Jul 17 1965
From The Space Library
Two more MARINER IV close-up shots of Mars were released by NASA. The first three photographs showed an almost unbroken strip of terrain more than 600 mi, long. They revealed features down to two miles in length, including several crater-like objects, a kidney-shaped depression 20-30 mi. in width, and ridges and depressions similar to those on the moon. None of them showed straight-line features that might have been taken by earth-based observers to be canals. Except for the suggestion of an arid, wind-swept, desert-like terrain, the pictures did not bear directly on the question of life on the planet. During a press conference held at JPL, Dr. William H. Pickering, Director of JPL, said that MARINER IV had been a "magnificent success." The computer which had reconstructed the numbers transmitted by MARINER IV into photographs had proved capable of cleaning up and intensifying the image to a remarkable degree. The pictures were of a high quality, and, in addition, the lighting condition were expected to improve the detail in later photographs. Comparison of overlapping areas-one picture in a pair exposed through a green filter and one through a red filter-might reveal some things about color on Mars that would not otherwise be obtainable. (Transcript; Sullivan, NYT, 7/18/65, 1, 50; Hines, Wash. Sun. Star, 7/18/65, Al, A6; WSJ, 7/19/65, 1)
USAF launched Thor-Agena D launch vehicle with unidentified satellite payload from Western Test Range. (U.S. Aeron & Space Act., 1965, 146)
The Bochum Observatory in West Germany reported it had received signals from Soviet satellite PROTON I which indicated it would "not remain for a long period in a stable orbit." (AP, Wash. Sun. Star, 7/18/65, A2)
First flight of North American Aviation's B-70A No, 2 from Palmdale to Edwards AFB was almost 100 per cent successful; the drogue chute failed to deploy on landing, but the aircraft braked to a stop in the normal distance. The No. 2 XB-70 reached a speed of mach 14 and an altitude of 40,000 ft. Wing tips were folded to the full 65° during the flight, the movable windshield ramp was operated, and some stability and control tests were carried out. Aircraft was piloted by Al White, chief NAA test pilot, and Col. Joseph Cotton, USAF XB-70A test director. (Av. Daily, 7/20/65)
"The President has taken the moderate and, in this case, wise course in deciding to speed up the development of an American supersonic commercial airliner with an additional $140 million in research over the next 1½ years," said a Washington Post editorial. It continued: "He could have called a halt to the program and abdicated America's aviation industry leadership to France and Britain, who already are developing their Concorde, or to the Soviets with their TU-144. Or he could have followed the recommendation of some of his advisers and spent even greater sums of money to build two competing types of planes which both might end up as impractical white elephants." ... the President's moderate speed-up decision certainly is justified on scientific grounds, for research invariably turns up new ideas for progress. And it is justified on political grounds as well, for this country must maintain its pioneering leadership in all forms of transportation." ( Wash, Post, 7/17/65)
Transmissions from MARINER IV were received by the nine-month old Tidbinbilla tracking station at Canberra, Australia-one of three primary stations in the worldwide network of space tracking stations built for the Mars probe. Since February, a movable reflector antenna had maintained daily contact with MARINER IV, picking up signals from Goldstone, Calif, station in the morning and relaying them to the Johannesburg station nine hours later. As the signals were received from MARINER IV, they were retransmitted over the Pacific cable teletype to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. After completion of MARINER IV mission, Tidbinbilla would be used to track Surveyor vehicles. (NYT, 7/18/65)
Dr. Philip Abelson suggested in Science that effects on man of a new revolution in genetics would be more profound than the Atomic Age. He said that although controlled laboratory change of human genetic constitution seemed some distance off, he believed it would be done or attempted: "Geneticists will create new knowledge and will have high ideals for its proper application. In practice, power to apply that knowledge, as was the case in atomic energy, will come to rest in other hands " (Abelson, Science, 7/12/65)
West German intelligence had reported that Russia's Antonov An-22 transport plane was designed to carry large missiles undetected, said Omar Anderson in the Philadelphia Bulletin. The plane, exhibited June 15 at the International Air Show in Le Bourget, France, could carry up to 720 passengers or 80 tons of cargo. (NASA, Phil, Sun, Bull., 7/18/65, 19)
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