Nov 8 1968
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (2MB PDF)
NASA's Pioneer IX (Pioneer D), fourth in series of five spacecraft designed to provide continuing measurements over solar cycle at widely separated points in interplanetary space, was successfully launched from ETR by Thrust-Augmented Improved Thor-Delta (DSV-3E) booster into orbit around sun. Orbital parameters: aphelion, 0.99 astronomical unit (au), or 92.04 million mi (148.10 million km) ; perihelion, 0.75 au, or 69.71 million mi (112.19 million km) period, 297.55 days; and inclination 0.09°.
Test and Training Satellite Tetr II (TETR-B) carried pickaback on 2nd stage, was successfully ejected after 3rd-stage burnout and entered orbit around earth with 582.3-mi (937-km) apogee, 231.3-mi (373-km) perigee, 97.9-min period, and 32.8° inclination. S-band transponder was operating properly. Tetr II was follow-on Tetr I (formerly designated Tts I; launched pickaback on Pioneer VIII Dec. 13, 1967), which was highly successful in testing Apollo communications network. Primary mission objective of 147-1b, drum-shaped Pioneer JX was to collect scientific data on electromagnetic and plasma properties of interplanetary medium for period covering six or more passages of solar activity centers. As secondary mission, Pioneer IX would: (1) acquire data when highly significant solar event occurred; (2) refine primary 'determinations of earth and moon masses, the astronomical unit, and osculating elements of earth's orbit; (3) provide synoptic study of solar-interplanetary relations; and (4) provide target for checkout of Manned Space Flight Network equipment and training of operations personnel by launching Test and Training Satellite as secondary payload. Pioneer IX separation, boom deployment, and first solar orientation occurred as planned and all eight experiments were operating properly and returning good data. Pioneer VI (launched Dec. 16, 1965), Pioneer VII (launched Aug. 17, 1966), and Pioneer VIII (launched Dec. 16, 1967) were all successful and were continuing to transmit excellent data. Pioneer program was managed by ARC under OSSA direction. (NASA Proj Off; NASA Release 68-192; UPI, W News, 11/8/68; W Post, 11/9/68, A10; AP, LA Times, 11/9/68; Lannan, W Star, 11/11/68, A17; SBD, 11/12/68, 46; GSFC, SSR, 11/15/68)
Bureau of the Budget issued tentative allowance of $3.623 billion for NASA's FY 1970 budget request. (NASA Off of Admin)
American Nuclear Society held panel session in Washington, D.C., on "The U.S. Space Program: Achievements and Objectives." Dr. Edward C. Welsh, NASC Executive Secretary, declared: "We must step up the rate at which we tap the vast potential of nuclear energy for the space activities of tomorrow. . . . if we do not make greater use of nuclear energy, we will neglect our mission of learning rapidly more and more about the solar system in which we live and about the planet where we reside. In the field of propulsion, chemical rockets, both liquid and solid, can be vastly improved when combined with the products of nuclear technology." Combining nuclear stage with Saturn V "will greatly increase that rocket's power of achievement. . . . Not only will we have the vast power of the atom at our command, but it will be compact, self-contained, long lived, highly maneuverable, and virtually independent of its surrounding environment. . . . Atomic energy will enable the space effort to reach for the infinite." (Text)
NASA Associate Administrator for Advanced Research and Technology James M. Beggs discussed "Research and Technology for the Future": "The difference between success and failure of [NASA] missions . . . lies in our knowledge of the flight sciences and our skill for applying this knowledge to the development and operation of space vehicles. . .. A natural characteristic of technology is its multiapplicability; an improvement in guidance or communication equipment, for example, may find many uses in space missions as well as non-aerospace applica- dons. A key to making this process productive . . . is a continuing research program . . . that has a good balance between the effort in the scientific and engineering disciplines and in the technologies needed to explore the unknown." (Text)
Dr. Wernher von Braun, MSFC Director, said: "The first practical application of space electric power systems, which have been under development over the past 10 years, may well be found in our second generation orbital space station program. Consistent with our present estimates of station initial power requirements, and allowing for growth, a zirconium hydride reactor coupled with a thermoelectric conversion system is being studied for application on such a space station." (Text; Reuters, B Sun, 11/14/68, A10)
MSFC announced Boeing Co. had been issued $239,000 contract for 10- mo study defining two-stage derivative of Saturn V launch vehicle. With 1st (S-IC) and 3rd (S-IVB) stages and instrument unit of Saturn V, vehicle could place up to 158,000 lb in low earth orbit. Varying the number of F-1 engines in S-IC could tailor vehicle to specific missions. Five-engine configuration could put into orbit Saturn I Workshop with airlock and multiple docking adapter, plus Apollo Telescope Mount and Apollo CSM and three-man crew. Three Saturn IB vehicles would be required to do same job. Vehicle could resupply space stations and could be used for synchronous orbits and unmanned lunar and planetary flights at major savings over three-stage Saturn V. Two-stage version was called "Intermediate 20." With Centaur 3rd stage, vehicle could send about 15,000 lb to Jupiter or Saturn. MSFC also had signed $22,826,736 contract modification with North American Rockwell Corp.'s Rocketdyne Div. for continued production support of J-2 engines used on Saturn IB and Saturn V boosters. Modifications would improve engines' versatility. (MSFC Releases 68-264, 68-266)
NAS-NRC Space Science Board issued Physics of the Earth in Space-A Program of Research: 1968-1975, report of NASA-supported study by 31 scientists at Woods Hole, Mass., Aug. 11-24. Report, dated October and fourth by Board to provide guidance for NASA'S programs in space physics, said results of decade of research by artificial satellites were "revolutionary; few of the concepts of the early 1950's have survived without major revision and totally unexpected discoveries have provided fundamentally new theoretical challenges." And "results of today's space research on the physics of the Earth in space become the engineering design data of tomorrow's civilian and defense applications programs." Report defined program of satellite, space-probe, and sounding rocket missions for concerted attack on questions of fundamental physical mechanisms of sun-earth system, in contrast to past decade's exploratory surveys. It emphasized coordinated investigations, new experimental techniques, and major observation effort during 1974-1975 low solar activity. Recommendations included continued NASA support for balloon, aircraft, and ground-based observations and of advanced development of spacecraft instruments; better means of data handling and adequate support for data analysis; and restoration of NASA program of predoctoral traineeship grants to 1966 level. (Text)
Astronomers reported in Science conclusion neither NASA's Mariner V (launched June 14, 1967, for flyby of planet Venus) nor U.S.S.R.'s Venus IV (launched June 12, 1967) had reported atmospheric conditions near level of mean surface of planet. Von R. Eshleman and Gunnar Fjeldbo of Stanford Univ., John D. Anderson and Arvydas J. Kliore of JPL, and Rolf B. Dyce of Arecibo Ionospheric Observatory (Puerto Rico) had made new determination of radius of planet, based on concurrent ranging from earth to Mariner V near encounter and to surface of Venus. Extrapolations of measurements had given surface values for mid-latitudes of close to 100 atmospheres pressure and 700 °K temperature (within 100°) , rather than Soviet values of 19 ± 2 atmospheres and 544°±10°K. Soviet probe apparently was not designed to work through such thick atmosphere. Simple ambiguity (times two) in Venus IV altimeter reading could explain supposition that probe reached Venus surface, "since this would bring all other data into excellent agreement." (Science, 11/8/68, 661-5)
At press conference, inventor-scientist Stanford R. Ovshinsky described production of electronic devices-including desktop computers; flat, tubeless TV sets that could be hung on walls; and missile guidance systems impervious to destruction by man-made radiation. Devices were made of amorphous materials whose electrical properties differed from transistor materials. Balance of energy forces within amorphous glasses was such that application of voltage of right minimum strength made material switch from insulator to conductor. (Stevens, NYT, 11/11/68, 1)
American Telephone & Telegraph Co. said it had asked FCC to authorize its acquisition of 70 additional satellite communications circuits from ComSatCorp. Purchase would boost AT&T circuits to 396. (WSJ, 11/8/68, 5)
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