May 27 1962
From The Space Library
In special ceremony at Cape Canaveral, Astronaut M. Scott Carpenter and Walter Williams, Director of Operations for Project Mercury, were both awarded NASA Distinguished Service Medals by NASA Administrator Webb at the direction of President Kennedy.
At NASA news conference at Cape Canaveral, Astronaut M. Scott Carpenter gave a detailed chronological account of his three-orbit flight in AURORA 7. He quoted Mercury training psychologist Dr. Robert B. Voas, who had told Carpenter that data-collection is the "heart and soul of science." Carpenter said: "And that's true. Isolated data points mean nothing. We now have two data points on nearly everything. His [John Glenn's] flight confirms mine and mine confirms his . . . ." Carpenter said of weightlessness that "there was the sensation of floating . . . Every function is easier when you are weightless. It's the only time I've ever spent in that [space] suit that was comfortable." He reported briefly on his launch into orbit, his scientific observation, re-entry, and recovery, full scientific reports of which would be forthcoming in future weeks.
Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in Tokyo said: "The U.S.S.R. is at present constructing a giant spaceship which cannot be compared to those I and Titov rode in size." DOD announced establishment of the Defense Industry Council to provide a focal point for the review and discussion of the findings of industry study groups as well as a forum for mutual exchange of logistics management objectives and views.
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
