History. Its Current State of Development, and Its Goals for the Future. Chapter
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DOCONON?ARSUNR ED 032 234 SE 007 US Space: The New Frontier. National Aeronautics and Spate Administration, Washington.D.C. Pub Date (661 Note -98p. Available from-Superintendent ofDocuments. U.S. Government Printing MRS Price Mr -50S0 NC -MOO Office. Washington, D.C. 20402($0.75). Descriptors-Merospace Technology.*Elementary School Science. Reading Secondary School Science Materials. *Reference Materials. Identifiers-National Aeronauticsand Space Administration This document is designed primarilyto describe the US. Space Program.its history. its currentstate of development, andits goals for the future. Chapter headings include: Spaceand You; The Early History ofSpace Flight; The Solar Space Probes and System; Satellites; Scientific Satellitesand Sounding Rockets;Application Satellites. UnmannedLunar and InterplanetarySpacecraft; Manned Space The Space Launch Exploration; Vehicles. Biological Considerationsin Space Eiplorations;Astronaut Selection and Training;Rocket Propulsion Principlesand Techniques; Electric Power Generation. Guidance.and Communication;and Other ResearchActivities. The publication is liberally illustratedwith photographs. diagramsand tables. (BR) PeN C\I I IIik c\J U.S. DEPARTMENT Of HEALTH, D & A re\ OFFICE Of EDUCATION Lid THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRODUCED EXACTLY ASRECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGINATING !T.POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT OFFICIALOFFICE Of EDUCATION OSITION OR POLICY. art "itowi! A Ed I li 111 I p :111 ti a. a N*ATIONAL AERONAUA' IC'S ., I 0 AN'DS'PA°C- g A'DMINI S TRATI 6N; I I P . ( THE AGE OF SPACEIf there has been a single factor responsible forour success over the past two hundred years, it has been the characteristic American confidence in the future.It was such a confidence which brought the first colonists westward across the Atlantic to settle the Eastern shores.It was that same confidence which brought other generations westward across the continent to build up our country all the way to the Pacific. * Today there are those who argue that we should not push forward intonew realms or new enterprises except when there is clear evidence of competition from other nations. I believe the American people reject theconcept that their future shall be measured by the reaction to accomplishments of others.c America's commitment to the exploration of space for peaceful purposes is a firm commitment. We will not retreat from our national purpose. We will not be turned aside in our national effort by those who would attempt to divert us. * Our national purpose in space is peacenot just prestige.PRESIDENT LYNDON B. JOHNSON THE U.S. SPACE PROGRAMThe U.S. Space Programwas undertaken in 1958, and accelerated because three Presidents andthe Congress considered it basic to our national strength and essentialto our continued leadership of the free world. * Among themajor motivations of the spaceprogram is the necessity thatwe retain unquestioned preeminence in all areas of science and technology, including thenew arena of space.Others include the demands of national security, the potentialeconomic benefits of space technology, the anticipatednew scientific knowledge which exploration ofspace would yield, and finally, the stimulating effects of thischallenging national enterprise on all segments of American society, particularly theyoung. ' During the intervening years, the United States has madegreat progress in building the basic structure for preeminence inspace.This is the structure which will, within this decade, enableman to explore the moon.Even more important, however, it is the structure which will give the Nationthe capability to operate in anduse space for whatever purpose the national interestmay requirewhether it be operations in near-earth orbit,or the search for extraterrestrial life on the planets beyond.'. Among the important benefits of the hard-driving space program now underway are: Development of high-thrust boosters with payload capabilities exceedingany others now known to exist. Development of superior guidance and control,the perfection of rendezvous and docking tech iquesthe abilityto join two space craft in orbit at 18,000 miles an hourand the abilityto maneuver accurately in the space environment. Establishment of a structure of massive ground facilitiesto assemble, test, and launch space vehicles which willserve the Nation's needs for many years to come. * Development of a strong industrial base which will be ableto undertake the development and manufacture ofany space systems required in future years. The development of great scientificcompetence in the Nation's universities and research laboratorieson a broad basis throughout the Nation.'. Training of scientists and engineers through the conduct of basicresearch in the universities, and support of predoctoral training grants.'. Establishmentof a reservoir of technicians in industry, training of astronauts and of military personnelfor future needs in space. * For the first time in the history of mankind the opportunity to leave the earth and explore the solarsystem is at hand. Only two nations, the United States and the Soviet Union, todayhave the resources with which to exploit this opportunity.Were we, as the symbol of democratic government, to surrender this opportunity to the leading advocate of the Communist ideology, we could no longer stand large inour own image, or in the image that other nations have ofus and of the free society we represent. JAMES E. WEBB, NASA Administrator 1 SPACEAN,1),Y0i1 4 'II THE EARLYHISTORY SPACEFLIOIT,'12 III°.THE SOLAR SYSTEM1,16, IV SPACE p,R9BES:ANDSATELLITES, GENE RAT.PRINCIPLES 25 SATELLITES AND SOUN'DINGROCKET§ 30 VI APPLICATIONS SATELLITES.42 °'' VII UNMANNED.LUNAR-AND INTERPLANETARY SPACECRAFT 50 VIII MANNEDSPACE EXPLORATION 56, IX' THE SPACE LAUNCH VEHICLES 66 BIOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS 1N SPACE EXPLORATION 72 -XI ASTRONAUTSELECTION:AND TRAINING 78 'XII ROCKETPROPULSION PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES.,82 , . ,ELECTRICPO-WER-GENERATION, 'GUIDANCE, AND'COMM'UNICATION-S 88, XIV.OTHER RESEARCH ACTIVI-TIE5 102 0,4 ^.4 O Q . 4t; space and You 4 Man has taken long steps across the frontiers of the unknown since the open- ing of the Space Age in 1957. His unmanned spacecraft are blazing trails to the Moon, Mars, and Venus that he is preparing to follow. His satellites are broadening his knowledge about space near and distant from earth and about earth itself. Man-made satellites are also expanding global communication channels, im- proving accuracy of weather forecasts, and showing promise for assisting in air and water navigation around earth. These are the more notable examples of the thousands of ways that new knowledge gained from the space program contributes to improvements and benefits in day-to-day living. And just as the space program benefits man in many different ways, so the program itself is the product of many differentorganizations. It employs the knowledge, skills, and efforts of thousands of people in Government, industry, and the academic world here and abroad. More than 90 percent of NASA's budget pays for work done by industry and the universities. Generally, NASA plans and directs space activities. American industry usually is responsible for developing the spacecraft, instruments, and other equipment to carry out these plans. Universities frequently conceive and design experiments for use on spacecraft. They conduct basic research in support of space programs and train students in scientific and engineering areas required for the programs. STEP BY STEP INTO SPACE Among the nine planets which revolve about our sun, earth ranks only fifth in size. Pluto, a "neighbor" in our solar system, is more than 31/2 billion miles distant and yet it, like the earth, is held in its orbit by the massive gravitational attraction of the sun, and the sun is 100 times as massive as the largest planet in its family of 9. Yet, this sun itself is only a minor star.Its nearest neighboring star is so far away that even billions of miles are too puny a measure of distance.We must use instead the light-year, the distance traveled in 1 year at thespeed of light. Light travels 186,300 miles per second, making 1 light-year about 6 trillion miles. Proxima Centauri, the star nearest our sun, is approximately 43/4 light- years from earth. The farthest galaxy man can see inhis biggest telescope is ti 41 '1 /' 54. .. Of r to . .., IA I .A H .. ..- .. : r,- -- 45 .,' ,- .. I . - , : 1 Ilt, , ,. F °St, s 57: '' ' A 21,, a. ti . t,7 O. F .IF LI 4. 1, s 111 about 10 billion light-yearsaway. uncovering a flood of new benefits for mankind. Both Proxima Centauri andour sun are stellar NASA has established an Office of Technology members of the galaxy we call the Milky Way,a Utilization to aid in identifying and disseminating grouping of an estimated 200 billion starsso im- useful information about thosenew processes, ma- mense it would take 100,000 years at the speed of terials, equipment, and other innovations which light to traverse its length. And, this galaxy is can improve life on earth. only one of several billion within therange of the In accomplishing its mission, the officemay sig- world's largest telescope. nificantly reduce the time gap between advances in Viewed in man's terms of time and distance, the knowledge and technology and their effectiveuse challenge of space exploration mightseem insu- throughout society. perable. Yet one has only to review the techno- SPACE AND WEATHER Satellites equipped with logical accomplishments of mankind in the 20th television cameras and infrared sensors make pos- century and the "impossible" becomes merely sible observations over areas not previouslycov- "difficult." ered, and provide types of meteorologicalmeasure- Space does not submit readily to conquest. The ments not otherwise available. The reduction and exploration of space is following the pattern by analysis of these increased data, particularly from which inan mastered flight within the atmosphere, areas otherwise lacking observation, make possible each new development providing a platform from better short-range forecasts, andmay eventually which to take the next step and each stepan in- improve long-range weather predictions.