Nov 9 1965
From The Space Library
Four flashing light beacons on NASA EXPLORER XXIX satellite had been turned on and were functioning normally, NASA officials announced. The beacons, each emitting a light of 1,580 candle-seconds per flash, would permit the satellite to be photographed against the stellar background. (AP, Wash, Eve, Star, 11/10/65, A6)
NASA Nike-Apache sounding rocket with Univ. of Michigan pitot-static probe experiment to measure pressure, temperature, and density from 15-km. to 115-km, altitude was launched from Ft. Churchill, Canada. Rocket and experiments functioned properly and good data were obtained. (NASA Rpt, SRL)
Snap 10-A, first nuclear reactor to operate in space, was probably shut down prematurely May 16, 1965, because of a spurious command from a decoding device triggered by a voltage regulator failure, AEC reported. Launched April 3 from Vandenberg AFB, with an Atlas-Agena booster, Snap 10-A achieved an 806-mi, circular orbit and produced over 500,000 watt-hrs. of electricity before it shut down May 16. It would orbit for more than 4,000 yrs. (AEC Release 11-247)
USAF fired Minuteman ICBM from Vandenberg AFB, to target area in the Eniwetok Lagoon, about 4,500 mi, across the Pacific. (AP, NYT, 11/10/65, 6)
USAF launched an Honest John-Nike Hydac high-altitude research rocket with 250-lb. payload from Eglin AFB, Fla. (Eglin AFB Release 65449)
Gemini VII would be launched Dec. 4 and Gemini VI Dec. 13 in a combination long-duration, rendezvous mission, NASA announced. Astronaut Frank Borman (L/C, USAF) would be command pilot and Astronaut James A. Lovell, Jr. (Cdr., USN ) , pilot, on a 14-day mission to determine the effects of long-duration spaceflight on man; 20 scientific, medical, and technological experiments would be performed. Astronauts Edward H. White II (L/C, USAF) , and Michael Collins (Maj., USAF) would be Gemini VII's backup crew. Gemini VI mission would be nearly identical to the original rendezvous flight postponed October 25 when the Agena Target Vehicle failed to achieve orbit, and would demonstrate rendezvous of two vehicles in space, Command Pilot Walter M. Schirra (Capt. USN) and Pilot Thomas P. Stafford (Maj., USAF) would maneuver the GEMINI VI spacecraft within close proximity of Gemini VII during the fourth revolution and station-keep for a period of time, but would not dock. Astronauts Virgil I. Grissom (L/C, USAF) and John W. Young (Cdr., USN) would be Gemini VI's backup crew. (NASA Release 65-347; UPI, NYT, 11/10/ 65)
Britain's Princess Margaret and the Earl of Snowdon toured JPL. (NASA Off, Int, Aff., 11/8/65)
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