Mar 17 1968
From The Space Library
Tenth anniversary of second U.S. satellite, Vanguard J, 31/4-lb, 61/2-in-dia spacecraft that had proved earth was slightly pear shaped and examined composition of upper atmosphere. Satellite had stopped
Ten years ago Vanguard I, second U.S. satellite, was launched from Cape Canaveral (now Cape Kennedy) into orbit expected to last another 200 years. Satellite, 61/2 inches in diameter, proved earth was pear shaped and continued transmitting until May 1964. (Official U.S. Navy photo)
transmitting in May 1964, but was expected to remain in orbit at least 200 yr longer. (KSC Release 63-68; AP, M Her, 3/17/68)
March 17-18: NASA Wallops Station engineers launched three Nike-Apache and three Nike-Tomahawk sounding rockets from Vega Baja launch site in Puerto Rico to detect diurnal changes in atmosphere and ionosphere. Seventh planned firing was postponed because of rocket and radar tracking difficulties. Measurements taken by rocket-borne experiments, furnished by GSFC and Univ. of Michigan, would be compared with those taken by radiotelescope at Arecibo Ionospheric Observatory in Puerto Rico, and by Canadian Alouette II satellite during overpass for three-way comparison of rocket, satellite, and observatory data. (WS Release 68-7)
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