Jan 23 1963
From The Space Library
International Association of Machinists (IAM) called nationwide strike against Boeing Co. for Jan. 26 ; President Kennedy invoked Taft-Hartley Act, naming three-man board of inquiry to determine whether national emergency existed. (AP,Wash. Post, l/25/63)
Donald L. Mallick and Harold E. Ream, NASA Langley research pilots, reported to IAS meeting on research results of simulated lunar spacecraft landing, lunar orbit rendezvous, and atmospheric re-entry made in simulated three-man spacecraft. Realistic tests demonstrated ability of research pilots to complete precise maneuvers of flight, despite necessarily cramped quarters and seven-day duration. LARC aerospace scientists Jack E. Pennington and Roy F. Brissenden reported on experiments to investigate astronauts’ ability to rendezvous in space by visual means. Pennington and Brissenden concluded that pilot could sight target vehicle from perhaps as much as 266 m. away if it is lighted by sun or bright beacon; he could then successfully brake his own spacecraft along an intersecting path. Dr. Leonard Roberts, LARC physicist, reported to IAS on implications of lunar landing if moon has, as many scientists believe, dust layer on surface. Dr. Roberts concluded that spacecraft descending to moon would erode a crater by action of its rocket exhaust. If dust exists on lunar surface, it would be blown outward and away from descending vehicle; and would not be present to recirculate dust in enveloping cloud, so astronaut's visibility should not be reduced by lunar dust. Other LARC scientists presented research reports covering instruments for satellites, supersonic aircraft flutter problems and wind tunnel experiments on helicopter rotors. (Langley Release)
Two Beacon-Arrow rockets launched from Tonopah , Nev., test range carried six flares to 56-mi. altitude where flares burst in 6-million-candlepower brightness. Sandia Corp. conducted the test for AEC, in project developing spacecraft tracking techniques during atmospheric re-entry. (AP, Wash. Post, l/25/63)
Bell telephone Laboratories scientist, Walter L. Brown, head of semiconductor physics research, told American Physical Society that TELSTAR I's instruments detected sudden and large increases of energetic electrons in gap or slot between [[Van Allen radiation belts]] within a few hours after Soviet atmospheric nuclear tests Oct. 22 and 28; electron enrichment of gap greatly exceeded that of radiation belts themselves. Before Oct. 21, gap was relatively free of electrons, the electrons following U.S. nuclear test in July having decayed; after Oct. 22 explosion, gap was filled. New electrons decreased at rate of 50% daily in gap’s center, more slowly at gap’s edges. After Oct. 28 explosion, gap was almost refilled, and decay process was repeated. Nov. 1 explosion by U.S.S.R. added electrons to Van Allen belts but not to gap, presumably because this test differed in size and altitude from the others, Brown said. (Wash. Post, l/24/63, A4)
Secretary of Commerce Luther H. Hodges told Association of Public Affairs Conference of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, in Washington, that only one fourth of total U.S. R&D expenditure (about $4 billion) is being spent for civilian purposes. “By wrongly assuming in the first place that research and development for any purpose-space, military, or whatever-automatically fosters economic growth, we have completely missed the point that this is a highly concentrated industry, restricted by purpose, by geography, by company . . . .” Noting that in last eight years the demand for scientists and engineers in Government R&D has increased more than 300%--10 times the increase in private industry-Hodges warned : “Unless industry itself recognizes the basic problem-that we must find ways to make engineering education possible for everyone capable of it and desiring it, and that we must put more of science to practical use-we shall not achieve the productivity rises or the new products that can lead us to faster growth.” (Wash. Post, l/24/63, A2)
Dr. J. Herbert Hollomon, addressing American Meteorological Society in New York, said : “A global system of weather services and atmospheric research requires much more than the sum of separate national programs, much more than traditional cooperation or coordination. Its success depends upon a world-wide joint effort benefiting a world-wide task . . . .” (AMS Release)
At annual dinner in New York, American Meteorological Society presented posthumously the Carl-Gustaf Rossby Award for Extraordinary Scientific Achievement to the late Dr. Harry Wexler, who had been head of U.S. Weather Bureau’s Office of Research ; Dr. Wexler was cited “for his contributions to knowledge of the atmospheric heat balance and dynamic anticyclogenesis, for his interdisciplinary studies in meteorology, oceanography, and glaciology, and for his outstanding leadership in international programs in the atmospheric sciences.” Other awards: Charles Franklin Brooks Award for Outstanding Service to the Society, presented to Dr. David M. Ludlum “for his continuing effort, on behalf of the Society, to popularize meteorology and to stimulate the interest of young people in the field, for establishing Weatherwise, and for his effective participation in Society affairs over many years” ; Cleveland Abbe Award for Distinguished Service to Atmospheric Sciences by an Individual presented to Dr. Lloyd V. Berkner, President of Graduate Research Center, Dallas, Tex., for “his scientific work on the upper atmosphere and for the stimulation he provided to the field of meteorology by his, work as Chairman of the Committee on Meteorology of the National Academy of Sciences”; the Meisinger Award, presented to Prof. Edward N. Lorenz of MIT “for his introduction of concepts leading to a better understanding of the energetics of the general circulation, and for his recent work on low order systems indicating aperiodic vacillations from one regime of motion to another”; Award for Outstanding Services to Meteorology by a Corporation, presented to RCA Avco-Electronics Div., “for contributions to meteorology through its role in producing the successful Tiros meteorological satellites”; AMS Award for outstanding Contribution to the Advance of Applied Meteorology presented to Herbert C. S. Thom, Chief Climatologist, U.S. Weather Bureau, “for a quarter century of contributions to applied meteorology, including furnished climatological estimates to the armed forces during World War II major contributions to the problems of statistical analysis of climatological data, development of wind design data, and development of a much improved formula for calculating annual and seasonal energy use or domestic heating”; Award for Outstanding Achievement in Bioclimatology, presented to Prof. Konrad J. K. Buettner, Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences, Univ. of Washington, “for his distinguished and continuing studies on the influence of the atmospheric environment on man.” (AMS Release)
USAF Minuteman ICBM traveled more than 4,000 mi. down AMR in “flawless” test flight. (UPI, Wash. Post, l/24/63 ; M&R 1/28/63, 11)
Dr. David Atlas, chief of USAF Cambridge Research Laboratories Weather Radar Branch, announced successful testing of Stradap (Storm Radar Data Processor), electronic device for short-range storm detection and forecasting. Dr. Atlas said a network of 100 long-range radars and Stradap units could provide automatic storm mapping for the entire country. (USAF OAR Release l-63-2)
Two major contracts for the Apollo project were awarded recently for
- (1) a lunar charting service by the USAF Aeronautical Chart and Information Center, St. Louis, Missouri; and
- (2) an exploratory study of guidance system techniques in emergency abort operation of the Apollo LEM during lunar landing, awarded to Chance Vought. Astronautics Division of Ling-Temco-Vought,Inc. Dallas Tx. (MSC Fact sheet #96)
Turkish Foreign Minister Feridon Cemal Erkin, announced U.S. would dismantle Jupiter missiles deployed at NATO bases in Turkey. Land-based Jupiter IRBM was being replaced by Polaris submarine-launched missile. (Wash. Post, l/24/63, Al)
Prof. Lloyd Motz, Columbia Univ. astronomer, estimated at joint session of IAS and AMS that Milky Way Galaxy contains 200 million stars similar to our sun ; if these suns also possess planets, each might possess as many as three planets inhabited by intelligent forms of life. "There are in the galaxy millions of planetary systems like our solar system with similar physical and chemical properties. Hence life might have existed in many of these planetary systems, since biochemists have demonstrated that the complex organic molecules necessary to maintain life are synthesized if the physical and chemical conditions are proper.” (AP, Wash. Post, l/24/63, A4)
Maj. Gen. Ben I. Funk, Cdr. of AFSSD, reported to IAS that, AF Systems Command considered three fundamental projects as “space programs of prime military necessity: rendezvous and inspection, space station development, and communications satellites.” (Av. Wash., 1/28/63,26f)
W. Albert Noyes, Jr., Prof. of chemistry at Univ. of Rochester, told House Committee on Science and Astronautics that, to produce more scientists emphasis should be removed from awarding of graduate fellowships and grants and should be placed on increasing high school teachers’ salaries so as to attract teachers with enough scientific training to stimulate their students. Chemist Harold C. Urey said that only about three percent (about $15 billion) of this countries GNP was spent on education and that amount “should be doubled." (AP Wash. Post l/24/63, A4)
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