Apr 23 1968
From The Space Library
NASA launched two sounding rockets from Churchill Research Range. Nike-Tomahawk carried Univ. of New Hampshire-Univ. of California at San Diego payload to 166.5-mi (268-km) altitude. Objectives were to measure electric field, ionospheric currents, auroral light intensity and location, and proton and electron fluxes in 1- to 10-key region while payload was passing through or close to visible auroral display. Rocket and instruments performed satisfactorily; all scientific objectives were achieved. Launch was second in series of four [see Feb. 5]. Nike-Apache carried Univ. of Michigan payload to 6-mi (9.6-km) altitude to study atmospheric parameters of temperature, pressure, and density using Pitot-static-probe technique and measure extreme UV emission to determine energy disposition with altitude of incoming particles. No scientific data were obtained because of vehicle malfunc- tion. (NASA Rpt SRL)
Aerobee 150 MI sounding rocket launched from White Sands Missile Range carried Univ. of Colorado experiment to 111.9-mi (185.4-km) altitude to measure intensity of spectral lines in 3,400-1,100A band. Rocket and instrumentation performed satisfactorily. (NASA Rpt SRL)
Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences heard testimony in support of NASA FY 1969 budget from U.S. scientists. Dr. Harry H. Hess of Princeton Univ. presented statement for record by National Academy of Sciences President Dr. Frederick Seitz. Space program, Dr. Seitz said, was "the latest and one of the greatest human exploratory adventures in a long sequence that has enriched mankind. It offers us the promise of extending the range of our domain . . . to the entire solar system. We can expect many benefits along the way, some of conceptual and some of direct material value . . but those which will prove to be the most rewarding are probably, in the main, still hidden from us over the horizon." Dr. John A. Simpson of Enrico Fermi Institute and Univ. of Chicago noted: "Researches in space have made, through the bold programs which NASA established with universities in the early 1960s, major contributions to the critical problems of generating, developing and retaining first-class scientific manpower. . . . The great fear at present . . . is that the momentum established will be dissipated by the preferentially deep budgetary cuts made by NASA in those areas which most affect the universities." He stressed "deeply felt conviction" that U.S. was "in danger of unwittingly destroying what we wish to save and need . . . pre-eminence in science and technology which is crucial for each major problem of the nation, from poverty to war." Actions taken in Congress in 1968 might "largely determine whether the U.S. will retain its leadership in the space sciences." Dr. Simpson urged early start of Pioneer concept since it was "absolutely clear that discoveries important for the progress of science and technology may be made by . . . experiments and observations on spacecraft moving outward from the orbit of the Earth . . . the program is not a gamble and a hope, but an objective of high importance and certain to produce fruitful results." (Testimony; NYT, 4/24/68, 24; W Star, 4/24/68, A21)
Eleventh Saturn IB booster was successfully static fired at Marshall Space Flight Center at 1.6-million-lb thrust for 145 sec by Chrysler Corp. personnel. It would be returned to Michoud Assembly Facility for post-static checkout. (MSFC Release 68-85)
At American Physical Society Meeting in Washington, D.C., Stanford Univ. physicist, Dr. William M. Fairbank, described experiments on superconducting accelerators that would enable scientists to accelerate electrons faster and for longer periods and, possibly, to produce 10 times as much energy as world's most powerful existing accelerator, 2- mi-long, 20-bey Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC). By immersing accelerator in liquid helium cooled to absolute zero, energy loss could be reduced so much that electrons could be fired continuously and accelerator kept at constant temperature. SLAC currently could be fired for only 0.001 sec because of excess heat generated by pulse. Experiments, preliminary to construction of $5-million, 500-ft-long prototype accelerator, had been conducted on 5-ft model. (Sullivan, NYT, 4/24/68, 26; O'Toole, W Post, 4/24/68, A17)
R. F. Taschek of AEC's Los Alamos (N. Mex.) Scientific Laboratory presented "Space-Based Detection of Radiations from Nuclear Detonations and Other Sources." Eight test-detection satellites-launched two at a time in joint DOD-AEC Vela Hotel program, Oct. 17, 1963; July 17, 1964; July 20, 1965; and April 28, 1967-were still orbiting earth at 69,000-mi altitude. They had not spotted any detonations to date but provided "undoubtedly the best information" about solar winds, Taschek said. Information would "eventually allow us to understand and perhaps control our environment more readily." (Test; EH; P Inq, 6/5/68, 5)
Capt. J. Laurence Pritchard (RAF) , pioneer in British aircraft industry, died in U.K. at age 83. First textbook on airplane structural analysis, Aeroplane Structures, which he wrote jointly with A. J. Sutton Pippard, was used all over the world and served, as model for many later books on subject. He was editor of Journal of the Royal Aeronautical Society 26 yr. (A&A, 7/68, 69)
MSFC announced award of $1,400 to MSFC Test Laboratory Engineer John A. Hauser for invention of five-module system for purifying and filtering gas to purity necessary in development of Saturn rockets. (MSFC Release 68-82)
NASA announced swearing in of Dr. Waino W. Suojanen, Chairman of Univ. of Miami's Dept. of Management, as a consultant to Administrator James E. Webb. Dr. Suojanen would serve as member of NASA Man- agement Advisory Panel which reviewed NASA's pattern of administration and advised on specific aspects of organization and management. (NASA Release 68-78)
MSFC announced appointment of M. Keith Wible, chief of MSFC's Manpower Utilization and Administration Office, as head of new manpower utilization system for NASA Hq. Operations Management Office, OMSF. He would be succeeded by Paul L. Styles, head of MSFC's Labor Relations Office. (MSFC Release 68-83; Marshall Star, 4/24/68, 1)
NASA announced that Astronaut Brian T. O'Leary had withdrawn from astronaut training program because he disliked piloting aircraft. Dr. O'Leary, who had completed 15 hr flying time in training program at Williams AFB, Ariz., hoped to remain with space program as researcher in planetary astronomy. Astronaut F. Curtis Michel had received special permission to spend 80% of his time teaching and studying at Rice Univ. and 20% in astronaut training for one year. (MSC Release 68-32; AP, W Star, 4/24/68, A2; W Post, 4/24/68, 4)
U.S. and U.S.S.R. had included "little-publicized sanctions" in proposed nuclear nonproliferation treaty, John W. Finney reported in New York Times. "Unless they sign the treaty or accept its requirements for international inspection over all their atomic activities, nations may find themselves cut off from assistance in developing the peaceful uses of atomic energy." Such nations would not be able to purchase atomic power plants or to obtain nuclear fuel from U.S. or U.S.S.R. Further, European Atomic Energy Community would not receive fuel unless it entered into inspection agreement within two years with International Atomic Energy Agency. (NYT, 4/24/68, 1)
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