Apr 24 1968
From The Space Library
U.S.S.R. successfully launched Cosmos CCXVII into orbit with 182-km (113.1-mi) apogee, 150-km (93.2-mi) perigee, 87.6-min period, and 62.2° inclination. Satellite reentered April 26. (GSFC SSR, 4/30/68)
NASA Apollo Program Director M/G Samuel C. Phillips (UsAF) told press at NASA Hq. briefing that Apollo 6 mission, in spite of anomalies, was "a safe mission from a crew safety standpoint" as demonstrated by spacecraft's recovery in excellent condition after performing an alternate mission. He cited three substantial technical problems-J-2 engine failure because of fuel leak, amplitude of oscillations during 1st-stage burn (pogo effect) , and apparent separation of large piece of paint or skin from lunar module adapter during ascent-and one procedural problem-premature shutdown of second of two 2nd-stage engines because of wiring error made by North American Rockwell Corp. which was not discovered by NASA in prelaunch tests. He said all could be corrected. From demonstrations of Apollo 4 (launched Nov. 9, 1967) and information gained from Apollo 6 Gen. Phillips said he had determined "the course of action . . . necessary to correct and demonstrate the correction of the problems and . . . recommended to the Administrator of NASA that we proceed with preparations for the manned flight of 205 with the 101 spacecraft which is planned to be the first manned flight in Apollo, and . . . a Saturn IB." He also recommended that NASA prepare third Saturn V (No. 503) for manned flight in late 1968 with option to revert to unmanned mission if necessary corrections did not meet requirements to ensure crew safety on manned mission. Administrator James E. Webb's decision on Gen. Phillips' recommendation was expected shortly. (Transcript; W Post, 4/25/68, A9)
NASA Administrator James E. Webb urged Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences to restore $48.3 million cut by House from NASA FY 1969 budget request for nuclear rocket program [see March 11. Webb stressed importance of proceeding with U.S. development of nuclear rocket propulsion as part of total capability in aeronautics and space to (1) meet potential civil or military requirements for space vehicles and missions, (2) avoid short-sighted cutoffs or constraint on promising new technological developments because they had no specific justification in advance, (3) prove that U.S. "does not intend to limit its development of large launch vehicles and payload capabilities" to Saturn V class, and (4) serve as "central focus for continuing advance in nuclear and other technologies involved." Responding to questions, Webb cited recent Soviet development of fractional orbital bombardment system, automatic docking flights, and maneuvering of heavy payloads in orbit as evidence U.S.S.R. was "not neglecting any important capabilities. . . . Everything I know . . . indicates they are still probing for those areas that will put them ahead the fastest and give them the lead over us that we cannot overcome in a short time." (Testimony; SBD, 4/25/68, 309; NYT 4/25/68, 16)
Univ. of Wisconsin professor Dr. William Kraushaar, speaking at dedication of new $4.3-million Center for Space Research at MIT, reported discovery by NASA's Oso III of high intensity of gamma rays flowing from center of Milky Way. Dr. Kraushaar said finding was first observation to support theory that galaxy centers were rich reservoirs of cosmic rays. (Wilford, NYT, 4/27/68, 40)
U.S. leadership in physics "very likely" would be overtaken soon by U.S.S.R. and Western Europe, Dr. Marvin L. Goldberger, professor of physics at Princeton Univ., said at 105th Annual Meeting of National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. Dr. Goldberger, chairman of symposium on current advances in high-energy physics, and other physicists attributed threatened loss of leadership to budget cutbacks and U.S. failure to develop apparatus for producing colliding beams of high-energy particles which would permit exploration of realms of physics inaccessible by other experiments. Plans for accelerators at Stanford Univ. and at Weston, provided for storage rings for experiments, but there seemed to be no early prospect for their construction. (Text; Sullivan, NYT, 4/25/68, 17)
ComSatCorp reported $1.8-million net income (18 cents per share) for first quarter of 1968-$569,000 (6 cents per share) more than for first quarter of 1967-and operating revenues of record $6.9 million. As of March 31, ComSatCorp was leasing, full-time, equivalent of 754 half circuits, 453 more than on March 31, 1967. Of number leased in 1968, 421 were through two Atlantic satellites and 333 were through two Pacific satellites. One year ago only two satellites were in service, one over Atlantic and one over Pacific. (ComSatCorp Release 68-19)
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