Aug 24 1962
From The Space Library
Speaking on the floor of the Senate, Senator Thomas Dodd supported statements by Senator Cannon on August 20, and added: "The primary goals of our foreign policy, as I see it, are first, the protection of our Nation; second, the maintenance and extension of freedom ; and third, the preservation of peace. . . . Our ability to protect our freedoms and preserve the peace depends . . . on our military power in-being—on land, on sea, in the air and, tomorrow, in space. . . .
"I earnestly hope that it will prove possible to maintain our scientific Space program and our moon program intact while instituting an immediate program to bolster our flagging military effort in space. . .
"The reorganization of our space effort will require a number of changes. First, and preceding everything else, there must be a change in policy, which clearly and publicly assigns a greater emphasis to the military potentialities of space. . .
"Second, there must be a specific directive to the Defense Department to proceed as a matter of the utmost urgency with the development of military space systems, in particular of manned space vehicles . . .
"Third, I believe that while proceeding with the development of specialized military spacecraft, our Military Establishment should be authorized to embark immediately on a launching program of its own for manned space vehicles, perhaps employing modified versions of the equipment now under development by NASA. . . .
"Fourth, to support the establishment of military launching and vehicle development programs, our astronaut training program will have to be stepped up, and military personnel will have to be trained in the use of the complex monitoring, and control systems that constitute. the brain of our entire space vehicle effort.
"Fifth, our defense program in space will have to be provided with whatever money may be necessary to achieve its objectives, and to overtake the Soviet lead in manned space vehicles.
"Sixth, the machinery of cooperation between NASA and Defense will have to be overhauled in a manner which gives due consideration to the requirements of defense as well as to the requirements of science. . ."
NASA issued proposal requests to 23 industrial firms for research, development, delivery, and installation of two separate shock-heating, free-flight wind tunnel structures and gun development facilities. Proposals were due at NASA Ames Research Center by September 17.
Balloonist Don Piccard set new altitude record in ascent of 17,000 ft. during two-hr. and two-min. balloon flight from Sioux City to Kennebec, Iowa.
Laser (narrow and intense beam of light) had been sent through 28 miles of haze over the Chesapeake Bay, from Tilghman's Island to Patuxent, Md., in recent nighttime experiment by USN scientists.
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