Dec 20 1962
From The Space Library
X-15 (No. 3) piloted by Joseph A. Walker (NASA) reached 3,886 mph and 157,000-ft. altitude in test of re-entry stability without the craft's ventral fin. Walker said high climbing speed (186 mph faster than planned) was attained because sun's glare temporarily prevented his reading instrument panel; thus, re-entry after engine shut-off was faster than planned. Test vas seventh in series without X-15's ventral fin.
Navy announced that TRANSIT V—A navigation satellite transmitter Was now dead, which indicated that its power supply had failed completely. TRANSIT V had previously been unable to receive commands from the ground.
Management of Project Anna geodetic satellite program was transferred from DOD to NASA. ANNA I-B, launched Oct. 31, would remain a responsibility of DOD, with NASA scientific direction, but further launchings would be planned and executed by NASA.
DOD announced plans to support NASA Syncom communications satellite operations in early 1963. U.S. Army Satellite Communications Agency (SATCOM), Ft. Monmouth, N.J., would send signals to activate and test the first U.S. synchronous-orbit satellite.
National Science Foundation announced FY 1963 expenditures for Government-sponsored research and development would total $14.7 billion, 31% higher than last fiscal year. 95% of the estimated total would be spent by four agencies—NASA, DOD, AEC, HEW.
Eugene W. Wasielewski, Associate Director of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, told National Rocket. Club that ARIEL (U.K.-U.S.) satellite was "just beginning to show signs of trouble." Launched April 26, 1962, the satellite was designed for one year of transmitting life. Wasielewski said some of the experiments aboard the satellite were "not doing as well as some others," that the radio signals from some of the experiments were fading.
Six cash awards totaling $12,000 were presented by NASA Deputy Administrator Dr. Hugh L. Dryden to 14 employees of NASA Manned Spacecraft Center and NASA Langley Research Center: $4,200 for design of Mercury-type spacecraft to Maxime Fagot, Andre J. Meyer, Jr., R. G. Chilton, Jerome B. Hammack, and C. C. Johnson, all of MSC; W. S. Blanchard, Jr., of LaRC; and A. B. Kehlet, formerly of LaRC and now in private industry.
$1,500 for development of emergency safety system for manned spacecraft, used in Project Mercury as Mercury escape tower, awarded to Faget and Meyer.
$1,000 for invention of vehicle parachute and equipment jettison system, also incorporated in Project Mercury, awarded to Meyer.
$2,100 for design of contour couch used in manned spacecraft, awarded to Faget, William M. Bland, Jr., and Jack Heberlig, of MSC.
$2,000 for invention of ablation-rate meter awarded to Emedio M. Bracalente and Ferdinand C. Woolson, of LaRC. Rate meter had been used to gather data from three small rockets and one four-Stage Scout vehicle, all launched from NASA Wallops Station.
$1,200 to George P. Wood, Arlen F. Carter, and Dr. Adolph Busemann of LaRC for development of plasma accelerator, considered a milestone in progress toward electrical propulsion of space vehicles and large-scale laboratory simulation of hypersonic and re-entry flight. This award was made under Employees Incentive Awards Act of 1954; other five were made under National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958.
USAF Minuteman ICBM launched from Cape Canaveral fell short of its intended range, but "many of the test objectives were achieved," DOD announced. Causes of malfunction would be determined by study of telemetry data.
Washington Evening Star reported responsible officials credited U.S. with 3-to-1 nuclear missile-power advantage over U.S.S.R. The commanding lead, said to be maintainable for decades to come, was chiefly due to new operational status of Minuteman ICBM.
University of Alabama Research Institute dedicated at Huntsville, Ala.
Claim of two Soviet scientists of Turkmen Medical Institute that they had discovered micro-organisms of extraterrestrial origin in the Sikhote-Alinst meteorite was disputed by U.S.S.R. Academicians V. Fesenkov, A. Imshenetskiy, and A. Oparin, Izvestia reported. Investigation by U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences' Institute of Microbiology, of which Imshenetskiy was Director, showed that the claim had been based on incorrect premises and poorly conducted research.
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