Aug 16 1968
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
NASA successfully launched Essa VII (TOS-E) , seventh meteorological satellite in ESSA's Tiros Operational Satellite (TOS) system, from WTR by two-stage Thrust-Augmented Long-Tank Thor-Delta booster. This was first use of long-tank Thor for a NASA Delta mission, first use of two-stage vehicle for TOS spacecraft, and first operational two-burn mission for 2nd stage. Primary NASA mission objective was to place and operate spacecraft
NASA launched meteorological satellite Essa VII for Environmental Science Services Administration. Satellite relayed photo of tropical storm Shirley Aug. 19. in sun-synchronous orbit with local equator crossing time between 2:35 pm and 2:55 pm so that daily Advanced Vidicon Camera System (Avcs) pictures of entire globe could be obtained regularly and de- pendably. Satellite achieved nearly polar, sun-synchronous, circular orbit with 918-mi (1,477.9-km) apogee, 895-mi (1,440-km) perigee, 114.9-min period, and 101.7° inclination. Drift of only 0.002° per day out of sun-synchronous orbit meant it would take perhaps 15 yr to change equator crossing time by 1 hr and added considerably to expected useful lifetime. An advanced version of cartwheel configuration, 325-lb cylindrical Essa VII carried two AVCS cameras for global weather coverage. Photos would be stored onboard satellite on magnetic tape until readout by ESSA's Command and Data Acquisition (CPA) stations at Fairbanks, Alaska, and Wallops Island, Va.
During first 42 orbits, spacecraft underwent orientation maneuver to place it in wheel mode and spin rate was adjusted. By Aug. 23 all spacecraft systems had been successfully programmed and excellent pictures had been read out directly, as well as sequences stored for remote readout. ESSA financed and managed TOS system and would operate spacecraft after NASA completed checkout later in month. GSFC was responsible for procurement, launch, and initial checkout of spacecraft in orbit. Essa I was launched Feb. 3, 1966; Essa II, Feb. 28, 1966; Essa Oct. 2, 1966; Essa IV, Jan. 26, 1967; Essa V, April 20, 1967; and Essa VI, Nov. 10, 1967. Essa VII was 17th Tiros satellite launched successfully since Tiros I, first weather satellite, April 1, 1960. All from Tiros III on had equaled or exceeded designed operation lifetimes. Millionth weather satellite photo had been received May 27, 1968. (NASA Proj Off; ESSA Release ES 68-48)
USAF attempt to launch record 12 satellites from Vandenberg AFB with single Atlas-Burner II booster failed when heat shield apparently did not separate as planned. Telemetry during launch indicated Atlas and Burner II stages performed as scheduled, but confirmation of heat shield separation was not received. USAF was still investigating launch attempt. Upper stage had been designed to eject small satellites to measure size and shape of earth, provide targets for radar experiments, and test atmospheric drag in near space. (W Post, 8/18/68; Boeing Release S-9805)
NASA's Reentry VI mission-launched April 27 to obtain fundamental inflight research data on aerodynamic heating and transition from laminar to turbulent flow in boundary layer-was adjudged successful by NASA. Boosted flight trajectory was nominal and spacecraft was placed on desired trajectory with three sigma dispersion limits. Separation of spacecraft from Scout launch vehicle occurred as planned, with all systems fully operational. Maximum spacecraft velocity (19,820 fps) , altitude, and reentry angle were near nominal. Telemetry records indicated flight instrumentation performance was satisfactory throughout flight. Large unexpected amount of signal attenuation occurred at altitudes below 90,000 ft, but because of high design margins, no data were lost. Transitional and fully developed heating data were obtained during reentry. (NASA Proj Off)
DOD successfully launched first Poseidon and Minuteman III long-range missiles from ETR. USN'S two-stage, solid-fuel Poseidon, designed as submarine-launched missile, weighed 65,000 lb-twice as much as Polaris it would replace-and could carry up to 10 nuclear warheads in one Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) cluster. Missile traveled 1,000 mi downrange over Atlantic. USAF's 76,000-lb Minuteman III, more powerful version of Minuteman I and II missiles and capable of carrying three warheads, traveled 5,000 mi downrange. (DOD Release 753-68; W Star, 8/16/68, A9; Wilford, NYT, 8/17/68, 1; AP, B Sun, 8/17/68, 1; W Post, 8/17/68, 1)
JPL scientists Paul M. Muller and William L. Sjogren, using tracking data from Lunar Orbiter V, had discovered mass concentrations of dense material beneath moon's surface, centered below all five circular seas on moon's near face. They had caused acceleration in speed of Lunar Orbiter V spacecraft, while irregular seas had only small effects on satellite's orbital velocity. Source and nature of concentrations were not known, but their presence under circular seas indicated relationship to these seas. Further analysis was expected to yield more positive in- formation on size and depth of masses, which might aid Apollo navigation and shed light on moon's origin and evolution. (NASA Release 68-143; JPL Release 486; Sullivan, NYT, 8/16/68, 42; Cohn, W Post, 8/16/68, A3)
U.S.S.R.'s Tu-144 supersonic aircraft had been completed and was being prepared for maiden flight, Associated Press reported. According to Moscow radio, aircraft was at an airfield, would soon start flight tests, and would become operational "in the nearest future." (AP, NYT, 8/17/68, 44)
Washington Post editorial on NAS-NRC Space Science Board's recommendation that NASA follow manned lunar exploration with unmanned planetary exploration: "The program they project would require more funds than so far given NASA. but certainly would be more economical than preparation for manned flights to other planets. Without settling the basic issues dividing the exponents of manned flights and those in favor of unmanned flights, this program would be a logical preliminary to either alternative . . . [and] seems consistent with both scientific objectives and financial realities. And if success in this program justifies going on to manned flights, that can be decided later." (W Post, 8/16/68, 20)
At DOT press conference Secretary of Transportation Alan S. Boyd and Acting FAA Administrator David D. Thomas outlined proposed restrictions on air traffic at major U.S. airports to ease increasing congestion: limit aircraft movements in peak periods to 65 per hr at Kennedy International, 60 per hr at Newark and La Guardia, 130 per hr at Chicago's O'Hare, and 70 per hr at Washington National; require all aircraft operating to and from those airports to file advance flight plans; and restrict use of those airports to aircraft meeting performance and equipment requirements which would eliminate many general-aviation planes. DOT said it planned to implement its proposals only if aviation community could not agree on alternative plans. (WSJ, 8/19/68, 3; Lyons, NYT, 8/20/68, 1)
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. and medical researchers were developing artificial heart of natural rubber and semirigid polyurethane with pumps and monitoring systems developed by NASA. Although rubber heart had been tried in animals, artificial heart was still experimental and was not expected to be available for use in man until 1975. (WSJ, 8/16/68, 4)
USAF Space and Missile Systems Organization awarded Philco-Ford Corp. $2-million, cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for work on ejection equipment for reentry vehicles. (Dod Release 772-68)
Howard H. Haglund, JPL Surveyor Project Manager, had been named Stanford-Sloan Fellow for 1968-69. Recipient of National Space Club Astronautics Engineer Award and NASA Exceptional Service Medal, Haglund would attend special nine-month Stanford Univ. graduate course in advanced management. (Pasadena Star-News, 8/16/68; Glendale News-Press, 8/19/68)
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