Let’s Stay Together 1973
NASA has confirmed an order for 15 new Saturn launch vehicles. Enough, they say, for manned space flight through to 1980. Speaking over the weekend, Vice President Agnew said that in the 1970s the United States would ‘exploit the technology’ developed for the moon shots and the Skylab station, which launches next week.
All 15 of the new vehicles will be of the uprated Saturn I type. The first 5 will be so-called ‘repeats’, copies of the booster used to launch early Apollo missions and flights to Skylab, while the balance will include upgraded engines in both stages and a recoverable first stage. A reusable launch vehicle has been described as ‘revolutionary’ for space flight, both in terms of technology and resultant reduction in cost.
In Washington, Sen. William Proxmire (D-WI) said that NASAs ‘attempt’ to reduce costs was admirable, but he criticised the agency and the administration for not ruling out plans to order new Saturn V rockets, and appropriating money to reactivate Launch Complex 37 at Cape Kennedy. “This administration needs to keep NASAs budget at ground level, avoid more flights of fantasy, and instead focus on the more mundane priorities of the American people: like looking after our farmers and ending the war in Vietnam.”
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