Mar 13 1959

From The Space Library

The President announced the establishment of the Federal Council for Science and Technology to promote closer cooperation among Federal agencies in planning their respective research and development programs.

From an altitude of 123 miles boosted by an NRL Aerobee-Hi rocket, fired from White Sands, N. Mex., the first ultraviolet photos of the sun were taken and recorded.

The Army Ordnance Missile Command (AOMC) submitted the "Saturn System Study" which had been requested by the Advanced Research Projects Agency ARPA on December 18, 1958. From the 1375 possible configurations screened, and the 14 most promising given detailed study, the Atlas and Titan families were selected as the most attractive for upper staging. Either the 120-inch or the 160inch diameter was acceptable. The study included the statement: "An immediate decision by ARPA as to choice of upper stages on the first generation vehicle is mandatory if flight hardware is to be available to meet the proposed Saturn schedule." On March 17, AOMC presented the study to NASA, DOD, and ARPA reiterating the urgent need for an early decision on upper staging. Roy W. Johnson, ARPA Director, formed a Saturn ad hoc committee of NASA and DOD personnel to recommend upper stages and payload missions.

Senate Staff Report, Manned Space Flight Program, p. 167; Saturn Illustrated Chronology, p. 5.