Nov 16 1962
From The Space Library
Saturn SA-3 reached 104-mi. altitude in ballistic flight from Cape Canaveral, the fully-fueled S-I stage performing as planned. Upper stages were filled with water simulating weight of live stages. At peak altitude, rocket was detonated by radio command and the ballast water was released into the ionosphere, forming massive cloud of ice particles several mi. in diameter. From the cloud experiment (Project Highwater II) scientists hoped to gain data on atmospheric physics. This was third straight test-flight success of NASA’s Saturn and first flight with maximum fuel onboard. Vehicle generated 1.3 million-lb. thrust on flight of 4 min., 55 sec.
NASA Ames Research Center announced construction of four space research facilities, totaling more than $14 million, had been authorized for FY 1963: biosciences laboratory, guidance facility, radiative heat system for Mass Transfer Facility, and helium tunnel. Bioscience laboratory would be used for studies in genetics, radiobiology, immunology, and environmental physiology, and detection of extraterrestrial life. Guidance facility, consisting of three-man capsule with systems and equipment, combined analog and digital computer, and rotating centrifuge to drive capsule, would be used to obtain data on integrated design of guidance, stabilization, control, and crew support systems in advanced manned spacecraft. Radiative heat system would permit Ames scientists to investigate re-entry heating of spacecraft from lunar or planetary missions. Sections of complete heat shields will be tested at the facility. Mach 50 helium tunnel would be used to complement the, existing Ames hypersonic free-flight facility. which used gun-launched models to obtain 50 times speed of sound.
Nike-Cajun sounding rocket launched from Ft. Churchill, Can., under direction of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Second stage failed to ignite, so rocket reached altitude of only about 9.5 mi.
S-IV stage for Saturn space vehicle arrived at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., after 23-day journey from Douglas Missiles and Space Systems Div., Santa Monica, Calif. First. Saturn stage to be shipped by water from West Coast manufacturing site, the S-IV would be mated with other Saturn stages in dynamic test tower at Marshall, for series of bending and vibration tests. Its external configuration, weight, and other characteristics were same as S-IV flight units.
Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, Director of NASA Manned Spacecraft Center, told newsmen: "The first unmanned capsule launch [in Project Gemini] has slipped from the third quarter to the fourth quarter of 1963. There is virtually no possibility of a manned flight before 1964 . . . . [Slippage was] simply because of the time it takes to do this very complicated job." Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, NASA Deputy Administrator, said in first annual Theodore von Karman Lecture of the American Rocket Society: "The costs of the presently approved [space] program increase next year to about six billion dollars if current time schedules are maintained. It would not be possible to include the development of a [manned] space station now without still larger resources assigned to the space program. I personally believe that the next large manned space flight project [after Project Apollo manned lunar landing] will be this one rather than extensive exploitation of the moon or manned expeditions to the planets. This might change if the early lunar exploration returned surprises in the form of natural resources of use on earth.
"I think it will now be appreciated that the present rather arbitrary subdivisions of our program will coalesce, for the manned space station will be useful for both manned and unmanned scientific exploration and could be the site of observation of weather or of communications relay stations . . . ." Relationship between very low frequency (VLF) hiss and aurora australis (Southern lights) was confirmed after six months of research by two scientists, it was reported. Ward Helms and John Turtle, working at Byrd Station, Antarctica, believe they have confirmed the theory of Henry Morozumi, Stanford Univ. scientist, when they found peaks of auroral display and VLF hiss were identical in intensity and coincided repeatedly. Helms said he was "not certain that VLF hiss is part of the aurora, per se, but I'm sure that since the aurora and hiss peaks are simultaneous there is reason to think the same particles generating the aurora also generate the hiss." Secretary of the Air Force Eugene M. Zuckert announced signing of contract with United Technology Corp. for solid-propulsion rocket motors to be strapped to sides of Titan II rocket. in Titan III configuration. He said contract with Martin-Marietta Corp. for airframe assembly and test of the rocket, as well as for structure of transitional upper stage, would be signed soon.
At American Rocket Society Honors Night Banquet in Los Angeles, Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, Director of NASA Manned Spacecraft Center, was presented the Robert H. Goddard Memorial Award, highest ARS honor, for "general eminence in the field of rocket engineering and space flight." Other 1962 ARS awards: Lt. Col. John H. Glenn, Jr., NASA astronaut, received the ARS Astronautics Award; Vice Adm. William F. Raborn, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations, Special Projects Office, received the James H. Wyld Memorial Award; Samuel K. Hoffman, president of NAA Rocketdyne Div., received ARS Propulsion Award; Dr. Howard S. Seifert, of Stanford Univ. and United Technology Corp., received the G. Edward Pendray Award; Theodore Forrester, director of Electro-Optical Systems, Inc., Ion Physics Dept., received the ARS Research Award; and John R. Winckler, prof. of physics at Univ. of Minnesota, received the first ARS Space Science Award.
Soviet aircraft designer Artem Mikoyan was quoted as saying U.S.S.R. would have a "rocket plane" within this decade. Aircraft was described as wide-winged, stainless-steel covered, and powered by multistage rocket. After launching, craft would fly ballistic trajectory reaching height of 150-222 km. and later re-enter earth's atmosphere, for intercontinental transport of mail, freight, and, later, passengers. Rocket planes also would be principal transportation between earth and earth satellites.
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