Nov 26 1963
From The Space Library
NASA successfully launched EXPLORER XVIII, the Interplanetary Monitoring Probe (Imp), from AMR on a Thor-Delta booster. Intended to have an apogee of 173,000 mi. and a perigee of 125 mi., EXPLORER XVIII was tracked as having an apogee of 122,800 mi. and a perigee of 120 mi., with an orbital period of about four days, and an inclination of 33.3°. Essentially a continuation of the series of energetic particle spacecraft and similar in design and in some experiments to the earlier EXPLORER XII, [EXPLORER XIV], and EXPLORER XV, its 35 lbs. of instruments would measure the major magnetic field phenomena in space, including the interplanetary magnetic field, interactions of the streaming solar plasma and the geomagnetic field, galactic and solar radiation. (NASA Releases 63-249, 261; Wash. Post, 11/27 /63)
Two sounding rockets were launched from Wallops Station, Va., as NASA provided launching, tracking, and data acquisition for two related Univ. of Michigan experiments investigating characteristics of the upper atmosphere. A Nike-Apache was launched to 103 mi., with a 70-lb. payload chiefly comprised of an ion mass spectrometer to measure air density and composition as a function of altitude. Shortly thereafter, a Nike-Cajun was launched to 81 mi. with a 56-lb. payload chiefly composed of three 26-in. mylar balls which were ejected at intervals and their descent and drift tracked as a measure of wind direction and velocity and atmospheric density. (NASA Release 63-106)
First complete flight system test of the SERT (space electric rocket test) payload under simulated space conditions at Lewis Research Center. Two engines in the SERT package would be the first electric engines to operate in space. (Lewis Chronology, 11)
RCA Victor Co. announced that it would join with Canada's Federal Transport Department in building a $5-million experimental station in eastern Canada to serve as a space relay station for voice transmissions from overseas. The station would be operated under an agreement between Canada and NASA. (UPI, NYT, 11/27/63, 21)
TELSTAR II communications satellite brought live American television to the Soviet Union for the first time in the weekend of reporting on the assassination of President Kennedy and the mourning and funeral that followed. Izvestia devoted one whole page of its four pages to an analysis of the ironic events. Entitled "Texas and Telstar," the article pointed out that Telstar, "the technical wonder of the 20th century, came into our lives with America's mourning and brought us the cry of battle, a battle between light and darkness raging this week on the other side of the earth. "Only the darkest Spanish Inquisition could have produced the scenes that were flashed by the American satellite . . . . "We have seen the grief of the American nation and profoundly sympathize with it. We have seen a mad detective thriller and we reject it with contempt and anger." (Shabad, NYT, 11/27/63, 17)
USN launched a Polaris A-3 missile off U.S.S. Observation Island missile support ship, had to destroy the missile 52 sec. after launch when it went off course. (M&R 12/9/63, 10)
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