Apr 2 1965
From The Space Library
Summary report of NASA's Future Programs Task Group, directed by Francis B. Smith of LaRC, was sent by NASA Administrator James E. Webb to the chairmen of the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences and House Committee on Science and Astronautics. Report presented "the results of studies made during 1964 to answer inquiries made by President Johnson as to criteria and priorities for space missions to follow those now approved for the decade of the 1960's... ." It examined (1) conditions and constraints for future planning. (2) major capabilities existing and under development. (3) intermediate missions, and (4) long-range aeronautical and space developments. Report concluded: ", . The details of these new missions such as specific spacecraft designs and exact mission plans will, of course, be the subject of continued study... Continued space exploration will be an evolutionary process in which the next step is based largely on what was learned from the experience of preceding research and flight missions. The pace at which these new programs will be carried out will necessarily depend upon many other factors, such as the allocation of budgetary and manpower resources and the changing National needs of the future, "This study has not revealed any single area of space development which appears to require an overriding emphasis or a crash effort. Rather, it appears that a continued balanced program, steadily pursuing continued advancement in aeronautics, space sciences, manned space flight, and lunar and planetary exploration, adequately supported by a broad basic research and technology development program, still represents the wisest course. Further, it is believed that such a balanced program will not impose unreasonably large demands upon the Nation's resources and that such a program will lead to a preeminent role in aeronautics and space." (Text; NASA Auth, Hearings [Part 3], Senate Comm, on Aeronautical and Space Sciences, 1015-1102)
Fifty years ago President Woodrow Wilson appointed the first members of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. The first meeting of the NACA was held on April 23, 1915, in the office of Secretary of War Lindley M. Garrison. Brig. Gen. George P. Striven, Chief Signal Officer, was elected temporary chairman. (Hunsaker, 40 Years, 247; A&A, 1915-60, 3)
MARINER IV's star-tracking guidance system was updated to compensate for changing angular relationship between spacecraft and the star Canopus. ( NASA Release 65-111)
Landing pads that might be used on unmanned or manned vehicles in NASA's Project Apollo were patented for NASA, Bowl-shaped, the pads would be attached to the spacecraft's struts by ball joints and would be braced inside by collapsible ribs to absorb lateral shock. The underside of the bowl would be covered by material similar to sheet aluminum designed to shear away if the pads should slide. The inventor, Josef F. Blumrich of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, said the pads would support a vertical landing on level terrain and would not dig in or transmit undue shock if they should slip against rocks; they were designed to settle on rock or dust or a combination of the two. (Jones, NYT, 4/3 /65, 34)
USAF designated Textron's Bali Aerosystems Co. an associate prime contractor to supply rocket engines for the Agena space vehicle, it was announced, Change would enable the AFSC Space Systems Div, to procure Agena rocket engines directly from Bell Aerosystems, Bell had designed, manufactured, and tested the Agena rocket engine since 1956 under subcontracts from Lockheed Missiles and Space Co, Agena had orbited more than 80 percent of the USAF and NASA satellites and had placed approximately 60 per cent of the free world's functional unmanned payloads in space. The Bell Agena engine, which had contributed largely to that percentage, had been fired in space approximately 200 times and had achieved a record exceeding 99.3 per cent. (Bell Release)
Canadian Defence Minister Paul Hellyer announced the Mar. 31 shutdown of the $227-million Mid-Canada Warning Line, an electronic aircraft-detection device, Mr. Hellyer said that the shutdown would save $13 million annually and that improvements in the Pinetree radar system had made coverage by the Mid-Canada Line unnecessary. (AP, NYT, 4/4/65, 12)
Hsinhua, official Chinese Communist press agency, announced public display in Peking military museum of a pilotless U.S. reconnaissance plane, shot down over central south China, Jan, 2, 1965, "by the Air Force." (NYT, 4/3/65, 2)
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