Dec 17 1958

From The Space Library

NASA awarded contract to Rocketdyne of North American to build single-chamber 1.5-million-pound-thrust rocket engine.

The H-1 engine successfully completed its first full-power firing at NAA's Rocketdyne facility in Canoga Park, Calif.

Entire USAF Atlas boosted into orbit communications relay satellite, PROJECT SCORE or the "talking atlas." A total of 8,750 pounds were placed in orbit, of which 150 pounds was payload.

NASA Administrator T. Keith Glennan announced that the manned satellite program would be called "Project Mercury."

Representatives of Advanced Research Projects Agency, the military services, and NASA met to consider the development of future launch vehicle systems. Agreement was reached on the principle of developing a small number of versatile launch vehicle systems of different thrust capabilities, the reliability of which could be expected to be improved through use by both the military services and NASA.

NASA-Industry Program Plans Conference, July 28-29, 1960 (1960), p. 2.