SPACE SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS IN THE 1970'S 



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Skylab was a particularly productive scientific program. It demonstrated that 

 such space activities can be of enormous practical value to life on Earth. The program 

 included over 50 scientific, technological, and medical experiments. There were high- 

 resolution astronomical studies of the Sun at short wavelengths not observable from 

 Earth, medical research associated with man's living and working in space for ex- 

 tended periods of time, and investigation and application of remote sensing to the 

 location, measurement, and protection of Earth resources. 



All told, the three crews spent 740 hours observing the Sun with telescopes and 

 brought home more than 175,000 solar pictures. Such data are changing longstanding 

 theories of solar physics and could lead to more practical use of the Sun's vast energy 

 on Earth. 



More than 46,000 photographs and 40 miles of data tape obtained by Skylab's 

 Earth resources instruments have been used by government and industry for studies 

 ranging from agriculture to zoology. 



SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION OF THE MOON 



Between 1970 and 1972, when the Apollo program officially ended 

 after the splashdown of Apollo 17 on December 19, 1972, the com- 

 mittee fought a losing rearguard action to try to extend the number of 

 flights to the Moon. The committee argued that the equipment, per- 

 sonnel and facilities were all available, and therefore they should be 

 used to capitalize on the investment of $23.5 billion over a 11%-year 

 period. 



In 1970, the Manned Space Flight Subcommittee added nearly $300 

 million to the President's budget, including funds for Apollo 18 and 19, 

 which NASA eventually canceled when later budgets got tighter. 

 Congressman Wydler interrupted a long and enthusiastic statement by 

 Congressman Fulton, who was supporting the Moon flight increase, 

 w r ith this question: 



I am wondering exactly how do we justify to the people the fact that we would 

 have an Apollo 18 and 19? What are they going to do with them? 



Fulton answered: 



The technology developed in the space program has changed the lives of every 

 one of us, and we shouldn't ridicule it. It has advanced the boundaries of human 

 knowledge so far that if we begin to limit our horizons and not look ahead, to ad- 

 vance at the edge of the unknown, and if we prejudge it, we will still be sitting 

 looking up at a green cheese Moon. 



Wydler was still unconvinced: 



I am just wondering what you are going to tell the general public when they 

 say, why do you need Apollo 18 and 19 in addition to all the rest of it? 



Fulton's response raised the specter of the Russian threat which had 

 spurred the decision made in the early 1960's: 



