Aug 12 1967
From The Space Library
GSFC scientists were predicting that NASA's Echo I comsat, launched Aug. 12,1960, would decay from orbit during the next year, AP reported. Once a perfect sphere 100 ft in dia, balloon had deflated and its speed in orbit was steadily decreasing. It had been launched to demonstrate that large inflatable spheres could be used as passive communications reflectors in space. (AP, H Post, 8/13/67; Volker, M News, 8/12/67)
AIAA Board of Directors endorsed hobbyists who built model rockets from paper, plastic, and balsa wood, but warned against the hazards of amateurs mixing their own fuels and experimenting with homemade metal rockets. Action preceded the National Model Rocket Championship contest scheduled to open in Mankato, Minn., Aug. 15. AIAA, which had for many years withheld endorsement of any type of nonprofessional rocket experiments, recommended that model rocketry be conducted only with adult supervision. (Wilford, NYT, 8/14/67,37)
US. and Australia were engaged in a joint program to build a highly technical installation in the Australian desert to intercept information transmitted by Soviet reconnaissance satellites, UPI reported. On Aug. 11, DOD statement said only that US. was "cooperating with the Australian government in a space defense research project." US. officials admitted privately, however, that project was a "ferret" installation to detect radar, electromagnetic radiation, and other electronic impulses emanating from Soviet satellites. (UPI, W Star, 8/12/67)
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