1957

From The Space Library

NACA Technical Note, "A Comparative Analysis of Long-Range Hypervelocity Vehicles," by Ames scientists Eggers, Allen, and Nelce prepared and issued. It was considered a landmark in the development of scientific thought on manned reentry.

Experiments at USAF School of Aviation Medicine showed that soil beet bacteria could not only survive but also multiply under certain simulated Martian atmospheric conditions.

NACA Lewis Laboratory completed major phases of pioneering research on high-energy turbojet and ramjet fuels including boron. This research included flight test in piloted aircraft and air-launched free flight models. Theoretical performance and experimental thrust chamber injector experiments were also performed at NACA Lewis, aiding in design of X-15 rocket engine.

Single-spool J93 turbojet engine placed under intensive development at General Electric. The J79 turbojet, the first high-compression variable-stator engine built in United States by GE, powered most Mach 2 U. S. aircraft, including the F-104, B-58, F11F-1F, F4H, and A3J, as well as the Regulus II missile.

First operation by the NACA Lewis Laboratory of a 20,600-pound thrust hydrogen-oxygen rocket engine completely self-cooled by the liquid hydrogen, which led to Centaur engine development.

The NACA proposed and led in the development of the Polaris reentry body based on the work done at Langley Laboratory, 1952-56.

State University of Iowa completed balloon-launched rocket (Rockoon) research at high latitudes begun in 1952. James A. Van Allen reported that principal scientific measurements attained included : first latitude survey of total cosmic-ray intensity at high altitude and high latitude; survey of latitude variation of heavy nuclei in primary cosmic radiation; discovery of X-radiation associated with aurorae; first arctic measurements of atmospheric density, pressure, and temperature at high altitudes; measurement of ultraviolet and soft X-radiation during solar flares ; first measurements of terrestrial magnetic fields at high altitudes in the auroral zone.

Eric Burgess of the British Interplanetary Society has his book "At The Limits of Space" published in Russian.