Sep 8 1967
From The Space Library
Explorer XXXIV, launched May 24, demonstrated that all its spacecraft systems and 10 of 11 experiments were operational and performing satisfactorily. No scientific data had been received from TRW spherical electrostatic analyzer experiment since launch because of electrical system malfunction. (NASA Proj Off)
Col. Joseph F. Cotton (USAF) , pilot, and L/Col. Emil Sturmthal (USAF) , copilot, flew XB-70 No. 1 to 59,700-ft altitude and 1,510 mph (mach 2.3) in flight at Edwards AFB. Purposes of test: longitudinal stability and control and handling qualities checkout; throat unstart checkout; variable nose ramp functional test; radar airspeed calibration; and handling qualities approach sidestep maneuvers. Flight was successful except for lost radar contact. (XB-70 Proj Off)
NASA's MARINER IV, launched Nov. 28, 1964, after 1,014 days of flight, reached its closest approach to earth at 29.1 million mi (46.9 million km) . (NASA Proj Off)
September 8-1 0: Engineers and scientists on three continents secured aerial recovery of Biosatellite II , approximately 15 mi from the recomputed impact point over the mid-Pacific, and soft-landed Surveyor V on the moon at a speed just over eight miles an hour and within 18 mi of its original target site. The work had involved hundreds of men in tracking stations (certain of which could track simultaneously up to three separate objects: deep space, manned capsule, or near-earth satellite) and control centers in the U.S., South America, and Australia. Surveyor V and Biosatellite II projects were carried out by two different NASA teams. Participants had included scientists and engineers from JPL and Hughes Aircraft Co. for Surveyor V, ARC and GSFC for Biosatellite II , and tracking-station and control-center personnel from around the world. (NASA Release 67-241; NASA Proj Off)
September 8-30: NASA's Surveyor V (Surveyor-E) unmanned spacecraft was successfully launched by Atlas-Centaur launch vehicle from ETR on a two-burn ascent mission to soft-land in the Apollo area of interest on the moon and to take television pictures of the lunar surface around its landing area. Surveyor V was the first of the Surveyor series to carry an instrument to study the chemical characteristics of the lunar soil and the first to attempt a landing in the eastern portion of the Apollo zone. The coast period between burns was 6 min 44 sec. Spacecraft insertion into a lunar trajectory occurred at 04:15:12.9 EDT Sept. 8. The trajectory appeared to be satisfactory. After separation from the launch vehicle, Surveyor V automatically acquired the sun and responded to commands to turn its transmitter to low power. Spacecraft telemetry indicated that all systems were operational. The Surveyor V midcourse correction was accomplished at 21:45 EDT Sept. 8. Immediately after the correction, the pressure in the helium supply tank was determined to be decreasing, indicating that the regulating valve did not make a positive closure. Correction of leak was not possible; a descent strategy was developed to overcome the resultant degradation of the vernier engine retrograde capability. Surveyor V soft-landed on the moon at 20:46:38 EDT on Sept. 10. The landing site was in the Sea of Tranquility at approximate coordinates 23.19°E, 1.52°N, some 18 mi from the target point. The spacecraft took 200-and 600-line pictures of the lunar surface and conducted an alpha back scattering experiment. At lunar sunset, 6:40 am EDT, Sept. 24, 18,006 high-quality lunar photographs had been obtained (more than the combined totals from Surveyors I and III). The alpha-back scattering instrument had operated for 83 hours on the lunar surface, providing excellent data on the relative abundance of chemical elements in lunar material. To optimize the conditions for lunar-night survival, the spacecraft was operated for short periods at 21/2-hr intervals, using compartment heaters, until the battery charge was down to 30 ampere hours, about 4-6 days after lunar sunset. The spacecraft then would be placed in hibernation for the remainder of the lunar night. The vernier engine erosion experiment was conducted at 01.38 EDT on Sept. 13, to obtain information on effects of impingement of a high velocity jet-gas stream on the lunar surface. TV pictures were taken of the area under study before and after vernier engine firing. Initially no significant erosion was noted, but follow-on operations with low sun angle photographs and shadow progression studies revealed a crater-like depression under vernier engine number 3 which had not been visible at the higher sun elevations. Surveyor V accomplished all mission objectives. Before touchdown, radar reflectivity data were obtained; touchdown dynamics data were determined at landing time (bearing strength of lunar surface as the ultimate objective). Thermal data were obtained (accumulation of. data throughout the mission was the ultimate objective). The Surveyor program was managed by JPL under OSSA direction. Hughes Aircraft Co., under contract to JPL, designed and built the Surveyor spacecraft. Tracking and communications were the responsibility of JPL-operated Deep Space Network. (NASA Proj Off; NASA Release 67-227; B Sun, 9/11/67; AP, W Star, 9/25/67; Hines, W Star, 9/29/67; W Post, 9/14/167; O'Toole, W Post, 9/30/67; Clark, NYT, 9/30/67)
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