SPACE SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS IN THE 1970"S 359 



Representative Albert Gore, Jr. (Democrat of Tennessee) added: 



The political support within America for the space program depends in no small 

 degree on the success of the technology utilization concept. 



When it came time for the subcommittee to mark up the NASA 

 bill, the enthusiasm of the Members sustained an increase from the $9.1 

 million asked by NASA to $14.4 million. It was the largest single 

 increase ever suggested for Technology Utilization since the office 

 had first been established in 1963. The full committee and the House 

 both sustained the 60-percent increase, which went far beyond the $10.6 

 million which NASA had requested of the Office of Management and 

 Budget. The committee pinpointed that the increase was for the fol- 

 lowing purposes : 



$1.5 million is provided to increase the scope and effectiveness of Industrial 

 Application Centers and other technology dissemination mechanisms, and to con- 

 tinue evaluation of program benefits and future opportunities. An additional $4 

 million is added to assure that aggressive programs are maintained for transferring 

 NASA technology to bioengineering applications in the areas of materials, human 

 factors engineering and electronics. 



Once again, the Senate objected to the increases, pointing out that 

 funds were included to assist handicapped and disabled persons: 



While the committee supports fully the technology utilization program, it does 

 not understand the rationale for expanding NASA's basic charter into a specific area 

 of medicine or for the substantial increase in resources applied to this activity. 



Although the conference committee compromised at $12.1 million — 

 a $3 million increase over the NASA budget, the appropriations com- 

 mittees agreed to cut the whole item back to $9.1 million. 



NASA reorganized Technology Utilization into its Office of Space 

 and Terrestrial Applications, somewhat to the dismay of the committee 

 in 1978. During the program review of NASA by the committee in 

 September 1978, Fuqua raised a number of questions which expressed 

 the concern of the committee lest technology utilization be down- 

 graded in the NASA organizational structure. Fuqua was assured that 

 it would remain a separate line item in the NASA budget, and not be 

 downgraded by the transfer. As Fuqua put it: 



We are very much concerned that it not be overshadowed by other mainline 

 programs. 



Dr. Anthony J. Calio, NASA's Associate Administrator for Space and 

 Terrestrial Applications, repeatedly protested that NASA would con- 

 tinue to stress technology utilization. The protestations sounded very 

 much like they had in the past, prompting this exchange: 



Mr. Fuqua. I am trying to give you some hints. 

 Mr. Calio. OK. I got the message. 



During the years from 1963 through 1979, the committee repeatedly 



