Military and aerospace: Space shuttle holds top priority at NASA; inflation-crippled military seeks $-efficient defense

Despite a record-breaking $82.7 billion Congressional appropriation for defense in fiscal year (FY) 1975, U.S. Department of Defense officials are so squeezed by inflation and fixed obligations that they are looking forward to a lean year. On the other hand, research and development areas seemed to face a somewhat brighter budget future, but it is feared that here too inflation will erase some of the apparent gains.