Dec 12 1962
From The Space Library
President Kennedy, back in Washington after inspection of defense and nuclear-rocket facilities, said: "We are going to let these test go on of the Project Rover reactor. These tests should be completed by July. If they are successful, then we will put more money into the program, which would involve the Nerva and Rift, both the engine and the regular machine. We will wait until July, however, to see if these tests are successful.
"It should be understood that the nuclear rocket will not come into play until 1970 or '71. It would be useful for further trips to the moon or trips to Mars. But we have a good many areas competing for our available space dollars, and we have to try to channel it into those programs which will bring us a result, first, on our moon landing, and then to consider Mars." Unidentified payload launched by USAF with Thor-Agena vehicle from Vandenberg AFB.
Two tandem 600-ft.-tall research balloons launched from Palestine, Texas, with dummy payload of 6,300 lb., a development test for February 1963 launch of 36-in. telescope with germanium eye to obtain undistorted look at the Martian atmosphere. Scientists from Princeton University, Univ. of California, Vitro Corp., and Schjeldahl Corp. conducted test flight.
DOD announced Nike-Zeus antimissile missile successfully intercepted Atlas ICBM over the Pacific Ocean. Target Atlas was launched from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., and two Nike-Zeus missiles were fired from Kwajalein Island, the first Nike-Zeus making the successful intercept. This was second successful intercept-test by Army's Nike-Zeus.
NASA Agena B vehicle program would be transferred from NASA Marshall Space Flight Center to NASA Lewis Research Center, Associate Administrator Robert C. Seamans, Jr., announced. Transfer included Atlas and Thor boosters used with Agena B upper stage. Dr. Seamans said the transfer, which would be completed within three months, would allow "Marshall to wholly concentrate its work on the vital Saturn vehicle development for the manned lunar landing program and for the large unmanned scientific payloads of the future. . .. In addition, it concentrates at Lewis the two Atlas-based vehicles, Agena and Centaur, which are essential to NASA’s program of space sciences." Centaur was transferred to Lewis in September.
"At least 15 per cent of the original synchrotron radiation" created by U.S. high-altitude nuclear blast last July could persist for more than a year, American and Peruvian scientists reported. Measurements made at National Bureau of Standards radio astronomy observatory in Jicamarca, Peru, showed that about one half the radiation had decayed within two months of the explosion, but that the rate of decay was "thought to be decreasing." USAF SAC crew launched Atlas ICBM from Vandenberg AFB in routine training exercise.
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