The Michigan Daily-Friday, July 20, 1979-Page 9,
A2, 'U' played major roles in Apollo program
(Continued from Page3
active role in the Apollo program's en-
deavors.
Aerospace Engineering Department
Associate Chairman Harm Buning per-
sonally trained the Apollo astronauts in
celestial navigation and spent several
consecutive summers at the Lyndon
Johnson Space Center in Houston with
the astronauts.
University graduate Gen. James
McDivitt was commander of the Apollo
9 flight and was the first to test the
Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) in
flight.
McDIVITT ALSO was teamed with
University alumnus Edward White in
the famous Gemini 4 mission in 1965
when White successfully executed the
first "space-walk" while in Earth orbit.
University Aerospace Engineering
Prof. Joe Eisley taught several
astronauts structural mechanics. He
reflected on the philosophical impor-
tance of the Apollo program and the
lessons it taught the participants.
"The lesson we learned from Apollo
was achieved when people got up there
(in Earth orbit) and looked back at the
Earth and realized its finiteness and
minuteness (compared to the Univer-
se). Our attitudes are fundamentally
changed "because the Earth is so small
compared to the rest of the universe,"
he said.
EISLEY SAID ONE reason why the
Apollo program, Apollo 11 in particular,
was so successful, is that "Apollo was
built on specifics." It was sharply
focused, Eisley explained, and didn't
give people's attention a chance to
wander. "It culminated at one moment
and everybody could follow it. And
Apollo 11 was done perfectly."
The Engineering College's assistant
dean went on to comment on the
American public's skepticism toward
the space program. He said it's as if the
country is questioning the foundation of
the space program: that progress and
technology are good for the country.
"It's the whole feeling of whether
progress is good," he said. "In the
present climate, I don't see a lot that
can be done" to change public at-
titudes. NASA must "focus on those
things which benefit people like the
shuttle and the Earth-oriented type
things-basic exploration."
EISLEY COMMENTED on the prac-
ticality of the Earth-oriented satellite
programs such as Comsat (com-
munications satellites), Seasat, landsat
and others that will examine the earth
from orbit and facilitate phone calls
and observe our crops.
They will also play a major role,
Eisley said, in the issues that will shape
this country's future: Energy, inflation,
the environment, and peace "will be
overwhelming topics." Eisley con-
tinued, "These satellites will provide a
broad base of support for scientific
work." He said these projects are
almost self-supporting because they
have a big commercial value.
Eisley conjectured that President
Carter is so overwhelmed by inflation,
that he has not been able to outline a
definitive space policy.
HE ALSO SAID the space agency also
receives unfair treatment from the
public because the press "lacks a fun-
damental understanding of what
they're writing about."
The third to last mission to the moon,
Apollo 15, also distinguishes the
University because its crew, consisting
of Col. Alfred Worden (USAF Ret. ),
James Irwin, and David Scott, all are
University alumni.
Seven of the current 56 astronauts are
University graduates. Only Purdue
University has as many astronauts as
this institution does.
WORDEN RETURNED to his alma
mater last January to dedicate a
mural, now in the Aerospace building
on North Campus, which depicts the
historical highlights of the University's
accomplishments in space.
In a telephone interview yesterday,
Worden said the most important thing
the U.S. learned from Apollo was that
"we can do something if we set our
minds to it. Playing around won't ac-
complish anything."
He also said the reason NASA and the
space program aren't promoted as
much as they could be is "they (NASA)
were told by President Carter not to
promote NASA. The president of this
country is a non-leader. He doesn't
know what he's doing. I don't believe
NASA will try to promote itself," Wor-
den commented.
WORDEN SAID he sees the role of
NASA in America's future as an advan-
cer of culture and technology.
"The real role of NASA," Worden ex-
plained, "is to develop the technology
needed by private industry to keep our
society advanced, promote the space
program and to getting us out there (in-
to space)."
But with Carter being as hesitant
about promoting leadership as he is,
Worden said, NASA may not be able to
accomplish their mission.
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STARRING
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