Feb 19 1965
From The Space Library
In testimony before the House Committee on Science and Astronautics, Dr. Homer E. Newell, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications, summarized significant mission results: "U.S. scientific satellites achieved the following firsts: discovery of the radiation belt, determination of the earth's irregular geoid, ionospheric topside sounding (with Canada), solar spectroscopy, x-ray and ultraviolet satellite astronomy, polar orbits, and highly eccentric orbits to map the earth's magnetosphere. Our deep space probes achieved the first successful direct monitoring of the interplanetary environment, the first lunar surface detail, and the first successful flight to Venus. We may soon achieve the first successful flight to Mars, if MARINER IV completes its mission. In launch vehicle development, this program has yielded the first rocket stage using the high energy propellant combination of hydrogen and oxygen. It has also yielded the first and only all solid propellant space booster. U.S. meteorological satellites have yielded the following firsts: daylight cloud photography, night cloud observations including surface and cloud top temperatures, world cloud coverage, global heat balance and stratospheric temperature measurements, and direct cloud picture transmission to local users. Our communication satellites have been first in the following achievements: erection of large structures in space and their use as passive reflectors of radio signals; active repeating of radio signals at various altitudes and orbits of interest to system designers; transoceanic and intercontinental relay of teletype, facsimile, voice, data, and television; and achievement of the first true geostationary orbit. "The specific record of 1964 space missions of the Space Science and Applications Program is particularly informative because most major program areas achieved at least one highly significant success in 1964. Of the 10 scientific satellite missions attempted, 7 achieved full success and 2 partial success." Dr. Newell observed that SYNCOM III communications satellite had been placed in a "virtually perfect circular equatorial orbit," then maneuvered "to within about 1 mile of its station over the western Pacific where it successfully performed all its planned experiments. . . The Syncom maneuver was comparable to the feat of RANGER VII in flying to within 6 miles of its target on the Moon. "Having completed our experiments with Syncoms II and III, we are turning them over to the Department of Defense. . . . If required, full-time communications could be provided between the United States and southeast Asia by Syncom III. ..." (Testimony; NASA Auth. Hearings, 136-62)
NASA selected Philco Corp.'s Aeronutronic Div. for negotiations leading to a nine-month, $1 million contract for research, development, and preliminary design of a lunar penetrometer system applicable to the Apollo program. The penetrometer, an instrumented package capable of assessing the hardness, penetrability, and bearing strength of a surface upon which it is ejected, could furnish lunar surface information to an orbiting Apollo spacecraft for scientific assessment of remote sites inaccessible to manned spacecraft or unmanned earth-launch probes, NASA Langley Research Center would negotiate and manager the contract. (NASA Release 65-59; LaRC Release)
NASA approved inclusion of three x-ray and gamma ray telescopes on the first OAO (Orbiting Astronomical Observatory) and rescheduled the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's celescope experiment for the third OAO. The three x-ray and gamma ray telescopes, already fabricated, contained experiments for surveying the sky proposed by: MIT, to detect high-energy gamma rays that did not originate from earth; Lockheed Missiles and Space Div., to seek new sources of low-energy (soft) x-rays and to study those recently developed; and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, to detect low-energy gamma rays. The celescope experiment was designed to map the stars and nebulae through observations in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum but had encountered development problems. Unaffected by the change and proceeding on schedule for a 1965 launch was the Univ. of Wisconsin's photometer-telescope system to measure the energy distribution and emission intensities of stars. (NASA Release 65-49)
NASA's MARINER IV, en route to Mars, passed the 20-million-mile mark in its distance from earth. The spacecraft was functioning normally and was transmitting data on scientific measurements taken in interplanetary space. (NASA Release 65-58)
Twenty LLRV Program personnel at NASA Flight Research Center were honored at an informal ceremony. Six employees received plaques for special and outstanding contributions to the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle project. (FRC X-Press, 2/19/65, 1)
Col. John H. Glenn, Jr. (USMC Ret.), speaking at a National Space Club luncheon, said: "Looking back over the 3 years since the flight of Friendship 7, I am impressed most of all by the tremendous progress the United States has made in space science and technology. "I am proud of the determination the American people have shown to become the world's leading space faring nation. . . . "Three years ago, Mercury spacecraft were limited in weight to about 3,000 pounds. Today, the Saturn I booster is operational and can put 22,500 pounds into Earth orbit, or seven times the weight of Mercury, Saturn IB, which will begin flying next year, will be able to orbit a payload equal to 11 Mercury spacecraft. Saturn V. which will fly in 1967, will be able to orbit a payload equal to more than 80 Mercuries. That's some jump-but it is no more than typical of the great gains we are making in national space capabilities. "The accuracy requirements for all these missions are almost incomprehensible and are one of the least understood parts of the space program. A good case in point was the launch of Friendship 7 3 years ago. The speed at insertion into orbit was over 25,000 feet per second or 5 miles per second, and the booster and spacecraft were accelerating at approximately 240 feet per second at a steadily increasing rate. At booster cutoff, each error of 1.4 feet per second resulted in a difference of approximately 1 mile in apogee on the far side of the Earth. When you consider that before the onboard signal for cutoff was received, information had to be obtained by radar at the Cape, transmitted by landline to Goddard, run through the computers, returned by landline to the Cape, checked against Cape data and then transmitted 350 miles down range to the spacecraft, still allowing time for onboard delays in operation of relays. valves, and thrust termination, it looks like an almost impossibly accurate requirement. "Those accuracies, however, are rather crude compared with some now being obtained on the deep space probes. "Now we have MARINER IV which at 6 o'clock tonight will be 20,194,023 miles out from Earth on an extremely difficult and significant mission. As you know, there was a checkout of equipment aboard the spacecraft last week that indicates the chances are still good that we will get revealing pictures of Mars next July, when MARINER IV will be 134 million miles from Earth, so far it will take 12½ seconds to get a radio signal back. "To wax philosophical for a moment, we might liken our space program to one of Plato's allegories. He told of prisoners chained in a cave for so long they had lost touch with reality and felt that their whole existence was wrapped up in the shadows they could see on the wall ahead of them. He goes on to say that if one escaped to the outside world and returned to tell the others of what really lay outside the dark cave, they would probably think him completely crazy. "Even though we have seen such tremendous break-throughs in scientific knowledge in recent years, our knowledge has necessarily been limited to such a cave, for practically all we know has been limited to this one tiny speck of earth in a much larger environment. But that is in the process of becoming changed and with a rapidity no one can forecast." (Text, CR, 2/22/65, A751-53)
Sen. A. S. (Mike) Monroney (D-Okla.) said in an interview that if commercial airlines would voluntarily join the Federal Government in subsidizing helicopter lines, these services might be saved. Commercial helicopter lines operating in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco had received Federal subsidies since 1947, but President Johnson proposed in his budget message that they be cut off after Dec. 31. Sen. Monroney said: "Congress isn't going to appropriate any more money. We haven't a chance of selling them or continuing the subsidy without added help from the airlines." His plan involved artificially lowering helicopter fares so that a greater portion of the flying public would use them. This higher load factor, combined with the use of larger, more economical aircraft and hoped-for improvements in helicopter technology might lead to self-sustaining helicopter service in a few years, the Senator said. (NYT, 2/19/65, 69)
On the floor of the Senate, Sen. John Stennis (D-Miss.) argued for development of an advanced manned strategic aircraft, pointing out that "for the first time in the history of American strategic air power, there is no follow-on manned bomber under development." He cited Gen. Curtis E. LeMay who testified last year: "I am afraid the B-52 is going to fall apart on us before we can get a replacement for it. There is a serious danger this may happen." (CR, 2/19/65, 3176)
AFSC announced that an airborne jet engine analyzing system, designated to improve flight safety and operational readiness of USAF tactical aircraft, would be flight-tested for one year at Nellis AFB, Nev., and Davis Monthan AFB, Ariz. The jet engine analyzer system would be used to monitor, analyze, and assess engine performance of turbojets; to assist in predicting required maintenance; and to indicate engine failures before they occurred. (AFSC Release 57,64)
AFSC Aeronautical Systems Div. had awarded to North American Aviation, Inc., an $8,150,000 increment to previously awarded contract for the XB-70 aircraft, DOD announced. (DOD Release 100-65)
Boeing Co, announced it had ordered its 737 model into production and that it had already received an order for 21 of the short-range jets from Lufthansa German Airlines. The 737 would be a twin-engine jetliner designed for short-haul routes. (UPI, NYT, 2/20/65, 52)
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
