Feb 22 1963

From The Space Library

Flight of balloon carrying 36-in. telescope to 80,000-ft. altitude for study of planet Mars was postponed at Palestine, Tex., after balloon developed a leak while being inflated. This was 13th time the launching had been postponed. (AP, Wash. Post, 2/23/63)

NASA announced Albert F. Siepert, Director of Administration since formation of NASA in October 1958, had been appointed to new post of Deputy Director, NASA Launch Operations Center, effective about April 1. He would be succeeded by John D. Young, NASA Deputy Director of Administration since 1961. Don D. Cadle, Director of Resource Programming in NASA Office of Pro­grams since 1961, was appointed Deputy Director of Administra­tion to succeed John D. Young. (NASA Release 63-33)

Brainerd Holmes NASA Deputy Associate Administrator and Direc-tor of Manned Space Flight, said in address before Washington Day Banquet of Creve Coeur Club, Peoria, Ill.: "For centuries men have gazed at the moon; have written poems and composed songs about it; have proposed to their ladies beneath it; and now they wish to stand upon it.. To do this we must hurl men some quarter of a million miles through space to rendezvous with the moon, and then return these men to earth safely. This surely is a clear goal. All men know what it means when we say `leave the earth and go to the moon and return safely again to earth.' A further parameter is also clearly defined and that is time. Our goal is to accomplish this mission within this decade . " (Text)

Marshal Sergei S. Biryusov, Soviet Commander of the Strategic Rocket Force, said in article published for Soviet Armed Forces Day: "The problem of destruction of hostile rockets in flight was successfully solved in the Soviet Union . . . . It has now [also] become possible at a command from earth to launch rockets from satellites at an desirable time and at any point of the satel­lite's trajectory." (AP, Wash. Eve. Star, 2/22/63, A3; Wash. Post, 2/22/63, A16)

In ceremony on the 45th anniversary of the Soviet Armed Forces, Defense Minister Rodion Malinovsky said: "I maintain emphatically that in retaliation to the 344 missiles with which Mr. McNamara is threatening us, we shall deal a simulta­neous blow of several times more missiles and such a tremendous nuclear yield that it will wipe off the earth all targets, industrial and administrative-political centers of the United States, will de­stroy completely the countries which have made available their territories for American war bases . . . ." Marshal Malinovsky said that Soviet rocket crews are required to show 95 per cent proficiency and that there are no Soviet planes equipped to drop bombs, only those equipped to fire rockets. Premier Khrushchev attended the Kremlin ceremony wearing the uniform of a lieuten­ant general. (AP, Wash. Eve. Star, 2/22/63, 1)

[{Feb 23 1963]]