Jan 4 1963
From The Space Library
TELSTAR I communications satellite transmitted 10-min. television pictures across the Atlantic, the satellite’s first transatlantic transmission since Nov. 23 when radiation damaged onboard circuits. Eugene S. O’Neill, director of satellite communications for Bell Telephone Laboratories, said BTL scientists “tricked TELSTAR’S decoders into receiving commands” by changing the command signals slightly. Remote-control repair was performed after BTL constructed laboratory model of TELSTAR I with its faulty circuits and experimented with it to devise corrective signals. (UPI, Wash. Post, 1/5/63 ; AP, Wash. Eve. Star,1/5/63, A1, A3)
MARINER II ceased transmitting scientific data to earth. The spacecraft was 5.7 million mi. beyond planet Venus and 54.3 million mi. from earth. This was a new communications record, previous record having been set by PIONEER V which in 1960 stopped transmitting scientific data at 17.7 million mi. and position signal at 22.5 million mi. (AP, Wash. Eve. Star, 1/5/63, A3)
U.S.S.R. unannounced launching (1963 1-A, 1-C), with fragments re-entering from Jan. 5 through Jan. 11. Launch reported by GSFC in Satellite Situation Report, June 15, 1963. (GSFC Sat. Sit. Rpt., June 15 1963)
Soviet Academy of Sciences announced that Soviet scientists had successfully bounced first radar signals off planet Mercury. Performed last summer when Mercury was 52-54 million mi. from earth, experiment was credited with confirming value of the Astronomical Unit calculated in 1961 by US., U.K., and U.S.S.R. using Venus as radar target. Eberhardt Rechtin of JPL called Soviet Mercury achievement “another significant step in radar exploration of the solar system.” (AP, Wash. Eve. Star, 1/5/63, A3; San Francisco Chronicle, 1/5/63)
President Kenneth S. Pitzer of Rice Univ. announced establishment of a Dept. of Space Science, first of its type. Headed by Dr. Alexander J. Dessler, new department would offer study in geomagnetism, dynamic characteristics of interplanetary space, Van Allen radiation belts, auroras, atmospheric structure and dynamics, planetary structure, and meteoritics. (Houston Post, 1/5/63; AP, Newport News Daily Press, 1/5/63)
Astronaut M. Scott Carpenter said in Palo Alto, Calif., press conference: “People who do the spectacular things in space are few-they owe their success to many, many people behind the scenes who are not given proper recognition-scientists, technicians, industrial workers-people in all walks of life . . . .” (Palo Alto Times,1/5/63)
Soviet newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) quoted Edward Teller (U.S. nuclear physicist), Gen. L. Lemnitzer (USA), and other Americans regarding U.S. plans to “militarize the moon, including the delivery of an ‘absolute’ weapon there for the conduct of interplanetary nuclear war.” (Krasnaya Zvezda, 1/4/63,3)
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