Apr 27 1968
From The Space Library
NASA Administrator James E. Webb approved April 24 recommendation of Apollo Program Director M/G Samuel C. Phillips (USA, Ret.) that NASA proceed with preparation of third Saturn V Launch Vehicle for manned mission in late 1968 and retain option for another unmanned mission "if further analysis and ground testing indicate that it is the best course." Astronauts James A. McDivitt, David R. Scott, and Russell L. Schweickart were scheduled to be launched on Saturn V in second manned Apollo space flight. First manned Apollo mission, Apollo 7 with Saturn IB booster, would carry Astronauts Walter M. Schirra Jr., Donn F. Eisele, and R. Walter Cunningham into earth orbit in third quarter of 1968. (NASA Release 68-81; W Star, 4/28/68)
NASA successfully launched 600-lb Reentry F payload by Scout booster from NASA Wallops Station to obtain inflight fundamental research data on aerodynamic heating and transition from laminar to turbulent flow in boundary layer. Payload, graphite-tipped beryllium cone 13 ft long, tapering from 0.01 in at nose to 27.3 in at base, was designed to measure heat transfer in slender cone at hypersonic speeds for comparison with ground studies. Three of Scout's four stages were used: 1st and 2nd stages fired during ascent, boosting 3rd stage and payload to 115-mi (175-km) altitude; and 3rd stage drove payload at up to 13,500 mph through earth's atmosphere. Impact occurred 800 mi downrange, northeast of Bermuda. Reentry F experiment, sixth mission in NASA's Reentry Heating Project, was designed and directed by LaRC under sponsorship of NASA Office of Advanced Research and Technology. Payload was constructed by General Electric Co.'s Re-Entry Systems Div. (WS Release 68-9)
Aerobee 150 MOD I sounding rocket launched from WSMR carried Naval Research Laboratory experiment to 103.2-mi (166.1-km) altitude to photograph solar corona for streamers and to photograph interplanetary dust shadows using two externally occulated coronagraphs and one solar pointing control. Rocket and instruments performed satisfactorily. (NASA Rpt SRL)
Crash of USAF F-111A aircraft near Bowie, Tex., Oct. 19, 1967, had been caused by failure of experimental speed break-only one ever installed on F-111-USAF reported. Investigation had indicated hydraulic system tubing ruptured and flight control system was disrupted when bracket assembly failed at 1,000 mph. (AP, W Post, 4/27/68)
Tass reported Moscow scientist had compared "spectrometric analysis" of cactus growing in cold areas with spectrographs of "dark areas" of Mars and concluded areas on Mars were covered with cactus-like vegetation. Other tests on cactus, scientists said, proved it could stand extremes of temperature and other conditions similar to those on Mars. (UPI, W Star, 4/28/68, A3)
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