Feb 15 1964
From The Space Library
Rebuilt X-15 No. 2 was rolled out of North American Aviation, Inc., facility at Los Angeles. Damaged in landing at Mud Lake, Nev., in Nov. 1962, the X-15 had been modified to increase its top speed by nearly one third. The rebuilt rocket research aircraft would be capable of short bursts of flight at mach 8-more than 5,300 mph. It would resume test flights later this year. (N.Y. Her. Trib., 2/16/64; AP, Wash. Post, 2/16/64; FRC X-Press, 2/20/64, 1)
USAF launched Thor-Agena D booster from Vandenberg AFB with unidentified satellite. (M&R, 2/24/64, 11)
Two-man crew and backup crew for first manned Gemini space flight would be selected in May or June, according to Astronaut Donald K. Slayton at NASA Manned Spacecraft Center. Flight was expected in late 1964. (Houston Chron., 2/16/64)
Dr. Wernher von Braun, Director of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, said in press conference preceding address at Texas A&M Univ. that a geologist would be in crew of second Apollo lunar landing mission. Geologists probably would be sought when NASA recruited astronaut trainees for subsequent Apollo lunar flights. In his address, Dr. von Braun advised that U.S. must protect itself from any hostile force that attempts to "use space as an unchallenged avenue of aggression against us." (Houston Post, 2/15/64; Houston Chron., 2/16/64)
Rep. Olin Teague (D.-Tex.), Chairman of Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight, House Committee on Science and Astronautics, visited NASA Manned Spacecraft Center with members of the subcommittee. Rep. Teague said at MSC that the manned space flight budget for FY 1965 "is a tight budget and we have a good program. No major cuts are foreseen." (Houston Chron., 2/16/64; Houston Post, 2/16/64)
Question of how U.S. would use or dispose of 54 Titan I launch silos was raised in Christian Science Monitor. $1.5 billion had been spent on digging and equipping the silos. First Titan I site became operational in April 1962. Now that Titan II had become operational augmented by Minuteman missiles, Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara had declared Titan I would be eliminated after June 30, 1966. (Fleming, CSM, 2/15/64)
Formation of six F-105 supersonic fighter-bombers flown by USAF pilots from Guam to New Zealand set unofficial nonstop distance record. The jets completed the flight of 4,422 mi. in 7 hrs., 45 min. (AP, Wash. Sun. Star, 2/16/64)
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