Jan 17 1966
From The Space Library
NASA Aerobee 150A sounding rocket launched from NASA Wallops Station carried scientific payload to estimated 83-mi. (134-km.)altitude in GSFC experiment designed to measure spectral irradiance of the stars Sirius and Rigel. Control system, star tracker, and ultraviolet stellar spectrometer performed satisfactorily. Brief data periods, caused by failure of fine jet pressure regulator on control system gas supply resulting in high thrust, had possibly aided establishment of flux values at discrete wavelength intervals. ‘‘(Wallops Release 66-4; NASA Rpt. SRL)’’
Urgency of NASA decision on post-Apollo program was discussed by Karl Abraham in Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. He noted Saturn V’s potential for solar system exploration and many scientists’ fear of over-commitment to investigation of the moon. Among other factors involved, Abraham said, NASA “must consider how particular programs will affect its far-flung field centers and their specialized work. . . some are so highly specialized that a sharp change of direction in rocketry or spacecraft and satellite objectives would tear them apart unless sufficient advance time were allowed for gradual changeovers to the new missions.” ‘‘(Abraham, Phil. Eve. Bull., 1/17/66; CR, 2/10/66, A704)’’
Air traffic control radar equipment which could automatically display the third dimension of aircraft position-altitude-would go into service in New York City metropolitan area by late 1967, according to FAA. Present radar equipment employed by FAA air traffic controllers provided only two-dimensional-distance and direction-picture of air traffic. ‘‘(FAA Release 66-6)’’
AEC Chairman Dr. Glenn T. Seaborg said in a speech at Georgetown Univ., Washington, D.C., that man might be able to create life “before the end of this decade.” Science, he said, has amplified man’s senses so that he could now “see” stars beyond what was once thought to be the outer edge of the universe, “hear” radio signals from the farthest galaxies (and one day might hear communications from intelligent beings far out in space), and observe magnetic fields and radiations to which his original senses were blind. Human beings are learning how to replace diseased organs and understand the nature of life itself, Dr. Seaborg noted. He said that even before man managed to create life, science might discover how to control mental illness, live and work under the sea and in the depths of space, and use the power of the atom to cut passes through mountains or fight cancer. ‘‘(Text, AEC Release S-3-66)’’
Of President Johnson’s State of the Union message, Robert Hotz said in Aviation Week: “The President’s statement that he will ‘propose a program to construct and to flight test a new supersonic transport plane that will fly three times the speed of sound, in excess of 2,000 mph.’ came as somewhat of a surprise in view of the stretched out program he had been sponsoring. Apparently, this statement means that some funds for actual prototype supersonic transport construction will be requested in Fiscal 1967, although the size of this request may dismay the management entrusted with the task of building the prototype in time to remain competitive with the Anglo-French Concorde.” ‘‘(Hotz, Av. Wk., 1/17/66,21)’’
January 17-18: NASA launched five Nike-Apache sounding rockets from NASA Wallops Station between 5:39 p.m. and 6:31 a.m. Each rocket was programmed to eject a vapor cloud of reddish or bluish color as its altitude increased from 30 to 130 mi. Experiments were to measure wind velocities and directions at various altitudes; motion of the trails was photographed from five camera sites within a 100-mi. radius of Wallops Island. Launchings were conducted for GCA Corp., under contract to NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. ‘‘(NASA Release 66-13; Wallops Release 66-4; NASA Rpt. SRL)’’
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