Dec 18 1968
From The Space Library
December 18-20: Intelsat-III F-2 was successfully launched by NASA for ComSatCorp on behalf of International Communications Satellite Consortium. Launch was from ETR by three-stage, Thrust-Augmented, Long-Tank Delta booster. The 632-1b, cylindrical satellite entered elliptical transfer orbit with 22,590-mi (36,355.1-km) apogee, 161.9-mi (260.5-km) perigee, 642.9-min period, and 28A° inclination. All systems were functioning normally. On Dec. 20 apogee motor was fired to kick satellite into planned near-synchronous orbit over Atlantic at 51° west longitude with 22,328.2-mi (35,933A-km) apogee, 21,8334- mi (33,137.5-km) perigee, 0.79° inclination, and 3.25° per day eastward orbital drift. Intelsat-III F-2, first successful launch in Intelsat III series, was backup to Intelsat-III F-1 (Intelsat III-A) which had been destroyed minutes after launch Sept 18 when launch vehicle began to break up. Satellite was scheduled to begin commercial service Jan. 2, 1969 [see Dec. 28], handling up to 1,200 voice circuits or four TV channels. By Jan. 29, 1969, all Atlantic area service except NASA Apollo traffic would be transferred to Intelsat-III F-2 from other Atlantic comsats. Intelsat I (Early Bird) and Jntelsat-II F-3 (Atlantic II). Etam, W. Va., earth station would become prime East Coast terminal and Andover, Me., station would be removed from service preparatory to its use as prime terminal for Intelsat-III F-4. NASA Apollo communications would be maintained through Intelsat-II F-3 with 42-ft terminal antenna at Andover. (NASA Proj Off; ComSatCorp Release 68-69; Stevens, NYT, 12/19/68, 1; AP, W Post, 12/19/68, A3)
NASA announced appointment of William C. Schneider, Apollo Mission Director, as Director of Apollo Applications, succeeding late Harold T. Luskin, who died Nov. 25. George H. Hage, Deputy Director of Apollo Program, would be Acting Apollo Mission Director in addition to his present duties. (NASA Release 68-217)
Apollo 8 astronauts heading for moon would be "in far less hazardous position" than they would have been as crew for Columbus, NASA Director of Manned Space Flight Safety Jerome F. Lederer said in speech before Wings Club in New York "Columbus did not know where he was going, how far it was, nor where he had been after his return. With Apollo, there is no such lack of information." Nevertheless, mission would "involve risks of great magnitude and probably risks that have not been foreseen. "Apollo 8 has 5,600,000 parts and one and a half million systems, subsystems and assemblies. Even if all functioned with 99.9 per cent reliability, we could expect 5,600 defects. Hence, the striving for perfection and the use of redundancy." (Text; NYT, 12/19/68, 56)
Aerospace sales reached record high of $30.1 billion in 1968, an increase of almost $3 billion over 1967, Aerospace Industries Assn. President Karl G. Harr, Jr., told Washington, D.C., meeting of Aviation/Space Writers Assn. Commercial aerospace sales increased 39%, to record $6.4 billion; aerospace exports rose 32%, to $3 billion. Military space programs in 1968 rose 3%, from $1.088 billion in 1967 to $1.121 billion, reported AIA's "1968 Aerospace Industry Review and Forecast," which Harr released. Nonmilitary space sales declined 3.7%, from $4.202 billion in 1967 to $4.047 billion in 1968. Sales of products and services for use of aerospace technology in nonaerospace areas-such as marine science, water desalination, crime control, and rapid transit-increased from $2.579 billion to $2.726 billion. Harr predicted slight decline in total aerospace sales to about $29.6 billion during 1969 because of 25% drop in jet transport sales before deliveries of new high-capacity aircraft; continuing increase in helicopter, executive, and utility aircraft sales; modest increase in defense and nonaerospace sales; and decline in civil space sales. He noted that in third quarter of 1968 backlog of Government aerospace orders was less than that of other customers for first time since before World War II. (Text: AIA Release 68-60; W Star, 12/19/68, A19)
USAF flew 11 newspapermen on simulated combat missions in F-111A from Nellis AFB, Nev., to demonstrate aircraft's systems. In Washington Post, George C. Wilson said decision to allow newsmen in cockpits of controversial plane for first time evidenced USAF'S conviction "that the F-11 program is at a crucial juncture as the Nixon Administration gets ready to take office." (W Post, 12/19/68, A8)
Di. Anatoli A. Logunov, Director of Institute of High Energy Physics near Serpukhov, 60 mi south of Moscow, said in Izvestia that Institute's 1,000-yd-dia, 70-bev, proton accelerator had joined scientists elsewhere in search for quark. Quark was hypothetical particle thought to be elementary building block of all matter and to carry electrical charge one-third to two-thirds that of electron charge. (NYT, 12/20/68, 3)
AIAA announced Dr. Charles P. Sonnett, Chief of ARC'S Space Science Div., would receive Space Science Award, including $500 honorarium, "for his personal contribution as planner, leader and individual experimenter in major space science vehicle programs which have contributed to the field of space physics." He had worked in magnetospheric physics and nuclear physics and was currently concentrating on inter- planetary physics. He had been principal investigator on several NASA experiments and ALSEP. Award would be presented at AIAA 7th Aerospace Science Meeting in New York Jan. 20-22, 1969. Dr. Stanley G. Hooker, Technical Director of Bristol Engine Div., Rolls-Royce Ltd., and Perry W. Pratt, Vice President and Chief Scientist of United Aircraft Corp., had been selected to share $10,000 Goddard Award for their separate work in developing gas turbine engines. Goddard Award, named for late rocket pioneer Robert H. Goddard, was awarded annually to "a person who has made a brilliant discovery or a series of outstanding contributions over a period of time, in the engineering science of propulsion or energy conversion." Prof. Rene H. Miller, head of MIT Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, would receive Sylvanus Albert Reed Award for "outstanding contributions" to rotary-wing aircraft. Dr. Robert D. Fletcher, USAF Air Weather Service's Deputy Chief of Staff for Aerospace Sciences, would receive Robert M. Losey Award for "outstanding and dedicated leadership and service" for 30 yr to aeronautical meteorology. (AIAA Release; NASA Biog, 11/29/68; NYT, 12/31/68, 52)
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