Dec 31 1962
From The Space Library
DOD formally canceled Skybolt missile program, announcing that "the Air Force is taking immediate action to terminate all production in connection with the Skybolt program." Announcement was first public DOD notice since President. Kennedy's press conference statement of December 12 on the high cost of Skybolt.
Chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Atomic Energy, Rep. Chet Holifield, stated that he saw a narrowing of the Nation's objectives in space: 97317-63-19 "I cannot help but wonder about the sincerity of our entire space effort in view of the trends which I see in our current program. It appears, increasingly, that our goal is gravitating toward a one-shot manned mission to the moon.
"This effort is centered around the development of chemical rockets whose limitations, compared to nuclear propulsion, are severe.
. . The leader in space cannot afford to be so lacking in vision as to fail to appreciate the need for nuclear power. If we are sincere in our effort to be the first on this new frontier, we must maintain a concerted effort to develop nuclear powered machinery for use in space." Holifield's views were made known in a statement accompanying publication of testimony taken during September 1962.
President Kennedy named Theodore von Karman as the first recipient of the National Medal of Science for leadership in the science and engineering of aeronautics. A native of Hungary, von Karman became a U.S. citizen in 1936 as director of the Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratories of Cal Tech. In 1936 he also initiated the rocket research development which led to the creation of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He is presently chairman of the Advisory Group for Aeronautical Research and Development for NATO (known as AGARD)).
U.S. Navy announced that the last of its lighter-than-air ships as well as associated spare parts and equipment was being disposed of. Although the Navy "blimp" program had been terminated in October 1961, a few airships had been maintained on a standby mobilization basis.
White House and State Dept. officials denied report by French newspaper Paris-Presse that U.S. and U.S.S.R. negotiators had signed cooperative agreement to send team of Russians and Americans to the moon in 1970 on first maimed lunar flight.
During December: Response to G.E. Forum survey of editors, writers, and publishers: 60% considered present expenditure for U.S. space program fully warranted; 26% probably fully warranted; 8% probably not; 5%, not warranted; and 1%, no response. Asked what should be level of expenditure (relative to GNP) in immediate future, 25% replied sharply higher; 30%, a little higher; 22%, remain at about present ratio; 6%, a little lower; 6%, sharply lower; 11%, no response. 33% said U.S. would probably exceed U.S.S.R. in space achievements by 1970, while 40% said U.S. would approximately equal U.S.S.R. by 1970. 45% said prime objective of U.S. in space was to exceed U.S.S.R. space achievements—but without duplication and inefficiencies of an all-out crash program. 35% said prime objective was to sustain a prudent and orderly program of scientific progress in space achievements, with little regard for who leads in the various aspects of space technology. 16% chose crash program to exceed the Russians in space. As to justification for U.S. space program, 59% said: "Because of its by-products, both actual and potential, our space program is an excellent dollar investment, over and above its value for military security and international prestige." 29% chose this statement: "Our space program requires a high dollar expenditure which must be justified—preponderantly if not wholly—in terms of its -value for military security and international prestige."
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