July 1964
From The Space Library
Two 10-story buildings had been completed in KSC Merritt Island Launch Area and were turned over to NASA. They were the $7.8 million operations and checkout building for the Gemini and Apollo spacecraft, and the $1.3 million spacecraft pyrotechnic installation building. (AP, Orlando Sentinel, 7/22/64)
Sen. Clinton P. Anderson, Chairman of Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences, said in Pageant article: "Our [US.] drive since Sputnik I has led skeptics to call the manned lunar program only a race to beat Russia. This is a fallacy. The moon is not an advantageous spot from which to shoot nuclear-tipped missiles. We already have rockets that can hit the Soviet Union's interior in 20 minutes. Polaris missiles can hit Russia in one or two minutes, maybe less. It would take two and a half to three days for a moon-based rocket to reach Russia. "But the Soviet Union's design to rule the world makes it essential that we reach the moon- This goal isn't, as skeptics argue, just a couple of weeks of good publicity. Sure, we have a signed United Nations agreement forbidding any nation from claiming the moon or space as a colony. But Russian domination of the moon would equate, in world opinion, with the dominance of all space. We can't afford that false impression- The nation that retains space superiority holds an immeasurable psychological advantage. Space feats are an index of a country's strength. If Russians were the only earthmen on the moon, you'd hear people around the world saying, "If they can do that, no telling what they can do to us.'" (Pageant, 7/64)
It was reported that nine payloads had been chosen for flight aboard the research and development launches of the USAF Titan III. Five of the experiments were said to be experimental communications satellites built by the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and the sixth a backup communications satellite from Lincoln Lab. The remaining three were scientific satellites using the modified Arents spacecraft shell. To avoid confusion with the defunct Arents program, the latter spacecraft were to be called Orbiting Vehicle 2 (OV-2). (M&R, 8/3/64, 8)
The Boeing Co. was awarded the annual Missiles and Rockets New Product of the Year Award for its development of a microminiature welder. The award was presented to Boeing officials by Dr. Edward C. Welsh, Executive Secretary and Acting Chairman of the National Aeronautics and Space Council. Awards of Honor went to Kollmorgen Corp. (for compact pointing interferometer), and to Control Data Corp. (for its 6600 computer). (M&R, 8/3/64, 8)
Maj. Gen. Ben I. Funk, AFSSD, said perfect record of reliability of the Atlas (LV-3) during 14 consecutive flights in FY 1964 had resulted in savings of $81 million. Three additional flights, made since that period, had given the Atlas 100% reliability record for 17 straight firings; five of these were for NASA. General Funk made the statement in letter to J. R. Dempsey, President of General Dynamics/Astronautics, prime contractor for Atlas. (Av. Wk., 8/3/64, 19; Missile/Space Daily, 7/27/64)
First stage of Titan III-A had been installed at Launch Complex 20, Cape Kennedy. The second stage, transtage, and an aerodynamic nose shield were expected to arrive at Cape soon. Assembled vehicle, to form core of Titan III-C, was scheduled for launch in late summer. Launch of III-A would be first from Cape Kennedy of vehicle specifically designed for a military space system. (M&R, 7/20/64, 8)
USSR submitted brief, nontechnical report of its space activities to the United Nations and donated magazines for new U.N. "space library" This was first such Soviet report submitted to the U-N. and was interpreted as evidence that U.S.S.R. was willing to cooperate in space re-search and share its findings with others. (Teltsch, NYT, 7/18/64)
One of USSR's top test pilots, Col. Sergei G. Brovtsev, was killed in accident while testing helicopter. (Av. Wk., 8/3/64, 15)
Kenneth W. Gatland, Vice-President of British Interplanetary Society, described space progress in Great Britain in Astronautics & Aeronautics. He pointed out that Britain not only played a leading role in establishing ELDO but also was contributing to ELDO "the 300,000-lb.-thrust Blue Streak . . . as the booster for a three-stage satellite launcher [Europa 13." Other activities-not counting the ELDO contribution-had made Britain, in cooperation with Australia, "easily the biggest participant in space research outside the United States and the Soviet Union. "Upper-air research with Skylark rockets began at Woomera in February 1957 and has continued to the present time. Black Knight rockets have reached heights of 500 mi., and with it a number of interesting investigations have been made on both re-entry and stabilization and control of rocket vehicles at high altitudes. The growth of the Weapons Research Establishment at Woomera as a launching, tracking, and communications center under joint investment by the British and Australian Governments, and latterly by ELDO and NASA, has made this facility the finest and best-equipped overland rocket range in the Western World. . . . "With the advent of Sputnik 1 in October 1957, Jodrell Bank [radio-astronomy facilities] quickly established itself on both sides of the Iron Curtain as an important center for space tracking and communications.. . "In addition, the General Post Office in 1961-62 built an experimental ground station at Goonhilly Downs, Cornwall, for relaying telecommunications signals between the United States and the United Kingdom via Telstar and Relay. There are plans to develop this station into a ground terminal for a global telecommunications network.. . "In July 1963, it was announced in Washington that Black Knight would be used by the United States, Great Britain, and Australia in a joint program of re-entry research Project Dazzle to be conducted over the Woomera rocket range. . . . "[British] universities and industry . . . [supplied] scientific instruments for the satellites S-51 and S-52 built and launched by the United States. A third scientific satellite, S-53, wholly engineered in the United Kingdom, will be launched by Scout in 1966. . . . "In the small rocket field, excellent results are currently being obtained with the Skua meteorological rocket .... a cheap and simple tool for the meteorologist to conduct routine research measurements in the upper atmosphere. . . . "Finally, . . . [studies] are currently being made in the United Kingdom into the concept of the Aerospace Plane, or space Transporter. . . ." (A &A, 7/64, 18-26)
- July
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