Dec 5 1968
From The Space Library
December 5-30: NASA successfully launched ESRO's 240-lb Heos-A Highly Eccentric Orbiting Satellite from ETR by Thrust-Augmented Thor-Delta (DSV-3E) booster. Drum-shaped satellite entered orbit with 138,831.2- mi (223,579.4-km) apogee, 263-mi (423-km) perigee, 112-hr 29-min period, and 28.3° inclination. Primary NASA objective was to place Heos-A into earth orbit which would permit successful achievement of ESRO scientific objectives and to provide spacecraft tracking and telemetry support. Eight onboard experiments designed by nine scientific groups in Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, and U.K. would investigate interplanetary magnetic fields and study solar and cosmic-ray particles outside magnetosphere during period of maximum solar activity. By Dec. 30 seven experiments had been turned on and operated satisfactorily. Eighth ex- periment would be activated two months after liftoff. Spacecraft control had shifted to ESRO Operations Center, Darmstadt, Germany. Heos-A was third ESRO mission orbited by NASA, first ESRO mission on Delta launch vehicle, and first NASA-ESRO reimbursable mission, in which ESRO would pay U.S. for launch vehicle hardware and certain launch costs. (NASA Proj Off; NASA Release 68-204; Wilford, NYT, 12/6/68; GSFC SSR, 12/15/68)
Interview with Dr. Donald F. Hornig, Science Adviser to President Johnson, appeared in New York Times. Dr. Hornig said problem facing his successor, Dr. Lee A. DuBridge, was finding funds for science and technology, to preserve "the vitality, the creativity and the entrepreneurial surge of the establishment" Next science adviser would have to orient new administration to give science proper place in overall scheme. One of America's great strengths was recognition that science, like economics, was part of everything. New administration would have to set course for space program after manned lunar landing. It would have to decide how to improve nation's health care, deal with environmental pollution, and face technological problems of keeping world free of nuclear war. Particularly important task would be advancing vitality of basic science enterprise-research devoted to quest for knowledge with no immediate applications in mind. (Schmeck, NYT, 12/5/68, 28)
Wall Street Journal editorial said major task of new Presidential Science Adviser, Dr. Lee A. DuBridge, would be "to try to help instill some semblance of order in the Government's massive involvement in science." While DOD and NASA had been biggest science spenders, other agencies were extensively involved. "Because there was such a limited effort to set priorities in the first place, it's hard for anyone to know for sure which programs the nation now can best afford to slow down or abandon. . . . [Dr.] DuBridge now must try to plan the future course of Federal science, somehow reconciling all the competing pressures from scientists, universities, industry, Congress, maybe even taxpayers." (WSJ, 12/5/68)
NASA Deputy Administrator for Space Sciences and Applications Oran W. Nicks described applications of Surveyor and Lunar Orbiter techniques to Mars exploration before AIAA meeting in Washington, D.C. Two 1971 Mariner Orbiter missions would provide new tools for survey of dynamic Mars, arriving when most striking seasonal changes were evident in Southern Hemisphere. Their combined orbits and life expectancies would allow observations of dynamic changes in clouds and surface features over several months. In 1973, two additional orbiters would survey Mars from different orbits during different seasons, with support of landing mission as prime requirement. Also planned for 1973 was survivable landing spacecraft to make local measurements of environment, photograph surface and topography, and analyze soil. "Burning question of immediate concern to you and me will be addressed by use of our new tools," Nicks said: "Is there life elsewhere? Has life existed on nearby planets and disappeared for any reason? Can nearby planets be made suitable for life?' Together, orbiters and landers form a powerful team for the study of Mars and for seeking answers to these questions. Together, they will continue to extend our capabilities in what is probably the most challenging, open-ended arena for expansion of science and technology in the decade ahead." (Text)
NASA announced plans to use Titan III-D/Centaur in dual launches of 6,000-lb spacecraft consisting of Surveyor-type soft landers mated to Mariner 1971 class Mars orbiters in mid-1973, in Project Viking, to obtain scientific information on life on Mars. Launched 10 days apart, spacecraft would arrive about seven months later, when orbiter propulsion systems would place orbiters and landers in Mars orbit. After reconnaissance, landers would be detached and softland on Mars. (NASA Release 68-207; Pasadena Independent, 12/6/68)
LeRC announced NASA-developed artificial-heart control system delivered to Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, would aid research into ways man-made ventricle could assist damaged natural heart. Later, system could be modified to control artificial replacement heart. Electronic R-wave detector sorted heartbeat from background noise in electrocardiogram to synchronize beat in artificial heart with natural heart and gave synchronization signal to programmer, which could adjust pumping of artificial ventricle to needs of body. (LeRC Release 68-80)
ComSatCorp announced it had placed in full-time commercial operation two new earth station facilities at Jamesburg, Calif., and Paumalu, Hawaii, to handle U.S.-Pacific area communications via Intelsat-II F-4 (Intelsat II-D) satellite. (ComSatCorp Release 68-66)
Scientists at Univ. of California at Los Angeles, testing to determine if life could exist in hostile environment of Venus, said they had grown algae in atmosphere of 100% carbon dioxide. They said Venus had more than 90%. More complex plants had not survived, reported Dr. Willard F. Libby, Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, Dr. Joseph Seckbach of Israel, and Dr. Irene Aegerter of Switzerland. (AP, NYT, 12/8/68,35)
DOD announced USAF scientists, in study conducted by Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories, would fly KC-135 flying ionospheric laboratory around auroral oval in Arctic during seven-day series of first flights attempted along this route. Purpose was to obtain data on spatial extent and intensity of optical and radio auroras in midwinter and define relationships between them. USAF was interested in influence of auroras on radio communication and navigation and on radar surveillance. AFCRL scientists hoped, eventually, to predict occurrence and severity of auroral activity. (DOD Release 1065-68)
Washington Post editorial commented on FAA's limitation of operations at five major airports [see Dec. 3] : "It is unfortunate, of course, that the capacity of airports at New York, Chicago and Washington have not kept up with the growth of the Nation's air fleet. But airports do have limits, and it is growing increasingly clear that the only solution to congestion problems is to separate commercial and noncommercial traffic. It would make far more sense for those who feel they have been unfairly treated by the FAA's action to campaign for more reliever airports around large cities (and the taxes on airport users to pay for them) than to attempt . . . to overturn the FAA decision:' (W Post, 12/5/68, A20)
USN announced authorization of $22 million to Electric Boat Div. of General Dynamics Corp. for planning and procurement of materials and equipment for "quiet" nuclear-powered submarine. Award brought total allocation thus far to $30.5 million. Initial $8.5 million was for design. (UPI, W Post, 12/5/68, H7)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
