European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 15, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday March 15, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 5tasks for Mars Mission handed out Pentagon Energy department get major roles Washington a vice president Dan Quayle a National space Council tightened its control Over space activities Friday by dividing nasal a responsibility for the . Moon Mars project among several government agencies. Quayle released a directive approved by president Bush that assigns a major roles to the departments of defense and Energy while establishing Nasa As the principal Agency. On july 20, 1989, the 20th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing the president declared a goal to establish a base on the Moon and to Send human expeditions to Mars. Later he set a goal to have a Landing on Mars by 2019. Cost estimates for the 30-year project have ranged from $400 billion to $500 billion and up. To Date $8.5 million has been spent on the space exploration initiative which has gotten a lukewarm reception in Congress and Little push from the administration. For example Nasa had requested $51 million for the project in the current fiscal year but the administration asked for $14 million less when it submitted its budget proposals to Congress. In fiscal 1991, Congress refused to spend any Money for the initiative. But Quayle a announcement said the new directive was a reaffirmation of the . Commitment to space exploration. It draws on recommendations made last year by the synthesis group headed by former astronaut Thomas Stafford. In response to the Stafford report Nasa set up an exploration office now headed by Michael Griffin and the directive Calls for Griffin a office to be staffed both by Nasa a and representatives from other participating  the exploration office is charged with preparing an annual status report and the directive says a the Nasa administrator shall present this report to the National space  fridays directive requires the exploration office to present its first annual status report to the National space Council outlining options for carrying out the missions. It also orders that a strategic plan be submitted by april next year and every year thereafter. The space Council is a creation of the Bush administration and it has been at Odds with nasal a astronaut oriented management. Last month the squabble resulted in the firing of nasal a chief former astronaut Richard truly. He was replaced by Daniel Goldin an Industry executive with experience in unmanned spacecraft. In a recent report the congressional budget office said the nation could save $420 million in the next five years alone by dropping the project. In addition it said carrying out a set of precursor missions to Survey the Moon and Mars a would increase spending by As much As $500 million in the 1993-1997 period. Quot Many of the subsidiary benefits of the Moon Mars initiative could be More certainly and less expensively realized by pursuing alternative Federal science programs a the budget office said. In the stars and stripes 10 years ago March 15,1982 a opponents of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini shot and killed a religious Leader and two of his bodyguards in a Tehran Iran Street attack witnessed by dozens of passers by. The religious Leader was Hojjat Heslam Mohammed Salim Hosni an official of a state run welfare Agency. 20 years ago March 15,1972 a Secretary of state William p. Rogers disclosed that president Nixon had tried unsuccessfully to persuade China to Cut its Aid to North Vietnam and that the same request was made to Russia Hanoi a largest supplier. 30 years ago March 15,1962 a Edward m. Kennedy the youngest brother of president Kennedy announced his candidacy for the democratic nomination As . Senator from Massachusetts despite protests against the a Kennedy dynasty and his Lack of experience in elective office. 40 years ago March 15,1952 a five romanian soldiers fleeing the hunger and suffering of their Homeland landed in a world War i German Heinkel Iii air plane at Belgrade Yugoslavia Airport and asked for Asylum. World War ii 50 years ago today 15 March 194 2 Adolf Hitler announces that soviet forces will be Quot annihilating by Defeated Quot in the approaching summer Campaign by the German army but he does t reveal that German casualties since the Start of the year have reached 250,000. In the Philippines japanese troops around the Bay of Manila get new artillery and open an intense bombardment of Small fortified islands held by the americans. Workmanship of new shuttle hailed mounted atop a Crawler transporter the shuttle endeavour is rolled out to a launching pad at Kennedy space Center Fla., on Friday. Cape canaveral Fla. Up challengers replacement the new space shuttle endeavour was slowly hauled to its Seaside launching pad Friday in preparation for an engine test firing next month and its Maiden flight in Early May. Mounted atop a powerful Apollo Era Crawler transporter endeavour made the 4�?~/i-mile, six hour trip to pad 39-b. Engineers planned to spend Friday afternoon and evening hooking up fuel lines and mechanical Hydraulic and electrical systems. John a a tips Talone the Engineer in charge of endeavours processing said the gleaming spacecraft symbolizes the Quality of american workmanship. A americans when they re Given a Challenge do Damn Good work. That a lot of people in the world done to even care to try to do a he said. A a. Give people something that they really want to do and that they think is important and they do a Damn Good Job they really  meanwhile on pad 39-a nearby engineers continued to prepare the shuttle Atlantis for liftoff on March 23 for an eight Day science Mission to study Earth a atmosphere and the Sun. Endeavours Roll out marked the first time that two shuttles have been on nasal a two launching pads at the same time since 1990. As with All new space shuttles endeavour will undergo a ground shaking 20-second engine firing in Early april to make sure its propulsion system is ready for the Rigours of launch. If All goes Well with the firing the new space shuttle will be cleared for liftoff in the first week of May. A a it a really not an engine test Quot Talone said of the firing. A this is the Only real test of the main propulsion system. To be sure we done to have anything inadvertent happen at launch a at the controls for launch will be commander Daniel Brandenstein chief of the astronaut office at the Johnson space Center in Houston and co Pilot Kevin Chilton. Their Crew mates will be Pierre Thuot Kathryn Thornton Richard hic Thomas Akers and Bruce Mcl Nick. Chilton is the Only Rookie on the Crew. The goal of the Long awaited Mission is the daring Rescue of an Intelsat communications satellite stranded in a useless orbit since its launch on March 14, 1990. Thuot and Hieb working in endeavours payload Bay plan to Bolt the satellite to a replacement rocket so it can be fired into the proper orbit. To satellite lifts off after delays source 2194 Days of War w h. Smith a publishers inc world almanac Book of world War ii. B son books corp. 1981 Cape canaveral Fla. A an unmanned Atlas rocket carrying a Cable television satellite lifted off Friday the fourth launch in As Many months for rocket maker general dynamics corp. A your Confidence has grown in the last few months a said Marty Winkler vice president of launch operations for the general dynamics space systems division. The san Diego based division suffered a major blow last Spring when an Atlas rocket carrying a japanese broadcasting satellite tumbled out of control shortly after liftoff and had to be destroyed. The Atlas liftoff was delayed five times because of an electrical problem with the rockets guidance system and a bad Battery for the boosters self destruct mechanisms. Bad weather caused a sixth delay thursday and a last minute electrical glitch and overcast skies delayed fridays launch an hour. The 3,100-Pound Hughes communications inc. Satellite separated from the Booster As planned a half hour into the flight. It will be a week before the satellite reaches its checkout spot 22,300 Miles High. It will be moved to its final location above the Pacific Ocean in May. Until Friday los Angeles based Hughes communications had 12 satellites in orbit a eight commercial and four military. The new satellite will replace one that was launched in 1982. The Cost of fridays Mission including the satellite was estimated at $150 million