Marshall Highlights for 1972

In early January 1972 President Nixon announced the decision to "proceed at once" with the development of the Space Shuttle described as a "space transportation system which will shuttle passengers and cargo back and forth between Earth and Earth orbit."

The Marshall Center's initial responsibilities for the Shuttle included work on the booster stage and the Space Shuttle main engine. Several possible configurations for the Shuttle were being considered.

In February NASA invited research scientists to submit proposals for experiments using the weightlessness of space to develop improved techniques for preparing biological materials and for studying crystal growth, solidification and other aspects of non-organic substances. The potential flight opportunities included the Skylab manned Earth-orbital missions.

In March, NASA Administrator James Fletcher announced the configuration for the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters and that Marshall would be responsible for the main engines, the boosters, and the external tank.

In April, the Marshall Center announced plans for the establishment of the "Sortie Can Task Team" to proceed with the definition phase of the project. The Sortie can was described as "a low cost Space Shuttle payload carrier which planned as an economical laboratory for conducting manned research and applications studies in Earth orbit."

During the same month, Marshall Saturn V's (SA-511) launch vehicle lifted the Apollo 16 mission off from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.