In the astronomy program as we look into the future the long-range thrust is to establish by a series of evolutionary steps, permanent observatories in space. During the next phase of the Astronomy Program automated and manned systems will be used to conduct the observations needed as the scientific basis of the development of national space observatories and to determine the proper roles for man and automation in the observatories. Significant near-term effort will be aimed at exploiting the available techniques in solar astronomy and stellar ultraviolet astronomy, and more importantly to determine the proper roles for man and automation in these observatories. A major new thrust will be to extend the capability for conducting observations in the higher energy portions of the spectrum, X-rays and gamma rays. Mr. KARTH. When will ATM fly? Mr. MITCHELL. In 1972, Mr. Chairman. Mr. KARTH. When is the period of maximum solar activity? Mr. MITCHELL. No. At the present time we are at the peak of the solar cycle. In 1972 we will be on the declining portion of the solar cycle. Mr. KARTH. And that is when ATM is expected to fly? Mr. MITCHELL. Yes. Mr. KARTH. So we will miss the peak of solar activity? Mr. KARTH. Are we going to cover it with any other satellite? Mr. MITCHELL. We will not be able to cover at this time the highresolution solar data ATM is capable of. At this time we will, as you know, have coverage of the maximum solar cycle with the Orbiting Solar Observatory, which has a very large capability, but not the detailed capability for the short-term observations that ATM has. Mr. KARTH. Wasn't one of the primary reasons for an OSO program so that the entire 11-year solar cycle might be monitored, and particularly during its more active period? Mr. MITCHELL. That is one of the objectives of OSO, and we will achieve that objective of long-term observations of the Sun over a Solar cycle if the program is carried out as planned. Mr. KARTH. Wasn't the purpose of the Advanced OSO to cover the sun during the most active period? Mr. MITCHELL. The purpose of the Advanced Orbiting Solar Observatory (AOSO) which was discussed a number of years back, was to carry out these detailed observations over a significant portion of the solar cycle. It was in the program, and we had planned for it to initiate observations at this time, at the time of maximum solar activity. Mr. KARTH. But we will not be able to make those observations now because the ATM, which is associated with the manned program can't be flown in time because of the manned flight schedule, is that correct? Mr. MITCHELL. We will not be able, Mr. Chairman. I would rather say we will not be able to carry out those measurements now because of a variety of situations. I think we are all involved at this time in a large number of problems which our country has, and we are all having to make some very hard decisions. Among the decisions that had to be made were decisions which postpone the attainment of the high-resolution solar data to the period of Mr. KARTH. That decision wasn't made because of finances, was it? It was made because somebody wanted to fly this experiment on a manned space flight. Are you saying ATM is going to be cheaper than the advanced OSO program as originally planned? Mr. MITCHELL. I would say if we look at ATM, and I might go to a portion of my testimony which discusses ATM Mr. KARTH. I am merely talking about what you said. You implied some of these hardship decisions had to be made because of certain circumstances or conditions within the country, and I assume you are talking primarily about monetary reasons. And I don't think that really squares with the facts. Mr. MITCHELL. Would you repeat the question? Mr. KARTH. Well, how much is ATM going to cost? My question is really, did we not decide against the Advanced Orbiting Solar Observatory not because of the budget squeeze, but instead because we wanted to fly the Apollo telescope mount on a manned space mission, isn't that true? Mr. MITCHELL. The previous question was with regard to how much is involved in ATM. The total amount for the ATM experiments is $61 million, that is for the five large instruments. An additional $66 million is required for the supporting systems, that is pointing control, thermal control, power supply, and communication. That makes a total of $127 million for ATM experiments and supporting systems. Mr. KARTH. How much did we originally calculate the Advanced Orbiting Solar Observatory would cost? Mr. MITCHELL. For the Advanced Orbiting Solar Observatory program that involved four launches, the total estimate as I recall was $167 million, plus launch vehicles, so roughly $180 million. I will get the exact numbers for the record. (The information requested follows:) The Advanced Orbiting Solar Observatory program, which included the research and development for the spacecraft and the experiment instruments for four flight missions, was originally estimated to cost $142 million. The four Thor Agena launch vehicles would have added $24 million to the mission costs. Mr. KARTH. The cost of ATM is $127 million without considering any associated costs of the manned program flight it will be a part of. I mean, that does not take into consideration the launch cost of the manned mission, for example, or whatever portion of that launch cost might be attributed to the ATM, is that right? Mr. MITCHELL. That is right. Mr. KARTH. If that were taken into consideration, how much would you say ATM would cost? Mr. MITCHELL. The numbers I gave are the numbers directly associated with ATM. I can supply for the record the total effort associated with the Apollo Applications Program. (The information requested follows:) The cost of the Apollo Telescope Mount systems is estimated to be $66.5 million. In addition to the systems, modifications to the Lunar Module ascent stage are estimated to cost $94.3 million, and the five major experiments are estimated to cost $61.1 million. The total of all of these efforts is estimated to be $221.9 million. It is believed that these items properly reflect the cost of the ATM because all other elements of the Apollo Applications Program would be carried out in pursuit of the Program's prime objective-developing the knowledge, hardware, and human capabilities necessary as the next step in developing an eventual manned orbiting space station. Much of the hardware being employed in Apollo Applications is available because the Apollo Program is achieving its objectives with fewer vehicles and spacecraft than the number that was anticipated to be required. If the Apollo Telescope Mount were not a part of this Program, it is likely that other experiments would have been selected to utilize existing Apollo hardware to test man's capabilities with sophisticated instrumentation. The availablity of hardware was a significant factor in the decision on experiments for Apollo Applications. Regarding the relationship to the Sun cycle, it is true that the earliest proposals, first the Advanced Orbiting Solar Observatory and later for the Apollo Telescope Mount, called for observations during the most active period of the solar cycle. The principal advantage of such timing would be a greater probability for a large number of observations of specific active phenomena on the Sun. However, high-resolution observations are desired throughout the entire period of the solar cycle. The main effect of flying in 1972 instead of earlier would be the probability of observing a smaller number of phenomena. On the timing of early decisions, it should be noted that the Advanced Orbiting Solar Observatory was cancelled in December 1965 for budgetary reasons, and that this information was provided to the Committee in early 1966 during hearings on the Fiscal Year 1967 budget. The decision on the Apollo Telescope Mount occurred later. It was partly because the Advanced Orbiting Solar Observatory had been cancelled that the Apollo Telescope Mount was adopted as a major scientific activity of the Apollo Applications Program. Mr. MITCHELL. Let me say two things: the Advanced Orbiting Solar Observatory had as its objective long-term observation of the Sun at high resolution. The Apollo Telescopic Mount has as its objective shorter duration measurement of higher resolution using photographic film techniques which give us an ability to carry out higher detail observations on a short time schedule. So the objectives of the Apollo Telescopic Mount and the Advanced Orbiting Solar Observatory are different in that the Advanced Orbiting Solar Observatory was for detailed measurements over a long period of time. This is important, and it is an element missing from the program. We will say a word about that later on. Mr. KARTH. Which is preferable? Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Chairman, I think in answer to that question, I would have to take just a moment to verbally look at the Sun as it were, and to say that from our understanding of the Sun, that it is a very complex phenomenon. In analogy I would say it is very hard for us to predict whether it is going to snow in Washington, although we have spent quite a bit of effort in observing our own atmosphere. The Sun's atmosphere is very much more complex than the Earth's. Mr. KARTH. You are really saying that studies over a longer period of time that would be accomplished by the Advanced Solar Observatory is much more desirable than what we will get from ATM? Mr. MITCHELL. No, sir. I am saying, Mr. Chairman, as you look at the Sun that there are phenomena on the Sun that have a short time constant of the order of minutes or days. ATM will be able to investigate these phenomena in great detail. It is also important to study the long term phenomena associated with the 11-year solar cycle. It is important to understand and observe both of these phenomena. I think no one particular observation, I would say, at a particular time, is more important than another. If you don't do the other observations now, at some later time you will have to carry them out. Mr. KARTH. But we have to trade one for the other, don't we, under the present program? Mr. MITCHELL. At this time, as we look forward to astronomy in the future, and to the sort of decisions that this subcommittee and NASA and the country will be required to make, it is very important that we attain the basic technological information with regard to the point of how man can operate scientific equipment. So in the ATM and Apollo applications program we find two objectives. The first is to investigate and demonstrate the effectiveness of man's capability for scientific judgment and reasoning and response in the operation of complex scientific instruments in space astronomy research. The second objective, and the one we are interested in from the viewpoint of the Sun, is to obtain precise and comprehensive measurements of the Sun's dynamic processes that occur over short-time scales, and to obtain these with the combination of spectral resolution, broad wavelength range, high spatial resolution, and high-time resolution. When you have combined objectives to carry out in any particular program, there are compromises that must be made in order to carry out the total in a better manner. Mr. KARTH. Well, I understand that the question how can man operate this scientific equipment in space is a very desirable thing, but I would suggest that since the entire OSO program was to establish answers to the scientific phenomena that occur on the Sun, gleaning that kind of information, and getting the answers to those phenomena is much more important than and certainly would take precedence over our desire to know how man can operate scientific equipment in space. Wouldn't you say that that's a fair analysis of our real purposes, to get more information about the Sun? Mr. NAUGLE. May I speak to that for a moment? Mr. KARTH. Well, Dr. Naugle, I wonder if Mr. Mitchell can answer that. Mr. MITCHELL. As you know, I am an enthusiast about the program we have. Mr. KARTH. I am not trying to put you on the spot, but I hope you understand the responsibility this committee and Congress has. I understand the position you are in; don't feel uncomfortable about that. I am not trying to get you to say something that for practical purposes might not be the best thing for you to say, but at the same time this committee would like to know the answers to some of these questions which we think are relatively important. Since the program is important, and since the expenditures we have made have been very high, we expect that the money will be spent for the very best purpose to achieve the answers for which we have supported this program, and in terms of getting those answers, I am just trying to find out whether or not the proper decision was made, in your judgment, when it was decided to cancel the Advanced Orbiting Solar Observatory. It was designed to get certain answers during the most active period of solar activity. However, so that we could have an experiment flown with man, namely ATM, on a manned space flight mission, the most active solar period will have already taken place before the launch. I am not at all sure the proper decision was made, and I am trying to ascertain whether or not you think so? Mr. MITCHELL. May I say there are always conflicting views even within yourself when you have these sorts of problems to face. As we look at the long-range possibilities in astronomy, it is very important to get the answers now as to what we really want to use many for in space, and I would interpolate here just to say that the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory that we will discuss a little later is an automated spacecraft, but involves man to a great extent on the ground. We know how to use him on the ground now, and the question is how can we use him in space. I think it is important to get the answer to that before we get to the point where we will have to make those decisions that relate to the permanent observatories of the future. Now, I would like to know for instance what the high-resolution characteristics of the Sun are at solar maximum. There is no doubt I personally would like to know that, but in looking at the longer range goals of astronomy, I would also like to know, before we have to come to the decision of permanent observatories of the future, all I can about all the space technology that might be used in such a program. Mr. KARTH. Of course, whether or not a man can serve a useful purpose in gathering scientific information, or operating scientific equipment in space, would seem to me to be a question that could be answered in a rather indirect fashion, just by virtue of man doing this in space without at the same time interfering with something as important as the present 11-year solar cycle. The importance of observations of the Sun during this 11-year cycle was sold to this committee and as a result we voted for large expenditures for OSO, and some funds were spent on the Advanced OSO too before it was canceled. Now we find that because a decision was made to ascertain whether or not man can operate scientific equipment in space, we are going to miss the most important part of the solar cycle. My judgment may be in error, but I doubt seriously that the proper decision was made. What if the answer is "no," man cannot really operate this very sophisticated scientific equipment, particularly equipment that requires very, very accurate pointing. Then, of course, we really have blown the thing; at least we have blown this opportunity to make solar observations, and we will have to start all over on another 11-year cycle. Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Chairman, in terms of have we blown the thing, I would say that in research you ask questions you don't know the answers to. You may get a yes or no answer, and sometimes it is very important to get the answers in a timely manner. Mr. KARTH. That is the reason we were studying the 11-year solar cycle, we didn't have the answers. There were curious phenomena and we undertook an advanced solar astronomy program to get the answers. The reason was the scientific inquisitiveness of man to find the answers to questions that were bugging us about the Sun, and now we are going to miss a very important, if not critical part, of the 11-year cycle, aren't we? Mr. MITCHELL. I have already stated that we are not going to be able to get the high-resolution data from the Sun at this time of solar maximum that we had planned a number of years ago. Mr. KARTH. Let me ask, is it more important to get higher resolution for a very short period of time, or not quite such high resolution for a longer period of time, and isn't it true we can get at least as good a pointing accuracy from the unmanned spacecraft that we can from a manned spacecraft? |