Oct 26 1966
From The Space Library
NASA's Atlas-Centaur 9 (AC-9) launch vehicle successfully carried out first full-thrust restart in space of liquid hydrogen engine during two-burn indirect ascent mission launched from ETR. Flight eighth and last planned Centaur development test flight-almost exactly. followed prelaunch plans: AC-9 Centaur stage burned for 328 sec. and again for 107 sec., first to drive itself into temporary 100-mi. (161-km.) altitude parking orbit and then to inject mass model of Surveyor spacecraft on simulated lunar transfer trajectory. Preliminary tracking data indicated dummy spacecraft was aimed accurately and on course. Centaur project had been managed by LBC. (NASA Release 66-274; NASA Proj. Off.; LRC Release 66-69; AP, Wash. Post, 10/27/66, A7; Av. Wk., 10/31/66,39)
U.S.S.R.'s LUNA XII was probably less than 100 mi. from moon, reported director of U.K.'s Jodrell Bank Experimental Station Sir Bernard Lovell. He said: "Last night the signals from the probe were steady and indicated that, contrary to LUNA X and XI, it was ejected into orbit without rotation. That means that potentially it was a more successful exercise." (AP, Balt. Sun, 10/27/66)
Four-stage USAF Trailblazer was launched from NASA Wallops Station in second of a series of six Air Force Avionics Laboratory launches to study communications blackout during space vehicle reentry. (Tech. Wk., 11/7/66, 10)
Cosmonaut Aleksei A. Leonov was quoted by Tass as saying that he was in favor of strict international law governing cooperation in space. Through agreement, all stations, equipment, and spacecraft sent to moon or the planets could be available for use by representatives of other states, he noted. "However, all this would be justified only if the moon and the other celestial bodies are used by all treaty participants for peaceful purposes." (Tass, 10/26/66)
NASA awarded North American Aviation, Inc., a $37-million, cost-plus-award-fee contract supplement for launch preparation and checkout of ten Saturn V 2nd stages (S-II). (NASA Release 66-281)
M2-F2 lifting body vehicle, piloted by Capt. Jerauld R. Gentry (USAF), made 12th glide flight at Edwards AFB after air-launch from B-52 aircraft at 45,000-ft. altitude. Purposes of flight were to obtain data on stability and control at 7ø and 11ø angles of attack and on upper flap effectiveness. (NASA Proj. Off.)
October 26-29: Second International Congress on Air Technology met at Hot Springs, Ark. Need to develop a V/Stol aircraft as an "air bus" for faster short-haul transportation of cargo and passengers within large urban areas was rapidly increasing with growth in population, asserted Jack D. Brewer, program manager for V/Stol research, NASA Hq. By 1985, according to prediction, more than 130 million persons-half the US. population would be living in super metropolitan areas at San Francisco-Los Angeles, Buffalo-Chicago, and Boston-New York-Washington, D.C. (NASA Release 66-282)
Cooperation as well as competition would be necessary to meet challenges of future air transportation, John C. Brizendine, Douglas Aircraft Co., Inc., Aircraft Division vice president for engineering, told the Congress. He said progress in solving problems such as noise, limiting effects of weather, congestion of airports and airways, and rapid transportation needs between airports and cities, should be accelerated. . . if society is to realize the progress and benefits technology can offer, we as leaders of large segments of society also must display increasing unity of purpose in striving to overcome the major environmental problems common to all of us." (CR, 1/23/67, 5729-31)
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