May 5 1964
From The Space Library
Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences, meeting in executive session, favorably reported with amendment S. 2446, authorizing $5.246 billion for NASA in FY 1965. This amount restored $52 million of the $110 million cut by the House in its authorization bill in March. (NASA LAR III/89; Av. Wk., 5/11/64, 24)
Soviet "automatic interplanetary station" ZOND I was 10,137,000 km. (6,298,838 mi.) from the Earth, according to Tass, and more than 60 radio communication sessions had been held with the spacecraft since its launch more than a month ago. The spacecraft had sent scientific information, data on systems operation, and "information relating to the assigned program of investigations." (Tass, Komsomolskaya Pravda, 5/6/64, 1, ATSS-T Trans.)
House Committee on Science and Astronautics, Subcommittee on Space Sciences and Applications, held hearing on geographical distribution and indirect costs of Federal research and development. NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Industry Affairs, Earl D. Hilburn, said it was NASA's policy to "locate and fully utilize the best technical competence available wherever it might be." It was not NASA policy to award contracts on a geographical basis, Hilburn said, but NASA tried to "provide opportunities for and encourage all qualified industrial firms, universities and non-profit organizations to participate in our program." He added: "NASA makes every effort to award negotiated procurements to contractors who will perform a substantial proportion of their work within labor surplus areas." (NASA LAR 111/89; SBD, 5/6/64,30-31)
Subcommittee on Science, Research and Development, House Committee on Science and Astronautics, opened hearings on problems of the Government-Science relationship. Rep. Emilio Q. Daddario (D.-Conn.), Subcommittee Chairman, said the Subcommittee would inquire into (1) geographical distribution of Federal R&D contracts and grants, and (2) allowance of indirect costs by those performing basic research for the Government. (NASA LAR III/85)
Lt. Gen. William J. Ely (USA), Deputy Director of Defense Research and Engineering (Administration and Management), said in testimony be-fore House Science and Astronautics Committee's Research and Development Subcommittee: "For the past six years, over 80% of the net value of RDT&E contracts of the Department of Defense has been to companies concerned with aerospace and electronics. Actually, 11 states received 88.3% of the awards in FY 1962; 18 states received 95.3% of the total. Five major Defense RDT&E complexes, centered around Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay area, the New York City-northern New Jersey area, Boston, and the Washington, D.C., area accounted for about 58% of the total net value of RDT&E awards. ". . . we recognize that Defense R&D is concentrated geographically and that this concentration will continue for the foreseeable future. The Department of Defense, of all the agencies of government, is the one that must feel itself most constrained to the purpose of getting the best results in RDT&E at the least cost. We cannot speak for the remainder of the government; such agencies as the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health were created in part to support research, and therefore have legitimate additional criteria for their operations. We tend to follow competence where we find it and there-fore consider that greater uniformity in the geographical distribution of our R&D contracts and grants can only be achieved to the extent that more uniform competence is developed." (Testimony)
Membership on the NASA Policy Planning Board, established November 1, was formally designated, with Langley Research Center Director Dr. Floyd L. Thompson as Chairman and NASA General Counsel Walter D. Sohier as Vice Chairman. (NASA Circ. 317)
On third anniversary of his historic space flight, first American in space Astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr. (Cdr., USN) received the Langley Medal, highest award of the Smithsonian Institution, in ceremonies at the Smithsonian, Washington, D.C. (CR, 5/5/64, 9767-68)
L. D. Gable, of Longmont, Colo., died at Cape Kennedy of injuries sustained in the April 15 accidental ignition of Delta X-248. The Ball Bros. technician was third victim of the accident, which was still being investigated. (GSFC PIO)
NASA Director of Biotechnology and Human Research Dr. Eugene B. Konecci said in keynote address, Fifth Annual Conference on Human Factors in Electronics, in San Diego; "There is a great need today for simplification through a more fundamental understanding of phenomena we take for granted. Mathematical theories to aid in simplification and a better understanding of the cosmos around us are needed. Specifically in Electronics we need to re-examine our traditional complex circuitry and the logic behind it, so we can make even more rapid strides in solid state physics and electronics without imposing old circuit theory and wiring diagrams on new active elements. In 50 years an electron tube as we know it will be an archaic museum piece. "The greatest need in Human Factors research is a better understanding of man, his capabilities and limitations. The study of human brain mechanisms promises the greatest rewards to science and technology and in turn to the betterment of mankind. We need more cross fertilization between neuro- and psycho-physiologists and electronic engineers, through a new educational tool "Systems Engineering' that includes the human element. . . ." (Text)
AIAA 1964 James H. Wyld Memorial Award was presented to Brig. Gen. Joseph S. Bleymaier (SAF) head of USAF Titan III development program, for his work on Titan III launch vehicle. AIAA 1964 Propulsion Award was presented to David Altman, United Technology Center vice president, for his contributions to science of propulsion. (A&A, 6/64, 87; AIAA "Honors & Awards")
Dr. Alexander H. Flax, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Research and Development, addressed AIAA in Cleveland: ". . . the number of new systems which can be fully developed is limited. The future, on the other hand, is highly uncertain. The inevitable result . . . is that the number of major weapon systems being developed for the inventory is relatively small. The number of concepts and potential weapon systems being explored in other categories of R&D are very large but still not all inclusive. The approach which we are taking to assure the availability of proven technology and prototypes of critical system elements is through exploratory and advanced development programs; this does not usually include full vehicle or system prototypes although in some cases it may. By working on the critical technical, cost or operational problems of a potential new system intensively while ignoring the other elements of the system, we are placing ourselves in a better position to decide to buy that system and to get it in reasonable time, in the event that either our own national policy, the international situation (especially the actions of our adversaries) , or obsolescence arising from new technological developments in counterweapons make necessary the rapid acquisition of a new system, and we are doing this at considerably lower cost than the cost of developing all the candidate systems even if these developments were at a very low rate. For ex-ample research and exploratory development on high energy fuels for both solids and liquids support potential needs both for larger and improved ICBM'S and for new space boosters. The 120" and 156" solid rocket under development by the Air Force and the 260" solids being supported by NASA provide at the prototype level the necessary components of much larger ballistic missile and space launch vehicle systems over a wide range of payload capacities. The application of the 156" solid technology to a new missile in the Minuteman tradition would provide a payload capability many times that of Minuteman. Studies are under way to examine the payoffs and tradeoffs relating to the application of high energy fuels to a new upper stage suitable for application to both DOD and NASA launch vehicles. The aim of these programs is to reduce the degree of uncertainty and the element of risk which would be associated with the decision to proceed with such systems. Yet there is no assurance that these developments will, in fact, be used in their present form. They may simply be stepping stones to a later generation of propulsion systems in advanced development. The coupling of requirements for economy, reliability and commonality has led to the dictum for technical advances that many are called, but few are chosen. . . ." (Text, DOD Release 361-64)
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