which can probe the subsurface of volcanic features examined on the surface by the astronauts; instruments which can measure geochemistry, imagery, geodesy, temperature, subsurface profile, particles and fields, and transient atmosphere.

The Lunar Roving Vehicle, being developed under contract since October 1969, will increase the astronauts' range of travel on the lunar surface. Four LRV's are on order and the first is expected to be carried aboard Apollo 16. A two-man crew will ride the LRV 3 to 5 miles from the LM at speeds up to 10 miles per hour. In addition, the battery-powered LRV will carry up to 170 pounds of equipment and lunar samples. LRV missions will approximately double the significant scientific activity possible on walking missions. (Fig. 1-11.)

Astronauts will first use the LRV to explore what appear to be volcanic domes, plugs, cones, and wrinkle ridges in the Marius Hills region, photographed by Lunar Orbiter 2. The LRV will carry a portable TV communication system, providing a fix at the numerous stops for investigation and sampling, thus making network tracking easier. (The LRV can also be used as a rescue vehicle for a disabled or otherwise imperiled astronaut.)

Lunar Science

The Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) began distribution of approximately 18 pounds of moon rocks and dust to scientific investigators in September. Lunar samples collected by the Apollo 11 astronauts went to 106 principal investigators in the United States and 36 in eight other countries for analyses in university, industrial, and government laboratories. About 4 kilograms of fine materials and chips and slices of about 30 rocks were distributed for first generation experiments.

Since its return in sealed containers on July 25, all the material was under quarantine in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL) at MSC where tests on animal and plant life revealed no harmful effects. Release of the samples was approved by the Interagency Committee on Back Contamination, set up to review NASA safeguards against contamination of the Earth by organisms brought back from the Moon.

Preliminary examinations in the LRL revealed two basic rock types: compacted lunar soil, and igneous rocks. The preliminary examination indicated that the rocks have been lying on the lunar surface from 10-150 million years, and that the igneous rocks crystallized 3 to 4 billion years ago.

The Apollo 12 lunar samples are scheduled to be distributed in February 1970.

APOLLO APPLICATIONS

During this reporting period, momentum continued to build in all facets of the Apollo Applications (Skylab) Program. The most important event was the decision to simplify and improve the Saturn Workshop.

Before July 1969, the plan was to employ the spent Saturn 1B second stage as the first Orbital Workshop. The solar astronomy observatory would have been launched by another Saturn 1B, and the two would have been docked. However, tests and systems engineering analyses indicated that flight hardware, launch facility requirements, and space flight operations would be simplified considerably by launching the workshop with a single Saturn V, completely outfitted on earth. The operational simplicity also enhances safety and makes it possible to fly experiments earlier.

The probability of achieving success is improved by the reduced number of launches required, by the greater payload capacity of the Saturn V launch vehicle; by the elimination of the LM ascent stage; and by the ability to check out most systems and experiments on the ground.

Missions

The Apollo Applications Program (Skylab) is designed to conduct scientific investigations in earth orbit, to develop methods of assessing the earth environment from space, and to obtain detailed understanding of man's capability to live and work in space for increasing periods. In flight missions scheduled to begin late in 1972, the AAP will enable NASA to fly the Saturn workshop and obtain much information affecting future manned earth orbital operations.

The principal scientific effort in the program will use a solar astronomy module to make detailed observations of the sun in various parts of the spectrum. An astronomer-astronaut will probably be a member of the crew on at least one of the missions to decide on the conduct of the research program and to direct instruments toward various areas of the sun as conditions change.

Another significant area to be emphasized is applications. This includes activities such as observations of meteorology, communications, material processing, and earth resources. In the last activity, multispectral photography will be used to gather data for ex

perts studying oceanography, water management, agriculture, forestry, geology, geography, and ecology. The AAP efforts in these areas will add to and complement the knowledge gained from ground-based research and automated space programs.

The third major activity concerns habitability, medical, behavioral, and work effectiveness experiments on missions of increasing duration, probably as long as 8 weeks. A physician-astronaut may be a member of the crew on one of these missions to conduct an intensive program of such experiments. The medical and behavioral studies will focus on the effects of space flight on man and the sequence of these effects through time. The results are expected to add to understanding of healthy human subjects, thus contributing to medical knowledge of value on earth. Biological experiments are also planned to study the effect of zero gravity on living organisms and the effect of alteration of the basic rhythms, such as the sequence of day and night at 24-hour intervals, which influence the life processes.

The first Saturn Workshop mission will consist of two launches —AAP-1 and AAP-2 (redesignated SK-1 and SK-2). In the first launch, a Saturn V will place the unmanned Workshop and Apollo Telescope Mount in an approximate 235 mile orbit inclined 50° to the Equator. This orbit covers most of the heavily populated areas of the earth. The AAP-2 will be launched a day later, using a Saturn 1B vehicle to place the manned Apollo CSM in the same orbit. After the two sections dock the three-man crew will set the Workshop and astronomy module in operation, and carry out an open-ended mission, possibly lasting as long as 28 days.

There will be two Workshop revisits-AAP-3 and AAP-4 (redesignated SK-3 and SK-4). On these missions, Apollo-Saturn 1B vehicles will be launched at 3-month intervals after the first Workshop becomes operational.

Development and Testing

Subsystems and complete assemblies of the Saturn Workshop, Airlock Module, Multiple Docking Adapter and Apollo Telescope Mount were well advanced into the design, development, and ground testing stage. The first flight article, Saturn Workshop I, was being fabricated, and the flight systems were scheduled for delivery to KSC in late 1971. The launch was put off from mid1972 to the last quarter of that year for budgetary reasons. Hardware for a second Workshop was being procured as a backup to the first mission. (Fig. 1-12.)

In addition to earlier Preliminary Requirements Reviews on all modules and Ground Support Equipment hardware, an overall Apollo Applications Cluster Technical Systems Review was held at the end of 1969. This review evaluated the impact on the individual module systems and made a technical assessment of the integrated structural, electrical communication, environmental, thermal, and crew systems of the Saturn Workshop I.

Saturn Workshop (Skylab 1).-During the period, the test program was evaluated to make certain that the test plans and results determined for the Workshop launched by a Saturn 1B could be used to the greatest extent possible in the shift to the Saturn V-launched configurations. A major effort was applied to systems design verification and identification of design changes, resulting in establishing test plans to develop and verify the revised hardware designs and sequences.

The Saturn Workshop I engineering mockup was equipped with the Habitability Support System (HSS) in July, and a crew station configuration review was conducted in August. This review, conducted by Government and contractor engineers, crew members, and program and contractor management, resulted in several major improvements. These included the addition of a ground access door and a window, and elimination of the two back-to-back