Apr 24 1964
From The Space Library
NASA investigative committee recommended series of tests to determine whether static electricity caused accidental ignition of Delta rocket motor in the Spin Test Facility at Cape Kennedy last April 14. In its preliminary report, the fact-finding committee said there were four possible causes for the ignition: heat, shock, outside radio signals, and electrical impulse. The first three possibilities seemed unlikely, but they would be studied further. Committee considered it "possible, however, that static electricity could have built up in such a way as to cause ignition." Until the committee completed its study and made its final report, NASA would not fly the X-248 motor. (NASA Release 64-98; KSC Release 55-64)
USAF OAR announced determination by Cambridge Research Laboratories scientists R. A. Skrivanek, R. K. Soberman, and Tom Ryan that noctilucent clouds were composed of meteoric particles or of residue of burned out meteors. The determination was made after extensive examinations of noctilucent cloud particles gathered by specially designed rocket nose cones sent aloft on Nike-Cajun rockets in joint AFCRL-NASA-Univ. of Stockholm program. The researchers expected that another series of noctilucent cloud experiments to be conducted in Sweden this summer would confirm these results. (OAR Release 4-64-3)
Douglas DC-7 aircraft crashed at airport near Phoenix, Ariz., in con-trolled test conducted by Flight Safety Foundation under FAA contract. Damage was worse then expected, and researchers were delighted with the "perfect crash." Main purpose of test was to obtain data on fracture affecting passenger survival, evacuation, and fire following impact. A NACA/NASA developed system to protect passengers was tested in the crash: plastic bag which can be inflated rapidly to hold the person in his seat and thus provide cushion against vibration, buffeting, high acceleration and deceleration forces, hard landings, and crash shocks. (NASA Release 64-88; FAA Release 64-30; NYT, 4/25/64, 1)
NASA announced Georgia Institute of Technology would receive $1 million grant for construction of research facilities for projected Space Science Technology Center. Grant Would build two-story building containing about 51,000 sq. ft. to accommodate laboratory research in atmospheric sciences, materials and structures, transport phenomena, and systems engineering. To complete the Center, Georgia Tech would build a matching structure with funds from other sources. (NASA Release 64-98)
NASA Flight Research Center's selection of Cornell Aeronautical Laboratories, Inc, for contract negotiations on general purpose jet air-borne simulator system was announced. The cost-plus-fixed-fee contract was expected to amount to about $1 million. The new system would be installed in Lockheed Jetstar aircraft (C-140A), purchased last year for use in extensive flight research directed toward problems of a variety of aircraft types, including supersonic transport (NASA Release 64-97)
NASA selected six firms for competitive negotiations leading to contract for launch support services at Kennedy Space Center, NASA: Aerojet General Corp. American Machine and Foundry Co., Bendix Corp., Chrysler Corp., Corp., Dynamics Corp., and Westinghouse Electric Corp. The contract would be cost-reimbursement type with incentive-award fee provisions, and would be awarded for one year with renewal options for two more years. Total cost of three-year contract was expected to be more than $20 million. Most of the work would be per-formed at new facilities now under construction on NASA Merritt Island Launch Area. (NASA Release 64-95)
Dr. Gerard P. Kuiper, head of Lunar and Planetary Laboratory of the Univ. of Arizona, said at meeting of American Geophysical Union in Washington that Mars did not have enough water to support any but microscopic life forms. He described recent observations from McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis, Tex., that showed Mars to be enveloped in sheath of atmospheric ice crystals. Dr. Kuiper said in Martian spring the frost covering its pole during the wintertime evaporates directly into the air rather than melting. He estimated Martian air to be two parts nitrogen to one part carbon dioxide, with small amount of argon and even less water vapor and oxygen. Dr. Hyron Spinrad of Univ. of Calif. (Berkeley) described recent observations of Mars from Mt. Wilson Observatory. He said Mars was so cold that water melted only in the afternoon and when Mars was nearest the sun; amount of water in the Martian air was a thousandth of that in sea-level air in the arid south-western U.S. The speakers rejected the idea that Martian air contained nitrogen-oxygen compounds, proposed last December by Georgetown Univ. astronomer Dr. Carl C. Kiess and chemist Dr. Sebastian Karrer. (Sullivan, NYT, 4/25/64, 8)
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