Sep 19 1969
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
Canadian Black Brant IV sounding rocket was launched by NASA from Barreira do Inferno, Natal, Brazil, carrying MSC and Univ. of California payload to provide detailed scientific measurements of charged particle environment in South Atlantic Anomaly region. Secondary objectives were to measure magnetic field strength and flight-evaluate payload telemetry-system performance. Rocket reached 532-mi (856-km) altitude, with performance higher than expected. All experiments performed satisfactorily and data were obtained on all channels. (NASA Rpt SRL)
Senate passed by voice vote H.R. 11271, FY 1970 NASA authorization of $3.716 billion, allocating $3.020 billion for R&D, $58.2 million for construction of facilities, and $637.4 million for research and program management. Total was $250.85 million less than had been passed by House June 10 [see also June 24]. Senate insisted on its amendments and requested conference with House. (CR, S10977-99, 11002; Text)
White House announced Apollo 11 astronauts would make 22-nation tour starting Sept 29, to stress U.S. willingness to share space knowledge. Itinerary would include Mexico City; Bogota, Colombia; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Las Palmas, Canary Islands; Madrid; Paris; Amsterdam and Brussels; Oslo; Cologne, Germany; Berlin; London; Rome; Belgrade, Yugoslavia; Ankara, Turkey; Kinshasa, Congo; Teheran, Iran; Bombay, India; Dacca, Pakistan; Bangkok, Thailand; Darwin and Sydney, Australia; Guam; Seoul; Tokyo; Honolulu; and return to Houston, Tex., Nov. 5. Additional trip to Ottawa and Montreal, Canada, was planned for December. (UPI, NYT, 9/20/69, 5)
U.K.'s first lunar samples-3 oz of moon dust in 16 contamination-proof boxes-arrived in London and were shown to scientists and press at Science Research Council. Dr. S. 0. Agrell of Cambridge Univ. and Dr. P. E. Clegg of London Univ. had flown to MSC to collect them. They would be examined by 14 British research teams. (AP, Kansas City Times, 9/20/69)
French scientists, using "world's most powerful laser" at Limeill Weapons Research Center of French Atomic Energy Commission near Paris, had generated succession of tiny thermonuclear explosions, Walter Sullivan said in New York Times. It was important step toward taming hydrogen bomb energy. It also underlined concern of some scientists that lasers might simplify design of devastating nuclear weapons. (NYT, 9/19/69, 1)
Report of President Nixon's Task Group on Space [Sept. 15] and Apollo astronauts, speeches to Congress [Sept. 16] had brought some "rationality back to the discussion of whither the space program," Washington Post editorial said. Acceptance by President of recommendation "would eliminate talk of abandoning manned space flight, which would be a foolish course of action, or of proceeding toward Mars in a crash effort to get there as quickly as possible." It was important "for the nation to push ahead on the immediate recommendations of the Task Group-exploring the moon, developing the tools that are needed for systematic exploration of our space travel capability, and extracting from the space program more benefits for those of us who are earthbound." (W Post, 9/19/69)
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