Mar 12 1965
From The Space Library
COSMOS LX satellite, containing "scientific apparatus," was orbited by the U.S.S.R. Initial orbital data: apogee, 287 km. (177.9 mi.) ; perigee, 201 km. (124.6 mi,) ; period, 89.1 min.; inclination 64° 42'. Equipment was said to be functioning normally. (Tass, Komsomolskaya Pravda, 3/13/65, 1, ATSS-T Trans)
NASA Aerobee 150 sounding rocket launched from White Sands, N. Mex., went to a peak altitude of 155.5 km. (96.6 mi.) The primary experimental objective was to obtain ultraviolet spectra of Mars and Orion by the use of four spectrographs, provided by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Because of an attitude control system failure no experimental results were obtained. (NASA Rpt. SRL)
USAF launched Atlas-Agena D booster with unidentified satellite payloads from Western Test Range. (U.S. Aeron. & Space Act., 1965, 136)
Month-long experiment for NASA to test man's ability to withstand rotational stress ended at U.S. Navy School of Aviation Medicine. Capt. Ashton Graybiel, Research Director, expressed satisfaction with results of the test which confined four U.S. Navy men in a windowless, circular room, equipped with all necessary living accommodations. The room began rotating at 2 rpm's and in 16 days built up to 10 rpm's, stopping three times daily for meals. This pattern of speed build-up had no adverse affect on the men and produced no nausea or significant discomfort. This test, one of a series conducted by Naval School of Aviation Medicine, was to check new procedure for conditioning men for space flight. Since long space voyages could require rotating spacecraft to create artificial gravity, scientists wanted to determine spinning rate man could endure without discomfort. (NASA Release 65-84)
Launching pad damage caused by the Mar, 2 explosion of an Atlas-Centaur rocket at Cape Kennedy amounted to $2 million and would take three to four months to repair, NASA reported. To avoid delay in the Atlas-Centaur launching scheduled for mid-summer, NASA was speeding completion of a new launching pad that was 90% completed and that could be ready in two months. (I, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 3/14/65)
DOD announced new type of defense contract for C-5A, 700-passenger supertransport and cargo plane: competitors must bid not only for initial development contracts, but for production and "lifetime" support of proposed aircraft, Lifetime support, estimated to be at least 10 yrs., would cover spare parts and ground maintenance equipment. The plane, expected to be biggest jet transport ever built, would have a gross take-off weight of 725,000 lbs. and a payload capacity of 250,000 lbs. Boeing, Douglas, and Lockheed were competitors for airframe contract; General Electric and Pratt & Whitney were competitors for engine contract, Contracts would be awarded this summer. $2.5 billion was estimated cost for a 58-plane program. (DOD Release 915-64)
AFSC announced award of five letter contracts totaling $3.8 million for conceptual phase of Mark II Avionics System being considered for use on F-111A aircraft. General Dynamics, Hughes Aircraft Co., Sperry Gyroscope Co, Westinghouse Electric Corp., and Autonetics Div. of North American Aviation, Inc., would perform analyses leading to system design recommendations integrating many subsystems. (AFSC Release 30-65)
A 23-year old French nurse, after three months in a 240-ft, deep cave in Grasse, France, emerged thinking it was Feb. 25. Josie Laures had had no clock and a white mouse had been her sole companion in this experiment to test effects of solitude. She was flown immediately to Paris for three weeks of medical examinations. (AP, NYT, 3/13/65, 6)
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