Aug 27 1962
From The Space Library
Atlas-Agena B vehicle boosting MARINER II Venus probe launched from Cape Canaveral at 2:53 AM EDT, the Atlas boosting its load to about 115 mi. and then the Agena B igniting to project it into parking orbit. About half an hour after launch the Agena B engines reignited, accelerating the probe's speed from 18,000 mph to 25,551 mph, when it escaped earth's gravitational pull and flew into deep space.
Shortly after launch, scientists reported that "normal dispersions" in launch vehicle engines would cause the probe to fly not more than 600,000 mi. from the planned point of intersection with orbit of planet Venus. Later calculations pinpointed the deviation at 250,000 mi., a distance that could be corrected by radio signals within a few days. After 109-day flight covering 180,200,000 mi., MARINER II would come within 10,000 mi. of Venus on fly-by mission. Instrumentation aboard the 447-lb. craft included a microwave radiometer to determine the surface temperature of Venus and details of its atmosphere; an infrared radiometer to determine fine structure of cloud layers; a magnetometer to measure changes in Venusian and interplanetary magnetic fields; ion chamber and particle flux detector to measure charged-particle intensity and distribution in interplanetary space and vicinity of Venus; cosmic dust detector to measure density and direction of cosmic dust; and solar plasma spectrometer to measure intensity of low energy protons from the sun.
House approved Senate version of communications satellite bill (H.R. 11040) in vote of 371-10, under suspension of House rules to permit neither further changes nor conference on the measure. The bill, which would establish a corporation responsible for U.S. commercial communications satellites, was sent to the White House.
Senate Committee on Appropriations reported H.R. 12711, Independent Offices Appropriation Bill for FY 1963, restoring $77.5 million to NASA authorization for FY 1963. Committee recommendations: $2,917,878,000 for research, development, and operation; $786,237,000 for construction of facilities; and $35,000 for general provisions. (Total $3,704,150,000.) Sir Bernard Lovell. Director of England's Jodrell Bank Experimental Station which was tracking MARINER II, reportedly said that the Venus probe appeared destined to become the world's most successful space effort to date.
Subcommittee on construction of President Kennedy's Missile Sites Labor Commission conducted closed hearing on recent 10-day work stoppage at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. Although electricians and other construction workers had returned to work, the basic labor dispute—union members' stopping work on vital U.S. missile and space projects because of employment of nonunion members—remained to be settled.
Announced that Anna 1-B geodetic satellite would not be launched until October because recently-created radiation belt might adversely affect Anna's solar cells. Previously scheduled for August 14 launch, satellite would orbit in 600-mi. circular path where radiation of new belt reached peak intensity. Also reportedly postponed was launching of Canada's S-27 Alouette satellite, planned for 625-mi. circular polar orbit. Center of peak electron intensity in the new belt had shifted from 16,000 mi. above the earth to 700 mi. Since its creation, the belt had decreased in intensity by about one half; scientists expected the radiation would soon be dissipated.
DOD announced that TELSTAR was being used to synchronize master clocks in England and the U.S. Accuracy of 10 millionths of a second was obtained in first demonstration when stations at Andover, Maine, and Goonhilly Downs, England, simultaneously sent time-check signals via TELSTAR, on August 25.
Soviet Cosmonaut Andrian G. Nikolayev, interviewed on Moscow television, indicated that although he and Cosmonaut Pavel R. Popovich had parachuted to earth from VOSTOK III and VOSTOK IV, "if we had been ordered to land in the ship we would have done this. It is very easy to land in the ship." When asked why they and Cosmonaut Gherman S. Titov (VOSTOK II) had all landed by parachute, Maj. Nikolayev replied that they all were very fond of parachute jumping.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) announced it was training Italian scientists and engineers for the launching of Italy's first satellite. The 165-lb. satellite would be launched by 1965 from platform in Indian Ocean off eastern coast of Africa.
Reported that DOD was "taking steps toward developing the Nike-Zeus antimissile missile into an antisatellite weapon capable of shooting down any hostile space craft." USN test-fired Polaris missile in 1,400-mi. flight from Cape Canaveral.
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