Oct 11 1968
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (2MB PDF)
Cosmos CCXLVII was launched by U.S.S.R. into orbit with 343-km (213.1-mi) apogee, 215-km (133.6-mi) perigee, 89.9-min period, and 65.4° inclination. Satellite reentered Oct. 19. (GSFC SSR, 10/15/68; 10/31/68)
U.S.S.R.'s Zond V could be precursor to next step in flying complex unmanned missions to Venus or Mars as well as to carrying men to moon, RAND Corp. Scientist Merton E. Davies and Cal Tech scientist Bruce C. Murray wrote in Science. Soviet descriptions of Zond V suggested U.S.S.R. might plan to send pair of spacecraft to Mars in late February or early March. One might land on Mars and cast off satellite to orbit it and relay signals to earth; other might fly by Mars and return to earth with film of Mars surface. Speculations were based on Pravda and Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) articles by Soviet Prof. A. Dmitriyev, which said "information from space" must be delivered "directly to the scientists' laboratory" free of "encumbrances and distortions of radioed signals." He said Zond V had successfully completed assignment of developing means and methods for returning space devices. Also, U.S.S.R. had previously sent pair of spacecraft on planetary mission and might repeat mission to take advantage of favorable Mars or Venus positions for flyby or landing attempts. (Science, 10/11/68, 245-6; Cohn, IF Post, 10/11/68, A9)
President Johnson transmitted NASA'S 15th, 16th, and 17th Semiannual Reports to Congress covering July 1, 1966, to Dec. 31, 1967. President wrote, "I commend these reports to your attention. They contain, I believe, concrete evidence that NASA is moving forward, and that America is contributing mightily in the worldwide effort to conquer space for the benefit of all mankind." In letter accompanying 17th report, NASA Administrator James E. Webb wrote, "This period was overshadowed by the Apollo fire which took the lives of three of our astronauts. The thorough investigation of the accident and the steps that were initiated to improve safety by changes in design and procedures have previously been made matters of public record. This report shows that the same period was also one of progress in aeronautics and space as evidenced, for example, by the successful flights of Surveyor, Lunar Orbiter, and many other spacecraft. It was a difficult time for NASA, but one in which the agency showed, I believe, that it could react maturely to failure as well as success, and continue to deserve the confidence and support of the nation." (Text; NASA LAR VII /III)
Republican Presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon said in TV program to viewers in Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, Republican administration would strive to make U.S. "first in space." "I don't want the Soviet Union or any other nation to be ahead of the United States. . . . Let's emphasize the moon shot and others where we can make a direct break-through." (W Star, 10/12/68, Al)
President Johnson vainly urged Senate ratification of nuclear nonproliferation treaty: "If the treaty does not go into effect soon, an increasing number of countries will see it in their national interest to go nuclear." He said if Senate found it impossible to remain in session to act on ratification, he might call special session after election. However, after consulting with President Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield (D-Mont.) announced he was laying treaty aside for this session of Congress because to call it up during closing days would result in "a devisive political dispute" that could convert it into partisan issue and imperil its eventual approval. (PD, 10/14/68, 1481; CR, 10/11/68, S12685-90; Finney, NYT, 10/11/68, 12; Kilpatrick, W Post, 10/12/68, A14)
NASA task force appointed by Assistant Administrator for University Affairs Francis B. Smith announced publication of A Study of NASA. University Programs, containing assessment of programs and their benefit to NASA and academic community. NASA university programs had "made major contributions to aeronautics and space program. Research sponsored . . . has generated new concepts, has developed new technology, and has created unique facilities for further education and research. Over 50 percent of all experiments flown on NASA satellites have been generated by university programs. Universities have awarded at least 500 graduate degrees and provided continuing education opportunities to thousands . . . [and] university consultants have given policy, scientific, and engineering advice to NASA at all levels." (Text; NASA Release 68-177)
NASA had asked its contractors to cut KSC personnel 10% in effort to save $40 million by July 1. Boeing Co. had already announced plans to reduce 4,400-man force to 4,000. Chrysler Corp. would keep 1,000 of its 1,200. Cutbacks were due to NASA budget cuts and affected only 2% of work force. (NASA PAO; W Star, 10/11/68, A3)
Comparison of infrared images of lunar eclipses of Dec. 19, 1964, and April 13, 1968, showed thermal anomalies of lunar maria unchanged after 31/2 yr, Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories researchers reported in Science. Graham R. Hunt, John W. Salisbury, and Robert K. Vincent wrote that hundreds of hot spots that cooled more slowly than surroundings were strikingly similar in images from both eclipses. One new, linear thermal anomaly had been discovered, whose close relation to lunar crustal fracture line suggested it might be of internal origin. Origin could give clue to formation of craters. (Science, 10/11/68, 252-4)
October 11-22: NASA'S Apollo 7 (AS-205), first manned mission in Apollo lunar landing program, was successfully launched from KSC Launch Complex 34 at 11:02 am EDT by Saturn IB booster. Primary objectives were to demonstrate command and service module (CSM) and crew performance; demonstrate crew, space vehicle, and mission support facilities; and demonstrate CSM rendezvous capability. All launch events occurred as planned and spacecraft, carrying Astronauts Walter M. Schirra, Jr. (commander), Donn F. Eisele (CM pilot), and R. Walter Cunningham (LM pilot), entered initial orbit with 177.8-mi (286.1-km) apogee, 138.2-mi (222.4-km) perigee, 89.9-min period, and 31.6° inclination. Saturn IB 2nd stage (S-IVB) manned control test was completed with excellent results, and S-IVB separated from on schedule. Crew successfully transposed CSM and simulated docking by maneuvering to within four or five feet of S-IVB. President Johnson sent message to Apollo 7 crew: "Everything in the Presidential office came to a halt as Foreign Minister Debre of France and I watched with mounting excitement the magnificent launch of the Saturn. . . ." Message was relayed from Air Force I as President flew from Washington to visit former President Harry S. Truman. On second day Schirra told ground controllers crew was too busy to set up portable camera for live TV coverage because of minor but time-consuming difficulties.
Astronauts had to pump waste water manually from spacecraft, Schirra and Eisele had trouble with their biomedical harnesses, Schirra had head cold symptoms, spacecraft evaporator system required maintenance, and hatch windows blurred and were bordered by mysterious "small hairs like fuzz." Crew fired SPS engine for 10 sec and 8 sec to set up rendezvous and maneuvered CSM to within 70 ft of tumbling spent 2nd stage, simulating techniques to be used on future flights if LM were to become disabled in lunar orbit. Crew took close-up photos of LM adapter attached to 2nd stage. S-IVB reentered earth's atmosphere Oct. 18 and splashed into Indian Ocean. On third day crew, which had already accomplished half its objectives, photographed clouds and earth and continued checking out spacecraft systems.
Power failure in spacecraft's AC electrical system was quickly restored, but overloading prompted officials to reschedule third SPS burn 20 hr sooner than planned. Burn positioned and sized ellipse for CM reaction control system deorbit in case of emergency and set up auxiliary gaging system test. Astronauts, all with head colds, appeared on national TV for 7 min for first time live from space. Crew displayed hand-printed signs bearing greetings from "the lovely Apollo room high atop everything." Second live telecast for 11 min Oct. 15 showed closeups of spacecraft interior and astronauts so clear that observers could read astronauts' lips. Third TV appearance Oct 16, which included nine-minute tour of spacecraft, won astronauts honorary membership in American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
Later, crew successfully fired SPS engine for fourth burn, demonstrating 20,500-lb-thrust engine's minimum impulse capability. As spacecraft passed over Hurricane Gladys in Gulf of Mexico, astronauts photographed storm and relayed data to Weather Bureau hurricane center. They also took pictures of "long plume" of air pollution. Crew continued spacecraft checkout, guidance and navigation procedures, and TV operations on seventh day, but fourth telecast was smudgy. Successful 67-sec fifth SPS burn-longest to date-was performed out of plane to test auxiliary gaging system and readjust ellipse for lifetime and CM reaction control system deorbit. On ninth day astronauts showed viewers exceptionally sharp pictures of main control panels in fifth TV broadcast and performed close-order drill to demonstrate movement in weightless environment.
Sixth SPS burn, essentially duplicate of fourth minimum impulse test burn, was successfully conducted. Seventh burn, on following day, adjusted time phasing for backup SM reaction-control-system deorbit burns. At 259:39 GET astronauts fired SPS engine for eighth time, to deorbit for reentry. CM/SM separation, parachute deployment, and other reentry events were nominal, and spacecraft splashed down in Atlantic eight miles north of recovery ship U.S.S. Essex at 7:11 am EDT Oct. 22 after completing 163 revolutions. Crew was picked up by helicopter and flown to recovery ship within one hour after splashdown. All primary Apollo 7 mission objectives were achieved, as well as every detailed test objective and three not originally planned. Crew comfort and safety were enhanced by change in cabin atmosphere to 100% oxygen in flight, hot meals, and relatively complete freedom of motion in spacecraft. Engineering accomplishments included live TV from space and drinking water produced as by-product of fuel cells. NASA's Ats III applications technology satellite relayed TV pictures to Europe. Service module SPS main engine, largest thrust engine to be manually thrust-vector controlled, proved itself by accomplishing longest and shortest
October 11-22: Bearded Apollo 7 astronauts emerge from recovery helicopter which carried them from landing point to deck of U.S.S. Essex after 11 days in orbit on first manned mission in Apollo Program. Left to right are Walter M. Schirra, Jr. (commander), Donn F. Eisele (CM pilot), and R. Walter Cunningham, (LM pilot) 4.5 million miles and 163 revolutions after launch. manned SPS burns, and largest number of inflight restarts. Manual tracking, navigation, and control achievements included full optical rendezvous, daylight platform realignment, optical platform alignments, pilot control of launch vehicle attitude, and orbital determination by sextant tracking of another vehicle. Mission also accomplished first digital-autopilot-controlled engine burn and first manned S-band communications.
All launch vehicle systems performed satisfactorily; spacecraft systems functioned with some minor anomalies, countered by backup subsystem, change in procedures, isolation, or careful monitoring so that no loss of systems support resulted. Apollo 7 spacecraft had been redesigned for safety. Original two-piece side hatch had been replaced by a quick-opening, one-piece hatch. Flammability within CM had been reduced by extensive materials substitution, and systems redundancy had been expanded to reduce single failure points. Saturn IB launch vehicle carried less telemetry and instrumentation equipment, to lower weight and increase payload capability. New propellant lines to augmented spark igniter had been installed in J-2 engine to prevent failure which had occurred on Apollo 6. Earlier unmanned Apollo flights had yielded all spacecraft information possible without crew on board. Apollo 4 (launched Nov. 9, 1967) and Apollo 5 (launched Jan. 22, 1968) had both been highly successful, completing inflight tests of all major pieces of Apollo hardware. Apollo 6 (launched April 4), despite launch vehicle problems, had attained four of five primary objectives and had been recovered in excellent condition. Apollo program was directed by NASA Office of Manned Space Flight; MSC was responsible for Apollo spacecraft development, and KSC for launch operations. Tracking and data acquisition was managed by GSFC under overall direction of NASA Office of Tracking and Data Acquisition. (NASA Proj Off; NASA Releases 68-168K, 68-179; MSC Historical Off; W Post, 10/12-23/68; B Sun, 10/12/68; 10/23/68; W Star, 10/13-19/68; PD, 10/21/68, 1492)
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