Jan 17 1963
From The Space Library
X-15 No. 3, piloted by Joseph A. Walker (NASA), reached 271,000-ft. altitude and 3,677-mph speed (mach 5.47) in flight near NASA Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. Flight was second highest altitude achieved with rocket-powered X-15 and fourth to reach or exceed altitude for which aircraft was designed; it was X-15’s highest altitude without ventral tail fin. (NASA Release 63-8)
President Kennedy sent FY 1964 Budget Request to Congress, recommending NASA appropriation of $5.712 billion. Of this sum, $3.10 billion was for manned space flight, with Project Apollo receiving largest single increase in NASA budget from $435 million in FY 1963 to $1.2 billion in FY 1964. NASA Administrator James E. Webb characterized the budget request as “austere”-it would neither speed up nor slow down the National effort to land an American on the moon in this decade. Total FY 1964 space budget, was estimated at $7.614 billion NASA, $5.664 billion; DOD $1.668 billion; AEC, $254.3 million; Weather Bureau, $26.2 million; and National Science Foundation, $2.3 million. (NASA Budget Briefing FY 1964; Wash. Post, 1/18/63, A12; M&R, 1/21/63,13)
INJUN I satellite, silent since Dec. 25, responded to signals of State Univ. of Iowa scientists, Who did not know cause of the cosmic-ray satellite’s transmission interruption. (AP, Wash. Eve. Star 1/30/63)
Nike-Cajun sounding rocket launched at Wallops Island, Va., to 46.5-mi. altitude, ejecting ozone about 10 sec. after trajectory peak. Objects of the NASA Lewis Research Center experiment were to: test excited oxygen theory of sodium airglow ; detect concentration of atomic hydrogen in the atmosphere; measure altitude of sodium and hydroxyl airglow layers; and test a new technique for studying atmospheric chemical releases with rocket-borne photometers. (NASA Rpt. of S. Rkt. Launching)
RELAY I satellite transmitted 12-min. Voice of America program as well as AP and UPI news dispatches from Nutley, N.J. to Rio de Janeiro and back. Transmissions were reported perfect, even though ordinary high-frequency radio communication with Rio was not possible because of atmosphere conditions (Wash. Eve. Star, 1/17/63 ; AP, Wash. Post, 1/18/63,4)
Questioned at NASA Budget Briefing about NASA’s substituting pickaback rendezvous target for Agena stage in Project Gemini flights, Associate Administrator Robert C. Seamans said: “That is definitely by the boards. We did study that kind of possibility. We feel it is very important to have a program where there will be two separate launches. We will put up the Agena. . ." As target object in Gemini flights training astronauts for Project Apollo lunar orbit rendezvous. (NASA Budget Briefing FY 1964 Transcript)
At NASA FY 1964 Budget Briefing, NASA Administrator James E. Webb acknowledged reported combustion instability in F-1 engine: “It isn’t just going to turn out to be a problem; it is a problem, and it has been a problem with every engine as I understand it that has ever been developed. We will solve the problem.” (NASA Budget Briefing FYI 1964 Transcript; Wash. Eve. Star. 1/23/63)
At NASA Budget Briefing Associate Administrator Dr. Robert C. Seamans commented on rumor that NASA planned another Mercury flight after the Cooper flight scheduled for April : “You will note that the Mercury and one-day [manned orbital] effort is presumed to be completed in fiscal 64. We have a flight scheduled for this April... In planning flights of that importance we always have a back-up possibility. We do have two back-up capsules as well as the two back-up Atlas boosters that could be used in the event that we don’t obtain all the information that we anticipate obtaining in the Cooper flight. . . .” (NASA Budget Briefing FY 1964 Transcript, 1/17/63)
Rainer Berger, senior research scientist at Lockheed-California, Co., predicted man would probably encounter some form of extraterrestrial life within 10 years. Speaking at ninth annual meeting of American Astronautical Society, Los Angeles, Berger also suggested “greenhouse effect” of planet Jupiter might make possible the existence of warm oceans hospitable to life on that planet. (L.A. Times, Wash. Post, 1/18/63,6)
NASA Space Vehicle Review Board met at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, board being composed of 28 members representing Marshall, Manned Spacecraft Center, and Launch Operations Center. (Marshall Star, 1/23/63,3)
NASA Langley Research Center announced selection of the Boeing Co.’s Transport Div. and the Lockheed-California Co. to negotiate two nine-month study contracts. Studies would evaluate four concepts of supersonic commercial transport investigated by NASA Langley Research Center and Ames Research Center and would provide information on feasibility of these four concepts through engineering investigations. Their evaluations would provide basis for and serve as guide to NASA’s future supersonic transport research programs. (NASA Release 63-7; Langley Release)
NASA Administrator James E. Webb announced U.S. and U.S.S.R. delegates would meet in March in Rome to work out “detailed arrangements to carry out proposals for co-operation in space.” Meeting would immediately precede meeting of COSPAR, also in Rome. (NASA Budget Briefing FY 1964, Transcript; Wash. Eve. Star, 1/17/63)
USAF announced series of 27 upper atmosphere chemical releases (Project Firefly III), completed in mid-December, had “ended a four-point basic research program aimed at learning more about the ionosphere.” Information gathered during tests, which were made at Eglin Gulf Test Range, would eventually aid pilots of X-20 vehicle. (DOD Release 70-63)
At the White House, President Kennedy was presented with one-eighth scale model of MARINER II Venus probe by NASA Administrator James E. Webb, JPL, Director William H. Pickering, and other officials. (AP, Wash. Post, 1/19/63; Wash. Eve. Star, 1/18/63)
USN gave name “Phoenix” to its long-range air-to-air missile to be fired from TFX fighter plane now under development by Hughes Aircraft Co. (DOD Release 71-63; AP, Wash. Post 1/18/63, A5)
NASA budget recommendation for FY 1964 indicated that NASA Electronics Center would be established in the Greater Boston (Mass.) area. (Boston Globe, 1/18/63)
White House’s FY 1964 budget request included $511,000 proposed appropriation to begin design of National Air Museum in the Smithsonian Institution. New building would replace temporary structure housing such historical vehicles as Kitty Hawk, Spirit of St. Louis, and Mercury spacecraft FRIENDSHIP 7. (Wash.Eve. Star, 1/18/63)
Dr. Soloman W. Golomb of Cal Tech, speaking before American Astronautical Society in Los Angeles warned. There’s been a great deal of thought given to preventing contamination of the moon and planets during visits by earth space vehicles, but an even greater problem entirely overlooked is . . . microscopic organisms carried to the earth on return flight.” Dr. Golomb said extraterrestrial organisms inadvertently brought to earth might be able to successfully compete with terrestrial organisms for basic materials of life. (UPI, Newport News Times Herald, 1/18/63)
Tregaron, Washington estate, was approved by D.C. Board of Zoning Adjustment as temporary headquarters for Space Communications Corp. (Wash. Post, 1/18/63)
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