Jul 17 1968
From The Space Library
Investigation of Nov. 15, 1967, X-15 accident by NASA. board indicated that pilot, Maj. Michael J. Adams (USAF) who died in crash, had suffered disorientation and operated controls improperly. Mistaking roll indicator for heading indicator, he had increased heading error, causing aircraft to spin uncontrollably at mach 5 and 230,000-ft altitude and then to go into severe pitch oscillation and disintegrate at altitude above 60,000 ft. Board requested that Government report on MH-96 control system experience and recommended use of telemetry for directional readings by NASA X-15 ground control center, careful checkout of experiments and equipment for next X-15 flight, inclusion in pilot's physical examination of special tests for tendency toward vertigo, and development of additional methods to maintain proper heading under ballistic flight conditions. (FRC Release 20-68; NASA Release 68-126)
James C. Elms, Director of ERC, discussed "the NASA Biomedical Program in Perspective" before Third Annual Meeting of Assn, for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation in Houston. "Despite the rapid advance of biomedical techniques since World War II, the main thrust of the activities was directed toward studying sick individuals in a normal environment. The manned space program has provided the opportunity for intensive controlled study of a select group of normal and healthy individuals in an abnormal and stressful environment. By so doing, we have achieved a better definition of the range of normality of the healthy organism which, in turn, is useful in the study and un- derstanding of disease." Interaction of space and medicine had led to many medical applications of aerospace hardware. Application of electron probe microanalyzer-used for chemical analyses of microelectronic circuits-to study of red blood cells had led to unexpected clues in study of blood cancer. System to monitor heart rate, respiration, and galvanic skin response was being considered for use in measuring efficiency of dental anesthetics on children and in training teachers for retarded children. Accomplishments of bioelectronics research in interdisciplinary electronics environment included remote measuring technique for eye-pointing direction, meaningful measurement of aerosol concentration and size distribution, and automatic tracking system to identify thresholds of mental alertness. (Text)
Univ. of California physicist Dr. Edward Teller, at hearing on nuclear nonproliferation treaty before Senate Foreign Relations Committee, urged Congress to preserve option of giving nonnuclear allies control over "purely defensive" nuclear weapons systems. He was referring, he said, to system that could be exploded only over a nation's territory, one involving "time-lock" of monthly inspection by donor nation, and one which would be proof against tampering or analysis designed to develop it into offensive system. (Maffre, W Post, 7/18/68, A4; Sherman, W Star, 7/18/68, Al2)
U.K., West Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands signed agreement to cooperate in $4.8-million project to develop and produce advanced combat aircraft for their air forces. Aircraft, scheduled to enter service in 1975, would replace U.S. Lockheed F-104 Starfighter currently being used. Orders for new aircraft were expected to reach 1,000. (Reuters, B Sun, 7/18/68, 2 )
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
