Nov 29 1966
From The Space Library
President Johnson said at news conference at Texas White House that there would be $60-million program reduction in NASA FY 1967 budget requiring some contract cancellations. About $30 million in expenditures was involved. Asked if changes in the NASA budget would cause postponement of target dates for any of the space programs, Johnson said: ". . . $30-million out of some several billion dollars wouldn't cause a change in the target date of the moon schedule, if you are talking about that." (Pres. Doc., 12/5/66, 1741; Transcript, NYT, 11/30/66, 18)
X.15 No. 3 was flown by Maj. Michael J. Adams (USAF) to 3,204.5 mph (mach 4.65) and 92,100-ft. altitude in pilot familiarization flight. As secondary mission, pilot performed maneuvers to evaluate aircraft's controllability and natural stability. (X-15 Proj. Off.)
Canada's ALOUETTE II had traveled about 135 million mi. in 4,037 orbits since launch Nov. 28, 1965, Defence Research Board announced. The 32-lb. spacecraft had obeyed 11,200 commands; all experiments had been carried out as planned. (AP, NYT, 11/30/66, 9)
Eighth Uprated Saturn I booster was static-fired successfully at MSFC for 145 sec. First stage performed as expected, developing 1.6 million lbs. thrust. (MSFC Release 66-288)
November 29-December 2: AIAA's Third Annual Meeting and Technical Display was held in Boston. In keynote address, NASC Executive Secretary Dr. Edward C. Welsh described the manned spaceflight program as the most successful technological feat ever undertaken by the Nation. Panel discussion followed on future of US. space program. Dr. Gordon J. F. MacDonald, Institute for Defense Analyses, predicted that man would be needed in space primarily as a "repairman" for scientific instruments. "The science . . . will be carried out on the ground where enormous facilities for computing, analysis, and discussion are available. Gen. Bernard A. Schriever (USAF, Ret.) said emphasis on space activities should not be only on peaceful purposes but also on preservation of peace; this would inevitably require sending military men into space. With advances in technology, US. must convert from "throwaway" hardware concept to use of maneuverable reentry vehicles and recoverable boosters, he added. This idea was echoed by NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight Dr. George E. Mueller, who said: ". . . all of the hardware developed for future projects would reflect our concern over . . . greater cost effectiveness, through the development of reusable launch vehicles and reusable spacecraft." Mueller said there would be manned space stations that could stay in orbit a year or longer but said there was no need for crews to stay aloft for such periods. A ferry vehicle would be used for resupply of both equipment and crew. He listed potential benefits of space technology in the next decade, describing air traffic control towers in space, direct-to-home international TV broadcasting systems, and possibilities for predicting and controlling the weather. Rep. George P. Miller (D-Calif.) said one of the problems of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics-of which he was chairman-was educating the people of the Nation to the benefits of the space program. It was a difficult task, he said, to justify space expenditures against the costs of Vietnam, foreign aid, and Great Society NASA projects. But, he insisted, it is the translation of space technologies into useful benefits that is the overall value of the space program." (Texts; AIAA Daily, 11/30/66, 1, 3; Wash. Eve. Star, 11/30/66, A7)
Results from NASA's EXPLORER XXXIII had shown for first time that tail of earth's magnetosphere "extends more than 75,000 miles beyond the orbit of the moon," reported GSFC scientist Dr. Norman F. Ness. Findings were contrary to those of Soviet scientist Dolginov and colleagues who had reported they were unable to detect magnetospheric tail at lunar distances on basis of data obtained from LUNA X between April 3 and May 4, 1966. Ness suggested as reason for this that LUNA X data were probably obtained when spacecraft was near or within neutral sheet region of magnetosphere where very low magnetic fields would be expected. (GSFC Release 20-66)
In session on Future Large Subsonic Transports, John Borger of PAA said problems in air transport industry "are being created by the phenomenal growth rate of our business." Since the growth rate showed no signs of slackening in the coming years, continued development and extensive use of large subsonic jet aircraft were not only desirable but essential. Borger pointed out that the engine for the Boeing 747which would carry 2% times more passengers than present intercontinental transports-was being developed with only commercial airlines as potential customers. This was the first time in air history that a new aircraft powerplant had been undertaken on this basis. Borger noted that a major requirement for the "jumbo jets" was that they be available at least 5 to 6 yrs. ahead of the proposed SST so that initial development and operation costs could be recovered. H. F. Klump, general manager of cargo traffic and sales for Deutsche Lufthansa Airlines, sounded a warning about the subsonic jet aircraft's cargo capacity: unless airports expanded their freight handling facilities enormously, they would not be able to handle volume of material "dumped on them." W. D. Perreault, program director for Lockheed 500-a giant commercial cargo aircraft for the 1970s-discussed evolution of the 500 from C-5A transport under development for USAF. After reviewing three proposed commercial versions of the aircraft, he said one of them "will provide for the first time a cargo plane with direct operating costs of less than 2 cents per ton statute mile." (AIAA Daily, 11/30/66, 1,31; Hines, Wash. Eve. Star, 11/29/66, A10)
Commenting on the report of the AIAA Launch Vehicle and Missile Technical Committee, "The Next Generation of Launch Vehicles Evolution or Bold Step?" N. E. Golovin of the Office of Science and Technology said: ". . . if a family of reusable boosters is to be developed for reasons of economy then development cost per booster must he so low that economical amortization must be possible over a relatively small number of flights for each type; or, if only a single reusable booster is to be developed its use must indeed be so cheap that it would pay to employ it for payloads which are but a small fraction of its orbiting capacity. This reasoning . . . casts considerable doubt on the Committee's suggestion that a `bold step' leading to the development of reusable boosters is justified at this time." (Text)
Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications Dr. Edgar M. Cortright, participating in a panel discussion on "Do We Need New Propulsion Systems for Lunar and Planetary Flight?", concluded that unmanned missions during the next ten years would probably "not require either new propulsion systems or new launch vehicle stages. They probably will require adding a modified Centaur as an upper stage on the Saturn I-B or the Titan IIIC. They may require and certainly could use a 260 inch solid first stage under the S-IVB Centaur. . . ." Cortright recommended that current launch capability be put "to effective use in exploring space and in developing practical applications of space flight." (Text)
During panel on -Space and Public Policy, "poor communications" between scientists and the general public was suggested reason for death of Project Mohole-killed by Congress because it would have cost at least three times the original estimate. NAS president Frederick Seitz said such escalations in cost were "not unusual" for such scientific ventures and revealed the project would soon be renewed under a different name such as "deep ocean drilling." "The goals of space exploration are primarily those of science, not technology," asserted panelist Hunter Dupree, science historian and history professor at Univ. of California, Berkeley. Chairman of the President's Science Advisory Committee's Panel on Space Science Louis Branscomb replied that no one wanted to see the space program purely as a "spectator sport," and that space programs should be conceived to "maximize their scientific returns." Commenting on the same subject, NASA Deputy Administrator Robert C. Seamans, Jr., said: "We must grapple with the problem of what we will do with the moon. This is not an esoteric problem." Concerned about the lack of AIAA advice to Congress on questions of scientific policy, Rep. Emilio Q. Daddario (D-Conn.) , member of House Committee on Science and Astronautics, said the loudest critics of the space program were scientists in other disciplines eyeing the space money. "I call on AIAA to come to Congress with a sharpened viewpoint. You can speak with the consensus of 35,000 members." Avco Corp. vice president Arthur Kantrowitz feared that "AIAA is not equipped" to do the suggested job because unanimity within the society could not be achieved on policy questions. And unless it could, the assignment "would induce strains within AIAA and change its complexion." (AIAA Daily, 12/2/66, 1, 29)
Four major AIAA awards were made at Honors Convocation: Dr. W. Randolph Lovelace II (posthumously), the Louis W. Hill Award "to honor his many outstanding contributions to the biomedical sciences in their applications to space and in particular his pioneering development of protective devices enabling the human body to function and operate safely in the aerospace environment"; Joe H. Engle of NASA FRC, the Lawrence Sperry Award for "outstanding contribution to aeronautics as the youngest pilot to fly the X-15 in various space probing research programs since June 1963"; Warren J. North of MSC, the De Florez Training Award for "contribution to astronaut training and operational crew procedures development in support of the manned space flight program"; and Dr. A. K. Oppenheim, the G. Edward Pendray Award for "outstanding contributions to the field of aeronautical and. astronautical literature in the area of gaseous detonation and gas wave dynamics." (AIAA Daily, 11/29/66, 30; Av. Wk., 11/28/66, 19)
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