EXPANDING UPON APOLLO / SATURN TECHNOLOGIES

the NASA science and technology which I'm chairman the committee of scientists and engineers formed to advise the National Aeronautics and Space Administration on manned spaceflight we've been quite interested in possible uses of the Apollo Saturn hardware for scientific and engineering missions in Earth orbit in lunar orbit and on the lunar surface its boosters and other important units will also be valuable in exploration of the planets and of interplanetary space it is quite important for the scientific community to be familiar with the program now getting underway for utilizing the Apollo Saturn space vehicle because capabilities of the Apollo Saturn hardway are far enough beyond what has previously been available for space science that scientists can now think in terms of quite new types of experiments more extensive experimentation and new modes of operation [Music] the possibilities for the use of Apollo Saturn in science and applications lie in the capability for the manned lunar landing and in the versatility of the space vehicle the first basic manned Apollo Saturn missions will be earth orbital flights of 1 and 1/2 to 2 weeks while they are primarily designed to prove out ground control and spacecraft equipment and to provide operational experience there will be opportunities for the crew to perform significant scientific and technical work next our planned missions to the moon with the first lunar landings surface operations will last a few hours and allow scientific investigation in the immediate area of the lunar landing site while scientific work will begin in the early missions it is after the lunar landing has been assured that the capability for science and applications can be broadened by utilizing the versatility of the Apollo Saturn system earth orbital flights can include missions such as those in near equatorial orbits in near polar orbits and in synchronous orbits while early missions will last up to two weeks later missions of a single flight can last more than a month if required missions with near equatorial orbits can be extended to two or three months by rendezvous flights such capabilities in Earth orbit present new opportunities for man to make observations in Earth oriented sciences such as geography geology agriculture forestry oceanography meteorology communications ecology and bio sciences they would present further possibilities in space sciences such as astronomy and astrophysics and possibilities for advanced technological and operational studies such as biomedical and behavioral experiments lunar orbital missions are planned up to a month in duration lunar flights in polar orbit for example offer capability for detail surveying and mapping of the moon's entire surface for observation of surface phenomena and for selection of future manned landing sites lunar surface missions can be extended to two weeks each mission comprises two flights the first to land unmanned a laboratory and shelter the second to land a crew transport vehicle the laboratory and shelter would then provide the crew with living quarters and a working base for more extensive exploration of the moon and for utilization of its unique environment for research investigations can be conducted in areas such as geology geophysics geochemistry and the physics of particles and fields all the Apollo missions presently under consideration can be launched by the basic Saturn 1b and Saturn 5 vehicles the two-stage Saturn 1b can launch an 18-ton spacecraft into low-earth orbit later a cent or third stage will be added to the Saturn 1b and the vehicle will be used to launch unmanned flights to investigate the planets beginning with Mars thus preparing the way for manned planetary missions the three-stage Saturn 5 only its first stage as shown here can launch a total weight of 140 tons into low-earth orbit and propel the 47 tonne Apollo spacecraft on its basic lunar mission the basic spacecraft designed for a nominal 14-day three-man mission comprises three major sections the command service and lunar excursion module the spacecraft provides both pressurized and unpressurized spaces available according to equipment needs the command module houses the flight crew with air control and monitoring equipment the service module houses propulsion and attitude control systems and space for scientific equipment during the greater part of any mission the command and service modules remain at the complete lunar excursion module consists of two stages one for descent to the lunar surface and one for ascent from the surface the descent stage contains propulsion landing power and other systems the ascent stage has an addition to the cruise cabin a propulsion system for launch from the moon and systems for scientific work and for flight operations including descent launch rendezvous and docking presently the command module provides 90 cubic feet of free volume for the flight crew with three cubic feet of storage volume to return to Earth 80 pounds of samples tapes films and other scientific material from a lunar surface mission however the space available can be arranged to provide a volume of as much as 120 cubic feet and the return data weight to as much as 250 pounds for an extended three-man earth orbital mission and to as much as 500 pounds for two manned missions presently the service module provides in one of its six sectors 210 cubic feet of unpressurized volume for scientific payloads the weight available for mission equipment is up to 5,000 pounds additional unpressurized space can be made available in other sectors by reducing the amount of propellant tank age for missions not requiring the full propulsion capability while volume and weight available can be increased for the command and service modules it is in the lunar excursion module that the full measure of the Apollo Saturn space vehicle versatility can be realized presently the basic lunar excursion module provides in the ascent stage 250 cubic feet of pressurized volume for the flight crews scientific work and mission operations and provides in the descent stage 15 cubic feet for scientific equipment the equipment would include a limited number of scientific instruments and simple tools for geologic reconnaissance and sampling however in missions not requiring a lunar surface touchdown or launch the landing gear and ascent propulsion system can be eliminated and replaced with scientific equipment mounted both in the interior and on the exterior of the lunar excursion module further the descent propulsion system could be used for orbital maneuvers should the descent propulsion system not be required it could be replaced by as much as 1500 cubic feet of equipment in addition the entire descent stage could be replaced by a structural rack for mounting up to three thousand cubic feet of equipment as well as for supporting the lunar excursion module during launch for the long-duration manned lunar surface missions a basic lunar excursion module will serve as the crew transport vehicle and a modified vehicle without ascent propulsion will serve as the laboratory shelter without the ascent propulsion system the lunar excursion module laboratory could transport to the moon as much as 2,500 pounds of scientific equipment for the flight crew to conduct far-reaching experiments up to two weeks still other kinds of missions may not require the use of a lunar excursion module for these the entire five thousand cubic foot adapter section which normally houses the lunar excursion module during Apollo Saturn launches from Earth can be used to contain scientific equipment beyond this the launch vehicle instrument unit can be used in future missions to carry unmanned ejecta beliefs craft weighing 300 to 500 pounds these craft which would be ejected after Earth orbit is obtained could contain for example equipment for space physics experiments in addition the Saturn 5 third stage can be used in experiments it could for instance provide a very large volume for earth orbital experiments to exploit the opportunities for science and applications in Apollo Saturn a nationwide team is being established while government and industrial personnel develop hardware and carry out mission operations many experiments for manned flights emanate from the scientific community to work with scientists in introducing and implementing experiments nASA has established the office of manned space science in Washington DC a key role in experiment planning and implementation is being filled by engineering astronauts men highly qualified by education experience and specialized training it is they who bring to bear man's unique capabilities for selectivity interpretation analysis and decision making to do its work the team is equipped with a widespread complex of government and industry facilities facilities for hardware development manufacturing and pre-flight check out for astronaut training and preparation and for mission operations meanwhile the government contractor team has brought Apollo Saturn Hardware to its final stages of development the development will ensure man-rated reliability in a space mission environment which includes for example intense noise vibration and buffeting during powered flight and earth reentry accelerations as high as 20 G's shocks as high as seventy eight GS space temperatures as low as minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit and as high as plus 390 degrees and similarly equipment for experiments will be qualified to operate in the space environment to ensure the operational and scientific success of missions currently the Apollo Saturn 1b is about to enter the unmanned flight phase major systems of the spacecraft are undergoing development tests all three stages of the Saturn 5 are undergoing full thrust static firings simultaneous with Apollo Saturn development operational know-how is expanding in Gemini and other programs proficiency is increasing for flight crews and operational personnel a worldwide tracking and communications network has been established experienced in real time mission planning is being gained recovery forces have been trained and proven in addition it is in Gemini and other programs that the foundation is being laid for the work to be done with the Apollo Saturn system concurrently studies are being conducted to determine how best to utilize the Apollo Saturn system for scientific work in Earth orbit in lunar orbit and on the lunar surface all ready for Earth orbital missions scientists have identified some 200 potential experiments in Earth oriented sciences space sciences and advanced developments for the Earth oriented sciences where the significance of aerial photography has long been recognized efforts are underway to adapt remote sensors to scientific and economic uses the sensors will be useful in many fields in geography for example wide area photographs such as these from the Gemini 4 mission and radar mapping data could be invaluable in the continuing studies of the world's transportation routes industrial centers land uses and population growth such information can be especially useful in resources management economic forecasting city planning and many other areas in geology where aerial photography has already led to many discoveries of mineral resources data obtained by manned spacecraft could further enhance man's ability to study his planet for example this photograph shot from a manned spacecraft over a little-known area in Tibet shows domes and anticlines which are potential oil-bearing areas further other significant geologic areas such as the Grand Canyon here photograph from an aircraft at high dude can be investigated from an overall viewpoint helping relate widely-separated features in agriculture multispectral sensors can also indicate over large areas crop types health vigor maturity and distribution the information could be useful in the forecasting and management of agricultural resources on a worldwide basis in forestry new data can be made available to assist in classifying large forest stands detecting tree diseases and forest fires determining conservation measures in oceanography there can be new data for use in current studies physical oceanography sea state and marine biology in meteorology techniques can be tested for improved long-range weather forecasting in addition methods can be developed for monitoring air and sea traffic and for aiding in air sea rescue operations additionally studies are being conducted to define the space science experiments that can be performed in Earth orbit under study for example are designs for telescopes and other equipment to gather astronomical data free from atmospheric filtering and Distortion still other equipment can be used for studies of space phenomena in addition the technical ability for further space exploration can be significantly extended by utilizing Apollo Hardware in Earth orbit for example various categories of engineering studies are being considered these include for instance experiments with gravity simulation methods for example spinning to cable connected spacecraft components to create artificial gravity other studies would include experiments with closed-loop environmental control systems and advanced rendezvous and docking techniques also being studied our methods for assembling large structures under weightless conditions biomedical and behavioral studies of man in prolonged periods in the space and spacecraft environment are being designed to measure his response to several weeks of weightlessness the operational and engineering techniques which can be developed with Apollo hardware in Earth orbit would provide the basis for possible manned missions to land on and explore the closer planets the studies directed at utilization of the Apollo Saturn space vehicle in lunar orbit have shown that the entire surface of the Moon can be charted transient surface phenomena such as crater emanations can be observed unmanned surface probes can be deployed to sense surface phenomena in deep craters and on the far side of the moon selected areas can be mapped in much greater detail than has been possible heretofore and future manned landing sites can be selected much of this work as well as future studies of the planets can be achieved by employing the multi spectral sensing equipment and techniques used for observing the Earth from space the studies for extended manned lunar surface missions are determining how best to investigate the moon to gain a better understanding of the age origin and history of the earth the solar system and the universe to gain a better understanding of the origin of life to search for the existence of life elsewhere in the universe and to determine whether there are resources that might make it possible to use the moon as a staging area for planetary exploration consultants from the scientific community have recommended that the early objective should be to prove the validity of present models of the moon and to acquire new information about geologic features such as the Meriah the highlands and major craters prototype vehicles to traverse the surface of the Moon are being developed to aid in scientific exploration equipment for preliminary sample analyses on the moon is under investigation instruments such as x-ray and mass spectrometers may be valuable tools for the astronaut to select samples drilling devices and logging probes are also under study to detect such things as subsurface water and to measure heat flow from the interior of the moon such efforts can prepare for future scientific stations on the lunar surface similar in concept to scientific stations in the Antarctic and future investigations may lead to manned missions to the far side of the moon as one result of the studies nASA has defined a number of earth orbital missions these mission plans are representative of a number of Apollo Saturn capabilities one of these missions would be a 45 day flight in near equatorial orbit to study primarily biomedical and behavioral phenomena associated with prolonged weightlessness and to investigate solid liquid gas behaviors in zero-gravity the majority of the scientific equipment for these experiments is located inside the lunar excursion module ascent stage however other equipment such as a cosmic ray emulsion and the magnetometer are mounted externally all experiment displays and controls are located within the lunar excursion module cabin a second mission would be a 45 day flight with a near polar orbit its primary purpose would be to map the Earth's surface and atmosphere much of the equipment such as cameras a telescope and various sensors is mounted externally while certain equipment is set up during extra vehicular activities primary control and monitoring functions are conducted from within the lunar excursion module cabin a third type of mission which has a 45-day duration in a synchronous orbit is planned primarily for obtaining spectral and photometric astronomical data a telescope is mounted in the existing ascent engine hatch a solar coronagraph is mounted below the descent stage structure in addition a maneuverable and recoverable sub satellite used for conjugant aurora and space structures experiments is mounted externally on the descent stage it is launched and recovered by the launch package again primary experiment control and monitoring functions are conducted from within the lunar excursion module cabin it is in Apollo Saturn mission such as these as well as the missions already scheduled that scientists are playing roles of ever-increasing importance to this nation's success in space in developing the Apollo Saturn vehicle to land men on the moon and thereby creating a greatly expanded opportunity for science and applications the United States is establishing a new means to benefit the people of America and indeed the peoples of the world these uses of the Apollo Saturn systems for alternate missions will provide a bridge from the space technology of the 1960s to that of the 1970s in the 1980s in the next generation of manned space missions there can be permanent research stations in Earth orbit or on the moon and ultimately they can culminate in man's further exploration of the universe [Music]