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plane Vol. 30, No. 74, Eethpage, N. Y., July 26, 1971 news 15 astronauts ready tANO to lift off for moon mission. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. own; no two are exactly alike, nor —This morning, three astronauts were should they be, for each is to do a to be rocketed from a launch pad on different job at a different place in a Merritt Island to begin a 12-day-plus different way. What has been the same journey to the moon and back. is what Grumman’s director of Opera The two men in the Lunar Module, tions at Cape Kennedy calls “meticu Commander David Scott and LM Pilot bus attention to detail.” Whatever is James Irwin, are due to land on the checked is rechecked and rechecked moon at about 6:15 p.m. (EDT) July • . and rechecked. 30 and explore our close neighbor in To get back to the vehicle’s “per the sky for approximately 665 hours sonality,” it’s changed for LM-l0, call —twice as long as any previous trip— ed the Falcon. And physical changes while Command Module Pilot Alfred have been made, too. For example, Worden keeps circling our satellite. earth weight has increased to 36,000 Liftoff from the moon is scheduled pounds, an additional battery has been for shortly after 1:15 p.m. August 2. put into the descent stage in order to LM docking with the CSM is due al extend its lunar stay, descent stage most two hours later. And at about propellant tanks have been extended 4:45 p.m. Saturday, August 7, the trio to accommodate 1,150 more pounds of of space adventurers is scheduled to fuel, a battery-powered four-wheeled splash down in the Pacific. vehicle (the Lunar Roving Vehicle, or Placed in that type of compressed LRV) is carried in LM, an additional time frame, everything seems so sim water tank and an added oxygen tank ple, so matter of fact, even easy. After have been built in, and there’s a lot all, “we” have done it before; and all more. In a sense, Falcon is a new LM— the signs point to a remarkable learn and that in itself dictates a closer view, ing curve that suggests that each ve for, as Grumman Consultant Pilot hicle has been better than the one George Dowling has said, “We can’t that preceded it. That’s probably let them (the astronauts) be sur true. prised.” Ready for ride. Experiments packages in front of them and the Lunar Roving Also true, though, is that each ve Protecting against bad surprises is Vehicle partly shown at left, astronauts CL to R) Dave Scott. Al Worden, and Jim hicle has a “personality” uniquely its (Continued on page 3) Irwin are ready for moon trip. (NASA photo) • . as Grumman team steps up effort on new NASA contract During the next few vacation- ployees has dropped from a peak of beckoning weeks a Grumman crew 9,000 to a present count of 1,000, and will be hard at work in Plant 25 on Grumman employment overall has the High Energy Astronomy Obser dipped from a high of 37,000 in 1968 vatory, HEAO. The Request for Pro to about 24,000.” posal was issued by the National Associated with Grumman on the Aeronautics and Space Administration RFP are Bendix (control subsystems), on July 6, and a response is due Au Hughes Aircraft (power systems), gust 27. “We have the talent and the Lockheed (orbit adjust stage), and facilities and a strong determination Radiation, Inc. (data subsystems). to win this,” said Vice President Ralph Grumman sees its role in the HEAO _.,.—._;__.‘•• •‘ Tripp, director of HEAO. program as analagous to its role in Grumman, teamed with Bendix and the LM program. “We are practical, Hughes, received a $250,000 contract we are conservative,” asserted Tripp, in the spring of ‘71 for a Phase B “and hardware oriented—the kind of study of the 10-ton observatory. The company that builds a dependable RFP, just issued, is for the multi— vehicle. With LM, the task is getting million-dollar C/D design and hard astronauts to the moon and back to ware phase for two spacecraft. TRW earth; with HEAO, as with OAO, it’s is competing against Grumman. building a vehicle to accommodate the “We need such a space program to experiments and getting the data back help sustain the very able spacecraft safely. specialists still with us,” Tripp said. “Funds for HEAO for the Fiscal “Other companies are loudly pleading Year ‘72 were granted by Congress poverty, but there are really no fat without any question,” Tripp said. cats in the aerospace business, and we “They just gave it the green light. And Space traveler. NASA plans to launch first High Energy Astronomy Observa at Grumman have felt the pinch like technically there is a good deal of in tory in 197S to further explore the heavens. Here. Charlie Oliver and Ed Thomas everybody else. With delivery of our terest within the astronomy commun check placemenf of experiments in observatory model. (Photo by Harry Pro) last LM, the number of our LM em- (Continued on page 4) Fr Capt. Belier, back from Pacific, The view from here... Grumman There were plenty of proud parents during recent high school and col heads Navy office at lege commencement exercises last month but it’s not likely that any of them After a full year on the Pacific with were prouder than Charlie Selock and George Thompson. Their sons, Bob Task Force 77, Capt. Robert H. Belter Selock and Mark Thompson, were among the graduates from the Human has moved to Long Island to become Resources school in Albertson. which conducts a high school for handicapped the new Naval Representative at Beth- people. Augie Walsky, assistant to Board Chairman Lew Evans, offered the page. He seems very glad to put his feet boys his personal congratulations while representing the Company at the under “a waterproof desk and take this ceremony. interesting job.” Both young men were members of the National Honor Society, were Officially, he took over on July 21. active in a number of school organizations, and received other scholastic Capt. Andrew Yates, whom he succeeds awards as well. Bob, whose dad is a foreman in Plant 24, will continue his as NAVPLANTREP in Plant 35, will studies at C. W. Post, while Mark, whose father works in Plant 1, is bound become Commanding Officer of the for Hofstra. Naval Air Rework Facility at Jackson ville, early next month. Captain Yates has been at Grumman three years—a Note of thanks longer-than-usual tour “and very re There are some people who don’t forget. Ask Morgan O’Brien and Don warding,” he declares. “Now my fam Reisert, members of the Grumman Plant Protection force. Both received fly and I are looking forward to our warm personal notes last week from Robert Finch, former Secretary of next duty. Like all Navy career people, Health, Education, and Welfare and now Counsellor to President Nixon. we’re nomads.” Finch sent the missives to O’Brien and Reisert to thank them for their assist Captain Belter and his wife have ance when he came in to Bethpage a couple of weeks ago on the way to something of the same feeling. While he Hofstra University for a speaking engagement. was engaged the past year as the as sistant chief of staff for material readi ness for Vice Adm. F. A. Bardshar and Under the trees subsequently Rear Adm. 0. W. Cooper, Capt. Robert Belter The Environmental Technology Seminar presents “An Outdoor Environ Commander of Task Force 77, Mrs. Bel New Navy rep at Bethpage mental Happening” on Saturday, July 31, at 10 a.m. in Bayard Cutting Ar ter was living in Happy Valley, Hong boretum in Great River and at 1 p.m. at Heckscher State Park (rain date, Kong. They came home via Europe “so uate School in Monterey, California. Aug. 1.). At the Arboretum Samuel C. Yeaton, Long Island naturalist, will we could say that our world isn’t From 1966 to 1968 he headed the At conduct a guided nature tour. At the park there will be g picnic (bring your square.” tack Aircraft Branch at the Naval Air own contribution to family-style cookout), entertainment by a folk guitar Admiral Cooper’s staff aboard the Test Center at Patuxent, where he flew group, and sports and swimming. USS Kitty Hawk in the Gulf of Tonkin a variety of attack and fighter aircraft. is permanently deployed to the Western He relieved Captain Yates as A-6 class Pacific. Captain Belter’s job was to as desk officer in the Naval Air Systems Inside look sure the material readiness of the ships Command in Washington. “I kind of and planes of the Task Force, which have the feeling he’s following me,” At least one of the 10 most recent Grumman scholarship winners is get launches around-the-clock air strikes commented Yates. ting an interesting and somewhat unusual view of Company operations this in support of allied forces in southeast Captain Belter holds two Commenda summer. Henry Brandt, who’s bound for Cornell this fall in pursuit of an Asia. The captain has completed three tion Medals with combat V, the Air electrical engineering degree, is working in the audio-visual section of Pre Vietnam tours—the first and second Medal with two stars, a Navy Unit sentations Services. Just last week Henry assisted in the making of an in- with Heavy Attack Squadron Four Citation, and the Vietnam Service house video tape.