer wall, would protect Skylab c._wmen fronl miL'rometeoroidsarid ensnre 

,:onfortable temperaturein space17791. 

The dedication of MSFC employees and manage;nLat was indk'atcd in a february 

letter written by a young engineer to Dr. yon Bruin: 

._8 

On the night of February 9, i966, Mr. (Jillespi¢ and I flew with you and 

other key MSFC personnel to MSC on the Gulfstrealn. The purposeof our 

trip was to make a presentation to MSC on a new program beingdiscussed 

by NASA entitled tile 'S-IVB Spen! Stage;' this project eventually evolved 

into our pre._nt Skylab Program. It was a very rough and slomL,0evening 

when we took off for MS(', tile same night tile plane carrying Ryan 

DeGraffenrcid, candidate for governor, crashed bc_:ause of the bad 

weather. Duflng our flight I was told Io brief you on lily presentation, 

entitled 'Suggested|_.xperhnentsfor the Spent Stage.' I was w,ry nervous, 

and duflng my dry run told yoLI thai becauseof lime I had not seen lily 

viewgraphs. You jllsl looked at ine and said Ilia{ wasokay, jus{ doll'{ tell 

MS(_ and do your best. Since thai night I have made olher presentations 

where time was edtical and have alwaysremembered your advice.On Ih!s 

happy occasion I want to thank you for your help and guidance, and 

know that you will be helping olher young engineelN during tile years 

ahead 17801. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture beganmoving approximately I000 employees inlo 

Bu]ldin_ 350 and 103 at tile Michoud Assembly Facility in February 1972. The 

agricullural department began occupation of 175 000 square feet of Building .150, and 

the engineednl; office building, and an additional 20 000 square f('et in tile luanufacludng 

area, Building 103 [781 ]. 

"... We will again be involved in a reduction-in-force to achieve an on-board count of 

5341 by June 30, 1972," wrote Dr. Reesto MSFC employeeson March 3, 197..3."Based 

on our current strength, tire necessaryreduction-in-force will total approximately 190 

people. This reduction, together will= normal attrition, will bring zls to the required 5.]41 

on-board strength on June 30. t972. Concurrent with the RIF, each NASA Center has 

been directed to reduce its average grade.... The FY-72 reduelion of 190 will be 

effective June 30, 1972. Notices will be sent to affected employeeson or before May 15. 

Personnel actions for all permanent personnel involving hiring, promotions, and 

reassignmentwill be frozen effective March 6, 1972. As I havesaid in previous letters of 

this type, this is one of tile most unpieasant duties Imposed !.lpon rile.... unsettled 

situations like this causeeveryonemuch concern. They give iise to nnuors and half truths 

which can causeunnecessaryanxiety.... I ask that all of you conthule It} carry on our 

programsin the excellent manner that we haw in tile past." 

3O9

1972 

_-_ " /" 

Skylab student experiment pro/ect. The 23 students whose proposed experiments for 

Iot_atton oi" 25 national winners Skylab were selected front atnong more than 3600 

submitted posed fnr a group partralt In the spring 

of 1972 on thc steps of Building 4200. The 

students were at MSFC_for brlefl,gs, tours, and 

discussions with NASA Iiersotmel ors how their 

experiments cotdd be set up on Skylab and 

conducted during the nstssion Its 1973. 

Its the spring of 1973 o test model of 

the Command Module arrlt'ed at MSFC 

from JSC for use its the Neutral 

Btto.l'atst3'Simulator. It was used its NASA's first 1973 Skylab flight was or! the 

testing hardware proposed for provldltsg 

a solar shield around tile Skylab. 

horlzotl as the U.S. and U.S.S.R. sigts thcir 

historic May"24, 1972, space 

agreement Its Moscow 

Post-Apollo milestones Of the 1970's 

A TM flight ttnit in shipping container its 

preparation for delivery to MSC 

310

MARCH 1972 

Ten daysalter Dr. Reeswrote MSFCemployeesconcerningthe forthcomingRIF, he felt 

it necessaryto put down ,I ,ew rumor. "The llcmstml Post publishedn storyon Saturday 

ntoming which claims to quote a MannedSpacecraftCentersourceabouta changein 

SpaceShuttle planswhich would affect MarshallSpaceFlight Centeremployees,"wrote 

Dr. Reesto MSFC employeeson March 13. "The storyquotes'the source'as estimating 

that I000 MSFC employeeswill be tran2_erredfron, MSFC to MSC. I want to assureall 

of you that no such planshave beenmade.... When the SpaceShuttleconfigurationIs 

decided,_zndwe expect it in the verynearfuture, I will informyou aboutthe extent of 

the MSFC Talesin this program.Until then I intend to regardall reporLqof Shuttle 

configu_ti_l_sand personnelImpactsasspeculationand rumors.! hopeyo'a w_lldo the 

_lne." 

Also on March 13 the MSFC'ManpowerOffice Issued, memorandumrelativeto Civil 

Serviceretirementpossibilities.The memorandumstated, "The Civil ServiceCommission 

had incorporatedin the FederalP_rsonnelManual(Supplement831-1, SubchapterS-I I1 a 

policy and procedurestatementprovidingmore FlexibilityIn pe,'mlttlngretirement In 

situations where those retirements will help meet needed reductionsin personnel 

strength."The memorandumwent on to outline the possibilitiesof _arly retirement for 

MSFCemployees[782 ]. 

Erich W. Neubert,for Dr. EberhardRe,s,sentthe followingspecialannouncement to all 

MSFC employeeson March 15, 1972: "Becauseof the hi_t interest In the Shuttle 

configurationdecision,I thought you might like to have your own copy of the 

• informationreleasedthis morning."The MSFC nnnotlncemt, nt w,s asFollows: 

NASA announcedtoday that the SpaceShuttle boosterstagewill be 

powered by solid rocket motorsin a parallel bum configuration.The 

boosterstagewill be recoverable.Requestsfor proposalsfor designand 

developmentof the SpaceShuttle are expectedto be issuedto industry 

about March 1'7.The boosterdecisionsettlesthe princil_alquestionleft 

open for furzher study at the time the decisionto proceedwith the 

developmentof the SpaceShuttlewas announced,Jy PresidentNixon in 

January. In announcingthis decision,NASA Administrator,JamesC. 

Fletcher,stated that it meansthat the Spac_Shuttle will cost lessto 

developthan Forecastin January.Developmentcostis ,ow estimatedat 

$S.IS billion comparedto the earlierestimateof $S.5 billion. While this 

reduction is accompaniedby some Increasesin the estimatedcost per 

mission,the estimateof $10.5 million for the configurationselectedIs 

well within the acceptablerangeForeconomicaluseof tile SpaceShuttle 

system,Dr. Fletchersaid. 

This boosterdecisionsettled the principalquestionleft open Forfurther study at the 

time the decisionto proceedwith the developmentof the SpaceShuttle had been 

announcedby PresidentNixon the precedingJanuary. I_ASA's boosterstudiessince 

Januaryhad shownthat both solidand liquid propelledconfigurationswouldhavebeen 

feadhle From. technicalpoint of view.Dr. Fletcher'sdecisionwasbasedon the lower 

cost and lower technicalrisksshownIn the studiesfor the solidrocket system.At the 

time of Dr. Fletcher's announcement,schedulescalled for a Space Shuttle to be

IQ72 

A TMflight unit leavhlgQuallO' 

Laborator.vprior to delh,er.vto MS(" 

Workshopturnol,ercerc,monyat MDAC.W 

(h,ft to right: liP.Sltaple.v,C. Welnberger,Dr. 

J. Fletcher,Dr. E. Rees, W.Burke, and D..M.vers) 

UnloadingA T_,Ifrtm! Super Guppy at KSC ! I 

• i I / 

'la_._ l .I 

t y . vl_.',js, , 

Transferof OWS,payloadshroud, and 

aft interstagefrom Point Barrow 

to KSC dock at FAB 

RemovingA TMfrom transportation 

" containerat O&CBldg 

312 

UnloadingAM/MDAfrom 

commercialGuppyat K$C 

"An you boys be careful,you heah" - Sheriff 

Joe Hlgglnsof televisionfame wasmighty 

upset when he heardthat a bunch of boys lad 

beenspeedingto the moon and back,hitting 

speeds up ,o 25 000 milesper hour. Striking 

a familiarpo._e,he admonishesan "astronaut" 

that he can get In '°aheap of troubleIf you 

aln'tcareful" HIsginswasIn Huntsvilleto 

promote the Jayceefair.

MAIl(31 - AI'HIh 1972 

developedoverthe llext 6 years,lh_rlzouhdlestl'llL_liiswuuhl l_,glnin 197(i,aud maimed 

orblhll lest flilzhlsil1 1_}78.Tile completeShuttle sysleltlwouhl be ol_raliomil heGIre 

1980. Ovenlll IltanaBenleltt of the SpaceShuttle proBr[lllt would be hi tile Ileadquarlenl 

Office el"Mmul,:d Spat:eI:lildtt whk'h would t_.,Ivspozlsihlefor detailedzlssiiulnlent of 

responsibilitteq, basicperformatlcerwluirenteilts,control of nl=ilurmilestou_s,and rundinit 

=llloc=lllOltS to tile VtlflOUsNASA fk'hl center. MS(?wouhl h=tveproGnlntntallztgenlcitl 

r_:spouslldlltyfor l_rt_Inii11co111rol,overallsystemsetlldlleed1111 a11dsystemsInleltrallun, 

and overall n.,spouslldlllya11daulhurily for derhllllun el" tllu._, ek,nleillS of llw loh11 

system which wouhl i11h.'rf_1ce with other ele111elllS, _ueh as tohll CUllfll_unlthmand 

cu111bllledaemdynanlh:loads. 5|5(' would also herespondblefor the orbiter stal_eor the 

Shuttle.Kennedywouhl I_,,n.,sllonsiblefor designof hulnchandrecuveryfllcililles. MSF(, 

wouhl he rvSlmlldblefor the develol_nlellt,productionand delh'eryof the orbiter111ah1 

eutdne,the sulld booster, alld the Ilydrugen,_xyt_enIWOl_elhull hulk. MSF(' would also 

acConlplishand/or Illillta_e c_,rhlhlShullle hlsks wllere the (.'elller wouhl Ilav_ ulthlue 

cilpabilitles[783-785I. 

Ily March27 nlOlVIIi,ul 87 tN6 appllcath111fimllS for parlh'ipathmin tile ,qkyhd_Studellt 

I:roJe¢thad heen reqlWstedul" the .'_;lllunalSelelleeTeucller_A_,_u_:iatlo11, wllicll was 

IllSlltll_Jlt_ the activity for NA,_A. N/' ]A eslinlatedthai al_proxhllalelyS0000 alqllleallls 

were requeslhlt_tlle.,_,sI'urllls, I:rom IIIIs nl,llllber NASA r_,celved.1401)proposals.The 

Skyhb ,_lUdelltProjectW=lSdeslsuedlu sthlluhlte Interestill sch,nce and h,c1111olopy by 

directly hlvolvhlt_U.5. school studeltlS hi grades9 IIIrou_th12. Entries consistedof 

iwupo.,_llsby sltldeills or t_roupsof studentsfor experl,:,¢slts,delllOnslrillions,or m.'liviltes 

to heI_erfornledby astronautsdurilll_SkylilbmissionsI11197.tI7_t_l. 

"{'oples o1' tile MSI:(" rek,ulion n.'tdsterbelnB II._d tu couducl the anllOUuced 

n.'du_:liou.in-forcewill be uladeavaihlhleto all MSF("enlployeesI_.'ldnnilIBMnmhly,April 

.1, I t}72,'' wrote MSl:(."s Deputy Din.'ctur or Mallat_etllenl,R.W. Cook, to MSF(' 

elllphlyeeson March30, 19';2 1"/871. 

Fawd will1the conthluhti_probleulor the forlllconling RIF, MS1:(,I)ireclor Reeswrote 

enlployeeson April 3, 1972,=isfollows: 

The ManpowerOffh:e I1=1s iltrornledIlle tllat late hlsl wt_.,ktile retention 

reBistenlin connectionwill1 our fortlleonlhl_ directed reduethm.ht.force 

had been distributed to all nlajor elenlenls of tile ('elller, 'rills will give 

employeesu cllullCe1o leantwhere Ihey standill relatlOlllu olhersht Ihe 

,_1=11e conlpetltiw level. I hope tills will serve1o resolvesome of tile 

uncerhlhltytllal ninny of you havefelt. If yell feelthat the retlist,;rnllldl' 

he in error in any way, you are, of course,at liberty _o ,:=111 It Io the 

_ltenllon of the ManpowerOffice. It wax hearteningto le.m alsofro111 

your supedol_that despiteuncerhlhltlesyou are doini_your"customary 

8oodJobtn a mostpmfesslonalway. 

On reporthlt_directly April 3 a new 1o .,_l,ffolTice,the Dr, Rees.Creationof EqualOpportunityOffh:e, Ille office waxSllh!eetto was eslablislledat fomlnl approvalof _,_,_FC, 

NASA Ileadquartenl.Arthur Samlel'son,Depl,lly Directorof the MSF(, MallpowerOffice, 

313

Sch'ntLtt.A,_lronaut llarrl.wm II. Sc'htnitt wa._ 

,,ll_ollu 17 ML_.dmt('Ultlmatldt'r ('erlldn plmt_gnqdwd,_landhlg ttt'xt toa htlgt,, spill 

addrc.,xe,_ per.wmnt,l and gut,,_l._ al,,ar, l llt(, htnarhmddcr duringthethirdApnllu17 

re('nrt'ry ,drip US,_"Timtld('ruga EVA at Iht, Taurlt,_-Llllrou, lallclitlg ,die. 

314

APRIl, 1972 

wasscheduledto becomedirectorof the new office iq June tq72, whenhe returnedto 

MSFCfrom post-graduatestudyat riteUnlve,sltyof Oklahoma17881. 

On April 4 NASA awardeda 90-dayletter contractto the RocketdyneDivisionof North 

American Rockwell Corporation, Canoga Park, California, For the initiation of 

developmentand prodt,ctionof the rocket engine Forthe SpaceShuttle orbiterstage. 

NASA estimated the value of Utisletter contract at $9 800000. 1"liecontractweald 

permit work to begin while NASA and Bocketdyne negotiateda cost-plus-award-Fee 

contract for the engine.NASA estimatedthat the total costof the negotiatedcontract 

would be in the vicinity of $450000000. This contractawardFolloweda March 31 

decisionby the GeneralAccountingOfficeupholdingNASA'sdisputedselectionof North 

AmericanForthis contract1789]. 

NASA AdministratorDr. JamesC. Fletcherannouncedon April 14 the selectionof KSC 

and VandenbergAir Force Basein Californiaas the sitesFrontwhich the SpaceShuttle 

would be operated.The Initial launchand landingsite wot,ldbe at the KennedySpace 

('enter.This sitewouldbeusedfor researcltanddevelopment launches,expectedto begin 

i,1 1978, and for all operational Flightslaunch,:.dinto easterlyorbits, NASA would 

. providethe facilitiesfor ell Shuttleutilizationat KSCandwot,ld do so primarilythroz,gh 

modifyingthe existing I',cJlitlesused In the Apollo and other programs.The role of 

Vandenber8Air Force Bosein the Shuttle programwould begin m:ar the end of the 

decadewith NASA scheduledto phaseh, the baseForShuttleoperationsat that time. 

Shuttleflights from the basewould be Ihuserequiringhigh Inclinationorbits.According 

to schedtdes,the Department of [.)eFensewould providethe basic Shuttle I'acilitles 

requiredat Vandenberg.The _:partment of Defensehad concurredIn the decisions 

announcedou this dole by Dr. Fletcher. In referring to Dr. Fletcher'sdecision,the 

I/tmt._ri//e Times headlined that "Shut!le BasesWere Technical ChoicesAlone." The 

Times went on to ,_tatethat i_eography,not politics,led to the decisionForWestCoast 

and EastCoastlaunch sites.The paperstated that the decisioncameas no realsurprise 

to thosepersonswho were teclmtcallyversed,"althoughduringthe earlierbattleto select 

a site for Shuttle launchingsthe labelof politicalFavoritismhad beenlooselybantered 

about. But the facts are Irrefutable thai neither Cape Kennedynor Vandenber8alone 

would havebeen _tisfaclory for launchings.Togetherthey are unbeatable.Two bases, 

b!'_ttly, area technicalmust"[790, 7911. 

The Apollo 16 mission began on April 16, 1972, and ended I I-days later on April 27 

with splashdownIn the Pacific. Astronauts for the flight were John W. Young, CharlesM. 

Duke, Jr., and Thomas K. Mattingly. Preparations for the fiight had pointed to n highly 

successful mission. A month earlierNASA Ileadquarters officials and officials FromNASA 

Centers had attended a succes._FulIqlgh! Readiness Review for Apollo 16 held at KSC. 

This had been followed by the dry portion of the Countdown Demonstration Test 

(CDDT), held on March 20, three weeks before the April 16 lift-off. Two days latersaw 

the beginning of the wet portion of rite CDDT, and countdown preparatir)nsbegan on 

April 

April 

7, 

16, 

nine 

when 

days 


prior 

Saturn 

to 

V 

launch. 

(AS-SI 

The 

I) vehicle 

Apollo 

lifted 

16 mission 

off from 

began 

Launch 

at I 1:45 

Complex 

a,m, Sunday, 

39A at 

the Kennedy Space Center. All three stages performed as expected, and the Apollo 

spacecraft entered transhmar trajectory about 2 hours 35 minutes after launch. The 

spacecraft transposition and docking took place as scheduled. On their way to the moon 

315

1972 

A total of 72 twenty kilowatt Xenon 

searchlights a;td 2 sixty kilowatt Xenon 

Thb photo, taken by the Apollo I I crew 

on their way home front the moon, shows 

searchlight banks produchtg appro._tlmatel.v both the first I, nar landing site attd the last 

223 foot candles of light were set tip for one In tilt, Apollo program. Tile first 

tile night latlnchlng of Apollo I 7 fron! 

Contph,x 39. Tilt'final hotar landing ntlsslon 

ntanned hntar landing, Apollo I I on Jill.;, 

20, 1969, wtu tnade In the scJtLthwestern 

ill tile Apollo Progran!was the first tnlsstt:tt 

to require a nighttlnle launcl! of tile giant 

part of the Sea of Tranquility. Apollo 1 7 

landed in tile Tatmts.Llttrow area. a 

Saturn 5 launch vehich,, 

combination of mountainous highland and 

lowlands ;_lley region. This view of the 

Moon front a distance of 16 000 km was 

,. _,_ photographed after tile Apollo I I crew had 

,_ ., fired their engines on the back side of tile 

, Moon to place them In the correct trajectory 

for return to Earth. Approxlnlately one4talf 

of the Moott's far side (which catm_t be seen 

_ 

--ram,m,... 

et mitl_m 

fron! Earth) Is the lighter dtaded, tight side 

ItAt _ ePmwN 

m,m_,t,_ 

Pl_ tm lna_tl _ tatml 

of the sphere to the right of the Seas of 

m,_K,,,,t,,m,....--,,a 

Crisesattd FertlllO,. To the left. of the 

R,._ d",_..,. .s_.,.v.,_,,. Is visiblefront Earth as the right half 

.... of the Moon. 

.< tmctl._ 

....... 

This is a photographic replica of the plaque 

which tile Apollo 17 astronauts left beltlnd 

at the Taurus.Ltttrow landing site. The 

plaque is made of stainless steel measuring 

9 by 7 3/8 Inches, arid I/Io inch thick. 

316

APRIl, 1972 

on the Ilrst day of their nli_,doit,the Apollo 16 crew discovered that sonicpaint was 

I]akin8of,l, the Ltmar Module._'_'ASAolTlelalsat tloustonnlude the decision1to allow the 

crewmento move into the Lima! Module a day earlier than scheduledto checktheir 

landing vehh:le.C'ontnlanderYoung reportedthat the vellh:lewas operatlnBwell. The 

Apollo I_ crew seenledwell on its w=zyto perl'ornlits ntiuion that wouhl lind Youn8 

and I)uke drtvinR their Ltntar Rovh!8Vehicle about 16 miles on the hntarsurl'ace, 

deployhlgs¢ienlifl_:exp_rimeltts,photosraphlnghnlar landmarks,and relnrnhlL_soil and 

rock _lnlplesI'or analysison I..'artll.Meanwllile,accordln8to s_.'lledule, MatthlLdywould be 

condnctinL_expedntentshi hiitar orbit while preparingthe spacecraftfor the mtunt trip 

honleduring the 3 dayslie wonhlspendalono in orbit. 

It wason April 20, the I'ourthday o1'the Apollo 16 fllBht,that problemsdevelopedthat 

ahlloStabortedthe $400 nlllliondollarApollo 16 nlission.It besanquietlyand ronthlely 

soou al,ler I:00 p.m. Mattlnglywas runnh18down Ills check list hal,o=,., IlrhlL_up his 

spa|:e,:raftenl_hlewhen he discovervdthat his backupsysten!I'or swivelhllzthe 20000 

pound-thrust-enginewas not workingproperly.The spacecml`tenLxhlenozzlesilowed on 

his cabinIndicatorthat it workedIlne enouLthill the upwardand downwardnlotlon, but 

it wobbledI'romleft to dgllt. Thai was enoushto abortthe landingat that time,and it 

._nt NASA enidneersIlurtyinl_to shnnlatorsto try andworkout the problemoll Casper. 

At North Anlerican Rockwellat Downey, C'alil'omi_l,spaces_:ientistshurried aboard 

sintulatorsthere. For Inore than 4 hotlrs, MutthlRlyaboardCasper,and Yotingand Duke 

aboardOrlon, loopedthe nloon in their samepositionsand wailed.Meanwhile,prospects 

l,or a lun;irlanding._enleddimmer by the hour, ulthouLdzspaceol`l'tchllsrel'usedto tdve 

. up, but ol,ii_:ialswere equally determhtedthat they would not send YounL_and Dnke 

onto Descartesunles.,=tltere was certainty that Matth,p_yaboard("asperhad both an 

operativepdnlary and secondaryL.tuidancesystemforIlls spacecral,tengine.Ilowever,at 

5:55 p.nl. Oll April 20 otTiclulsat the MSC ControlRoomdecidedthat the os_:lllation 

wasa "linltted" one rather than a "divergent"one and wouhl stay within an acceptable 

nlaxhuuulo1"I deL.u'ee, and therel,oreit wassaleto LXoForthe hnlar landhls. 

Duke and Young toucheddo_'n Oll the nlountaln-ranliedplateauill the IIILdlestregionon 

the front side or the moon t_t 9:24 p.ln. all April 20, and Duke exclainled,"Orlon Is 

finallyhereHoustonl Fantasti,:f"They orisinallywereto havestartedtlleir Firstol, three 

7-hour excursions4 lioursal,tertouchdown.But the longexhaustiveday wastakingits 

toll, and mission¢onlrol told them to starta sleeppedod,delayln8the explorationuntil 

Friday, April 21. DlidnB t!ze three EVA's that followed Oll the moon the astronauts 

gathereda record245 poundsor moon rocks,ex_:itln8earthboundscientistsapparently 

more than any "moon haul" to date. In addition to their record sclentil`lehaul0the 

astronaut set somekind or a recordl,or animatedand Intrisuinl_conversationbetween 

then,selvesand HissionControlas they performedthreeforaysol"scientificexperhnents 

ozzthe moon,They stayedon the moonIonser thananypreviousl_roup- a totalo1"'71 

IIbnrs 2 nli,utes. The Lunar Ravin8 Vehicle performedsatlst'actorilyduringall tluee 

Apollo 16 e :0ravellh:ularactivities.The LRV wasdrivena total o1"3 hours17 nlintztes 

durinBthe more than 20 hours the crewmenspentoutsidethe LunarModule.The total 

distancetraversedwas 16.7 miles.AstronautsYoun8and Duke reportedthat a inaxinlunl 

speedoi, 10.5 miles per hour wasachievedwhile the two men were descendln8a steep 

slopearoundN,._rthRay (_rater.The two astronautsIll'tedof,l,from the lunarsurl'a_:eat 

7:26 p.m. on Sunday.April 23. The LunarModuledockedwith the Apollospacecraftat 

317

1972 

€ : 

APOLLO MISSION EMBLEMS- Apollo, the Greek God of the Sun. dominates the 

emblem designed for the final lunar landing mission in the space program which bears his 

name. The Apollo 17 crew, In selecting their mission emblem, chose not. to emphasize 

finality but rather the beginning of the golden age of space flight that their flight would 

usher In. In the emblem, Apollo gazes toward Saturn and a galaxy which symbolixes man's 

goals In space will someday Inchlde the planets and perhaps even the stars. The crews for 

the Apollo missions, beginning with Apollo 7 are: 

Apollo 7 

Cmdr, Walter M. Schbra, Jr. 

Apollo I1 

Ondr, Nell Armstrong 

Apollo 15 

Cmdr, David R, Scott 

CMP, Donn F. Eisele CMP, Michael Collins CMP, AIfred M, Worden 

LMP, Walter Cunntngham LMP, Edwin Aldrin LMP, James E. Irwin 

Apollo 8 Apollo 12 Apollo 16 

Ondr, Frank Borman Cmdr, Charles Conrad Cmdr, John W. Young 

CMP,James A. Loveli, Jr. 

LMP, William A. Anders 

CMP, Richard Gordon 

LMP, Alan Bean 

CMP, Thomas K. Mattlngly, H 

LMP, CharlesM. Duke 

,Apollo 9 Apollo 13 Apollo 17 

Cmdr, James A McDivitt Cmdr, James A. Lovell Cmdr, Eugene A. Cernan 

CMP, David R. Scott CMP, John L. Swlgert, Jr. CMP, Ronald E. Evans 

LMP, Russell L. Schwetckart LMP, Fred W.Haise, Jr. LMP, Harrison H. Schmltt 

Apollo I0 Apollo 14 

Cmdr, Thomas P. Stafford Ondr, Alan B. Shepard, Jr. 

CMP,John W. Young CMP, Stuart A. Roosa ' 

LMP, Eugene A. Cernan LMP, Edgar D. Mitchell 

318


9:17 p.m. The Apollo 16 crewmeu jettisoned their Lunar Modt,le ascent stage at 2:53 

p.m. the following (lay, April 24. Transearth Injection (TEl) occurredat 8:16 p.m. 

Monday, April 24, as tile Apollo 16 spacecraft came front behind the moon. En route 

home to Earth, Casper'shatch was opened, and Mattingly walked in space and retrieved 

flint cassettes from high resolution and snappingcamerJs he laud operated while orbiting 

tile moon as Young and Duke made their lunarsurface exploration. Young, Duke, and 

Mattingly splashed down in the Pacific on Thursday, April 27, 1000 miles south of 

tlawail and Just 3300-feet from the carrier Tlcondem_ga.After talking with doctors on 

board ship, Dr. Charles A. Berry, NASA's director of life sciences, told newsmen In 

Houston that the three spacemen were lit excellent health. "They were in much better 

shape titan the Apollo 15 crew." Tile physician said that each laudlost bet_vuen5_ and 

7½ pounds and that their heart beats during exercise and other tests on the ship wet,.: 

only slightly elevated. Preliminary repurts indicated that the 245 potmds of materials 

brought lao|ne by the astronauts represented perhaps the oldest and most significant 

_nlples yet collected on the lunar surface. Locked Inside were secrets of how the moon 

was born more than 4 billion years ago [792-795l. 

The matter of retirement of MSFCemployees received tragic prominence with the death 

of a popular MSFC employee, Samuel H. Hobbs, 61, head of the Photographic 

Laboratory at MSI:P until lie retired on April 28, was honored by about 70 close friends 

and co-workers at a farewell retirement party a few days before his unexpected death. Hc 

hadcompleted 25 years of federalservice [796l. 

. On May I MSFC announced completion of the largestsolar-cell-arraysystem for electric 

power ever devised for spacecraft. Two arrays, with almost 236 sqa,are |neters (2540 

Uluare feet) of surface area, would use sunlight to power electrical systems of Orbital 

Workshop, Apollo Telescope Mount, and other m_or components of Skylab cluster 

scheduled for launch in 1973. Each array could provide I0 500 watts of power - mort., 

than twice the average level needed for a three-bedroonl house - at 328°K (13(Y'F) 

duflng the 58- to 69-minute portion of each 94-minute orbit [797]. 

On May 8 NASA officials met with 25 national winners in the Skylub Student project 

competition at Marshall Space Flight Center to discuss design of student's space 

expedmenb and demonstrations. During rite visit students toured MSFC laboratoriesand 

the AlabamaSpace and Rocket Center 1798]. 

On May 15 Dr. Rees wrote the following to MSFCemployees: 

Today it Is my most unpleasant task to inform you of the detells of the 

reduction iu force required of MarshallSpace Flight Center. I have tried to 

keep you Informed of the progress of rite RIF In my letters of January 

25, March 3, and March30.... The NASA/MarshallSpace Flight Center 

today notified employees of the details of the current reduction-in-force 

and delivered notices to all '#he were affected. One hundred and 

ninety-eight notices of separatlJn ,,'.,ereissued, They become effective June 

29, 1972.... Two hundred anti tweh'e MSFC employees received notices 

of reduction in grade. This is mainly the result of employees accepting 

lower grade positions by exercising their rights to "bump" into other 

319

1972 

I 

i 

Space Orientat;on Center at 

MarshallSpace Flight Center 

F_ |l ", . 

The MARS 1Vomen'sClub decorated an _r_..__,__ 

attractive Christmas tree Ill the lobby of 

Bttllding 4200 at MSFC In 1972. Those who 

spe,t a day working oil the prt,/ect are (left) 

'i..;, 

_ l,, 

/liar), Helen Smith and BetO, Strlckland attd % 

on the ladder (from top to bottom) Roberta 

Landers, Betty Smith, Faye McPeak, _l 

and Mao' Driver. 

NASA officials by SL.I launch vehicle 

320

MAY- JULY 1972 

positions for whicl_ they are qualified;or "retreating"into positions 

previously held.... I fully realize and deeply regret that affected 

employeeswill suffer everythingfrom inconvenic,ce to anguish.! wishit " 

were in my powerto change things.I only hope thatas a matterof pride 

and principleyou willcontinue to do your verybestwork. 

On May 19 Skylab statisticswere released by NASA.Spacecraft,to be launchedby a 

two-,atageSaturnV rocketin spring 1973, wouldcontain370 cubic meters(13 000 cubic 

feet) of workingand livingspace. More than 13000 individualitemsweighinga total of 

5000 kilograms (11 000 pounds) for long-durationspace mission would be stowed, 

including 910 kilograms(2000 pounds) of food; more than 2700 kilograms(6000 

pounds) of water; 60 changes of astronautjackets, shi_ts and trousers;210 pairsof 

shorts; 30 constant-weargarments;15 pairsof boots and gloves; 55 bars of soap; 96 

kilograms(210 pounds)of towels;1800 urineand fecalba_; 156 rollsof teleprintpaper; 

104 film n|agazines;medicalkit; 108 pens andpencils;andvacuumcleaner[799]. 

On May 22 the MSFCManpowerOffice remindedpersonnel,"Employeesinvolvedin the 

current reduction-in-forcewill be separated on June 29, 1972, and if eligible for 

retirement,they will receive[a] cost of of livingincrea_e"[800]. 

On May 24 in Moscow, PresidentRichardM. Nixon and PremierAlexel N. Kosygin 

formallysigned a 5-yearagreement between the Governmentof the United States of 

Americaand the Governmentof the Union of Soviet Socialist.qepublicson cooperation 

• in the fields of science and technology.The SpaceAgreementincluded the rendezvous 

and dockingin earth orbit of an Americanand a Soviet spacecraftand a coordinated 

effortto explore andshareinformationon space [801]. 

NASA AdministratorJames Fletcher and Deputy AdministratorGeorge Low joined 

Apollo 16 astronautsJohn Young,Thorn,s*;Mattingly,II, andCharlesDuke,Jr.,on June 

22 for the presentationof 50 awardsxt MSFCin connection withlast April'ssuccessful 

lunarlandingmission.The visitorsmadeshorttalksand the astronautssignedautographs. 

Dr. Fletcherand other NASAofficials observedSkylabmockups througha viewingport 

at the NeutralBuoyancySimulatorduringthe visit [802]. 

On June 23 the ATMflight unit was deliveredto MSCby the SuperGuppyaircraftfor 

thermalvacuumtesting.A configurationturnoverreviewwasconductedpriorto delivery 

18031. 

On June 29 the Federal District Court In Washington,D.C., issued a Temporary 

RestrainingOrderwhich had the effect of preventingMSFC frnm implementingthe 

re,uction-ln-forcescheduledfor June 29. The orderwas issued on the petitionof the 

AmericanFederationof GovernmentEmployees[8041. 

On July I Dr. ",Vernheryon Braun,NASA DeputyAssociateAdministrator,retiredfrom 

NASA to Join Fairchild Industries as corporatev!ce-presidentfor engineeringasld 

development.Dr.yon Braunhadservedas MSFCDirectorfromJuly 1960to March1970 

18051. 

321

JULY 1972 

As a further Indication of budgetary restraints MSFC announced on July 7 that It had 

received $700K for travel for tile first quarter of FY 1973. "Based on NASA's FY 1973 

Budget submission and discussions with MSF representatives, MSFC will be allocated 

$2.604 million for the year. These levels are far below projected organizational 

requirements which means MSFC organizational units must Institute travel controls now 

a_zd coz_form strictly to the attached MSFC travel priorities.., to assure maximum 

utilizationof travel funds available" [806]. 

On July 11 MSFC informed Its employe;s that "The Federal District Court, in 

Washington,late Mondaydeclinedto Issuean Injunctionto preventthe MarshallCe,ter 

from carryIngout the planned reduction.in-force.The court dissolvedthe temporary 

restrainingorderIssuedJune 29, 1972, freeing MSFCto continue as previouslyplanned. 

The RIF actionswill be effectiveat the close of business,July 12, 1972.Those who are 

beingreassigned,or changedto a lowergrade,shouldreportto their neworganizationat 

the beginnIngof business,July 13, 1972" [807]. 

ChangesIn MSFC'sroles and missionsas well as Incre,tsingbudgetaryrestraintsled to 

realignmentof MSFCpersonnel.MSFCofficialsannouncedon July 17 that "Therecent 

changesin Center organizationand establishmentof new functions will require the 

relocationof a significantnumberof employees.Due to the !imitatlenson outsidehirlns 

and promotions,the majorityof actionswouldnecessarilybe within-gradereassignments, 

althoughthere will be a limitednumberof opportunitiesfor promotions"(808]. 

On July 18 the £'¢ylabmenu, In additionto beingthe most palatablemenucarriedinto 

space,was also designedto meet the requirementsand objectivesof an Importantseries 

of medical Investigations.There were a number of preflight, Inflight, and postfllgltt 

medicalexperimentswhichwouldbe dependenton adetailed,quantitativeknowledgeof 

what each crew memberconsumedthroughouthis exposure to orbitalflight. The food 

system for Skylab was designedto maintaina calorielevel of between 2000 and 2800 

calories.It was baselInedto provideat least the minimumdietaryallowancesof protein, 

carbohydrate,fat, minerals,and vitaminsrecommendedby the Natlo_talAcademyof 

Science.The menu included such Items as tomato soup, scrambledeggs, turkeyand 

gravy,primeribof beef, lobsterNewburg,desserts,andbeverages[809]. 

On July 26 NASA selected the Space Division of North American Rockwell Corporation 

of Downey, California, for negotiation of a contract to begin development of a Space 

Shuttle System. This was a major contract awardin terms of manpower and money, and 

the AssocPted Press aviation writer Vern Haugland headlined his story in papers across 

the country, "Shuttle Contract to Mean60 000 Jobs in California." As prime contractor, 

North American Rockwell Corporation would be responsible for design, development, and 

production of the orbiter vehicle and for integration of all elements of the Space Shuttle 

System. The contractor's nroposal estimated cost of orbiter development and shuttle 

Integrationat $2.6 billion over a period of about 6 years. The contractor's estimate of 

the cost of the first Increment covering a period of approximately 2 years was $540 

mlHIon.NASA AdmInistratorJames C. Fletcher made the selection following an intensive 

evaluation by NASA of proposals submitted by four major aerospace corporations: 

Grumman Aerospace Corporation; Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, Inc.; 

McDonnell Douglas Corporation; and North American Rockwell Corporation. Overall 

322

JUI.Y - OCTOllEI{ 1972 

remain with the Office of Manned Space Flisht and its M_mnedSpacecraft Center, 

IIouston, Texas. Projectoffices would be at MSCfor the orbiter vehicle; at MSFC for the 

shuttle programmain managementresponsibilityfor engine, the external tank, and the the SpaceShuttle solid rocket Systemwithin boosters;and atNASA KSC for would the 

launch, landing, and turnaround operations. NASA estimated that enlployment generated 

by the orbiter development and shuttle integrationportion of the project would build tip 

to a nluximum of roughly 15 000 by 1975 and !976 :,ad would gradually decrease 

thereafter [8 IO, 811 I. 

As a followup to Its selection of North AmericanRockwell Corporation for development 

of the Space Shuttle System, NASA on August 16, 1972, awarded a definitive contract 

to that firm for development and production of the main engine of tire Space Shuttle 

Orbiter. MSFC's Space Slmttle Main Engine Project Office would manage the project 

[812, 8131. 

On September 7 the Skylab Program reached one of its final milestones with the 

completion of the OrbitalWorkshop,the main section of th_ Skylub Space Station. As of 

this date, the Workshopwas ready for shipmenL to Cape Kennedy from the McDonnell 

Douglas Astronautics Company. Huntinston Beach, Calil'omla. For the previous several 

days, NASA Inspectorshad been busy in California making last-minute inspection of the 

9550-cubic-foot Workshop, in final configuration resembling that of a Saturn V mooP 

rocket third stage, which is 22 feet in diameter and 48 feet long. A special ceremony at 

McDonnell Douglas commemorated completion of this largest manned spacecraft 

.component the U.S. had produced to date, a flying laboratory with a volume _.quivalent 

to that of a five-roomhou_ [814]. 

The Communications Division, ManagementServices Office, on September 14 completed 

the Huntsville O),eration Support Center (HNSC) changeover from the Apollo to the 

Skylub configuration in support of the Cent_'"a mission operation. Estimated cost of 

equipment involved in this changeover was $ I million [815 ]. 

A crowd of more than 3000 MSFCemployees, retirees, and their familiesturned out for 

the annual MSFC picnic and awardsceremony on September 16, accordingto Ed House, 

chairman of the picnic committee. Dr. Rees presented Director's Commendation 

Certificates to a representative group of award recipients at the awardsceremony [816]. 

On October 6 the Aidock Module-MultipleDocking Adapter flight units reached KSC 

onboard the commercial Guppy from MDAC-E in St. Louis. This was the final major 

piece of Skylab hardware to be delivered to KSC in preparation for the April 30, 1973. 

launch [817]. 

President Nixon on October 9 announced a.policy whereby the United States would 

provide launch assistance to other countries and international ozgantzatlonsfor satellite 

projects which were for peaceful purposes and which would be consistent with 

obligations under relevant international arrangements.Launches would be provided on u 

nondiscriminatory, reimbursable basis. This global launch assurance policy NIrther 

manifested United States faith that, in the language of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, 

'°... the exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the 

interest of all countries.., and shall be the provinceof all mankind" 18181. 

323

DEC_EMBER1972 

Climax of the successful Apollo program came with yet another successful Saturn launch 

as Apollo 17 (AS-512) rose from the earth on Decelr,ber 7, 1972. Aboard for this sixth 

and last flight in the Apollo program were Astronauts Eugene A. Cernan (Commander), 

Ronald E. Evans (Command Module Pilot), and Dr. HarrisonH. Schmitt (Lunar Module 

Pilot and Geologist, the first scientist-astronaut in space). The three astronauts had waited 

tel"lift-off during 2 hours 40 minutes of holds at the Kennedy Space Cevter, Launch 

Complex 39, Pad A. Reason for the holds had been failure of the terminal countdown 

sequencer to command pressurizationof the S-IVB liquid oxygen tank. But after problem 

investigation by MSFC pers.mnel, w_,rkmen at KSC u_.d a jumper to bypass the 

interlock, and the rocket once more was space-worthy. Ceman, Evans, and Schmitt left 

the earth at 12:33 a,m. EST on December7 as huge Saturnengines illuminated the night 

sky. An estimated crowd of half :l million observed the lift-off from the Cape, and it was 

also visible to the naked eye as far as South Carolina to the north and Cuba to the south. 

In addition to the viewers who watched the climactic launch live, there we.e television 

viewers nationwide and overseas. 

CSM separation front the LM/S-IVB-IUcame ;_ 3:42 ground elapsed time (GET), and 

docking with the LM at 3:47 GET as shown on TV. But docking maneuvers revealed a 

pouible finS latch malfunction when it was discovered that three latches were unlocked. 

Later, one of the latches was locked by pushing on the handle, and the two others were 

locked and manually fired to lock the handles. The CSM/LM comic!nation was ejected 

succeufuily from Ihe S-IVB stage at 4:45 GET, leaving the S.IVB tapered to strike the 

moon's s_rface on December 10, 1972. The planned trajectory of the CSM/LM was 

modified continually because of the latt_rf_.off, and the coast toward the moon was 

accelerated to ensure the arrivalof the spacecraft at lunarorbit insertion at the scheduled 

time. Meanwhile, Cernan reported continuing gas pains during private consultation by 

way of separate radio link with Dr. W. Royce Hankins, MSC Deputy Director fur Medical 

Operations, and was told to continue taking antl-gu pills and to alter his diet. 

Evans described th. crew's excitement at ;eachinB the vicinity of the mo_.;l: "We're 

breathing so hard, the windows are folBinS up." Cernan, who had orbited the moon 

dudng the May 18-26, 1969, Apollo I0 mludon, described the site as "still just as 

lmpreuive." The CSM and LM undocked and separated, leaving Evans to orbit the moor. 

as Cernanand Schmitt in Challengerdescended to the moon. Ct..allengertouched down at 

2:55 p,m. EST December I!. Cernan descended the LM Iddder 4 hours later and said, 

"As I step off at the surface of Taurus-Littrow, I'd _ike to dedicate the first step of 

Apollo 17 to all those who made It pouible.".Cern_, unfurled the U,S. flag. 

While preparingto tiaverse to the Apollo I_nar surface experiment package site, Ceman 

inadvertently knocked the exteusion off the LRV right rear fender, and repairs were 

made with tape, During two EVA's Cernan and Schmitt visited _veral lunar _tations and 

deployed explosive packages, obtained photos, and c¢iIect_d and documented soil 

umples. At Sherry Crater, S_llmitt shouted, 'Where is oran_ soill It's all overl" Schmitt 

described the roll fo M!.uion Control scientists on the _round, and they Immediately 

speculated that the soil might have originated from volcanism on the moon as recently as 

100 million yeats earlier, if so, It would contradict the '*dead moon" theory that the 

moon had always been cold and Inert. Durinli EVA-3 by astronauts on the moon Evans, 

324

DECEMBER 1972 

orbiting in the CSM above the lunar surfat._e,identified a series of volcanic domes in 

Aitken Crater, on the moon's far side 

Before entering Challenger for the last Iime Cernan and Schmitt uncovered a plaque that 

read. "Here man completed his first exploration of the moon, December 1972 A.D. Isicl 

May the spirit of peace in which we c_ime be reflected in the lives of all mankind." As 

the astronauts boarded the LM, Cem;tll said, "1 believe history will record that America's 

challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow. And, as we leave the moon at 

Taum$-Llttrow we leave as we came, and God willing, as we shall return with peace and 

hope for all mankind. God speed the crew of Apollo 17." Total time for the three EVA's 

was more than 22 hours during which Cernan and Schmitt traveled 22 miles in r,le LRV, 

collected 250 pounds of samples, and took 2120 photos. Good quality TV transmir_on 

was received throughout the EVA's. The astronauts in the LMIll'It'doff the lunarsurface 

at 5:55 p.m. EST, December 14. 

The L'SM and the LM docked in lunar orbit, and Ceman and Schmitt rejoined Evalls, 

transferringto the CSM witll zalnplesand equipment. During tile trip back to earth Evans 

left the CSM at 3:27 p.m. EST on December 18 for a I hour 7 minute inflighl EVA to 

retrieve the lunar sounder film, panoramic camera, and the mapping camera cassettes in 

three trips. Following that spa_.'ewalk, the astronauts settled down for the final 2 days of 

the minion. The drogue and main parachutes deployed normally, and the CM splashed 

down in the mid-P0clfit:precisely 4 mil,'qfrom the prime recovery ship USS Ti_xlndt,mgu 

at 2:25 p.m. EST December 19. A recovery helicopter dropped swimnoers,who installed 

. the protection collar and attached a life raft. The astronauls were transported to the 

recovery ship for post-flight examination. Accomplishments of Apollo 17 included the 

sixth manned lunar landing and return, tint geologist-astronaut on the lunar surface, 

longest lunar surface stay (74 hours 59 minutes 38 seconds), longest single lunar surface 

EVA (7 houm 37 minutes 22 seconds), longest total lunarsurface EVA time (22 hours 5 

miblutes 4 seconds), longest total lunar distance traversed with an LRV (22 miles), and 

most umples returned to earth (250 pounds). Apollo 17 was the 14111and last scheduled 

minion in the Apollo _eries and tile I Ith manned Apollo mluion [1119.8221. 

On December 15 the last two ATE| flight sol, r ;,tray wings went to KSC from MSFC by 

Super Guppy. The tint two wing:,went on December 13. These wings were scheduled for 

installation on the ATM In rain-January 1973 1823]. 

Equal Employment Opportunity continued to receive increasing emphasis _t MSFC as 

elsewhere in the Government. On December 22 MSFC Director Rees wrote to MSFt" 

employees, "Tills is to inform you that tile U.S. Civil Service Commluion will begin an 

evaluation survey of the Equal Opportunity Program at Manhall Space Flight Center ell 

January 8, 1973. Tile period to be covered in tills evaluation will be January I, 1972, 

through December 31, 1972" [824]. 

A m_Jor artifacts and exhibits program at MSPC Bare way to a new major program In 

December 1972. Th_ old Space Orientation Center in Building 4471 was renovated Into 

office space to house Skvlab contraclrsrpenonuel MSFC'I Space Orientation Center had 

been tile lint major space exhibits cenler In the South, It was closed after much of tile 

government equipment was moved out of It and placed in the AlabamaSpace and Rocket 

325

DECEMBER 1972 

Center outside the Arsenal. The Skylab Program was d_tined 

programbetween the Saturn and the Space Shuttle [825]. 

to be MSFC's major 

WilliamSchneider, Skylab Program Director, and a group of MarshallCenter officials, 

headed by Dr. Rees, reviewed the Skylab checkout activity at KSC in early December. In 

'.he group were Dr. William Lucas, Hermtnn Weidner,James Shephard, Lelar.d Below, 

Jack Lee, Hanv Johnstone, Erich Neubert, Ed Williams,and Richard Smith [8261. 

326

1973 

JANUARY 1973 

MSFC began 1973 faced with new program reductions. On January 5 Dr. Rees wrote 

MSFC employees, "Quoted below is a statenzent released by NASA Headquarterstoday. 

Your Center managem,.:ntis studying the impact of the adjustments reflected in it to 

determine their effect, on this Center. We will keep you informed." The Headquarters 

statement referenced by Dr. Rees "-rated: 

NASA is st.artingtoday (Jpnuary 5, 1973) to make a numberof program 

reductlonr, to adjust its activities in space and aeronautics to a lower 

spendhl8 level. These redu,_tionsare necessary as part of all the actions 

required to reduce total Government spending to the $250 billion target 

set by the President for fiscal year 1973.... The following is a list of 

major actions being taken by NASA: 

In Manned Space Flight, the manpower buildup on tl,,_ Space 

Shuttle will be slowed down, with some resulting delay in the 

Shuttle'slint orbital flight. 

In Space Scient._,work on the HEAO project is being swzpended 

for the thle being. 

In Research and Tet'hnoloiLV,work on nuclear propnlslon will be 

discontinued and work on nuclear power will be sharply curtailed. 

The Plum Brook station will be closed. 

in Aeronautics, an experimental Short Takeoff and Landing 

(STOL) aircraft will be cancelled. However, STOL technolo_, will 

continue to be developed [827]. 

Impending redt;ctions in NASA programs continued to claim attention from MSFC 

officials. Acting Director David H. Newby wrote on January 10, 'Whe recently 

announced reductions in NASA programsare being reviewed to determine the impact on 

the MarshallCenter civil _rvice personnel.... As previously announced, the Center must 

reduce to a strength of p0rmanent civil service personnel of "214 by June 30, 1973. The 

presentCenterstrengthis 5348. This reductionwill be ablened througha combination 

of attrition and reduction.in-forceprocedures.Whateverreduclion-ln.forceis requiredIs 

now plannedfor the month uf June 1973. We will keep you advised,aswe havein the 

past, of irXormationus it becomespvailablethat will have a bearing on the future 

operationsof theCenter" 18281. 

MSFC _gan 1973 with the arrivalof its third Directorin 13 years.An organizational 

announo_mentstated, "Dr. Rocco A. Petrone,currently Directorof the ApolIo/ASTP 

Program,OITiceof Manned SpaceFlight, becomesthe Directorof MSFC upon Dr. Rees' 

rellrem_Jnlon January26, 1973" [8291. 

327

197:_ 

I, Ih,lts|'iih' ill Ja,llary I973 

lilt' three directors(q"tile 

Marshall ('t.tller - present, past, 

Dr. Rt,cc. A. I'etr.m' slitter'tied alld fidllr|' gather|'d for a 

Dr. Rees as Directorof ,11S1"(" seriesof (',,sultatimls a,d fi_r 

i, Jan,a_r 

" 

IV7.1 a 

Rees. 

retireme,t 

I.'r,m 

dimlerJbr 

h.fl to right. 

Director 

Dr. 

Rollmat,f SL-2 

Rm'c, A. i'etr, m'. Dr. Rees. a,d 

Dr. It'ernhcrJv,i llrmm. 

St,de,t exla'rhm',t ED52 I,stallati|m.s"i, OIVS hack|¢p : 

WebI:ormatlml (SteMe,t 

mdt at ,1IDA('.IV 

J, dlth Miles m..vtto Dr. "" 

Uame. NASA advisor) , ...... .- 

328 

,_'1,..Ion lama'h pad 

.IgA at KS("


An early u_lpleas:_'zttask cf ne_', MSFCDirector Rocco A. Petron¢ was dissemination of 

information concerning :he reduclion-ir-for:e. Dr. Petrone wrote MSFC _mpIoyees on 

January 29, 1973, 

! want to continue the past practice of MSFC managementkeeping you all 

informed promptly of conditions, s_tuations, or events which directly 

affect you. In "allcases 1 want to be sure that you get the straight story 

officially from management. My only regret is that this first opportunity 

for communicating with you officially brings unpleasant news. The 

President presented his Fiscal Year 1974 budget to the Congress at noon 

today. The NASA portion of the budget is significantly below the 1973 

budget.... Of more immediate concern to all of us is that the 1974 

budget will require a major reduction in the personnel ceiling throughout 

the agency. To us, il means a reduction in the authorized ceiling for 

MSFCof 650 personnel spates by the end of FY 74. This is in addition to 

the adjustment which must occur this fiscal year in order to reach the 

personnel ceiling of 5214 by June 30, 1973. Achieving the new FY 74 

ceiling will, of cour.te, take advantage of normal attrition from 

resignations, transfers, t.nd retirements to reduce the number. Additional 

personnel actions requin_d to reach the new ceiling will be initiated in the 

second half of FY 74 or betwe:n January I aJgdJune 30, 1974. This will 

insure that the Skylab Programwill be properly supported by the Center 

we go into the operational phase of this most Important program. I 

plan on a series of mt_morandasuch as this to keep you currently 

Informed on the subjects of our budget, cost ceili;tg, and personnel ceilings 

18301. 

At the February 14 Management Council Meeting it was decided that the SL-I and SL-2 

launches would not meet the April 30 and May I launch dates due to delays caused by 

tmexpected checkout activities involving the modules at KSC. Tentative launch dates were 

set for May 14 and I';, respectively [831]. 

On February 21 Dr. Petrone informed MSFC employees of the impending visit of Apollo 

17 Astronauts. 

On February 21, 1973, the Apollo 17 astronauls will arrive at MSFC to 

offer their thanks for the support employees nrovided to the mission. I 

think this will providean excellentopportunityfor MSFC to pay tribute, 

In re.tu.n, for the fine job these three astronautsdid in succeskfully 

drav,L,8the Apollo Programto n close.... P, ISFC playeda major role In 

providingseveralpiecesof major Apollo hardwareand critical support 

dudn8 the Apollo Program.The successNASA has enjoyed from this 

effort Is one in whichwe canbe very proud,An enthusiasticresponseto 

the Apollo 17 astronautswill bea filling end to the program[832]. 

329

1973 

l 

t 

MSFC Sk_,lab press conference briefing 

Part of the press corp in the Neutral 

_" 

. 

_ ' "_-. 

Buoyancy Simulator at MSF¢ during a 

Skylab press conference 

jl 

Reporters In englne,,rinllmockup There were a number of "old timerj" at 

area during press conference lffSFC by 1973. In April Dr. Roc¢o A. 

Petrone presented a certificate for 35 years 

of service to Johu C. Goodrum, Advanced 

Pro/e_ts Office, Program Development, and 

30 year awards to 17 other MSFC employees. 

Left to right are Dwight J. Locke, 

Astronautics Lab; Leonard A. Smith, Process 

Engineering Lab; Ilollls B. McElyca, A,_TN; 

William W. Clough, Technical Services Office; 

Frederick J. Beyerle, PE: Robert E. Smith, 

Aero.Aslrodynamlcs Lab: Foch P. Bruce, St., 

Saturn ProgramOffice; Edmund F. O#ozalek, 

Planning and Resources Office; Goodrum: 

Dr. Petrone; Curtis E. Lee, Quality and 

Relk_bllio, Assurance Lab; James G. SIdlck, 

An csthnated 500 IffSFC employees and TSO; Fred L. Moffltt, QUAL; Edward 8. 

family members turned o,H fear the ! 973 Schorsten, Publi_ AHalrs Office: lffarvln L. 

Faster egg hunt at the M&_'Cpicnic area. Jensen, Astrionlcs Lab; Owen E. Hilt, 

The Shrlner cltlwns were aho t,n hand to Manpower O[flc_':Eugene B. Collier and 

help make the day a s_wccss. John D. McLemore, T°_O:and Alex F. 

Dorche, PreJc_trementOffice. 

330

FEBRUARY - APRIL 1973 

The Apollo 17 crewmen, America's last men to the moon in the Apollo program,visited 

MSFC on February 21 mainly to tell employees about their trip and to say thanks for 

the role MSFC played. Eugene A. Cernan, Ronald E. Evans, and HarrisonH. Schmitt 

arrived at the Redstone Airstrip. following a visit earlier in the day to the Michoud 

Assembly Facility. At MSFC the astronauts made brief talks and later signed 

autographs!833 I. 

On February 26 the SL-2 Saturn IB vehicle was moved at KSC to the LC 39B from the 

VAB. The vehicle would remain on the pad undergoing final checkout activities until 

launch [8341. 

On April 5 the last Student Experiment flight hardwareED31, Bacteriaand Spores, for 

the SL-I and SL-2 missions was delivered to KSC. The 25 experiments selected to fly in 

the Skylab mission were [835, 836]: 

Eapcrimenl Bludenl Home 

EDI I * AIg.mpl_ric Absorption of It•at Joe Zmolek Olkolh, WI 

EDI2* Volcanic Biddy Troy Crilea Kenl, WA 

£D;I I * LlbrBllon Clouds Alimn IIopl_ld Pflncalon.NJ 

ED_3e Objects Wilhln Merl;ury'l C)lbll Daniel BOChlJer ally•floe. OR 

EI_I,! • UV FromI_0 JohnIlemUton ABe,,Iil 

ED'_4* X,RIy alelllr CIIIINI Io41 Rellut Balon RoulI. LA 

ED)$* X.RIyl from lupller JeanneLevenlhal Serkeley.CA 

£D36* UV From Pulsars Heal Shannon Allanl8, OA 

ED$I e* i_clerle and Sports Roberl Sleehle Rocheallrr, NY 

EDJ_iee In.Yllro Immunology Todd achier Jackmn Haillhla, NY 

ED41*° IHoloe SensoryPe_formmnce Kathy Jackson Homlon, TX 

ED$Iee Web Formation Judllh Idlle0 LeainllOn, MA 

ED61• e PlantGrowth JoelWordekemper WealPolnl, NB 

ED61o• Flt:l Phololrophm DonaldSchlack Downey,CA 

ED6$•• Cvlopltsmlc alrtamlol Cheryl hill Lllllelon, CO 

ED73 •• Capaluy 8lady Role John|Ion ah hul, M N 

ED74•• Mm Mauwamenl Vkenl Converu Rockford, IL 

I_O76•• Neullon Analysis Tarry Quill &In Anlonlo, TX 

RD1S•* Liquid Mollt,+, JnZero-(.] ikllm Dunlap Younsslown, (3!1 

ED$$•** Mlcroorlplnilms in Vlrylnll O Klilh allan Wtslhmy, NY 

aDS1*** Chick Emblyololy Keel 131mdl Grand Blanc, M I 

ED11 ** * Colloidal Stele KelIh Me•el Oerllnd, TX 

ED?Jee* Powder Flow Kirk Sherhlll I_rkley. MI 

EO?$°*• Ikownlen Molion OrelOry Mcrkel SPrlnlfleld, MA 

ED??* ee Univlrlal Grllvlly )Irate flatly SeypOrl, N € 

e Dill only from exilIlnl hudwMe. 

•e Haw hudwMe develop•d, 

, ,e Could not be de,'eloptd in time or made compatible l• akyl.tb anvlronmenl In lime, Student It udlned I• 

anolber e,.perl'.umt. 

Dr. James C. Fletcher and Apollo 17 Astronauts Eugene Corn,n, Ran Evans, and Jack 

Schmitt returned to MSFC, this time on April 6 for an Apollo 17 AwardsCeremony. 

Morethan 40 MSFC and contractor employees receivedawards 1837]. 

On April 16 one of the Is.stmajor milestones prior to launch occurred at 7 a.m. EaT, 

when the United States Ant space station, SL-I, left the VAB and started roll out to 

Launch Complex 39A. Final checkout would be continued on the pad until the May 14 

launch. The Skylab payload mouuled on the first two stages of a slant Saturn V rocket 

would be ladnched into a 270 statute mile orbit. Astronauls CharlesConrad,Jr., Paul J, 

331

Skylab astronauts Conrad, Kerwin, and tVeltz lift 

off aboard the Saturn IB rocket from Complex 

39B on May 25. Among the cargo was a parasol 

thermal shield to cool onboard temperatures of 

the ailing Skylab Workshop. Also Included were 

tooh which might beused to ,free the 

undeployed so:at ar_y. 

Personnel in the Huntsville Operations 

Support Center (HOSC) staved busy 

before, during, and after the launches 

of Skylab ! and Skylab !1 

Dr. William R. l,ucas would 

succeed Dr. Petrollc as Director 

of MSFC in July 1974 

332


Waltz.and Dr Joseph P. Kerwinaboarda SaturnIB rocket wouldbelaunchedinto space 

on May 15 for rendezvousand dockingto theSkylab18381. 

MSFC Director Pelroneinformed MSFCemployeesof a new reduction-in-force.On April 

23, 1973, he wroteas follows: 

As you know from pastannouncements,theMarshallSpaceFlightCanto, 

must undergoa reduction-in.forcebeforethe endof this fiscalyear. Today 

it becomesmy unpleasanttask to inform you of the details.I believethe 

best way of doingthis is to giveyou the attachedinformationwhichwe 

are releasingtoday to the news media.... "The MarshallSpaceFlight 

Center today announceda mlmber of personnelactions necessaryto 

reducethe total onboardcount of civilservicepersonnelto 5214 by June 

.30 of this year. This reductionin manpowerat Marshall was assessedin 

early 1972 and announcedto Marshallemployeeson January2S of this 

year. A total of 108 separationnoticesw_re [sir] deliveredto NASA 

employees this morning. Eiglity-sevenof these notices affected 

Huntsville-basedemployeesand 21 wore issuedat MSFC installations 

elsewhere.Those leavingcivil servicepositionsat Marshallasa resultof 

the reduction.in.forcewill have their employment terminatedJune I, 

1973. In additiont:_the reduction-in.forcenotices,67 Marshallemployees 

will receivenoticesof changeto a lowergrade.Of these67, 52 will suffer 

no reductionin salaryfor the statutoryperiodof two years.The balance, 

I._, will losesomesalaryus a resultof thereduction.Reassignment of 57 

Marshallemployeeswill be made concurrenllywith the reductlon-|nforce.... 

Basedon currentplans,noadditionalreduction-in-force forMSFC 

h anticipateduntil afler JanuaryI, 1974" [839), 

MS.'-"Ccontinued its policyof Informingemployeesconcerningretirementadvantages. On 

May 2 ManpowerOffice Director Howell R. RiggsissuedRetirementBulletin 73-5 in 

which lie staled, "A cost-of-livingincreaseof at least5.4% in the civil serviceannuitiesis 

in prospectfor July I, 1973.... If you meetthe agein servicerequirementfor voluntary 

retirement(age 62 or morewith five or moreyearsof service:or age60 or more with 20 

or moreyearsof service:or age5.! or more with 30 or moreyearsof servh:e)and wish 

to 

[8401. 

lake advantageof this Incren_.(.contact the Retirement Coordinatorat 453-3398" 

MSFC'sphenomenalSaturn V moon rocket that successfullylofted man to the moon 

nine times- six limesfor landings- madehistoryagainon May 14, It wasa triumphant 

cllnmxto a successfulSaturn V program,SaturnV rosefrom the KennedySp;_c,_Center 

at 12:30 p.m,, lluntsvilletime,lofting SkylabInto a 270-mile,near-circularorbit, Inclined 

50 delrees to the equator.The Saturn V Ih_ztlaunchedthe burgeoningSkylab filBbt 

prod'am was the 13lh Saturn Y to fly since the Saturn Y programbeganWills an 

unmannedmissionin November1967. In cold storagein caseof any future NASA need 

were the two remainingSaturnV rocketsIn the 15-Saturn.Vflight proipam.Meanwhile, 

as Skylabrose Into earth orbit on May 14, abouta mileawaythe countdowncr_ntinued 

for IB, the Saturn that wouldcarry the crew. 

333

MAY 1973 

Withinanhour,however,after SaturnV's May 14 launchof Skylab,optimismlessenedin 

relationto the mission.The world becameawareof :ikylab problemswhen a bulletin 

from the AssociatedPressslated that missioncontrollers at JohnsonSpaceCenterin 

Houston,Texas, "are studyingindicationsthat solar panelson the Apollo Telescope 

Mount or tile mainpanelson the spacestationhavenot fully deployJ. The solarpanels 

supplyall the electricalpowerto the spacestation.Whateffect thismight haveou the 

mission,or howthe situationmightbecorrected,isnot knownat thistime." 

The bulletin was correct. Telemetry data flowing back to earth From the orbiting 

laboratorytold engineersof seriousproblems.Trouble hindstruckjust 63 secondsafter 

launch.At the instantof maximumstressand vibration,a girdleof aluminumthat was 

wrappedaroundtile Workshopexterior had rirpcd ofT,Normally the alumlnunzwould 

protectthe Labora,,,_'y£tzellFrompuncturesby micrometeoroid_, andnormallyit would 

alsoserveas insulatingpaint to help stabilizetemperaturesinsidethe spacecraft.As the 

shieldripped away, it apparentlydamagedthe mechanismthat wasto convertsunlight 

into electricityand thus provide the laboratorywith about hall its power. With the 

insulatingshieldgone,engineersreportedthat temperaturesinsidethe laboratorywere 

rangingup to 120° Fahrenheitand beyondas It passedFromthe dark to the.sunnyside 

of the earth. 

Hard-workingspace agencyofficials increasedtheir efforts to Find solutionsto the 

problem.One solutionto the temperatureproblemmight be for astronautsto envelope 

the spaceshipwith a giant sheetof Mylarinsulation.Thiswouldblockheat Fromthe sun 

and allow the orbitingstationto cool off. It wasspeculatedthat if"theinsulationshield 

wasused,the Skylab!1crewmighthaveto installit. The tediousoperationmight require 

extensivetraining,and there was time before the SkylabI! launchin Augustfor such 

training.In thisevent,accordingto thisspeculation,the SkylabI flight of Conrad,Waltz, 

and Kerwinwould probablybe limited to an inspectiontrip lastingonly a few days. 

Skylab Program Director Schneideracknowledgedin a news conferenceTuesday 

afternoon,May 15, that many options were being considered.Schneider,h,:.._c'.'er, 

remainedoptimistic. 

May 16 therewasmuchspeculationin lluntsvillethat the mammoth"in-doorswimming 

pool" NeutralBuoyancySimulatorat MSFCmighthold the key to salvagingthe crippled 

Skylab spacestationand making the orbital laboratoryhabitablefor crewmen.Be_;ause 

the Neulral BuoyancySimulatorhouseda full-scalemockupof the Skylabstationunder 

water,it couldbe usedby the SkylabI crewto loam spacewalkproceduresIFthey were 

asked to repair the ripped thermalskin on the station. Directorof NASA'sOffice of 

MannedSpace[:light, Dale Myers, SkylabDirector Schneider,MSFC DirectorPetrone, 

and MSFC SkylabManagerLelandBelowled teamsat MSFC,JSC,amtdKSC workingon 

the problem.The four involvedthemselvesin in-depthdiscussions aimedat solvingthe 

dilemma. 

AstronautJosephKerwinarrivedat RedstonoArsenalat '7:00p,m, on Wednesday,May 

16, preparatoryto practicinghisplannedrepairjob on the sun.-searedorbitallab - not in 

space-- but deepunderwater in the NeutralDuoyancySimulator.Alreadytrainedfor a 

spacewalk to retrievefilm I'ronl the station'ssun telescope,this first physicianslatedto 

fly in spacecould put his space-walktraining to unexpecteduse. Aim arrivingat 

334

MAY 1973 

Redstone Arsenal airport Wednesday evening was backup astronaut Russell Schweickart 

who arrived in a separate jet at the same time. Kerwin and Schweickart, both under a 

modified quarantine, departed the Redstone Army airfield, with Schweickart driving a 

NASA van. The pair immediately was briefed by top space agency experts on the "sun 

bonnet" planned to be used to shield a portion of the Workshop wall from the sun to 

lower the desert-like heat inside the station. The astronauts later moved to the Neutral 

Buoyancy Simulator to inspect the sail-type awning. They were to unfurl it under water 

In order to place it in proper position on the mockup. 

At 12:30 p.m. Thursday, May 17, NASA Assistant Skylab Director John H. Disher 

informed NASA personnel via closed circuit radio that Saturn IB SL-2 would fly at 8:00 

a.m., Huntsville time, May 25, and that aboard SL-3 would be various proposed solutions 

to the Skylab problem. One of the solut;un devices accompanying the SL-2 astronauts 

involved deployment of a rectangular, 22 by 24 foot parasol sun shade, a deployment 

procedure already being practiced by Kerwtn and Schweickart in the Neutral Buoyancy 

Simulator at MSFC. 

By adjusting the unmannedlaboratory'spositioneach time that it rotatedaroundthe 

earth, space agency engineers were able to cool the cabin to an averagetemperature of 

about IO0degrees. 

By May 18 a two-part salvage plan seemed to be the best solution: 

I. TrY to free the Jammedsolar panels. 

2. Rig a make-shift awning to protect the craft from the sun's heat. 

The Skylab Astronauts would have their work cut out for them. The Workshop_till did 

not have its full power-generatedcapach.'. Two of the electricity-producing solar panels 

still had not deployed. Temperatures inside the craft were still rising, at times reaching 

the blistering 120° Fahrenheitand beyond [841-8431. 

Don Lakey of the MSFC Hbtorical Staff was elected to a full 2-year term as Presidentof 

the Local 3434, American Federation of Government Employees, formed at the MSFC 

with 1196 members. Lakey thus became tile first president of MSFC's largest Io_:al 

18441. 

On May 22 NASA officially established a Skylab ! Investigationboard for the purpose of 

determining the cause or causes of rite anomalies that occurred during the launch and 

Initial earth orbit of Skylab I and to recommend appropriate preventive measures for 

future NASA launches. Brace Lundln, Director, Lewis Research Center, was named 

chairman of the board, with other members to be designatedsubsequently. In tile course 

of this investigationthe board would visit.MSFC for extensivediscussions, reviewof 

records,and Inspectionof equipmentand facilities,and other efforls pertinentto the 

study. To assuremaximum €oordinationof this Interchange,MSFC Director Petrozlc 

namedJamesT. Shepherdas the MSFC point of contactfor the Skylab I investigation 

board. In this role Shepherdwould report directlyto the Director,and would have 

responsibilityfor arrangingthe "timely and orderly,presentationof all data and verbal 

testimonyanti coordinatingothermatte=arelatingto the investigationas requcstedby tile 

335

MAY 1973 

Board. I'ul_uant to 111¢NASA Administrator's dir¢ctious, ',Ind 1o ;IsSl.ll'¢:I L',)l'll)l¢t¢ :rod 

iznp_rtialasses,m-hi of Skylab I anomalies, all involved MSFC clemvnts are _..xp¢¢tcdh) 

i:OOl)erat,:fully witll Mr. Shepherdin the Skylal) I Investigation lloard" I_45,840_I. 

Skylab's ¢r_wznenhad been ozigiqally scheduledto bl;ist off oil May 15 for a linkup with 

the laboratory orbited the previous day. 1111! then ¢UlUethe prol)lems with tlle laboratory. 

So it was 11o1until May 25 that the first 111az11.cd Sl;yl,d_i1101¢i110111 l'ollc_weJ;it) _dlin_ 

SL-I into space as Saturn IB lofted Skylab ("onllnamK'r (:'harl¢,,('o,r.'id, l)r. JL,,_'l)h 

Kerwin, and Paul Wcitz upward precisely at 8_00 a.m. lluntsville time. This SI.-2 la,._h 

was the start of a 17 000 milc-p0r-hour chase through space to link up with the L'fippk'd 

spa_.'_station and attempt to salvagethe entire Skylab program.The Skylab " r0.I),II ' " 1111c11 ' " 

hoped to save not only Iheir 2B-day ulissi_,n but tll_ two later 5f)-day missions a5 well. A.5 

tills first Skylab crew left the earth, they carried with th¢lu 1110It)ols aml know-how 

g,ain0d from tile nlost lit, torte repair project in the annals of the Sl)a_-'eI)logr,.u. At 

MS[:(:', as thl'ouphotlt NASA, this iuvolved strelluol,ls effort by humlred.,,of goverNi11011| 

and coutractor ¢nlployees. At MSI:(" many hundreds of workers ha:.lworked and w_'r¢ 

working around the ,:lock iu an iiHet.]ratedeffort 1o overconl¢ file prohl_:msof the Sk}l.ll) 

Space Statiou. Most of the activity was ill tile dev¢lopnlcnl ()f mae¢,i.ll.,,for t11_!)ropl_>cd 

solar shields, desil,n of shields, tool dev¢loputenl, _md luissioll ,q)cr:llions. A¢ti_' ,m 

luullch day was a recelltly a¢livaled special lask 10_1111 forlned within Ih¢ Ihlnt.,,_ill¢ 

Op0rations Stlpport Ceutt:r (IIOSC') at MSI:(?. 

After th0 8:00 a.m. latlnch, a "/s,/_hour _:ltasethrough spa_e follow,.,d, which en(led _ls 

astronaut ('onrad cited ills objectw¢ _ludshouted, "Tallyho, the Skylal)." The crew pulled 

lip alongside the crippled sp.,.'e staliOll and surveyed the'd:una_c. The nlcl¢or-id _hit'ld, 

which ;list) was to serve as ,_ stlnSilade,was _:Olltplet¢lyripped away. St) v,,a,,_)n¢of 1110 

eleclrlcity-gen0rating solar pan01,, leaving severed pipes and v.!_-,:sda111din_, iu .,,p_ic¢.,\ 

second _olur panel had SWUllgonly about 10 degreesaway from the side of llle Workshop 

and appeared to be jamm0d in tltat positle t. The astrouaufs Iran_._tittcd color-t01evi_ion 

pictures of the damag0 back to the Space ('enter in Ilous,)n. then i)ulled in I)¢hind 

Skylab for a "soft dock" and dinn0r. 

Conrad 111011undock_,d fh¢ Apollo craft alld flew it ;ilotlgsid¢the nt11¢k ,,_l:ir l),lh'l whil_' 

Weilz Irled h) I'r00 II with sp¢¢i:il look. 11di,l iioI _\.o;k, 'lli_. _i._Ir,_i_,11.,, r_,li11i1_'d to lh¢ 

hatch for another doekinE with Skyl:lh. After ('o,r,ld raJiocd Ihal he. ,_:lihl ii,,I It.',h:_.'L 

wilh Skylab, _rollnd controller.,_radioed _ldvi¢¢ while II10 ;i,,Iron,llll.,,dls.15_'l,J_ledIh_' 

Apollo duckling:d0vice _i11,1"hot-wired il I_r anolher Ily. As Ih¢ '_l)._'¢r_lll ;ind ,,p,t_'(. 

station whid0d ucro_s the earlh's ilig111side:,('_)llrad lit_,l¢ ,itolher Ily ;It do¢killp by till' 

light of 1110Apollo ship's poworl'ul spotligili, lie succeeded. Alter ,q)citdmg IhL' I)iglll ill 

the Apollo craft, file astronauts clhnbed into the Mullipl¢ I)o¢|:ing ,\d;qHer at I 1:30 a.m. 

Saturday nlornlng, May 20. /\s soon ;is they euleh'd tlic Wolk._Ii(Ip ;it .'_..IO p.I11 

llunlsvillo |ili10 thal afternt_,1, they l_gan prcpar_itiOllSh) ,lil'[Irl lh¢ ,,11n._llmh.' Ill,It V.'_i_ 

0xpected to cool tile station dowll. The dephly1110111 t)t" this iiiiil_r¢lhl-I_'pe .,_ll;id_'W;l_ 

conlpleted at 8:00 p.llh, Ilunlsvill_, lilU_.',M:Iy 2h. AI_11_,._I imm_'_ti.lk, ly I¢llIpt,raltlr¢_ 

inside the station, whi¢h oftelthad 1:0onalloy,, 120° I;=lhre,h¢il. I)¢l,andr_:l_l_i,l._'. Insk.;id 

oi' a r¢ctnngul:]r?-. by 24 fool parasol sunsh;ide,how0v_'l, 1110' p:ll;isol t,)ok Ih¢ ,,ll;li_t',,t 

a trapezoid, alld the astronauts said they I)elleved it w;is depIoy_'d =ll_oulI. _ Io 1,1h.,¢l iii 

th0 hack, trodperh=lps18 h) .,?.0at the end. 

336


Activation of the Workshopcontinued as temperaturescontinued to drop. During the 2 

weeks following their May 26 entry into the Workshop,the astronauts begana strenuous 

program of Workshop repair, experimentation in space, and routine living in space that 

culminated in a hazardous space walk to free the jammed solar panel outside the 

Workshop.Problemswithin tile Workshop,stemmingfrom the accidentof tile jammed 

solarp',neloutside,rangedfrom lossof powerto inadequatetemperaturecontrol.For a 

while the Workshopwas,,inning on just a little over half power. For days,also,the 

temperatureinsidethe Workshoprefusedto dropmuchlowerthan 80 degrees. 

As Workshopproblemscontinued,the astronautsmade preparationfor theirhazardous 

spacewalk. Inside the Workshopthey went throughthe "dry run" for freeingthe panel, 

even as Astronaut Russell Schweickart and others at MSFC went through the same 

simulation in MSFC's Neutral Buoyancy Simulator. Meanwhile, the space riding 

a_tronautswent through the routine of daily living, sometimes before the eyes of millions 

of television viewers. They ate, shaved, and showered. They exercised, bounding 

sometit_tes as high as 40 feet u_ or down, as the case might be. MedicalDoctor Weitz 

took a blood sample from Astronaut Conrad. The astronauts conducted almost all of 

their scientific experiments as programmed. 

On Monday, June 4, top NASA officials, meeting in an all-day review and evaluation 

session at MSFC, gave a go-_dzeadfor the Skylab crew to attempt an EVA to deploy the 

stuck solar array hardware. "The EVA would be conducted no earlier than Thursday, 

June 7," NASA officials announced. 

On Wednesday, June 6, there was a full final rehearsalprior to the day of scheduled 

outside repair. Also at MSFC Astronaut Russell Scnwelckartand others practicedmore in 

the Neutral Buoyancy Simulator. At the end of Wednesday's"dry-run" practicesession, 

Schweickart and others at MSFC 3ounded more confident of tomorrow's walk than 

perhapsdid the astronauts aloft in Skylab. But plans for the scheduled walk; ._ontinued 

as programmed.Then at 10:30 a.m., ThursJay morning,June 7, Huntsville time, Kerwin 

and Conrad left the Workshop and began mankind's first nza.j_)rn'pair mission in space. 

At the end of 2V_hours - at I:00 p.m. - they had successfully cut the angleiron with 

their bolt cutter, thus permzttin8 th_ stuck hardware to approach more normal 

deployment. The astronatttsthen went to the ATM to pry open the door on the S0-54 

experiment. Approximately I_ hours after the I:00 p.zl_,deployment of Ihe solar wing 

hardware, the astronauts reentered the Workshop. In a spectacular manner they had 

performed as nearly as humazdy possible mankind's first major repair work in space. 

Meanwhile, NASA conb:oilerson the ground were maneuvering Skylab so that the sun's 

rays could thaw the solar wing hardware completely and thus permit complete 

deployment of the solar array. 

Dudng their 28 days In space the Skylab I astronautsbecame known as the "fix-it" crew. 

Yet, while they carriedout their salvage operation, the astronautsapparentlyremainedIn 

excellent health. Miuion commander Conrad told reportersin a June 20 Space-I! press 

confer.:nce: ''The doctor's may make me eat my words, but I have the feeling that at the 

end of 28 days, I am going to be in better physical shape than when I came back from 

any of my tint three previous flights." For the first time doctors were able to monitor 

closely deterio,ation of muscles and the heart cansed by weightlessness. Medicalexperts 

337

JUNE 1970 

expressedsurpriseconcernlnshow well the crew seemed to have held up in spite of the 

fact that they had to live In temperaturesrangingup to 125dogrees:_ttimes. 

After a recordbreaklnBtime In space, 28 day,,scomparedto 24 days set by the Soviet 

co.,,,onauts in 1971, the Skylab I astronautsplasheddown in the PacificOceanat 8:59 

a.m., ttuntsv,le time, on June 22. The astronautsbad trav01edII million milesandmade 

395 revolutionsaround the earth.They had performedthe firstmajorrepairjob in space 

- the erectingof a sunshleld to cool the Interioro.rSkylab, then the dislodgingof the 

Jammed panel in a daring space walk, a fe, t that renewed the power supply el' the 

capsule.Perhapsmore thananything else NASA'._first"We Fix Anything"astronautcrew 

had demonstratedthe value of man i, handJlngthe uncertaintiesof space travel,giving 

new hope f.ormannedJourneysto Marsandother distan!points itsspace. 

Lift-ofTf.orthe Skylab II crew was _,chod,led, us of June 30, 1973, for July 27. The 

SaturnIBrocket that wouldloft them Intospace wasalreadypoisedat its,Cap_Ken,edy 

launch pad, Thissecond three-mancrew would s|,end 5_ days ,boar,t the spacestation, 

accordingto schedule.Th0n, in O_.'tob_r1973, nc(ordingto schedules, the thirdSkylab 

team wo,ld ride,motherSaturn into spucefor the final linkup with the Workshop.'|t_:zt 

flightalsowassctled,led to run ')6days (847-850]. 

After the May 14 launch of Skylab, nf-wsmedia begansupplyingHtmtsvillearea citizens 

with the timeduringwhich they couldsee Skylab as It cros.,edthe tluntsvillesky. Over, 

periodof"severalmonths the sightingtimesvariedfrom day to nighx_851]. 

In a June 8, 1973, MSFCOrganizationAnnouncement MSFCDirectorPetrcnewroteas 

follows concerning the current _ikylabInvestigation:"On May 22, 1973, the N,_SA 

Administratorestablishedthe Skylab I lnvestig;ittonHoard,with Mr. Bruce Ltmdinas 

Chairnmn.On May 31, Mr.Jnn,esT Shepherdwas namedas the MSFCpoint of.contact 

to the Hoard.Ef.f.ectlveJune 8, Mr, Jolm C, Goodrum is named as deputy to Mr, 

Shepherdfor the duration of"thisspecialassignment." 

Becauseseveralmajorcomponentsof the Skylabsl,acestationv,,ere.jettisonedin orbit,.',_ 

planned, these componentswere still vtsibleon occasions to observerson the groui_d. 

MSFCannouncedon June 15. Flying in similarorbits to the Skylab were the 5-11 

U,econd)stageof"the SaturnV rocketsand severalshrouds(protectivecoverings)[8521. 

As of"June 15, 50 MSFCemployeeshad filedretirementapplicationswith the Personnel 

Office, all to be etTectivethe latterpart of th_ month. Headingthe list o1"retireeswas 

ErichW.Neubert,Office of the Director,MSFC[853]. 

MSFCInformedits employeeson June 15, "The CivilServiceCommissionhas authorized 

NASAto use the VoluntaryRetirement- MajorR_ductionIn Forceprovisionsof Public 

Law 93-39, The a,.lthorttyextends throughAugust 13, 1_,13.Any employee who is as 

least 50 years of. _ge with at least 20 years of.service,or who has at least 25 yearsof. 

service,regardlessof age may voluntarilyretireduring,this period"[854l. 

In a June 15 memorandumto MSFCEmployees,DirectorPetronestated,"The Request 

for Proposals(RFIJ/for the Space ShuttleSolid RocketMotor(SRM)will be releasedto 

338

JIINE 

19'/8 

Industryon Jt_lv 2, 19'/3. I. preparation for the _iasuunceof this RFPwhichopens the 

formal competitive I)hMo For IIie Space Shuttle I_rocurement, nil emnmunlcatlon with 

Industry concerning Ills Space Sltuttlo Solid Roekel Motor will be cotlcluded as of 11to 

close of business(MSFC)on Friday, June 15, 1973, effective f_,+rll NASA personnel" 

18551. 

At the end of its 13th year MSFC personnelstrengthwasdown to 5160 from Its peakof 

7370 permanentCivil Serviceemployeeson April 30, 1965, Tile Center'sauthorized 

personnelceiling for the end of June 197_,was 5',,_14,but voluntaryretirementshad 

helpedto lowerthe personnelfigureto 54 belowauthorizatiorz.If theretirement trend 

continued,It shouldalsohelp MSFC'spersonnelprobh+msin 1974 1856,857]. 

MSFC ended its 13111year at a time of "belt tlghteninl_"in termsof personnelGqd 

finance. The Center lacked the financialand personnelclout of the mld-1960's, for 

example. But, regardlessof the current trend, MSFC director Patrons expresseda 

philosophy shared by many MSI:Cspace veterans who had seen both good times and bad. 

"We cannot stand still on IIie frontier of space," In Dr. Petrone°s words, "any more titan 

our ft+refathers couhl have confined themselves to the eastern Seaboard with the whole 

continent before them or our nn_stors stop at the European shoreline with the vast 

Atlantic Ocean before them. Civilization cannot exist without new frontiers; mankind 

needs titan both physically and spiritually. What are barriersto some, become pathways 

to others; and so as we look to the future let us take Itope 111the fact that olher barriers 

- now seemingly Insurmountable - will also fall as long as men continue to dream 'llle 

impossible dream'" [858, 859]. 

As MSFC's 13th year drew to a close, MSFC'srole In the Skylab programdrew Increased 

accolades. In early June 1973 MSFC Director Pelrone released t,1 MSFC employees the 

contents of congratulatory letters received from NASA Admhtistrator Fletcher and Frank 

E. Moss, Chairman,Aeronautics and Space Science Committee;, (I.S. Senate. In a letter to 

Dr. Petrone, Dr. Fletcher staled, "Dear Rocco: The work done by the Skylab team In 

pr_.paringfor the launch of Skylab ii was absolutely fantastic. This team turned what 

would have been a very serious failure into an outstanding success.... " Senator Moss 

wrote, "Dear Dr. Fletcher: Please accept for yourself i,,nd NASA and Ct,lvey to the 

Skylab Director and team Including the astronauts who ar_ presently in Skylab my hearty 

congz'atulations on the superb job of recovering from what app+'aredto be a disaster 

following the launch. .. " 18601 . 

339

19711 

Postscript 

Although this chronologyendson June 30, 1973, it seemsappropriateto add a few 

wordsabout Skylab after tl,at date and prior to chronologypublication,On July 28, 

1973, Skylab II astronauts(SL-3 SecondMannedMission)went Into spaceand after a 

successful59-day flight returnedsafely to earth on September25. Finally, Skylab III 

(SL-4) astronauts,in the lastflight missionIn the Skylabprogram,rosesuccessfullyfrom 

earth on November16. As of January I, 1974, SkylabIll astronautshad successfully 

completed6 weeksIn spaceand were scheduledto stayaloft at leastuntil JanuaryII, 

1974, (56 days) or poulbly as Ions as February8 (84 days)beforereturningto earth to 

end the Skylabflight missions.The fln,l Skylabmissionprovedto be the longerone - 

84 days. 

A final postscriptconcernsmajor changesat MSFCsubsequento Its first 13 years.On 

March 5, 1974, NASA announcedthat Dr. RoccoPatronswouldgo to Washingtonto 

become NASA associateadministrator, the agency'sthird highest ranking official. 

ReplacingDr. Petroneas MSFC director would be Dr. William R. Lucas,Dr. Petrone 

would beginIsisnew NASA duties in mid-March,althoughtlseofficial MSFCchangeover 

from Petrone to Lucaswas not scheduleduntil July I, 1974. Concurrentwith the 

announcementof thesemajorpersonnelchangesat MSFC,NASAalso announceda major 

reorganizationof MSFC to bec3met;ffectiveMay 30, 1974, parallelingan M_;FC 

reduction-in-forcethat wouldbe effecti_,ethat date.The CenterIssuedlayoff notice,to 

397 penons and downgradingnoticesto 259. This new pared-downMSFC work force 

wasconsidereda moreefficientorganizationfor carryingon the futureMSFCroles. 

34I

APPENDICES 

343

APPENDIXA 

DOCUMENTATION 

pKECEDING ]:'AGEBLANKNOT F[LM'ZD 

345

I. Army BallisticMissileAgency, Departmentof DeFense:Proposal:A National 

IntegratedMissileand SpaceVehicleDevelopmentProgram.Dec. 10, 1957. 

2. A_JancedResearchProjectsAgenr'v:ARPA Order 14-59.Aug. 15, 1958,p. I. 

3. GeorgeC. MarshallSpaceFlight Center: SaturnIllustratedChronology.Jan. 20, 

1971,p. 3. 

4. Army OrdnanceMissileCommand:QuarterlyProgressReport on ARPA Orders 

14-59and47-59 For FirstQuarterC'Y 1959. Apr. 7, 1959. 

5. Army ResearchProjectsAgency:ARPA Order4'7-59.Dec. I I, 1958. 

6. MSFCHistoricalOFfice:ItistodcalOriginsof theGeorgeC. MarshallSpaceFlight 

Cente'. Dec. 1960, p. 63. 

7. See note 6. 


9. National Aeronautics and Space Administration: A National Space Vehicle 

Program;A Report to the President.Jan. 27, 1959. 

I0. U.S. Congress, House Comm. on Science and Astronautics:Hearingon HR 9675, 

Testimony of Roy W. Johnson. 86th Congress, 2nd Session, GPO, Washington, 

D.C., 1960. 

I I. 

Eugene M. Emme: Aeronautics and Astronautics: An American Chronology of 

Science and Technology In rite Exploration of Space: 1915-1960. NASA HtlR-3, 

Washington,D.C., 1961, p. 109. 

12. See note 3, p. 5. 

13. See note 3, p. 5. 

14. See note 3, p. 6. 

15. See note 3, p. 6. 

16. George C. Marshall Space Flight Center: Saturn D&F Plan FY 61. p. 2. 

17. See note 3, p. 8. 

18. See note6. 

PRI_CEDINGPAGEBLK_K NOTFILMED 

347

It). Dwight D. Elsenhower:ExecutiveOrder IrJ870.Mur. 15, 1960. 

20. Seenote I I, p. 121. 

21. Seenote ('1. 

22. MSFC'tllslorlealOfllce: Ill,tory of the Geo_l_C. MarshallSpaceFlight Center, 

Jzm.I-June 30, 1963.p. 109. 

23. Morton J. SIoller: The U.S. National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration's 

SpaceFlightProgram.NASA, Sept.12, 1960,pp. 4-5. 

24. Seenote 6, p. 21. 

25. Seenote 22, p. 9. 

2(_. Set' note 3, p. 18. 

27. See note 6, p. 17. 

28. MSFC tlistorical Office: History of the George C. Marshull Space Flight Center, 

July I-Dec. 31, 1960. p. 19. 

29. See note 6, p. 22. 

.t0. See note 6, pp, 1-22. 

31. MSFC: Prellmlnary Evaluation of Mercury-Redstone Launch MR-IA. TPR-M-61-1, 

Jan. 13, 1961, p. 21. 

32. MSFC Historical Office: History of the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, 

Jan. I-June 30, 1961. p. I. 

33. See note 3. p. 13. 

34. _._ note 3, pp. 17 and 18. 

35. MSFC Test Division: Contribution to Saturn Semiannual Technical Report, J'an. I 

through June 30, 1961. Unpublished Report, pp. 16 and 17. 

36. MSFC Saturn Systems Office: Saturn Quarterly ProgressReport, Apr.4une 1961. 

p. 25. 

37. See note 32, p. 3. 

348

38. See note 3, p. 28, 

39. See note 32, p. 24. 

40. See note 36, is. 63. 

41. MSFC tllstodcal Office: History of the George C. MarshallSpace Flight Center, 

July I-Dec. 3 I, 1961. p. I. 


43. See note 22, p. 186. 

44. MSFC Saturn Systems Office: Saturn Quarterly ProgressReport, July-Sept. 1961. 

p. 9. 

45. See note 44, p. 2. 

46. See note 3, p. 34. 

47. See note 44, p. 49. 

48. See note 41, p. 3. 

49. See note 3, p. 34. 

50. Interview with Frances Pendergast, Public Affairs Office, Michoud Operations, 

Oct. 23, 196 I. 

5I. See note 41, p. 3. 

52. A Picture History, Rockets and Rocketry. 1966, pp. 218 and 219. 

53. See note 41, p. 5. 

54. MSFC Memo, Subject: Weekly Report of Significant Events. Propulsion Projects 

Office, P&VE Dlv. to Chief, Engine Managemc,t Office, P&VE Div., Nov. II, 

1961. 

55. MSFC: MarshallStar. Nov. 8, 1961, p. I. 

56. Interview with Joe M. Jones, Public Information Office, MSFC, Feb. 8, 1962. 

57. See note 3, p. 35. 

349

58. Col, W, ScottFollows:The RIFT Program(Draft), NuclearVehicleProjectOffice, 

MSFC, Jan.25, 1962, p. I. 

59. MSFCPressRelease, Dec. 15, 1961. 

60. See note 3, p, 38, 

61. MSFC Saturn Systems Office: S.,turn Quarterly Progress Report, Jan..Mar. 1962, 

p. 23. 

62, See note 61, p. 27. 

63. John Glenn: First American In Orbit. p, 67. 

64. See note 52, p[,. 219 and 220. 

65. MSFC Historical Office: Ilistory of the George C. MarshallSpace Flight Cen,_:r, 

Jan. I-June 30, 1962, pp. 1-26. 

66. See note 3, p. 39. 

67. Vlvlan S Whitley: Visitors ProgramRecord. Public Affairs Office, MSFC, Apr. 16, 

1962. 

68. NASA Letter, Subject: Apollo Program Priority. Priorities and Requirements 

Branch to all field Installations,Apr. 18, 1962. 

69. Teletype, Subject: Post Fidng Report, Saturn Vehicle SA-2. Dr. Kurt Debus to 

Dir. MSFCet at., Apr. 25, 1962. 

70. MSFC Saturn Systems Office: Saturn Monthly Progress Report, Apr. 12-May 12, 

1962. pp. 2 and 3. 

71. MSFC P&VE Div.: Saturn SA-2 Data Book, SA-2 Flight Report Supplemeni. 

MTP-P&VE-B.61-5,May I I, 1962. 

72. MSFC Memo, Subject: Saturn SA-2 Flight Report Supplement. Vehicle Systems 

Integration Office to Distribution, May I I, 19t_2. 

73. See note 61, p. 38. 

74. Interview with C. J. Bowen of MSFCSatitrnSystemqOffice, June 13, 1962. 

75. See note 22, p. 69. 

350

76. MSFC Saturn SystemsOffice: SaturnMonthly ProgressReport, May 14-June12, 

1962.p. 12, 

77. Interviewwith P. It. Satterfield,MSFCSpaceMuseum,July 5, 1962. 

78. Seenote3, p, 39. 

79. Interviewwith Frances Pendergast,Public Affaln Office, Michoud Operations, 

July 5, 1962. 

80. NASA NewsR_.le_.se, July II, 1962. 

81. Seenote 3, p. 44, 

82. MSFCSaturn Office: Summaryof C-5 Development Plan. Jan. 15, 1963, p. 42. 

83. MSFC Historical Office: Illstory of the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, 

Jan. I-June 30, 1964.pp. xxl and xxli. 

84. MSFCTest Die.: MonthlyProgressReport,July 12-Aug.12, 1962. p. 12. 

85. MSFC MichoudOperations:Historical Report, MichoudOpe,'ations,July I-Dec. 

31, 1962. 

86. MSFC SaturnOffice: SaturnMonthly ProgressReport,July 13-Aug.13, 1902.p. 

13. 

87. MSFC Test Die.: MonthlyProgressReport, Attg. 12-Sept.12, 1962. pp. I0 and 

II. 

88. MSFC Historical Office: History of the George C. MarshsdlSpace Flight Center, 

July I-Dec. 31. 1962. p. 3. 

89. MSFCSaturn Ot:fice: Saturn Monthly ProgressReport, Aug. 14-Sept. 14, 1962. p. 

12. 

90. See note 3, p. 44. 

91. See note 83, pp. 118 and 119. 

92. See note 3, p. 45. 

93. MSFCPress Release, Oct. 5, 1962. 

94. MSFC Saturn Office: Saturn Monthly ProgressReport, Sept. 15-Oct. 15, 1962. p. 

9, 

351

95. MSFCP&.VEDiv.: SaturnSA-3Flight ReportSupplement,Dec,7, 1962, 

96. Teletype,Dr. Kurt H. Debusto Director,MSFC,Nov. 16, 1962. 

9"/. MSFC SaturnOffice: SaturnMonthly ProgressReport,Oct. 16-Nov.12, 1962. p. 

3. 

98. Dou_asAircraftCo.: 1965 MannedSpaceLaboratory,BriefingManuahSM4258"/, 

Nov. 1962,pp. 1-10. 

99. DouglasAircraftCo.: S-IVB as MannedSpaceLaboratory.SM-4325"/,Feb. 1963, 

pp. 1-67. 

100. MSFC Memo, Subject: Appointment of Manager, MississippiTest Facility. 

Wernheryon Braun to Directorsand Chiefs of Divisionsand Offices, Dec. 14, 

1962,p. I. 

101. Seenote3, p. 50. 

102. Interview with John Chambersof MSFC SaturnSystemsOffice, Sept. 19, 1963. 

103. MSFCSaturnOffice: SaturnMonthly ProgressReport,Feb. 16-Mar.18, 1963. p. " 

8. 

104. Seenote 103, p. 9. 

105. MSFCPress Release, Feb. 8, 1963. 

106. MSFCSaturn Office: Saturn MPR,Jan. 17-Feb. 15, 1963. p. 6. 

10./. See note 103, p. 6. 

108. MSFCTest Div.: MPR, Feb. 12-Mar.12, 1963. p. 3. 

109. Interview with Frances Prendergast,Public Affairs Office, Micltoud Operations, 

Mar. 12, 1963. 

I I0. 

MSFCSaturnOffice: Saturn Monthly ProgressReport, Mar. 19-Apr. 15, 1963. pp. 

2 and 3. 

II I. MSFCTest Dtv.: MPR, Apr, 12-May 12, 1963, pp. 4 and 5. 

II 2. MSFCTest Div.: MPR,May 12-June 12, 1963. p. 5. 

!13. MSFC: MarshallStar. May 22, 1963. 

352

114. MSFCP&VEDiv.:EngineManagementOfficeMPR,June16.July15, 1963.pp. 

15and 16. 

115. See note22, p. 6. 

116, MSFCSaturnOffice: SaturnMPR,July 18Aug. 14, 1963, p, 5, 

117. MSFCMemo,Subject:Reorganization Study- Announcement No. 2. Dr.yon 

Braunto DistributionB, Aug. 12, 1963. 

118. M_VCMemo, Subject: ReorganizationStudy - AnnouncementNo. 3. Dr.yon 

Braunto ,,!!MSFC[,.:,lployees,Aug. 30, 1963. 

119. MSFCHistoflcalOffice: Historyof the GeorgeC. MarshallSpace FlightCenter, 

July I-Dec. 3I, 1963.p. 3. 

120. NASA:NASAAdministrator'sProgressReport,Oct. 1963. p. B-6.3. 

121. MSFCSaturnOffice:SaturnMPR,Oct. 21-Nov.15, 1963, p. 2. 

122. NASA:NASAAdministrator'sProgressReport,Sept. 1963. p. E-20.2. 

123. MSFCEngineProjectOffice:MPR,Oct. 16-Nov.15, 1963. p. 6. 

124. See note 3, p. 6'7. 

125. MSFCSaturnOffice:SaturnMPR,Nov. 16-Dec.12, 1963.pp. 5 and 6. 

126. MSFCEngineProjectOffice:H-I EngineProjectDevelopmentPlan.Dec. I, 1963, 

pp.33-38. 

127. NASALaunchOperationsCenter:ProgressReport.Nov. 19, 1963, p. 12. 

128. U.S. Congress, House Comm. on Science and Astronautics: Authorizing 

Appropriationsto the NationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministration.ReportNo. 

1240, 88th Congress,2nd Session,OPO,Washington,D.C., 1964, p. 15. 

129. See note 3, p. 71. 

130. VivlanS. Whitley: VisitorsProgramRecord.PublicAffairsOffice, MSFC,Nov. 

29-30, 1963. 

131. MSFCP&VELab.:MPR,Dec. 12, 1963-Jan.II, 1964. p. 35. 

132. MSFCTest Lab.:MPR,Nov. 12-Dec. 12, 1963.p. 8.

133. MSFC MlchoudOperations:IIIstoricalReport,July I-Dec. 31, 1963. pp. 16 and 

17. 

134. NASA:NASA Administrator'sProgressReport,Dec. 19o3.p, B-12.2. 

135. ChryslerCorp, SpaceDIv.: Sixth Quarterly Review,SaturnS-I/IB Stage- Saturn 

I/IB VehicleProsram.Dec.5, 1963,p, J,M.L.-2. 

136. MSFC: Results of the FiFth Saturn I Launch Vehicle Test Flight. 

MPR-SAT-FE-64.15,Apr. I, 1964, p. 5. 

137. See note 3, p, 73. 

138. See note 83, p. 4. 

139. MSFC Historical Office: History of the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, 

Jan. I-Dec. 31, 1965, p. 310. 

140. See note 83, p. 6. 

141. MSFCPress Release, Apr. 20, 1964. 

142. MSFC P&VE Lab.: Saturn SA-6 Vehicle Data Book. Flight Report Supplement. p. 

VI-I. 

143. MSFC:MarshallStar. May 20, 1964, p. 4. 

144. Interviewwith Howell Riggsof the MSFC Personnel Office, June 16, 1964. 

145. Interview with Frances Prendergast, June 22, 1964. 

146. Interview with Hugh King of MSFC ManagementServices Office, June 29, 1964. 

147. MSFC Engine Project Office: Quarterly ProgressReport, Apr.-June 1964. p. 21. ' 

148. See note 3, p. 88. 

149. See note 3, p. 89. 

150. MSFC Mlchoud Operations: Historical Report, July I-Dec• 31, 1964. pp. 2 and 

10. 

151. MSFC Saturn I/IB Office: ProgressReport, Mar. 16-Sept. 30, 1964. pp. 19-21. 

152. KSC:Technical ProgressReport,Third and Fourth Quarter,CY 1964. p. 4. 

354

153. MSFCMemo,Subject:PegasusSchedule.LeeB. Jamesof SaturnI/IB Project 

Officeto Dr.vanBraunet al.,Dec.15, 1964. 

154. NASA Letter, Subject: Saturn ! DevelopmentFlight Test, SA-7. George E. 

Muellerof NASA'sOffice of MannedSpaceFlight to NASA Administrator,Sept. 

14, 1964, with enclosureReportM-931.67-07,MissionOperationReport,p, I. 

155. F. A, Speer: S_ttumSA-7 Fligh{ Resume.Report of the MSFC SaturnFlight 

EvaluaticnWorkingGroup. 

156. MSFC Hbtortcal Office: History of the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, 

July I-Dec 31, 1964. p. 2. 

157. Don Adam_: Saturn Stage S-I-10 Final Static Test Report. ChryslerCorp. Space 

Dlv., pp. I and 2. 

158. MSFC Test Lab.: FlistoricalReport, July I-D_;c.31, 1964. pp. I and 2. 

159. Interview with Dr, van Braun,Director MSFC,Oct. 22, 1964. 

160. Vivian S. Whitlcy: Visitors ProgramRecord. Public Affairs Office, MSFC,Oct. 28, 

1964. 

16I. See note 156. 

162. MSFC: Results of the Seventh Saturn I Launcll Vehicle Test Flight. 

MPR-SAT-FE-64-17,Nov. 25, 1964, p. 250. 

163. MSFC P&VE Lab: MPR, Dec. 12, 1963-Jan. I I, 1964. p. 48. 

164. MSFC Saturn V Office: QPR, July I-Sept. 30, 1964. pp. 4 and 5. 

165. MSFC Saturn V Office: _PR, Oct. I-Dec. 31. 1964, p. 7. 

166. KSC:TechnicalProgressReport,FirstQuarterCY 1965.pp. 9-13. 

167. MSFC Michnud Operations: Hh'toricalReport,Jan. I-June 30, 1965. pp. 10-14. 

168. U.S. Congress, House Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight of the Comm. _n 

Scienceand Astronautics: Hearingon H.R.12718(Superseded by H.R.14324), 

No.4,Port2.89thCongress, 2nd Session, GPO, Washington, D.C.,Feb.18and 

24,Mar.I-3and31,1966. 

169. See note 3, p. 102. 

170. DouglasAircraftCorp.:SaturnS-IVBMonthlyTPR,Feb. 1966. p. 2. 

355

,71. Teletype, Subject: SA-9 Flight Results. F.A. Speer to Dr. G.E. Muelleret al., Feb. 

19, 1965. 

172. Teletype, Subj,'.ct: SA-9 Flight Results. F.A. Speer to Dr. G.I:..Mueller, Feb. 26, 

1965. 

173. MSFC Saturn [lib ProjectOffice: ProgressReporz,Oct. I, 1964-Mar. 31, 1965. p. 

II. 

174. S_e note 167, pp. 5 and 23. 

175. See no:e 167, pp. 5 and 23. 

176. See note 3, p. 105. 

177. Interview with Wilbur E. Thompson of MSFC ProgramDevelopment Office, Sept. 

II, 1972, 

178. IBM Space Systems Center: Saturn IU Proar_m Plan. Apr. 5, 1966, pp. I.I and 

1.2. 

179. Teletypu from MaJ.Gen. Samuel C. Phillips, NASA Apollo Progt3m Gfllce to Stan 

Reinartz, MSFC Saturn tfl/Centaur ProgramOffice, Apr. 7, 1965. 

t 

180. MSFC: MarahallStar. May 5, 1965, p I. 

181. See note 3, pp. 109 and I|0. 

182. MSFCSaturn V ProgramOffice: QPR, Apr.-June 1965, p. i5. 

183. Vivlan S. Whitley: Visiton _oamm Record. Public Affain Olllce, MSFC, June 8. 

1965. 

184. MSFCTest Lab.: Historical Rept_rt,Jan. I-Dec. 31, 1965. pp. I and 2. 

185. Interview with Erich W.Neuberl, July 20, 1965. 

186. LelandBelew: AIAA Paper65-303. pp. 12-14. 

187. MSFC Engine Project Office: Semhmnual Progre_ Repor% July-Dec 1965. pp. 

21-23. 

188. MSFCSaturn V ProltrsmOffice: QPR, July-Sept. 1965. pp. 26 and 27. 

189. See note 184, Addendum, pp. I-3.

190. NASA Menlo from Dr. G.E. Mueller to Code AA, Aug. 6, 1965. 

191. MSFC Memo, Subject" Marshall's Changing Role in the Space Program. Wernher 

yon Braun to all MSFC employ:es, Aug, 13, 1965, p. I. 

192.s See note 139, p. 14. 

193. Seenote 173,p. I. 

194. IBM:SaturnInstrumentUnitI,IlsslonMonthlyProgressReport" forSeptember.pp. 

I, 7, 22, and 30. 

19.';. 

See note 184, Addendum, pp. I-3. 


197. N.C. Mllwee: Quarterly Rellort, July-Sept. 1965 (Draft). Manufacturing 

EngineeringLab., MSFC. 

198. Chrysler Corp.: Saturn S-IB Stag¢ Final Static Test Report, Stage S-IB-3. pp. 3-5. 

199. Vivlan S. Whltle/, Visitors ProgramRecord. Public Affairs Office, MSFC, Nov. 5, 

1965. 

200. k._SFC: Results of the First Sattlm IB Launch Vehicle Test Right AS-201. 

[4PR-SAT-FE.66-8,May 6, 1966, p. 13. 

201. MSFC P&VE Lab.: MPR, Dec. 1-31, _965, Supplement. pp. I-3. 


203. MSFC Press Release 6602, Jan. ,I, 1966. 

204. MSFC Press Release 66-3, Jan. 4, 1966. 

205. See note 3, p. 130. 

206. MSFC Saturn V Program Office: QPR, Jan. I-Mar. 31, 1966. p. I I. 

207. See note 206, p. 27. 

208. NASA HeadquartersSchedule MD4, Mar.'23, 1066. 

209. NASA Ilistortcal Office: Astronautios and Aeronautics. NASA SP-4007, 1966, p. 

107. 

3sv

210. Seenote3,p. 138. 

21I. MSFC PressReleaseoo-o9,Apr I,19t_€.. 

212. MSFC Historical Staff:A Chronologyof theGeorgeC. MarshallSpaceFlight 

Cenh:r,Jan.l-Dec.31,1966.p.27. 

213. MSFC: Marshall Star.Apr.20,1966,p.I. 

214. MSFC PressRelease66-83,Apr.21,1966. 

215. Seenote3,p.140. 

210. MSFC SaturnV ProgramOffice: QPR, Apr.l-June30,1966.p. 19. 

217. Seenote216. 

218. Seenote212,p.35. 

219. Seenote212,p. I. 

220. Seenote216,p. 14. 

221. LollerfromDr.G. MuellertoDr.yon Braun,JulyI,19S6. 

222. MSFC Pre_ Release66-142,June30,1966. 

223. MSFC MlchoudOperations: Historical Report,Jan.l-Dec.31,1966.p.4. 

224. NASA Memo, Subject:ManagementResponslbllltles lotFutur_Manned Flight 

Activities. R.C.Seamans,Jr.to Dr.Adams,Mr,Buckley,Dr.Mueller, and Dr. 

Newell,July26,1966, 

225. MSFC SaturnV ProgramOffice:SemiannualProgressReport,Julyl-Dec.31, 

1966.p. 56. 

226. Post Apollo Manned Spacecraft Center and Marshall Space Flight CoulterRoles 

and Ml$,tionsin Manned Space Flight. Aug. 23, 1966, pp. 1-16. 

227. MSFC Press Release 66-182, Aug. I0, 1966. 

228. See note 212. 

27.9. See note 3, p. 151. 

358

230. MSFC: Results oi the Third Saturn IB Lauuch Vehicle Test Flight AS.202. 

MPR-SAT-FE-66-13,pp. I-3. 

231. See note 3, p. 152. 

232. See note 212, p. 85. 

233. See note 225, p. 72. 

234. See note 209, p. 350. 

235. MSFCPress Release 66-276, Nov. 17, 1966. 

236. See note 209, p. 360. 

237. MSFC Press Release 66-288, Nov. 30, 1966. 

238. NASA HeadquartersSchedule ML-SB,Dec. 5, 1966. 

239. Interviewwith WilliamWright, MARSProject, MSFC, Dec. 17, 1966. 

240. MSFC Saturn V Program Office: Semiannual Progress Report, July I-Dec. 31, 

1968. p. 25. 

241. Seo note 209, p. 383. 

242. MSFC Saturn V Program Office: Semiannual Progre_ Report, Jan.-June 1967. p. 

52. 

243. See note 242, p. 58. 

244. Memo, Subject: Saturn V Weekly Report, No. 5. Sneed to NASA Headquarters, 

Feb. I, 1967. 

245. MSFC Historical Staff: A Chronolosy of the George C. MarshallSpace Flight 

Center, Jan. I-Dec. 31, !967, p. 10. 

246. Interviewwith Bonnie Holmes, Office of Director, MSF'C,Jan. 31, 1967. 

247. Interviewwith W.D. Putnam, Office of Manned Space Flight, NASA H,_adquarters, 

Feb. 2, 1967. 

248. Douglu AircraftCo.: S-IVB QPR. Mar. 1967, p. 4. 

249. MississippiTeat Facility: Hhtodcal Report, Jan. l-Dec. 31, 1967. (Draft) 

359

250. See note 245, p. 2! 

251. NASA Historical Office: Astronautics and Aeronautics. 1967,.p. 81. 

252. See note 248, p. 51. 

253. James R. Bishop: Apollo Applications Program. MSFC Skylab Program Office, 

Feb. 7, 1972, p. 4. 

254. Interview with Teen Ferrell, MSFC Engine ProgramOffice, Aug. 4, 1970. 

255. Intervtew with David Harris,AMC Public Information Office, Redstone Arsenal, 

Apr. 19, 1967. 

256. Vivlan S. Whltley: Visitors Program Record. Public Affairs Office, MSFC, Apr. 

27-28, 1967. 

257. GeraldO, Season, McDonnell Douglas Resident Office, Aug. 4, 1972. 

258. Morton T. Eldrldge,McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co., Huntsville, Ala., Sept. 

I7, 1970. 

259. Vlvlan S. Whltley: Visitors Program Record. Public Affairs Office, MSFC, May 

' 2-5, 1967. 

260. Chrysler Corp. Space Div.: S-IB-IOStage Final Static Test Report. June 26, 1967, 

p.l. 

261. Seenote 251, p. 164. 

262. NASA HeadquartersSchedule Ml..-6,May 24, 1967. 

263. MSFC: MarshallStar. May 17, 1967. 

t, 

264. Mlchoud Assembly Facility: tlistorical Report, Jan. I-Dee. 31, 1967. p. 2. 

265. MSFC: MarshallStar. June 14, 1967. 

266. WilliamA. Gelger: Dally Log. Project Logistics Office, MSFC, June 23, 1967. 

267. MSFC Pred Release 67-139, 1967. 

268. Paul Anderson, ContractsOff'ice, MSFC,June 30, 1967. 

269. See note 251, p. 187. 

270. See note 242, pp. 50.66.

271. See note 242, pp. 68-72. 

272. MSFCPress Release 67-147, July I I, 1967. 

273. MSFCPress Release 67-155, July 26, 1967. 

274. See note 251, p. 220. 

275. MSFCMemo, Subject: Memorandumof Agreement - KSC Utilization of Selected 

MSFC Personnel. Harry W. German to Distribution SDL-2, Aug. 2, 1967, with 

encloL.ureof same subject signed on July 28, 1967, by G.A. Van Staden, KSC, 

ando_:July 31, 1967, by E.D. Mohlere,MSFC. 

276. MSFCPress Release 67-161, Aug. 3, 1967. 

277. MSFCPr_ss Release 67-162, Aug. 4, 1967. 

278. MSFCSa_'umV ProExamOffice: SemiannualProsress Report, July-Dec. 1967. pp. 

8 and 9. 

279. See note 2,15, p. 71. 

280. Memo, Sub_¢ct: Saturn V Weekly Report, No. 38. Shoed to NASA Headquarten, 

Sept. 28, 1967. 


282. See note 278, p. 41, 

283. See note 251, p. 278. 

284. See note 245, |,. 77. 

285. Interviewwith E.M. Emme, HlstoflcalOffice, NASA Headquarters,Oct. I, 1967. 

286. NASA HeadquartersScheduleM[.,-7,Oct. 3, 1967. 

287. Set'note251, p. 28. 

288. MSFCPren R_lease67-203, O,:t.4, 1967. 

289. Seenote251, p. 298. 

290. Seenote2[I. 

291. Seenote245, p. 83. 

361

292. See note 251. 

293. See note 251, p. 331. 

294. MSFC: MarshallStar. Nov. 8, 1967, p. I. 

295. See note 245, p. 88. 

296. NASA: 18th Semi-Annual Report to Congress, July I-Dee. 31, 1967. GPO, p. 3. 

297. See note 278, pp. I 1-15. 

298. MSFC: Saturn V AS-501 Flight Evaluation. MPR-SAT-FE-68-1,Jan. 15, 1968. 

299. Sea note 251, pp. 339-341. 

300. Seenote251,p. 341. 

301. Seenote 245,._.88, 

302. See,ore 245,p. 93. 

303. See note 251, p. 350. 

304. Memo, Subject: Saturn Weekly Report, No. 46. Nov. 29, 1967. 

305. MSFC: MarshallSlam.Nov. 22, 1967, pp. I and 10. 

306. See note 245, p. 98. 

307. Interview with Paul Styles, Manpower Utilization and Administration Office, 

MSFC, Dec. 6, 1967. 

308. NASA Release 67-239. , 

309. See note 264, p. I. 

310. See note 245, p. 103. 

311. See note 264, pp. 3040. 

312. See note 278, pp. 76-79. 

313. See note 278, p. 65. 

362

314. Interviewwith B.ll. Aldddge, Contracts Offic,:. Michoud,July 17, 1970. 

315. NASA HeadquartersSchedule ML-13A, Jan. 9, 1968. 

316. Intelview with AJ. Oberkirch,Contracts Office, MSFC,July 17, 1970. 

317. MSFC Historic',dStaff: A Chronology of the George C. Marshall Space Flight 

Center, Jan. I-Dec. 3 I, 1968. p. I I. 

318. Interviewwith W.D.Brown,ContractsOffice, MSFC, July 17, 1970. 

319. See note317. 

320. Paul E. Anderson, Contracts Office, MSFC, Jan. I I, 1968. 

321. I,tervlew with T.B. Burtol,, ContractsOffice, MSFC, July 20, 1970. 

322. See note 317, p. 2. 

323. Interview with Paul Styles. Manpower Utilization and Administration Office, 

MSFC,Jan. 16, 1968, 

324. See note 317, p. 4. 

325. Letter Contract NAS8-24000, Jan. 16, 1968, 

326. MSFC OrganizationAnnouncement No. 2-1C, Jan. 16, 1969. 

327. MSFC Saturn V Program Office: Semiannual Progreu Report, Jan.June 1968. 

328. MSFC: Aero-AstrodynamicsBI-Monthly Progreu Report, Dec. 1967-Jan. 1968. p. 

2. 

329. WilliamA, Geiler: Dally Log. Project Logistics Office, MSFC, Jan. 17, 1968. 

330. See note 317, p. 12. 

331. See note317, p. 5. 

332. Letter, Dr, yon Braun,MSFC,to Dr. R.R. GIImth, MSC,Jan. 20, 1969. 

333. See note 327. 

334. Post Apollo AdvisoryCoznmlttee Report, July 20, 1968. 

335. MSFC Press Release 68-20, Jan. 30, 1968. 

363

364 

336. MSFC Press Release 68 '8, Jz.,ll.30, 1968. 

337. See nolo 317, WorkingPaper, p. 9. 

338. MSFC tlistorical Office: t|lstoric,d Sketch of MSFC.June 16, 1968, p. 35. 

339. Commentsto a draft by J.M. Galbreath,ProgramControlOffice, EllgineProgram 

Office, MSFC,Nov.25, 1970. 

340. Seenote 327, pp. 1-20. 

341. Seenote327, p. 7. 

342, MSFC ContractsOffice: Mod 241 to ContractNAS8-5608 (Schedule2). Fob. 6, 

1968. 

343• See note317, p. 13. 

344. MSFC Contracts Office: Meal 244 to Contract NAS8-5608 (Schedule 2), Fob. 7, 

1968. 

345. See nolo 327, p. 7. 

'346. See note 317, p. 16. 

347. Seo nolo 317, p. 12. 

348. Vlvlan S. Whitley: Visitors Pro.aramRecord,PublicAffairs Office, MSFC, Feb. 

12-14, 1968. 

349. Memo,Bill Sneodto NASA Headquarters,Mar. 6, 1968, p. I. 

350. Seenote 317, p. 22. 

351. NASA HistoricalOffice: Astronautics and Aeronautics• 1968, pp. 35-36. 

352. See nolo 327, p. 48. 

353. North American Rockwell: S-II Quarterly ProgressReport, Fint Quarter 1968. p, 

VI-2. 

354. Minutes of Combined Staff and Board Meelins. Mar. 12, 1968. 

355. _e note 317, p. 12.

356. See note 327, pp. 5-38. 

357. See note317, p. 12. 

358. Se_ note 317, p. 12. 

359. MSFC Press Release 68-45, Mar. 8, 1968. 

360. See note 317, p. 30. 

361. MSFC,P&VE Lab.: Monlllly ProBressReport, Mar. 1968. p. 18. 

362. MSFC: Manhall Star. Mar. 20, 1968, p. I. 

363. See note317, p. 12. 

364. Memo, Gen. Edwin O'ConnerTo Distribution, Mar. 28, 1968. 

365. See note317, p. 12. 

366. See note 353, p. I-I. 

367. See note 317, p. 12. 

368. Memo, Wemer Kuen to DavidS. Akens, MSFC,Jan.-Mar.1968, p. I. 

369. Michoud Assembly Facility: tlL_toricalReport, Jan. I-Dr,c. 31, 1968, p. 35. 

370. See note317, p. 12. 

371. See note 327, p. II. 

372. McDonnell Douglas: Saturn S-IVB Quarterly Technical Progreu Report. June 

1968, p. 3. 

373. See note 327, p. 13. 

374. See note 327, p. 15. 

375. See note 317, p, 39. 

376. See nole 327, p. 141. 

377. MSFCPreu Release 68-79, Apr. 17, 1968, p. I. 

378. MSFCPreu Release 68-77, Apr. 1968. 

365

379. Seenote31_,p.12. 

380. Seen,.:,: 317,p.45. 

381. BoeiJlg I,1968,p.8. Co.:Samm 

V FirstStageAnnualProgress Report,Fiscal Year1968.July 

382. Seenote327,p.I07. 

383. Saturn V Weekly Report, No. 17, May 2, 1968. 

384. Letter, Dr. yon Braun, MSFC to Charles W. Mathews, Apollo Applications 

Program,NASA, Mr.y2, 1968. 

385. NASA Release 68-82, Apr. 19, 1968. 

386. See note317, p. 12. 

387. See note 327, p. 127. 

388. MSFC P&VE Lab.: MPR,Apr. 1968. p. 78. 

389. MississippiTest Facility: lllstorical Reporl, Jan. I-Dec. 31, 1968. p. 111-2. 

390. See note 317, p. 50. 

391. Kennedy Space Center: Apollo/Saturn V Ground Syslems Evaluation Report, 

AS-502. May 23, 1968, pp. 5-21. 

392. See note317, p. 12. 

393. NASA HeadquartersBiographicalSummary, Harold T. Luskin, Undated, p. I. 

394. MSFC Press Release 68-94, May 4, 1968, p. I. 

395. Letter, Dr. G.E. Mueller,MSC, to Dr, yon Braun, MSFC, June I0, 1968. 

396. Memo, Dr. yon Braun to :tll MSFC Orsanlzational Elements, May 13, 1968, p. I, 

397. See note 327, p. 131. 

May 22, 1968. 

398. MSFC, Skylab Program Office: Weekly Activity Report to NASA Headquarters, 

399. Memo, WemerKu,:rsto David S. Akens, Apr,-June 1968. 

366

400. Interviewwith p.I. 

Howell Ri_s, ManpowerUtilizationOffice, MSFC,May 22, 1969, 

401. Seenote 317, p. 59. 

402. Memo,LeeBelewto II. German,June7, 1968, p. I. 

403. David M. Brown, Jr.: MarineOperation Los. MSFCProject Losistics Office, June 

7, i968. 

404. See note 339, p. I. 

405. See note 317, p. 73. 

406. See note 317, p. 77. 

407. MSFC,P&VE Lab.: MPR,July 1968. pp. 40-41. 

408. MSFC Press Release 68-158, July 18, 1968, p. I. 

409. MSFC,Test Lab.: MPR,July 1968. p. I-I. 

410. See note 317, p. 80. 

411. MSFC Press Release 68-173, Aus. 2, 1968, p. I. 

412. MSFC.'rest Lab,: MPR,Au8. 1968. p. I-I. 

413. Interview wJth Paul L. Styles, Manpower Utilization and Administration Office, 

MSFC,Aus. 12, 1968. 

414. MSFC 91. Saturn V Program Office: SemiannualProgress Report, July-Dec. 1968. p. 

415. See note 317. 

416. See note 414, p. 99. 

417. MSFC P&VE Lab.: MPR, Aug. 1968. p. 79. 

418. See note 317, p. 93. 

419. See note 414, pp. 5-6. 

420. MSFC Memo, Wemer Kuers, ME Lab. to David S. Akens, Hist. Off., July-sept. 

1968, p. I. 

367

421. Interview with Paul Anderson, MSI:C ('ontr_cts Office, Jolt. 27, 1972. 

422. See note 317, p. 98. 

423. MSi:C Press Release 68-212, Sept. 18, 1968, p. I. 

424. MSFC Press Release 78-124, Sept. 18, 1968, p. I. 

425. MSFC Contracts Office: Mt)d-145 to Contract NAS8-13005. Sept. 23, 1968. 

426. See note 317, p. 102. 

42"/. See note 417. 

428, See note 317, p. 107. 

429 See note 317, p. 107. 

430. MSFC Saturn Flight Evaluation Working Group: Results of the Fifth Saturn IB 

Launch Vehicle Flight Test. AS-205. Jan. 25, 1969, pp. I-9. 

431. Interview with Ilarrison K. Brown, MSI:C Astronautit._ Lab., Sept. 8, 1972. 

432. MSFC Purchasing Office: Contractual Documents Issued. Nov. 1968, p. I. 

433. MSFC Release 68-260, Nov. 6, 1968, p. I. 

434. Aeroballistics Lab.: IIimotzthly Progre_,t Report, Oct.-Nov. i968. p. 5l, 

435. See note 317, p. 126. 

436. MSFC P&VI'.'Lab.: MPR, Nov. 1968. p. 67. 

437. Sec nt)le 436. pp. 71 _illtl 72. 

438. See note 414, p. 9. 

439. North American Rockwell: S:ltllrll S-II Stage I'r_)_re,,s rcporl, Ocl. 1968.June 

1969. pp. 11-1.11-3. 

440. James R, lli_lop: Apollo Allplic_ltions Pr()gran|. MSF(' SkylliI) I'rogram Office, 

undated, p. 18. 

441, MSFC Contracts Office: Mod.340 to Contract NAS8-5608 (Schedule II). Dec. 20, 

1968, 

368

442. MSFC P&VE Lab.: MPR,Dec. 1968. pp. I and 2. 

443. See note 414, pp. I 1-13. 

444. See note 439, pp. 2-1-2-4. 

445. North American Rockwell: Saturn V Launch Vehicle Flight Evaluation Report, 

AS-503 Apollo 8 Mission. Feb. 20, 1969, pp. 24-I-B-18. 

446. See note 442, p. 61. 

447. MSFC PurchasingOffice: Contractual Documents Issued.Dec. 27, 1968, p. 5. 

448. See note 317, p. 141 and Appendices. 

449. MSFC: Marshall_t_r..;an. I, 1969, p. I. 

450. See note 447, p. I. 

451. MSFCTest Lab.: MPR,Dec. 1968, p. 11-4. 

452. MSFC Saturn V ProgramOffice: Semiannual Progress Report, Jan. I-June 30, 

1969. pp. 9-12 and 13-17. 

453. NASA Release 69-9, Jan. 9, 1969, p. I. 

454. MSFC Historical Office: A Chronology of the George C. Man!zall Space Flight 

Center, Jan. I-Dec. 31, 1969 (WorkingPaper). p. 12. 

455. See note 454, p. 17. 

456. Interviewwith Dr. WallaceFderson, MSFCMedicalCenter, Feb. 3, 1969. 

457. See note 452, p. 19. 

458. Memo, F.L. Williamsthro,gh Dr. Lucas to Dr yon Braun, Feb. 10, 1969. 

459. Interviewwfth Paul Perry, MSFC PersonnelOffice, Feb. 17, 1969. 

460. Missi_ppi Test Facility: Historical Report. Feb. 17, 1969. 

461. See note 452, pp. 5-12. 

462. MSFCContracts Office: Mod-455 to Contract NASg-19. 

369

463. Mississippi Test Facility: HistoricalReport,Feb. 24, 1969, 

464. Telecon,Dr. yon Braun to Dr. ('harlesBerry,Feb. 25, 1969. 

465. Technical Information Summary Apollo 9 (AS-504), Apollo Saturn V Space 

Vehicle,Feb. 3, 1969, pp. 3-5. 

466. Seenote 439, pp. 2-5-2-8. 

467. NASA Release69-29, Mar. 3-13, 1969. 

468. NASA Historical Office: Astronauticsand Aeronauti,:s. 1969, pp. 62-65. 

469. Interview wittl E.M. Emme, NASA Historical Office, Mar. [0, 1969. 

470. See note 452, pp. 13-14. 

471. MSFC MissionOperations Office: Apollo 9 Mission Status Bulletin Final Summary 

Report. Mar. 13, 1969. 

492. MSFC:MarshallStar. Mar. 26, 1969, pp. I-4. 

473. See note 454, p. 39. 

474. See note 452. 

475. Interview with F.M. Anderson, NASA Historical Office, Mar. 28, 1969. 

476. MSFCContracts Office: Mod-486 to Contract NAS8-19, Mar. 28, 1969. 

477. Memo, Lee B..lames to Dr. yon Braun,Mar.6, 1969. 

478. J.L. Splawn and E.F. Bizarth: Neutral Buoyancy Simulator Daily Log. MSFC PE 

Lab., Mar.4, 1969. 

479. See note 454, p. 45. 

480. See note 439, p. 111-22. 

481. MSFC PurchasingOffice: Contractual Documents Issued.Apr. 9, 1969, p. 4. 

482. NASA Release 69-53, Apr. i0, 1969. 

MSFC Release 69-116, Apr. 18, 1969, p, I. 

484. VivJanS. Whitley: Visitors ProgramRecord. Public Affairs Office, MSFC, Apr. 24, 

1969. 

370

485. Seenote 452, p. 14. 

486. Vivlan S. Whitley: Visitors ProgramRecord.Public Affairs Office, MSFC, Apr. 

29-May I, 1969. 

487. Interviewwith R.W. Hunter, MSFCPurchasingOffice, Jan. 24, 1972. 

488. MSFC: _darshallStar. Apr. 30, 1969, p. 2. 

489. North American Rockwell: S-II Stage ProgressReport. July 1969, pp. 111-22, 

111-23,and IV-5. 

490. MSFC Release 69-I 25, May 2, 1969, p. I. 

491. E. 

Sam Sloan: Flight Operating Log. MSFC Project Logistics Office, May 2, 1969. 

492. Memo, J.T. Shepherd to Dr. yon Braun,May _, 1969, p. I. 

493. Telecon, Dr. yon Braunto George Stoner, Apr. 29, 1969, p. I. 

494. Letter, Dr. W.R. Lucas to Dr. yon Braml,May I, 1969, p. I. 

495. NASA Release 69-70, May 7, 1969, p. I. 

496. MSFC Contracts Office: Mod-108 to Contract NAS8-4016. May 16, 1969. 

497. Datafax Transmission, H.F. Kurtz to G. Hage, May 18, 1969. 

498. Technical Information Summary Apollo 10 (AS-505), Apollo Saturn V Space 

Vehicle. May I, 1969, pp. 1-5. 

499. See note 452, pp. 10-18. 

500. Letter, G.H. Hage to Distribution, May 26, 1969. 

501. See note 468, pp. 142-145. 

502, See note 468, pp. 179 and 180. 

503. KSC: Daily Status Report, May 20, 1969. Office of Ass,._ciateDirector for 

Operations. 

504. NASA Release 69-83, June 2, 1969, p. I. 

505. Vlvian S. Whitley: VL_ltor8ProgramRecord, PAO, MSFC, June 9, 1969. 

"" 371

506. Letter, Dr. yon Braunto I)r. Mueller,June 9, 1969, pp. I and 2. 

507. MSFC Release69-153, June24, 1969, p. I. 

508. MSFCProject LogisticsOffice: MarineOperating Log. June 16, 1969. 

509. Seenote 454, p. 83. 

510. MSFCRelease69-156, June 27, 1969,pp. I and 2. 

511. MSFC PurchasingOffice: Contract NAS8-24714, Contract NAS8-24715. and 

Contract NAS8-24975. June30, 1969. 

512. Letter, It.H. Gormau to all MSFC Employees, June 4, 1969, p. I. 

513. See note 489, p. 111-23. 

514. MSFC Saturn V Program Office: Semiannual Progress Report, July I-Dec. 31, 

1969. p. 6. 

515. See note 468, p. 241. 

516. KSC: Daily Status Report, July 10, 1969. Office of Associate Director foi" 

Operations. 

517. MSFC Release 69-161, July I I, 1969, p. I. 

518. See note 468, pp. 257-258. 

519. Saturn V Flight Manual(SA-506). June 10, 1969, pp. I-I-I-10. 

520. See note 514, pp. 5-12. 

521. North American Rockwell: Saturn S-II Stage Progress Report, July 1969June 

1970. pp. 2-5-2-7. 

522. More detailed information may be obtained from Astronautics and Aeronautics, 

1969, pp. 260"268. 

l 

523. See note 454, p. 99. 

524. NASA Release 69-105, July 22, 1969, pp: I-3. 

525. Ken Sowell, MSFC Skylab ProgramOffice, Aug. 3, 1972. 

372

526. Interviewwi!h RossHunter, MSFCPurchasingOFfice,Jan.24, 1972. 

527. Seenote454, p. 101. 

528. Seenote454, pp. 101 and 102. 

529. MSFCOrganizationA;mouncement, June26, 1969. 

530. MSFCPurchasingOffice: C¢,ntractNAS8-24713.Aug. !, IO69. 

531. NASA Release69-124, Aug. 2, 1969, p. I. 

532. Seenote454, p. 107. 

533. NASA Release69-115, Aug.6, 1969, p. I. 

534. MSFC PurchasingOl'flce:ContractNAS8.25051.Aug. 7, 1969. 

535. MSFC ContractsOffice: Mod-365 to Contract NAS8-5608(Schedule11).Aug. 7, 

1969. 

536. MSFC Contracts Office: Mod-9 to Contract NAS9-6555, Aug. 8, 1969. 

537. MSFC ContractsOffice: Mod-8 to Contract NAS9-6555. Aug. 8, 1969. 

538. MississippiTest Facility: Historical Report. Aug. 28, 1969. 

539. See note 454, p. 121. 

540. MSFC PurchasingOffice: Contract NAS8-24901. Apr. 16, 1969. 

541. MTF: Historical Report. Apr. 21, 1969. 

542. MTF: Historical Report. May 5, 1969. 

543. MTF: Historical Report. Aug. 28, 1969. 

544. MSFC Skylab ProgramOffice: Appollo Applications Program.Feb. 7, 1972, p. 7. 

545. See note 526. 

546. See note 454, p. 127. 

547. MTF: Input for 1969 Historical Report, Notes - 9/22/69 - Balch. July 16, 1970. 

548. MSFCContracts Office: Mod-1353 to Contract NAS8-14000. Sept. 19, 1969. 

373

549. See note 454, p. 132. 

5q0. See note 454, p. 137. 

551. Interview with W.P.Foxworth, MSFC ContractsOffice, Jan. 26, 1972. 

552. interview with Paul Satterfield, MSFC Space Orientation Center, Oct. 15, 1959. 

553. 554. MTF: Letter, Historical Dr. Mueilerto Report. Dr. Oct. yon 3, Braun, 1969. Oct. 20, 1969, p. I. 

555. MSFC Contracts Office: Program Management Contracts Status Report. Jan. I, 

1972, p. 7 

556. See note 544, p. 9. 

557. See note 454, p. 150. 

558. See note 514, p. 66. 

559. See note 454, p. 152. 

5"60. MTF: Input for 1969 Historical Report, Notes - 11/10/69 - Balch. July 16, 

1970. 

561. See note 454, p. 153. 

562. See note 468, pp. 452-457. 

563. See note 521, pp. 208-210. 

564. Saturn Flight ManualSA-507, May 20, 1969, pp. I-1-1-10. 

't 

565. Technical Information Summary Apollo 12 (AS-507), ApoUo/Satum V Space 

Vehicle, Nov. I, 1969, pp. 6-17. 

566. Memo,MA/Apollo MissionDirectorto Distribution,Nov. 24, 1969. 

567. See note 544. 

568. MSFC Release 69-250, Nov. 20, 1969, p. "1. 

569. MSFC Technical Services Office: Government Bill of Lading E-8226851, 

E-8226852. Nov. 24, 1969. 

374 

e

570. Seenote 454, p. 169. 

571. Seenote 468, p. 491. 

572. Teletype, Dr. van Braun to Dr. Mueller,Dec. 18, 1969. 

573. See note 514, pp. 35-68. 

574. MSFC Release 69-170, Dec. 22, 1969, p. 1. 

575. MSFC Project Logl_ticsOffice: Flight Operating Log. Jan. 2, 1970. 

576. VivtanS. Whitley: Visitors ProgramRecord. PAO, MSFC, Jan. 7, 1970. 

577. NASA Release 70-4, Jan. 8, 1970, p. 1. 

578. MSFCContracts Office: Mad-980 to Co)dract NAS8-5608. Jan. 14, 1970. 

579. MSFCContracts Office: Mad-138 to Contract NASS-5609(F). Jan. 23, 1970. 

580. MSFCContracts Office: Contract NA:_8-25154(F). Jan. 23, 1970. 

5gl. MSFCContractsOffice: Contract NAS8-25153(F). Jan. 23, 1970. 

582. Dr. T.O. Paine: Key NASA PersonnelChange. Jan. 29, 1970. 

583. VivianS. Whitley: Visito_ ProgramRecord. PAO, MSFC,Jan. 28, 1970. 

584. VlvlanS. Whltley: Visitors ProgramRecord. PAO, MSFC,Jan. 28-29, 1970. 

585. FEWG24-HourReport AS-509, Feb. 2, 1970. 

586. MSFC Mission Operations Office: AS-509 (Apollo 14) Inflight Crew Debrief 

Transcript.Feb. 2, 1971. 

587. Vivlan S. Whltley: Visitors ProgramRecord. PAO, MSFC, Feb. I0 and Feb. 20, 

1970. 

588. MSFC:MarshallStar. Feb. 18, 1970, p. I. 

589. Carl E. Hall: Contract NAS8-25181. Aero-Astrodynamics Lab., MSFC, Feb. 11, 

1970. 

590. Interviewwith C.H. Brown, MSFCPurchasingOffice, Jan. 20, 1972. 

375

591. Interview with E.H.F.ubanks, MSFCContracts Office, Jan. 26, !972. 

592. McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co.: Space Station, MSFC-DRL-160Line Item 8 

Space Station ProgramDefinition. Aug. 1970, pp. 1-19. 

593. See note 582. 

594. North American Rockwell Corp.: Space Station Program Phase B Definition, 

Second QuarterlyProgressReport. Mar. 13, 1970. 

595. NASA Release 70-41, Mar. 13, 1970. 

596. Vivlan S. Whitley: Visitors ProgramRecord. PAO, MSFC,Mar.31, 1970. 

597. NASA Release 70-49, Mar. 31, 1970. 

598. HASA HistoricalOffi,:e: Astronautics and Aeronautics. 1970, p. 131. 

599. MSFC Release 70-61,/Lpr. I, 1970, p. I. 

600. MSFCPurchasingOffice: Mod-I to Contrac! NAS8-24957. Apr. 6, 1970. 

601. MSFCPurchasingOffice: Mod-I to ContractNAS8-24714. Apr. 19, 1970. 

602. MSFCPurchasingOffice: Mod-I to ContractNAS8-24715. Apr. 22, 1970. 

603. MSC Release 70.41, Apr. IO, 1970, p. I. 

604. See note 521, pp. 214-216. 

605. Saturn V Flight ManualAS-508, Mar. I, 1970, pp. I-I-I-I0. 

606. Saturn V Launch Vehicle Flight Evaluation Report AS-508, Apollo 13 Mlssioq, 

June 20, 1970, pp. XVIII-XXIV. 

607. Report of Apollo 13 Review Board. June 15, 1970, pp. 5-1-5-40 with 

Appendices A-H. 

608. See note 598, pp. 146-150. 

609. MSFC Key Personnel Announcement, Dr. Rees to Distribution, Apr. 16, 1970, p. 

I. 

610. MSFCContracts Office: Memorandumof Contract Action. Apr. 23, 1970. 

376

61I. Memo, Roy E. Godfrey to Dr. Rees, Apr. 30, 1970. 

612. See note 591. 

613. MSFC Release "00-92,May 15, 1970, p. I. 

614. MSFCContracts Office: Mod-1701 to Contract NAS8-14000. May 21, 1970. 

615. MSFC Release 70-102, May 26, 1970, p. I. 

616. MSFC Release 70-106, June I, 1970, p. I. 

617. MSC Release 70-61, June 4, 1970. 

618. MSC Release 70-62, June 4, 1970. 

619. MSFCContracts Office: Mod-14_ to Contract NAS8-24000. June 9, 1970. 

620. Memo, Lee B. James to Dr. Rees, June I0, 1970, pp. I and 2. 

621 See note 590. 

622. NASA Release 70-97, June 15, 1970, pp. I and 2. 

623. Vivian S. Whitiey: Visitors ProgramRecord. PAO, MSFC, A0r. 16-17, 1970. 

624. NASA Release 70-99, June 18, 1970. 

625. MSFCContracts Office: Mod-145 to Contract NAS8-24000. June 18, 1970. 

626. MSFCContracts Office: Contract NA_8-25156. June 23, 1970. 

627. MSFC: MarshallStar. July I, 1970, p. 4. 

628. VlvlanS. Whitley: Visitors Program Record. PAO, MSFC,June 29-30, 1970. 

629. MSFCPurchasingOffice: Contract NAS8-26283. June 30, 1970. 

630. MSFC Release 70-132, June 30, 1972, pp. I and 2. 

631. Vlvlan S. Whltley: Visitors ProgramRecord. PAO, MSFC, July 7, 1970. 

632. MSFCContractqOffice: Mod-150 to Contract NAS8-24000. July 8, 1970. 

633. MSFC Organization Announcement, E.W, Neubert for Dr. Rees to DlSttit,'ttion, 

July 13, 1970, p. I. 

; _ 377

{,34. MSFC Relea_ 70.138, July I0, 1970, pp. I and 2. 

635. MSFC Contracts Office: Mod-55 to Contract NAS9-6555 (Schedule I). July 23, 

1970. 

636. Memo, Jewel W.Moody to Addressees, Aug. I0, 1970. 

637. MSFC: Apollo 13 Review Report Recommendation No. 9, Aug. 12, 1970. 

638. Interview with Lee B. James, May 21, 1971. 

639. MSFC Release 70-162. Aug. 17, :970, p. I. 

640. MSFCContracts Office: Mod-32 to Contract NAS8-20899 Aug. 21, 1970. 

641. See nJte 591. 

642. MSFC Release 70-168, Aug. 27, 1970, p. I. 

643. MSFCContracts Office: Mod-84 to Contract NAS9-6555 (Schedule II). Aug. 27, 

1970. 

644. MSFC Release 70.169, Aug. 28, 1970, p. I. 

645. MSFCPurchasing Office: Contractual Docume_ts Issued. Sept. 1970, p. 2. 

646. Interviewwith E.H. Eubanks, MSFCContracts Office, Jan. 24, 1972. 

647. MSFC Release 70-181, Sept. 8, 1970, pp. I and 2. 

648. MSC Releas:"7,',98, Sept. 8, !970. 

649. Letter, Dr. Ernst Stuhllnger to Dr. Rees, Sept. 12, 1970. 

650. MSFC Release 70-184, Sept. I0, 1970, pp. I and 2. 

651. The Associated Press, Apr. 15, 1970. 

652. MSC Release 70-101, Sept. 15, 1970. 

653. Letter, Leland Belew to W.C.Schneider, Oct. 21, 1970. 

654. Vivlan S. Whitley: Visitors ProgramRecord, PAO, MSFC,Sept. 22, 1970. 

655. MTF Release 70-35, Sept. 30, 1970. 

378

656. See note 521. 

657. FRCRelease18-70,Oct. 12, 1970. 

658. MSFCPurchasingOffice:NAS8-26468.Oct. 13, 1970. 

659. VtvianS. Whitley:VisitorsProgramRecord.PAO,MSFC,Oct. 20, 1970. 

660. MSFCPE Lab.:NeutralBuoyancySimulate,..DailyLog. Oct. 21, 1970. 

661. See note 598, p. 424. 

662. MSFCContractsOffice:Mod-IIO0to ContractNAS8-5608.Oct. 28, 1970. 

663. MSFCRelease70-225, Oct,29, 1970, pp. I and 2. 

664. Interviewwith RossHunter,MSFCPurchasingOffice,Jan.24, 1972. 

665. JanieJones: MTFAgendafor the Day.Nov.5, 1970. 

666. Seenote598,p.442, 

667. MSFCRelease70-192, Nov. 12, 1970, pp. I and 2. 

668. VivianS. Whitley:VisitorsProgramRecord.PAO,MSFC,Nov. 16-19, 1970. 

669. MSFCRelease70-236, Nov. 17, 1970, pp. I and2. 

670. MSFCProjectLogisticsOffice:FlightOperatingLog.Nov. 18, 1970. 

671. MSFCProjectLogisticsOffice:MarineOperatingLog.Dec. 2, 1970. 

672. MSFCSpaceShuttleTaskTeam:Calendarof Events.Dec. 1970. 

673. SidneyP. Saucier:S-ll StageInter-OrbitalShuttleCapabilityAnalysis.NAS7-200, 

ChangeOrder2021, MSFCProgramDevelopmentOffice,Dec. 15, 1970. 

674. Sidney P. Saucier:ChemicalInter.OrbitalShuttle CapabilityStudy. NAS7-101, 

TA9,MSFCProgramDevelopmentOffice, Dec. 15, 1970. 

675. interview with Ronald J. Harris,Advanced Systems Analysis Office, Jan. 17, 

1972. 

676. MSFCRelease70-266,Dec. 18, 1970, pp. I and2. 

379

677. MSFCRelease70-267, Dec. 22, 1970,p. I. 

678. MSFC Memo, Subject: Work Policy I)urin8 Severe Weather. R.W. Cook to 

Employees,Dec. 23, 1970. 

679. ConfigurationChangeBoardDirective076, Apr. 9, 1971. 

680. See note 664. 

681. James B. Brainier:33-Foot DiameterSpace Station MockupBrochure. Space 

Station TaskTeam,Jan. 22, 1971. 

682. Saturn V LaunchVehicle Flight EvaluationReportAS-509, Apollo 14 Mission, 

Apr. I, 1971,pp. XV-XXVI. 

683. MSFC:MarshallStar. Feb. 3, 1971, pp. I and4. 

684. MSFC PurchasingOffice: Contracts NAS/b26839, NAS8-26840, NAS8-26841 

NAS8-26842,and NAS8-26845.Feb. I, I_71. 

685. VivianS. Whttley:VisitorsProgramRecord.PAO,MSFC,Feb. 8-9, 1971. 

686. KSC:Schedulingand ReviewProcedure.Mar.31, 1971. 

687. MSFCContractsOffice: Mod-2084to ContractNAS7-200.Feb. 12, 1971 

688. MSFC Memo, Subject: Civil Service Retirement-DiscontinuedService Annuity. 

PaulStylesto All Employees,Feb. 18, 1971. pp. I and 2. 

689. Mod-1915to ContractNASS-14000,Feb. 23, 1971. 

690. MSFCRelease71-36,Mar.I, 1971,pp. I-3. 

691. MSFCRelease71-106,June 22, 1971. 

692. Interviewwith JamesH. Goldsmith,MSFCContractsOffice,Jan. 19, 1972. 

693. NASAHistoricalOffice:Astronauticsand Aeronautics.1971,p. 77. 

694. Telecon,Dr. Reesto DaleMyers,Mar.5, 1971. 

695. NASARelease71-38,Mar.!0, 1971. 

696. MSFCContractsOffice:ModMich.425to IO,1971. 

ContractNAS8-4016(ScheduleI). Mar. 

380

697. Minute,_of the Staffand BoardMeeting,Mar.29, 1971,p. 2. 

698. MSFC Release 71-56, Mar. 31, 1971, pp. I and 2. 

699. MSFCRelease71-55, Mar.31, 1971, p. I. 

700. MSFCDirector'sOffice: DailyJournal.Apr.5-6, 1971. 

701. MSFC:MarshallStar.Apr.7, 1971, pp. 1-4. 

702. MSFCRelease71-61, Apr.9, 1971, pp. I and 2. 

703. MSFCSkylab Office: Final Review BoardMinutesof the CrewCompartment 

StorageReview.PM-SL-SW-508-71; May7, 1971. 

704. MSC Weekly Progressand Program SummaryReport for the Administrator- 

SkylabProgram,Apr. 15, 1971. 

705. MSFC:MarshallStar. Apr.7, 1971, p. I. 

706. Interviewwith CarlPrince,MSFCComputationLab.,Apr.25, 1971. 

707. MSFC:MarshallStar. Apr.28, 1971, p. I. 

708. MSFCOrganizationAnnouncement,Apr. 30, 1971. 

709. MSFCTechnicalServicesOffice: GovernmentBillof l.adtng. May I0, 1971. 

710. NewsConference at MSFC,Dr.JamesC. Fletcher,May 13, 1971. 

71I. MSFCMemo,Dr. Reesto all Employees,May24, 1971, p. !. 

712. MSFCRelease70-91, June I, 1971, pp. I and 2. 

713. MSFCContractsOffice:Mod-45to ContractNAS8-25156,June 2, 1971. 

714. AssociatedPress,HuntsvilleNews.June 4, 1971,p. I. 

715. MSFCProjectLogisticsOffice: MarineOperatingLog.June 3, 1971. 

716. MoscowAssociatedPress,The HuntsvilleTimes,June 7, 1971, p. I. 

717. MSFCRelease71-102,June 10, 1971, pp. I-3. 

718. Tile HuntsvilleNews,June II, Z971,pp. I and 2. 

381

719. MSFC Release 71-104, June 16, 1971, pp. I and 2. 

720. MSFC PuruhasingOffice: Contract NAS8-27540. June 18, 1971. 

721. MSFCPressRelease 71-105, June 21, 1971, p. I. 

722. MSFC PurchasingOffice: Contract NAS8-27670. June 23, 1971. 

723. NASA Release 71-114. 

724. Memo, Dr. Lucas for Dr. Rees, Jan. 25, 1971, p. I. 

725. MSFC PurchasingOffice: Contract NAS8-27794. June 30, 1971. 

726. The HuntsvilleTimes, June 30, 1971, pp. I and 2. 

727. KSC: Daily Status Report. Office of Assoc. Director for Operations,July 7, 1971. 

728. MSFC Release 71-118, July 12, 1971, pp. I-3. 

729. The HuntsvilleTimes, July 12, 1971, p. 17. 

730. KSC: Daily Status Report. Office of Assoc. Direcl._r for Operations. July 20, 

1971. 

731. MSFC Release 71-135, July 21, 1971, p. I. 

732. See note 693, p. 256. 

733. See note 693, pp. 256-261. 

734. Datafax Transmission,Apollo 15 (AS-510), HOSCReport, July 26, 1971, pp. 2-5. 

735. Memo, Apollo 15 Daily Operations Report No. 4, July 30, 1971, pp. i-3. 

736. Apollo 15 Daily Operations Report No. 8, Aug. 3, 1971. pp. I-6. 

737. Saturn V Launch Vehicle Flight Evaluation Report - AS-510 Apollo 15 Mission, 

Oct. 28, 1971, pp. XVI-XXVI. 

738, James C. Fletcher: Selection of Contractor for Design, Development, and 

Production of the Space Shuttle Main Engine. NASA Headquarters,July 30, 

1971. 

739. See note 693, p. 274. 

382

740. See note 693. p. 292. 

741. MSFC Contracts Office: Contract NA58-27759, Aug _1, 1971. 

742. KSC: Daily Status Report. Office of Assoc. Dll,_ctor for Operations, Sept. I, 

1971. 

743. Vi,/ian S. Whltley: Visitors ProgramRecord. PAO,MSFC,Sept. 30, 1971. 

744. MSFCMemo, R.W.Cook to David It. Newb,/, Sept. 9, 197], p. I 

745. MSFC Project LogisticsOflice: MarineOperatingLog. Sept. 13, 1971. 

746. MSFC Memo, Subject: Reduction in Support Contract Vehicit: Services.David S. 

Newby to Distribution,Sept. 14, 197', p. _. 

747. MSFCSchedules and Status Summary, Sept. 30, 1971. 

748. MSFC AstronauticsLab.: QPR, July I-Sept. 30, 1971, p. 81. 

749. NASA Release 71-199, Oct. 7, 1971. 

750. MSFCProject Logistics Office: Daily OperatingLog, Oct. I I, 1971. 

751. MSFC Press Release No. 71-183, Oct. 19, 1971. 

752. Letter, ML/DirectorSkylab Program to MSFCSkylab Program Manager,Nov. 2, 

1971. 

753. MSFC PurchasingOffice: ContractualDocuments Issued.Jan. 1972, p. I. 

754. MSFC:MarshallStar. Dec. I, 1971, pp. 1 and 4. 

755. MSFCPurchasingOffice: ContractualDocuments Issued. Nov. 1971, p. 6. 

756. MSFC Release 71-83, Nov. 22, 1971. 

757. See note 755, p. I. 

758. DI. James C. Fletcher, Speech at National Space Club Luncheon, Washington 

Ho{el,Washington,D.C., Nov. 18, 1971,.p. 1-18. 

759. MSFC:MarshallStar. Dec. 15, 1971, p. I. 

760. MSCM8010, ProgramManagementGuide, Dec. 15, 1971. 

383

761. VlvlanS. Whltloy: VisitorsProsramRecor(l.PAO, MSFC,Dec. 16-17, 1971. 

762. MSFC Release71-242, Dec. 17, 1971, pp. 1-3. 

763. MSFCPmJe_:lLogisticsOffice: Fllsht OpernUnl|Log. Dec. 17, 1971. 

?(14. MSFC:MurdlallSlur. Jan. 5, IC)72,p. I. 

76.% Slatententnr the Preddent, Office of the White Ilon,_e,PressSecretary(San 

Clent_nle,Calif.), Jan. 6, 1972. pp. I-9. 

766. Ebt:rhardRees:MSFC Orgal)lzali,mAnnouncement.May 8, 1972. 

767. NASA Release?2.8, Jan. 12, 1977, p. I. 

708. MSFGI_urchasinl_Offit;e:ConlractualDocumentsIssued.Feb. 1072, p. 2. 

769. MSFCOffice of the Dirv¢lor: ProivamAgenda.Jan. 18-19, 1972. 

770. MSFC:MarshallStar. Jan. 26, 1972, p. 4. 

771. MSFC Purchasinl_Office: ContractualDoclinlentsIssued.Jan. 1972, pp. 6 and7. 

772. MSFC Letler, Dr. ReesIo I_ntployees, Jan.31, 1972. 

773. MSFCContractsOffice: Mad-3to ContractNAS8-27759.Jan. 31, i972. 

774. NASA Release72-6, Feb. !, 1972,p. I. 

7"15. MSFC:MarshallStar. Jan. 19, 1972, p. I. 

776. Interviewwith Floyd Clark, MSFC[IEAO Office, Feb. 17, 1972. 

777. MSFC SkylabProgramOffice: WeeklyActivity Report to lleadquarters.Feb. 22, 

1:}72. 

778. MSFC: Sk:,'lab,PreliminaryChronology Comment Draft. Mar. 16, 1973. 

779. MSC Release 72-19. 

780. Lelter, WalterF. Gillesple/CarmlneE. DeSanctis to Dr. yon Braun, Feb. 2'_, 1972, 

p.I. 

781. Interviewwith Frances Prendergast,PAO, MAF, Feb. I I, 1972. 

782. MSFC Memo, Subject: Civil Service Retirement-Discontinued Service or Optional 

Annuity. Paul L. Styles, Mar. 13, 1972, pp. I and 2. 

384

783. Dr.JamesC. Fletcher, Dr.G_orgeM. Low,andDaleMyerl,NewsConferenceon 

SpaceShuttle,Mo_,.15, 1972. 

784. NAS_ Release72-61, Mar. 15, 1972,pp. 1.4. 

785. MSFCMemo, E.W.Neubertfor Dr. Re,_sto All Employees,Mar. 15, 1972, 

786. JackWaite,MSFC SkylabProgramOffice,Mar. 27, i972. 

787. MSFCMemo, DavidNewby for R.W.Cook to Employees,Mar. 30, 1972, p. I. 

788. Dr. EberhardReeF:PersonnelAnnouncement.Apr. 3, 1972. 

789. MSFCContracts_fficc: ContractNAS8-27980.Apr. 4, 1972. 

790. NASA Release72-81, Apr. 14, 1972, pp. I-4. 

791. HuntsvilleTimes,Apr. 16, 1972, p. 19. 

792. Interviewwith ScottSlmpkinson,ApolloSpacecraFtProgramOffice, MSC,May 4, 

1972. 

793. Interview with W.L. Cushman, Saturn AssuranceOffice, MSFC, May 4, 1972. 

794. MSFC: Saturn AS-511 Apollo 16 Mission M Plus Five Day Report. May 3, 1972. 

79b. MSC: Apollo 16 MissionFive Day Report. May 3, 1972. 

796. MSFC: MarshallStar. May 24, 1972, p. I. 

797. MSFC Press Release 72-54, May I, 1972. 

798. NASA Release 72-94. 

799. NASA Special Release, May 19, 1972. 

800. MSFC Manp,_werBulletin, Ho,',ell Riggs for Paul Styles, May 22, 1972, pp. I and 

2. 

801. NASA Historical Office: Astronautics and Aeronautics. 1972, p. 240. 

802. Vlvtan S. Whitley: Visitors ProgramRe_ord. PAO, MSFC, June 22, 1972. 

803. MSFC Skylab Program Office: Weekly Activity Report to Headquarters.June. 27, 

1972. 

385

386 

804. MSFCMemo to Employees, June 29, 1972, p. I. 

805. Asses:lntedPrc_, July I, 1972. 

806. MSFC Memo, Subject: MSFC FY 1973 Travel Prioritiesand Policies. R.W.Cook 

to Directors,Mnnagers,altd Chiefsof BasicOrganlzatlops, .lilly 7, 1972, pp. I nnd 

2 plusattacliments. 

807. MSFCMemo,R.W. Cook to Employees,JuneII, 1972. 

808, 5|SFC Memo, Subject: Staffing of New and Revised Center Organizations. Dr. 

Rees to E'.istrlbution,July 17, 1972. 

809. MSFC:Skylab PreliminaryCIironologyComment Draft. Mar. 16, 1973. 

810. Jtmles('. Fletcher: Selection of Contractor for Space Shuttle Program, Sept. 18, 

1972, pp, 1-12. 

81 I. HulttsvilleTimes, Associated Press, July 27, 1972, pp. I and 2. 

812. MSFCPress Release 72-167, Aug. 16, 1972, pp. I-3. 

813, MSFC:Marsllall Star. Aug. 23, 1972, p. I. 

p 

814. MSFC Skylab P,-,dram Office: Weekly Activity Report to Iteadquarters.Sept. 12, 

;972. 

815. Interview with E.D. Hildreth, MSFC ManaE.ementServicesOffice, Sept. 14, 1972. 

816. MSFC: MarshallStar. Sept. 20, 1972, p. I. 

817. MSFC Skylab Program Office: Weekly Activity Report to Headquarters.Oct. I0, 

1972. 

818. The White House Fact Sheet, United Slates Policy Governing tile Provision of 

Launch Assistance, Oct. 9, 1972, pp. I _,,:d2. 

819. Saturn V Launch Vehicle Flight Evaluation Report -AS-SI2 Apollo 17 Mission, 

Feb. 28, 1973, pp. XIX-20-12. 

820. _e note 801, pp. 510, 516. 

821. Apollo 17 Dally Operations Report 14o.9, D_.c. 15, 1972, pp. I-5. 

822. Datafax Transmission: Apollo I? (AS-SI2) Daily Status Report. Sept. II, 1972, 

pp. I-3.

823. MSFC SkylabProgramOffice: WeeklyActivity Report to Headquarters,Dec. 19, 

1972. 

824. MSFC Memo, Subject: U.S. Civil Service CommissionEqual Employment 

OpportunityProgramat MSFC. Dr. Reesto Employees,Dec.22, 1972, p. I. 

825. Interviewwith BrianPitre, MSFCIlistorical()trice, Dec.6, 1972. 

82(,. MSFC:MarshallStar. Jan. I0, 1973. 

827. MSFC Letter, Dr. Rees to Employees, Jan. 5, 1973, pp. 1-4. 

828. MSFC Letter, David Newby to Employees, Jan. I0, 1973, p. I. 

_29. 

MSFC Organization/tnnouncement, R.W.Cook, Jan. 23, 1973, p.I. 

83+3. MSFC Letter, Dr, Rocco I'etrone to Employees, Jan. 29, 1973, p. i. 

831. MSF ManagementCouncil Meeting, Feb. 14, 1973. 

832. MSFC Memo, Subject: Visit of Apollo 17 Astronauts. Dr. Petrone to Employees, 

Feb. 16, 1973, r,p. I and 2. 

833. Vivlan S. Whitley: Visitor's ProgramRecord. PAO, MSFC, Feb. 21, 1973. 

834. MSFC: MarshallStar. Feb. 28, 1973. 

835. MSFC Schedules and Status Summary, Apr. 30, 1973. 

836. MSFC Skylab Student Project Summary Descdptioll, Feb. 1973. 

837. Vivian S. Whitley: Visitors ProgramRecord. PAO, MSFC, Apr. 6, 1973. 

838. HuntsvilleTimes, Apr. 16, 1973, p. 2. 

839. MSFC Letter, Dr. Petrone to Employee_, Apr. 23, 1973, pp. I and 2. 

840. Howell Riggs: MSFC Manpower Bulletin. May 2, 1973. 

841. MSFC Communications Dlv., Closed Circuit, h,ternal Audio-Video Coverage of 

NASA Skylab I Launch at KSC, May 14-24, 1973. 

842. HuntsvilleTimes, May 14-18, 1973. 

843. Associated Press Dispatches, May 14-24, 1973. 

387

844. Iqtervlew with Don Lakey, MSF(! Ili_(orical OFfice, May 14, 1973. 

845, MSF(.'.OrL,.altization Annotmcenteltt, Subject: MSFCP_trticipation in Skylub I 

Investigation. Dr, Pelrone, May 31, 19'/3, p. I. 

840. NASA Notice 1154, May 23, 19'/30 p. I. 

847. MSFC Commuuications Div., Closed Circuit, Interred Audio-Video Coveraseof 

NASA Skylab Launch at KS(', May 2S-July I, 1973. 

848. A Narrative Accou_tt of the Rd'le Played by the NASA Marshall Space Flight 

Center and the Skylab SL-I an(_,/2Emergency Operations, May 14-June 22, 1973, 

pp. 1-96. 

849. Interview with Guy .lackson0iAO, MSFC, May 30, 19./3. 

/ 

850. Skylab Daily MissionRepo_t, Nos. 1-30, i'day 14-Jtme 19, 197.!. 

851. thmtsville Times. May 15-July I. 19'/3. 

852. MSFC Press Release, June I_v,19'73, p. I. 

853. Interview with IIowell Riggs, MSFC Manpower Office, Jtllle 15, 1973. 

854. MSFC Manpower Bulletin, Jerzdd D. Fox for Ilowell Ri_,,,, Jtme 15, 1973, p. I. 

855. MSFC Memo, Subject: Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Motor Procurement Sunsitivity. 

Rocco Petrone to All Employees, Julle 15, 1973, p. I. 

856. Interview with J.W. llerring. MSFC Management Services Office, June 20, 1(}73. 

857. MSFC Management Services Office Staff Meeting, June 25, 1973. 

858. Rocco A. Pctrone: There is no Barrier. Speech to tl_e Sons of ('oltIT_btts of 

America, Pittsbur8, Pa., Oct. 9, 1971, p. _. 

859. Interview with Dr. Rocco Petrone, Dec. 14, 1973. 

860. Letter, Denator Frank Moss to Dr. James Fletcher, June 8, 1973; and Letter, Dr. 

.lames Fletcher to Dr. Rocco I'etrone, May 30, 1973. 

388

APPENDIX B 

ABBREVIATIONS ANDACRONYMS 

389

A 

AA 

AAP 

ABMA 

ACE 

AEC 

AEDC 

AEROJET 

AF 

ApolloApplications(Program) 

Apulia ApplicationsProgram 

Army Ballistic MbsileAgency 

automaticcheckoutequipment 

AtomicEnergyCommission 

ArnoldEngineering DevelopmentCenter 

AcreJet GeneralCorporation 

Air Force 

all-systemsvehicle nonflight stage used to check out flight-worthiness of 

systems 

AIAA 

ALSA 

AM 

AMR 

AOMC 

American Institute of Astronautics and Aeronautics 

astronaut life support assembly 

Airlock Module 

Atlantic MissileRange 

Army OrdnanceMissileCommand 

Apollo Project designationfor manned lunar landing, also 

spacecraftfor mannedlunarlanding 

APS 

ARA 

AS 

AS&E 

ATM 

auxiliarypropulsion system 

Automatic Retailersof America 

Apollo/Saturn (specific payload and vehicle with a number 

as AS-203) 

American Sclence'and Engineering 

Apollo Telescope Mount 

PRE(_I_ING PAOI_ BLANK NOT PILMED 391

LI 

battleshipstage 

BP 

nonillglttsingereplicafur enginotest& 

boilerplate 

"Bi0g" Lunar excursion nludule, landing unit of the Apollo 

spacecraft 

C 

C-! 

('-3 

SaturnC-I, early nomenclature for Saturn I 

Saturn C-3, Saturn configuration considered but not u'ed 

C-5 Saturn C-5, conflgurntlon adopted for lunar Apollo flights 

{renamedSaturn V in February 1963) 

C-IB 

Cape Canaveral 

CCSD 

CBTT 

CDDT 

CDR 

CDT 

Chance-Vought 

Centaur 

C2F2 

CM 

Saturn C-IB, vehicle selected in 1962 for manned earth 

orbital flights with full Apollo spacecraft (renamed Satu:n 

in) 

launcl, site in Florida, name changed to Kennedy Space 

Center in 1963 

Chrysler CorporationSpace Division 

common bulkhead test tank 

countdown demonstr-,tion test 

critical design review 

central daylight time 

Saturn tank manufacturer,Dallas,Texas 

veP.iclefor support of unmanned moon probes and other 

missions 

crew compartment'fit and function test 

command module 

392

CMG 

C'ott#prondse 

CPFF 

CPIF 

controlmomentgyro 

later changed to Promise-barge transporterfor Saturn 

boosters 

cost-pl,zs-flxed-fee contract 

cost-plus-lncen tire-fee contract 

CSM Command/Set',' Module 

D 

DA 

DAC 

DOD 

Downey 

Douglas 

deployment assembly 

Douglas Aircraft Corporation 

Department of Defense 

S&ID-S[I dage component fabrication and testi,lg facility 

location 

Douglas Aircraft Corporation 

Dyna Soar Air Force spacecraft for earth orbital flight featuring 

"glider reentry" 

DX rating 

highest national l,dodty 

E 

ECS 

EDS 

EFL 

EPCS 

EPS 

EREP 

envlronme',ltalcontrol system 

emergency detection system 

EdwardsField Laboratory 

experimentpointing and contr_lsubsystem 

electrical power s_,stem 

EarthResourcesExperiment Package 

393

I:.SF. 

KS'l" 

EVA 

EVA/IVA 

electricttlsupport equipmetlt 

easternstandard time 

extravelti_ularLletivity 

extr_wehicnhlrand intravehicuhir acti_'lty 

F 

FAA 

Fairchild Strutos 

FAS 

F-I engine 

FRT 

Federal Aviation Agency 

meteoroid s_ttellitecontractor 

Fixed uirlock shroud 

Saturn V booster(S-IC stage)engine 

flight rating tests 

G 

GSE 

GSFC' 

ground supportequipment 

Goddard SpaceFligh! Center 

14 

HAO 

HCO 

tlEAO 

HOSC 

H-I engine 

Itigh Altitude Observatory 

Ilarvard CollegeObservatory 

liigh Energy Astronomy Observatory 

HuntsvilleOperations Support Center 

Saturrt I booster (S-I stage)engine 

High Water Project SA-2 and SA-3 flight experiment in which water from the 

dummy secondstagewas releasedinto the ionosphere 

Ituntington Beach 

DAC S-IVB assemblysite in California 

394

I 

IBM 

I0 

IU 

IVA 

InternationalBadnessMachinesCorporation 

MSFC IndustrialOperationsorganization 

instrumentunit 

intravehicularactivity 

J-2 Liquid hydrogenenginefor S.IVBand S-ll stages 

J 

JPL 

Jet PropulsionLaboratory 

K 

K 

KSC 

KiwI-B 

thousands 

KennedySpaceCenter,in Florida,wasCapeCanaveraluntil 

November 28, 1963 

nuclearreactor 

L 

LaRC 

LBNP 

LC 

LH2 

LM 

LM-A 

LN 

LOC 

Langley ResearchCenter 

lower body negativepressure 

launch complex 

liquidhydrogen 

LunarModule 

Lunar Module ascent stage 

liquid nitrogen 

LaunchOperationsC_:_er 

395

Iox 

Lockheed 

liquidoxYl_¢n 

L(ickh¢_,dAircrliFt('()ml_Imy 

LR-115 Ilrst Liquid h}',frol_¢nlype t'nlltll_' (Prittt & Whitney), €lilly 

de_l_niltlt_n_)1'RL I()-A.! Cnl;In¢ 

LR-I I €) pr(li_tlsell upriif,;d LII-115 en$i,ie (pr()je_'t wlis _.'anc,:llud) 

LRV hilllir r(Ivill_l velllclt, 

Ll,til%l Ltlclil SctL'illili¢ Slirvi: 7 lil_lllillt, 

LTV 

Lillg-Tenll:ll-\'Otltllil 

LV hlullch vl_lll¢ll i 

LVI)(" I_llliicll velilt'le tlitlit_il _:Oiilpiller 

,%! 

llilcDlliint_ll I)lliighi,_ Corp. I)llulllli,_ Aircrlll't (_(_ilillliiiy li,tcr!_cll with llltcl)onn_ll Alrcr_ifi 

('orl,_ilr_lllilll, April I_J(_'#,t_ ll¢c'(lllle l%lclliJilllt,,ll I)oulllli,s 

C'()rptir_llioll 

MAF Mielit}ud Assembly Facility (fl)rnierly MichoudOllerlltitins) 

MARS Mllrsliiill Athll_lic llt_crelltion-Sochil I']xcli_ill£.e 

Miirtin 

M_lrtiii ('lllnll_lny 

MIJA multiple docking liihipter 

MDAC-E llilcl)(lnncll DiJillll;ls Aircriift Ciirl_(lr_llion. l..'il,_lern Division 

Mr)AC-W M¢lJonriell D(luglii._ Aircraft Corporiilion, \Vt:sll2rn Divisloii 

ME MSFC's l_liinuftl¢lurliil_ l_llglill:l_rinl_ L.'lti(irlilory 

Michoud NASA's Mich(lull Opertilicln,_ 

tilinniltlllolis-ttoilcyw!_ll Minl_lipolis-|lolieywell. incorllorlllcd iiiiilie cli_ingl_d Io 

tlon!:lwell, liil:orporlitt_d 

396

ML 

MMC 

MS(.' 

MSFC 

MSS 

MSTS 

MTA 

MTF 

mobilelau,lcher 

Martin I',ladettnCorporation 

MannedSpacecraftCenter(stowLyndon B. JohnsonSpace 

Center) 

GeorgeC. MarshallSpaceFlight Center 

mobileservicestructure 

Military Sea TransportService 

mobility test article 

Mississippi Test Facility (at one time MTO) in Ilancock 

County, Mississippi 

N 

NAA 

North AmericanAviation, Inc. 

NAR North American Rockwell Corporation (name resulting 

from merger of NAA, Inc. and Rockwell-StandardCorp., 

Sept. 22, 1967) 

NASA 

n.mi. 

NERVA 

NOVA 

NRL 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

nautical mile 

nuclear engine for RIFT stage 

proposed direct flight vehicle to the moon, later cancelled 

in favor of Saturn V 

Faval ResearchLaboratory 

397

O 

OART 

O&C 

OMSF 

OSSA 

OW5 

Office or"Advanc_:dRe._arch Jnd "l'eclmotoiiy 

Operationsand Checkout lhflhllng 

()l'flce of",%hill,ledSpace I:llgl_t 

Office of Space Scie.ce and Applications 

Orbital Workshol_ 

I' 

PDR 

P&VE 

PCS 

Pegasus 

PFRT 

PS 

PrelimiliaryI)esigll Review 

Propulsionand Vehicle l:llgine_rlllllLaboratoryat MSF(" 

poiilting co.trol system 

meteoroid,lelectioi! satellite 

preliminaryflight rating lest 

payh)adshroud 

P&W I'ratt & Wiiitncy (.'oi_:piilly, a division of Uililed Aircraft 

RAM Re._arch illltl Applications Module 

RID lesearch iilid developlnellt 

R 

RCA 

RFP 

I 

RadioCorporationof America 

request for proposals 

Rocketdyne 

RIF 

RIFT 

Divisionof Nortll American Aviation 

reductioll in forL 

reactor-in-fligh!test stage (luiclear power) 

398

RP-I 

RLIO.A3 

a kerosene-typefuel 

An engine developed by Pratt & Whitney for "he Saturn 

S-IV stage. The stage was powered by six of these engines 

which burned Iox and LHa. The Pratt & Whitney Iox/LHz 

engine produced 15 000 pounds thrust. 

S 

S&ID 

SA. 

SA 

SAL 

S-I 

S-II 

S-IVB 

.°.tC' 

_-IV 

SAC?TO 

Space and Information Systems Division of North American 

Aviation 

solararray 

Saturn(with numbersignifiesa specificvehicleas gA-501) 

that does not have the Apollo commandmodule a_tached 

sclentifl_ airlock 

Saturn !, originally Saturn C-I first stage 

Saturn V second stage 

Saturn V third stage 

Saturn V tint stage 

Saturn I second stage 

Douglas Aircraft'sSacramento Test Facility 

Santa Susana test site for S-il and S-IVB stage and J-2 engine , 

SantaMonica 

Saturn I 

SaturnIB 

Douglas Aircraft's fabrication facility at Santa Monica, 

California 

A two-stagevehicle,with eight H-I enginespropellingfirst 

stageand six RL-10 €,nginespropellingsecondstage 

a two-stageVehiclewith eight H-I enginespropellingfirst 

stage _nd a single"J.2engine propelling second stage 

Saturn V 

a three stage vehicle, with five F-I engines propelling first 

stage,five J-2 engine propelling second stage, and a single 

J-2 engine propelling third stage 

I 

_'_ 399

SealBeach 

SL 

SLA 

SL('C 

Slldell 

SM 

SOC' 

SI'S 

SRM 

SSFL 

SSESM 

SSO 

STS 

SWS 

North AmericanAviation Assemblyplant at Seal Beach, 

California 

Skylab 

Spacecraft-LunarModule Adapter 

Saturn launch control computer 

a computer center that serves Michoud in Slidell, La. 

service module 

Space Orientation Center 

servicepropulsionsystem 

solidrocketmotor 

Santa Susans Field Laboratory 

Spent Stage Experiment Snpport Module 

Saturn Systems OITIc_: 

structuraltransitionsection 

Saltzr,iWorkshop 

T 

TACS 

thntster attitude control subsystem 

U 

UV 

UpratedSaturn 

ultraviolet 

nome,,clnture used for .r-IBfor a short period of time 

V 

VAB 

VCL 

Vehicle Assembly Building 

VehicleCheckoutLaboratory 

400

APPEND IXC 

HISTORICAL SUMMARYOFMSFC 

401

TEXAS TO ALABAMA 

After World War |l the White Sands Proving Ground had top personnel from 

Peenemuende, as well as 300 freight car loads of V-2 components. White Sands' fiat, 

isolated desert area, about 125 by 40 miles, also had the world's most massive building in 

1946, the firing site blockhouse. Its concrete wails, from l0 to 27 feet thick, could 

withstand a 2000-mph rocket. The WhiteSandsProvingGround would be the U.S. center 

of rocket development for half a decade. 

Early in 1946 White Sandsreadiedits first V-2 for launchingfrom Americansoil, to be 

I'ollowedby about two V-2 launchingsa monthuntil the lastoneon June28, 1950. Dr. 

Wernhervon Braunand his fellow rclentistsstatic-filedV-2 Number I on March 15, 

1946; V-2 RocketNumber 17, first ,dghtfiringof a V-2 in the UnitedStates,reacheda 

record-settingaltitudeof 116 milesand a velocityof 3600 mphon December17, 1946. 

From theseearlyfiringscamemuchof the Americanrocketknowledgeof today. 

Another pioneer rocket project at White Sandswas ORDCIT (Ordnance-California 

Instituteof Technology).This projectbeganwhen Dr. Theodorevrm Karmanin 1936 

organizedat Cal Tech a smallgroupof scientistsinterestedIn rocketry.ProjectORDCIT 

paralleledthe V-2 and other rocket projectsat White Sands,producingnewer and 

Improved rocket models such as Private, Corporal, Wac Corporal, and the more 

sophisticatedBumper-Wac.The Bumper-Wacwas _, multistagevehiclewith a V-2 first 

stage,the V-2's nosemodifiedto accommodatea WacCorporalrocket.Dr. yon Braun 

and other top scientistsfrom Peenemuende, JPL, DouglasAircraft Company,General 

ElectricCompany.and Army Ordnanceled in this Bumper-Weemultistagerocketry at 

White Sand0.On t:©bruary24, 1949, Bumper-WacNo. S sentits upperstageabout250 

mileshigh at a speedof about 5510 milesper hour.This wasthe highestvelocityand 

altitudeyet reachedwith anobjectmadeby man. 

Thoseearly daysat WhiteSandsProvingGroundwerebothbeetleandhistoric.OneV-2 

strayedfrom Its presetpath, passedover El Paso,Texas,and disrupteda gay fiestaat 

Juare,,.,Mexico, befog, Impactingharmlesslynearby. White Sandsoperation, halted 

pendlns adoption of effective safety systems.Despite such growing pains, records 

achievedat WhiteSandslastedseveralyetirs,suchas the February24 Bumper-Weefi,ght. 

WithoutWhiteSands,or Its counterpart,the ExplorersandPioneersmightstill be on the 

dzawingboard. 

Fort Bliss officials, seekingImproved rocket facilities in September1949, Inspected 

HuntsvilleArsenal,the Army's ChemicalCorps installationIn Alabama.Theseofficials 

proposedthe transfer to Huntsville of the White Sandsrocket scientistsand their 

equipmeqt.On October 28, 1949, the Secretaryof the Army approved.By November 

1950, 500 military personnel,130 Germans_:ientlsts,180 GeneralF.leL;tricontractor 

personnel,and 120 civil serviceemployeeshad moved from Fort Bliss to Redstone 

Arsenal.They broughtalongtheir rocketscientificequipment.Thus,after traveling3000 

milesfrom PeenemuendethroughTexasto Hw;tsville,the nucleusof the presentMSFC 

groupwasready for businessat RedstoneAr_,_nalIn Huntsville,Alabama,In the fall of 

1950. 

PRI_CEDINOPAQI_BLANKNOTFILM'I_ 

403

ARMY BALLISTICMIS$1LEAGENCY 

At Redstone Arsenals from April 1950 to November 1952 bt. yon Braunwas techplcal 

director of the Guided Missile Development Group. His _rottp included the team from 

Peenemuende. In November 1952 that group became the nucleus of the Guided Missile 

Development Division, with Dr. yon Braunas its chief. During these years, prior to the 

Army Ballistic Missile Agency, the group began research and development of the 

Redstone guided missile, an outgrowth of the V-2 and GeneralElectric'sProject Hermes. 

To develop a Redstone with 200 miles range the Army awarded North American 

Avlation's Rocketdyne Division a contract to modify it,. proutislng Navaho engine. In 

1952 Rocketdyne delivered its first modified Navaho engine to Redstone Arsenal, a 

Redstone Project milestone. Army personnel began building this and later modified 

Navaho enginc_ into rocket bodies and nicknamed this rocket the Ursa or Major.On 

April 8, 1952, tile Army officially named the rocket the Redstone, after the Arsenal.in 

Juno of 1953 the Army awardedChrysler Corporationa contract for Redstone research 

and development. Later in 19_, the Redstone Arsenalmlssilemen he,idealby Brig. Gen. 

II.N. Toftoy and Dr. Wer,!bd_, Braun, military and civilian chlef_ on the Arsenal, 

completed fabrication and _ly of the first Redstonc. On August 20, 1953, Dr. yon 

Braun's firing personnel at Cape Canaveral,Florida, launched the first flight Redstone. 

There were guidance problems in this short flight of 8000 yards, but technicians assessed 

the flight as satisfactory Ior development purposes. These Redstones were 69 feet long 

and 70 Inches In diameter, weighed 61 000 pounds at launch, and produced 75 000 

pounds of thrust at sea level. Yet the Redstone, however small, pioneered this country's 

Irnan-ln-spaceprogram. 

In 1954 Dr. yon Braun published a plan for orbiting an earth satellite. The Army 

advocated Dr. yon Brnutt's proposal, and requested Naval assistance. Prnjcct Orbiter 

evolved, a joint Army-Navy concept for launching an earth satellite. There was great 

space interest at Redstcne, and sat,:lllte proposals accompanying.Orbiter were Project 

Slug and Project Church Mouse. All of Redstone Arsenal'ssp_,ceproposalslost out when 

the Navy's Project Vanguar_won. 

However,while Arsenalscientistslost their satelliteproposalsthey won their rocket 

development.The JupiterA and the JupiterC wereImprovedRedstones.Tile JupiterA 

programbeganat RedstoneArsenalatein 1955, andfrom it camethe famousJupiterC, 

With JupiterC the Arsenalscientistsperfectedan e_.!ztlonreentryheat shield principle, 

one of the yon Braun group'smajor contributionsto rocketry. Also, the Army was 

preparingto launt:hImportantspacefiightswith JupiterC. The first stageof the Jupiter 

C wasan ImprovedRedstone;the secondand third stageshad solid propellantrocket 

motorsdevelopedby Jet PropulsionLaboratory, 

I. Redslone Arsenal almost began as Sihetl ArJenal, named for Army General Sibefl. Instead, on Ausust 4, 1941, the 

Army activated with the name Huntsville A,Jenal a Chemk81Corps Installationoccupyinll almost 40 000 acres )nuthwest 

of IluntwJlla. Then on October 6, 1941, the Army activated Redstone Ordnance Plant In conjunction with and 

iFun|Slphlcally,,dJolnlnllthe Iluntwllle Ar_'nal ¢hemkalInstaUttlon,Redstonerefewre, I to the colorof rocksandtell at 

tsvilie.On Februuy 26, 1943, Ihe Ann), lededllnatedtheRedltone OrdnancePlantt8 RedstoneArlenal.On April I, 

19.'9, with the arrivalof the vofl BraunOfoup from Texu, the Armymer|ed the old JluntwllleArsenalchemical 

Installation with the Imall Redslone Arsenal Installation and called the 4Q000-octe installation Redstone A,senal. 

4O4

S,:lentistsor militaryofficersnamedrockets,sometimesleavingthe laymenconfused.1"he 

Juplfer A and Jupiter C, improved Redstones, preceded Jupiter itself. This borrowing el" 

names resulted from the Arsenal's n,_edto borrow money from other projects to pay for 

the Redstone. 

The Jupiter missile program began on November 8, 1955, when Secretary of Defense 

Charles A. Wilsonauthorized the Army to assist the Navy in developingan intermediate 

range ballistic missile. The Army saw in Wilson's directive a green light for rocket 

emphasis, and on Febroary I, 1956, established the Army Ballistic Missile Agency 

(ABMA) at Redstone Arsenal. The nucleus of this new super-streamlined rocket 

organization was the former Guided MissileDevelopment Division of the Ordnance Missile 

Laboratory at Redstone Arsenal, famililirly "the van Braun Group." This group 

interpreted rocket emphasis to include space flight, and space proposals mushroomed, 

including ProjectManVery High and ProJectAdam. 

THE NATIONALAERONAUTICSAND SPACE ADMINISTRATIONWINS 

Following Sputnik I on October 4, 1957, ,*_e,:re.,,r/ofDe,ease Cil,,.rlesA. Wilson directed 

the Army to prepare to attempt two satellite launchin_ durlnu Marchof 1958. Secret3ry 

of the Army WilburBruckerrecommended to Secretary Wilsonthat the Army launch the 

first satellite on January 30, 1958, and Wilsonaccepted. 

Within four month, after Sputnik l, AUMA'sJupiter C Number 29 on January31, 1958, 

sent Explorer I into orbit; bad weather had postponed launching on January 29 and 30. 

On March 5, 1958, ABMA failed to orbit Explorer I!, but on March 26 orbited Explorer 

III. Jupiter Missile 5, on May 18, 1958, launched America's first tactical reently 

nosecone, and within 5 hours the Navy recovered it from the sea. The first completely 

guided Jupiter flight, Jupiter Missile 6, was successful on July 17, 1958. ABMA orbited 

Explorer IV on July 26, with four radiation counters aboard. Oil December 6, still In 

1958, ABMA's Pioneer III missed its target, the moon, but set an altitude record of 

66 654 mil_s. ABMA's final Important firing of 1958 was Jupiter Missile 13 carrying 

Gordo, a South Americansquirrelmonkey, thoL,gh searchers failed to recoverthe cone or 

Its passenger. 

ProJ_._tMan Very High was ABMA'splan for Army-Navy-AirForce team-workIn flying a 

living passengerand Instrumentation "upward a hundred or so miles." Failing to enlist a 

team, the Army decided to "go it alone," forsook the name Man Very High,and named 

the ProJectAdam. ProJectAdam became ABMA's celebrated proposal for pl_cing a man 

in space. ProJect Adam remained earthbound forever, giving way to the National 

Aeronautlc'.sand Space Administration (NASA) and its far-reachingProJectMercury. 

Meanwhile, ABMA scientists, though losing their go-ahead for man-in-spaceproJects,were 

Improving their space potential with largervehicles and largervehicle proposals ranging 

from Juno ! to June V. On February 3, 1959, the Advanced Research ProJects Agency 

officially named ABlVtA'sJuno V programthe Saturn. This was ABI_A's most ambitious 

flightprogramto date. 

405

ABMA momentum Increasedin 1959, beginningwith PioneerIV's 37 COO-milemissof 

the moon beforeit continuedto orbit the Sun. PioneerIV wasthis cout_tW'sfirstsolar 

satelli;e.'['henext ABMA spaceshotin 1959,on May 28, carriedtwo mom:eys,Ableand 

Baker,into and back from space.ABMA's last spaceshot in 1959, on October 13, 

orbitedcomplexExplorerVII, the van Braungroup'slastsatelliteorbitingUeforejoining 

NASA. 

Throughout 1959 the van Braungroupas usualsoughtmoreand biggerwa._sto reach 

space.Simultaneouslythe NationalAeronauticsand SpaceAdministrationscught more 

and moreof ABMA. Ironically,NASA In 1958 had askedfor, but fulledto receive,part 

of the DevelopmentOperationsDivisionof ABMA. In 1959 NASA received,without 

askIngfor it, the entire division.Later in this year Secretaryof DefenseNell McEIroy 

approachedNASA Director T. KeithGlennan0boutNASA'sInterestin acquirinl ABMA. 

NASA respondedwarmly. On October 7, 1959, the White Ilouse hosteda ldgh-levol 

"spacemeeting."As a resultNASA fell heir to ABMA'sDevelopmentOperationsDivision 

andthe SaturnProjectas well. 

On Januaw 14, 1960, PresidentEiscnhowersubmitted a space-teamtransfer plan to 

Congress.On March 14, 1960, canto Congressionalconcurrence.Mass transferof 

personneltook place on July I, 1960. Many detailedoperatingagreementswere still to 

be finalized. 

' 

MSFC'sFIRST YEAR 

July I, 1960 -June 30, 1961 

The George C. MarshallSpace Flight Center, named for General Marsllall, ol'flclullyi_egan 

on July I, 1960. On that date, In a ceremony in front of the MSFC-ABMAJoint 

headquarters,General/xugl,stSchomburBformally transferredthe ugreed-upoTi missions, 

I_rsonnel,and facilitiesfrom dzoArmy to Dr. Wornhervan Braun,Director of NASA's 

new Center.Becausemost employeescontinued to work in the sam,:physicalareson 

RedstoneArsenal,the movefrom the Army to NASA wasprimarilye "paper trans_;er." 

In the masstransfer,3989 of 417q employeesleft ABMA's DevelopmentOperalions 

Division for NASA. Joluins these 3989 were 311 employeesfrr_m&liMA's Techtdcal 

MateKnlsand EquipmentBranch(a warehousingnperation).Thus MSFCbeganwith 4670 

employees.Then on July 3 MSFC'spersonnelstrengthgrew to 4900 when 41 rzore 

employeestransferredfrom ABMA and 178 from the RedstoneArsel_al'sPostEngineer 

Office. After6 months,MSFCcivilservic employmentwas5367. 

MSFC began with 14 staff and project offices: Agena and Centaur Systems, (.;hlef 

Counsel, Financial Management, Future ProJects, Management Services, Operations 

Analyds, Patent Counsel, Procurement and Contracts, l_.zblicInformation, Reliability, 

Technical Program Coordination, Technical Services, Saturn Systems, and Weapons 

Systems. 

406

It had nine organizationsresponsiblefor technicalfunctions:Aeroballlsti_,Computation, 

Fabrication and Assembly Engineering,Guidanceand Control. Launch Operations 

Directorate,Quality, ResearchProjects,StructuresandMerhanics,antiTest.The Center's 

major programswhet,i( I_ga. o_;Jtion werethe Juno and Saturn,the developmentof 

the Centaur launchvehicle,developmentof the AgenaB stageof the Atlas-AgenaB and 

Thor-AgenaB boosters,supervisionof the F-I singleengineprogram,anddevelopmentof 

the Mercury-Redsto.evehiclefor NASA'sProjectMercury. 

Climax of the transferto NASA was PresidentEisenhower'sdedicationceremonyon 

September8, 1960. Herewith PresidentEisenhowerwensMrs.GeorgeC, Marshall,Dr. T. 

Keith Glennan, Alabama Governor John Patterson, and many other digrdtaries.Dedicated 

was the $100 OG_000 MSFC complex occupying 1200 acres. 

President Eisenhower praised General Marshall as a "man of war, yet a builder of 

peace.., the symbol of renewed hope for scores of millions of suffering people through 

his greatplan for Europe that will forever bear his name."PresidentEisenhower praised 

the Army mluile and space achievements at Redstone Arsenal and pointed to the 

scientists who today feel "as IF Venus and Man art, more itcceulble to them than a 

regimentalheadquarterswas to me as a platoon commrmderforty years ago." 

Highlighting the occasion was the unveiling by Mrs. Marshalland Presl6ent Etsenhower of 

General Marshall'sbust, sculptured by KalervoKallio. The b_tst, 21 inches high altd 18 

inches wide, is in red granite. At the date of this chronology publication it was guarding 

the main entrance of the MSFC HeadquartersBuilding 

In MSFC's first payload launching for NASA, Explorer VIII on November 3, 1960, 

orbited the earth. But on November 21 MR-I failed at launch because of improper 

separation of electrical connectors between the I.unching table and the vehicle. On 

December 19, 1960. the first Mercury-Redstone,unmanned, flew a suborbital trajectory 

as scheduled from Cape Canaveral,Then, on January 31, 1961, at Cape Canaveral 

NASA's Mercury-RedstoneMR-2 sent the Chimpanzee Ham on a safe ride 155 miles high 

and 420 miles down range. But astronaL, t Alan Shepard'a historic ride on May 5, 1961, 

climaxed MSFC'sfirst year. Shepardwent I IS miles high .nd 302 miles across the ocean, 

first man in space in NASA'sastronaut program. 

MSFC'aSECONDYEAR 

July I, 1961 - June 30, 1962 

On July I, 1961, an estimated 50000 visitors at MSFC, Including NASA Administrator 

James E. Webb, celebrated the Center's tint birthday. After this auspicious beginning, 

Mercury astronaut Virgil I. Grissom on July 21, 1961, rode "Liberty Bell 7" In our 

country's second manned space flight. In tbe fall of 1961 NASA made two significant 

facility decisions affecting MSFC. On September 7 NASA selected the Mlchoud Ordnance 

Plant near New Orleans as a site for Industrialproduction of Saturnboosters. On October 

407

25 NASA selected the Pead River site in southwestern Mississippi,35 miles from the 

Michoud plant, as a static lust area for Saturn vehicles. MSF(' wo.ld operate both 

facilities. But probably the most historic dale in MSFC's second year was October 17, 

19(_1, when Saturn vehicle SA-I '*on a p¢rfcct rocket day" flew as planned, pioneering 

tile historically successful Sat.m program. An important administrative decision was 

NASA's March 7 termination of the MSFC Lanncl| Operations Directorate and 

establishmentof a Launch Operations Center at Cape Canaveral,effective July I, 1962. 

Further indication of NASA's expandingprograms came later in March when ahout 60 

MSFC management personnelbegan moving their families to Micho,:_! Operations. When 

Saturns flew, they apparenlly flew right. On April 25, SaturlzSA-2 left Cape Canaveral 

for a secondsuccessfulSaturn flight in a row. 

MSFC'sTHIRD YEAR 

July I, 1962- Ju.e 30, 1963 

In the full of MSI:C's tllird year,oil SeptemberII, 19(,2,PresidentJohn I:, Kennedy, 

Vice-PresidentLyndonB, Johnson,and NASA AdministratorJamesE, Webbvisitedth_ 

('enter and highly €on|plimentedthe Center'sSaturn program,Then on November16, 

Salem SA-3 flew upward103 milesande_llward 128milesoverthe AtlanticOceanfor a 

third successfplSaturn flight mission in a row. On November 28 nine new 

(second-generation) astronauts,_lcco,npaaledby three of the original astronauts(John 

Glenn, WalterSchirra,and i)onuldSlayton),visitedMSFCfor a Saturnbriefing.Earlyin 

Februaryof 1_)63NASA changedSaturn nantes.The SaturnC-I becameSaturnI; the 

C-IB becameSaturn IB; and theC'-SbecumeSaturnV. NASA successes€limaxedMSF("s 

third year. On March 28 NASA launched SA-4 for anotherperfectSaturnlaunch,Iho 

fourth in u row. Further indicatingMSFC momentum,some1200 MSFC employeesin 

late Juneof 1963 beganmovinginto Building4200, the Center'snew Ileudquarlers 

Building,This 10-storymodernisticbpildingwasperhapsa symbol.ofhigherpenetration 

of space, 

MSFC'sFOURTH YEAR 

July I, 1963 -Ju.e 30, 1964 

TypicallyMSFCbeganitsfourth yearwith expansion,In Jl|ly 1963 the Army transferrau 

to MSFC 202 acresof land adjoiningthe existingNASA ureaon RedstoneArsenal,thi_ 

lal,3stIncrementenlargingthe MSFCcomplexto 1786acres.The followingmonth MSFC 

completedmovementof more than 1000 personnelinto the new HeadquartersBuilding 

4200. MSFC begancalendaryear 1964 with the filth Saturnsuccessin fivefli,xhts,SA-5 

on January 29 was the first Saturn to fly both the first and secondslages live, 

Appropdate to the Ce,ter's expandingimportancein space,Mrs. LyndonB. Johqson 

visitedMSFC on March 24. Accompaniedby NASA AdministratorJamesE. Webband 

other dignitaries,Mrs, Johnsontoured MSFC, viewedtwo statict]dngs,and madetl|ree 

speeches.Then on May 28, Saturn SA-6 rose from LaunchComplex 3"/B at Cape 

Kennedy,the sixth Saturnsuccessin six flights.SA-6carriedan Apollo,,,pacecraft model 

into earthorbit for the riwt time. 

408

MSFC'sFIFTH YEAR 

July I, 1964- June 30, 1965 

In its fifth year MSFCscheduled three Saturn flights and otherwise expanded the Saturn 

IB and Saturn V programs.On September 18, 1963, the Saturn SA-7 continued Saturn's 

successful record. The S-IV stage, instruhtent unit, and hn Apollo model entered orbit. 

This seventh Saturn flight transmitted more measureme,,ts to earth stations *_an any 

previous U.S. spacecraft. Ninety-one "ground cameras" photographed the fii_lb' ,'n._ on 

the craft were eight more cameras. After ejection from the Saturn these elBJtCfell ;ate 

the Atlantic; two were recovered and their valuable films studied by scientists. 

MSFC began calendar year 1965 with stlli another succeuful Saturnflight, the eighth. 

NASA launched SA-9 instead of SA-8 on this date, February 16, 1965, because SA-9 had 

progressed through manufacture and testing more rapidly than had SA-8. Thus SA-9 

rather than SA-8 orbited the first Pegasussatellite. The Pegasus,still attached to the _IV 

stage, deployed its "wings" to a span of 96 feet and began its function of identifying 

meteoroid punctures. And MSFC neared the end of its fifth year with still another Saturn 

I success from Ihe Cape. SA-8, on May 25, 1965, carded the second Pegasusm_teorold 

technology ,mtellite into orbit in a dramatic predawn launch. SA-8 was the ninth 

successful Saturn I flight. A week later the final Saturn I booster, second one assembled 

at MichoudOpe.ations, arrivedat Cape Kennedy aboard the barge ,_,omlse. 

MSFC's SIXTHYEAR 

July I, 1965 -June 30, 1966 

Saturn I's succeuful conclusion, and Saturn IB and V progress,highlighted MSFC's sixth 

year. On July 30, 1965, Satum SA-10 ended the historic Saturn I program. SA-IO lifted 

into orbit the th,rd Pegasus meteoroid technology satellite. Saturn I highlights included 

the largestrocket engines to date and orbiting or the heaviest earth satellites - more than 

37 000 pounds on SA-5, SA-6, and SA-7. llundreds of firms contributed to the Saturn I 

program. Chrysler Corporation, under contract to build all Saturn IB boosters, also built 

the last two Saturn I boosters. MSFCdesignedand built the tint eisht Saturn i boosters. 

Douglas Aircraft Company built the S-IV stages. North American Aviation built the 

engines for the booster, and Pratt and Whitney the ep_lrles tar the second stage. Major 

suppliers of guidance equipment Included IBM and B_Jidix. Fairchild-Hiller built the 

Pegasussatellites. 

After SA-I0 Dr. van Braun congratulated Center pe;_onncl by saying that the Saturn I 

proved that many of his leading scientlst_ were correct in their "heavy duty launch 

veltlcle theories." NASA Administrator James Webb sent this congratulatory message: 

"Dr. Dryden, Dr. Seamans, and the entire NASA team Join me In congratulating you 

upon the succeuful completion of the Saturn I proF,."amwith the launching of the tenth 

Saturn I and its _'egasusC payload. The Saturu I marks the first 100 per cent successful 

NASA launch vehicle program for ,vhich you and your associates can Justly feel proud." 

409

Appropriately MSFC approached the end of its sixth year with Saturn's most historic 

flight to dale. On Febnlary 26 a NASA Saturn IB successfully pioneered a new series of 

Saturn flights. Tile Saturn IB lifted a 45 O00-pound payload, heaviest launched by NASA 

to date. As millions watched on television the Saturn IB senl all Apollo spacecraft 

skyward on a journey 300 miles up and 500 miles ot,I From Cape Kennedy. Over the 

Atlantic the Apollo's parachute lowered it gently into the Atlantic ocean near its 

recovery carder, the USS ll,).vcr. Asked about the possibility of flying a manned 

Apollo/Saturn IB in _._alendaryear 1966, Mantled Space Flight Director Dr. George 

Mueller said, "It is 'always possible, but the probability is reasonably _ood thai we wil! 

fly the first mah next year." 

MSFC'sSEVENTH YEAR 

July I, 1966- June 30. 1967 

Majoritems in MSFC'sseventh year included two Saturn flights, tile worst tragedyin the 

history of tile U.S. space pn3gram,and a Vice-Presidentialvisit. Tile successes came first, 

and riley were landmarks. On July 5 1966, the 12th Saturn vehicle, AS-203, flew from 

KS¢ (omplex 37B. AS-203 preceded AS-202 into space in o_der to allow more time for 

preparation and checkout of AS-202, which flew sttccessfully front Launch Complex 34 

on August 25. AS-202 was tile 13th Salem vehicle i, a row to fly successfully through 

space. The worst tragedyin the nation's space programoccurred on January 27, 1967, as 

a flash Ilre at KS(" swept through the Apollo I spacecraft mated to tile 5A-204 launch 

_'ehicle on LC-34. Three astrt),rauls within the capsule. Virgil I. Grissom. Edward II. 

White, and Roger B. Chaffee, perished from smoke Inhalation. Space optJmhm at MSFC 

improved later in the year with the visit of Vice President Ilubert !1. Illnnphrey on May 

22 and 23, 1967. 

MSFC'a EIGIITHYEAR 

July I, 1967 -June 30, 1968 

Three flights in the Apollo program hlghll_:tc'J MSFC's eighth year. NASA reached a 

critical point in the Apollo progral,i with the Apollo 4 flight (AS.501) on November 9. 

an "all-up" mission from Launch Complex 39 at K_. Apollo 4's flight was tile first of 

the missions designed to qualify Saturn V for manned flight. A Saturn IB followed the 

Saturn V Apollo 4 flight Into space as Saturn IB (AS.204) orbited a lunar module on 

January 22. This was the flrst of a series m' tests of tile LM's ascent and descent 

propulsion systems, again preparatory to manned space flight. Still another Ilight leading 

to manned missions was that of Apollo 6 (AS-502} from _'s Complex 39A on April4, 

1968. Apollo 6 successfully ended NASA's series of _tlallflcnflon lii_hts preparatoryto 

nian in space in NASA's Apollo Lunar Lalldln'gPrcgram.The next tlight in thesApollo 

Lunar Landing Progran:later ill the year w(,uld be that of NASA's firs_ manned mission. 

410

MSFC'sNINTH YEAR 

July I, 1968- June 30, 1969 

A Huntsville tribute to three deceased astronauts, the death of a presidential friend of 

MSFC, and four flights in the Apollo programwere the most significantevents in MSFC's 

ninth year. The close relationship between lluntsville and MSFC and the nation's space 

program was shown by the Huntsville Board of Education on October 8, 1969, when it 

decided to name thl'ce new city schools for astronautswho died in the Agollo 204 flash 

fire at Cape Kennedy on Jamtary 27, 1967. A new high school would be named for 

Virgil I Grissom,a Juniorhighschoolfor EdwardH. White,II, andan elementaryschool 

for RogerB. Chaffee.The four successful flights during MSFC's ninth year were the 

flights of Apollo's7, 8, 9, and 10. Apollo 7 on October II, 1968, wasNASA'sfirst 

manned mission in the Apollo Lunar Landing Program. Manned also wa._Apollo 8 on 

December 21, 1968; Apollo 9 on March 3, 1969; and Apollo I0 on May 18, 1969. 

Meanwhile, durin[; this exciting start of the Apollo manned lunar landing mission the 

nation went into mourning for a famed fun of the space program,Generalof the Army 

Dwight D, Eisenhower, the 34th Presldez_tof the United States, who died on March 28, 

1969. Hc had dedicated the MarshallCenter on September 8, 1960. 

MSFC'a 10th YEAR 

July I, 1969- June 30, 1970 

On July 20, 1969, man first set foot on the moon, the most important date in MSFC's 

10th yearand undoubtedlyin the history of the spaceprogram.From July 16 through 

July 24 the Apollo I I mannedlunarlandingmissionflownby NASA achievedan 8 year 

goal sot by PresidentKennedyon May 25, 1961. MSFC employeesJoinedin a Lunar 

LandingCelebrationat the newlyestablishedMARS picnicareaat the center,July 26, 

1969, celebratingthe Apollo II achievementby Nell Armstrong,first manon the moon, 

and his fellowastronautsMichaelCollinsand EdwinAldrin.On November16 nrankind'z 

secondcrew to the 'moon left the earth, this time in Apollo 12. AboardwereCharles 

Conrad,RichardGordon,and Alan Bean.The three Apollo 12 astronautsfollowedtheir 

successfulmoon missionwith a visit to Huntsvilleon January8, 1970, where they 

thankedthe many MSFC employeeswho had helpedto make their lunar trip possible. 

They also establisheda pattern for astronautvisits to MSFC, a trend followed by 

subsequentmannedApollo crews.Withspaceheartspalpitatingafter two successful lunar 

landings,it s_em_dappropriatethat famed heart specialistDr. ChristianBamardof the 

Grotte Shurr Hospital Staff, Johannesburg, South Africa, should visit tile Center, On 

February 25, 1970, Dr. Barnardpresented a lecture at tile Center and met with ("enter 

leadersbeforetouringthe MSFCInstallation. 

A strongheart wasespecially,calledfor in the'final Apollo flight in MSFC's 10th year. 

This was NASA'z Ill-fated Ap_'_llo13 missionwhich beganwith a successfullift-off as 

scheduledbut was nearly abortedduring the flight. VariousproblemsIncludedthat of 

Inadequatecrew temperature.The crew tried different waysto keep front gettingtoo 

411

cold: wearingboots carried for walkinlt on the moon, sleeping in the 3-foot-wide tunnel 

between the LM and the ('M. and wearing extra clothing. The Apollo 13 mi:_sion 

objectives were not achieved, but tile Apollo 13 flight crew performance proved 

outstandingIhroul_hout Ihe missionand the crew returned safely to earth. 

MS[:("s I I Ill Y_.AR 

July I, 1970 - June 30, IreT'l 

MSFC's I IIh year began and ended oil a down note. 'l'lxenot-so-ljt)odbeginning cameon 

August 14, 1970, when MS[:C Director F.bcrilard Rccs informed MSFL"employeesel"a 

probable major reduction*In-force IhrouilJlout NASA, This reduction-in-force projection 

came within a year after NASA had successfully landed the Apollo astronauts on th,' 

moon. An international Nrst at MS[:(7 occurred on O_'lober 20. 1_)70, when R|l.,_si.',z| 

('os|nonauls Adrian Nikolayev and Vtlali Scva.,_tynov, crewmen for II1_ Soviet Soyuz 0, 

;rrlved for a two-day visit, accompanied by U.S. Astronaut [:.dwin Aidrln. Tile on, 

Apollo IliSJ|t in this year was that of Apollo 14, the third ._uc¢cssl'ulunar landiilg 

mission. Tile down note ending MS[:C's 11111year came with a tragedy felt througJlout 

the space worhl as Russia'sv_ar=_space trat_edyto eat, brot_ghtdeath to three Soyuz 

cosnlonatltS on June 30, 1971. Six'aking for NASA I)r. Georl,e Low expressed 

condolen':esover tile death el" tile IIIrec COSlllOnautzbut slated Ih:lt it wasvery unlikely 

that this tragedJ would L'au._a delay in NASA's _hultle or Skylab programs. 

MS[:C's 12th YEAR 

July I, 1971 -June 30, 1972 

Ilighll_hts el' MS[:C's 12ll, . )ur were two o1"the pem_iningthree flil_hls in the Apollo 

program. The IlJ_t o1"these ,we rcmaininBflilzhts was that el' Apolh) 15 on July 2(_, 

19"/I. Apollo I.'i continued the successfullunar landinij progranl, and was I'ollow_'don 

April 16, 1972, by Apollo I(_, also a successfullunar mission, Meanwhile, personnel 

reductions were still in the news, and on tile next to tile last day el' MS[:("s 12lh year, 

June 29, 1972, the [:ederal District Court in Washington, D.C., issued a temporary 

r_.strainin8order which had the effect of preventing MS[:C Front implementinix a 

reduction-in-force scheduled for June 29. Tile order was issued o01tile petition of the 

Am,dean Federationof GovernmentEmployees. 

MS[:C'a 13TH YEAR 

July I. 1972 - June 30. 1973 

Appropriately MS[:C"s final year in this 13.year summary was climaxed by the end of u 

major program and with two major new space'programsIoomins larger on the horizon. 

Space Shuttle, a projected flight program with hlsloric possibilities, made mxtJornews on 

J_ly 26, 1972. when NASA selected the Space Division of North American Rockwell 

412

Corporationof Downey,California,for negotiationof a contractto begindevelopmentof 

a SpaceShuttle system.An indicationof the projectedimpact of SpaceShuttle came 

wP.han AssociatedPressreport that the Shuttle programshouldeventuallymean"Sixty 

thousandJobsIn California." Benefitswere predictedthroughout the spaceprogram. 

Meanwhile,midway in MSFC's 13th year camethe final flight of the Apollo program 

with yet anothersuccessfulSaturn launchas Apollo 17 rosefrom earthon December7, 

1972.-Spaceinterestsremainedhighasan estimatedcrowdof half a millionobservedthe 

lift-off from the Cape of this final successful lunar landing missionin the Apollo 

program.Then on May 14, 1973, the first Skylabflight occurredsuccessfullyasa Saturn 

V lifted SkylabInto a 270-mile,near-circularorbit. Skylab'acrewmenhad"beenoflglnally 

scheduledtu bla_;. _off the next day,May 15, for a linkup with the laboratoryorbitedthe 

previous day, but then came problems with the laboratory, and so it was not until May 

25 that the first manned Skylab Increment followed the ailing SL-I into space. The 

continuing Skylab problems taxed the ingenuity of astronauts and technicians on the 

ground, but out of this adversity came proof within Skylab in space and on the ground 

and throughout NASA and contractor installations that mankind has the intelligence and 

ability to conquer major problems In space. 

413

APPENDIXD 

EARLIESTORGANIZATIONAL CHA_,rS 

41S

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PR_n_o PAG_I,ANKNG_Wr,M_,_ 

41"#

418

APPENDIXE 

MSFC'sMANPOWER STATUS 

! 

, 419

AT END OF FIR,%TYEAR (June 30, 1961) 

_.i.,.i_**lll ................ ""' +" ' ' - 

PRECI;_)INGPA(IEBLANK NOT I_'T,_'Ti') 

421

' ' Oi 

ON DATE OF GREATEST EMPLOYMEIT[ (April30,1965) 

tJq* 

MSFC _ NPOWIR STATUS SUid}. ,AT A|OF' ,,April 1,0t 1965 

! |*R 6760t343 

• ' OI'_ILIEItYI _[ .... BY LOOATI )H I 

j ' ''" aon* rlilroll 

I, • ORGANIZATION revel;lee 4IILIN4 !P, s--="*xtnt 

OI_04PilO ruannt ONoOO&lO IPetioflf_lL a*.*_ 

_J.lt 

.__ 

IW 

Onlid, relriOnnei Mir mtiJIiIIL_ 

On lid. J_TB_q ee,,i ,_,x ,uv**ee_,v,uue 

Ilia ! 

' D,:,€_:'&"O, puUto .... 28 26 38..... 

_,$aist_t Okectm 2 2 2 

[restiveSWI 

C_l,!C,_uti 

9.5 

_t3 

83 

20 

I | 84 

20 

I.a_ fl,latieJsOff_ S .5 S 

P_bli¢A/fibsO|fict 30 30 30 

_U Adi Office 30 19 13 7 

Facilities & 0*JlIIAO(ft¢e 108 |0/6 $ | 1 10; _t 

Fin4m¢lil PAI_E414At OffiM 197 188 .1 3 1 194 

_uui_t S,.lc,, Office 

Pm(twlOff€€e 

.210 

99 

303 

97 1 

6 

14 

176 

37 

33 

85 

Pwc._siqOffice 324 3_t3 6 31 1 115 144 

Oilect_', R&00peritkm 7 ? 

Fvtw*P_jtctaOffice :33 3t 1 33 

RtSOu_¢il I_8emMIOfli_l 50 66 66 

tylttes OlfiCa 

A¢_,AII_ICS lib 

40 

360 

3S 

357 31_ 11 

I 

1 1 

33 

384 1 

3 

11 

Astrkl_iCs _ 9/6/) 968 33 3 936 44 2 

Cia_pota:ien Ud) 177 174 6 1. 1 180 ! 

U_ufKtu_i_t blf Lib 63_ 833 1 3 3 803 33 10 

PIqNIslMkVehicleLeftLab; _.,|'f 020 30 ? 766 113 S 

Q,aldity i_,t_UCd &R,IAssu(i_i_Lt_ P_iCtSI._ 6_t_ )9 " 62; _7 1_ 1 6 53S 69 $ 994 

TtstLib 761 73._ t9 1 773 

UNALLOGkT[O _t ....... -- - 

IUO,TOTAL, dkT,tO, dkT2'_ _2 ;.1,. i,O 10 _564 184 13.5 I 

DirectOr, tnd, Opnl 10 13 ti 3 

Sat: tB Centaur 014 8 

Cont_amOlfi¢* 168 165 13 .1 121 30 

Fici:itiqsP_JedOffice 66 44 1 33 11 

P_oJir.I LotisticsOffl_ 1.5 14 1 14 

.Rou_mmnat,m*tOff_ )! 30 3 1 33 

Sat_ 1/18Prop_tOffiee IS; 165 .5 2 106 6 38 

SitmV P,,_,,_Offiu 308 206 S $ 193 19 

[iIbl P_F_ Offi¢i 117 1t0 2 9 70 36 

u,u,a ... .o 6 .6 

UNALLOCAT[O 

;116 1o63 : _ 

" 31, 0 27 60.5: 6 469 

"OYALS _6s9 ......7146 i tSI_ 36 ....9/_ 0 62 6538 665 613 

US_ClmlfiuU**Act _6t72 

USF¢aVp 0wd 1664 

UtF¢ut,t_yomits 68 

._Ln!_AY:_., " P[liHAH|IIT I_FEPI '_='a __-'_:_.,_MU*.'--- • _e loi_l, MILITARY---- 

€filial; 7489 169 0 0 0 7638 

0e8_d 1370 15| 0 g4 0 7616 68. 

C_€-iltOd 651 62 10 

422 

va'e_el#.j , ,, 77 17 .... -96 0

' 

APPEND IXF 

• REPRESENTATIVE PERSONNELCHARTS 

• . _, _ • _ .._ . .... 

egBOI_Z)II'IG PA,.P.,_ Sla_ _0_i,I1,1_I) 

425

PRECEDINGPAGE BLA_K NOT FILM|'_ 

427

428

MARSHALLSPACEFL!GHT CENTER 

AVERAGE AGE OF PERMANENTEMPLOYEES 

ii i | i i ii i ii 

FY-68 FY-69 FY-70 FY-71 FY-72 

,.,, -!. 

iii I IIq 

MSFC 40.4 41.4 42.3 42.8 43.4 

MSC 36. I 37.2 38.2 38.8 39.8 

KSC 39.0 39.8 40.8 41.4 42. I 

GSFC 38.3 38.4 39.0 3q2 40.2 

i 

III 

...... I I|

430

APPEND IX G 

MSFCFUNDING 

431

MSFC FUNDING 

Fiscal Yell" 

(in FundingLevels 

millions of dollars) 

1961 $ 378.7 

1962 630.8 

1963 I 159.9 

1964 1591.2 

1965 17O1.6 

1966 1688.2 

1967 1471.8 

1968 1213.0 

1969 882.6 

1970 853.6 

1971 761.7 

1972 754.7 

1973 612.5 

1974 (Budgeted) 440.6 

_U.ll. OOVIIRMnNT PRINTINO OPPICE 1974 -'640.447 I 116 REGION NO.4 

433

An Illustrated Chronology of the NASA Marshall Center and MSFC ...

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