Apr 22 1965
From The Space Library
With arrival of the sea-going launch platform USNS Croatan at Valparaiso, Chile, NASA completed a successful expedition of launching scientific experiments off the west coast of South America. A total of 77 sounding rockets were fired, 45 of them Nike-Cajun and Nike-Apaches, and 32 of them single-stage meteorological rockets, Firings occurred at various position from 5° north to 60° south of the equator, Five experiments were conducted at or near the 60th parallel at about 78° west longitude. The project was part of the NASA sounding rocket program being conducted during the 1964-65 International Quiet Sun Year. Expedition data would be correlated with findings of scientists throughout the world conducting experiments on IQSY phenomena. (Wallops Release 65-22)
Two NASA sounding rockets, a Nike-Cajun and a Nike-Apache, were launched at Wallops Station after dark and about one hour apart, Both rockets released chemiluminescent gas clouds, which observers on the ground used to measure atmospheric winds, shears, turbulence, and vertical motions. Nike-Cajun reached altitude of 128 km. (79.5 mi,) and the Nike-Apache, 145 km. (90.1 mi,) (NASA Rpt. SRL)
NASA selected Ling-Temco-Vought and Lockheed Electronics Co, for competitive negotiation of contract covering operational support services for laboratories and test facilities at NASA Manned Spacecraft Center. The support contract would be cost-plus-award-fee for one year with options to extend for four additional one-year periods, First year costs were expected to exceed $2 million. (NASA Release 65-133)
NASA selected three industrial firms with which to negotiate similar preliminary design contracts for a Voyager spacecraft to undertake unmanned scientific exploration of the planets: the Boeing Co., General Electric Co, and TRW Space Technology Labs. The three-month, fixed-price contracts would each be worth about $500,000. (NASA Release 65-135)
At Purdue Univ., Dr. George E. Mueller, NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight, discussed in a speech NASA's emphasis on man's part in future planned space experiments: "The role of man in space is basic to any discussion of our planned space experiments,. , We have always recognized his inherent characteristics as a sensor, manipulator, evaluator and investigator, "As a sensor, man adds little to automatic equipment in space-sometimes nothing at all... instruments can measure , , phenomena that man cannot perceive at all. "But instruments are limited by the knowledge we now have on earth; they cannot cope with the unexpected or the unknown, Man, on the other hand, can operate in any unprogrammed situation and reap full benefits of the true objective of manned operations, He can explore the unknown, "The second function of man in space is manipulation, Gus Grissom demonstrated superbly last month that a man can operate the spacecraft controls for delicate maneuvering. ... "In the conduct of space research also, man as a manipulator can probe into his environment, He can make use of motor responses and verbal skills to carry out procedures and to assemble, operate and repair equipment... "With the capacity to evaluate, man achieves a substantial degree of self-reliance in controlling what he perceives and how he reacts. When a man remembers, analyzes, compares, and induces-using a solid foundation of knowledge--he has improved the degree to which meaningful data can be translated into useful knowledge... "The most advanced role of man in space is that of an investigator who responds creatively to unexpected situations. He is able to postulate theories and hypotheses, and to devise and use systematic measurements. In this role, the astronaut is a full-fledged scientist." (Text)
NASA Manned Spacecraft Center's Public Affairs Officer, Paul P. Haney, announced that daily newspapers might have 1A-hr, interviews with the crew of the GT-4 flight on the same basis as television networks and wire news services. Astronauts James A. McDivitt (Maj. USAF) and Edward H. White (Maj., USAF) would spend two full days in personal interviews at MSC early in May. There would be a mass press conference for all news media in Washington, D.C, on April 30, Without such an arrangement, the only newspapers that would have had personal interviews would be those that subscribed to the service that paid astronauts for their stories. (Houston Post, 4/23/65)
New sunspots heralding the start of a new 11-yr, cycle were discussed at sessions on the International Years of the Quiet Sun held in Washington, D.C, under auspices of the American Geophysical Union and the International Scientific Radio Union, Scientists said the asymmetrical birth of the new cycle suggested it might not reach as intense a maximum as usual. The cycle was of vital interest to planners of a manned moon landing since it had been discovered that some solar eruptions shoot out protons at so close to the speed of light they could kill an astronaut, While astronauts were on the moon, or inside the LEM, they would be poorly protected against such a PROTON shower, Dr. Herbert Friedman, of the Naval Research Laboratory, said during the symposium they would be comparatively safe if they could return to their orbiting command capsule. The goal, therefore, he said, was to learn enough about these events so that astronauts could have sufficient warning to take refuge in their spacecraft. (Sullivan, NYT, 4/23/65)
A two-day conference began at NASA Manned Spacecraft Center on international participation in space biomedical experiments on U.S. manned spaceflights. About 50 doctors from 17 countries attended. (Houston Chron, 4/21/65; NASA Release 65-31)
First of four Canadian Stol CV-7A transport planes was accepted by the USA. The aircraft would undergo extensive service, engineering, and climatic tests in the next year. (DOD Release 253-65)
DOD announced award to Thiokol Chemical Corp, of $2,300,000 increment to existing contract for production of Minuteman Stage I operational and flight test rocket motors. (DOD Release 255-65)
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