Jun 3 1965
From The Space Library
Viewers in Great Britain and at least 11 Western European nations were able to watch the Gemini IV lift-off live via EARLY BIRD I satellite, Picture reception was reportedly clear, ComSatCorp, cooperating with European ground station owners, arranged for free use of EARLY BIRD I between 8:00 a.m. and 12 noon EDT. (Wash. Post, 6/4/65; ComSatCorp Release)
Department of Defense should, without further delay, commence full-scale development of a manned orbital laboratory (MOL) project, recommended a report by the Military Operations Subcommittee of the House Committee on Government Operations. The report also suggested that DOD "pursue a more realistic security policy in its program," and that "careful and intensive consideration be given to achieving future economies in space operations with greater standardization of systems and subsystems and through such techniques as recoverable and reusable boosters and spacecraft," Moreover, "NASA and DOD [should] use each other's facilities and resources to the greatest possible extent." (Text)
RCA Communications, Inc, asked FCC for the right to lease and operate 30 of EARLY BIRD I's voice-grade and television channels operating between the U.S. and Europe. FCC approval would enable RCA, owner of the National Broadcasting Co., to provide international television and closed-circuit transmission programs across the Atlantic. (WSJ, 6/4/65, 6)
A home-made U.S. flag, carried by astronauts Virgil I. Grissom (Maj. USAF) and John W. Young (LCdr. USN) on the March 23 GEMINI III flight, was hoisted at NASA Manned Spacecraft Center the moment Astronauts James A. McDivitt. (Maj. USAF) and Edward H. White II (Maj., USAF) went into orbit, Flag would be flown only while astronauts were in spaceflight. (AP, Knoxville News Sentinel, 6/3/65)
House voted to allow Gen. William F. McKee (USAF, Ret,) to serve as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Agency and retain his military status. Effect of the legislation, if it were to become law, would be to let McKee draw reduced military retirement pay of $8,404 annually in addition to the Administrator's salary of $30,000, Without the bill, he would have to give up his military status and retirement benefits. (CR, 6/3/65, 11961; AP, Wash. Eve. Star, 6/4/65)
American Telephone and Telegraph Co, made the first formal bid to become a customer of ComSatCorp, In a filing with the FCC, AT&T asked for the right to lease 100 voice-grade channels that would operate through EARLY BIRD I comsat and connect with European telephone companies. AT&T also asked that it be allowed to acquire a television channel for use from time to time in providing TV service to and from Europe in ventures with various European communications carriers. (WSJ, 6/3/65, 4)
In an article suggesting the possibility of catastrophe during the Gemini GT-4 flight, William Hines had said in the Washington Evening Star: "The truth is that the only 'first' the United States has a chance to achieve in Gemini IV is 'first casualties in space'-and nobody (including the Russians) seek this dubious record." Commenting on the planned "rendezvous," he said: ", . the other and more questionable added spectacular on the present mission-is a risky business of unknown proportions , . There are several purely technical objections to this exercise, First, it is not part of the original Gemini IV mission, but an afterthought, Second, the spacecraft was not built for rendezvous. Third, the rocket was never envisioned as a target vehicle and is uncontrollable in space. . . "But if tragedy should strike as a result of something that happens on the first few orbits of Gemini IV, how will the responsibility be fixed: As pilot error . , or politician's error?" (Hines, Wash, Eve, Star, 6/3/65)
Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. was awarded a $10,789,000 increment to an existing contract by USAF for FY 1965 launch services for Agena-D program. (DOD Release 379-65)
First Negro to receive USAF astronaut training, Capt. Edward J. Dwight, Jr. (USAF), denied Ebony magazine's charges that he had been eliminated from selection by the NASA program because of his race, Dwight said the charge "apparently had some information out of context," A statement released by NASA in response to queries about Dwight said: "A formal objective rating system based on flight experience, academic background and supervisory ratings was developed and used by a preliminary selection committee in rating the candidates to make sure that the best qualified were selected as finalists to be considered for the 14 available astronaut positions, Of the 136 candidates, 102, including Capt, Dwight, were eliminated by the primary selection committee, leaving a group of 34 finalists of whom the 14 best were chosen, "Selection is made on a best qualified basis without regard to race, religion or sex, "Capt. Dwight did possess the basic qualifications; he did not score sufficiently high to be selected under the rating system." (UPI, NYT, 6/3/65; WSJ, 6/3/65, 1; Wash, Eve. Star, 6/3/65)
National Park Service delivered to NASA a comprehensive report outlining ways to make Kennedy Space Center a major tourist attraction. (Wash, Eve. Star, 6/2/65)
Click here to listen to the launch of Gemini IV.
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