Crew 'OK' after space abort
SPACE CENTER, Houston (UPI) Apollo 13's astronauts aborted their moon landing mission today after an explosion, possibly caused by a meteoroid, jolted their command ship 205,000 miles from earth. They were ordered back immediately, using their lunar module as a lifeboat.
With their lives depending on their skill, James A. Lovell, 42, John L. Swigert, 38, and Fred W. Haise, 36, fired the lander's big descent engine for 31 seconds at 3:43 a.m. (EST) to get a course designed to bring them home safely.
"Apollo shutdown," reported Lovell coolly when the big engine cut off on schedule. If it had not worked, the astronauts would have been marooned in space with no hope of returning home.
"It looks like a good burn and now our only concern is to get those guys home," said Frank Borman, the commander of the Apollo 8 moon orbit flight.
The failure hit Monday night and the pilots struggled three hours to control their tumbling spacecraft and take the
steps necessary to conserve the vital oxygen and electrical power necessary for the emergency run home.
"This is as serious a situation as we have ever had in manned spaceflight," Christopher C. Kraft, deputy director of the Manned Spaceflight Center confirmed.
But Kraft said chances were excellent for their safe return if nothing else happens.
The astronauts' plan is to loop the moon, as they swing out on the other side, fire Aquarius' big landing engine to speed their return to earth. This maneuver was scheduled for 9:39 p.m. (EST).
Many aspects of the emergency were still unsettled this morning, however. Ground controllers said the astronauts would splash down about 12:13 p.m. (EST) Friday, but did not know whether it would be in the Pacific or Atlantic.
Depending upon last minute details, a foreign ship of convenience" may be called upon to pick up the astronauts.
The government began an immediate survey of shipping in the South Atlantic
to see if any vessels were in the potential landing area should an Atlantic splashdown be deemed necessary.
The U.S. Navy had no recovery ships in the Atlantic, but such vessels are on hand in the Pacific. However, a landing there would have to be scheduled Friday, nine hours later than an Atlantic splash.
Once the astronauts approach earth's atmosphere, they will return to the cone-shaped command module, jettison the lunar module "lifeboat" and the crippled service module and use the command module's own batteries and small oxygen supply to return to earth.
The lunar module, with no hea shield, will be incinerated when it hits the earth's atmosphere.
The problem struck like a thunderbolt shortly after 10 p.m. (EST) Monday, just after the three pilots had staged a lengthy, good-humored telecast that showed the insides of the lunar module that soon was to be their saviour.
The pilots reported hearing a "bang" and feeling a jolt when the emergency warning lights flashed on. A few minutes later, Lovell reported an oxygen gauge was reading zero.
Officials said they had no idea what happened to the service module, but Dr. Harvey Nininger of Sedona, Ariz., one of the world's foremost meteorite experts, said the ship may have been hit by a meteoroid.
"In my opinion that's what happened," Nininger said.
James McDivitt, Apollo spacecraft program manager and a former Apollo astronaut, added weight to Nininger's theory.
"It was something that appeared to be quite violent that occurred in bay four. And if it were struck by a meteorite, that would be quite violent. I wouldn't say that's what happened, but won't rule it out."
Four hours after the "bang" which knocked out the spaceship's power, Kraft reported:
"It appears that everything is under control and we have a safe situation at the moment."
Ground controllers at first tried frantically to save the hard-luck mission. (Continued to page 16)
See Inside
*Kansas City terrorist bombings ... page 2
*Merriman Smith obituary ... page 2
*Associate Justice William O.
  Douglas speaks ... page 6
*Kappa Sig relocation almost
  complete ... page 10
80th Year, No.113
The University of Kansas—Lawrence, Kansas Tuesday, April 14, 1970
Weiss said that last September he had a savings account and mortgage with Capital Federal and that Bubb mailed "right
Letter by Regent irks KU professor
In the letter Bubb questioned Weiss by asking, "What would
By DAN OSBORNE
Kansan Staff Writer
Henry Bubb, the member of the Board of Regents who March 21 wanted to deny promotions to University of Kansas professors Lawrence Velvet and Frederic Litto, has been implicated in a possible conflict of interest case.
The implication is a result of a letter written by Bubb, president of Capital Federal Savings and Loan Association, to Thomas Weiss, assistant professor of economics at KU. The letter, dated Oct. 3, 1969, was written on Regents stationery and concerned Weiss' account with Capital Federal.
"I was very distressed to learn that we had members of the faculty at the University," the letter said, "that are so narrow minded that when they don't agree with somebody else's opinion on a matter, they would refuse to do business with them."
wing" newsletters to all Capital Federal customers. Weiss said he took offense at a particular newsletter and withdrew the money in his savings account. At the time of the withdrawal the teller inquired about the reason and was told, Weiss said.
On October 3, Weiss received the letter from Bubb which stated, "I would suggest that if you feel as you do, you should also pay off your loan with Capital Federal.
you think if I, as a member of the Board of Regents, would keep you from progressing at the University if I did not agree with you?"
Bubb's letter further stated, "I think we have to be broad minded enough, particularly when teaching students, to discuss all sides of an issue and not limit our places of business to only those who agree with us."
Contacted by the Kansan this morning, Bubb said, "It was a mistake to put the letter on Regents stationery." "If there was a mistake, that was the only mistake," he said.
Bubb said that neither Governor Docking nor the State Attorney General believed that Weiss had a case. He said the
(Continued to page 16)
Awbrey, Miller found in contempt
Student Body President David Awbrey, Hutchinson senior, and Student Elections Committee Co-Chairman David R. Miller, Hays senior, were found guilty of contempt of the student court Monday night and sentenced to suspension with disciplinary probation.
Disciplinary probation means both Awbrey and Miller will still be given student privileges but must answer to a probationary officer. Should any more action be taken against either of them, they will be suspended from KU.
The court decision said Abwrey will be suspended with disciplinary probation from now until June 1, 1971. Awbrey was also fined $25. Miller will be suspended on disciplinary probation through the fall semester of next year.
Awbrey and Miller were charged with not complying to a court order, issued March 17, directing them to include a student referendum on the election ballot. Both defendants made a plea of nolo contendre, no contest, because of extenuating circumstances.
Because of these circumstances, Awbrey, acting as student body president, directed Miller not to conform to the court's decision. Both defendants agreed it was possible to print the ballots but quite difficult since adequate manpower was not available at the late hour to do the actual work. Other people were at the immediate disposal to do the work but none became involved in printing any ballots.
Awbrey and Miller had contested the order in March because of the time element involved to print the required 12,000 referendum ballots, Awbrey said. The court order was issued the night before the election.
In a brief statement after the trial, Awbrey said he planned to appeal the decision.
By United Press International Doctors study meningitis
UDK News Roundup
WASHINGTON—Army officials and congressmen anxiously await a report from a team of epidemiologists from Kansas City, Kan., who have gone to meningitis-plagued Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., to study the outbreak.
"We have heard from the politicians and military; it is already past time for us to hear from the professional medical men," Rep. Larry Winn Jr., R-Kan., said Monday in Washington.
Lawful protest supported
TOPEKA—Attorney General Kent Frizzell, a GOP gubernatorial candidate, Monday supported protest within the law but said "those who protest outside the law must accept the penalty imposed on their conduct by the law."
"Protests made within the framework of the law and the American tradition by the black man, the poor, the underprivileged, the underpaid, awaken the nation's conscience to intolerable situations," Frizzell told a YMCA club meeting in Topeka.
Life charges refuted
BATON ROUGE, La—Branding Life Magazine allegations of flourishing organized crime in Louisiana unmitigated lies, Gov. John McKeithen Monday said he would clear up the accusations made by the magazine.
At the same time, McKeithen said he would take sworn affidavits from everyone mentioned in the Life article. The governor also said that he would make an announcement later this week on other steps aimed at refuting the allegations.
Education bill faces fight
WASHINGTON—Civil rights groups and education lobbyists geared today for a familiar fight on an appropriations bill they claim would blunt school desegregation efforts and vastly underfund school needs from kindergarten through college.