CHAPTER IX 



Space Science and Applications in the 1970's 



On the first anniversary of the first manned landing on the Moon, 

 Chairman Miller on July 20, 1970, made this observation in a public 

 address before the Engineering Foundation Conference in Deerfield, 

 Mass.: 



The Apollo program met a very real national need. * * * The Committee on 

 Science and Astronautics of the House of Representatives identified that need nearly 

 a year before President Kennedy made his appeal to the Nation to launch the Apollo 

 program. The President could hardly have set such a bold and challenging goal for 

 the Nation in the sixties without knowing that many key Members of Congress 

 were already behind him. * * * From a Congressman's point of view, I can say only 

 that it is of great value in the annual battle for funds to have a firm commitment to 

 completing the job and a schedule that must be met. 



APOLLO APPLICATIONS BECOMES SKYLAB 



The committee enthusiastically supported funding of the Apollo 

 Applications program during the nineteen sixties, although a majority 

 of the committee became miffed at Fulton for slashing the program 

 through several recommittal motions. Early in 1970, NASA announced 

 that "Apollo Applications" had been redesignated as "Skylab." With 

 the cancellation of the Air Force's Manned Orbiting Laboratory 

 (MOL), NASA had the manned orbiting workshop to itself, a decision 

 which the committee encouraged and helped to fund. 



Somewhat overshadowed in the hectic debate over funding the 

 Space Shuttle in 1970 was the strong committee support for adding 

 $75 million for the manned Skylab in the authorization bill passed 

 by the House in 1970. Roudebush, during the debate in the House, 

 reminded his colleagues: 



Personally, I am a great believer in the authorization committees of this House. 

 I do not suppose there is any group of men more familiar with our space program 

 than the House Committee on Science and Astronautics. The committee's considered 

 judgment was that a portion at least of the original recommendations by NASA to 

 the Bureau of the Budget should be restored. * * * $75 million has been added to aug- 

 ment the spacecraft and subsystems for a low Earth orbiting laboratory called Skylab. 

 This additional funding would give emphasis to Earth resources and medical experi- 

 ments, and would permit work to commence in the field of design for a second orbital 



workshop. 



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