CONTENTS Views on manned and unmanned programs. Disagreements between scientists and engineers. Transfer of funds for space station_ Outlines duties of NASA Deputy Administrator. Disposition of financial interests.. Page NOMINATION OF GEORGE M. LOW TO THE POSITION OF DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR OF THE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1969 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES, Washington, D.C. The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 11 a.m., in room 235, Old Senate Office Building, Senator Clinton P. Anderson (chairman) presiding. Present: Senators Anderson (presiding), Dodd, Cannon, Smith of Maine, Curtis, Hatfield, and Saxbe. Also present: James J. Gehrig, staff director; Everard H. Smith, Jr., Dr. Glen P. Wilson, Craig Voorhees, and William Parker, professional staff members; Sam Bouchard, assistant chief clerk, Donald H. Brennan, research assistant, and Mary Rita Robbins, clerical assistant. OPENING STATEMENT BY THE CHAIRMAN The CHAIRMAN. The hearing will come to order. This hearing has been called to take testimony on the nomination by the President of Mr. George M. Low to the position of Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This position has been vacant for a substantial period of time and I am happy to see a man of Mr. Low's qualifications nominated to fill the position. His work and leadership in NASA, particularly in rectifying the deficiencies of the Apollo command module, are widely recognized and applauded. The authority for the position of Deputy Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is contained in section 202 of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, as amended. Without objection, I will insert the applicable subsections in the record. Is there objection? (No response.) The CHAIRMAN. It is so ordered. (The applicable subsections are as follows:) (b) There shall be in the Administration a Deputy Administrator, who shall be appointed from civilian life by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as the Administrator may prescribe. The Deputy Administrator shall act for, and exercise the powers of, the Administrator during his absence or disability. (c) The Administrator and the Deputy Administrator shall not engage in any other business, vocation, or employment while serving as such. The CHAIRMAN. A copy of Mr. Low's biographical sketch is before each member of the committee and without objection, it will be placed in the record at an appropriate point. Mr. Low, we are happy to have you here. I believe Senator Smith has a short statement and then we will be glad to have your statement and testimony. Senator SMITH. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thought perhaps we would listen to Mr. Low's statement before I say anything. The CHAIRMAN. Very well. (The biographical sketch of Mr. Low follows:) PERSONAL DATA Mr. Low was born in Vienna, Austria, on June 10, 1926. He came to the United States in 1940, and became a naturalized citizen in 1945. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army from 1944 to 1946. Mr. Low attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, receiving a Bachelor of Aeronautical Engineering Degree in 1948, and a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering Degree in 1950. In 1949, he married the former Mary Ruth McNamara of Troy, New York. Mr. and Mrs. Low have five children-Mark, Diane, David, John, and Nancy. They reside in Houston, Texas. PROFESSIONAL CAREER Mr. Low's entire professional career has been in Government service. He joined the National Advisory Committe for Aeronautics (NACA) as an Aeronautical Research Scientist in 1949. At the NACA's Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory in Cleveland, Ohio (now NASA's Lewis Research Center), he specialized in experimental and theoretical research in the fields of heat transfer, boundary layer flows, and internal aerodynamics; he published many reports in these fields. While at the Lewis facility, he was named head of the Fluid Mechanics Section, and later, Chief of the Special Projects Branch. In October 1958, when the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was organized, Mr. Low transferred to its Headquarters in Washington as Chief of Manned Space Flight. He was responsible, in Headquarters, for the Mercury and Gemini Programs, and was Chairman of the special committee that formulated the original plans for the Apollo manned lunar landing. His last position in Washington was that of Deputy Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight. In that position, he was responsible to the Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight in the management of the Gemini and Apollo Programs, and the field centers directly associated with those programs. In February 1964, Mr. Low transferred to NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas, as Deputy Director. As the Center's general manager, he had overall responsibility for the Gemini and Apollo Spacecraft efforts, as well as future program_development, flight operations, and flight crew operations. In April 1967, Mr. Low was named Manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Program. Under his leadership, the Apollo spacecraft was made flightworthy after the fire of January 1967. He also played a leading role in planning and executing all of the Apollo missions and originated the plans for Apollo 8, the first manned lunar orbit flight. During the time, Mr. Low directed the program, five manned flights were flown, including the first manned lunar landing in July 1969. PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES, HONORS AND AWARDS Mr. Low is a Fellow in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and in the American Astronautical Society. For the past three years he has served as a director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. In June 1969, Mr. Low received the Honorary Degrees of Doctor of Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; and Doctor of Science from the University of Florida. He has also received the following special honors: |