Sep 1 1970
From The Space Library
Concorde 002, British prototype of Anglo-French supersonic transport; reached mach 1.68 (1770 km per hr; 1100 mph) and created double sonic boom in test flight over Oban, Scotland. It was first time British Concorde had broken sound barrier in current test series. No sonic boom damage was reported. (AP, W Post, 9/2/70, A 19)
Apollo 14 flight crew completed mock flight to 60 900-m (200 000-ft) simulated altitude in altitude chamber at MSC, in preparation for Jan. 31, 1971, launch to moon. (AP, NYT, 912/70, 9)
Moon watchers in California and Oregon had reported splotches on moon's surface during its closest approach to earth in August, Dr. Gary V. Latham, Apollo program chief seismic investigator, said in telephone interview with Washington Evening Star. Reports were in response to Dr. Latham's Aug. 10 alert to astronomers. Observations, coupled with recent series of simultaneous moonquakes, "may indicate the moon is not as cold and dead as we thought." Dr. Latham said current sightings had not yet been verified, but he and colleagues at MSC and at Lamont Doherty Geological Observatory at Columbia Univ. had detected 160 moonquakes, 27 at time of moon's closest approach to earth, in analysis of seven months' data. Quakes had been mild, "about 1.4 on the Richter Scale." (Lannan, W Star, 9/1/70, A4)
Javelin sounding rocket launched by NASA from Wallops Island carried experiment to study helium geocorona. Mission did not meet minimum scientific requirements. (SR list)
NASA announced increase from $312.2 million to $359.8 million in contract with Martin Marietta Corp. to build Viking lander spacecraft and integrate entire system. Revision reflected delay of scheduled launch date from 1973 to 1975. (NASA Release 70-145)
AIAA announced selection of 29 new fellows who would be honored at annual meeting in Houston Oct. 19-22. Fellows included Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, cited for Apollo 11 mission; M/G Lee V. Gossick, USAF Aeronautical Systems Div. Commander, for military aeronautical leadership; and I. Irving Pinkel, LeRC, for design and implementation of aircraft safety systems. (AIAA-Release)
USAF helicopters of Military Airlift Command at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, and at Luke AFB, Ariz., began flying MAST missions in joint DOT-DOD project announced July 15. (DOD Release 708-70)
Gen. George S. Brown-former Commander of Seventh Air Force and Deputy Commander for Air Operations, U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV)--assumed command of AFSC. He succeeded Gen. James Ferguson, who retired Aug. 31. (AFSC Release 246.70)
U.S. and U.S.S.R., preparing draft treaty to prohibit emplacement of nuclear weapons on seabed, had agreed in Geneva that signature nations should be allowed to ask U.N. help in policing violations, New York Times said. (Hamilton, NYT, 9/1/70,9)
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