Aug 1 1964
From The Space Library
The day after RANGER VII's historic photographs of the moon climaxed a "textbook flight," President Johnson was briefed on the mission by NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications Dr. Homer E. Newell and Jet Propulsion Laboratory Director Dr. William H. Pickering. Discussing the lunar surface photographs, Dr. Newell said the principal investigators (Dr. Gerard Kuiper and Dr. Eugene M. Shoemaker) had tentatively concluded that "because there exists such sharp little craters here on the surface, this indicates that there is not a deep layer of dust in this area. There would be expected to be a layer of dust on the lunar surface . . . there has been much speculation about how deep it would be. . . . Some people had speculated as much as a thousand feet. Many as much as 30 or 40 feet. Others had said no, it can't be. And those who said no, it can't be, Dr. Shoemaker now thinks were right. At least as far as this area is concerned." Asked by the President whether the RANGER VII success confirmed "that you folks had known what you were doing," Dr. Pickering replied: "Yes, I think it does. "First of all, it confirms we know what we are doing technically when we design something to do this job. Secondly, that as far as the Apollo Program is concerned, it confirms that the basic assumptions that they were making about the sort of surface we are going to have to land on is probably correct." The President asked, "What similar achievements, scientific achievements, can be compared to this?" and Dr. Newell replied: "Dr. Kuiper was asked this question yesterday. He stated he felt this was comparable to the photographing of the sun in the ultraviolet light by the Naval Research Laboratory a number of years ago. "Someone else said that this amounts to a big jump in lunar science, equivalent to the jump that occurred when Galileo turned the telescope on the heavens." President Johnson said: "If we were to conclude-if I were to conclude, if the Budget were to conclude, or if the American people should conclude-that we want to effect a savings here of a few billion dollars, would it be your opinion, Doctor [Pickering], that we would be penny-wise and pound-foolish?" Dr. Pickering replied: "It would indeed, sir, because I believe that this is truly an investment not only which is needed to demonstrate our leadership in the relatively near future, but it is a long-term investment for the future." (NASA Transcript)
Concluding his White House briefing by scientists on RANGER VII, President Johnson stated: "I want to say that all Americans are very proud of you today. We are proud of this historic extension of man's knowledge. We are proud of our scientists, our engineers and all the great team under the leadership of one of the greatest of all Americans, Jim Webb, who are responsible for this success. We can be duly proud of our free and open society, our system of government. "We started behind in space. We were making many apologies just a few years ago. We had our failures, but we kept our faith in the ways of freedom, and we did not follow the easy or the inexpensive course. We know ;his morning that the United States has achieved fully the leadership we have sought for free men. . . . "I think we can say this morning that this is a victory for peaceful civilian international cooperation in this hour of frustration, when so many people are getting upset at some minor disappointments. "I think we can all take great pride in this development. More than 60 countries all around the world work for us and work for peaceful progress and work for peaceful uses of outer space. . "These men don't wear a DSM this morning, and we are not presenting them any Congressional Medal of Honor. But they do have, and all of their associates from Mr. Webb down to the fellow who sweeps out the dust in the remote test laboratory, the gratitude and the admiration of all Americans of all faiths, of all parties, of all regions. "You are welcome to the White House. The people who live here are mighty proud of you." (NASA Transcript)
In article on RANGER VII flight, Soviet newspaper Pravda concluded: "Soviet scientists are happy to note that the launching of "Ranger 7'- a new national achievement of the USA in its program to investigate the moon-represents a contribution to the study of outer space." Izvestia published photograph of the lunar surface taken by RANGER VII as illustration of interview with Soviet astronomer Boris Levin, who said the RANGER VII flight was "definitely an important contribution to the study of the composition of the lunar surface." (Pravda, 8/1/64, 1, ATSS-T Trans.; USIA Research Results, CR, 8/11/64, 18370-73)
In lead editorial on the RANGER VII flight, New York Times lauded the success of the experiment but expressed the opinion that the flight once more emphasized the possibilities for international cooperation in such efforts: . . Proud as this country has reason to be of Ranger 7's accomplishment, we can only conjecture how much more rapidly and cheaply its photographs could have been obtained had Soviet and American scientists been able to pool their efforts and resources years ago, rather than being required to pursue their efforts in competitive-and costly-isolation. The case for a unified international effort to reach the Moon-as urged by Presidents Kennedy and Johnson-is strengthened by every consideration of the needless waste and duplication that have marked humanity's space exploration to date." (NYT, 8/1/64, 20)
Washington Daily News editorialized that the success of RANGER VIII's mission represented "a significant milestone on a historic road to manned exploration of the moon." The lunar flight was termed "a demonstration of man's ceaseless, boundless quest for knowledge-and one which, in the end, is likely to pay off as well as similar past voyages into the unknown." (Wash. Daily News, 8/1/64; CR, 8/4/64, A4114)
Baltimore Sun editorialized on RANGER ". . . we hear much talk of what this means in international prestige, and to what extent we have given the Russians (as well as the moon) one in the eye. Yet surely the thing itself is the thing itself, and is wonderful in the full sense of that word. To see actual photographs close-up of the surface of the moon, whose mystery throughout the history of mankind has but been enhanced by its proximity and by the fact that something could always be seen there, is a matter of awe and wonder; and that is the main thing about this moonshot." (Balt. Sun, 8/1/64)
Soviet satellites ELECTRON III and ELECTRON IV were successfully conducting scientific investigation of upper atmosphere and outer space, according to Soviet newspaper source. Since their orbiting last July 11, 50 communication sessions had been held with ELECTRON III and 19 with ELECTRON IV, and valuable scientific and engineering data had been obtained. (Krasnaya Zvezda, 8/2/64, ATSS-T Trans.)
Clifford B. Harmon Trust announced that Astronaut Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr. (Maj., USAF), would receive the Harmon International Aviator's Trophy for 1964 for his 34-hour orbital space flight (MA-9) in a Mercury spacecraft May 15-16, 1963. Others to receive Harmon Trophy would be Aviatrix Betty Miller for her solo transpacific flight and Lt. Col. Fitzhugh Fulton (USAF) for 11,000-lb. payload of B-58 to 85,318-ft. altitude. The Harmon awards for 1963 and 1964 would be presented to recipients in White House ceremony September 14. (NYT, 8/2/64, 78)
Expressing congratulations on the success of RANGER VII lunar mission, Chancellor Ludwig Erhard of West Germany said in telegram to President Johnson: "We are happy with the American people over this tremendous technical and scientific achievement." Other response to the successful lunar mission included statement by President of Mexico Adolfo Lopez Mateos, who said that RANGER VII was "without doubt, up to the present moment, the most brilliant page registered in the scientific history of modern times." British astronomer Sir Bernard Lovell praised the success of RANGER VII and said: "The results will be of . . . critical importance to the American plan for a soft landing of instruments on the lunar surface next year and for Project Apollo, involving a manned landing at the end of the decade." (AP, Wash. Sun. Star, 8/2/64)
French Dragon rocket was successfully fired to an altitude of 275 mi. from a base in Iceland, National Center of Space Research announced in Paris. Fired in cooperation with Icelandic scientists, the sounding rocket carried instruments to measure energy and direction of particles from Van Allen radiation belts. (AP, Wash. Sun. Star, 8/2/64; M&R, 8/10/64, 11)
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