Feb 28 1969
From The Space Library
NASA and British Science Research Council (SRC) had agreed to conduct cooperative project to launch fourth Ariel satellite, NASA announced. Ariel IV would be launched by Scout booster from WTR in late 1971 or early 1972 carrying one U.S. and four U.K. experiments to explore interactions among plasma-charged particle streams and electromagnetic waves in upper atmosphere. SRC would be responsible for spacecraft design, fabrication, and testing; NASA would provide Scout launch vehicle. Both agencies would participate in tracking, data acquisition, and data reduction. (NASA Release 69-35)
Tenth anniversary of DOD's 1,450-lb Discoverer I satellite successfully launched into polar orbit by Thor-Agena booster. Tracking acquisition was hampered by stabilization difficulties and satellite reentered in early March 1959. Agena launch vehicle-most widely used booster in U.S.-had completed more than 250 successful flights in DOD and NASA operations since its first mission Feb. 28, 1958, and had carried first spacecraft to achieve circular orbit, first to be controlled in orbit by ground command, and first propelled from one orbit to another. It had been continually updated and used as versatile, multipurpose vehicle. (A&A 1915-60; Space Propulsion, 2/28/69, 199)
Canadian Black Brant IIIB sounding rocket launched by NASA from Wallops Station reached 134-mi (215.6-km) altitude on first of two flights to evaluate improved Black Brant IIIB single-stage rocket and to provide data for payload environmental test specification [see May 1]. (NASA Rpt SRL)
LaRC issued RFPS for design and financial proposals for planetary lander and project integration portions of NASA'S Viking project. Viking spacecraft-consisting of lander and orbiter-were to be procured for two planned flights to Mars to search for scientific data in 1973. (NASA Release 69-36)
NASA announced it would negotiate with North American Rockwell Corp. for modifications to four Apollo spacecraft for Apollo Applications program. Combined value of spacecraft and modifications was estimated at $340 million. (NASA Release 69-34)
In Science, Bryce Nelson reviewed Science Policy in the USSR, study sponsored by Directorate for Scientific Affairs of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). It indicated, he said, that Soviet scientists and political leaders "need to spend considerable time thinking about how to correct imbalances in their R&D system." USSR had succeeded outstandingly in aviation rocketry, space exploration, atomic energy, machine tools, and iron and steel technology but its R&D system seemed sluggish. Main bottleneck was relative unavailability of testing facilities. Central planning system in U.S.S.R. reinforced separation between R&D establishments and industry and contributed to reluctance of factories to innovate. Increasing use of contract system, with industries placing growing number of R&D contracts with institutions of higher learning, was helping bridge gap between research centers and industry. (Science, 2/28/69, 917-8)
“The Moon Voyagers and the Earhtly Beauty That Beckons them Back” article in Life Magazine
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