Jan 25 1966
From The Space Library
U.S.S.R. launched COSMOS CVI with instrumentation to continue studies of outer space. Initial orbital data: apogee, 564 km. (350 mi.); perigee, 290 km. (180 mi.); period, 92.8 min.; inclination, 48.4°. Onboard equipment was functioning normally. ‘‘(Tass, 1/25/66)’’
NASA MSC announced that Astronaut John Young would be command pilot of Gemini X; pilot would be Astronaut Michael Collins. No date had been set for the Gemini X mission. ‘‘(UPI, Wash. Daily News, 1/25/66)’’
FS-3 nuclear reactor electric power system designed for use in space completed a full year of generating electricity continuously and without external control. Test far exceeded known continuous power operation of a nuclear reactor power plant of any type. FS-3 was a prototype nuclear reactor space power system derived from the 500-watt Snap-10A unit that became the world’s first nuclear reactor system to operate in space in April 1965. ‘‘(AEC Release J-19)’’
Dr. Philip Morrison, MIT physics professor, called for $1 million from NSF for five telescopes identical to the one on Mt. Palomar, presently the world’s largest. He said that “properly situated in various parts of the world, these instruments could peer almost to the edge of creation . . . and perhaps unlock the secret of the origin of the universe.” Dr. Morrison spoke in a panel discussion on cosmology at MIT. ‘‘(Hines, Wash. Eve. Star, 1/26/66, A20)’’
A 2,000-mph SR-71 (YF-12A) jet reconnaissance aircraft crashed in northeastern New Mexico after an explosion during a routine flight from Edwards AFB. Lockheed test pilot James T. Zwayer was killed. Aircraft had been built for USAF by Lockheed as successor to the U-2 and had been undergoing tests since December 1964. ‘‘(UPI, Wash. Post, 1/26/66, 12; AP, Wash. Eve. Star, 1/26/66, A5)’’
Wall Street Journal editorial on the FY 1967 budget: “For the first time since . . . [NASA] was formed, space spending will decline. The $300 million drop, to $5.3 billion [in expenditures], is attributed to lower development costs for some major programs and a decision not to initiate big new efforts.” ‘‘(WSJ, 1/25/66, 6)’’
International conference on outer space to mark 10th anniversary of first artificial satellite (1967) was proposed by U.S.S.R. Academician Anatoli A. Blagonravov to working group of U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. European site was suggested for conference, which “would provide information for peoples in all countries and training for the developing countries.” ‘‘(Rossi, CSM, 1/26/66)’’
Dr. Donald F. Hornig, Director of Office of Science and Technology, said in an interview with Robert Cahn of Christian Science Monitor: “There are two kinds of breakthroughs. There are those which come through completely new insight and understanding, which is what we usually mean by a scientific breakthrough. You might consider as scientific breakthroughs the discovery of a new kind of nuclear force or the discovery of a new fundamental particle. Then there are the more common breakthroughs in technology-the harnessing of principles in new and unusual ways to achieve the ends you want. Sending a man to the moon and back is one of these.” ‘‘(Cahn, CSM, 1/25/66)’’
January 25-27: House Committee on Science and Astronautics and its panel of advisers on science and technology held 7th annual meeting on “Government, Science, and Public Policy.” In keynote address, Vice President Hubert Humphrey urged closing of “gap between public policy and advancing science and technology . . . when NASA comes to a great university with a grant, it is like planting a field of gold. There is a harvest soon to be reaped, a whole new partnership that creates new wealth, the wealth of brain power, of scientific knowledge, and the end product.” Guest panelist Lord C. P. Snow, joint parliamentary secretary of U.K.’s Ministry of Technology, told Committee that U.K. had no intention of becoming totally dependent on U.S. technology: “By and large, our technological position is uncomfortable, and we have got to change it . . . before we get our economy sturdy again. . . . It will take ten years to do all that has to be done. But it will be done.” Lord Snow also made these points: (1) if U.K. could not maintain a high competence in certain areas of advanced technology, she would lose her talented young men, “slide into somnolence and be no good” to herself, America, or the world; (2) the computer or cybernetic revolution would be the biggest revolution mankind had known; (3) mathematics would “take on a new relevance in all advanced societies.” Noting danger that allocational decisions for research in pure and applied science may involve “too much concentration of power,” Lord Snow added: “The scientific results not the technological results-. . . of observational and radio astronomy have been greater by an order of magnitude than the scientific results of space exploration.” In discussion period, Dr. Lee A. DuBridge, Cal Tech president, commented: “. . . though I think I would agree with you generally, I hope you do not minimize the scientific results that have come from. . . recent space exploration flights-the understanding of the earth’s magnetosphere, the nature of the solar wind, our close-up views of Venus, the Moon, and Mars have added a very substantial amount to our understanding . . . of these objects and of interplanetary space . . .” When Lord Snow replied that space things are interesting, but not at the moment to the same degree” as radio astronomy, Dr. DuBridge said: "Give us another 20 years.” Dr. Charles C. Price, Univ. of Pennsylvania chemist, pleaded for support of more basic research in the areas of living systems and suggested that (‘the more applied agencies such as NASA, MH and AEC put increased emphasis on the support of fundamental research and education in chemistry . . .” ‘‘(Proceedings, House Comm. on Science and Astronautics, 1125-27/66)’’
January 25-27: John S. Foster, Jr., DOD Director of Defense Research and Engineering, and Dr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr., NASA Deputy Administrator, told Military Operations Subcommittee of the House Committee on Government Operations, which had questioned DOD/NASA cooperative agreements, that cooperation was necessary to effect coordination and to plan for best possible use of national ranges. Cooperation had been established through May 1965 DOD/NASA Agreement on Tracking, Data Acquisition, and Communications Facilities which stated that the two agencies were to “achieve a maximum of mutual assistance, to avoid unwarranted duplication, and to realize economies wherever practical and consistent with mission requirements, by means of coordination and planning and efficient division of responsibilities.” (House, Hearings, Missile and Space Ground Support Operations) January 26: Seven geophysical experiments were selected by NASA to be included in three 150-lb. Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Packages (ALSEP) and one backup on initial Apollo landing missions: (1) passive lunar seismic experiment; (2) lunar triaxis magnetometer; (3) medium energy solar wind experiment; (4) suprathermal ion detector; (5) lunar heat-flow measurements to provide information on distribution of radioactive elements and thermal history of the moon; (6) low-energy solar wind experiment; (7) active lunar seismic experiment to study tremors resulting from firing of mortar projectiles, designed to gather data on depths to 500 ft. ‘‘(NASA Release 66-17)’’
Dr. Alexander G. Smith, Univ. of Florida physicist and astronomer, discussed applications of orbiting platforms and space probes in radio astronomy at MSFC Space Science Seminar. Of current theories explaining powerful outbursts of radio noise from Jupiter, the “most plausible”. was that radiation was due to a cyclotron process, Smith said. “Recent thermal work seems to indicate that Jupiter is probably a hot planet, . . . emitting more heat than it is receiving from the sun-2 to 4 times as much.” Smith, asked if his emphasis on orbital experiments meant it was unnecessary to go to the moon, replied: “If I had to choose my favorite site for low frequency radio astronomy, it would be the back side of the Moon, where one could put up large arrays and be screened by the bulk of the Moon from terrestrial interference.” ‘‘(Transcript)’’
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