Jul 11 1967
From The Space Library
MSC engineer Caldwell G. Johnson was granted patent for a cocoon-like escape device for orbiting astronauts. Device, which would be stored in an external compartment on the spacecraft, consisted of an insulated zippered nylon bag with a retrorocket. Astronaut would don his pressure suit with oxygen supply, seal himself in the bag, and fire retrorocket to thrust toward a landmark on earth. He would then inflate a bladder to shape the bag into a sphere for stability during reentry. Sphere would deflate during reentry, notifying astronaut when it was time to deploy parachute for safe landing. (US. Patent Off; MSC Round-up, 7/7/67,8; Jones, NYT, 7/15/67,29)
Second Saturn V booster's 1st and 2nd stages were mechanically mated at KSC in preparation for AS-502 unmanned mission to test Apollo spacecraft's reentry heat shield. Booster's 3rd stage was added July 13; instrument unit, July 14. (KSC Proj Off; Marshall Star, 7/12/67, 1)
NASA contract awards: (1) Brown and Root-Northrop Corp. were selected for negotiations of a one-year, $10-million, cost-plus-award-fee contract to provide jointly operational support services to MSC's laboratory and test facilities; (2) Graham Engineering Corp. and LTV Range Systems Div. were selected for competitive negotiations of a one-year, $10-million, cost-plus-award-fee contract for facility support services at MSC. (NASA Releases 67-180, 67-181)
First aerial drop in test series to develop and qualify Earth Landing System (ELS) for heavier Block II Apollo spacecraft was conducted by Northrop Ventura at El Centro, Calif. Tests were studying the use of a two-stage reefing system for three main ELS chutes and larger diameter drogue parachutes for the ELS. Block I Apollo spacecraft used only a single stage reefing. (NAA Skywriter, 7/21/67,1,2)
X-24A (formerly SV-5P) , Nation's newest manned lifting-body vehicle, was publicly displayed and officially turned over to USAF in ceremonies at Martin Marietta Corp.'s Baltimore plant. The 5,000-lb wingless vehicle, constructed by Martin Marietta Corp. under AFSC contract, would be air-launched from B-52 aircraft at AFFTC and would be driven by Thiokol rocket engines to higher altitudes and supersonic speeds before gliding to controlled landing. Flight tests would be conducted by five USAF and NASA pilots in late 1967 under joint NASA/USAF lifting-body program. (AFSC Release 59.67; Clark, NYT, 7/12/67, 1)
First regular data reports of activity on sun's "invisible hemisphere" - side visible from earth only once every 13.5 days-were being made to ESSA's Solar Disturbance Forecast Center in Boulder, Colo., by NASA's PIONEER VI and VII satellites, in orbit around sun. Satellites' observations on physical characteristics of solar storms would allow continuous scientific study of solar surface and provide Apollo astronauts with additional warning time to avoid solar radiation hazards. (NASA Release 67-174)
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