Jul 9 1963

From The Space Library

164-lb. payload sent to 127-mi. altitude with Aerobee 150A sounding rocket from NASA Wallops Station in experiment to obtain nighttime electromagnetic noise and propagation data. Included in payload were three sweeping receivers and a broad­band receiver of the type to be included in Eogo satellite (Eccen­tric Orbiting Geophysical Observatory) next year. Preliminary telemetry evaluation indicated all experiment objectives were met. (Wallops Release 63-65)

X-15 No. 1 flown by Joseph A. Walker (NASA) to 226,400-ft. altitude and 3,631-mph speed (mach 5.07), the X-15 engine burning for 84 sec. Mounted in aircraft's fuselage was traversing probe, retracting every four sec. and measuring air pressures at varying distances from aircraft skin. (FRC Release; FRC X-15 Flight Log; NASA Hq. X-15 Proj.Off.)

House Committee on Science and Astronautics cut $95.5 million from NASA proposed FY 1964 budget, based upon recommendation of Committee's Subcommittee on Applications and Tracking and Data Acquisition. Today's reduction brought Committee's total reduction to $488.88 million, cutting requested $5.712 billion au­thorization to $5.223 billion. (NYT, 7/10/63, 12; UPI, Wash,. Post, 7/10/63)

Dr. Samuel D. Estep, of the faculty of Univ. of Michigan Law School, in a paper "Some International Aspects of Communica­tions Satellite Systems," offered a series of assumptions on the Communications Satellite Corp., among them: no profits for at least 8 or 10 years; interdependent with international com­munications companies, U.S. Government, and foreign govern­ments; for next decade, will transmit only normal TV relay (not broadcast), and the telephone, and data relay already provided by overseas telephone, radio, and telegraph facilities; for some years the primary use of the system will be in the high-density traffic between U.S. and Europe; receiving facilities and opera­tions in other arts of the world will probably. have to be Gov­ernment subsidized. (CR, 7/9/63,11572-79)

Advertising executive Harry A. Batten, representing nine NASA astronauts, said that withdrawal of Field Enterprises Education Corp. contract offer for astronauts' personal stories did not mean NASA disapproved this type contract. Rather, he said NASA be­lieved astronauts should conclude such a contract to protect their own and their families' privacy. He predicted astronauts would reach story-contract agreement with some other firm. (AP, Houston Post, 7/10/63)

DOD named Dr. Albert C. Hall, Vice President and General Man­ager of Martin Co. Space Systems Div., as Deputy Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Space Technology. Post was formerly that of Special Assistant to the Director (Harold Brown), held by Dr. Lawrence L. Kavanau. (DOD Release 969-63; Av. Wk., 7/15/63; Wash. Eve. Star, 7/10/63)

Plum Brook Station, NASA Lewis Research Center, awarded a $450,000 contract for completion of nuclear rocket and dynamic control test stand. The 200-ft.-high stand was to be used for test­ing second-generation nuclear rocket components. (Lewis Chronology, 3)

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