Dec 14 1970
From The Space Library
MSFC announced its engineers had used blindfolded jeep with TV camera, outsized station wagon, and other vehicles during tests on Flagstaff, Ariz., desert to determine accuracy of remote operation of LRV with simplest and least amount of -equipment. Tests, in March and April and during summer, had proved that traverses of 30.5 km (19-mi) could be made with less than two percent overall error by using directional gyroscope, odometer calibration, and sun compass alignment and updating. (MSFC Release 70-256)
Senate received President Nixon's nomination of Col. James A. McDivitt (USAF), Apollo 9 astronaut and Apollo Spacecraft Program Manager at MSC to be brigadier general. (CR, 12/14/70, 520137)
Lidar, new light detection and ranging device to detect air pollutants, was described in New York Times interview of meteorologist Ronald Collins of Stanford Research Institute. Device sent energy signal outward to bounce off air particle and return to receiver on ground. Returned signal was then translated from energy pulse into visual pattern seen on picture tube. Unlike radar, which used longer microwave, lidar used wavelengths measuring 0.6943 mu, which picked up extremely small particles in concentration too thin to be seen with naked eye. It was even possible to track some gases in atmosphere with lidar. (Blakeslee, NYT, 12/14/70, 53)
AAAS announced election of Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg, AEC Chairman, as President-elect. (AAAS Release)
Last test model of USAF Minuteman III missile was launched from underground silo at ETR toward South Atlantic target, ending 28-mo development program. Missile was 17th Minuteman III launched from ETR since Aug. 16, 1968; 15 had been launched under simulated operational conditions at Vandenberg AFB, Calif. Tests at Vandenberg would continue. (UPI, W Star, 1214/70, A6)
December 14-15: NASA launched series of five Nike-Apache sounding rockets from Wallops Station between 10:08 pm and 6:27 am EST carrying Geophysical Corp. of America payloads. First four rockets carried trimethylaluminum (TMA) experiments which created pale white clouds. Fifth carried sodium vapor experiment which created huge reddish-orange cloud visible for hundreds of kilometers along East Coast. Rockets reached altitudes between 195 km (121.2 mi) and 214.5 km (133.3 mi). Purpose of experiments was to compare vapor measurements of atmospheric winds and diffusion with east-west components of meteor shower winds. Data were obtained by photographing motion of vapor trails from five camera sites on ground. (WS Release 70-25; NASA Release 70-209; NASA Rpts SRL)
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