Sep 1 1962
From The Space Library
NASA Venus probe MARINER II passed the million-mile mark on its interplanetary journey. JPL scientists said that they would send signals Sept. 3 to alter the trajectory and swing MARINER II on path that would come within 10,000 mi. of the planet Venus.
U.S.S.R. made another unsuccessful attempt to launch Venus probe, the launch vehicle failing to achieve escape trajectory and remaining in parking orbit. (See Sept. 5).
U.S. sources disclosed that U.S.S.R. bad unsuccessfully attempted to launch a Venus probe on August 25, and that three fragments of the spacecraft were orbiting the earth. In accordance with its policy, U.S.S.R. made no announcement of unsuccessful launch.
USAF launched an unidentified satellite with a Thor-Agena B booster from Vandenberg AFB.
AEC-DOD jointly announced that the man-made radiation belt created by U.S. high-altitude nuclear explosion was stronger than anticipated and might last for many years. The blast also intensified natural Van Allen radiation belt more than anticipated. AEC-DOD added that the new radiation belt had completely knocked out communications from satellites TRANSIT IV–B, TRAAC, and ARIEL, but it would "not constitute any hazard to manned satellite launchings that we have planned in the near future." The belt, extended from 200 mi. above the earth to 700 mi., where it merged into the Van Allen belts.
INJUN satellite was apparently unaffected by artificial radiation belt, reported Dr. Brian J. O'Brian, State University of Iowa physicist. INJUN orbits earth at about 500-mi. altitude, near center of the new radiation belt which had destroyed transmission from satellites ARIEL, TRANSIT IV–B, AND TRAAC. Dr. O'Brian speculated that INJUN transmission survived because satellite used low-efficiency solar cells, not as rapidly affected by radiation as high-efficiency cells used in Aram,.
Reginald Lascelles, personal assistant and spokesman for Sir Bernard Lovell, director of Jodrell Bank Experimental Station, said Lovell was afraid the new radiation belt would "seriously affect space exploration by radio astronomy."
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