Jan 16 1970
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
U.S.S.R. launched Cosmos CCCXX from Kapustin Yar into orbit with 297-km (184.6-mi) apogee, 239-km (148.5-mi) perigee, 89.8-min period, and 48.4° inclination. Satellite reentered Feb. 10. (GSFC SSR, 1/31/70; 2/1.5/70; SF, 7/70, 282)
U.K.'s Skynet A (IDCSP-A) comsat, launched by NASA for USAF Nov. 21, 1969, was adjudged successful by NASA. Satellite was adjusted into final orbit Jan. 7 and USAF reported all systems were operating satisfactorily. (NASA Proj Off)
MSC released Surveyor III spacecraft parts, returned from moon to earth by Apollo 12 crew, from LRL quarantine for examination by principal investigators. (MSC Release 70-10)
NASA launched two Nike-Tomahawk sounding rockets from Churchill Research Range. One carried GSFC payload to 210-km (130.5-mi) altitude to measure extreme UV auroral emissions. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily, but door covering photometer did not deploy. Second rocket carried Univ. of Maryland payload into bright aurora to 252-km (156.6-mi) altitude to make detailed observations of visual aurora. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily and good data were obtained. (NASA Rpts SRL)
Bullpup-Cajun sounding rocket, launched by NASA from Wallops Station, carried GSFC payload to 41-km (25.5-mi) altitude to measure ozone distribution in mesosphere and stratosphere and ozone in 20 to 65-km (12- to 40-mi) region. Rocket under performed because of pitch-roll lock-in during 2nd-stage burn, which increased coning angle. Instrument performance was satisfactory. (NASA Rpt SRL)
USAF grounded all 10 C-5A transports, world's largest aircraft, after discovery of wing crack in aircraft undergoing modifications at Lockheed-Georgia Co. plant. Crack was in same area where weak ness had been reported during earlier static load tests, USAF said. (AP, W Post, 1/17/70, Al)
Use of range and Doppler tracking data to determine earth-moon mass ratio and mass of Mars was described in Science by JPL astronomers John D. Anderson, Leonard Efron, and S. Kuen Wong. Accurate navigation of Mariner VI and VII to Mars had required use of two way, phase-coherent range and Doppler tracking data from NASA JPL Deep Space Network. Coverage of both Mariners from launch to encounter with Mars, closest approach to Mars, and beyond had provided new information on ratio of mass of earth to that of moon; Mars gravity field, particularly planet's mass; and ephemerides of Mars and earth. Data complemented Doppler data from Mariner IV with exception of inconsistency of about 0.0004% in values for mass of moon determined from lunar trajectories. Determinations of mass of Mars by Mariner IV and VI were in agreement. (Science, 1/16/70, 277-9)
Gen. James Ferguson, AFSC Commander, delivered graduation address before Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards AFB, Calif.: "To the man in the street, we may have made it look too easy to prevent nuclear wars for more than 20 years, to deter or contain limited wars, and even to put men on the moon. The average American may well be bored by the third moon landing, but the Soviet planners-who know exactly what magnitude of effort is involved-do not get bored. They see us researching and developing new strategic and tactical weapons; they see us producing the largest airplane in the world and developing a new superiority fighter and advanced bomber; they see us committed to a larger and faster supersonic transport. And, knowing full well that they had a significant head start, they see us on the moon-in living color." They "know in the Kremlin-far better than most of our own laymen know-the time, the effort, the skill and dedication, and the vast commitment of resources all this requires. To them, what we do does not look easy and in any contest of endurance, it must by now have become obvious that our far greater productivity must inevitably prevail." (Text)
William T. Piper, founder of Piper Aircraft Corp.-one of world's largest light-aircraft corporations-died at age 89. Piper, known as "the Henry Ford of aviation," had built more aircraft than anyone else in the world, including durable, inexpensive Piper Cub. (Krebs, NYT, 1/17/70, 31)
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